Can the application of a multi‐objective evolutionary algorithm improve conveyance estimation?

The following work explores the possibility of applying an evolutionary algorithm (NSGA‐II) to automate the calibration procedure of a quasi 2‐D numerical model. Seven rivers are examined, with discharges and flow depths ranging from 6 to 450 m³/s and 0.49 to 3.69 m, respectively. The calibration procedure is based on matching lateral distributions of depth‐mean velocity, for which data exist. The results are compared with simulations undertaken by an expert user using traditional calibration techniques. The new approach compares favourably with the expert user and is able to provide an insight into the optimum calibration parameters, from which further scientific knowledge could be developed.     

Can the periphery achieve core? The case of the automobile components industry in Spain

The paper analyses changes experienced by Spain as a European peripheral region in the automobile global value chain (GVC). Our attention is focused on both spatial concentration of value‐added and high‐skill activities, and generation of technology in the components industry. The analysis of plants set up (investments) and relocated (divestments) by multinationals (MNEs) between 2001 and 2010 shows that Spain is no longer a place for labour‐intensive activities and standardized processes using simple technologies in comparison with other peripheral regions. However, the continuing majority presence of foreign‐owned companies is limiting decision power for generating and transferring technology, concentrating it mainly in the areas in which Spanish MNEs are specialized.     

What can a bridge be? The wind and rain bridges of the Dong

Bridges are taken for granted in the modern world as utilitarian structures and if noticed at all are remarked upon mainly for the elegance of their engineering structures, but a mere couple of centuries ago many in Europe still had chapels in which prayers for a safe crossing could be said. In the Dong areas of south-west China, which remained remote until around two decades ago, the bridges are the principal monuments, elaborately roofed and decorated with shrines to various gods, built with pride and at great local cost. Our research began with the question of why so much trouble was taken over these bridges, and led on to how they were read by their users and builders, and what they were considered to mean. The consequent excursions into anthropological theory and traditional Chinese ideologies, which can only be briefly summarised in the following paper, revealed a rich and complex network of causes, fascinating in their multiplicity and interaction. The enquiry was pushed far beyond the bounds of traditional art history, engaging fundamental questions about the significance of architecture as a communicative and ritual medium in traditional oral-based cultures. At a more general level it also prompted a thought-provoking exploration of the similarities and differences between bridges metaphorical and bridges physical.     

Can weathering improve the toughness of a fractured rock? A case study using the San Giacomo granite

The physical–mechanical behaviour of the weathered San Giacomo granite, Sardinia, has been investigated using a combination of physical–mechanical tests and microstructural analysis. Fieldwork and microscopy suggest a pervasive microfracture system developed on a pre-existing magmatic quartz anisotropy. Alteration indices, chemical analyses and mineralogy indicate that the yellow staining is produced by the circulation of oxygen-rich rainwater through microfractures in the rock, resulting in the oxidation of biotites. Apart from the obvious modification of the original grey colouring, the precipitation of Fe-oxides and hydroxides has welded fractures together, leading to the partial recovery of the physical–mechanical properties previously compromised due to microfracturing.     

Towards an analytical framework based on the principles of Civic Design. The case of post-earthquake Talca,Chile 2010–2016

The principles of civic design link the physical conditions of built-up space to its social fabric. Reconstruction of cities following earthquake disasters is seen as an opportunity to revisit the components of civic design and refer it to the neighbourhood scale. This paper provides a review of the principles of civic design, later introducing the Civic Life Analytical Framework (CLAF), used to highlight the socio-spatial particularities of heavily affected intermediate cities, setting the basis for an analytical framework in the context of urban reconstruction. The case study of Talca in its post-earthquake reconstruction stage (2010–2016) delivers empirical grounds, including elements of the social and built-up environmental conditions. The use of CLAF in the northern quarter of Talca involves the observation of morphological aspects, architecture aesthetics, physical structure and dimensions of the collective (public) space, later triangulated with a structured qualitative approach, using data from twenty-two interviews. The results provide a visualization of the main perceptions of residents regarding their sense of agency, community and belonging – these being constitutive dimensions of civic life. As main findings, civic life in Talca is affected by the polarization of dwelling spaces, impacting the conditions for individuals and families to interact with their surroundings, fostering socially disjointed (public) spaces. Conclusions on the importance of exploring civic design through epistemological and methodological interests are given. This approach could also be useful for applying to other cities under similar stress situations.     

Can a landscape be a work of art?: an examination of Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe's theory of aesthetics.

The article focuses on the theory of landscape design put forward by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe. Central to this is the extent to which a designed landscape can be considered a ‘work of art’. Jellicoe makes connections between landscape design and the projection of the psyche into its natural environment, and thus it seems appropriate to relate his exploration of the subconscious to Jung's ‘psychological system’. The theories of Tolstoy and Langer are also used as critical reference points for the analysis of Jellicoe's theories. Although Jellicoe's theories appear to be flawed, it is concluded that he is right to maintain that landscape architecture can produce works of art, and that his limitations as a philosopher do not diminish his design achievements.     

