Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

People are increasingly unhappy with their governments in democracies around the world. In countries as diverse as India, Ecuador, and Uganda, governments are responding to frustrations by mandating greater citizen participation at the local and state level. Officials embrace participatory reforms, believing that citizen councils and committees lead to improved accountability and more informed communities. Yet there's been little research on the efficacy of these efforts to improve democracy, despite an explosion in their popularity since the mid-1980s. Democracy from Above? tests the hypothesis that top-down reforms strengthen democracies and evaluates the conditions that affect their success. Stephanie L. McNulty addresses the global context of participatory reforms in developing nations. She observes and interprets what happens after greater citizen involvement is mandated in seventeen countries, with close case studies of Guatemala, Bolivia, and Peru. The first cross-national comparison on this issue, Democracy from Above? explores whether the reforms effectively redress the persistent problems of discrimination, elite capture, clientelism, and corruption in the countries that adopt them. As officials and reformers around the world and at every level of government look to strengthen citizen involvement and confidence in the political process, McNulty provides a clear understanding of the possibilities and limitations of nationally mandated participatory reforms.

Political participation. --- Democracy. --- Political participation --- Citizen participation --- Community action --- Community involvement --- Community participation --- Involvement, Community --- Mass political behavior --- Participation, Citizen --- Participation, Community --- Participation, Political --- Political activity --- Political behavior --- Political rights --- Social participation --- Political activists --- Politics, Practical --- Self-government --- Political science --- Equality --- Representative government and representation --- Republics --- Latin America. --- democracy. --- developing world. --- governance. --- institutional reforms. --- participation. --- participatory governance.

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This Open Access book explains the philosophy, design principles, and community organization of Decidim and provides essential insights into how the platform works. Decidim is the world leading digital infrastructure for participatory democracy, built entirely and collaboratively as free software, and used by more than 500 institutions with over three million users worldwide. The platform allows any organization (government, association, university, NGO, neighbourhood, or cooperative) to support multitudinous processes of participatory democracy. In a context dominated by corporate-owned digital platforms, in the era of increasing social structuring via Artificial Intelligence, Decidim stands as a public or community owned platform for collective human intelligence. Yet, the project is much more than its technological features. Decidim is in itself a crossroad of the various dimensions of the networked society, a detailed practical map of its complexities and conflicts. Theauthors distinguish three general dimensions of the project: (1) the political - shedding light on the democratic model that Decidim promotes and its impact on public policies and organizations, (2) the technopolitical - explaining how this technology is democratically designed and managed to produce and protect certain political effects, and (3) the technical - presenting the conditions of production, operation, and success of the project. This book systematically covers those three levels in an academically sound, technologically consistent, and politically innovative manner. Serving as a useful resource and handbook for the use of Decidim, it will not only appeal to students and scholars interested in participatory and digital democracy but also to professionals, policy-makers, and a wider audience interested in learning more about the Decidim platform. This is an open access book.

Political participation --- Metadecidim --- Social Sciences --- Humanities --- Associació de Software Lliure Decidim --- Decidim (Electronic resource) --- Participatory democracy --- Democratic innovation --- Collective intelligence --- Political network --- Decidim --- Techno-politics --- Public-commons partnership --- Software development --- Participatory governance --- Digital platforms --- Network society --- Digital democracy --- Comparative government. --- Political science. --- Elections. --- Europe --- Public administration. --- Comparative Politics. --- Governance and Government. --- Electoral Politics. --- European Politics. --- Public Administration. --- Politics and government.

