CTR OF URBAN PLANNING & ENV MANGT
| Researcher : Chiu RLH |
| Project Title: | Compaction and dispersion: sustainable urban forms for large Chinese cities |
| Investigator(s): | Chiu RLH |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | General Research Fund (GRF) |
| Start Date: | 01/2008 |
| Abstract: |
| To verify whether the post-1980 urban trends of Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing move away or closer towards sustainable urban forms advocated in the West. To analyze the sustainability benefits and disbenefits of these large cities. To compare their sustainability performance with Hong Kong and other overseas large cities. To construct sustainable urban models for large Chinese cities. |
| Project Title: | European Network for Housing Research Conference in Prague 2009 (ENHR09) Sustainability in the building of a mega city: the case of Shanghai |
| Investigator(s): | Chiu RLH |
| Department: | Urban Planning & Design |
| Source(s) of Funding: | URC/CRCG - Conference Grants for Teaching Staff |
| Start Date: | 06/2009 |
| Completion Date: | 07/2009 |
| Abstract: |
| N/A |
| List of Research Outputs |
| Chiu R.L.H., Member, International Advisory Committee, Housing Theory and Society. 2009. |
| Researcher : Hills PR |
| Project Title: | Trade in environmental services as a mechanism of ecological modernisation in the Asia-Pacific region |
| Investigator(s): | Hills PR |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Small Project Funding |
| Start Date: | 11/2003 |
| Abstract: |
| To develop a conceptual framework and conduct empirical analysis of the role of the trade liberalisation in environmental services (as facilitated under the General Agreement on the Trade in Services - GATS) as a mechanism of ecological modernisation (EM); to formulate more general explanations of current transformations of environmental practices, discourses and institutions. |
| Project Title: | Trust, legitimacy and the environmental policy process in Hong Kong |
| Investigator(s): | Hills PR |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Small Project Funding |
| Start Date: | 11/2004 |
| Abstract: |
| The project will explore the background to this apparent 'trust deficit' problem by means of a structured questionnaire survey involving representatives of key stakeholder groups in government, the business community and civil society. |
| Researcher : MacPherson KL |
| Project Title: | Reconnecting Public Health and the Environment: A History of the origins of public health and town planning in Hong Kong |
| Investigator(s): | MacPherson KL |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | General Research Fund (GRF) |
| Start Date: | 01/2008 |
| Abstract: |
| To investigate the relationship between the evolution of public health and its influence on the Town Planning of Hong Kong as well as the evolution of Town Planning and its influence on Public Health. To investigate the international transfer of health, sanitation, water supplies, demographic analysis and planning ideas and practices from the UK to Hong Kong during the colonial period (1841-1997). To investigate the priortization, polices and implementation of both Public Health and Town Planning vis-a-vis demographic and disease patterns. (including population movements). To investigate the disjuncture between public health and town planning as each developed in separate spheres: health advances in biomedicine, such as vaccines that could control the known infectious diseases, with health care delivered in specialized sites such as hospitals and clinics, contributed to the process whereby city planning could prioritize economic aspects of town planning. To assess the impact of recent public health issues such as emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases on the built environment. To assess the cross-border environmental concerns and the health of Hong Kong in the face of rapid urbanization in China and a differential health care system. |
| Project Title: | The Challenge of the Double Disease Burden in the History of the Health Transition in Asia and the Pacific |
| Investigator(s): | MacPherson KL |
| Department: | Kadoorie Institute |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Small Project Funding |
| Start Date: | 09/2009 |
| Abstract: |
| The primary aim of the proposed book would be to offer a historical picture of the development of a leading global health problem and policy responses to it in the context of a demographically, economically and politically very significant region of the world—Asia and the Pacific. Each chapter will focus on a particular country, and this will include a balanced selection of most countries of the region.(China, Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, The Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Pacific Island states) |
| Researcher : Ng MK |
| Project Title: | Building a sustainable Central and Western District: retrospect and prospect |
| Investigator(s): | Ng MK |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Other Funding Scheme |
| Start Date: | 09/2000 |
| Abstract: |
| To understand the concept of sustainable community; to examine the development of Central and Western District and assess if its moving towards sustainability; to evaluate the roles of the District Council in the district's development process; to offer recommendations to the Central and Western District Council on building a sustainable district. |
