Place branding is the idea of discovering or creating some uniqueness, which differentiates one place from others in order to gain a competitive brand value. This article is not about the concepts or justifications but about how it is actually done at the local level, especially as part of broader conventional place management policies. Three main local planning instruments are widely used throughout the world in various combination in diverse places, each of which is described and exemplified here. These are first, personality association, where places associate themselves with a named individual, from history, literature, the arts, politics, entertainment, sport or even mythology, in the hope that the necessarily unique qualities of the individual are transferred by association to the place. Secondly, the visual qualities of buildings and urban design is an instrument of place-branding available to local planners. This could include flagship building, signature urban design and even signature districts. Thirdly, event hallmarking is where places organise events, usually cultural or sporting, in order to obtain a wider recognition that they exist but also to establish specific brand associations. Lessons are drawn from practice about the importance of combining these instruments and integrating them into wider planning and management strategies.
After the economic crisis of 2008, local governments performed crisis management on their own since central governments’ actions restricted individual local government actions in most countries. Thus, local policy actions brought significant results only later. In the second period – after 2011 – local government policy actions helped to overcome the negative effects of the crisis and – in some cases – paved the way for the modernisation of the local government system. This became a central issue for countries since ageing of population, shifting within the demand of local public goods and inefficient operation called for structural changes. Modernisation of local public system is a complex phenomenon and reaches far beyond the scope of this paper thus we make an attempt to summarize the general state of local decentralisation after 2008, introduce some new theoretical findings of OECD’s researches and its positive implications in member states. We argue that diverse national policy changes do not support widescale comparisons but pioneers of local government reforms will gain the most benefits of modernisation. Local government systems shall – very soon – not only bear the burden of central governments’ task and revenue sharing issues but more and more incorporate long term sustainable correlations with the educational system and local economic development – probably the most effective tools for raising competitiveness at the sub-central level.
According to the EU policy, knowledge-based clusters of interlinked innovative enterprises and excellent research institutes could be among the main levers to foster EU competitiveness in the knowledge-based economy. This policy of the EU assumes a financial support of clusters as a main factor of poorer regions competitiveness rising. This article shows examples of the EU- funds that helped tourism clusters with creating, development and succesfull activity on local and regional markets.
The theory of economics comprises a variety of approaches and schools of thought that result from the range and manner of analyzing economic reality. The diversity of methods used to asses economic processes encourages one to specify a certain number of research methods from the perspective of their essence and significance in the economic theory. The aim of the paper is to characterize selected aspects of economics in terms of the way in which economic processes are presented. The authors mention three perspectives: institutional, Austrian and neoclassical – all of them crucial for presenting the most important issues in the theory of economics. Obviously, the presented assessment of the importance of these approaches is selective and focuses solely on certain issues. It, nevertheless, seems interesting both because of the used instruments and of its theoretical value.
Law states that the most important tasks related to the development of the particular re-gion are performed by the municipality. This article aims to identify tools at the disposal of municipal government in the process of local development, particularly financial methods of promoting the economic growth. The analysis includes polish communities by characterizing the range of investment activities carried out by these units. Municipalities and cities with poviat status had the largest share in realization of the investment of local government (in total over 70%). Most of funds for investments were dispensed in the budgets of municipalities in 2009–2011. The level of government investment decreased significantly since 2012
The aim of the article is to show how to use European funds as a factor of tourism sector development. Tourism is one of the most prosperous branch of economy that becames an important stimulant of an economic growth in many european regions. The EU- cohesion policy exists in funding domestic, regional and transborder programms of tourism development stimulation in the EU regions. Beneficjaries of these programms are usually territorial goverments, trade organisations, associations, foundations, universities and enterpreneurs. An effective use of european funds make a chance of economic activation of tourism reception areas. Therefore, in all programms co-financing by the EU- funds, that are coverage in Poland, there are included projects of tourism sector development support
Since the very beginning of their establishment, municipalities, counties and regions (voivodeships) have been struggling with financial problems. Unfortunately, these problems affect the performance of the tasks assigned to these administrative units, including the standard of provided services and investment activities. Although extensive, the scale of the unsatisfied needs in LGUs varies between individual units, including municipalities. Thus, the positive financial results (the balance at the closure of the fiscal year) achieved by local government units in Poland in the recent years, as well as their future, offer an intriguing topic of research. The purpose of this paper is to identify the causes that: 1) underpin the re-evaluation of the LGU goals (from the implementation of the local government mission to achieving a budget surplus), and 2) allow the positive result of the LGU budget to finance goals other than investment-related ones. In order to achieve this, the study covers and illustrates, using the empirical data from the years 2007-2016, the types of possible LGU budget results, LGU activities that could contribute to the closure to LGU budgets with a positive result, directions of using budget surpluses and the so-called uncommitted funds, as well as local governments’ debt in terms of the intergenerational solidarity concept of its repayment and its perceived optimal structure.
