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Branchless banking is a banking service based on ICT, one of which is an agent.
This service can be found in both urban and rural areas. This research aims at identifying
the existence and advantages of agents-based branchless banking. The locations of
branchless banking agents was also analyzed to explore the spatial pattern. This research
applies a quantitative method. Agents and customers are selected by undergoing a survey.
The data are obtained by structurally interviewing agents on the kinds of services they
provide and the benefits of services for customers. Meanwhile, an accidental sampling
technique is used to select customers. Besides, spatial analysis is applied using kernel
density analysis and accessibility analysis. The result of the research shows that the
advantages of branchless banking through agent alter the perception of spatial benefits to
access banking services. The space for banking services is in the same place for other
purposes such as business units and home. In urban areas, the making use of agents is
mainly based on the factors of being closely located and easy to access. Meanwhile, in
suburban and rural areas, conveniences are of primary consideration to make use of
agents. Concerning the geographical field, location plays an essential role in the
substantial changes related to the spatial functions of economic services, mainly banking
services, which are not always located in downtown areas. On the contrary, it is possible to
locate economic services in rural areas, with the help of ICT-based services. The result of
the analysis shows that banks do not optimally consider location, range and service area
for branchless banking represented by agents.

Information technologies are now being developed that transform the physical environment, and the human interactions within it, into a "digital skin" of the city. This skin consists of a sensored and metered urban environment. In concert with ubiquitous computing, and the increasing use of electronically-mediated interactions in general, the physical world is becoming a platform for generating much new data on the workings of human society, its interactions with the physical environment, and manifold processes in economics, politics, and social interactions. The city is a subject of this revolution, in the sense that the technologies are predicted to make it possible to manage the physical city in ways not previously possible, but also to make possible major changes in the political and social interactions of people within cities, and between citizens and government. The city is also an objective basis for the revolution, in the sense that it is the sensored and metered platform that can generate unprecedented "big data" for many new types of uses. This revolution opens up many questions for urban theory and research, and many new issues for public and urban policy, which are explored in this paper.

This dissertation studies whether cities enhance development in nearby rural areas in China. First, we recount the evolution of urban-rural relations since the Maoist period (Chapter 1). While rural areas were sacrificed in favor of cities for decades, since the early 2000s the government has indicated that cities should "support the countryside". Nowadays, a high number of investments have been realized to strengthen linkages between urban and rural areas with the aim of enabling cities to promote rural development. However, very little is known about the effective impact of cities on nearby rural areas in the specific Chinese context. The present dissertation aims at providing a detailed analysis of the role of cities on rural areas in order to assess whether strengthening urban-rural linkages is an effective rural development strategy. After having defined what we mean by urban and rural areas in China (Chapter 2), we provide a review of the literature on the role of cities in rural development (Chapter 3). The following three chapters present empirical investigations. The first empirical test focuses on the effect of cities on the agricultural sector of nearby rural areas (Chapter 4). We then study the impact of cities on the rural non-agricultural sector (Chapter 5). Finally, after having focused on the economic impact of cities, we investigate the effect of cities on rural development by testing whether urban proximity significantly increases rural pollution in China (Chapter 6). In the light of the results obtained, we consider whether relying on cities to enhance rural development could be an effective strategy (Chapter 7). ; Cette thèse étudie si les villes stimulent le développement économique des zones rurales voisines en Chine. Dans un premier temps, la thèse retrace l'évolution des relations entre zones urbaines et rurales depuis la période maoïste (Chapitre 1). Alors que durant des décennies entières les zones rurales ont été sacrifiées au profit des villes, depuis le début des années 2000 est apparue l'idée que les villes devaient à leur tour « soutenir les zones rurales ». A l'heure actuelle, de nombreux investissements visant à renforcer les liens entre villes et campagnes sont réalisés dans le but de favoriser la croissance rurale. Cependant, l'effet des villes sur le développement rural en Chine demeure profondément méconnu. L'objectif de cette thèse est ainsi de fournir une analyse détaillée de l'effet des villes sur le développement rural afin de comprendre si renforcer les liens urbains-ruraux peut constituer une stratégie de développement rural efficace. Après avoir défini ce que l'on entend par zones urbaines et rurales en Chine (Chapitre 2), nous passons en revue la littérature sur l'effet des villes sur le développement rural (Chapitre 3). Les trois chapitres suivants fournissent des analyses empiriques. La première analyse empirique s'attache à l'effet des villes sur le secteur agricole des zones rurales avoisinantes (Chapitre 4). Ensuite, nous étudions l'effet des villes sur le secteur rural non-agricole (Chapitre 5). Enfin, alors que les deux premières analyses empiriques se concentrent sur l'effet des villes sur la performance économique rurale, la dernière étude analyse l'effet des villes sur le développement rural, en estimant l'impact de la proximité urbaine sur la pollution rurale (Chapitre 6). A la lumière des résultats obtenus, nous nous interrogeons sur l'efficacité d'une politique visant à renforcer les liens villes-campagnes en Chine (Chapitre 7).

