Ending the cycle of poverty through socio-economic integration: A comparison of Moving to Opportunity (MTO) in the United States and the Bijlmermeer Revival Project in the Netherlands

In many advanced industrialized countries, one trend in housing programs has been to attempt to reduce the intergenerational transmission of poverty and other social problems through the “de-concentration” of urban poverty. In this article, we compare two re-location and urban renewal programs in the United States and the Netherlands, that we argue are based, in part, on assumptions about neighbourhood effects. This neighbourhood effects literature contends that living in close proximity to other impoverished people has a negative effect on the behaviour, dispositions, and welfare of low-income individuals, particularly children. Specifically, this article compares the “Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing Experiment” (MTO) in the United States and the “Bijlmermeer Revitalization Project” in the Netherlands.     

Understanding the Underrepresentation of Qualitative Research Approaches to Built Environment Research in Nigeria

There is evidence that scholars in some countries, including Nigeria, primarily employ the quantitative approach to research, and that in some cases this approach is used inappropriately. This leaves research questions that should be tackled from a qualitative standpoint either unaddressed or incorrectly addressed. The aim of this study is to understand why the qualitative approach (QA) has failed to gain similar recognition in Nigeria and other countries, and by extension, the disposition of researchers towards its use. The impact of the disposition of researchers toward QA was also explored. Researchers in the various built environment (BE) disciplines in Nigeria were interviewed. The results revealed that there is a preference for quantitative research, while QAs are used if convenient. Furthermore, the study revealed that the educational background of academics and their poor understanding of the qualitative paradigm explain their disposition toward the adoption of the QA in research. This finding suggests that academic followers instead of leaders are being produced, and that research is done for ad hominem promotion. In advancing the understanding of QA in BE research in Nigeria, this study also draws the attention of stakeholders in the academia to the implications of a preference by researchers for quantitative research.     

Comparing deconcentrating poverty policies in the United States and the Netherlands: A critical reply to Stal and Zuberi

This paper is a critical reply to an article by Stal and Zuberi, in which they compare two policies which deconcentrate poverty in the US and the Netherlands. By drawing lessons from a renewal program in the Netherlands, they suggest several ways to help break the ‘cycle of poverty’. We distinguish at least three fundamental flaws in their argument. After discussing these flaws, we discuss renewal in Dutch cities and issues related to displacement and social networks. We conclude with a reflection on the nature of comparative urban research.     

Land Redevelopment and the Built Environment in Third-Wave Cities: Review and Synthesis

I seek to synthesize several different approaches to issues of urban land redevelopment and the built environment. The essay focuses on developments in the third and current historical wave of capitalist development. I describe the economic logic of land-use change with reference to both commercial and residential property. This logic has become intimately intertwined with global finance and this state of affairs has introduced new elements of fluidity and risk into the built environment. Issues of urban policy and the role of municipal authorities in shaping urban land markets are then considered. I describe how local government agencies increasingly pursue development projects in complex partnerships with representatives of the real-estate industry. In the second half of the paper, the overall argument is recast by reference to three important trends in regard to land-redevelopment and the built environment in third-wave cities, namely, the economic and architectural renaissance of central business districts, the widespread gentrification of inner-city neighborhoods, and the emergence of a new post-suburban phase of peripheral urban expansion.     

An analysis of the bioclimates in different climates and implications for the built environment in China

Underlying trends of long-term summer and winter discomfort in terms of heat and cold stresses in the nine major thermal climate zones and sub-zones across China were investigated using 102-year (1901–2002) weather data. In severe cold climates, winter discomfort dominated (about 66%) and the comfort index (CI) varied from −5 (extremely cold) to +2 (hot). A gradual shift from predominantly negative CI to positive CI was observed as one moved across the climate zones from the north to warmer climates in the south. Temperature rise resulted in less discomfort in the winter and more discomfort in the summer. Though the reduction in cold stress and increase in heat stress were moderate during the 102-year period, the last two decades tended to exhibit the largest changes. It is envisaged that if these trends continue, changes in cold and heat stresses in the 21st century would be much greater than those experienced during the 20th century. This could have significant implications for building designs and energy use in the built environment.     

健康城市理念下社区建成空间环境研究与治理--由某农贸市场突发公共卫生事件引发的规划思考

在城乡可持续发展越来越强调"以人民为中心"的大背景下,如何系统、精准、人本地处理好城市社区建成空间环境、人的行为以及行为所产生的结果之间的复杂联系,始终是城市规划研究的核心议题。文章尝试以市井文化传承载体-农贸市场为切入点,结合设施空间分布与微观时空行为序列分析,探讨社区公共服务体系的科学配置和基层社区生活圈的健康组织模式,提出面向未来健康城市的社区建成空间环境治理途径和组织机制,旨在为营造健康完整的社区提供科学合理的基础支撑。     

Response of suspended beams due to moving loads and vertical seismic ground excitations

In this paper, the vibration of a suspension bridge due to moving loads of equidistant, identical forces and shaken by vertical support motions caused by earthquake is studied. The suspension bridge is modelled as a single-span suspended beam. To conduct the beam vibration with time-dependent boundary conditions, the total response of the suspended beam is decomposed into two parts: the quasistatic component and the dynamic part based on the decomposition method. Since the quasi-static component of the suspended beam under the static action of multiple support motions has been obtained analytically, the remaining dynamic part can be solved using Galerkin’s method. The numerical results indicate that the contribution of higher modes on the maximum acceleration of the suspended beams to moving loads will become significant as the propagation effect and multiple support motions of seismic waves in the subsoil of bridge supports has been taken into account.     

