Demand management aspects of urban water policy in the industrial sector: the case of the city of Thessaloniki,Greece

The present paper presents the main results of a research project. It deals with consumers' perception of water issues in the industrial sector, and examines and analyses water use patterns, water conservation methods and water pricing issues. Issues presented are the contribution of water to production processes, water consumption levels, water conservation options, the possibility of construction of a dual water supply system, the evaluation of different pricing policies, the willingness to pay (WTP) and the potential impact of a price increase. The study has shown that there is limited use of recycling methods, few pollution control practices and small effect of industrial water price on water consumption levels. As far as industrial consumers are concerned, they present inaccurate perception of water consumption levels and low willingness to pay for the improvement of water services.     

Valuing flexibilities in the design of urban water management systems

Climate change and rapid urbanization requires decision-makers to develop a long-term forward assessment on sustainable urban water management projects. This is further complicated by the difficulties of assessing sustainable designs and various design scenarios from an economic standpoint. A conventional valuation approach for urban water management projects, like Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis, fails to incorporate uncertainties, such as amount of rainfall, unit cost of water, and other uncertainties associated with future changes in technological domains. Such approach also fails to include the value of flexibility, which enables managers to adapt and reconfigure systems over time as uncertainty unfolds.     

A sustainable framework for water resources management in an urban watershed: the case of Volos,Greece

The implementation of sustainable development principles in water resources management refers to an integrated management and coordination of the entirety of the actions and interventions that concern the water ecosystem, or parts of it, within a watershed. This procedure is accomplished through the development and application of an overall management plan at a hydrological basin level. This concept was followed by the water resources management plan of the city of Volos' watershed, which is presented in this paper. The main objective is the choice of the best set, among others, of hydraulic projects, which will be able to re-establish the balance in the basin's deficient water budget, satisfying at the same time future urban water demand. Decision making was carried out using a GIS tool and involved traditional water capture hydraulic projects on the one hand and sustainable water saving measures on the other. The whole procedure is being developed in an area with serious environmental problems, concerning mainly the groundwater resources. The particularity here is that the alternative solutions strongly depend on administrative agreement and consensus between relevant authorities.     

Evaluating demand management aspects of urban water policy—A field survey in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece

The objective of the paper is to investigate the attitudes and preferences of the residential water users of the city of Thessaloniki, in order to evaluate the demand management aspects of the urban water policy. A field survey has been conducted in the city of Thessaloniki and investigated among others the reliability of the utility’s services and infrastructure, the acceptability of various water demand options, the willingness to pay of the consumers and the level of public awareness. Straightforward comparisons with the results of a similar survey five years ago help extract useful remarks and conclusions concerning the shift of the urban water policy towards integrated and therefore more sustainable directions.     

The role of water utilities in urban greening: A case study of Melbourne,Australia

Melbourne's “Greening the West” (GTW) initiative is a successful example of water utilities actively supporting urban greening through facilitating collaboration between stakeholders. GTW was convened by City West Water in 2011, to bring together 23 partner organisations to protect and enhance urban greening to support community wellbeing. This research involved interviews to determine how GTW works, its challenges, factors for success, achievements, areas for improvement, future directions, and implications. It is found that the existence of GTW has resulted in an additional one million trees planted in Melbourne's western suburbs, and has caused a significant cultural shift within local government.     

Evaluating the potential of improving residential water balance at building scale

Earlier results indicated that, for an average household, self-sufficiency in water supply can be achieved by following the Urban harvest Approach (UHA), in a combination of demand minimization, cascading and multi-sourcing. To achieve these results, it was assumed that all available local resources can be harvested. In reality, however, temporal, spatial and location-bound factors pose limitations to this harvest and, thus, to self-sufficiency. This article investigates potential spatial and temporal limitations to harvest local water resources at building level for the Netherlands, with a focus on indoor demand. Two building types were studied, a free standing house (one four-people household) and a mid-rise apartment flat (28 two-person households). To be able to model yearly water balances, daily patterns considering household occupancy and presence of water using appliances were defined per building type. Three strategies were defined. The strategies include demand minimization, light grey water (LGW) recycling, and rainwater harvesting (multi-sourcing). Recycling and multi-sourcing cater for toilet flushing and laundry machine. Results showed that water saving devices may reduce 30% of the conventional demand. Recycling of LGW can supply 100% of second quality water (D_Q2) which represents 36% of the conventional demand or up to 20% of the minimized demand. Rainwater harvesting may supply approximately 80% of the minimized demand in case of the apartment flat and 60% in case of the free standing house. To harvest these potentials, different system specifications, related to the household type, are required. Two constraints to recycle and multi-source were identified, namely i) limitations in the grey water production and available rainfall; and ii) the potential to harvest water as determined by the temporal pattern in water availability, water use, and storage and treatment capacities.     

