Analysis of Irish tourism policy’s contribution to urban tourism: Dublin case study

L’objectiu principal del treball és analitzar les polítiques i plans turístics irlandesos nacionals, regionals i locals, i determinar com aquestos influeixen en el turisme urbà a Dublín. L’objectiu secundari és investigar el concepte de turisme urbà i examinar les tendències turístiques actuals i la seva repercussió en la formulació de polítiques

Ser jove als marges de la cultura: com es relacionen els joves amb l’entorn social i cultural a través d’expressions plàstiques d’art al carrer

En el procés de ser jove hi ha implícites dinàmiques de socialització i de relació. Tot i ser un procés habitual, no deixa de sorprendre la incorporació, a través de l’acció dels joves, de nous valors i nous referents en els constructes culturals ja establerts, que, en termes molt generals, identifiquen fins aquest moment els que en podríem dir la massa adulta. L’article es basa en un treball empíric fet a la ciutat de Tarragona, combinant les opinions directes de 21 joves creadors, l’observació dels carrers (especialment dels graffitis i instal•lacions plàstiques que hi podem trobar) i l’anàlisi de fonts bibliogràfiques i documentals amb les que es planteja els referents teòrics i contextuals

El temps del mal: l’experiència i la gestió de la cronicitat en adults

El temps del mal. L’experiència i la gestió de la cronicitat en adults. El principal objectiu d’aquesta recerca és l’estudi de l’experiència i la gestió diària de la cronicitat, entenent-la com a categoria analítica que engloba els processos de malalties i/o malestars crònics, biomèdicament diagnosticats o no, que perduren en el temps. La recerca es centra en adults entre 30 i 50 anys amb problemes crònics de salut que impliquin algun tipus de discapacitat i/o dependència (a nivell moderat), i s’ubica en l’àmbit urbà i en la comunitat autònoma de Catalunya (dins del context de l’estat Espanyol). L’estudi analitzarà la gestió individual i social de la cronicitat a través dels itineraris terapèutics i pràctiques assistencials dels processos de salut/malaltia/atenció prenent l’autoatenció com a principal categoria analítica. Per altra banda, es descriurà el rol dels serveis assistencials de la sanitat pública i dels serveis socials, per veure com es duu a terme la gestió – polítiques públiques - de la cronicitat en un país amb estat del benestar com Espanya. L’experiència de la cronicitat s’explorarà a través de les narratives de la vivència de la malaltia/malestar tan com a representació cultural – que dóna compte de les relacions, interaccions i respostes socials – i des d’una perspectiva fenomenològica que ens permet comprendre la naturalesa del patiment en l’experiència viscuda del cos malalt. Aquesta recerca espera poder fer aportacions pertinents que contribueixin des de l’antropologia però amb la intenció d’obrir un diàleg públic i interdisciplinar – professionals de la salut, experts en polítiques públiques i públic en general - a la resolució de l’actual problema de salut pública d’increment de cronicitat. El model públic d’atenció a la salut espanyol es va dissenyar per resoldre problemes de salut aguts, malgrat la major part dels usuaris actuals presentes problemes de salut crònics. L’actual crisi econòmica que amenaça aquest pilar de l’estat del benestar és, alhora, una oportunitat per replantejar-ho.

Urban mobilities: the anglo-catalan production of the Barcelona model

The aim of the project was to gauge the extent to which the so-called ‘Barcelona Model’ of urban transformation has been ‘exported’ to Britain and whether Barcelona has learned from British cities. We engage with the literature on successive British governments’ strategies for cities, focused on collecting data on contemporary policy initiatives and debates in the UK, did interviews in Manchester, London Barcelona and participated in the official visit of Leeds to Barcelona in March. Our research findings to date suggest that there is a good deal of mobility and interaction between Barcelona and the UK. However, it is by no means certain that this has resulted in definite instances of policy transfer. While the ‘Barcelona model’ has indeed featured in oficial discourse on urban regeneration in the UK, it does not appear to be the preferred best practice ‘model’ – other North American and European cities figure discursively as much, if not more. Where Barcelona does feature in official discourse, it is usually as an example of good design and an appealing urban aesthetic, rather than in terms of economic or social policy best practice. Our research suggests that the Barcelona model is seen as non-transferable to the UK due to the relatively more centralised governance structure therein.In contrast, evidence collected suggests that the Barcelona model is not influenced by UK British cities experiences but there is small evidence of being influenced by UK-based professionals.

