Conference Agenda

Global urban-rural development faces systemic imbalances: developed countries confront challenges of fragmented public services due to counter-urbanization, while developing countries experience rural decline triggered by the "urban siphon effect." The essence of these problems lies in lagging governance paradigms, underdeveloped policy tools, and fragmented knowledge systems, necessitating innovative governance models that transcend binary oppositions. This paper decodes China’s governance innovation logic in urban-rural integration, revealing how it balances the triple objectives of equity, efficiency, and sustainability through transformed mindsets, upgraded skills, and restructured knowledge. Thereby, it provides a globally transferable local governance framework addressing the conference’s core focus on "shaping the future of governance."

Research Methodology：This study employs a dual-track analytical framework integrating "policy process" and "institutional performance":

(1) Critical juncture analysis identifies three pivotal turning points in institutional evolution—market-oriented reform (1978), urban-rural integration (2012), and common prosperity (2020)—through historical policy texts (e.g., Central Document No. 1, Five-Year Plans, 1949-2024);

(2) Multi-case grounded theory construction selects three nationally representative pilots—Zhejiang’s " Demonstration of 1,000 villages, renovation of 10,000 villages". (eastern China), Chongqing’s land ticket system (western China), and Guangdong’s points-based settlement (southern China)—extracting core governance innovation elements via semi-structured interviews (with 42 grassroots officials) and policy document coding;

(3) Institutional performance triangulation synthesizes evaluation reports from the Development Research Center of the State Council, land monitoring data from the Ministry of Natural Resources, and microdata from the China Household Panel Survey (CFPS) to construct an "economy-society-space" three-dimensional integration index.

Research Results: China has formed a three-in-one governance innovation experience: first, through systematic reforms such as the separation of rural land ownership rights and the household registration reform, institutional barriers to the flow of urban-rural factors have been broken, establishing the basic framework of a unified national market; second, by building a multi-dimensional integration practice carrier with the county economy as the hub, digital technology as the engine, and ecological value transformation as the link, functional complementarity and resource sharing between urban and rural areas have been realized; third, under the pluralistic coordination mechanism led by the Party committee, the path of gradual institutional change effectively balances the stability of reform and innovation breakthroughs, while the market-oriented allocation of "people-land-capital" factors releases sustainable development momentum.

Proposals: Based on the core experience of China's practice, this paper puts forward the following policy suggestions for the dual-track system: for developing countries, promote the "county-level economy-driven model"—using county towns as the carrier to undertake industrial transfer, establishing a "land securitization" mechanism to activate rural asset liquidity, and setting up small-scale policy pilot areas to reduce reform risks; for developed countries, build an "anti-urbanization response system"—formulating a list of public services in permanent residence locations to protect the rights and interests of the floating population, introducing "ecological value accounting" tools to promote green urban-rural cooperation, developing an "enclave economy", and optimizing the industrial division of labor between urban and rural areas.

1. Problem Statement and Purpose:

The Polokwane Local Municipality, as both Water Service Authority and Water Service Provider, faces a critical challenge in fulfilling its constitutional mandate to provide reliable water access to residents. Despite Section 27 of the Constitution guaranteeing access to water and the Water Services Act stipulating minimal disruption, many areas within PLM experience prolonged water shortages, lasting weeks or even months. This situation is exacerbated by allegations of mismanagement, non-compliance, and dereliction of duty within PLM. The Democratic Alliance in Limpopo has even filed criminal charges against PLM officials, underscoring the severity of the issue.

This problem statement examines the potential of digital technologies to address these failures. Considering the role of local governments in driving sustainable transformation, can digital tools and strategies enhance PLM's capacity for effective water management and service delivery? The central question is whether digital governance can improve accountability, transparency, and responsiveness in PLM's water management practices, ultimately ensuring a more reliable and equitable water supply for all residents. This exploration aligns with the broader goal of leveraging digital technologies as a force for future governance strategies in local governments.

2. Methodology

This qualitative study investigates the potential of digital governance to address water service delivery failures in Polokwane. Data will be gathered from journals, newspapers, provincial government research teams' videos, databases such as JSTOR, Scopus, and Google Scholar, along with official online repositories and municipal reports, focusing on PLM's challenges and digital interventions in similar contexts. Thematic analysis will be employed to identify recurring themes related to mismanagement, non-compliance, and the impact of digital technologies on accountability, transparency, and service delivery effectiveness. This approach aims to uncover common patterns, challenges, and effective practices in leveraging digital tools for improved water governance.

3. Findings

Findings indicate that mismanagement and non-compliance within PLM contribute significantly to water service delivery failures, as evidenced by prolonged shortages and allegations of dereliction of duty. Digital technologies present a potential solution by improving water resource management, enhancing communication, and increasing transparency. However, challenges such as limited technical capacity, resistance to change, and lack of community engagement hinder effective implementation. Overcoming these obstacles requires improved accountability, community participation, and strong leadership to drive digital transformation within PLM.

4. Proposal

Building on the MyPolokwane Citizen App launch, the study will review the project as it aims to enhance its water management capabilities. Rather than introducing new platforms, the focus will be on integrating real-time water level monitoring, leak reporting with photo uploads, and automated billing access into the existing app. Training will empower municipal staff to utilise these enhanced features effectively. Community engagement will drive app adoption and gather feedback for continuous improvement. Success will be measured by increased app usage for water-related issues, faster response times, reduced water losses, and improved citizen satisfaction, leveraging existing infrastructure for efficiency