Volume 47, Number 1, 2024

FR:

Mis en service en 2018, le port de Kribi au Cameroun est un exemple de grand projet d’infrastructures initié par un État africain pour moderniser son économie. La région de Kribi, située au sud-ouest du pays, a ainsi été affectée par de grands travaux dans une zone localisée en bordure du Golfe de Guinée. Cet article vise à comprendre les impacts sociaux reliés au port, en particulier les effets du programme de relocalisation de villages. À cette fin, nous avons effectué une série d’entrevues en 2021 afin de saisir les bouleversements vécus par les populations ciblées. Nos résultats démontrent que le programme de relocalisation a connu d’importantes difficultés : consultations limitées, indemnisations entachées d’irrégularités et nouveaux sites villageois inhabités. Une large part de ces insuccès s’explique par le fait d’avoir ignoré les perceptions et les représentations des populations.

EN:

Commissioned in 2018, the port of Kribi in Cameroon is an example of a major infrastructure project initiated by an African state to modernize its economy. The Kribi region, which is located in the south-west of Cameroon, has been affected by major works in an area located along the Gulf of Guinea. This paper aims to understand the social impacts related to the port, in particular the effects of the settlement relocation program. To this end, we conducted a series of interviews in 2021 to understand the upheaval experienced by the targeted populations. Our results show that the relocation programme has faced significant challenges: limited consultations, flawed compensation, and new uninhabited village sites. Most of the impacts can be explained by a process which neglected the populations environment perceptions.

FR:

Cet article examine l’effet de la taxe foncière sur les prix immobiliers des propriétés résidentielles (appartement, maison). A travers une étude empirique sur l’effet de la taxe foncière sur le prix immobilier des propriétés résidentielles des 978 communes de la région Sud, ce travail revisite les déterminants locaux des prix immobiliers, en se focalisant à la fois sur les prélèvements et les dépenses publiques locales. Ce travail montre que la taxe foncière affecte négativement le fonctionnement du marché foncier local, via une augmentation des prix immobiliers des propriétés résidentielles, tandis que les dépenses publiques locales résultent d’un effet inverse.

EN:

The objective of this paper is to study the effect of property tax rates on housing prices. The paper focuses on the way property taxes and local public expenditures affect housing prices, in the 978 communities of the South region, by using spatial econometrics. One of the most original aspects of this paper is that is applies to a very thin spatial level of analysis, the county level. The paper develops original data for housing prices, property tax rates and local public expenditures. First, an increase in the property tax rates increases the housing prices which negatively affects the housing market’s exchanges. Second, this negative effect seems to be compensated when the county increases the provision of local public goods.

FR:

L’adaptation au changement climatique peut prendre la forme d’ajustements marginaux ou de restructurations systémiques pouvant être qualifiées de transitions. Cet article interroge les ressources et contraintes avec lesquelles les acteurs menant ces processus doivent composer, selon les territoires où ils s’inscrivent. L’étude porte sur les filières grandes cultures et viticulture dans le Fossé rhénan, zone transfrontalière entre la France, l’Allemagne et la Suisse. Basée sur des entretiens semi-directifs auprès de producteurs et conseillers agricoles, l’approche fait intervenir deux échelles : locale et régionale (y compris transnationale), et permet une double comparaison entre territoires et filières. Les résultats montrent d’importantes différences dans les transitions opérées dans certains territoires, selon les ressources et contraintes qu’ils présentent. Mais ces divergences apparaissent surtout à l’échelle locale, alors que l’échelle transfrontalière lisse les différences : les ressources et contraintes apparaissent bien plus similaires et conduisent à des convergences grâce à des circulations d’idées et de pratiques. Partant de l’observation que ces conditions communes et partagées ne sont pas toujours connues des acteurs, il apparait que la frontière pourrait favoriser l’adaptation par l’expérimentation et le partage de solutions testées dans des contextes différents.

EN:

Adaptation to climate change can take the form of minor adjustments or systemic restructurings which can be qualified as transitions. This article addresses the resources and constraints with which the actors of these processes have to deal with, according to the territories where they are. The study is about the crop and wine growing sectors in the Upper Rhine region, a cross-border area between France, Germany and Switzerland. Based on semi-structured interviews with producers and farm advisers, the approach brings two scales into play: local and regional (including transnational) and allows a double comparison between territories and sectors. The results show important differences in the transitions happening in some territories, according to the resources and constraints they present. But these divergences mostly appear at the local scale, while the cross-border scale allays the differences: the resources and constraints appear much more similar and lead to convergences thanks to flows of ideas and practices. Observing that the actors do not always recognize these common and shared conditions, it appears that the border could favor adaptation through experimenting and sharing solutions tested in different contexts.

EN:

Many households living in developing countries still collect water from unimproved sources. The situation is particularly worse in rural areas. This study analyses the differences in improved water source adoption between urban and rural households in Cameroon. Our analysis uses data from the fifth Cameroon Demographic and Health survey conducted in 2018-2019. Results from logit regressions suggest that the use of improved water source increases when the head of household is a woman. It also increases with education, access to information and wealth. Conversely, it decreases with household size. The approach of Fairlie (2006) is further used to evaluate the contribution of the above factors to urban-rural differences in the adoption of improved water sources. Our analysis shows that the above factors explain 41% of the differences in water source choices observed between urban and rural households. The policy recommendations of the research are described in the paper.

EN:

Toronto, a thriving multicultural metropolis, aspires to create an inclusive and livable urban environment meeting diverse resident needs. However, challenges arise due to the uneven distribution of urban green spaces. This study employs a gravity model and Gaussian-based 2SFCA model to assess green space accessibility in Toronto’s dissemination areas. A Gini index and local bivariate Moran’s I illuminate socio-spatial disparities, while Geographically Weighted Regression unveils economic inequalities by correlating green space accessibility with housing prices and their five-year growth. Findings expose stark environmental inequity, with the bottom 20% accessing a mere 7% of spaces and the top 20% enjoying 40%. City center and low-income peri-central areas exhibit pronounced disparities, driven by limited green spaces and intense competition. In flourishing, dense areas, residents pay more for increased green space share, while less-dense areas with ample green spaces see higher housing prices where accessibility prevails. Neighborhoods with abundant green spaces and amenities, notably special school programs, attract families, correlating housing price growth with green space accessibility. Considering diverse district development phases and priorities and potential conflicts, tailored strategies for equitable green space systems are recommended citywide.