Tracking peri-urban changes in eThekwini Municipality – beyond the ‘poor–rich’ dichotomy

Conceptualization of peri-urban has always been argued from the dichotomy between the ‘poor’ and ‘rich’ paradigms. Peri-urban literature is underpinned by the periphery vs. the urban core stratification. Prevailing consensus is that peri-urban represents deprivation, poverty, lack of access to services and infrastructure. This preoccupation with the negative conceptualisation of the peri-urban misses the opportunities brought by these peri-urban areas to city growth. The paper uses eThekwini as a case study by tracking peri-urban growth in Adams Mission between 2003 and 2013. Research findings reaffirm the peri-urban as an area of opportunity and dispel the widely accepted negative sentiments about peri-urban development.     

Factors influencing the uptake of household water connections in peri-urban Maputo,Mozambique

Rapid urbanization in many African cities has had a significant impact on the basic water services in peri-urban areas, where providing services can be complex. In the city of Maputo, Mozambique, the initial uptake of new household connections following network construction in peri-urban areas was slow. Focus group discussions with residents and interviews with key actors revealed the importance of offering flexible payment options to the urban poor in order to increase the affordability of connection charges. Although the high connection fee was a constraint, residents were willing to pay if the charges were spread across several monthly installments. These findings suggest that flexible payment arrangements for customers can both bring utility services within reach of low income households and expand the customer base for utility service providers.     

Why there? Developers' rationale for building social housing in the urban periphery in Latin America

Inadequate housing has become endemic to Latin American cities for over six decades. All that has changed has been who is going where. In the 1960s, the rural poor who came to the city solved their housing needs by building their own informal settlements on peri-urban lands. Today, the urban poor relocate to peri-urban housing complexes built by the private sector with state subsidies. Why have these new housing units for low-income households been built in peri-urban areas? This paper examines some of the mechanisms behind the location of the urban poor in cities, with a specific focus on the role developers have played in the construction of affordable housing in peri-urban areas of Brazil and, Mexico. The paper explores these mechanisms through interviews with affordable housing developers. We found that economies of scale – and not land prices – explain developers' preference for building in peripheral areas. Initial savings that accrue to developers due to lower land prices in the periphery are offset by the cost of having to build basic onsite infrastructure. Plus, large lots – which are available almost exclusively in urban peripheries – enable developers to achieve significant cost savings because these large lots make it possible for developers to build more than 500 units. In addition, weaker municipal regulations and fewer bidders, both of which are typical for projects in difficult-to-access peripheral locations, make for a shorter and easier approval process for these large housing projects.     

When green is grievous: downsides in human-nature interactions in informal urban settlements

Considering how poor households relate with natural ecosystems is crucial to achieving environmentally sustainable low-income communities in South Africa and beyond. This paper presents negative experiences associated with residents’ interactions with, perceptions of, and appropriations of natural ecosystems and green spaces in informal settlements in Johannesburg. In-depth interviews with residents in two communities, key informants, and transect walks were used to identify problems associated with domestic gardens and vegetation in riparian and non-riparian open spaces. Inadequate services and infrastructure exacerbates these problems. This work contributes to knowledge regarding undesirable aspects of green infrastructure in the context of urban poverty. Understanding the downsides in human-nature interactions can usefully inform ecologically sound intervention in low-income informal urban areas.     

中小城市公共交通规划指标研究

由于中小城市交通基础设施差,对外交通联系差等特点,公交交通发展面对的问题也较多,在城市规划上为城市后续发展提供良好基础,建立有效的评价指标体系,进而为交通规划提供可靠保证具有一定意义。文中对广东清远市中心城区的公共交通进行远期规划和评价,并提出可供借鉴的评价指标。     

Significance of mobility in the life-cycle assessment of buildings

While most life-cycle assessments of buildings have focused on construction and use phases, the location of a building can significantly affect the transportation demand of its inhabitants. The life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of two representative buildings in Lisbon, Portugal, are compared: an apartment building in the city centre and a semidetached house in a suburban area. An integrated approach is used to conduct a life-cycle analysis that includes building construction, building use and user transportation. Sensitivity analyses are used to evaluate impacts for multiple locations. For the apartment, building use accounted for the largest share of energy and emissions (63–64%), while for the house, most (51–57%) of the energy and emissions were associated with user transportation. Energy and GHG emissions for suburban locations were significantly higher (by 55–115%) than those in the city-centre locations, largely due to individuals commuting by car. The analysis demonstrates the significance of transportation and highlights the importance of residence location in urban planning and environmental assessments. These results are likely to apply to other southern European cities that have expanded with significant growth in car ownership and use. To improve urban sustainability, development strategies should consider the transport infrastructure in addition to building efficiency.     