The work aimed to determine the scope of the good governance approach in the local development planning of local governments of rural and urban- rural gminas in the eastern peripheral voivodeships of Poland (Lubelskie, Podlaskie and Świętokrzyskie Voivodeships) and how the implementation of good governance principles in the process of elaborating and implementing local development strategies correlates with assessments of the strategy's suitability as a development management tool. The research used methods of analysis and criticism of the literature, statistical analysis and a survey method using an interview questionnaire addressed to local government authorities. According to our research, especially at the stage of developing the strategy, actions were taken regarding local-community and local-authority participation and active communication between the two, but a lower level of community participation was found at the implementation stage. There was a statistically significant relationship between adopting the principle of participation and accountability in preparing and implementing the strategy and how suitable the strategy was assessed to be as a tool for development management. It seems reasonable to apply the principles of good governance more widely in planning local development, not only while developing the strategy, but also in its implementation.

The 1983 election of Harold Washington as mayor of Chicago represented the fruition of black social reform currents within the city's turbulent political history. Black Chicago was dominated for decades by Republican and Democratic machines. Economically, blacks experienced permanently high unemployment rates and severe income inequality. Initially, black middle class leaders followed a policy of accommodation to the dominant economic and political interests. This strategy was overturned in the 1970s and 1980s, as black reformist elites, workers and the unemployed used the electoral system to challenge the status quo. The long-term success of Washington will depend upon a continued mass mobilization of black labor.

In this paper, we devise a methodology that is able to objectively quantify the impact of tourism on the urban economy. This methodology takes various dimensions into account. First, to analyse the impact at sectoral level, it should bear in mind that tourism is a cross-sectional activity which affects many sectors, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, it is important to consider the impact of urban tourism on sectors traditionally defined as tourism-related, -that is, hotels, restaurants, shops, etc.- but also its impact on other sectors -for instance, textiles, food, construction, to name only a few- due to the intersectoral relationships that emerge. Second, we need to calculate the percentage of the turnover of each sector that is due to the tourism industry. Third, it is important to establish the geographic distribution of this impact: how is the effect shared between the city and its neighbouring areas QUESTION Finally, the effect of urban tourism should be quantified not only in terms of turnover, but also in terms of its contribution to GDP and employment.

We examine the impact of measurement errors in geocoding of property locations and in the assessment of Mountain Pine Beetle-induced tree damage within the proximity of a given residence on estimated losses in home values. For our sample of homes in the wildland-urban interface of the Colorado front range and using a novel matching estimator with Bayesian regression adjustment we find that both types of errors can lead to substantial biases in estimated losses. Our results confirm that the Forest Service's Aerial Detection Survey is generally too coarse to be informative for property valuation that depends on highly localized spatial data. ; United States Forest Service, Southern Research StationUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)United States Forest Service [12-JV-11330143-106] ; This work was supported by the United States Forest Service, Southern Research Station [cooperative agreement number 12-JV-11330143-106]. ; Public domain authored by a U.S. government employee

International audience ; Introduction. - The rise of congestion problems in urban surroundings and the environmental problems they induce need the definition of a global policy including the freight.For the last few years, several attempts have been done in some European countries to control the goods distribution in the cities: - in switzerland, the "Energie 2000" program includes a specific chapter about the goods in the city (City Logistik). Some studies are being driven in Basel and Zurich to limit energy consumption and environmental nuisances in this area, - in Kôln, Germany, a freight integration plan is being developed in their planning policy in collaboration with other important cities of the Ruhr, - in Netherlands, in Belgium, the governments have launched several experimental experiences of "Urban Distribution Centres" (UDCs) in order to rationalize distribution and to reduce the number of vehicles per kilometer. A real awareness of the different stakes is felt. However, most of the initiatives seem limited facing atask of importance and complexity.The difficulties of modeling and the lack of data represent essential problems.

International audience ; Introduction. - The rise of congestion problems in urban surroundings and the environmental problems they induce need the definition of a global policy including the freight.For the last few years, several attempts have been done in some European countries to control the goods distribution in the cities: - in switzerland, the "Energie 2000" program includes a specific chapter about the goods in the city (City Logistik). Some studies are being driven in Basel and Zurich to limit energy consumption and environmental nuisances in this area, - in Kôln, Germany, a freight integration plan is being developed in their planning policy in collaboration with other important cities of the Ruhr, - in Netherlands, in Belgium, the governments have launched several experimental experiences of "Urban Distribution Centres" (UDCs) in order to rationalize distribution and to reduce the number of vehicles per kilometer. A real awareness of the different stakes is felt. However, most of the initiatives seem limited facing atask of importance and complexity.The difficulties of modeling and the lack of data represent essential problems.

