Role of urban greenway systems in planning residential communities: a case study from Egypt

Greenways have long played a significant role in the development of urban and sub-urban areas. They help mitigate the loss of “natural” space, often have scenic qualities, provide for recreation, education, a sense of well-being, and preservation of the natural habitat. This article explores the concept, history and development of urban greenways. The article illustrates the concept of linked parks and urban greenways in structuring urban and sub-urban developments while suggesting a methodological blueprint for their implementation in the planning process. A case study of a sub-urban development west of the city of Cairo, Egypt is presented to demonstrate the role of urban greenway systems in planning residential communities. An in-depth investigation of the planning process, context, approach, and development concept is followed by an overview of the rationale and significance of the method. The objective of this article is thus two-fold. First, to illustrate the concept of urban greenway systems in structuring communities; and second, to suggest a model for the integration and proper application of the concept of linked parks and urban greenway systems in planning residential communities. In conclusion, the article identifies a step-by-step procedure for integrating natural, recreational and cultural greenways and corridors in planning future residential developments.     

Strategic policy analysis for infrastructure rehabilitation using system dynamics

Recent requirements for sustainable development and increasing trend for public–private partnerships (PPPs) have added additional complexities to the policy-making process in the infrastructure management domain. To support policy analysis, this paper presents a system dynamics (SD) model to analyse the impact of different strategic policies (e.g. budgeting, PPP involvement) on infrastructure serviceability, backlog accumulation and sustainability. The proposed model has been implemented on a network of school buildings from the Toronto District School Board asset inventory. Four sets of experiments with different policy scenarios over a 50-year strategic planning horizon have been conducted to investigate policies related to rehabilitation, budget distribution, government investment and PPP involvement. The proposed model was implemented on a commercial SD software incorporating all the dynamic interactions among the strategic parameters. The experiment results show that the model works as a practical decision support tool that enables asset managers to test the effectiveness of various strategic policy scenarios on long-term infrastructure performance.     

Reinforcing relationships for resilience – by embedding end-user ‘people’ in public–private partnerships

Public–private partnerships (PPPs) target overall benefits from mobilising private resources in delivering public infrastructure. Their longer time spans generate higher risks, hence the greater need for resilience in PPPs, compared to traditional procurement. PPP infrastructure outcomes should include both sustainable and resilient built infrastructure, as well as reliable and resilient service delivery. The public–private cross-sectoral relationships can be significant contributors to resilience. Previous research findings show that public–private relationships are still predominantly formal in PPPs. However, appropriate informal relationships can foster mutual trust and better teamworking that trigger self-adjustment mechanisms to overcome adversities and enhance resilience. Integrating relevant ‘people’ into PPPs to establish a public–private–people partnership (4P) is proposed to reinforce formal–informal relationships, while enhancing relevant ‘social infrastructure’, which could then lead to more resilient and better ‘value for money’ built infrastructure. Findings from another recent study demonstrate the value of 4P in pre-disaster planning. 4P also helps to develop resilient ‘social infrastructure’ for post-disaster reconstruction of sustainable built infrastructure. Conceptual diagrams are developed to summarise how the 4th P could reinforce public–private relationships and inject resilience into a potentially unstable PPP system.     

Large-scale public venue development and the application of Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs)

Large-scale venues for exhibitions and events are important public infrastructure. Developing venues have captured much of governments' attention due to the potential benefits the industry would bring to the community. However, venue development requires considerable capital and operating costs, unique standards of design and complicated operational issues. Public–Private Partnerships were introduced by governments as innovative delivery models to bring forward venue projects. This paper presents comparative case studies of two PPP venue projects in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and New Zealand aiming to investigate key challenges for using PPPs in venue development and propose strategies to address the problems and assist future planning and organization for venue PPPs. The research shows that for a successful venue PPP, the following are critical features: (1) sound business case development; (2) streamlined financial arrangements; (3) robust tendering; (4) effective governance structure and partnership-based consortium; and (5) realistic risk allocation.     