City profile: Medellin

After being known as the ‘murder capital of the world’ in the 1990s, Medellin has pioneered innovative forms of city planning and management and was acclaimed the most innovative city in the world by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in 2013. Hosting the World Urban Forum in 2014 allowed it to showcase its approach, key elements of which have been: creation of innovative transport infrastructure linking poorer peripheral districts to the city centre; culture-led regeneration; strong support of local development from the local business sector; and a successful municipally-owned utilities company. However, the city is spreading outwards without services and employment being provided; new low-income developments are replicating high-rise models which failed worldwide; there is limited intervention in the existing informal areas, many being in highly vulnerable locations where the level of risk is likely to increase with climate change; development has little regard for topography, ecological and environmental considerations; investment in accessible and good quality public space is restricted to some areas; the quality of the public realm does not always support health and wellbeing of the ageing population. This paper explores the institutional and socio-economic context in which Medellín has achieved the internationally recognized status of an ‘innovative city’. It questions to what extent social equity, environmental sustainability and citizen empowerment have been promoted as per the ULI claims when it conferred the prize. The paper queries the extent to which ‘urban innovation’ is happening in Medellín, which has considerable implications given its recently found role as a ‘model’ city in Latin America and beyond.     

Urban design and planning influences on the share of trips taken by cycling

This study examines the effect of different street pattern, road infrastructure and other physical attributes on the share of bicycle trips in a community area. Using the 2011 census data and the road infrastructure data of Calgary city, the study finds that different street patterns have significant effects on bicycle usage and thus, should be considered in the development of new communities for promoting active transport. Also, increases in the percentage of green space (agricultural and park areas) and semi-detached houses are associated with greater bicycle use, whereas an increase in the number and/or size (area) of road intersections is associated with reduced bicycle use relative to other modes of transport.     

新趋势下住区规划设计策略的探讨

当前,经济的高速发展大大促进了城市化进程,城市规模的不断扩大,让城市近郊的住区逐渐形成,由于这些住区不同于以往城市中心区里的小区,因此此文试对这种新趋势下的住区规划设计提出分析和探讨。     

Public Facilities in Public and Private Housing Projects in Dhaka,Bangladesh

Cities in developing countries are confronted with two conflicting problems. On the one hand, there is always an increasing demand for urban services and, on the other hand, the public sector responds poorly to the growing demand for such services. This articleexplores and compares the status of physical and environmental infrastructure and services provided in public and privately developed land and housing projects in Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study made use of primary data gathered from April to June 2008. The findings indicate that although some households and developers are aware of the planning regulations which mandate infrastructure and services, this does not necessarily translate into compliance, particularly in privately developed housing projects. As a result, projects are usually developed with inadequate and unsatisfactory facilities. The analysis revealed that most physical and environmental infrastructure and services are either missing or unsatisfactory. These include narrow roads inconsistent with standard widths, little open space for social activities, few areas for childrens' playgrounds and poor waste management. The factors that explain the relatively low levels of physical environmental conditions in privately developed projects include an absence of inter-agency coordination, corruption, a lack of good governance, and political interference, along with disregard and apathy on the part of developers and buyers towards planning regulations. In the light of these findings, this article proposes stronger enforcement of planning regulations and more consistent monitoring by planning agencies to achieve better planned residential areas in Dhaka.     

Assessing and mapping ecosystem services to support urban green infrastructure: The case of Barcelona,Spain

The ecosystem services approach provides an efficient way to support urban green infrastructure planning. Such an assessment, together with mapping, can effectively produce spatial analyses on a specific scale, helping to maintain multi-functional landscapes and plan urban green infrastructure. In turn, green infrastructure can offer a wide variety of ecosystem services, promoting landscape sustainability. This study develops a methodology for the planning of urban green infrastructure based on an ecosystem services approach that assesses the supply capacity of ecosystem services, and identifies possible spatial characteristic areas for interlinking urban green infrastructure within the study area. More specifically, from a landscape perspective, we use 32 ecosystem services (as X-axis) and different land use types (as Y-axis) to build an ecosystem service assessment matrix. We then take the municipality of Barcelona as an example, using the latter to assess and map ecosystem services within the city through ArcGIS, which shows the spatial distribution characteristics of ecosystem services provision. We identify possible spatial areas - which include ecosystem services provision, barren, and obstructed areas - by overlapping the ecosystem services assessment maps. Ultimately, the results provide a reference for urban green infrastructure planning by recognizing priority protected areas, new construction areas, potential areas, and renewal areas.     

