The Navy and the city: conflict,cooperation and political competition in the urban governance of Toulon

This article contributes to the debate about urban governance in specialized European cities, by focusing on the interplay between changes in national defence policies and local initiatives. It is based upon qualitative research carried out in Toulon, a mid-sized French city and the biggest military port on the Mediterranean Sea. Firstly, it explains how the emergence of a new urban agenda aimed at diversifying the city from its military function challenged existing relations between the city and the Navy. As a consequence, new areas of conflict and cooperation can be observed. Secondly, it shows how political strategies adopted by elected officials respond to the need to legitimize the new agenda and to constrain the Navy to participate in it, while managing the military constituency. Despite a political discourse that proclaimed convergence of interest between the city and the Navy, the existence of a major conflict concerning the use and control of space doomed the partnership to a (partial) failure.     

Managing the transition to a more compact city in Australia

This paper explores the transition towards the compact city model in Australia, which has become the orthodoxy of metropolitan planning in the last two decades. This transition is aligned with neoliberal policies through which private investment and the marketplace have become dominant in driving urban growth and change. However, an intensive review of the experience of Sydney and Perth shows that a metanarrative of transition from a social-democratic to a neoliberal form in metropolitan planning is an oversimplification, and blurs the redeployment of state powers, processes and institutions to address new challenges. The paper explores two related points. First, it demonstrates how a methodical examination of the eclectic mixture of policies designed to drive the compact city transition can enable the identification and analysis of shared policy trends across the two cities. These trends relate to metropolitan strategies, transport planning, infrastructure funding, centralization and local input. Second, it demonstrates how such a review can also provide broader insights into the contours of the political economy of the compact city, and the potential significance for its citizenry. Key insights relate to who has a say in development control, growing executive power, increased government engagement with lobby groups and growing inequality.     

浅谈生态城市的规划与建设

阐述了人与自然的关系，介绍了生态城市的特性及可持续发展的意义，阐明了城市生态建设的目标，分析了城市规划建设中存在的误区，提出了建立生态城市的要求。     

Editing the African city: reading colonial planning in Africa from a comparative perspective

In order to understand the complexity of the colonial city in Africa, this article suggests a comparative study on two levels, corresponding with two important phenomena in the planning process of African cities. The first level can be described as the diffusion of planning models to the colonies, and the second as the actual implementation of these planning models on the colonial terrain. Each level requires different scales of research and frames of analysis. They are particularly valuable when examined together.     

哈尔滨城中型开发区的城市设计问题探讨

介绍了哈尔滨城中型开发区的发展概况,分析了该开发区的城市空间格局,探讨了哈尔滨城中型开发区城市设计问题,以使开发区具有环境优美、设施完善、交通便捷的创新环境和人文环境,充分发挥开发区的作用。     

辽河油田城市可持续发展存在问题浅析

结合辽河油田城市的具体情况，就资源型城市在坚持可持续发展的过程中遇到的困难进行了分析总结，对目前处于资源枯竭地区摆脱经济衰退和资源型城市避免陷入全面衰退有重要意义。     

In quest of the origin of ancient northern city of China: An implication from the Book of Odes

Sorting out some paragraphs in the Book of Odes (collection of the earliest poetry in China), this paper makes analysis of the formation, construction process and technology of the ancient northern city of China. Relevant important historical data and information about urban development history are collected. __________ Translated from Architectural Journal, 2006, (3): 76–78 [译自: 建筑学报], by CHEN Daliang, Tianjin Foreign Studies University, Tianjin 300204, China     

In search of a stable urban regime for Montreal: issues and challenges in metropolitan development

As with many major North American urban areas since the 1960s, Montreal has faced contextual changes that have brought to the fore the question of its development. However, because of its history and the uncertainties linked with Quebec's constitutional future, attempts to stimulate its development have required certain compromises, often with unexpected results. In order to evaluate the performance of coalitions formed with the objective of meeting the challenges associated with urban and metropolitan development, we have drawn upon the concept of urban regimes. Focusing specifically on Montreal, we ask whether it is possible to transpose urban regime analyses that consider both structural and cultural factors specific to local organized forces. Revealing though they might be, these analyses nevertheless possess certain limitations, notably the underestimation of the weight and increasing importance of players and forces occurring on a metropolitan scale. This is particularly true in the case of Montreal.     