Value for Money and Risk in Public–Private Partnerships

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Delivering improved public services at lower cost, also known formally as value for money (VfM), is often the main rationale for procuring large infrastructure projects through public–private partnerships (PPPs). However, it is unclear whether the ex ante assessments of PPPs account for key planning concerns, including limitations on community consultation, contractual lock-ins that curtail public flexibility to make future plans, and a political preference for PPPs that may influence the way that projects are structured and evaluated. This set of questions is examined for 28 infrastructure PPPs delivered in Ontario, Canada, and interviews with18 senior political, government, and private-sector participants in the province's PPP industry. We find that transferring of construction risks from government to the private-sector partners drives VfM results, and may overvalue the extent to which planning related risks can be transferred.

Takeaway for practice: PPP contract structures should permit more transparency during the project planning process and preserve the flexibility of governments to control key planning tasks such as user fees, service coordination and facility expansion. Strategies might include: the unbundling of construction and operation phases of the PPP in all but the most unique situations, the use of competitive dialogue tendering to deepen public–private collaboration earlier in the planning process, and the inclusion of contract rebalancing terms to better share rather than transfer project risks.

Research support: This research was funded through a Standard Research Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Application Number: 110998).     

PPP模式立法规制及其在我国的应用研究

作为基础设施建设与运营的新型模式,PPP模式在中国的应用得到了普遍的关注,其立法问题是PPP模式真正得以推广的关键所在。本文从研究各国的相关立法规制、立法体系和法律文本等入手,对照我国实际应用PPP模式的状况,分析我国立法中存在的问题,并对相关立法模式和授权方法提出建议,以期对我国应用PPP模式提供合理的建议。     

Changing urban housing form and organization in Nigeria: lessons for community planning

There has been very little research interest in historically changing patterns of urban housing form and organization and the quality of life experienced by ordinary people in designed settings. This is despite the arguments of humanistic geographers and contemporary environmental psychologists that the behavioural and socio‐cultural aspects of built form imbue environments with meanings and help to create a sense of place. This paper focuses on the development of housing forms in Nigerian cities, including the cultural motifs and the economic circumstances that have shaped their evolution over time. The analysis of pre‐colonial traditional housing forms at the core of cities is presented first followed by an appraisal of newer developments at the suburbs that were stimulated by colonial and post‐colonial market‐driven economies. Drawing on the divergent examples of the transition from traditional to modern urban housing forms, the paper reveals that social changes, particularly the shift from traditional communal family values to more Western ways of life, have had variegated impacts on building forms and residential layouts. One of these is inhabitants’ alienation from the urban environment and the seeming identification with home places of origin outside the city. The paper argues that while this situation poses a major challenge to urban planning in post‐colonial Nigeria, professional planning practice seems to have demonstrated little interest in what people think or feel about places. Ways in which new housing forms may be organized and incorporated into future programmes of urban development to promote communal belonging to Nigerian cities are articulated.     

The influence of governance on the implementation of Public-Private Partnerships in the United Kingdom and China: A systematic comparison

Although Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have been widely implemented in a number of countries, their development and governance contexts are different. This research investigates PPPs through the lens of governmentality and develops a systematic and innovative analytical framework to evaluate and compare the PPP governance in China and the United Kingdom. Based on the findings, a conceptual model is proposed to illustrate the conducting of PPP governance, by the governments involved. The research contributes to the literature on the governance of PPP by providing a clear framework and an assessment tool. The result can benefit the policymakers in different countries, in assessing and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their PPP governance in practice, hence helping the decision-making of government in identifying and targeting loopholes in their PPP market.     