On the cultural transmission of corruption

We provide a cultural explanation to the phenomenon of corruption in the framework of an overlapping generations model with intergenerational transmissionof values. We show that the economy has two steady states with different levels of corruption. The driving force in the equilibrium selection process is the education effort exerted by parents which depends on the distribution of ethics in the population and on expectations about future policies. We propose some policy interventions which via parents' efforts have long-lasting effects on corruption and show the success of intensive education campaigns. Educating the young is a key element in reducing corruption successfully.

Increasing political returns and rural-urban migrations

This paper analyzes the different equilibria in rural-urban migrationsand political redistribution that result from the interaction betweenincreasing political returns, the distribution of land, and creditmarket imperfections. Governments that put a special weight on thewelfare of urban workers when setting agricultural prices generate apolitical externality in the urban sector, giving peasants anincentive to migrate in anticipation of policy determination. Ifcredit markets are imperfect, land ownership confers higherproductivity to peasants, who require large price changes to migrate.In this context, land inequality would lead to large migrations and tolarge policy change, while an egalitarian land distribution would leadto no migration and to a small policy change. This interaction shedslight on the contrasting experience of Latin America and East Asia atthe outset of World War II.

A diagram of public spaces within urban landscape as a strategy for sustainable urban planning in Chinese cities

Destruction of historical urban fabric in many Chinese cities and towns, without the possibility of its recovery as an urban asset, leads us to consider alternative strategies and criteria for formulating new urban projects, using creative urban planning instruments and strategies to provide a sense of place and identity to the urban landscape. The challenge is to set up an urban structure that constitutes a spatial reference system, a structure consisting of a set of urban landmarks that construct a system of related public spaces, endowed with collective significance and identity. Such a network could include a wide variety of urban typologies and natural elements. An important result of this strategy would be the recovery of the social and cultural values attached to the natural landscape in Chinese civilization. Hangzhou city will be analyzed as a case study

Cultural events as tourism supply in coastal Catalan resorts

During the last three decades, the number of tourism events has been growing in Catalan coastal resorts because of the recover of Catalan cultural traditions, festivals and folklore, and also because of tourism growth. Catalan tourism resorts use events as catalysers for new supply and as a mean to differentiate and singularize themselves from their competitors. The tourism potential of cultural events is undeniable but there are some problems that prevent a more effective impact as economic and regional development agents. This paper reflects some discussions and conclusions obtained from the analysis of 264 valid responses of a survey made to different Catalan event organizers in 2008 and 2009. We describe and characterize cultural event supply in coastal resorts in order to study the events tourism importance, their capacity to generate and spread economic development, and their managerial model. The analysis is made in a geographical basis, comparing the results of the territorial organization of events of the city of Barcelona, coastal and inland municipalities. Finally some considerations about event regional tourism policy and tourism development are discussed.

Handbook for the design of intercultural policies: summary of the original Spanish version

Local governments need minimum common criteria to manage the social dynamics of diversity. This Handbook defends the strategy of interculturality as a public political approach, based on a way to interpret interculturality as a positive resource, as a public cultural and a collective good. It is an approach that promotes the equitative interaction as a way to generate a cohesive common public space. This Handbook provides the reader with the conceptual and practical instruments to help (and inspire) those territories which would like to integrate interculturality as an urban project.It aims to serve as a ground for discussion to jointly work in local administrations and other government levels, fororganizations and institutions, as well as for cultural, political and citizens collectives. Results are presented asan action by the Red de Ciudades Interculturales (RECI), within the Intercultural Cities framework by the Councilof Europe, with the collaboration of Obra Social "La Caixa".