Tourism is often seen as an important factor in local development. The good or relatively good financial standing of tourist gminas and their inhabitants is usually emphasised while the positive impact of tourism on the development of infrastructure and other effects generally seen as favourable. What is less often emphasised are the problems associated with the development of tourism. The purpose of this article is to recognise the consequences of tourism development in a gmina of high tourism and recreation value and set them against the opinions of its inhabitants.
The aim of the article is to systematize the achievements in the theoretical foundations of selecteddevelopment concepts in relation to the development of territorial units located in rural peripheral areas andconcepts useful in the diagnosis and management of local development. The work reviews the concept of socio-economic development: sustainable, multifunctional, neo-endogenous, intelligent and inclusive, and the conceptof path dependency, resilience and territorial approach as a concept referring to diagnosis and developmentmanagement. Sustainable development was considered a superior concept, which results from the axiologicalpotential – the concept of development adopting an over-centric value system as an axiological foundation. Atthe same time, it was recognized that the local system (with economic periphery features) lacking sufficient ownpotential requires intervention by public authorities, which, through the implementation of specific policies,should stimulate the stimulation of endogenous potential. On the other hand, the operationalization of the smartvillages concept makes it possible to identify rural growth poles, in relation to which the support should beaimed at increasing their supralocal influence.
W studiach nad rozwojem regionalnym i lokalnym przedmiotem zainteresowania są dysproporcje między tworzącymi daną zbiorowość jednostkami terytorialnymi. Ważną cechą są również zachodzące zmiany tychkategorii w czasie. Prowadzi to do sformułowania pojęć procesów konwergencji i dywergencji rozwoju gospodarczego badanych jednostek. Celem artykułu jest dokonanie na przykładzie województwa lubuskiego analizy występowania realnej konwergencji gospodarczej na poziomie gmin z wykorzystaniem dwóch mierników odnoszących się do ich dochodów. Pierwszym są dochody własne gmin, jako miernik aktywności gospodarczej na ich obszarze. Drugim – dochody osobiste ludności, jako miernik poziomu jej zamożności. Przy użyciu indeksu Theila i modeli regresji zbadano występowanie zjawisk konwergencji typu beta i sigma obu kategorii dochodów w gminach. Analizę przeprowadzono na podstawie danych z Banku Danych Lokalnych GUS, obejmując nią okres 1999–2019. Wyniki wskazują, że w zakresie kształtowania się dochodów własnych gmin w badanym okresie ma miejsce zarówno zjawisko konwergencji typu beta, jak i sigma. Powyższych prawidłowości, ze względu na zmienność tendencji, nie można jednak stwierdzić w przypadku kształtowania się dochodów osobistych ludności.
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In studies on regional and local development, the subject of interest are disproportions between territorial units constituting a given municipality. Changes in these categories over time are an important quality, too. This leads to the formulation of the concepts of convergence and divergence processes in the economic development of the studied units. The object of this paper is the analysis of the occurrence of real economic convergence at the level of municipalities using the example of Lubusz Voivodeship, in which study two measures relating to their income have been applied. The one is the municipality’s own income as a measure of economic activity in its area. The other one is personal income of the population as a measure of the level of its wealth. Using the Theil index and regression models, the occurrence of beta and sigma convergence phenomena in both income categories in municipalities were investigated. The analysis was conducted on the basis of data derived from the Local Data Bank of the Central Statistical Office, covering the 1999–2019 period. The results indicate that both the beta and sigma convergence phenomena do take place in the development of municipalities’ own income in the analyzed period. The above regularities, due to the volatility of tendencies, cannot be stated in the case of the personal income of the population.
