Housing Policy in the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union has faced a massive housing problem since its creation in 1917. A shortage of housing existed before the 1917 Revolution but the shortage in the cities has been exacerbated by rapid urbanisation of the population and by the destruction of 30 per cent of the housing stock during World War 2. Although significant improvements have been made in the sense that proportionately fewer households now share accommodation and the average space standard has risen, it nonetheless seems apposite to recognise that seventy-three years after the Revolution and forty-five years after World War 2 current housing problems are the result of policy choices or the failure of policy. That is, it does not seem appropriate to continue to locate the causes of current problems in the pre-revolutionary situation or the catastrophe of World War 2.     

Industrial relatedness and regional resilience in the European Union

The 2008 Great Recession prompted interest in the concept of regional resilience. This paper discusses and empirically investigates the relationship between industrial relatedness and economic resilience across European Union regions over the 2008–2012 crisis period. The analysis focuses on two types of industrial relatedness: technological and vertical (i.e., market-based). The empirical analysis is performed on a sample of 209 NUTS 2 regions in 16 countries. Our results highlight a positive effect of technological relatedness on the probability of resilience in the very short run (i.e., the 2008–2009 period), while the negative effect of vertical relatedness seems to persist for longer.     

Regional economic dynamics and convergence in the European Union

This paper uses an alternative approach to convergence analysis, which, in our opinion, is richer than those traditionally proposed. We believe that the evolution of the whole regional distribution is what matters, not that of an average or representative economy, implicit in the or convergence concepts. Moreover, when analyzing inequality among regional economies, geographic space acquires a preeminent role. We therefore apply spatial association tests recently developed in the spatial econometrics literature and relate them to convergence analysis. Specifically, we apply this methodology to the analysis of regional dynamics and convergence in the European Union (EU). In this context, the progress made in the integration process has highlighted the question of economic disparities at regional level. The process of convergence came to an end in the late seventies, coinciding with major changes in economic activity. This paper shows how these factors appear to have provoked a regionally differentiated response which, though significant, did not, in all likelihood, exacerbate the decrease in regional inequalities.     

欧洲老年住宅浅析

本文将2000年以来的部分欧洲老年住宅,分为独立式、板式、散布式三大类型,并从总体布局、平面功能、建筑造型三个方面进行分析,试归纳近年来欧洲老年住宅的设计特点与方法.     

欧盟及其成员国的空间发展规划:现状和未来

欧盟成员国的空间发展规划体系各有特点.随着欧盟的一体化进程,欧盟各国空间发展规划的整合化已经提到议事日程.本文首先概述欧盟各国空间发展规划的基本特征,接着讨论它们在经济、社会、体制和环境等方面所面临的共同议题和演变趋势,最后介绍欧盟各国空间发展规划的整合化前景.     

欧盟及其成员国的空间发展规划：现状和未来

欧盟成员国的空间发展规划体系各有特点。随着欧盟的一体化进程,欧盟各国空间发展规划的整合化已经提到议事日程。本文首先概述欧盟各国空间发展规划的基本特征,接着讨论它们在经济、社会、体制和环境等方面所面临的共同议题和演变趋势,最后介绍欧盟各国空间发展规划的整合化前景。     

Divorce and the Housing Movements of Owner-Occupiers: A European Comparison

Divorce usually carries a range of economic consequences for both men and women, the housing situation of the ex-partners being among the most important ones. So far, however, the housing consequences of this life event, and in particular the way these are influenced by institutional arrangements, have been somewhat of a neglected topic. This paper focuses on one aspect of this process, more specifically the impact of divorce on tenure changes of homeowners, using comparative panel data for 12 European countries. It is concluded that although divorce significantly raises the odds of experiencing a tenure change for homeowners in all countries under consideration, this process is fairly similar across European welfare states. While institutional arrangements mitigating the economic consequences of divorce for women do not seem to explain much variation between countries, cross-national differences in tenure changes for homeowners are partly influenced by social housing policies and the extent of family support.     