Public transport decline in Melbourne: A question of density or service?

Public transport systems in Melbourne and other Australian cities have experienced steady decline in usage over the past 50 years. Concerned commentators and policy makers have debated the likely reasons behind this downward trend. The most widely held opinion is that sprawling low-density, post-Second World War urban form is the best explanation for the low levels of usage. However, some other authors argue that low usage rates can be better explained by the poor level of service offered in most areas of the city. This debate has centred largely on comparisons between Melbourne and other cities. Whilst recognising the complexity of this issue, this paper is focused on an analysis of the effect that urban density and service quality have on the operation of local public transport services in Melbourne. The paper concludes that Melbourne's low public transport usage rates are best explained by the poor levels of service quality offered by public transport systems.     

Transport and mobility in sub-Saharan African cities: An overview of practices,lessons and options for improvements

Urban mobility is increasingly becoming one of the planning and development issues for cities in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. Sub-Saharan cities are growing fast, outstripping the current transport infrastructure. Despite the population and spatial growth, many cities are defined by inadequate planning, rapid urbanisation and deteriorating transport infrastructure and services. In most sub-Saharan African countries, modes of urban mobility are highly dependent on income. Transport options are limited. In fact, walking and cycling are often the main means available for the majority of city commuters. Little effort is made to develop a range of transport options or to improve bike or walking paths. Combined with traffic jams, poor governance and the increasing cost of living, public transport mobility in sub-Saharan cities is having a tremendous impact on their liveability and citizens development aspirations. This paper argues that inclusive and broad ranging transport planning must be prioritised in SSA cities to improve the capacity of citizens to participate in work opportunities as well as to fulfil their daily domestic needs. Using observations and comparing progress in other countries and regions, we note that the majority urban poor, women in particular, are often bearing the brunt of inadequate planning and transport provision. We note that urban planning and transport infrastructure should therefore be (re) designed with particular focus on the wellbeing of the poor. The paper thus ends with a range of suggestions on what planning, design and policy options might be available to better integrate various commuting modes into urban planning infrastructure. In doing so, the paper notes that safety and security are critical elements of improving urban and spatial transport planning in the sub-Saharan Africa region.     

Indoor air quality for poor families: new evidence from Bangladesh

Poor households in Bangladesh depend heavily on wood, dung and other biomass fuels for cooking. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the implications for indoor air pollution (IAP), drawing on new 24-h monitoring data for respirable airborne particulates (PM10). A stratified sample of 236 households was selected in Dhaka and Narayanganj, with a particular focus on fuel use, cooking locations, structural materials, ventilation practices, and other potential determinants of exposure to IAP. At each household, PM10 concentrations in the kitchen and living room were monitored for a 24-h period during December, 2003-February, 2004. Concentrations of 300 microg/m3 or greater are common in our sample, implying widespread exposure to a serious health hazard. A regression analysis for these 236 households was then conducted to explore the relationships between PM10 concentrations, fuel choices and a large set of variables that describe household cooking and ventilation practices, structure characteristics and building materials. As expected, our econometric results indicate that fuel choice significantly affects indoor pollution levels: natural gas and kerosene are significantly cleaner than biomass fuels. However, household-specific factors apparently matter more than fuel choice in determining PM10 concentrations. In some biomass-burning households, concentrations are scarcely higher than in households that use natural gas. Our results suggest that cross-household variation is strongly affected by structural arrangements: cooking locations, construction materials, and ventilation practices. A large variation in PM10 was also found during the 24-h cycle within households. For example, within the 'dirtiest' firewood-using household in our sample, readings over the 24-h cycle vary from 68 to 4864 microg/m3. Such variation occurs because houses can recycle air very quickly in Bangladesh. After the midday meal, when ventilation is common, air quality in many houses goes from very dirty to reasonably clean within an hour. Rapid change also occurs within households: diffusion of pollution from kitchens to living areas is nearly instantaneous in many cases, regardless of internal space configuration, and living-area concentrations are almost always in the same range as kitchen concentrations. By implication, exposure to dangerous indoor pollution levels is not confined to cooking areas. To assess the broader implications for poor Bangladeshi households, we extrapolate our regression results to representative 600 household samples from rural, peri-urban and urban areas in six regions: Rangpur in the north-west, Sylhet in the north-east, Rajshahi and Jessore in the west, Faridpur in the center, and Cox's Bazar in the south-east. Our results indicate great geographic variation, even for households in the same per capita income group. This variation reflects local differences in fuel use and, more significantly, construction practices that affect ventilation. For households with per capita income 相似文献   