International audience ; Introduction. - The rise of congestion problems in urban surroundings and the environmental problems they induce need the definition of a global policy including the freight.For the last few years, several attempts have been done in some European countries to control the goods distribution in the cities: - in switzerland, the "Energie 2000" program includes a specific chapter about the goods in the city (City Logistik). Some studies are being driven in Basel and Zurich to limit energy consumption and environmental nuisances in this area, - in Kôln, Germany, a freight integration plan is being developed in their planning policy in collaboration with other important cities of the Ruhr, - in Netherlands, in Belgium, the governments have launched several experimental experiences of "Urban Distribution Centres" (UDCs) in order to rationalize distribution and to reduce the number of vehicles per kilometer. A real awareness of the different stakes is felt. However, most of the initiatives seem limited facing atask of importance and complexity.The difficulties of modeling and the lack of data represent essential problems.

1293 1310 51 6 ; S ; Atance, I., Martínez Jávega, M. T., Pujol, R., & Urruela, J. (2011). La población rural en España: un enfoque a escala municipal. Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales, 10(1), 35. doi:10.7201/earn.2010.01.03 ; Purpose - This paper aims to analyse the capacity of rural and urban spaces to promote innovation in the agro-food firms. The purpose is to determine if the rural/urban division affects the innovative behaviour of agriculture, food processing and food distribution firms. Design/methodology/approach - Business data have been obtained for over 2,000 firms based in the Valencia region, Spain. Out of them, over 200 declared to have taken part in R&D&i activities, mainly in partnership with public support institutions. The database supplies data of micro and small enterprises, which have been typically underestimated in the Spanish Survey on Technological Innovation in Enterprises. The database also makes it possible to identify the main location of agro-food business, and the territory is divided in Local Labour Systems (LLS). LIS were in turn classified as rural or urban according to alternative criteria (OECD, national legislation). A logit model has been used in the analyses. Findings - The location of enterprises according to the rural/urban divide does not appear relevant concerning innovation, although businesses orientated to the primary sector seem less innovative. Co-op businesses appear to be more innovative. Originality/value - The paper offers an approach of innovation in the agro-food traditionally considered as a non-innovative system. It explores how territory affects innovation using data from firms. Fearne, A.; García Alvarez-Coque, JM.; Usach Mercedes, TL.; Garcia, S. (2013). Innovative firms and the urban/rural divide: the case of agro-food system. Management Decision. 51(6):1293-1310. doi:10.1108/MD-12-2011-0482 Acosta, M., Coronado, D., & Toribio, M. R. (2011). The use of scientific knowledge by Spanish agrifood firms. Food Policy, 36(4), 507-516. ...

1993 Spring. ; Includes bibliographic references (pages 101-109). ; Historically, the dominant use of water in Colorado has been irrigation. However, new demand is being driven by urban needs. The amount of unappropriated water available for cities to claim is decreasing. Good dam and reservoir sites are becoming more scarce and costly to develop. Increasingly, the purchase of rural water rights for transfer to urban use is being used to help fulfill the demand. The transfer of rural water to urban use, however, is controversial and has given rise to charges that important effects of water transfers are not given proper consideration in water allocation decision making. The questions that people are raising about the transfer of agricultural water to urban use - economic and social changes in the areas of origin, environmental effects of transfers of water, access to the decision making process - can be described as "livelihood" issues. The public debate highlights the issues that people think are important to water transfer. It does not make clear what is actually known about the relevance and details of these issues, nor is it clear whether these issues are considered by the water courts and to what extent. This study attempts to examine these livelihood issues and find out why they are important to the public and what the research reveals about them. The study also examines water court documents to determine if these issues play a role in water allocation decisions. This study explores the livelihood issues surrounding agricultural-to- municipal transfers of water, examining the economics of such transfers; the social, cultural, and political issues for water importing and exporting areas; the environmental and ecological aspects of water transfers; and the institutions that allocate water in Colorado. The results of a study of water court applications to transfer rural water to cities are reported. The study examines agricultural-to-urban water transfer cases in Colorado Water Divisions 1 and 2 for the years 1977 through 1991. It attempts to develop a picture of such transfers in the two busiest water basins in Colorado, and to identify what information is available about these transfers in the legal system used to allocate water in Colorado, what issues of transfers are addressed by that system, and to identify who participates in the system.