浅议中心城市与县域经济发展的关系

简述了中心城市和县域经济在经济社会发展中各自的地位和作用,分析了两者之间的相互关系,提出了促进中心城市与县域经济协调发展的四点建议,揭示了两者之间的良性互动关系。     

Changes in the political economy of Vietnam and their impacts on the built environment of Hanoi

The most important changes in the political economy of Vietnam began with the Doi Moi (Renovation) reforms of 1986. The changes in the national economic system have been reflected almost immediately in urban development patterns, where the diversification of capital investment (especially the influx of foreign direct investment), the creation of a property market (dealing with land use rights), and the commercialization of the housing sector have created significant changes, while the planning system has not been sufficiently adapted to the new political reality. This article shows how the changes in the national policy framework have transformed the urban development patterns of Hanoi. Industrial development in the rural fringe areas, the new dynamics of the private housing sector, and the commercial redevelopment of the inner city are described and quantified. While the formerly rigid command-and-control system of urban management has already been simplified to some extent, inappropriate bureaucratic attitudes persist. This has resulted in a lack of authority, communication, and competency, while a thriving informal sector of urban development has emerged. In conclusion, there is an urgent need for building new forms of public involvement to ensure social equity goals and to avoid market distortions. The policy reforms at the national level need to be mirrored by a more capable urban management system.     

In search of a stable urban regime for Montreal: issues and challenges in metropolitan development

As with many major North American urban areas since the 1960s, Montreal has faced contextual changes that have brought to the fore the question of its development. However, because of its history and the uncertainties linked with Quebec's constitutional future, attempts to stimulate its development have required certain compromises, often with unexpected results. In order to evaluate the performance of coalitions formed with the objective of meeting the challenges associated with urban and metropolitan development, we have drawn upon the concept of urban regimes. Focusing specifically on Montreal, we ask whether it is possible to transpose urban regime analyses that consider both structural and cultural factors specific to local organized forces. Revealing though they might be, these analyses nevertheless possess certain limitations, notably the underestimation of the weight and increasing importance of players and forces occurring on a metropolitan scale. This is particularly true in the case of Montreal.     

浅谈滨水区的城市设计

介绍了滨水区的含义和主要特点，重点阐述了滨水区城市设计的基本模式，并通过对国外两个实例的分析，为我国城市滨水区的设计提供一些理论指导，从而促进城市滨水区的发展。     

历史文化名城沈阳的古代城市格局价值分析

总结了历史文化名城沈阳自新乐遗址时期至清代的营城格局特征,找出各个时期主导沈阳城市发展的最主要因素,试图从营城格局演进角度理顺出沈阳古代城市格局的价值和发展脉络.     

丝路视野下城市历史环境保护研究 ——以嘉峪关市为例

以丝绸之路的文化视野梳理嘉峪关城市历史环境的综合价值,并且在定性评价的基础上,运用因子分析法对历史环境进行定量的评价。从而得出影响嘉峪关城市历史环境保护的主因子依次为丝路交通因子、军事工程因子、工业遗产因子、区域环境因子、区域文化因子和民俗工艺因子。结合丝路城市特色,依照评价结果从区域环境、区域文化、物质文化遗产和民俗工艺四个层面构建历史环境保护体系。最后,从宏观、微观层面分析当下面临的问题,根据综合得分排序分主次制定相应的保护策略。研究立足于“丝绸之路经济带”语境,强调用动态保护的思维协调历史保护与城市发展,探讨历史环境的整体性保护方法,对丝绸之路城市的建设具有指导意义。     