Non-profit housing,a tool for metropolitan cohesion? The case of the Vienna–Bratislava region

Non-profit housing has a long history both in Austria and in Slovakia, even if recent socio-economic and political transformations question this model born in the nineteenth century. This type of housing is considered as affordable housing according to a generalist conception in Austria and a residual one in Slovakia. But in spite of divergences in their national housing policies, both countries are facing common challenges which are epitomised in the Vienna–Bratislava region. This article analyses the role of non-profit housing in bringing more cohesion to a growing but fragmented metropolitan region.     

The Mersey Estuary – Back from the Dead? Solving a 150‐Year Old Problem

The Mersey Estuary has suffered a legacy of abuse and neglect since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The discharge of effluents from manufacturing processes, together with wastewater from the burgeoning centres of population, resulted in the estuary gaining the unenviable reputation of being one of the most polluted rivers in Europe.
As a result of the long-awaited remedial action which has been implemented over the last fifteen years, there is now unequivocal evidence that the water quality of the river and the biology of the system have improved significantly and will continue to do so as further planned alleviation schemes are completed.
This paper reviews the achievements which have been made at the half-way stage in the 25-year multi-billion pound 'clean-up'campaign.     

Can changing the timing of outdoor air intake reduce indoor concentrations of traffic‐related pollutants in schools?

Traffic emissions have been associated with a wide range of adverse health effects. Many schools are situated close to major roads, and as children spend much of their day in school, methods to reduce traffic‐related air pollutant concentrations in the school environment are warranted. One promising method to reduce pollutant concentrations in schools is to alter the timing of the ventilation so that high ventilation time periods do not correspond to rush hour traffic. Health Canada, in collaboration with the Ottawa‐Carleton District School Board, tested the effect of this action by collecting traffic‐related air pollution data from four schools in Ottawa, Canada, during October and November 2013. A baseline and intervention period was assessed in each school. There were statistically significant (P < 0.05) reductions in concentrations of most of the pollutants measured at the two late‐start (9 AM start) schools, after adjusting for outdoor concentrations and the absolute indoor–outdoor temperature difference. The intervention at the early‐start (8 AM start) schools did not have significant reductions in pollutant concentrations. Based on these findings, changing the timing of the ventilation may be a cost‐effective mechanism of reducing traffic‐related pollutants in late‐start schools located near major roads.     

Is fear of crime splitting the sister cities? The case of Los Dos Laredos

This article describes the change in border dynamics of the Laredo–Nuevo Laredo U.S.–Mexican border during the first decade of the 21st century. While the sharing and blending of cultures has long been considered an integral part of the regional identity, publicity related to crime in Mexico and fear of the potential for spillover crime has created a significant degree of separation between the two communities that once lived as one. In terms of social construction of place, the Rio Grande boundary separating the sister cities was relatively meaningless for many years as laborers, shoppers and tourists crossed easily between the two nations. The integrated cultural bond has moved towards a coexistence favoring growth in the Laredo economy while Nuevo Laredo struggles.     

Who are the typical commuters in the post-socialist metropolis? The case of Riga,Latvia

There have been important changes in the geographical mobility of the populations of post-socialist countries since the 1990s. Drawing on an extensive sample survey—the Geographic Mobility of the Labour Force survey conducted by the University of Latvia in 2006—this paper, examines the demographic and socio-economic differences between commuters and stayers in the suburbs, as well as commuting time. The results of the study indicate that people who have suburbanised over the past decade are much more likely to commute than stayers. We show that commuters to Riga differ from non-commuters with regard to most demographic and socio-economic variables. For instance, the probability of commuting is higher for the younger and more affluent suburban residents. Somewhat surprisingly, our analysis shows that there are no significant differences in commuting time between socio-demographic population groups.     

One & Other: a picture of the nation in a period of cosmopolitanism?

Is the form of the public monument viable today? A proliferation of monuments and memorials in Europe from the 1870s onwards articulated national identities for states of which many were either recently established or in decline. Representation of the nation was a unifying device. Today, the statues raised in past centuries fade into the urban landscape while a world of global capital and economic migration, in which cities compete globally regardless of the national territories in which they are situated, renders the idea of belonging fluid, and that of national identity perhaps defunct. A question arises as to whether the form of the monument (as a class of objects) retains currency, or can be democratised for a society of diverse publics and conflicting interests. This paper takes Antony Gormley's project for the vacant plinth in Trafalgar Square, London in the summer of 2009—One & Other—as a case by which to investigate the viability of the monument today. After describing the project and its performative character, I draw on three connected frameworks: the monument as representation; constructions of national identity; and the expediency of culture in masking social divisions. I cite Matthew Arnold's claim that culture is a defence against anarchy (his term for social breakdown), and link this to nineteenth-century reformism. This leads me to ask whether a reformist ethos still applies, and whether there are parallels between such cultural strategies and public art as a renewal of the monument in a period of widening social divisions.     

The re-emergence of core region growth: a return to the metropolis?

