Structures and functions Structures and functions of urban governmentof urban government

City Management City Management

Dr. Adnan AlshihaDr. Adnan Alshiha

What is the role of urban government and What is the role of urban government and how does it related to the other spheres of how does it related to the other spheres of government in Saudi Arabia?government in Saudi Arabia?

Whose interests should local government Whose interests should local government serve? serve?

Whom does local government really serve?Whom does local government really serve?

What is the most efficient and effective What is the most efficient and effective structure of governance?structure of governance?

Why do city politics Why do city politics matter?matter?

What is “urban What is “urban government”?government”?

By 2006 half the world’s population (3.2 billion By 2006 half the world’s population (3.2 billion people) will live in urban areas - a 20-fold increase people) will live in urban areas - a 20-fold increase from 1900.from 1900.

Rapid urbanization in the 20th century has Rapid urbanization in the 20th century has magnified the environmental impact of cities. magnified the environmental impact of cities. Because of inadequate infrastructural systems, Because of inadequate infrastructural systems, poor planning and weak urban management, poor planning and weak urban management, cities disproportionately drive global warming, cities disproportionately drive global warming, increase water scarcity and extend built-up space. increase water scarcity and extend built-up space.

According to the Worldwatch Institute’s recent According to the Worldwatch Institute’s recent briefing on “Reinventing Cities” changes in at briefing on “Reinventing Cities” changes in at least six areas - water, waste, food, energy, least six areas - water, waste, food, energy, transportation, and land use - are needed transportation, and land use - are needed

While rapid urbanization concentrates While rapid urbanization concentrates population and economic growth in population and economic growth in cities, creating better opportunities cities, creating better opportunities for livelihood, at the same time cities for livelihood, at the same time cities face daunting challenges: face daunting challenges: overcrowding, poverty, environmental overcrowding, poverty, environmental decay, inefficient systems of decay, inefficient systems of municipal service delivery, scarce municipal service delivery, scarce finance and inefficient administration. finance and inefficient administration.

Urban management means that city Urban management means that city governments together with other governments together with other urban stakeholders - civil society, urban stakeholders - civil society, private sector, and local communities private sector, and local communities - assume an active role in - assume an active role in mobilization, management and mobilization, management and coordination of resources to support coordination of resources to support the objectives of urban development the objectives of urban development and ensure the vitality of cities. and ensure the vitality of cities.

A city, hence, is sustainable if it can A city, hence, is sustainable if it can provide all its inhabitants the provide all its inhabitants the environmental, social, cultural and environmental, social, cultural and economic needs without threatening economic needs without threatening natural, built or societal systems on natural, built or societal systems on which the safeguarding of these which the safeguarding of these needs is based. needs is based.

Increasing local planning capacities, Increasing local planning capacities, improving financial resources, guiding urban improving financial resources, guiding urban development processes in an action-oriented development processes in an action-oriented manner, establishing institutional manner, establishing institutional mechanisms and procedures for participation mechanisms and procedures for participation and democratization of local decision-making and democratization of local decision-making processes, are just a few of the challenges processes, are just a few of the challenges urban managers - mayors, legislators, urban managers - mayors, legislators, planners and service providers - face to make planners and service providers - face to make cities a more sustainable place for people cities a more sustainable place for people and for the planet. and for the planet.

Many national governments pursue a Many national governments pursue a strategy to shift the responsibility for strategy to shift the responsibility for municipal management from states municipal management from states to cities, and local capacity building to cities, and local capacity building as well as community participation as well as community participation must be enhanced to support this must be enhanced to support this process. process.

A diverse set of objectives to A diverse set of objectives to enhance the quality and capacity of enhance the quality and capacity of urban management structures and urban management structures and processes has to be pursued processes has to be pursued comprising urban land management, comprising urban land management, infrastructure improvement, infrastructure improvement, environmental management, poverty environmental management, poverty alleviation etc. alleviation etc.

Where urban growth is far exceeding the Where urban growth is far exceeding the capacity of infrastructure and services, and capacity of infrastructure and services, and inadequate environmental management inadequate environmental management measures have contributed to a significant measures have contributed to a significant degradation of valuable natural resources, degradation of valuable natural resources, the strain has adversely affected the quality the strain has adversely affected the quality of life of urban dwellers. of life of urban dwellers.

Yet, urban planning and management tools Yet, urban planning and management tools will have to be adjusted to meet these will have to be adjusted to meet these fundamental challenges in order to enhance fundamental challenges in order to enhance the capacity to manage urban growth and the capacity to manage urban growth and development. development.    

To improve urban placesTo improve urban places To improve urban places there are five To improve urban places there are five

essential areas that require the attention of essential areas that require the attention of local governments, mayors and urban local governments, mayors and urban managers, and hence can be identified as managers, and hence can be identified as imminent training needs for urban imminent training needs for urban management: management:

Establishing effective channels of Establishing effective channels of communication to mobilize citizens’ communication to mobilize citizens’ participation, providing transparency and participation, providing transparency and accountability; strengthening stakeholder accountability; strengthening stakeholder participation to enhance commitment to and participation to enhance commitment to and resource mobilization for jointly elaborated resource mobilization for jointly elaborated urban strategies;urban strategies;

Improving the design of spatial Improving the design of spatial policies to cope with rapid urban policies to cope with rapid urban growth, of inter-sectoral programs to growth, of inter-sectoral programs to resolve urban problems, and of resolve urban problems, and of technical infrastructure and social technical infrastructure and social projects sensitive to the needs of projects sensitive to the needs of urban communities;urban communities;

