Localization Archives – Page 2 of 21

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[ August 28, 2026 ] When decentralized finance meets political incentives Decentralization
[ August 18, 2026 ] Analyzing the Territorial Approach to Local Development though a development ethics lens Decentralization
[ August 15, 2026 ] Can Competition Between Villages Reduce Conflict Within Them? Asia
[ July 30, 2026 ] Kenya–South Africa Dialogue on Decentralization, National Oversight and Accountability Africa
[ July 25, 2026 ] Policy lending as a tool to help local governments deliver better services ADB

Expanding property taxation in customary areas in Africa

April 10, 2026 Marina Jandrevska

Property taxation is widely recognized as a cornerstone of subnational finance and a key enabler of effective decentralization worldwide. It has recently gained increased attention across African countries. Yet, it remains one of the most […]

How can property taxes drive subnational development?

March 11, 2026 Marina Jandrevska

Cities are the engines of economic growth. Yet subnational governments, particularly in lower-income countries, continue to face severe and persistent challenges in service delivery and infrastructure. Strengthening local governments is therefore vital for improving state-building […]

Reimagining democracy from the ground up

February 17, 2026 Limabenla Jamir

In their newly-published open access volume, Citizen Participation in Local Governance: An Urban–Rural Perspective (Springer, 2026), Karl Kössler and Eva Schläppi bring together insights from 18 partner institutions across six continents to examine one of […]

Local public finances and the SDGs: How are European cities rewiring budgeting for a sustainable future?

February 17, 2026 Marina Jandrevska

As the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approaches, the global community faces a sobering reality: only 18% of targets are currently on track. While political commitment to the 2030 Agenda remains strong, […]

Devolved health services in Kenya: Access, efficiency, and the unfinished business of devolution

January 31, 2026 LPS Alliance

Over the past decade, Kenya’s devolution reform has fundamentally reshaped the country’s public sector by transferring responsibility for a wide range of public sector functions—including primary health services—to 47 county governments. The intent of this […]

Can federalism constrain authoritarianism?

January 26, 2026 LPS Alliance

Across the globe, democratic backsliding increasingly originates not from military coups or constitutional breakdowns, but from elected executives who concentrate power from within the system. Courts are packed, legislatures sidelined, and independent agencies weakened—often through […]

How intergovernmental fiscal transfers shape local democracy

January 19, 2026 LPS Alliance

Intergovernmental fiscal transfers are among the most powerful, and least visible, instruments in multilevel governance systems. They shape how resources flow across levels of government, determine the fiscal space available to local authorities, and influence […]

Why people-centered smart cities matter for decentralization

January 16, 2026 LPS Alliance

Around the world, cities are embracing digital technologies to improve mobility, service delivery, urban planning, and citizen engagement. Yet many “smart city” initiatives place technology at the center, rather than people. Sensors, platforms, and dashboards […]

Conditional grants and the hidden politics of fiscal decentralization

December 19, 2025 LPS Alliance

In discussions on fiscal decentralization, conditional grants are often treated as a technical detail rather than a central feature of multilevel governance. Much of the debate focuses on revenue assignments, own-source taxation, or unconditional transfers, […]

The new U.S.–Kenya health partnership risks missing the real problem

December 10, 2025 LPS Alliance

On December 6, the governments of Kenya and the United States announced a major five-year, $2.5 billion cooperation framework to strengthen Kenya’s health sector. The agreement signals renewed American commitment to supporting Kenya’s efforts to […]