Procés de patrimonialització cultural de la central nuclear de Lemoiz (Bizkaia)

El propòsit central d’aquest treball és el de plantejar un procés d’activació del patrimoni cultural i històric, concretament el de la Central Nuclear de Lemoiz (Biscaia). Si la central fos declarada patrimoni industrial i històric es podria establir un punt de partida per a la resolució d’una situació complexa a nivell social, polític, urbanístic i medi-ambiental com és l’existència de la central nuclear

La atención a la diversidad cultural en Cataluña: exclusión, segregación e interculturalidad

La diversidad cultural se ha incrementado notablemente en los centros escolares españoles por la llegada de alumnado de origen inmigrado y esto, más los discursos de toma en consideración de las diferencias culturales que han realizado la Unión Europea y las administraciones autonómicas, ha contribuido a la aparición del discurso intercultural. Este artículo presenta la evolución realizada hasta llegar al discurso dominante actual basándose en un trabajo empírico de análisis de documentación editada por la Generalitat de Cataluña sobre política de integración y de escolarización de los inmigrados y entrevistas en profundidad a políticos y técnicos de los diferentes niveles de la administración catalana. De ello se concluye la existencia de tres etapas en la política de integración de los inmigrados en Cataluña: un primer momento de mera observación del fenómeno; una segunda etapa en la que sin abandonar la observación se insiste en la organización vertical y horizontal de la administración para trabajar de forma coordinada un fenómeno que empieza a despertar preocupación; y, una tercera, en la que sin abandonar la necesaria observación y organización, el énfasis se sitúa en la intervención. Estas fases son el marco de lo realizado a nivel educativo donde observamos la dificultad de traducción del discurso intercultural a la práctica cotidiana de los centros escolares, de los noventa, es necesario incrementar los esfuerzos para incorporar al alumnado de origen inmigrado en el dominio de la creencia de que la educación intercultural (en contra de lo que esta implica) es cuestión que deben trabajar los centros con inmigrantes y, ante la presión existente en las aulas (por el incremento del alumnado, la matrícula viva, etc.), el retorno a prácticas potencialmente segregacionistas que nos recuerdan actuaciones implementadas para escolarizar a los gitanos años atrás. Sin negar los avances realizados desde mediados aulas y centros de Cataluña.

High-Speed Rail: lessons for policy makers from experiences abroad

In April 2009, the US government unveiled its blueprint for a national network of high-speed passenger rail (HSR) lines aimed at reducing traffic congestion, cutting national dependence on foreign oil and improving rural and urban environments. In implementing such a program, it is essential to identify the factors that might influence decision making and the eventual success of the HSR project, as well as foreseeing the obstacles that will have to be overcome.

Shaping urban traffic patterns through congestion charging : What factors drive success or failure?

Congestion costs are emerging as one of the most important challenges faced by metropolitan planners and transport authorities in first world economies. In US these costs were as high as 78 million dollars in 2005 and are growing due to fast increases in travel delays. In order to solve the current and severe levels of congestion the US department of transportation have recently started a program to initiate congestion pricing in five metropolitan areas. In this context it is important to determine those factors helping its implementation and success, but also the problems or difficulties associated with charging projects. In this article we analyze worldwide experiences with urban road charging in order to extract interesting and helpful lessons for policy makers engaged in congestion pricing projects and for those interested in the introduction of traffic management tools to regulate the entrance to big cities.

Urban space and industrial heritage

Postprint (published version)

Espacios olvidados, lugares diferenciados: transformación social del espacio urbano en Bogotá (1850- 1880) = Forgotten Spaces, distinct places: Social transformation of urban space in Bogotá (1850-1880)

The purpose of this article is linked to some forms of recovery of social and urban spaces fallen into oblivion that are evident in the social transformation of urban space in Bogotá between 1850 and 1880.The following paper presents the preliminary results of the research entitled practices and social uses of water in Bogotá (1850-1888). The text links in first discussions about the understanding of the city as a drawing in space, moving to describe, the growth of the city, integrating its historical, social and cultural structuring