Resolving urban environmental Resolving urban environmental issues to create a healthier urban issues to create a healthier urban environment; reduce the pressure of environment; reduce the pressure of cities on natural resources and cities on natural resources and decrease the environmental impact decrease the environmental impact of cities;of cities;

Empowering the urban poor by giving Empowering the urban poor by giving assets to them which in turn enhance assets to them which in turn enhance their living conditions, e.g. through their living conditions, e.g. through secure land titles; developing urban secure land titles; developing urban economies to provide opportunities economies to provide opportunities to them, e.g. through channeling to them, e.g. through channeling micro-finance to the urban informal micro-finance to the urban informal sector;sector;

Mobilizing adequate finance in line Mobilizing adequate finance in line with responsibilities taken over by with responsibilities taken over by municipalities in the fields of service municipalities in the fields of service provision and infrastructure provision and infrastructure maintenance, by pricing urban maintenance, by pricing urban services, building partnerships with services, building partnerships with the private sector to manage and the private sector to manage and finance urban infrastructure.finance urban infrastructure.

Urban governmentUrban government

Local stateLocal state Local governmentLocal government Municipal governmentMunicipal government Urban governanceUrban governance

The local stateThe local state

Municipal governmentMunicipal government Special purpose bodies Special purpose bodies

(commissions, programs, boards, (commissions, programs, boards, units, authorities, etc.)units, authorities, etc.)

Voluntary associationsVoluntary associations

Features of the Features of the municipalitymunicipality

Its corporate natureIts corporate nature Defined geographic boundariesDefined geographic boundaries An elected councilAn elected council Its taxing powerIts taxing power

Primary purposes Primary purposes of local governmentof local government

To act as a political mechanism To act as a political mechanism through which a local community can through which a local community can express its collective objectives, andexpress its collective objectives, and

To provide various services and To provide various services and programs to local residentsprograms to local residents

Local government Local government responsibility includesresponsibility includes

Protective services (fire, police)Protective services (fire, police) Transportation services (roads, public transit)Transportation services (roads, public transit) Environmental services (sewers, garbage disposal, Environmental services (sewers, garbage disposal,

water supply)water supply) Social and health services (welfare administration, Social and health services (welfare administration,

day care, homes for seniors, public health day care, homes for seniors, public health programs)programs)

Recreation and cultural servicesRecreation and cultural services Land use planningLand use planning And sometimes educationAnd sometimes education

History and constitutional History and constitutional status of municipalitiesstatus of municipalities

Constitutional Act of 1867Constitutional Act of 1867 The incorporation of municipalities under The incorporation of municipalities under

provincial legislation (legal and political provincial legislation (legal and political status of municipalities)status of municipalities)

Legal features of municipalities:Legal features of municipalities: Defined territoryDefined territory Mechanism (elected council) to make Mechanism (elected council) to make

legally enforceable decisionslegally enforceable decisions List of legal governmental functionsList of legal governmental functions

Four principles of Four principles of municipalities' municipalities'

constitutional statusconstitutional status

Municipal institutions:Municipal institutions: 1)lack constitutional status,1)lack constitutional status, 2)are creatures of the legislature and exist 2)are creatures of the legislature and exist

only if provincial legislation so provides,only if provincial legislation so provides, 3)have no independent autonomy and 3)have no independent autonomy and

their powers are subject to abolition or their powers are subject to abolition or repeal by provincial legislation,repeal by provincial legislation,

4)may exercise only those powers that are 4)may exercise only those powers that are conferred upon them by statute.conferred upon them by statute.

Intergovernmental Intergovernmental relationshipsrelationships

Central governmentCentral government Provincial governmentProvincial government

Government Government responsibilitiesresponsibilities

“ “hard” (infrastructure) services hard” (infrastructure) services should be the full responsibility of should be the full responsibility of municipalitiesmunicipalities

“ “soft” (human) services should be soft” (human) services should be the proper function of the provincial the proper function of the provincial governmentgovernment

Saudi System assigned Saudi System assigned these functions to these functions to

municipalitiesmunicipalities

Public health protectionPublic health protection Local roads and streetsLocal roads and streets Collection and disposal of residential Collection and disposal of residential

solid wastesolid waste Sewage systemsSewage systems Regulation of local land useRegulation of local land use

Funds for local service Funds for local service provisionprovision

An annual BudgetAn annual Budget And user feesAnd user fees Other chargesOther charges

Municipal reform and Municipal reform and restructuringrestructuring

Entanglement/disentanglementEntanglement/disentanglement DownloadingDownloading SubsidiaritySubsidiarity Contracting outContracting out Privatization Privatization

Major issues in Major issues in contemporary urban contemporary urban

governancegovernance The importance of economic The importance of economic

developmentdevelopment The fiscal squeezeThe fiscal squeeze Fostering and sustaining livable citiesFostering and sustaining livable cities

Debates in Saudi contextDebates in Saudi context

The historical and continuing debates The historical and continuing debates about the place of local government in about the place of local government in Saudi political systemSaudi political system

Changing perspectives concerning the role Changing perspectives concerning the role of cities in the international contextof cities in the international context

Debates about the structure and internal Debates about the structure and internal operations of city governments, including operations of city governments, including the question: Whom does/should the question: Whom does/should Municipality council serve?Municipality council serve?

Issues in Saudi context of Issues in Saudi context of urban governanceurban governance

The apolitical nature of city politics, The apolitical nature of city politics, because Saudi city elections are non-because Saudi city elections are non-partisanpartisan

The intergovernmental maze due to the The intergovernmental maze due to the current situation of intergovernmental current situation of intergovernmental relationships between the three levels of relationships between the three levels of government in Saudi Arabiagovernment in Saudi Arabia

The degree of democracy and The degree of democracy and participation in city politicsparticipation in city politics