Recent trends in migration in the United States are reviewed, focusing on the links between regional and metropolitan population change. Three explanations for the counterurbanization phenomenon of the 1970s are presented and their implications for future migration trends considered. The author concludes that "while 1970s core region declines may have been strongly linked to the counterurbanization process, post-1980 core region gains do not appear to signal a return to the metropolis."     

A turning point in the development of European spatial planning? The ‘Territorial Agenda of the European Union’ and the ‘First Action Programme’

The European Union has always had a territorial agenda, albeit implicit. Existing spatial planning systems in Europe, in particular French aménagement du territoire, have shaped the thinking about how to tackle it more systematically, lately under the flag of an EU territorial cohesion policy. Drawing on work by the European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON), the member states collectively have produced an ‘evidence-based’ document, ‘The territorial state and perspectives of the European Union’. This forms the basis of a political document entitled the ‘Territorial Agenda of the European Union: Towards a more competitive and sustainable Europe of diverse regions’. The subsequent First Action Programme came at a time when it appeared that the Treaty of Lisbon would make EU territorial cohesion policy official. This paper gives an account of the process, pointing out that a turning point has been reached, in that the member states have come to accept the need for EU territorial cohesion policy. Section 1 sets out the theoretical framework and the research approach. Section 2 sets the scene as regards the EU and it institutions. Section 3 looks at spatial planning systems in Europe and, in particular—since it has been instrumental in formulating EU regional and territorial cohesion policy—French aménagement du territoire. Section 4 identifies the implicit EU territorial agenda and how this has been articulated further by the member states formulating the ESDP. Section 5 gives an account of the fledgling EU territorial cohesion policy. Section 6 focuses on the member state initiative to produce the ‘evidence-based’ document, ‘The territorial state and perspectives of the European Union’, which forms the basis for the Territorial Agenda. As a background to this, the section discusses ESPON, which provided the research base for this undertaking. Sections 7 to 9 are about the Territorial Agenda process as such, particularly its making, the substantive policies and the institutional measures proposed therein, and the First Action Programme adopted in the wake of the Territorial Agenda. Section 10 identifies challenges ahead, followed by the final section, which explores issues whose resolution is not immediately in sight.     

The “neighborhood unit” on trial: a case study in the impacts of urban morphology

The organization of modern city planning into “neighborhood units” – most commonly associated with the Clarence Perry proposal of 1929 – has been enormously influential in the evolution of modern city form, and at the same time has also been the subject of intense controversy and debate that continues to the present day. New issues under debate include social and economic diversity, maintenance of viable pedestrian and public transit modes, viability of internalized community service hubs, and efficient use of energy and natural resources, including greenhouse gas emissions. We trace the history of this controversy up to the present day, and we discuss new developments that may point the way to needed reforms of best practice.     

The reconstruction of housing in Palestine 1993–2000: a case study from the Gaza Strip

In the Palestinian Territories, housing is thought to be amongst the most difficult problems facing the National Authority (PNA) (Al‐Agha, 1997 Al‐Agha Z (1997) A national outlook for housing in Palestine in: A. B. Zahlan (Ed.) Reconstruction of Palestine, Urban and Rural Development (London, Kegan Paul)  [Google Scholar], p. 3). Increased Israeli settlements, the large size of Palestinian families, the deteriorating economic situation, the lack of national banks operating in the field of housing, the presence of refugee settlements containing over 1.2 million people, the Israeli state's policy of residential demolition and land confiscation have all combined to present a severe obstacle to urban reconstruction in the region. In an attempt to address these issues and to make some progress towards realising the estimated 180 000 housing units required by the Palestinian people, the Palestinian Housing Council (PHC) was established in 1992 (Abd Alhadi, 1994 Abd Alhadi, R (1994) Construction and Housing in the West Bank and (Gaza) Strip (Geneva, United Nations Commission on Trade and Development)  [Google Scholar]; Ziara, 1997 Ziara M (1997) The Palestinian Ministry of Housing. Challenging and opportunities in A. B. Zahlan (ed.) Reconstruction of Palestine, Urban and Rural Development (London, Kegan Paul)  [Google Scholar]). Although it has had some success, the organisation has been plagued by reports of internal dissent and disputes with its beneficiaries. This paper seeks to cast some light on these controversies by focusing on the PHC's role in the Elkarama Housing Project in the Gaza Strip during the period 1993 to 2000.1 Here it must be emphasised that this paper does not claim to provide an analysis of the current situation in Gaza. The authors acknowledge that conditions in Palestine are extremely fluid and have, to a great degree, overtaken the issues considered above. In examining this rapidly‐evolving environment, however, it is valuable to reflect upon recent changes and, while recognising the acute systemic problems that Palestinian administrators face, to offer critical assessments of domestic policy decisions and their outcome. View all notes It will first outline the broader context in which public institutions within the Gaza Strip operate before offering an account of the structure and background of the PHC. It will then consider Elkarama itself and will conclude by summing up the various factors that have determined the project's outcome. Finally, the paper will offer some tentative recommendations for improved housing provisions within the Gaza Strip in the future.