Sustainable Urban Development Issues in Chinese Transitional Cities: Hong Kong and Shenzhen

Post-colonial capitalist Hong Kong and rapidly developing Shenzhen in China's socialist market economy have both adopted a pro-growth strategy to cope with challenges imposed by a globalizing economy. This development philosophy has exerted tremendous pressure on both cities, pushing them further away from the path of sustainable urban development. Despite the policy rhetoric of pursuing sustainable development, both city governments have refrained from identifying and analysing sustainable urban development issues. While the top-down elite-dominated polities in Hong Kong and Shenzhen are working hard to attain world city status, both cities lack a sustainable development strategy. Without a critical rethink of the growth-first mentality, sustainability principles such as an ethical utilization of natural resources and aspirations for intra- and inter-generational equity are not put on the policy agenda. Despite recent efforts to clean up the environment, it is uncertain how these two growing cities will proceed as the global economy itself is starting to capitalize on sustainability efforts to further capital accumulation.     

The search for the most eco-efficient strategies for sustainable housing construction; Dutch lessons

Although sustainability plays anincreasingly important role in common buildingpractice, there is very little known about theenvironmental benefits of sustainable housingconstruction. This paper presents a frameworkfor the search for the most eco-efficientstrategies for sustainable housing constructionand discusses the environmental benefits ofDutch sustainable housing construction. Twoquestions are answered: which goals regardingthe environmental benefits of Dutch sustainablehousing construction are currently feasible andwhat are the most eco-efficient strategies tofurther improve the environmental performanceof housing? Environmental benefits arecalculated by means of sets of measurescomposed by confronting priorities forreduction of the environmental impacts ofhouses with seven strategies for sustainablehousing construction. For the calculationsEco-Quantum is used. A traditionally builtterraced house is used as a reference point. Itturns out that goals such as `Factor 4' or`Factor 20' are still far from being achievedand that the prolongation of life spans andimprovement of reusability are the mosteco-efficient strategies. However, otherstrategies also need to be applied, becausethese two strategies carry large uncertainties.Sustainable housing construction may not beenough in itself to meet very high targets.Reflection on our way of living is alsorequired.     

Environmental Sustainability of Hong Kong's Housing System and the Housing Process Model

A preliminary assessment of the overall environmental sustainability of the existing housing system of Hong Kong is given, and the usefulness of M. Bhatti's building life-cycle model in developing a policy for sustainable housing development is assessed. While it is found that housing development in this highly compact city may not be ecologically sustainable, high-density living does enable some environment-friendly practices. The life-cycle model is instrumental in estimating the overall greenness of the housing processes, and prompts the need for formulating a sustainable housing policy. However, the model itself does not provide a framework for developing such a policy.     

浅析国内外绿色建筑的政策与法规

建筑领域一直都是环境、能源方面的问题户,建筑能耗大、环境污染严重和可持续发展战略之间的矛盾也越来越激烈。在此背景下,我国绿色建筑水平相对比较薄弱,究其原因,关键在于绿色建筑相关政策法规的缺失。对发达国家的相关绿色建筑推动政策法规和我国相关绿色建筑政策法规进行综述,采用对比分析法对我国现行政策分别从强制性政策、激励性政策两方面分析,寻找我国绿色建筑发展过程中的政策问题,希望为今后中国绿色建筑相关政策的修改与拟定提供帮助。     

Action for sustainability: preparing an African plan for sustainable building and construction

Sustainable development, and by extension sustainable building, is an evolving concept that relies for its implementation on the development of regional and local approaches and solutions. There is, in particular, a split between the definitions, approaches and priorities in developed and developing countries. Subsequently, a process for creating an international agenda for sustainable building is needed to recognize these regional and local differences. Part of this process is the development of regional action plans for sustainable building and construction at a number of regional sustainable building conferences. The key elements of an action plan for Africa, based on a discussion session at the SB04 Africa Conference, are considered and placed within the African context and the larger international issues. The key issue is the establishment of a solid knowledge foundation for Africa that will equip the public, professionals, development agencies and governments with accurate and relevant knowledge generated within the framework of the continent's social needs, its cultures and its biophysical environment to guide their decisions and actions towards establishing a sustainable built environment.     

