Pedestrian archeology in Singapore: experiences from the past

Walking is an important part of the transportation system, as everyone walks. Providing an adequate infrastructure network promotes walking. Additional walking facilities encourage longer walks, especially in the tropical climate of Singapore. This paper provides a good documentation of the historical infrastructural developments to enhance the walking experience in Singapore, from post World War II to present. Lessons learnt from these past experiences are highlighted.     

粉砖黛瓦

停驻古镇上的粉砖黛瓦，如平静淡雅的牵牛花，绽放于拱桥上，碧湖边，墙根尾角……清风徐来，幽雅入怀。[编者按]     

Chernobyl's challenge to the environment: a report from Sweden

This paper reports the levels of radiocesium registered in about 9000 samples collected in different parts of Sweden following the Chernobyl accident during the period May-November 1986. The maximum Cs levels were detected in reindeer, freshwater fish and mushrooms. Parameters possibly affecting the nuclide concentration in different biota are briefly discussed.     

AN EXPLANATION FOR RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION BY EDUCATION: Warsaw

ABSTRACT: Existing indices do not permit causal models of residential segregation within a single city or region. An index of inequality (II) is presented as an index of residential segregation. This alternative index can be interpreted similarly to the established index of dissimilarity (D) and can be used as an interval-scaled variable within single city causal models. Data from the 1978 census of the Polish capital, Warsaw, were used as an example. Residential segregation by education in Warsaw can be explained in part by different housing conditions.     

华沙大学新图书馆——树林中的城市

华沙大学新图书馆根据两位波兰建筑师Marek Budzyski和Zbigniew Badowski在竞赛中获一等奖的方案实施,建筑师的设计主题是“树林中的城市”。整体建筑素雅,环境优美,其屋顶花园为欧洲最大和最漂亮的屋顶花园之一。本文简要介绍和分析了了华沙大学新图书馆及其花园的概况与设计理念。     

Rural America: A challenge to regional scientists

Rural economies in the United States and Canada are characterized by incomes persistently below those in metropolitan areas and both unemployment and underemployment rates continuously above those in major urban economies. Other socio-economic comparisons also indicate an adverse relationship.   This paper explores the question of whether received theory adequately explains this enduring unfavorable relationship between rural and urban. It also raises the question of whether institutional structures or government policies are partly responsible for perpetuating the observed patterns. Received: July 1997 / Accepted: October 1997     

Learning from the past: Historic Districts and the New Urbanism in the United States

Until recently in the United States, as in many other countries, the past was not considered a usable guide for town planning. This situation has dramatically changed with the advent of scrupulously restored and maintained Historic Districts. The past as interpreted and presented in these has been a major influence on the movement in urban planning and design known as the New Urbanism. A wellknown example of this is Seaside, Florida, where the codes used to define acceptable styles of house design and the relationships of houses to the overall townscape bear close resemblances to the regimes of control that have developed in connection with local Historic Districts. The article draws parallels with writers on town planning earlier in the twentieth century who drew inspiration from the past as depicted in plans and maps. Although the inspiration may now appear to come from actual places, this process of idealization of the past is very similar because Historic Districts themselves are very tidied-up, idealized versions of their pasts and have, in their conceptualization, been influenced by ideas of what is good city form.     

Global managemenT : A new challenge for oil companies

The oil industry went global well before the word became fashionable. Decades ago, the majors succeeded in integrating their activities so that they achieved almost total mastery over their environment. The changes of the past 20 years, in particular, the nationalizations of the early 1970s imposed new challenges on large oil companies. They now face the complexity of a more competitive environment that they no longer control. The response of many companies has been to redesign their organizations so as to reduce the layers of command. This paper goes further, suggesting a model of organization which favours lateral relations and increases the input of country affiliates in the strategic planning process.     