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

An increasing number of people live in cities. In recent decades, this, combined with rural abandonment and landscape polarisation, has resulted in high land ownership concentrations and agricultural intensification. This, in turn, has resulted in a significant decrease in the resilience of agriculture and overall food systems and threatens the maintenance of traditional indigenous and peasant farming. Therefore, there is an urgent need to reconnect society with the sustainable use of agroecosystems by fostering resilient social–ecological systems, emphasising the links between the functioning of natural systems and human well-being, and stressing the benefits that people derive from them. This Special Issue aims to highlight impactful research and commentaries that focus on attempts to connect people with nature for the promotion of sustainable agricultural transitions. This Issue embraces inter- and trans-disciplinary studies from multiple disciplines (e.g., agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, geography, economy, and sociology), as well as those incorporating other knowledge systems (e.g., local and indigenous) in the co-construction of knowledge for sustainable agriculture, including studies in rural areas (e.g., GIAHS or HNV farmland) and initiatives that address urban–rural relationships or those developed within metropolitan areas (e.g., community-supported agriculture, food hubs, domestic gardens, multifunctional agriculture, and farmers´ or consumers´ cooperatives) and studies assessing the societal and ecological impacts of those initiatives.

Research & information: general --- community supported agriculture --- alternative food networks --- spatial proximity --- relational proximity --- cross-national case study --- sustainable agriculture --- rural-urban interaction --- agroecology --- youth --- human-nature connectedness --- sustainability transitions --- depopulation --- ecological agriculture --- water conservation --- double-hurdle model --- interpretative structural modeling --- adoptions --- threatened plant --- agriculture --- Spain --- land use --- conservation --- human-nature reconnection --- cultural landscapes --- drivers of change --- landscape planning --- landscape stewardship --- mixed methods --- participatory governance --- rural abandonment --- stakeholder inclusion --- urban growth --- participatory mapping --- ecosystem services --- demand --- PGIS --- agricultural landscapes --- human nature connectedness --- agricultural innovations --- multi-level perspective --- agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS) --- conservative agriculture practices --- knowledge co-production --- mediterranean horticulture --- integrated pest management --- greenhouses --- soil health --- biological control --- pond naturalisation --- collective action --- socio-ecological systems --- sustainable agricultural transition --- consumers/citizens --- sustainable consumption --- innovative business models --- alternative agri-food networks (AAFNs) --- human-nature connectedness (HNC) --- multi-level perspective (MLP) --- community-supported agriculture (CSA) --- cooperatives --- food systems governance --- public policy --- inclusive multilateralism --- rights-based approach --- biodiversity --- climate change --- nature --- foodshed archipelago --- proximity food supply chains --- spatial signature --- city-region --- food self-sufficiency --- regional food security --- agricultural diversification --- food planning --- regional food system --- food policy --- socioecological systems --- local identity --- world heritage site --- community supported agriculture --- alternative food networks --- spatial proximity --- relational proximity --- cross-national case study --- sustainable agriculture --- rural-urban interaction --- agroecology --- youth --- human-nature connectedness --- sustainability transitions --- depopulation --- ecological agriculture --- water conservation --- double-hurdle model --- interpretative structural modeling --- adoptions --- threatened plant --- agriculture --- Spain --- land use --- conservation --- human-nature reconnection --- cultural landscapes --- drivers of change --- landscape planning --- landscape stewardship --- mixed methods --- participatory governance --- rural abandonment --- stakeholder inclusion --- urban growth --- participatory mapping --- ecosystem services --- demand --- PGIS --- agricultural landscapes --- human nature connectedness --- agricultural innovations --- multi-level perspective --- agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS) --- conservative agriculture practices --- knowledge co-production --- mediterranean horticulture --- integrated pest management --- greenhouses --- soil health --- biological control --- pond naturalisation --- collective action --- socio-ecological systems --- sustainable agricultural transition --- consumers/citizens --- sustainable consumption --- innovative business models --- alternative agri-food networks (AAFNs) --- human-nature connectedness (HNC) --- multi-level perspective (MLP) --- community-supported agriculture (CSA) --- cooperatives --- food systems governance --- public policy --- inclusive multilateralism --- rights-based approach --- biodiversity --- climate change --- nature --- foodshed archipelago --- proximity food supply chains --- spatial signature --- city-region --- food self-sufficiency --- regional food security --- agricultural diversification --- food planning --- regional food system --- food policy --- socioecological systems --- local identity --- world heritage site