架空在滨水建筑中的运用及其价值

架空作为一种古老的手法，在许多地形环境中都有应用。本文就专门探讨底部架空在滨水建筑应用中的具体实例，从中挖掘出其个性价值，以期待对我们现今的滨水建筑设计实践及城市滨水区规划有所启迪。     

Integrating algae building technology in the built environment: A cost and benefit perspective

Energy consumption rates have been rising globally at an escalating pace since the last three decades. The exploration of new renewable and clean sources of energy globally is thus gaining prime importance. In Australia, coal is still the primary source of energy, which, during the process of energy production, generates greenhouse gases, subsequently resulting in environmental degradation. Within this context, the paper compares the economic and environmental benefits of utilizing two renewable energy production sources: algae building technology (ABT) and solar PV panels. A case study site for retrofitting a specified area on the front façade of a multi-storied building at the University of Technology Sydney, City Campus, Australia was thus chosen for the study. A cost and benefit analysis model using the following performance indicators; return on investment, payback period as well as net present value of the two systems, was thus initiated. Annual revenue generation of both systems which included tangible and intangible benefits of both systems were simultaneously calculated. The investment and operation and maintenance costs of both systems were calculated based on market research as well as quantitative data adapted from our literature review. Our conclusions show that closed tubular photobioreactor systems have more benefit than solar panel system from an environmental impact perspective considering Australia's current struggle with water scarcity, drought, air pollution and carbon emission reduction goals.     

Promoting wellbeing at university: the role of resilience for students of the built environment

Resilience is positively linked to academic engagement and achievement, and contributes to students’ mental health and wellbeing. Research was undertaken to measure the resilience of students undertaking studies in the built environment, identify the factors which contribute to high or low levels of student resilience and explore the relationship between resilience and wellbeing. Survey data were collected from 410 undergraduate students from Melbourne, Australia. Results identified that of the six components of resilience, students scored highest on building networks, staying healthy, interacting cooperatively and living authentically, and lowest in maintaining perspective. Experience, university policy and the interaction between the university, work and home environments was found to contribute to student resilience. Results also identified that resilience is an antecedent of student wellbeing. A conceptual model of resilience and student wellbeing is presented which draws on the ecological systems model. Universities can actively support student wellbeing by fostering resilience. Resilience can be developed by embedding resilience-building strategies within course structures, learning activities and assessment tasks. Universities can implement policies and procedures and offer assets and resources which create a learning environment that supports resilience-building behaviour.     

Measuring the built environment of green transit-oriented development: A factor-cluster analysis of rail station areas in Singapore

Green transit-oriented development (TOD) is an evolution of the TOD theory, influenced by sustainable development and green urbanism. This advancement expands the environmental and ecological dimensions of conventional TOD. However, relevant research has only just started, particularly in combination with high-density cities in Asia. This study measures the built environment of Green TOD and identifies the key factors and characteristics of the Green TOD built environment. An evaluation method for the Green TOD built environment is developed on the basis of the 5D (density, diversity, design, destination, and distance) built environment framework and combined with green urbanism theories. Data from 23 rail station areas in Singapore were collected and analyzed using factor and cluster analysis. Five factors, namely, neighborhood spatial form factor, facility completeness factor, open space factor, high-density mixed land-use factor, and walking amenity factor, are extracted. Twenty-three station areas are classified into five clusters. The characteristics and optimization strategies of each cluster are analyzed on the basis of the statistical and graphical analyses. This research displays the characteristics and typology of the Green TOD built environment in an empirical way and offers a foundation for further research in diverse urban contexts.     