Assessing the Delivery of Sustainable Residential Development

Achieving sustainable development of new dwellings in growing cities is a major challenge for urban managers. This paper presents and demonstrates a quantitative methodology for assessing the sustainability of urban residential development by directly comparing household demand and dwelling supply. Sustainability is an international concern because of the rapid urbanization that is a feature of our times, and it is increasingly reflected in the metropolitan planning strategies that inform the practices of urban managers. In societies with rhetorical support for sustainability but a reluctance to embrace the practical repercussions, the method promotes evidence-based analysis and a transparent approach to help determine whether specific sustainability objectives are being achieved. The approach is to review the demographic structure, urban governance and strategic planning framework contextualizing residential development before measuring and comparing demand and supply and assessing the implications of any mismatch between development outcomes and strategic objectives. Summary findings from an application of the method to a case study in Melbourne show that the city's residential development remains largely fixed in a pattern established in the nineteenth century, and that neither the demographic basis of household demand nor policy frameworks seem to have effectively influenced recent development outcomes. A range of implications for social, economic and environmental sustainability are identified before possible causes of the failure to implement policy are identified and potential resolutions suggested.     

The long-run estimation role of industrial parks on the level of sustainability in Iran and Turkey

The literature on the development of industrial parks has often been neglected by the role of sustainability criteria for long-term prediction. The current study aimed to evaluate the relationship between industrial park development and sustainability levels in Iran and Turkey from 1980 to 2019. Although many researchers have investigated the link between them in different geographical locations, there is no clear picture of the relationship as the results overall are contradictory. An autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model bounds testing panel data method with structural fractures was used to analyze the annual selected data to determine whether the development of industrial parks in Iran and Turkey has been successful. The ARDL model is special in that it incorporates sustainability criteria by role of industrial “parks”. The reasoning behind including this explanatory variable is to determine whether countries with industrial parks are more sustainable and to identify future development challenges. Theory suggests that developing industrial parks will eventually strengthen sustainability regulations and policy implementations based on environmental and economic issues.     

Construction business system in China: an institutional transformation perspective

During the transformational period from a planned economic system to a market-oriented one, China's construction business system is in an intermediate stage of development. The developing business system has played an increasingly important part in regulating the relations between various actors in the building sector, but the disordered situation in the construction market has fully revealed the shortcomings of the system. Using international experience and practice for reference, China is making efforts to promote the construction business system with Chinese characteristics. The institutional change involves reforms in legislation, property rights, price mechanism and the investment system. The crucial issue lies in deregulation, but this is difficult to realize for a government-led reform. Only if government's control and intervention are decreased enough can the construction market and related professional bodies play their proper roles so that the development platform of China's construction industry can be gradually perfected.     

Sustainability in the construction industry: A review of recent developments based on LCA

This review brings together research on life cycle assessment (LCA) applied within the building sector. More than ever, the construction industry is concerned with improving the social, economic and environmental indicators of sustainability. By applying LCA it is possible to optimise these aspects, from the extraction of raw materials to the final disposal of waste building materials. Firstly, this review details LCA concepts and focuses on the LCA methodology and tools employed in the built environment. Secondly, this paper outlines and discusses the differences between the LCA of building materials and components combinations versus the LCA of the full building life cycle. Finally, this work can be used by stakeholders as an important reference on LCA including up to date literature on approaches and methodologies to preserve the environment and therefore achieve sustainable development in both developed and developing countries.The present review has tried to compile and reflect the key milestones accomplished in LCA over the last 7 years, from 2000 to 2007 within the building sector. In summary, it can be stated that the application of LCA is fundamental to sustainability and improvement in building and construction. For industrial activities, SMEs must understand the application of LCA, not only to meet consumer demands for environmentally friendly products, but also to increase the productivity and competitiveness of the green construction markets. For this reason, this review looks at LCA because of its broad international acceptance as a means to improve environmental processes and services, and also for creating goals to prevent adverse environmental impacts, consequently enhancing quality of life and allowing people to live in a healthy environment.     

