Housing prices and macroprudential policies: Evidence from microdata

This paper examines the efficacy of macroprudential policies in addressing housing prices in a developing country like India, utilizing two novel databases on city-level house prices in India. Though the empirical models provide evidence of a sizable effect of the fundamental factors in influencing house price dynamics, they also reveal strong countercyclical properties of macroprudential tools i.e., loan-to-value (LTV) limit, risk weights, and provisioning requirements, in influencing housing price movements. Among the macroprudential policy tools, the LTV limit emerges as the most potent one in influencing the price dynamics. A granular investigation of the effectiveness of macroprudential tools suggests that the countercyclical effect of the regulatory ratios for large-sized mortgages is much stronger as compared with those for the small-sized mortgages, attributed mainly to investment motives associated with the large-sized loans. We also find the presence of asymmetry in the impact of loosening versus the tightening of the LTV limit, which can be attributed to the procyclical behavior of the house prices.     

Toward an understanding of the spatiality of urban poverty: the urban poor as spatial actors

The last two decades have witnessed an explosion of empirical research on the role of space in group life at the same time scholars have lamented the under‐theorization of space in sociology. In particular, mainstream poverty researchers have conceptualized space as a neutral backdrop against which action unfolds and viewed poor people's agency as passive and unreflexive. This article attempts to move beyond this space‐as‐container ontology and provide a more coherent view of how theorizing space and spatial issues can help us understand the actions of the urban poor. At the core of the paper is an attempt to theorize agency as a spatial phenomenon — with spatial attributes and spatial influences — and offer empirical insight into how different spatial meanings can enable or constrain particular forms of social action and behavior. My intent is to contribute to an understanding of the urban poor as spatial actors. I argue that the importance of space lies in understanding it as an object of political struggle, a constitutive component of human agency, and a facilitator as well as constraint upon action. Les deux dernières décennies ont connu une explosion des recherches empiriques sur le rôle de l'espace dans la vie de groupe, tandis que les intellectuels déploraient le manque de théorisation de l'espace en sociologie. En particulier dans le courant dominant de la recherche sur la pauvreté, l'espace a été conceptualisé comme un décor neutre devant lequel se déroule l'action, et la capacité d'action des pauvres était considérée comme passive et irréfléchie. Cet article tente de dépasser cette ontologie de l'espace‐contenant et de fournir une vision plus cohérente de la façon dont on peut théoriser l'espace et dont les aspects spatiaux peuvent aider à comprendre les actions des populations urbaines pauvres. L'essence de ce travail vise à théoriser l'agence en tant que phénomène spatial — avec des influences et attributs spatiaux — et à proposer un aperçu empirique de la manière dont différentes significations spatiales peuvent susciter ou limiter des formes spécifiques d'action et de comportement sociaux. Le propos est de contribuer à une reconnaissance des pauvres des villes en tant qu'acteurs spatiaux. Donner son importance à l'espace, c'est le concevoir comme thème de lutte politique, élément constitutif de l'agence humaine, ainsi qu'aide et entrave à toute action.     

The impact of citizens' groups on urban policies: towards a contextual analysis

Book reviewed in this article: Castells, M., Cherki, E., Godard, F. and Mehl, D. 1978: Crise du logement et mouvements sociaux urbains; enquěte sur la région parisienne. Godbout, J. and Collin, J.-P. 1977: Les organismes populaires en milieu urbain: contre-pouvoir ou nouvelle pratique professionnelle? Abu Lughod, J. and Hay, J. R. 1977: Third world urbanization. Costello, V. G. 1977: Urbanization in the Middle East. Aubin, H. 1977: City for sale.     

我国城市生活垃圾管制政策的实践回顾——主题演变和简要评述

通过对二十多年来我国城市生活垃圾管制政策主题的回顾归纳,认为我国垃圾管制政策的演变可分为四个阶段。其主题演变可以归纳为责任的转移过程:一是垃圾末端治理责任从政府向社会转移,二是垃圾整合管理责任从政府向社会转移。今后,政策进一步演变的重心和主旋律将体现在三方面:一是从垃圾末端治理走向垃圾整合管理,二是垃圾管理责任的再明确,三是从命令控制型政策向激励性政策的历史性转变。     

Exclusionary policies in urban development: Under-servicing migrant households in Brazilian cities

Localities in developed countries often enact regulations to deter low-income households from moving in. In developing countries, such restrictions lead to the emergence of informal housing sectors. To deter low-income migrants, localities in developing countries withhold public services to the informal housing sector. Using a large sample of Brazilian localities, we examine migration and exclusion, focusing on the public provision of water to small houses where low-income migrants are likely to live. Withholding water connections reduces the locality growth rate, particularly of low-education households. In terms of service provision, during dictatorship in Brazil, we find evidence of strategic exclusion, where localities appear to withhold services to deter in-migration. We also find evidence of strategic interactions among localities within metro areas in their setting of service levels: if one locality provides more services to migrant households, other localities respond by withholding service.     