| Project Title: | Urban Planning in China's Transitioinal Economy: Legislation, Regulations & Practice |
| Investigator(s): | Ng MK |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Leung Kau Kui Research and Teaching Endowment Fund - Teaching Grants |
| Start Date: | 08/2007 |
| Abstract: |
| PURPOSE: This project aims to facilitate the development of a full-course module on urban planning legislation and practice in the transitional economy of China. China has transformed from a centrally planned economy into a socialist market economy, leading to dramatic changes in the urban landscape. While land had little differential value in China's socialist cities constituted by 'self-contained units' before her open door policy, today governments at all geographical levels have developed various plans to attract investments and boost different kinds of land developments. This project aims at producing a handbook for students to appreciate and understand the sea changes in the urban planning system in post-reform China, with specific reference to their changing legislation, regulations and practices. KEY ISSUES AND PROBLEMS: To identify the relevant legislation, regulations, administrative practice, hierarchy of plans and relevant case studies. One major problem is that Chinese-based information is rather fragmented and it is necessary to have dedicated support in research, synthesise and translation to make the project possible. |
| Project Title: | Values and Practices in Urban Planning: reviewing Hong Kong SAR's first decade |
| Investigator(s): | Ng MK |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Small Project Funding |
| Start Date: | 01/2008 |
| Completion Date: | 09/2009 |
| Abstract: |
| Before the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule, I got a CRCG award to carry out a research on "Advocacy planning in Hong Kong: Prospects and Problems" and conducted a survey among planners and non-planners (legislators, councillors and social opinion leaders) to gauge their views on various planning issues such as citizen participation, ethical issues, the politics of knowledge generation, meaning of public interest and equal opportunities, etc. I had also tried to understand their views on the roles of the government, the function of planning, the market and the civil society in the planning process. The survey results showed how planning was perceived and practised in a strong executive-led government employing professional rhetoric to justifiy its position. Ten years have passed and the voices of the community have become much louder and more passionate in planning related issues. From Star Ferry to Queen's Pier to Wedding Card Street in Wanchai or Graham and Peel Street markets in Central, the controversies are surrounding who should have the rights to make decisions about the future developments and shapes of Hong Kong. Hence, it would be extremely interesting to re-do the questionnaire survey and to investigate if urban planners and nonplanners' perceptions, value positions, rhetoric and practices have changed in face of changing political ecology and social sentiments in Hong Kong. This research has the following objectives: - To canvass major changes, if any, in the planning and development scenes in the past decade; - To refine the earlier theoretical framework that relates planning practice with value positions which in turn is affected by the wider socio-economic and political context; - To re-do a refined version of the questionnaire survey that was done 10 years ago to gauge planners and nonplanners' views on urban planning issues. This round, views of the active citizens will also be collected; - To compare and constrast the two sets of results; and - To analyse if the identified changes are related to macro changes in the local planning and development context, thus providing further food for thoughts for the earlier model developed. |
| Project Title: | Evaluating Hong Kong's collaborative planning efforts in the making of places |
| Investigator(s): | Ng MK |
| Department: | Urban Planning & Design |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Small Project Funding |
| Start Date: | 01/2009 |
| Abstract: |
| In recent years, Hong Kong's top-down planning process has increasingly been challenged by a vocal public, leading to numerous debates and controversies in the planning and (re)development process. In view of these debilitating incidents, the Government has started to engage various stakeholders in a number of planning exercises related to regeneration, development of the cultural district and harbourfront design and planning. However, there has been little formal assessment of the efforts made so far and this study would like to fill this gap. In fact, collaborative planning practice has been a mainstream paradigm in the planning of spaces and making of places since the 1990s in the Western context and in this sense, Hong Kong is a late comer. Collaborative planning practices involve individuals, organizations and agencies with different vested interests working together, debating on issues, sharing knowledge and resources through formal and informal dialogues and activities in order to arrive at commonly agreed