Residential mobility of Chinese immigrants: An analysis of housing conditions and tenure structure

For a long period of time, immigrants have played an important role in the development of Hong Kong. With an influx of over 50,000 immigrants from mainland China on a yearly basis, this is truer than ever in Hong Kong. The behavior of these immigrants is a worthwhile topic for researcher. This study focuses on various aspects of housing, ranging from the tenure choices and housing conditions to the residential mobility of new Chinese immigrants in Hong Kong. Thus far, the literature has rarely explored situations that arise when immigrants have the same racial background as the people in the host cities. This research is intended to fill this gap in knowledge. Our findings reveal that Chinese immigrant households tend to start off overwhelmingly as private renters in the housing market. They also tend to live in inferior housing. However, as the duration of their residence in Hong Kong lengthens, the types of tenure become more diverse and the quality of their housing improves, indicating an upward mobility in terms of housing conditions.     

How consumers value healthy houses: a preliminary segmentation of Canadian households

As part of a larger research project which examined the concept of healthy houses in Canada, this study provides a preliminary assessment of potential segments of Canadian householders based on their attitudes about two indoor environmental quality (IEQ) attributes (indoor air quality and lighting). Additionally, concerns about energy efficiency in the home are also addressed. A nationwide survey of households (n = 784) was conducted to search for indications of segments of Canadian householders that value their homes’ indoor environments and energy efficiency, thus addressing issues of consumer interest for healthier homes. Similar groups of householders were derived based on their levels of agreement with a variety of statements regarding some indoor environmental quality attributes and energy efficiency. The specific goals were: (1) to identify segments within Canada which indicate the presence of potential consumers of healthier houses on a broader scale; and (2) to characterize these groups using attitudinal and demographic variables. Segmentation in this study was conducted using a k-means cluster analysis, with the clusters being characterized using demographic and attitudinal information. Results indicated that there is indeed an identifiable segment within the Canadian housing sector for products and services associated with the healthy housing concept. Although housing and policy recommendations are not explicitly made, both private and public stakeholders in the Canadian housing sector could benefit by taking note of these findings.

Determinants of perceived insecurity in a low-income neighborhood in Accra,Ghana

ABSTRACT

This study examines perception of safety and security, factors that influence this perception and the consequences of feeling insecure within Nima, a low-income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana. The study is important because previous studies on crime and insecurity in urban areas in Ghana have concentrated on inter-urban analysis, with limited attention given to the safety and security dynamics within a particular neighborhood. Our study thus provides an insider perspective on security and safety issues in the Nima neighborhood. A mixed-methods approach was used in both the data collection and analysis of the results. The study found that a majority of the respondents perceived Nima to be safe, which is contrary to outsiders’ perception and media reports about the neighborhood. For those who had some safety concerns, it was revealed that their safety concerns were largely accounted for by neighborhood-level factors such as availability of street lights and social cohesion and these contributed to behavioral and psychological reactions to feelings of insecurity among some respondents. We argue that addressing safety concerns of individuals will be more effective if broader structural issues are addressed in the neighborhood.     

Impact of land use on urban mobility patterns, emissions and air quality in a Portuguese medium-sized city

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of urban development trends in mobility patterns of a medium sized Portuguese city and air quality consequences, using a sequential modeling process, comprising i) land use and transportation, TRANUS model; ii) road traffic air pollutants emissions, TREM model and; iii) air quality, TAPM model. This integrated methodology was applied to a medium sized Portuguese city. In order to evaluate the implementation of the methodology, a preliminary study was performed, which consisted on the comparison of modeled mobility patterns and CO and PM₁₀ concentrations with measured data used in the definition of the current scenario. The comparison between modeled and monitored mobility patterns at the morning peak hour for a weekday showed an RMSE of 31%. Regarding CO concentrations, an underestimation of the modeled results was observed. Nevertheless, the modeled PM₁₀ concentrations were consistent with the monitored data. Overall, the results showed a reasonable consistency of the modeled data, which allowed the use of the integrated modeling system for the study scenarios.The future scenarios consisted on the definition of different mobility patterns and vehicle technology characteristics, according to two main developing trends: (1) “car pooling” scenario, which imposes a mean occupancy rate of 3 passengers by vehicle and (2) the “Euro 6” scenario, which establishes that all vehicles accomplish at least the Euro 6 standard technology. Reductions of 54% and 83% for CO, 44% and 95% for PM₁₀, 44% and 87% for VOC and 44% and 79% for NO_x emissions were observed in scenarios 1 and 2, respectively. Concerning air quality, a reduction of about 100 μg m⁻³ of CO annual average concentration was observed in both scenarios. The results of PM₁₀ annual concentrations showed a reduction of 1.35 μg m⁻³ and 2.7 μg m⁻³ for scenarios 1 and 2 respectively.     