资金状况影响下城市住区规模的探讨——以南京市为例

基于我国城市住区开发的现实条件,探讨了房地产开发企业资金规模及房地产开发成本双重作用下,城市住区土地开发规模的大小,同时结合南京市土地交易市场成交土地面积的数据分析,指出城市住区土地开发具有分散度大、开发面积小的特征,因此,未来我国应加强小规模、开放住区规划理论的建立和研究。     

A scenario-based approach to assess Ho Chi Minh City’s urban development strategies against the impact of climate change

This paper presents an approach to quantifying current and future city-wide flood risks to Ho Chi Minh City. Here urban planning scenarios linking urban development and climate change explore the main driving forces of future risk. According to the redefined role of urban environmental planning in times of climate change, spatial planning needs to go beyond traditional planning approaches to bring together, draw upon and integrate individual policies for urban adaptation strategies for land-use planning. Our initial research results highlight that the spatiotemporal processes of urban development, together with climate change, are the central driving forces for climate-related impacts. The influence of planned urban developments to the year 2025 on future flood risk is seen to be significantly greater than that of projected sea-level rise to the year 2100. These results aid local decision making in an effort to better understand the nature of future climate change risks to the city and to identify the main driver of urban exposure.     

Closing capability gaps for procuring infrastructure public-private partnerships: A case study in China

This paper explores how public sector owners (PSOs) close capability gaps between existing capabilities and required capabilities when first entering into infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). Drawing on the dynamic capabilities view and research on owner project capabilities, the paper presents an exploratory in-depth case study of a state-owned enterprise in China, as it was in the process of initiating PPP metro line projects for the first time. The findings show that PSOs closed capability gaps by obtaining owner strategic, commercial and governance capabilities at the initial phase of PPP procurement. This process was undertaken through a combination of acquiring capabilities externally and developing capabilities internally. The study contributes to the literesture on capability development and sheds light on the conditions when and where internal capability development and external capability acquisition are integrated to close capability gaps for procuring infrastructure PPPs.     

浅谈城市居住区声环境

居住区作为人们日常生活、健身、休息的主要场所,其环境的优劣直接关系到我们的生活质量.然而,如今的城市居住区严重受到城市噪声的影响.解决城市噪声问题是我们每个市民的迫切愿望.作为城市规划师和建筑设计师,在设计的初步阶段就应该运用设计手段,结合地形、地貌以及用地情况,从城市的规划、城市的交通布置、居住区的总平面规划、建筑组团的组织以及建筑单体的设计着手,采取必要的措施,在设计中改善居住区的声环境.从而为居住者提供舒适的生活环境,为建设生态住宅、生态小区、生态城市作出贡献.     

俄罗斯专家眼中的莫斯科市2010—2025年城市总体规划

《莫斯科市城市总体规划（2010—2025年）》以构建有利于人类生命活动的可持续发展城市环境空间为主题,旨在为城市居民提供更优越的社会城市空间保障。其规划指导思想包括：生态保育、城市安全、保护文化和自然遗产、建设社会意义重大的民生工程、保障城市交通系统发挥正常功能等。本文从莫斯科市的城市发展道路、城市建设格局、社会基础设施建设、交通网规划、历史文化和生态环境保护等方面,剖析在经济增长和制度转型的过程中莫斯科市作为首都城市的总体规划,比较新版城市总体规划与历版总体规划的继承关系与进步之处,并通过俄罗斯建筑与城市规划专家提出的观点,较为全面和深入地了解莫斯科市未来城市发展计划。     

Why contracts fail: a game theoretic approach to managing urban water

In developing countries, urban water is often provided by public private partnership (PPP). However, PPPs remain highly contentious, with many contracts renegotiated or stalled. Prima facie, this stems from issues in the French model of contract design between two parties – the government and the private operator. Critics point out that in reality, the PPP is a tri-party exchange of promises, services and fees linking the interests of the private operator, the government and the people. We propose a game theoretic analysis comparing a two-party contracting model with a tri-party one, which is tested against a real-world experiment in the water utilities in Manila and Jakarta. Paradoxically, we ?nd that a tri-party contracting model, though analytically more faithful in separating the interest of the government from the consumers’ leads to sub-optimal outcomes. In practical terms, we ?nd that an independent regulator may not generate better outcomes.     