Tirana: a capital city transformed by the Italians

The city of Tirana was transformed into a capital city between 1923 and 1943. This transformation took place during a period when there was close collaboration between Italy and Albania and can be divided both by political history and architectural styles into two stages: first, under the monarchy of the Albanian King Zog and then the actual annexation of Albania by Italy at the time of the Second World War. The first stage, from 1920 to 1939, began with the proclamation of Tirana as the capital of Albania. It was marked by Zogu's presence on the political scene and his close ties with Italy. In 1939, with the fall of the Albanian monarchy, the country was put under Italian Fascist rule from 1939 to 1943. The paper is divided into two parts, corresponding to the two historical periods. Each one examines plans and projects for the city's transformation and the strategies put into effect to represent political power, as well as ties and legacies inherited from the past. Town planning actions are, therefore, described from three points of view: the organization of urban structures and housing policies; the relationship with the pre-existing situation; modes of urban growth and the underlying social vision. The analysis is based on a study of the urban fabric before and after the various changes, divided into the principal time frames of 1916, 1937, 1943 and 1953. The study is based mainly on original documents from the Technical Archives for Construction of Tirana.1 Archive research was carried out in connection with studies for a Nato-CNR Senior Fellowships Programme grant in 2005. Documents collected and located in the Technical Archives for Construction of Tirana, though neatly arranged in files, were yet to be classified in the archives in 2005.      

Reconnecting the disconnected: The politics of infrastructure in the in-between city

This paper explores the politics of infrastructure in the evolving socio-spatial landscape of what we call the “in-between city,” that part of the urban region that is perceived as not quite traditional city and not quite traditional suburb (Sieverts, 2003). We posit that this new urban landscape which surrounds urban regions in many parts of the world is the remarkable new urban morphology where a large part of metropolitan populations live, work and play. While much attention has been on the winning economic clusters of the world economy and the devastated industrial structures of the loser regions, little light has been shed on the urban zones in-between. This paper deals specifically with these zones from the perspective of accessibility issues around urban infrastructures, in particular transportation. It is argued that only a combined understanding of scaled and topological approaches allow us to capture the complexities of the politics of urban infrastructures in the in-between city. Conceptually, we outline the definitive characteristics of this new landscape with a particular view towards urban Canada. Applying these concepts to a North American city, Toronto, Canada, we look specifically at the 85 sq km around York University, an area that straddles the line between the traditional suburb and the inner city.     

Polycentric development practice in master planning: the case of China

Towards the end of the twentieth century, polycentricity was introduced into China as a planning concept. Subsequently a number of super/mega city regions began to adopt polycentric development spatial planning strategies, which are designed to facilitate more sustainable and balanced development. This paper seeks to identify the main differences in application of polycentricity between China and the West, and explore the major emerging thematic strands of polycentric development practice, as illustrated through an evaluation of master planning in eight super/mega city regions across China. In particular, the paper highlights the divergent interpretations of polycentricity in master plan-making practice and shows how plans have been adjusted to help deliver the idea of polycentric development. Although the concept of polycentricity is relatively new in China, it has already become a normative approach used to determine future spatial structures. While there is an absence of an articulated rationality to ‘decide’ whether this is (or should be) an ‘ideal’ model, already it has gone beyond Western approaches of initially using polycentricity as an interpretative tool to describe urban realities.     

关于中心城市推动区域经济一体化发展的分析

以佩鲁的增长极理论为基础,分析了中国城市群中心城市对区域经济的推动作用,针对我国城市群的发展现状和存在的问题,提出了区域经济一体化发展的基本对策。     

新绛历史文化名城特色保护研究

阐述了新绛古城特色的形成与要素构成,概括了古城特色保护在城市发展中的作用,研究了促进古城特色保护与现代城市建设协调发展的思路与对策,以期推动历史文化名城的可持续发展。     

Between suburbanisation and re-urbanisation: revisiting the urban life cycle in a Mediterranean compact city

The redistribution of population over larger regions progressively further away from the dense core seems to be the new feature of the (originally compact) Mediterranean cities. With the aim of better understanding the nature of the urban transition taking place in these cities, we studied the phenomenon of population redistribution in Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA) in light of the city’s Urban Life Cycle (ULC). The research was carried out for a time frame of 60 years (1951–2011) using spatial analysis, correlation and multivariate statistics. Results reveal a phase of compact urban expansion occurring in the AMA until 1991, reflected in suburbanisation processes in the immediate proximity of the urban agglomeration. In the following period, the analysis showed signs of a period of transition difficult to interpret within the approach adopted by the ULC theory. A number of municipalities of the urban area experienced positive rates of population growth after decades of decline, while municipalities of the agglomeration and ring remain relatively stable. Altogether, these results can be interpreted as signs of a potential future re-urbanisation. The analysis performed provides insights on the debate over the future of Mediterranean cities, while demonstrating the advantages of adopting a multi-scale assessment methodology for identifying urban transitions.