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This book contributes to the conceptual and practical knowledge pools in order to improve the research and practice on smart and sustainable urban development by presenting an informed understanding of the subject to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. This book presents contributions—in the form of research articles, literature reviews, case reports, and short communications—offering insights into the smart and sustainable urban development by conducting in-depth conceptual debates, detailed case study descriptions, thorough empirical investigations, systematic literature reviews, or forecasting analyses. This way, the book forms a repository of relevant information, material, and knowledge to support research, policymaking, practice, and the transferability of experiences to address urbanization and other planetary challenges.

new town development --- urban entrepreneurialism --- land-driven economy --- Pearl River Delta --- smart cities --- Spain --- networks --- firms --- polycentrism --- socioeconomic resilience --- recession --- Mediterranean Europe --- social learning --- transdisciplinary coproduction --- sustainability transitions --- artificial intelligence (AI) --- artificially intelligent city --- climate change --- planetary challenges --- smart and sustainable cities --- smart city --- technological disruption --- urban policy --- sustainable urbanism --- urban artificial intelligences --- energy transitions --- hydrogen --- energy storage --- vanadium --- flow battery --- industrial ecology --- co-benefits --- multi-generation --- power-to-X --- energy networks --- smart urbanism --- smart and sustainable urban development --- sustainable development --- knowledge-based urban development --- urban governance --- urban transformation --- innovation --- Florianópolis --- Brazil --- stormwater management --- retention basin --- rain garden --- low impact development (LID) --- green infrastructure --- cost analysis --- stormwater modelling --- stormwater quality --- stormwater reuse --- water scarcity --- sustainable urban development --- governance --- urban renewal --- historical buildings protection --- property rights --- citizen centrism --- citizen-centric smart cities --- neoliberal urbanism --- public participation --- participative governance --- participatory planning --- right to the city --- smart citizenship --- social inclusion indicator --- education for sustainable development --- pedagogy --- urban --- multidisciplinary learning --- sustainability monitoring --- sustainability indicators --- community indicators --- quality-of-life --- transparency --- accountability --- participatory governance --- urban morphology --- deep learning --- similarity analysis --- cluster analysis --- feature extraction --- business survival --- economic resilience --- employment portfolio --- risk–return tradeoff --- Europe --- Fuzzy Delphi method --- Hong Kong --- India --- Malaysia --- smart city policy --- smart urbanization --- policy evaluation --- age-in-place --- ageing communities --- naturally occurring retirement communities --- age-friendly cities --- older population --- Brisbane --- Australia --- anonymity --- formal modeling --- location privacy --- mix context --- pseudonyms --- traceability --- VANETs --- urban planning --- more-than-human --- post-Anthropocene --- environmental humanities --- multispecies justice --- sustainable cities --- n/a --- Florianópolis --- risk-return tradeoff

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This book contributes to the conceptual and practical knowledge pools in order to improve the research and practice on smart and sustainable urban development by presenting an informed understanding of the subject to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. This book presents contributions—in the form of research articles, literature reviews, case reports, and short communications—offering insights into the smart and sustainable urban development by conducting in-depth conceptual debates, detailed case study descriptions, thorough empirical investigations, systematic literature reviews, or forecasting analyses. This way, the book forms a repository of relevant information, material, and knowledge to support research, policymaking, practice, and the transferability of experiences to address urbanization and other planetary challenges.