住区室外风环境模拟分析及优化设计——以济南市某小区为例

针对近期研究的建筑物理环境内容,对济南市某住宅小区的规划设计,运用流体力学软件PHOENICS进行模拟分析。结合绿色建筑相关技术标准对小区风环境进行分析评价,并对原设计中风环境所存在的问题进行改进和优化,给小区规划设计提供一定的技术参考。     

又见傣楼入画来——西双版纳景洪市禹景花园小区设计心得

通过对景洪市新建禹景花园小区相关设计内容加以介绍和反思,该文从规划设计、建筑设计及其环境设计三个方面详细介绍了基于当地场所特征与文脉精神所进行的项目规划设计在对探索民族地区地域性住区建筑所进行的相关尝试,以期能为后继开展相关建设与研究工作提供方法策略与实例支持。     

街区“大开放”+住区“中防控”+组团“小隔离”——“平疫”结合模式下的城市住区三级空间防控体系构建与转换

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情的全国性扩散,极大地危害了公众健康与生命安全,国家开始逐步提升与完善对突发公共卫生事件的应急处理能力。城市防灾防疫作为城市规划建设的一个重要因子,需要有意识地超前考虑与安排。文章从居住空间组织乃至空间转换的维度,从城市空间基本单元-住区入手,探索性构建以"大开放"街区、"中防控"住区、"小隔离"组团为核心的城市住区三级空间防控体系,在开放与封闭之间寻求一种动态平衡,在服务职能与防控角色之间快速转换,来应对"平疫"时期的不同需求,充分利用互联网、物联网与大数据等信息化技术,推进智慧平台、物资保障平台的建设,多方位提升应对突发公共卫生事件的能力。     

水与城市——以杭州城西水街为例,探讨商住区的河道处理

该文从空间入手,以杭州城西水街为例,研究了水与城市有机结合的方法和必要性,阐明其中所蕴含的文化沉积和历史底蕴是值得我们去感悟的。     

社区交往空间影响因素:深圳市熙园住宅小区实例

社区交往空间对社区和谐至关重要,通过对熙园住宅小区交往空间使用状况进行调查,发现社会、经济环境、空间设计、传统文化观念、公共政策等因素对社区交往有关键影响作用,阐明社区建设过程中应重视邻里交往,政府应建立相关机制激励设计师关注居民需求.     

Gentrification in a Residential Mobility Framework: Social Change,Tenure Change and Chains of Moves in Stockholm

Studies of the impacts of gentrification have traditionally taken a relatively narrow view, focusing on the gentrifiers who move in and those who they displace. This paper seeks to apply the broader framework of residential mobility, using the vacancy chain concept to examine the knock-on implications across the entire housing market. Taking the case study of Stockholm, it is shown that tenure conversions from rental to co-operative ownership are of limited direct significance for gentrification. However, the indirect effects of this process, through the linked chains of household moves initiated, serve to reinforce other gentrification mechanisms operating within the rental sector, such as allocation mechanisms for rental housing. Therefore, the impacts of gentrification can be significantly underestimated if the wider effects on the housing market are ignored. It is suggested that this residential mobility approach is particularly important if the displacement effects of gentrification and the plight of any losers are to be fully appreciated.     

Congestion pricing: the political viability of a neoliberal spatial mobility proposal in London,Stockholm, and New York City

This article examines the debates and contradictions that surrounded the promotion of congestion pricing proposals in London, Stockholm, and New York City. On the one hand, congestion pricing is a neoliberal urban proposal that seeks to reduce motor traffic in a cordoned area by pricing out certain drivers. On the other hand, the political authorities believe that the success of congestion pricing proposals depends on the degree of redistributive elements regarding spatial mobility that are built into them. Redistribution in the form of improved mass transit provision was proposed in all three cities and was implemented in Stockholm and London. The problem with this political gesture is that neoliberals are lukewarm to redistributive politics and consider spatial mobility to be a matter of capacity and not a right. This means that neoliberal political parties because of their skepticism of redistributive politics, have more difficulties in imposing congestion pricing schemes than Left Parties. The congestion pricing proposal of the New York City failed because it was proposed by a neoliberal city administration without a credible redistributive spatial mobility plan.     

Evaluation of distribution, mobility and binding behaviour of heavy metals in surficial sediments of Louro River (Galicia, Spain) using chemometric analysis: a case study

Contents of total and extractable heavy metals, carbonates, MnO and Fe₂O₃, organic matter, and matrix components such as SiO₂, Al₂O₃, CaO, Na₂O, MgO, TiO₂, K₂O and P₂O₅ are used along with principal component analysis (PCA) for studying distribution, mobility and binding behaviour of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb in the Louro River (Galicia, Spain). Eleven surficial sediment samples were taken along the beds of the river course. Total metal concentrations were obtained after microwave-assisted digestion whilst extractable metal contents were obtained following a three-stage sequential extraction scheme (i.e. soluble, reducible and oxidisable fractions). Loading plots of heavy metals bound to carbonates, Fe–Mn oxides, organic matter and aluminosilicates allowed determination of binding behaviour. Correlations found indicate that Pb and Cu are mainly discharged from urban wastes, whereas Cr and Ni are from electroplating and galvanizing industries. The occurrence of diffuse pollution sources along the river can account for the binding behaviour of Cd. Metal mobility decreased in the order: Cd>Pb>Cu>Ni>Cr. Despite total contents indicating moderate-to-high heavy metal pollution in this river, metals are mostly distributed in the residual fraction, hence showing a low risk of mobility.