城市中心区道路交通系统改善规划——以南京中心区为例

城市中心区土地利用的高密度开发引发了中心区交通密度的高强度发展。城市交通的机动化发展趋势与中心区高强度的交通发生量，加剧了城市中心区的道路交通矛盾。作者就南京市中心区道路交通系统问题、发展趋势以及以促进中心区土地利用功能发挥为目的的中心区道路交通系统高效率发展的策略与措施展开讨论，提出了大城市中心区混合交通条件下，道路交通系统组织、道路交通设施改善规划、交通需求管理规划理念。     

Mountain biking: downhill for the environment or chance to up a gear?

The paper examines mountain biking as an increasingly popular adventure recreation activity. Some of its extreme derivatives have been incorporated into international events (e.g. Olympics). We review trends in mountain biking, consider the appropriateness of this activity in public natural areas with a conservation mandate (e.g. national parks, nature reserves) and consider alternative locations. We conclude that (1) mountain biking will continue to increase in popularity; and (2) venues developed in rural areas outside of national parks have provided economic benefits to local communities; but (3) the evidence of social conflict with other users and/or environmental impacts is not clear, mainly because of data limitations. Careful management of natural areas designated for recreation and conservation is required as a precautionary approach. Successful models operate outside of national parks that demonstrate a ‘win–win’ solution for stakeholders.     

Cost comparison of infrastructure on greenfield and infill sites

Planning policy in most Australian capital cities aims to divert development from the fringe into established inner urban areas. A fundamental logic underlying this policy of land recycling is that State and Local governments are challenged financially to provide appropriate standards of infrastructure and services in greenfield locations. This paper explores the range of infrastructure provision issues and seeks to identify the actual costs of provision in different locations. Three case studies in metropolitan Adelaide are used to explore the cost factors for developers and government. The study highlights the complexity of analysing the infrastructure cost of different developments which arises from variable record keeping and accounting practices. Nevertheless, the study is able to draw conclusions about the relative costs of infrastructure provision in different locations and reinforces previous studies that have demonstrated the higher costs of infrastructure on the fringe as opposed to infill. The estimated infrastructure costs for the infill development case study at Bowden are shown to be approximately one third that of both greenfield and renewal areas of the Playford Alive project on the urban fringe.     

交通基础设施与城市空间增长——基于城市经济学的视角

交通基础设施的投资与建设是城市空间增长的重要推动力。从城市经济学的视角出发,城市交通基础设施对城市空间增长的推动作用很显著,并且不同类型的交通基础设施对城市空间增长的影响方式和结果存在较大的区别。交通基础设施的建设通常推动城市空间以蛙跳(飞地)方式蔓延,形成远离市区的郊区制造业带,并且派生出富人区、"城中村"等空间分异现象以及"小产权房"等城市建设问题。     

北京旧城小汽车出行研究及综合规划框架

历史城区集聚了居住、就业及其他经济活动,在历史城区减少小汽车出行对于减缓交通拥堵、节约能源和减少污染排放具有重要意义。历史城区建成环境的复杂性要高于郊区,这使得影响小汽车使用和相应政策的因素更加复杂。本文通过分析北京旧城居民小汽车出行的影响因素,探讨空间规划对于历史城区交通节能减排的作用。定量分析结果显示,完善公交网络布局对于减少小汽车出行有显著影响,但是,在密度已经很高的旧城区继续提高密度,对小汽车使用影响甚微。在此基础上,本文提出了减少北京旧城小汽车出行和节能减排的综合空间规划框架。