Possibility of Area Management Organizations for “Bulwark” Against Neoliberal Urbanization – Thorough the Cases of Public Development Authorities (PDAs) –

In some cities in US and in Japan entirely new organizational structures have sprung up to promote urban development in the new contextual situation. In this presentation, a new structure, "Public Development Authority" (PDA) is treated, which has mainly developed in west coast of US, and is getting attention in terms of neo liberal urbanization. PDA is quite unique-style entity that is established by cities (municipalities) as special purpose government for promoting specific purpose (such as areal management, or historical and business management of historical market), equipped with business specialist- staffs, and also it is governed by volunteer citizen board members. "Half private, half government"entity is run or governed by citizens.

              Some PDAs has been observed to behave as “developer" in the “neo-liberal” urbanization process. But considerable PDAs, for securing neighborhood’s core and culture , are trying to build the devices for helping local business owners  and individual citizens mentally and physically, as of Seattle Chinatown International PDA (inventing “IDEA Space” project for assisting local small businesses, using "visioning"method) . These trials are expected to be effective “bulwark”s against diverting impacts of neoliberal developments. This presentation concretely gazes at the PDAs’ efforts (and the like’s of area management organizations) to keep local core of cultures, local “life economy” with concrete devices from the stand point of citizen eyes and “advocacy”. And the conditions for preventing PDA to fall into "developer" are sought.

              Just for accessing the present big picture in terms of area management organizations in neo-liberal trends in US, Japan etc, CDCs (Community Development Corporation) in US and “Machizukuri Kaisha", special purpose agency in Japanese PPPs are shortly mentioned as well.