乡村规划:管理乡村变化的挑战

首先从经济、社会和环境方面,分析了现阶段中国主要的乡村变化与乡村问题,及其对乡村规划的挑战;然后解析了二战后发达国家的乡村演变过程,以及乡村规划在理念、目标和手段上的响应;最后系统探讨了中国乡村规划的理念、目标、内容体系及编制策略。笔者认为,现阶段乡村规划的总体价值取向仍应优先服务于经济发展,适当兼顾社会公平和环境保护;乡村规划应当转变为全域性的涵盖社会经济发展、村镇建设、土地利用和环境保护的一体化规划;乡村规划必须成为真正的参与式规划,加强部门协调、地域合作和组织联动。     

Sustainable housing and urban construction in China

In order to ensure China, a populous country, to develop in a sustainable way, it is an urgent task to disseminate the concept of sustainability and put it into practice for urban construction. However, it is impossible for China to simply copy the experiences of developed countries, since China has the higher population and building density and less availability of reusable energy per square meter floor area. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the sustainable building technologies applicable to various climate regions, economic conditions, and residential customs in China, as well as sustainable to the most occupants and owners. Based on an introduction of the current situation of the development of construction industry and the energy consumption of buildings in China, this paper analyses the requirements, characteristics, standards for sustainable housing and urban construction, and recommends series of technical approaches along with different phases of sustainable design and construction, which strengthen a good cooperation among researchers, designers and constructors of different majors including architecture, planning, building physics, building services, and so on. Moreover, some issues, which need further research and especially handling, are pointed out along with the recommendations. Finally, policy issue related with the sustainable development of urban construction in China is discussed.     

Policies and outcomes for UK sustainable schools

The 1997–2010 UK government's priorities for education and improved social equality led to the development of two major school building programmes: the Academies programme and Building Schools for the Future (BSF). Political concerns for social, economic and environmental sustainability were increasing during the same period, leading to stated new aspirations from 2004 for the schools to be ‘models of sustainable development’. The key political discourses for ‘sustainable schools’ during this era are examined. While some aspects of the initial focus on social equity were retained, there was a rapid shift in emphasis towards environmental sustainability, and specifically carbon reduction. The impacts of these shifting discourses are then considered on four school building projects, examining the technical decisions made and their intended and unintended consequences. Within the diversity and complexity of individual building projects, the paper also exposes both the changing priorities within the construction sector during this period and the impacts of some specific policy tools. The considerable interpretive flexibility in the implementation of the policies is demonstrated, along with variability in their outcomes. Built environment policy should be understood as a continuous process that shapes and reshapes what happens.     

文化景观保护的环境哲学溯源

围绕社会主义生态文明建设之核心,从形而上的环 境哲学自然价值观以及哲学伦理学、政治学、社会学视角,分 析人类中心主义与非人类中心主义的环境立场,揭示生态环境 问题背后的价值根源及环境政策产生的政治、经济、社会基 础。总结了环境哲学与自然和文化遗产保护发展的关联性及其 4个阶段,呼吁增强中国哲学主体性自觉,立足中国国情、尊 重历史文脉,建立中国特色的文化景观保护体系。     

The development of the construction legal system in China

China has been developing at an amazing speed since it carried out reform and open‐door policy in 1978. Construction industry is playing a leading role in the rapid Chinese economic development. At the same time, China has also worked hard to encourage overseas investors to expand their investment in the construction industry. With its development over the years, China has established a legal system for governing construction activities. To participate in such a major market in the world, it is important to understand the legal system governing it and the impact of China's joining the World Trade Organization. The Chinese construction laws and practice are still very different from the international norm. If foreign participants are to make a success out of doing business in China, they must understand the Chinese way of life. Particularly, they must prepare to adapt to an environment where new rules are created as circumstances and situations change.     