Research & information: general --- new town development --- urban entrepreneurialism --- land-driven economy --- Pearl River Delta --- smart cities --- Spain --- networks --- firms --- polycentrism --- socioeconomic resilience --- recession --- Mediterranean Europe --- social learning --- transdisciplinary coproduction --- sustainability transitions --- artificial intelligence (AI) --- artificially intelligent city --- climate change --- planetary challenges --- smart and sustainable cities --- smart city --- technological disruption --- urban policy --- sustainable urbanism --- urban artificial intelligences --- energy transitions --- hydrogen --- energy storage --- vanadium --- flow battery --- industrial ecology --- co-benefits --- multi-generation --- power-to-X --- energy networks --- smart urbanism --- smart and sustainable urban development --- sustainable development --- knowledge-based urban development --- urban governance --- urban transformation --- innovation --- Florianópolis --- Brazil --- stormwater management --- retention basin --- rain garden --- low impact development (LID) --- green infrastructure --- cost analysis --- stormwater modelling --- stormwater quality --- stormwater reuse --- water scarcity --- sustainable urban development --- governance --- urban renewal --- historical buildings protection --- property rights --- citizen centrism --- citizen-centric smart cities --- neoliberal urbanism --- public participation --- participative governance --- participatory planning --- right to the city --- smart citizenship --- social inclusion indicator --- education for sustainable development --- pedagogy --- urban --- multidisciplinary learning --- sustainability monitoring --- sustainability indicators --- community indicators --- quality-of-life --- transparency --- accountability --- participatory governance --- urban morphology --- deep learning --- similarity analysis --- cluster analysis --- feature extraction --- business survival --- economic resilience --- employment portfolio --- risk-return tradeoff --- Europe --- Fuzzy Delphi method --- Hong Kong --- India --- Malaysia --- smart city policy --- smart urbanization --- policy evaluation --- age-in-place --- ageing communities --- naturally occurring retirement communities --- age-friendly cities --- older population --- Brisbane --- Australia --- anonymity --- formal modeling --- location privacy --- mix context --- pseudonyms --- traceability --- VANETs --- urban planning --- more-than-human --- post-Anthropocene --- environmental humanities --- multispecies justice --- sustainable cities --- new town development --- urban entrepreneurialism --- land-driven economy --- Pearl River Delta --- smart cities --- Spain --- networks --- firms --- polycentrism --- socioeconomic resilience --- recession --- Mediterranean Europe --- social learning --- transdisciplinary coproduction --- sustainability transitions --- artificial intelligence (AI) --- artificially intelligent city --- climate change --- planetary challenges --- smart and sustainable cities --- smart city --- technological disruption --- urban policy --- sustainable urbanism --- urban artificial intelligences --- energy transitions --- hydrogen --- energy storage --- vanadium --- flow battery --- industrial ecology --- co-benefits --- multi-generation --- power-to-X --- energy networks --- smart urbanism --- smart and sustainable urban development --- sustainable development --- knowledge-based urban development --- urban governance --- urban transformation --- innovation --- Florianópolis --- Brazil --- stormwater management --- retention basin --- rain garden --- low impact development (LID) --- green infrastructure --- cost analysis --- stormwater modelling --- stormwater quality --- stormwater reuse --- water scarcity --- sustainable urban development --- governance --- urban renewal --- historical buildings protection --- property rights --- citizen centrism --- citizen-centric smart cities --- neoliberal urbanism --- public participation --- participative governance --- participatory planning --- right to the city --- smart citizenship --- social inclusion indicator --- education for sustainable development --- pedagogy --- urban --- multidisciplinary learning --- sustainability monitoring --- sustainability indicators --- community indicators --- quality-of-life --- transparency --- accountability --- participatory governance --- urban morphology --- deep learning --- similarity analysis --- cluster analysis --- feature extraction --- business survival --- economic resilience --- employment portfolio --- risk-return tradeoff --- Europe --- Fuzzy Delphi method --- Hong Kong --- India --- Malaysia --- smart city policy --- smart urbanization --- policy evaluation --- age-in-place --- ageing communities --- naturally occurring retirement communities --- age-friendly cities --- older population --- Brisbane --- Australia --- anonymity --- formal modeling --- location privacy --- mix context --- pseudonyms --- traceability --- VANETs --- urban planning --- more-than-human --- post-Anthropocene --- environmental humanities --- multispecies justice --- sustainable cities