visions, mutually beneficial goals and practical solutions. Place making has been a popular concept ever since the cultural turn of the capitalist economy. The concept ranges from place marketing, that is, the beautification of the cityscape for commercial purposes to the art of producing public places with character, with a soul--that empower those who are involved in crafting the cityscape; places that signify citizens working and learning together to produce a landscape that they can be proud of when passing down to their future generations. This study aims at reviewing Hong Kong's version of collaborative planning and place making and examines how the process and its accompanied institutional framework fare when compared to international best practices. Specific objectives are as follows: • To examine international (Western and Asian) best practices of collaborative planning and place making; • To formulate a locally relevant and appropriate evaluation framework to assess the current state of collaborative planning in the place making processes in Hong Kong; • Through various case studies, review carefully Government's efforts in undertaking collaborative planning, paying special attention to the formal and informal institutional set up that specifies the roles of various stakeholders at different stages of the planning and development processes; • To evaluate the reviewed practices with the formulated assessment framework; and • To put forward recommendations to current collaborative planning practices in order to ‘build on strengths, overcome weaknesses, exploit opportunities and blunt threats’ in the place making efforts in Hong Kong. |
| Project Title: | 23rd Congress of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP 2009) Paper: Participation and Mode of Governance: an East Asian Perspective |
| Investigator(s): | Ng MK |
| Department: | Urban Planning & Design |
| Source(s) of Funding: | URC/CRCG - Conference Grants for Teaching Staff |
| Start Date: | 07/2009 |
| Completion Date: | 07/2009 |
| Abstract: |
| N/A |
| Project Title: | "The Production of Space is a Matter of Life and Death"? A Lefebvrian Perspective on Old Urban Neighbourhood Renewal in Hong Kong and Taipei |
| Investigator(s): | Ng MK, Tang WS |
| Department: | Urban Planning & Design |
| Source(s) of Funding: | General Research Fund (GRF) |
| Start Date: | 01/2010 |
| Abstract: |
| 1) To examine old urban neighbourhood renewal practices in Hong Kong and Taipei with Lefebvre’s triadic spatial framework. 2) To employ Lefebvre’s triadic spatial framework to “sieve” out the three “moments” of space in thick comparative case studies: to examine how spatial practices produce the perceived space and determine the “specific spatial competence and performance of every society member” (Lefebvre, 1991, p.38); to examine the genesis of official renewal plans and how are they related to the economic needs in both cities; and to evaluate if these plans have respected the lived space of the local residents and to identify whose interests these plans would serve when operational (Lefebvre, 1991, p.44). 3) To examine historically the evolving relationships among these three “moments” of space, that is, how the renewal plans and the lived experiences of residents are mediated, “distorted” or “displaced” (op cit, 1991, p.42) by the respective society’s spatial practices and the “modes of production” (op cit, 1991, p.46) in each city. 4) To assess the roles of professional urban planners, social activists and the affected community members and the types of knowledge that they have summoned up in the process of old neighbourhood renewal. 5) To summarize the salient issues in the renewal of old urban neighbourhoods and to assess the relative importance of economic imperative and spatial practices of local communities in determining the final outcomes of urban renewal plans and to identify their respective implications for planning theories and practices in Hong Kong and Taipei. |
| Researcher : Walker RM |
| Project Title: | Public Service Performance and Stakeholders: A Pilot Study |
| Investigator(s): | Walker RM |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research |
| Start Date: | 05/2008 |
| Completion Date: | 07/2009 |
| Abstract: |
| Purpose This project will examine what dimensions of performance different stakeholders hold dear and why they offer alternative assessments of the performance of public services. The scope of the study will be limited to the arena of the environmental policy. The project will pilot the conceptual framework and methods for a full RGC CERG application. Key issues and problems being addressed There has been longstanding debate about the nature of public service performance (Ostrom 1973; Boyne, Meier, O’Toole and Walker 2006). These debates suggest that performance is a multidimensional and multi-perspective construct (Boyne 2002; Carter, Day and Klein 1992). 1. There are a number of dimensions of performance that could be used to assess the effectiveness of public agencies. This can be attributed to the multiple and, indeed, ambiguous goals that public organizations have to achieve (Chun and Rainey 2005), some of which may be in conflict with one another. Boyne (2002) isolated five conceptual categories of performance: outputs, efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness and democratic outcomes, and within this fourteen dimensions of performance such as effectiveness, efficiency, equity, value for money, accountability and probity. 