建成环境“前传”—— 英国建造史研究

文章介绍了欧美视野下的建造史的内涵,回顾了1982年英国建造史协会成立的缘起,并追溯了萨默森爵士借1985年《建造史》创刊提出的建造世界的历史景观。文章从帕克斯顿和水晶宫的案例引出,介绍了英国建造史的研究范畴、当下成果和方法。文章最后讨论了建造史研究国际化的趋势和意义,兼及对中国研究的启发。     

Exploring the influence of the built environment on human experience through a neuroscience approach: A systematic review

The built environment provides a habitat for the most sophisticated mammal in our universe, the human being. Developments in science and technology are forcing us to reconsider the priority of human needs in current theories of architecture and the built environment. Newly developed theories and methodologies in neuroscience have allowed us to improve and deepen our knowledge of human experience in the built environment. The potential of the relationship between neuroscience and architecture for knowledge creation generates an increasing interest in theoretical and methodological approaches to explore this intersection. Thus, a common ground on which to conduct interdisciplinary studies investigating developing and emerging concepts at the intersection must be established. However, few reviews in the literature have systematically examined developing and emerging concepts at the intersection of neuroscience and architecture. The present review aims to examine the existing literature systematically to explain the influence of the built environment on human experience by using approaches from neuroscience by examining the conceptualizations in the field. The study is conducted as a systematic qualitative review that analyzes and synthesizes the developing and emerging concepts that have appeared in the ever-evolving literature. The study concludes with an overall discussion about these concepts as a means of deeply understanding the influence of the built environment on human experience, responses to the environment based on approaches from neuroscience, and their potential for providing further directions for future research.     

Study on dynamic characteristics of natural and mechanical wind in built environment using spectral analysis

What are the differences and similarities between natural and mechanical wind in built environment? This is an interesting question that has not been well answered yet. In the paper, spectral analysis is applied to study the dynamic characteristics of natural and mechanical wind in different conditions. The results show that in the frequency region sensitive to human sensation, the power spectrum characteristics of natural wind and mechanical wind have obvious differences as well as interesting connections. The power spectrum exponent (β$\beta$ value) of natural wind is between 1.1 and 2.0 in the human sensitive frequency region, while the value of mechanical wind is between 0 and 0.5 around the air supply outlet. With the diffusion of mechanical wind, β$\beta$ value will increase gradually and reach the value of the typical natural wind when the mean velocity is lower than 0.25 m/s. Finally, the influence of spectral characteristics on human sensation for airflow is discussed.     

墙外·墙内：20世纪后期的住宅及其研究分野之形成

随着住宅研究在20世纪后期更全面地转向非乡土语境,在研究中出现了一种建筑形式与家庭生活之间、外壳与内容之间的张力,一种统治与抵抗的范式:一方面把墙外的建筑形式看作经济和政治力量的影响范围,对建筑外壳、社区形式的研究较多地参与到更宏观语境的讨论中;另一方面又把墙内个体化的空间实践看作对统治模式的抵制与反抗,对内部空间、家庭生活的研究更多地把分离、附着、流动之特性作为主角,与消费、女性等主题紧密地关联在一起。这种分野,提出了现代生活全面展开之后个体家庭值得关注的一种困境。     

提高建筑环境学课程教学效果的措施

提出应从课堂教学和实践教学两个方面来提高建筑环境学课程的教学效果。在课堂教学中使学生系统地掌握该课程的基础理论知识并了解课程研究领域国内外最新研究成果;在实践教学中培养学生的应用能力和创新能力。     

百色市那毕大道沿线环境影响分析

分析了那毕大道沿线的环境状况，充分论证那毕大道的建设所产生的环境影响，其中包括其自然环境、建设中的环境影响、建成后的环境影响，为那毕大道的建设实施提供参考依据。     

试论现代城市环境设计中的传统文化性

对城市环境的传统文化性进行了分析，提出了发展城市环境设计的个性特色的方法，通过对西安城市环境的研究，解决了怎样融合和继承传统文化的问题，以体现西安的个性特色。     

建成环境暴露测度的方法转变 — —从基于固定居住地和GIS数据到基于个体移动性和影像数据

个体建成环境暴露对健康的影响是健康城市研究领域的关键问题。对于建成环境暴露的测度方法,近年相关研究多用GIS数据测度建成环境特征,基于5D理论指标来衡量建成环境暴露情况,以居住地附近作为个体全天建成环境暴露的测度范围。现有方法存在两方面的问题：一是在暴露的测度指标和测度数据方面,较少关注影像数据评估所能反映的人本尺度建成环境特征;二是暴露的测度空间方面,由于较少考虑人的移动性而存在显著的暴露估计误差。而基于影像数据的建成环境暴露研究还没有考虑人的移动性。随着科学技术的发展,建成环境暴露测度可用的工具方法越来越丰富,呼吁今后的建成环境暴露研究中,在测度数据上关注可反映人本尺度建成环境品质的影像数据,在测度范围上考虑个体的移动性。提出基于个体移动性和影像数据的两种建成环境暴露测度方法,一是通过个体时空轨迹叠加街景图片空间分布底图,二是通过个体佩戴穿戴相机的方法测度建成环境暴露。建成环境暴露测度新方法的将助力健康城市新理论的探索。     

浅谈居住区景观环境中的人性化设计应用

从社区的自然环境、交往空间的创造、环境设施的配置、人文景观、居住区等方面阐述了居住区环境设计的特点,指出在现代居住区景观规划与设计中,强调以人为本的规划设计原则,充分满足人自身的需要,强调人与自然的和谐统一是公共空间环境规划设计的关键。