From SIF to City Fund: a new direction for urban policy in Flanders,Belgium

For years, analysts have wondered about the exceptional place that Belgium, and in particular Flanders, has taken in the urban policy landscape. Contrary to neighbouring, equally strongly urbanised Western European countries, Flanders maintained a tradition of neglect towards its urban centres, linked to the hegemony of a rural-based Christian-democratic party. In the 1990’s, this tradition was converted into an urban policy approach which, equally at odds with developments towards urban entrepreneurialism in other Western European countries, remained strongly oriented towards social policy. Only in 1999, when, for the first time in 50 years Christian-democrats resigned from government, the Flemish discourse took a more pro-urban and entrepreneurial approach. This paper shows how this discursive shift at the regional scale is reflected in local urban policy-making practices and warns against the detrimental social effects it might have on the field.

台湾旧城保护与更新城市设计策略初探

针对台湾在历史建筑、街区的保存维护中形成的注重再发展思维，分析了台湾地区在保存维护历史建筑、街区过程中形成的一些有益的、成功的策略，以促进大陆地区历史建筑、街区的保护。     

A decision support model to aid the management of crises in urban water supply systems (the UWC-MODEL)

The objective of this study was to develop a model for crisis management in urban water supply systems, able to assist the decision-making process to deal with the urban water crisis (UWC) by those responsible for these systems. The research methodology used for model development consisted of the following steps: (1) development of a decision support model for cases of crises in urban water supply systems (UWC-MODEL); (2) performing the sensitivity analysis of the UWC-MODEL; (3) verifying the UWC-MODEL; and (4) application of the UWC-MODEL. Different levels (socio-economic, management, urban, environmental and cultural) of the UWC problem were considered in the UWC-MODEL. It was based on the similarity between a weak UWC situation (or absence), strong UWC situation (or severe) and the actual case. Results of the application of the UWC-MODEL to the Administrative Region of Brasilia, in the Federal District of Brazil, indicated that actions related to cultural and environmental levels demonstrated a greater contribution for combating UWC. Actions such as environmental education programs, water conservation programs, and use of water saving equipment, were indicated by the UWC-MODEL to solve the UWC problem in this application to the real case.     

Blue-green architecture: A case study analysis considering the synergetic effects of water and vegetation

Blue–green infrastructure is a network of natural and near-natural areas that has a positive effect on the quality of urban environment. This multifunctional planning approach addresses different issues and objectives depending on whether the focus is on the blue (water) or the green (vegetation) elements. Green-motivated projects aim to densify urban vegetation and include the growing sector of building greening. A good climatic effect of vegetation can be achieved by sufficient irrigation. In many cases, this approach results in additional water requirements. Blue-motivated projects consider water accumulation in cities (e.g., by heavy rainfall) as a waste product and look for solutions for local drainage and evaporation. These planning approaches offer only one-sided solutions and create no sufficient interfaces between water availability and water demand. Based on four case studies, this work examines the extent to which blue–green projects take advantage of the possibilities for the synergetic use of resources. The projects are analyzed graphically by applying the daily tools of architects as a scientific method. A graphic presentation of the blue and green components makes existing solutions and missing links visible. Analytical results show that buildings can be considered to be an interface for blue–green systems. Moreover, the possible synergies are often overlooked during the planning process. This fact highlights the need for a new planning approach that interlinks blue and green aspects that are already in the early planning stages.     