2. A variety of types or sources of performance data are available to public management scholars and practitioners. Such measures may be ‘archival’, some times referred to as ‘objective’ and include data recorded by an organization for it’s own purposes (such as indicators of performance set by the organization or data collected for the purposes of internal audit, that the organization collects for itself, but does not disseminate externally) or required by oversight bodies. The other form of data are perceptual. These are the views of staff, politicians, users and citizens on the achievements of organizations. Perceptual questions often take a point of reference to prior performance or the activities of other similar agencies. 3. Judgements on performance can be made by internal or external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders include staff (at different levels in an organization) and politicians. External stakeholders include direct users of services, citizens, businesses, civil society organizations and regulators. Different stakeholders are likely to hold different perspectives and reach different judgements on the merits of different dimensions of performance. Two important covariates are likely to influence performance assessments by stakeholders: governance structure and institutional context. Governance. Over recent decades substantial reform has taken place within the public sector resulting in new governance arrangements. Current governance arrangements mean that a public service could be delivered hierarchically by a public sector organization, through a market system by a private or voluntary agency or through a network, which could include a combination of service providers. Assumptions are often made about the likely performance of different types of agencies or different governance structures. For example, private sector organizations are assumed to be better at achieving higher efficiency, and public ones better equity outcomes. However, the degree of ‘publicness’ of a service delivery agency raises clear questions about the consequences of these arrangements for performance and the ways in which judgements are reached by different stakeholder groups (Boyne, Farrell, Law, Powell and Walker 2003). Institutional context. Country context, and in particular political context, is likely to result in different assessment of performance by different stakeholder groups. Most studies of performance are limited to intensive case studies that supply an incomplete picture of government effectiveness and a weak basis for generalisability to other settings. While the degree of management reform will vary by country, comparative studies permits an exploration of variations in political structures between countries with different political systems: democratic, pluralistic and communist (Brewer, Choi and Walker 2007). Research gap. The practice of public management, and its research, typically examines only a limited number of concepts of performance, draws upon limited sources of performance data, does not utilise the full range of stakeholders and is limited to one governance arrangement or country. For a review of progress on academic work see Boyne, Meier, O’Toole and Walker (2006) and in relation to the practice of performance management by governments in Asia see Walker and Moon (2007). This project will explore the views of different stakeholder groups, different dimensions of performance and different governance structures and countries. It will also pilot method quasi-experimental approaches (see below). Andrews, R., Boyne, G.A., & Walker R.M. (2006). Subjective and objective measures of organizational performance: An empirical exploration, in Boyne, G.A. Meier, K.J., O’Toole. Jr. L.J. Walker R.M. (eds.) Public Services Performance: Perspectives on Measurement and Management, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press pp. 14-34. Boyne, G.A. (2002). Concepts and indicators of local authority performance: An evaluation of the statutory framework in England and Wales. Public Money and Management, 22(2), 17-24. Boyne, G.A, C. Farrell, J. Law, M. Powell and R.M. Walker. (2003). Evaluating Public Management Reforms: Principles and Practice Philadelphia, The Open University Press. Boyne, G.A. Meier, K.J., O’Toole. Jr. L.J. Walker R.M. (eds.) (2006). Public Services Performance: Perspectives on Measurement and Management, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Brewer, G.A., Choi, Y. and Walker, R.M. (2007). Accountability, corruption and government effectiveness in Asia: An exploration of the World Bank Governance Indicators, International Public Management Review 8, 2, 200-219. Carter, N., Klein, R., and Day, P. (1992). How Organizations Measure Success: The Use of Performance Indicators in Government London, Routledge. Chun Y.H and Rainey, H.G. (2005). Goal ambiguity and organizational performance in US Federal agencies, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 15, 4, 529-557. Ostrom, E. (1973). The need for multiple indicators of measuring the output of public agencies. Policy Studies Journal, 2, 85-91. Walker, R.M. and Moon, M.J. (2007). Performance Management in Asia: Measurement, Tools and Practices, in OECD Asian Centre for Public Governance (ed) Comparative Studies for Better Governance in Asian Countries Seoul, OECD Asian Centre for Public Governance pp. 45-92. |