Urban problems and urban policies,or merely urban assumptions?—a review of recent urban research in Australia

Sandercock, L. K. 1975: Cities for sale: property, politics and urban planning in Australia. McMaster, J. C. and Webb, G. R. , editors, 1976: Australian urban economics: a reader. Webb, G. R. and McMaster, J. C. , editors, 1975: Australian transport economics: a reader.     

Energy footprint of the city: Effects of urban land use and transportation policies

Urban land use and transportation policies have dramatic effects on the density and spatial distribution of residences in large cities. Effects of these policies have been analyzed using numerical urban simulation models. At the same time, the US Energy Information Administration’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey has allowed researchers to investigate the relation between household energy consumption and characteristics of housing units.This paper links these two lines of inquiry by demonstrating how simulation results on the implications of land use and transportation policies for the spatial form of cities can be used to compute implications for energy consumption. The resulting Urban Energy Footprint Model, “UEFM,” allows one to trace the implications of a change in land use zoning or transportation policy through its effects on housing markets and residential location to the resulting changes in energy use for residential and commuting purposes – i.e. to understand the energy footprint of transportation, housing, and land use policies. Accordingly, the UEFM provides, perhaps for the first time, a link between urban and energy economics, and can allow measurement of rebound effects of energy policies in a more general equilibrium context.     

Endogenous growth theory: a critique

Endogenous growth theory is based on a misperception of how science and technology are acquired and diffused. In particular, it is incorrect to assume that knowledge is freely available. Any knowledge which has economic value has to be accessed via the brains of experts who are members of the relevant 'invisible college' and are rivalrous.It therefore has the characteristics of a private good which can be left to conventional economic incentives to supply.     

高校贫困生认定:现状、问题与对策

在现行的高校贫困生资助体系中,高校贫困生认定是高校贫困生资助政策执行过程中的一个难题。针对资助政策本身所具有的模糊性,高校普遍结合自身的实际情况对贫困生的认定方法进行了具体化。文章针对我国高校贫困生认定的现状,分析了各高校中普遍采用的认定方式、认定方法与认定标准,在此基础上对我国高校贫困生认定中的问题进行了探析与说明,并进一步提出了改进与完善高校贫困生认定工作的建议。     

高校贫困生认定:现状、问题与对策

在现行的高校贫困生资助体系中,高校贫困生认定是高校贫困生资助政策执行过程中的一个难题.针对资助政策本身所具有的模糊性,高校普遍结合自身的实际情况对贫困生的认定方法进行了具体化.文章针对我国高校贫困生认定的现状,分析了各高校中普遍采用的认定方式、认定方法与认定标准,在此基础上对我国高校贫困生认定中的问题进行了探析与说明,并进一步提出了改进与完善高校贫困生认定工作的建议.     

城市规划原则和方针执行难原因分析

从法制、城市建设投资和经济学的角度,分析了近年来我国城市规划原则和方针执行难问题的症结所在,提出了关于执行和落实城市规划原则和方针的思考和建议.     

老龄化社会城市老年政策的理念变革

分析中国老龄化社会城市遭遇的各种老年问题,讨论了老龄化城市社会问题的主要特征、发展趋势和解决老龄问题的重要性.回顾国外老龄化进程中的公共服务政策,认为中国城市应对日益加剧的老龄化应进行城市治理理念与公共服务理念的变革.提出政策创新体系基础上的老年社会政策与社会福利增长的对策与建议.     

Voting with one's feet: a critique of the evidence

This study offers an interpretation of the literature on voting with one's feet, that is, moving to that area which best satisfies one's preferences for public goods. The implications of the literature to date are examined. The study also offers ways in which to improve future research efforts. Regional labor market distortions are examined in depth.