无机非木质素基功能性建筑材料的形成路径推演

木质素是自然界中储量巨大且可再生的资源,开展木质素热裂解机理研究有助于木质素基功能性建筑材料的开发。本文在Py-GC/MS上开展了木质素热裂解实验研究,获得了在600°C下反应10 s时的热解产物组成和分布,典型产物为苯酚、愈创木基型酚类和紫丁香基型酚类物质,还有与木质素结构粘连的糖苷键结构的反应产物——呋喃类物质和碳直链物质。结合产物分析推演了基于特征官能团的木质素热裂解机理途径,有助于深入了解木质素的热化学转化路径。     

Latvia: the future in Riga's past

Situated at the crossroads of international trade routes, the historical architecture of Riga, the capital city of Latvia, was shaped by tides of different social and cultural groups that over many centuries left their mark. It is notable for its rich mixture of Gothic, Baroque, Russian Classical, German Art Nouveau and Finnish Modernist buildings. Janis Lejnieks describes why now, after the stultification of the Soviet era, as much of its 19th-century building stock is threatened by decay and dereliction, Riga needs to invest in new, high-quality architecture that will revive the dynamic cultural traditions of the city. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Layers of the past: A theory and method for historical landscape analysis

The scope of this paper is to present a landscape analysis which allows for the inclusion of dynamics through time and the cultural diversity of the landscape. Our method is to classify the physical landscape into area types based on the main forms of production in the agricultural society. This is combined with known historical sites, and the result is presented as maps representing different periods in time. We also generate character areas from modern land use and geological maps on the basis of the elements which dominate the landscape today. Finally, we combine the time images with the character areas to present functional units in a manner which includes time depth. The method is described through examples from a municipality in southern Norway (Nøtterøy). The method is useful for defining cultural environments for the purpose of area planning and conservation, and is applicable on a general level.     

华沙历史中心重建对我国古城保护与更新的启示

本文结合对华沙历史中心的考察,从遗产保护的角度回顾华沙重建历程,总结重建过程中的规划与历史保护方法,分析重建的华沙能够进入世界遗产名录的原因,并论述对我国古城保护与更新的启示。     

Functional Networks: A New Network-Based Methodology

In this article we give a general methodology to build and work with functional networks, a network-based alternative to the neural networks paradigm. In functional networks, neural functions are allowed to be not only multivariate but also truly multiargument and different for all neurons. Thus neural functions instead of weights are learned. In addition, outputs coming from different neurons can be connected, that is, forced to output the same values. The topology and neuron functions of functional networks can be selected based on data, domain knowledge, or a combination of the two. Functional equations play an important role in functional networks, since the preceding types of connections lead to functional equations that impose a substantial reduction in the degrees of freedom of the initial neural functions. Some methods are given to obtain equivalent functional and differential equations, and they are applied to approximating the solutions of differential equations problems. The examples of an associative operator, a cantilever beam, and a mass supported by two springs and a viscous damper are given to illustrate the methods and show their power.     

Public welfare or sectarianism: A new challenge for planning

This article examines the weaknesses of liberal planning institutions when dealing with organised group action. The case under review, the Kiryat-Ha'Yovel neighbourhood in Jerusalem, was considered as secular for many years. In 2000 the neighbourhood became attractive to the nearby Haredi (ultra-orthodox Jews) group of the “Kol-Torah’ community. Differences in lifestyle led to a collision between the group of “Kol-Torah”, who began “Haredification” processes to change the character of the area to be suitable to Haredim, and the veteran population, who tried to prevent it. Identifying the main engines of organised neighbourhood change and evaluating the difficulties of liberalism dealing with non-autonomous individuals in the housing market sheds light on similar processes occurring in other city centres with diverse population groups.     

Berlin and Warsaw: in search of a new role in the European urban system

After 1989, the cities of Central and Eastern Europe were engaged in an inter-urban competition, a process characteristic of the urban scene since the beginning of European integration. Being a topic of great interest to researchers, a large body of literature has accumulated on the observed role of capital cities in the region as well as on their potential role in the future. Several researchers have focused on the position as well as the interdependence of Berlin and Warsaw—two urban nodes in what is hypothesized as a future West–East development trajectory (see Domański, 1999). The present paper deals with the emergence and development of metropolitan functions in these two cities. It is based on a comparative research project, which involved a series of structured, in-depth interviews with planners and policy-makers in Germany and Poland conducted by the author during the period 2001–2003. The paper discusses the development factors and their contributions to the metropolitan potential of Berlin and Warsaw. The identification of these factors is a starting point for determining the future position and rank of these two capital cities in the European urban system. The analysis is complemented by a comparison of trends in the employment structure of Berlin and Warsaw during the period 1994–2002. The results allow the author to evaluate some hypotheses posed in strategic planning documents concerning Berlin and Warsaw.