| Project Title: | Parterships for Sustainable Development: Implications for Public Policy in Hong Kong |
| Investigator(s): | Walker RM, Hills PR, Welford RJ |
| Department: | Kadoorie Institute |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Public Policy Research |
| Start Date: | 09/2009 |
| Abstract: |
| 1) Develop theoretical perspectives on sustainable development partnerships; 2) Provide empirical evidence on success in partnerships for sustainable development—including public private differences, network behaviour, and perceptions of partnership success; 3) Develop measures to assess sustainable development partnerships; 4) Create new datasets (quantitative and qualitative) on sustainable development partnerships in Hong Kong; 5) Examine the applicability of stakeholder participation models for Hong Kong; and 6) Provide policy recommendations to all stakeholders (including government) in partnerships for sustainable development. |
| Project Title: | Understanding Public Management Reform in China: Internationalisation or Chinese Characteristics |
| Investigator(s): | Walker RM |
| Department: | Sociology |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research |
| Start Date: | 03/2010 |
| Abstract: |
| China has undergone substantial reform over the last three decades. Factors driving reform forward have been hotly debated since 1978 when reforms commenced. Argument on the drivers of reform broadly falls into two camps, and at the extremities views from these two perspectives suggests the following. First, that reform is purely the product of the unique internal characteristics of the Chinese political system, and its historical evolution (Ngok and Chan 2003; Chan and Li 2007). Second, the alternative model has it that the reforms witnessed in China are part of the worldwide administrative movement that has been influence by the New Public Management (Zhang and Straussman 2003; Christensen, Dong and Painter 2008). To date these questions have not been systematically explored and the evidence is patchy and focuses upon single agencies or topics (Foster 2005; Gao 2009). Developing a deep understanding of the primary driving force behind China’s administration reforms is vital to understand and explain its nature, which have both theoretical and practical value. Given this background, the objective of this proposal is to undertake a pilot study for a larger project that will: • Bring greater theoretical clarity on the drivers of public management reforms between and within departments in China, and • Collect empirical evidence on the above. In undertaking a pilot our aims are modest, in that we will hone our research design, develop and pilot a survey instrument and undertake preliminary empirical work. The empirical setting for this study will be Hangzhou, where we will conduct a multiple informant survey across a number of departments seeking a response rate of 300 officials. The results of this HKU Basic Research Grant will be used as the basis for a GRF application and as such this project will serve to validate our research design and enhance our chances of success with a GRF application. In developing this project we start with the following two working hypotheses and seek to build upon these. Hypothesis 1: China’s administrative reform is mainly internally driven. In order to explore this hypothesis it is necessary to look for Chinese characteristics and contrast these with international administrative reform. This would include answering the following questions: 1. What are the guiding ideas, theories or principles of Chinese administrative reform? 2. What are the main features of the administrative reform? 3. How is the theme of each round of administrative reform chosen? 4. What methods are adopted to implement reforms? 5. How are Chinese reforms that are of a similar nature to international reforms explained, for example privatisation? Hypothesis 2: China’s administrative reform is strongly influenced by international reform ideas, theories and practice. To examine this hypothesis it is necessary to examine the way in which international practice have shaped China’s reforms and the way in which they influence China. Questions to unpack here include: 1. Through which institutions and actors does China learn about international ideas and experience of management reform? 2. Is learning from other countries’ reforms active or passive, comprehensive or partial, coordinated or fragmented, in terms of actors and organizations? 3. Are central political leaders involved in this learning process, or do administrative leaders and experts primarily control it? 4. What characterizes the reform effort in introducing the administrative reform ideas and practices from abroad? 