The sustainability cycle of historic houses and cultural memory: Controversy between historic preservation and heritage conservation

Historic preservation and heritage conservation are two mainstream concepts related to the sustainability and renewal of historic houses. With the aim of enhancing the sustainability of historic houses, this article criticizes the view of historic preservation that insists on preserving historic houses with their old appearances, which does not fully develop their sustainability. In contrast, the article provides support for the view of heritage conservation that aims to promote the sustainability of historic houses and related legislation. In the second and third parts, this article examines the theoretical origin of historic preservation, which emphasizes and summarizes the one-way protection of cultural memory via historic houses. In the fourth part, the article turns to heritage conservation, highlights the sustainable cycle between historic houses and cultural memory, and underlines the advantages of this sustainable cycle. In the fifth part, this article presents a sustainable approach to heritage conservation and related legal safeguards by taking the renewal of historic houses in China's Bagua Village (or “Eight Diagrams Village”) as an example. In the last part, this paper summarizes the theoretical value, practical value and limitations of this article. The findings can facilitate the UN's sustainable development of social inclusion, economic growth, and environmental protection to promote the heritage legislation and policy of present and future generations.     

建筑环境评估体系在中国农村地区的适应性研究

在中国的快速城市化和农村建设 发展过程中,绝大多数建筑环境评估体系只 适用于城市地区,适用于农村地区的建筑环 境评估体系还比较缺乏。本研究从农村可 持续发展理论和中国农村现状出发,对国内 外现有的具有代表性的建筑环境评估体系 进行了分析和对比,得出了目前现有的评估 体系在中国农村应用的局限性,并提出了相 应的改进策略和建议,为进一步发展适合中 国农村地区的建筑环境评估体系提供了新 的思路和方法     

国际视野下的国家风景道体系建设：美国、 德国和挪威的实践

风景道体系建设是国家旅游与交通产业融合发展的 举措，对推动区域景观服务增值、带动乡村及偏远地区可持续 发展具有重要意义。当前研究存在风景道历史不清晰、概念与 形式不明确、建设与管理经验不明朗等情况。从国际视野出 发，厘清了风景道发展脉络，并以美国、德国和挪威为例，讨 论了国际范围内风景道的概念与形式，挖掘了不同国家风景道 沿线景观的视域特征、场景特征及吸引物特征，梳理了各国风 景道质量管理的制度、景观形象的塑造与推广，总结了国家风 景道建设与管理的国际经验，为当前风景道体系建设的关键任 务提供参考。     

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES: NETWORKS LINKING DETROIT AND WINDSOR

How do international border cities interact with one another about sustainable development? Existing research suggests international networks play a role in linking cities in a global dialogue about sustainability. Within individual cities, local networks including government agencies and nongovernmental organizations also play a role in sustainability discussions. This research suggests both perspectives on networks can inform the study of how international border cities approach interaction about sustainable development. Detroit and Windsor are examined as a case study. Interviews with government officials and nongovernmental organizations in both cities illuminate how Windsor and Detroit approach sustainable development in different ways. Social network analysis is used to identify organizations bridging the border between Canada and the United States. The research offers new propositions about how networks contribute to economic, environmental, and social policy coordination in international border regions.     

LAFENTERPRISES’ ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY IN CONSTRUCTION OF RESILIENT URBAN WATER SYSTEMS IN CHINESE CITIES

This article focuses on enterprises’ role and responsibility in improving urban resilience of water environment of Chinese cities, starting with the research efforts of Beijing Enterprises Water Group in recent years, the application of water pollution remediation technologies, then to the current status, key tasks, and problems in China’s water environmental remediation, as well as how to change people’s awareness of grey water facilities and infrastructures and promote public engagement. Mao Jianhua, the interviewee, argues that it is important to understand that the regional situations vary in China, water environmental problems are complicated resultants of industrial structure, infrastructure construction, and social management; to deal with China’s water environmental issues, we shall develop phased roadmaps combining with social-economic development. He believes that a working water environmental remediation is guaranteed by grey infrastructures and is facilitated or improved by ecological infrastructures. He also emphasizes that public engagement plays a decisive role in improving the resilience and sustainability of urban water environment.