The aim of the study was the assessment of the impact of environmental factors on the development of the city Bielsko-Biała. Environmental factors which occur in administrative boundaries of the city were identifi ed as well as analysis of the local planning documents has been carried out. The investment limits in the zones of potential fl ood hazard and valuable natural areas were taken under consideration. Bielsko-Biała is a relatively large residential-industrial city with a well preserved nature and natural protected areas. Biała river, which fl ows through the city poses a threat of fl ooding. On the considerable part of the area of the city spatial managements plans are missing, some plans are adopted since 2009 year. The lack of plans can cause the urban planning chaos and the discretion in giving land development permits. It can also contribute to heavy fl ood losses and damage in the environment, however lack of restrictions helps investors making investments in these areas.
The aim of the article: The main aim of the article is to present the essence and significance the institution of civic budget as a tool not only allowing citizens to actively participate in the process of deciding about the directions of spending public funds, but also a tool to determine the directions of social expectations, the essence and importance of social participation. Hypothesis: The hypothesis accepted in the study stipulates that the growing popularity of the civic budget makes it an effective tool for social participation. Methodology: The study was based on a literature review, legal acts, information on the functioning of the civic budget in Lodz as well as a questionnaire conducted among the city residents. Results of the research: The civic budget in Lodz has been functioning for eight years, and during this time it has been constantly contributing to the idea of citizen involvement in the decision-making process. Although the budget procedure itself is undergoing numerous corrections and transformations, as the ongoing political, social and macroeconomic changes must be taken into account, it is still a basic tool enabling active participation and involvement of citizens. The matters it concerns are important to the community, and the civic budget offers an opportunity to express their opinions on key issues. The conducted survey indicates that Lodz is a positive example of using the participatory budget mechanism in the city management process. The sustained high (on a Polish scale) turnout confirms the inhabitants’ interest and willingness to change the public space, thus positively influencing the building of a sense of local community.
This article presents the findings of a two-year research project1. The main aim of the project was to analyse the role and growth possibilities of subregional centres in Poland, taking into account polarisation processes and a knowledge-based economy. The cities chosen for their degree of competitiveness and growth possibilities were those of over 40000 inhabitants, not situated in close proximity to capitals of Polish regions. Apart from that questionnaires were sent by post to all previously identified subregional growth poles and municipalities of their surroundings. Moreover, ten subregional growth poles were chosen to be analysed as case studies. Six fragmentary hypotheses were verified in the research: historical hypothesis, metropolitan hypothesis, hypothesis of internal resources, networking hypothesis, hypothesis of strong surroundings, administrative-political hypothesis.
The article presents history and dynamics of tourist movement in the Colca Valley. Analyzing results of field research conducted in 2003 and 2007 the authors describe main changes in the attitudes of local inhabitants and authorities towards tourism and identify their character. Tourist activities based on the Colca Canyon natural attractions, remaining under total control of external tour operators since the eighties and perceived as a burden in the area, are seen now as a possible important factor of local development. New bottom-up initiatives are spreading in the Colca localities supported by NGOs and a public development program. Patterns of more sustainable tourism emerge and local culture is turning into an important element of the Colca tourist product.
The role of tourism for local economic development (LED) is a topic of critical importance for geographers. In the case of South Africa tourism is a priority sector for national economic development. The significance of research issues around tourism and LED is underlined by the ‘developmental’ mandate of local governments. Although tourism has received attention in a growing body of LED writings on South Africa issues around agritourism so far have been overlooked. Agritourism represents an evolving form of rural tourism which is targeted at mainly urban consumers. Against the background of a review of international scholarship on agritourism this article explores its potential implications for LED planning in South Africa. A national audit of agritourism is presented which shows its uneven geographical distribution. Agritourism is of special significance for small town economic development in South Africa’s intermediate tourism spaces. Policy suggestions are offered for strengthening agritourism as a driver for LED in South Africa.
Heritage tourism is a significant contemporary facet of tourism in many developing countries. This paper analyses the economic opportunities for battlefield- heritage tourism in South Africa by examining the battlefields route within KwaZulu-Natal. Through structured interviews with stakeholders and structured questionnaires with visitors and local residents, this research explores the understanding of heritage tourism as well as perceptions of its influence on the physical landscape and gauges the importance of this form of tourism as a driver for local economic development in South Africa. Dundee, a small coal-mining town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa - where several battlefields are found, is used as a case study. The study demonstrates that several issues need to be addressed if this niche of cultural and heritage tourism is to be a sustainable and responsible form of tourism in South Africa.
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