5. What are the challenges and experiences? What efforts are made to learn not only from alleged successes but also from the problems and difficulties? We suspect that the answers to these questions lies somewhere between these two extreme positions. Systems theory would indicate that organizational processes and the nature of internal characteristics are responses to change in the external environment—the environment can be immediate, that is within China, and also more distant i.e. international practices. Contingency theory also suggests that factors influencing or driving the adoption of management reforms are likely to be predicated on changes in the organizational context. Given this, our research will be guided by two key dimensions of reform: the organizational environment (both domestic and international) and external pressure for reform and the role that key national political and administrative leadership (reform champions) initiate and promote reform (Christensen and Lægreid 2001; Pollitt and Bouckeart 2004). The degree of influence by these two variables and likely impact are illustrated in figure 1 (annex) (see also Dong, Christensen and Painter 2009). These two variables are also important in allowing us to identify differences between adoption (the intention to use a reform) and implementation (the actual use of a reform). Elsewhere this is referred to as ‘policy as adopted’ and ‘policy in action’ (Boyne et al. 2003). An understanding of this is important in public agencies where policies can be symbolically adopted (to appease or deliberately resist higher levels of government) but not implemented. References Boyne, George. A, Catherine Farrell, Jennifer Law, Martin Powell and Richard M. Walker. 2003. Evaluating Public management reforms: Principles and practice Philadelphia and Buckingham: The Open University Press. Chan, Hon S. and Edward Li Suizhou. 2007. Civil service law in the People’s Republic of China: A return to cadre personnel management, Public Administration Review, 67(3): 383-98 Christensen, Tom and Per Lægreid. 2001. New Public Management: The Transformation of Ideas and Practice. Aldershot: Ashgate. Dong, Lisheng, Tom Christensen and Martin Painter. Forthcoming. A case study of China’s administrative reform: The case of the super-department, American Review of Public Administration. Foster, Kenneth W. 2005. Chinese Public Policy Innovation and the Diffusion of Innovations: An Initial Exploration, Chinese Public Administration Review 3(1): 1-13 Gao, Jie. 2009. Governing by goals and numbers: A case study in the use of performance measurement to build state capacity in China, Public Administration and Development, 29(1): 21-31 Ngok Kinglun and Hon S. Chan. 2003. Guest Editors’ Introduction, Chinese Law and Government, 36(1): 5-13. Pollitt, Christopher and Geert Bouckeart. 2006. Public management reform: A comparative analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Zhang Mengzhong and Jeffrey D. Straussman. 2003. Chinese administrative reforms with British, American and Japanese characteristic?, Public Administration and Policy 12(2): 143-79. |
| Researcher : Welford RJ |
| Project Title: | The economic and environmental impacts of post-tsunami corporate giving |
| Investigator(s): | Welford RJ |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Small Project Funding |
| Start Date: | 01/2006 |
| Abstract: |
| This project aims to: 1. Identify perceptions amongst large corporations in the region with respect to the use of funds donated for tsumani relief 2. Through the use of Thailand as an example, identify reasons why tsunami relief has been perceived to be slow and evaluate the way in which monies donated by large businesses have been used 3. Make recommendations relating to how remaining funds being held by companies can be effectively used for tsunami related aid and relief in affected areas 4. Examine the environmental safeguards taken in tsunami redevelopment and measure the overall impact of relief efforts on the environment |
| Project Title: | Stakeholder Partnerships for Sustainable Development: Pilot Study |
| Investigator(s): | Welford RJ, Walker RM, Hills PR |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research |
| Start Date: | 03/2007 |
| Abstract: |
| This proposal builds upon existing streams of work in CUPEM on sustainable development, environmental policy, corporate social responsibility and public policy (Boyne et al, 2003; Enticott and Walker, 2005, 2006; Hills et al, 2003; Hills et al, 2006; Hills and Welford, 2002; Hills et al., 2003, 2006; Walker and Li, 2006; Walker et al., forthcoming; Welford, 2004, 2005; Welford and Frost 2006). It seeks to take this work forward by synthesising literature from different disciplines, drawing upon new conceptual frameworks and stakeholder partnerships and by moving the unit of analysis away from the environment to include broader social, economic and environmental issues in the formation of public policies with the intention of submitting and CERG RGC application in autumn 2007. Social, economic and environmental issues in the formation of public policies is an area that is constantly being refined, extended and redefined. Command-and-control models based on the extensive use of regulatory laws and standards, though still important, are increasingly seen as just one element in a diverse ‘menu’ of approaches that can help government, business and civil society move towards a more sustainable future. Concepts of negotiation, stakeholder engagement and consensus-building now occupy a prominent role in processes of reform in many parts of the world. Hong Kong’s approach to policy making and management still places considerable emphasis