Rainwater harvesting for domestic use: A systematic review and outlook from the utility policy and management perspectives

In recent years, water insecurity has been reported as a problem of worldwide concern. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) for some domestic uses is regarded as a path out of this situation. However, in some localities, RWH has been the sole water source for all domestic and non-domestic uses. In recent times, research in RWH has gained more traction from the operationalization and engineering perspectives. However, for direct rainwater usage to become a societal norm and generate significant societal benefits, studies in RWH must assess the alignment of outcomes from policy and management perspectives. Therefore, a comprehensive literature review of 83 collated papers on RWH is conducted in two stages. First, a systematic review of the literature is performed to identify the thematic content (structure of the literature, problem orientation), contextual application (technical and social considerations), and theoretical alignment scope (neo-institutional theory, agency theory, and ecological modernization theory). Second, gaps in the literature are identified, and theoretical alignment of the ideas from policy and management perspectives is proposed to advance RWH research. Key findings are: (1) despite RWH being aimed to provide social benefits, the present literature is constrained in supporting social policy-making and management of rainwater as a public utility system; (2) policy and governance frameworks that include socio-economic and socio-environmental pragmatism are needed to achieve RWH programs realistically; and (3) modeling of RWH systems requires considering spatial variabilities, policy evaluations, and governing theories. RWH has the potential to have a central position in water resource management worldwide.     

Visual threshold carrying capacity (VTCC) in urban landscape management: A case study of Seoul, Korea

The deterioration of the landscape in downtown Seoul has resulted mainly from the cumulative effects of large-scale developments. This article presents the Visual Threshold Carrying Capacity (VTCC) approach for maintaining and enhancing the landscape quality of the area. VTCC can be generally defined as the visual standard by which the value and significance of landscapes can be maintained. Using GIS and computer graphics techniques, VTCCs in this study are analyzed in two main respects: (1) the visibility of landscape resources, and (2) street scale. Subsequently, areas for intensive landscape management can be identified based upon the VTCCs established. The VTCC approach presented in this article integrates visual considerations with the process of developmental decision-making and thereby establishes a visually sound framework for the formulation of development proposals. Further research however, should be conducted to test the transferability and applicability of this approach to other urban landscapes and their related problems.     

Multi-criteria spatial decision analysis for forecasting urban water requirements: a case study of Dehradun city, India

A uniform spatial water distribution system will help in distributing domestic water equally to all places with proper pressure. It will avoid the probable risk of failure in the complete distribution system and can make the system cost effective. In the present study a scientific approach has been adopted to compute drinking water requirements at present and in the near future in a spatial environment using multi-criteria decision analysis techniques. Drinking water problems in the city of Dehradun, India, have been studied and causes of drinking water scarcity have been analysed. Different thematic layers required for the study such as, road network map, landuse/landcover, have been prepared in a Geographic Information System environment using very high-resolution digital data of IKONOS satellite coupled with the field data. Future drinking water demand areas have been identified considering numerous variables such as: distance from the main city, road distance, topographic slopes, landuse/landcover, present population density, soils, floodplains, and the existing water supply system. A questionnaire has been conducted to compute the weights for these variables. Additional supplies that have to be provided for the next two decades have been computed and analysed with the present supply system. A spatial future water demand map has been prepared to produce more thorough and accurate means of assessing city development, and allow the planning and construction of optimum and efficient water supply system.     

The history of urban growth management in South Africa: tracking the origin and current status of urban edge policies in three metropolitan municipalities

ABSTRACT

For many cities in the Global South, colonialism played a dominant role in shaping their urban form. The historical objective of planning in colonial mother-cities was dealing with poor health and living conditions, therefore a planning approach similar to that followed in post-war Britain would appear beneficial in post-colonial cities, characterized by environmental and physical infrastructure unable to cope with massive population growth. Urban growth management is a discourse born in an attempt to control the growing industrial city in the early twentieth century, and in recent years applied through instruments such as urban edges or growth boundaries to limit urban sprawl and encourage higher density urban development. In South Africa, the principles of compaction and urban growth management formed part of the post-apartheid planning agenda towards transforming the inefficient and fragmented landscape inherited from separate spatial development. Consequently, urban edges and urban growth boundaries formed key components of municipal spatial planning frameworks since the early 2000s. The purpose of this paper is to explore the origin and status of urban edges in three metropolitan municipalities in South Africa to aid in understanding of these spatial instruments in the south.     