城市轨道交通影响范围及服务价值研究

为了提高城市轨道交通公共服务价值,研究合理的轨道交通发展规划对城市发展结构转变的作用,计算了大连市轨道交通影响范围,选取大连市公共服务设施及近期交易居住物业,计算可达性指标,建立特征价格模型,分析公共设施的社会服务价值。通过设计模型的计算方法,研究城市轨道交通服务价值变化过程。结果得出合理的城市规划将极大提高城市轨道交通的公共服务价值,从而提高轨道交通对居住物业价值即对沿线土地的资本化率的影响。     

可持续发展的居住区规划

通过对可持续发展的居住区规划的分析，结合我国城市建设和规划的实际特点，对可持续发展居住区规划的内涵、理念及方法进行了探讨，以实现居住区的可持续发展，充分反映了可持续发展居住区的社会系统和生态系统内涵。     

Bedrock resources and their use in Helsinki

Finland's geology lends itself to development of underground space, and Helsinki has used its subsurface for an increasing variety of purposes. In the Finnish capital city, several city planning offices—including the Geotechnical Department, the Building Supervision Office, and the City Planning Department—are involved in the process of subsurface space development. The paper provides an overview of current and possible future uses of Helsinki's bedrock resource, and describes the Rock Engineering 2000 Technology Programme now underway.     

对小区规划模式可持续性的思考

为改善城市规划方法和规划体系,回顾邻里单位概念基本原则,探讨当今城市发展新特性和小区规划模式面临的困境,考察小区规划模式实施效果.认为小区规划模式对我国城市规划体系产生了全面深刻的影响,以小区规划为基础的规划体系,约束了以可持续发展为目标的城市规划创新,其基本价值目标的实施效果呈现低效趋势.建议改进城市规划体系,建立以可持续发展的为目标导向的、适应城市发展新特性和趋势的城市规划体系,使之具有更强的开放性、适应性.     

Root causes of conflict and conflict resolution mechanisms in public-private partnerships: Comparative study between Ghana and China

Conflict is inevitable in public-private partnership (PPP) due to the long-term agreement and multiplicity of stakeholders with varying beliefs and interests. However, a thorough understanding of the root causes of conflict beforehand helps to minimize conflict occurrence, thereby ensuring a smooth PPP process. This paper aims to explore and evaluate the root causes of conflicts in PPPs through a comparative study between Ghana and China. Further, the most suitable conflict resolution mechanisms are explored from the Ghanaian and Chinese perspectives. Results show that causes of conflict ranked higher in Ghana directly relate to poor governance and contract arrangement, whereas causes related to poor risk management and communication are ranked higher in China. Further, arbitration and negotiation are the most suitable conflict resolution mechanisms for PPPs in Ghana and China respectively. The outputs of this study inform international private investors interested in PPPs in Africa and China of the possible sources of disputes and resolution mechanisms in PPPs. This will enable international investors to develop strategic measures before entering into the PPP markets of both regions.     

新制度主义视角的开发控制研究——基于“结构-参与者”模型的住宅开发指标调整影响因素分析

我国已建立以颁发"两证一书"为主要内容的开发控制体系,既往研究指出现有开发控制体系存在制度约束力不足、行政人员罔置规划和随意调整规划指标等问题。但是,这些研究主要采用理论辨析、经验总结和个案分析方法,其研究结果是否能够反映现有开发控制体系的整体运行效果仍值得质疑。本文以制度主义"结构—参与者"模型为基本分析框架,以北京市朝阳区住宅开发项目为例,通过定量分析得出现有开发控制体系中,房地产开发企业所拥有的政治和经济资源会影响其获取住宅用地的开发权,但对开发过程中规划指标调整的作用并不明显,与住宅项目"两证一书"审批过程确定性相关的主要因素为土地出让方式、单位面积土地出让金和颁发项目选址意见书与用地规划许可证的间隔时间。