on regulation but there are indications that this is beginning to change and that a more significant role for stakeholder partnerships may emerge in the future. These cooperative structures are likely to see new relationships developing between non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and government. The basic long-term issues are how to promote effective modes of policy development and implementation. Our research objectives are to: • Examine the variables associated with successful partnership arrangements for sustainable development (theoretically and empirically); • Identify how different stakeholder groups identify success, in terms of processes and outcome; and, • Examine the applicability of stakeholder participation models for Hong Kong. This study will address the following research questions: 1. For each of the four topics listed below, what stakeholder partnership exist?; 2. What does the academic literatures from the business, public and voluntary sectors say about the effectiveness of public policy development based on cooperative stakeholder based engagement?; 3. How do different stakeholder groups measure success?; 4. According to the success criteria did the partnerships work?; and, 5. What are the implications for the development of stakeholder-based public policy? This proposal is a continuation of work in CUPEM on environmental policy reform, partnerships, corporate social responsibility, and trust. Importantly it is also a natural extension of three successful RGC grants by Professor Peter Hills and Dr Richard Welford: • Engaging business with environmental change: an analysis of impediments and incentives in Hong Kong, • Partnership, voluntary agreements and the process of environmental reform in Hong Kong, • Trust, legitimacy and environmental reform in Hong Kong What differentiates this proposal from past work is the emphasis on social, economic and environmental policies and strategies together with a more explicit focus on public policy making, development and service delivery through stakeholder partnerships. This links to Walker’s work on public policy and management—for example research on network or partnership behaviour, social and public policies in Hong Kong and processes and methods to enhance government effectiveness. The novelty of this application is to be found in our work that seeks to bring together the notion of corporate social responsibility in the business and management literature together with the study of sustainable development policies (that includes social, economic and environmental policies) in the public management literature. An additional factor joining these two themes is an increasing focus on stakeholder partnership as a mode of public engagement, consultation and better quality decision-making. Boyne, G. A., Farrell, C., Law, J. Powell, M and Walker R. M. (2003) Evaluating Public Management Reforms: Principles and Practices Buckingham: The Open University Press Enticott, G and Walker, R. M. (2005) Environmental sustainability and management reform in local government, Policy and Politics 33, 2, 397-322 Enticott, G and Walker, R. M. (2006) Sustainability, performance and organizational strategy: an empirical analysis of public organizations, Business Strategy and the Environment 14, DOI: 10.1002/bse.501 Hills, P. R. and Welford, R. (2002) “Ecological modernisation as a weak form of sustainable development in Hong Kong”, International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, 9, (2002), 315-331 Hills, P. R., Lam, J. and Welford, R. (2006) “Environmental reform, technology policy and transboundary pollution in Hong Kong”, Development and Change, 37, 1, (2006), 145-178 Hills, P. R., Roberts, R. and Welford, R. (2003) Ecological modernisation, environmental reform and the transformation of production and consumption. International Journal of Environmental and Sustainable Development 2, 3, 156-171 Walker, R. M. and Li, L. H. (2006) Institutional reform in the provision of public services in Hong Kong: an efficiency evaluation, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 24, 597-614 Walker, R. M., O’Toole, L. J. Jr., and Meier, K. J. (forthcoming) Its where you are that matters: The networking behaviour of local government officers, Public Administration Welford R. (2004) Corporate social responsibility: A perspective from Asia, new Academy Review 3, 4, 47-54 Welford R. (2005) Corporate social responsibility in Europe, North America and Asia: 2004 survey results. Journal of Corporate Citizenship 17, 33-52 Welford R. and Frost, S (2006) Corporate social responsibility in Asian supply chains Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 13, 3, 166-176 Welford, R. Hills, P. R., and Young, W. (2006) Partnerships for Sustainable Development: Perspectives from the Asia-Pacific Region. Hong Kong, Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management, University of Hong Kong |
| Researcher : Xu J |
| Project Title: | Inter-jurisdictional Cooperation in the Pearl River Delta: Towards an Analytical Model |
| Investigator(s): | Xu J, Yeh AGO |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | General Research Fund (GRF) |
| Start Date: | 09/2007 |
| Abstract: |