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) contamination of fish in urban lakes: A prioritization methodology for lake management

The contamination of urban lakes by anthropogenic pollutants such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a worldwide environmental problem. Large-scale, long-term monitoring of urban lakes requires careful prioritization of available resources, focusing efforts on potentially impaired lakes. Herein, a database of PFOS concentrations in 304 fish caught from 28 urban lakes was used for development of an urban-lake prioritization framework by means of exploratory data analysis (EDA) with the aid of a geographical information system. The prioritization scheme consists of three main tiers: preliminary classification, carried out by hierarchical cluster analysis; predictor screening, fulfilled by a regression tree method; and model development by means of a neural network. The predictive performance of the newly developed model was assessed using a training/validation splitting method and determined by an external validation set. The application of the model in the U.S. state of Minnesota identified 40 urban lakes that may contain elevated levels of PFOS; these lakes were not previously considered in PFOS monitoring programs. The model results also highlight ongoing industrial/commercial activities as a principal determinant of PFOS pollution in urban lakes, and suggest vehicular traffic as an important source and surface runoff as a primary pollution carrier. In addition, the EDA approach was further compared to a spatial interpolation method (kriging), and their advantages and disadvantages were discussed.     

Ecological network analysis of an urban water metabolic system: Model development, and a case study for Beijing

Using ecological network analysis, we analyzed the network structure and ecological relationships in an urban water metabolic system. We developed an ecological network model for the system, and used Beijing as an example of analysis based on the model. We used network throughflow analysis to determine the flows among components, and measured both indirect and direct flows. Using a network utility matrix, we determined the relationships and degrees of mutualism among six compartments - 1) local environment, 2) rainwater collection, 3) industry, 4) agriculture, 5) domestic sector, and 6) wastewater recycling - which represent producer, consumer, and reducer trophic levels. The capacity of producers to provide water for Beijing decreased from 2003 to 2007, and consumer demand for water decreased due to decreasing industrial and agricultural demand; the recycling capacity of reducers also improved, decreasing the discharge pressure on the environment. The ecological relationships associated with the local environment or the wastewater recycling sector changed little from 2003 to 2007. From 2003 to 2005, the main changes in the ecological relationships among components of Beijing's water metabolic system mostly occurred between the local environment, the industrial and agricultural sectors, and the domestic sector, but by 2006 and 2007, the major change was between the local environment, the agricultural sector, and the industrial sector. The other ecological relationships did not change during the study period. Although Beijing's mutualism indices remained generally stable, the ecological relationships among compartments changed greatly. Our analysis revealed ways to further optimize this system and the relationships among compartments, thereby optimizing future urban water resources development.     

城市边缘区的城市设计策略研究——以莱芜市钢城区永兴路为例

通过对莱芜市钢城边缘区永兴路的空间解读,提出了构建整体性城市设计的目标,重点通过对带形区域的功能定位、城市空间形态重新进行评估和认识,对土地资源进行整合,研究确定城市边缘区城市设计的策略。     

Multiple dimensions of urban design development from a practice perspective:A case study of an institute in Nanjing

The rapid urbanization process in China has promoted the active state of urban design practice.In the process of solving complex problems,the practical scope of urban design has gradually expanded.This paper took a design institution in Nanjing as a case study and sorted the trends in design project types and themes over the past 20 years,which pre-sented a partial and diverse state of evolution in urban design practice.Concept,technology and management were extracted as the three main dimensions of cognitive urban design prac-tice development.The relative positions and relationships of different types of urban design work were interpreted through mapping analysis of these three dimensions.This study pro-vided a foundation for the practical orientation of urban design in China and a platform for communication among managers,urban design practitioners,scholars of related disciplines,and the public.     

A review of residential water conservation tool performance and influences on implementation effectiveness

Water scarcity and household water consumption has received increasing attention on national public agendas in recent years. At the same time a number of important demand-side management (DSM) studies have been reported on by non-academic institutions, and there is a need for a comprehensive, up to date review of the impacts of DSM tools and the factors which influence their effectiveness. This paper aims to address an apparent lack of coverage in the academic literature by presenting a review of residential DSM tools using reports of recent DSM campaigns in the western (developed) world. The central objectives are to understand the potential for residential DSM tools to save water in different types of household under varying conditions and to identify influences on implementation effectiveness. In the discussion, we explore causes of uncertainty in DSM planning including the non-transferability of trends and existing methods of evaluation, and describe some of the resulting problems. The conclusions offer recommendations as to areas that require, and offer the greatest scope, for future research. This review article will be of interest to, among others, water company professionals, policy makers, regulators, researchers, and environmental agencies.