欧洲住宅注重内在品质

不久前,住宅建筑技术考察团对欧洲的住宅建设进行了考察。笔者作为考察团成员之一,深深感到目前中国集合住宅与欧洲发达国家的差距．主要反映在内在品质上,而内在的品质恰恰反映出一个国家的经济实力和产业现代化水平。为了说明这一问题．笔者把挪威奥斯路的一幢新建的集合住宅与国内北方地区的普通集合住宅做了详细的比较,读者从中可以看到两者的差别。     

Housing expenditure and housing policy in the West European rental sector

This contribution depicts therecent development of the housing expenditure quotefor various income groups in the social and privaterented sector in six West European countries. Thedevelopment reflects the similar policy efforts inthese countries, not only to reduce the regulatoryand subsidizing role of government but also topromote market mechanisms within the housing system.The analysis shows a recent rise in the gross aswell as the net rent quote in both rental sectors ofthe six countries. The one exception is the privaterented sector in Belgium. Despite the application ofhousing allowances, the lower-income groups have hadthe biggest increase in net rent quote. In addition,all six countries have recently seen an increase inthe concentration of low-income groups in the socialrented sector, where their presence was alreadystrong. If this trend persists, it will affect theposition of the social rented sector, the sociallandlords, but especially the low-income groups inboth the private and the social rented sector.     

The geography of social capital and innovation in the European Union

This paper assesses the role of the associational activity dimension of social capital in regional innovation for 257 EU 28 regions in the pre-crisis (2000–2007) and the crisis (2008–2012) period. The analysis is carried out using flexible non-parametric kernel regressions, which allow for exploring heterogeneity across space and over time. The results show that effects widely differ across regions, but no differences are found between periods. In particular, the largest effects are found for less developed and transition regions from the periphery. In contrast, for most of the developed regions in the core of Europe the impact is non-significant. These results might be useful for policy design in the H2020 framework.     

Evolving regulation for media freedom and pluralism in the European Union

European regulation of the media is limited to audio–visual media services and is influenced by the economic regulation of electronic communications, and of e-commerce, that have a close scope of application. However, media regulation has one peculiar differentiating characteristic: it cannot concentrate only on market competition, as the rest of modern economic regulation does, but has to pursue other fundamental values. In particular, media pluralism and media freedom emerge as policy goals that are essential for democracy and human rights in Europe. In this paper, we discuss the EU's search for a point of equilibrium within resistance from member states to relinquishing power in the sector; we describe the current debate, and suggest some possible directions for development.     

Sewage Sludge Production, Treatment and Disposal in the European Union

Sludge production and disposal are entering a period of dramatic change, driven mainly by EC legislation. The urban waste water treatment Directive will result in at least 50% more sludge being produced by the end of 2005 and, during the next decade, sludge disposal to all the established outlets could become increasingly difficult or, in the case of sea disposal, will become illegal. The challenge facing the members of the European Union is how to (a) maintain cost-effective and secure methods of sludge disposal and (b) engender public confidence in all disposal and recycling options. What is required is not so much innovative technology, although this may be essential, but more innovative attitudes and approaches to promotion and defending existing outlets.
This paper describes the likely pattern of sludge production, treatment and disposal which will emerge during the implementation of recent EC directives and other national policies in Europe, and focuses on the areas and issues which require innovative approaches.     

欧盟平板玻璃工业概览

1欧盟平板玻璃工业概况欧盟是世界第二大平板玻璃生产区。近年来欧盟玻璃生产总体上保持平稳,2005年总产量为3260万吨,基本与上年持平。玻璃瓶罐和平板玻璃是两     

PCP in the freshwater and marine environment of the European Union.

This study collates monitoring data principally from 1991 to 1996, relating levels of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the freshwater and marine environments of the European Union (EU) Member States of Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. In general, PCP levels in the open freshwater and marine environments displayed a downward trend in these countries, and where increased PCP concentrations were observed, these were tentatively linked to specific point discharges. The monitoring data were compared against the relevant predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) for PCP in a particular environmental medium. On this basis, the study suggests that PCP does not pose a risk to the coastal, estuarine, marine waters or marine sediments of the above countries, and that any risks posed by PCP to the freshwater environment can largely be attributed to sediments contaminated with PCP from historic usage, or due to the continued use of small quantities of sodium pentachlorophenyl laurate in northern France. Further analysis of the data was not possible owing to the lack of systematic reporting by Member States, the lack of information on usage quantities and patterns, and inconsistent environmental surveillance and reporting of environmental data. This is particularly relevant for south-west France, Portugal and north-east Spain, the region which accounts for almost 90% of the EU's consumption of NaPCP. These issues need to be addressed at a pan-European level to better inform the selection of risk management measures and to improve the effectiveness of such measures.