| Understand the competition and cooperation 'politics' in China. Define and identify inter-jurisdictional cooperation in the PRD conceptually and operationally. Evaluate the behavioural and tactical approaches by which cooperation operates. Identify institutional formats in which cooperation evolves. Identify the 'payoff' from inter-jurisdictional cooperation and the factors that influence outcomes. Develop an analytical model of inter-jurisdictional cooperation in the PRD. Identify best practices and lessons in forging cooperation. |
| Researcher : Yeh AGO |
| Project Title: | Constrained cellular automata (CA) models for land use planning |
| Investigator(s): | Yeh AGO, Li X |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Other Funding Scheme |
| Start Date: | 06/2000 |
| Abstract: |
| A site of constrained cellular automata models will be developed for generating alternative land use plans according to different planning objectives. These models can be used for the planning of sustainable development. |
| Project Title: | Hong Kong - Pearl River Delta development |
| Investigator(s): | Yeh AGO |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | The University of Hong Kong Foundation Seed Grant |
| Start Date: | 04/2002 |
| Abstract: |
| To study Hong Kong - Pearl River Delta development. |
| Project Title: | Competitive development of GuangZhou |
| Investigator(s): | Yeh AGO |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Other Funding Scheme |
| Start Date: | 09/2002 |
| Abstract: |
| To examine how GuangZhou reposition itself in the increasing competition amongst cities in the Pearl River Delta. |
| Project Title: | Dynamic Real Time Transport Information Intelligent Vehicle Navigation Software and System |
| Investigator(s): | Yeh AGO |
| Department: | Urban Planning & Design |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Matching Fund for Hi-Tech Research and Development Program of China (863 Projects) |
| Start Date: | 06/2007 |
| Abstract: |
| 1) methodology and literature review of land-based GIS-T database and short-term real time traffic forecasting; 2) development of lane-based GIS-T prototype for real time multi-lane multilevel vehicle navigation |
| Project Title: | Economic, Infrastructure and Real Estate Development Forum for A Competitive Pan-Pearl River Delta Region |
| Investigator(s): | Yeh AGO, Xu J |
| Department: | Ctr of Urban Planning & Env Mangt |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Professional Services Development Assistance Scheme |
| Start Date: | 05/2008 |
| Abstract: |
| (1) To share experiences on coordination and collaboration between different places of the Pan-Pearl River Delta (Pan-PRD) on infrastructure planning and real estate growth through organization of this tripartite forum where government officials, professionals and academics in the Pan-PRD region and from other parts of the world will meet and discuss issues related to regional cooperation. (2) To update local real estate, infrastructure and construction professionals on the latest development on economic, infrastructure and real estate development in the Pan-PRD. (3) To enhance local professionals’ knowledge on the market potential and changing trajectories in the Pan-PRD so as to increase the competitive edge of the profession in the China market. |
| Project Title: | Contemporary China |
| Investigator(s): | Yeh AGO |
| Department: | Urban Planning & Design |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Seed Funding for Strategic Research Theme |
| Start Date: | 06/2008 |
| Abstract: |
| n/a |
| Project Title: | Contemporary China |
| Investigator(s): | Yeh AGO |
| Department: | Urban Planning & Design |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Seed Funding for Strategic Research Theme |
| Start Date: | 06/2008 |
| Abstract: |
| n/a |
| Project Title: | Research Output Prize |
| Investigator(s): | Yeh AGO, Xu J |
| Department: | Urban Planning & Design |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Research Output Prize (in Faculty) |
| Start Date: | 10/2008 |
| Abstract: |
| To identify and recognize the best research outputs in different faculties. |
| Project Title: | Spatial-temporal Compression of Large-scale Traffic Data |
| Investigator(s): | Yeh AGO, Yung NHC |
| Department: | Urban Planning & Design |
| Source(s) of Funding: | General Research Fund (GRF) |
| Start Date: | 01/2010 |
| Abstract: |
| 1) Examine methods for cleaning up errors and noises in data collected in the field to improve data quality and facilitate real time traffic data storage; 2) Examine flexible data compression schema in large-scale traffic data archiving for analyses at different spatial-temporal granularities. |
| Project Title: | The Linkages of Producer Services between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta |
| Investigator(s): | Yeh AGO, Yang F |
| Department: | Urban Planning & Design |
| Source(s) of Funding: | Strategic Public Policy Research |
| Start Date: | 05/2010 |
| Abstract: |
| 1) Identify the pattern and process of producer services development in the PRD since the 1990s; 2) Investigate the sectoral and spatial linkages of producer services in the PRD, and evaluate how the development of local producer services has influenced the pattern of regional industrial linkages between Hong Kong and the PRD; 3) Analyze the competitive advantages and disadvantages of Hong Kong’s producer services as compared with those in the PRD. |