Urban morphologies in the global south are shaped by a complex interplay of historical imprints, from colonial legacies and ethnic tensions to waves of modernization and decolonization efforts. This study delves into the urban morphology of Hangzhou during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, unraveling its transformative patterns steered by a convergence of spatial politics, economic forces, and cultural dynamics. Drawing upon a unique blend of historical map restoration techniques, we unearth pivotal morphological nuances that bridge Hangzhou’s transition from its pre-modern fabric to its modern-day urban layout. We uncover key shifts such as the movement from intricate street layouts to systematic grids, the strategic integration of public spaces like West Lakeside Park, and the city’s evolving urban epicenter mirroring its broader socio-political and economic narratives. These insights not only spotlight Hangzhou’s distinct urban journey in the context of ethnic conflicts, Western influences, and decolonization drives but also underscore the value of context-sensitive urban morphological research in the global south. Our findings emphasize the criticality of synergizing varied methodologies and theoretical perspectives to deepen our comprehension of urban transitions, sculpt place identities, and invigorate public imagination in global urban planning.

It has become commonplace to describe publicly provided infrastructure as being in a sorry state and to advance public-private partnership as a possible remedy. This essay adopts a skeptical but not a cynical posture toward those claims. The paper starts by reviewing the comparative properties of markets and politics within a theory of budgeting where the options are construction and maintenance. This analytical point of departure explains how incongruities between political and market action can favor construction over maintenance. In short, political entities can engage in an implicit form of public debt by reducing maintenance spending to support other budgetary items. This implicit form of public debt does not manifest in higher interest rates but rather manifests in crumbling bridges and other infrastructure due to the transfer of maintenance into other budgetary activities.

The creation of points where law, politics and education policies take intersection is a very complex and dynamic environment determined by philosophical shifts, economic problems, and social dynamics. This study dissects various complicated challenges facing the process of the framing of educational policies and their implementation which have become rampant due to the rapid political transformations. The researched evaluation is applied via both qualitative and quantitative methods, including juridical research, case and best practices studies and surveys, with the descriptive nature of the research as the main tool. The heart of the essay is three main themes - the contention between the rigidity of the academic standards and the holistic growth of students, its possible effects when students are too identified with a test-centric approach as their knowledge is sacrificed for their test scores, and the inclusion of rights and protections for underrepresented populations even when faced with a government’s resistance. Similarly, the research examines the perils of creating legislation too quickly, especially, because of unexpected side effects and interpretation conflicts. Findings show profound demographic differentials over districts which implies the designing and implementation of policies need to be modified accordingly. Unless a certain policy brings the best outcomes in the learning process, then nobody should choose it even if it means disrupting student well-being and decreasing their involvement. It is also emblematic of how cross-party cooperation and stakeholders’ understanding are important aspects of fairly dealing with complicated policy environments.

This paper highlights the opportunities as well as challenges posed for Bangladesh by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China. BRI is being considered as the most expensive project ever initiated connecting more than half of the world population from Asia, Europe and Africa. For writing this paper, the authors utilized published sources such as journal articles, newspaper articles and web-based information published from 2013 to 2024. The article proposes that although the involvement of Bangladesh in the BRI is not absolutely free of challenges, it can serve the ultimate national interest through greater connectivity with other countries, increased volume of trade and economic activities and socio-cultural exchange. Although, as the originator and major contributor of the BRI, China will be the principal benefiter, other partner countries can also attain considerable benefits out of this historical mega scheme through the application of appropriate vision and strategic implementation. This paper has highlighted those benefits/opportunities and challenges for Bangladesh that can be beneficial for upcoming research projects particularity aimed at development studies, political economy and international relations. On the other hand, based on the arguments made on this paper, policymakers and businessmen can formulate their best policies as well as trading strategies with mutual benefits for all the stakeholders involved.