Ethnic Neighbourhoods in Auckland,New Zealand

Using the 2006 New Zealand Census data, we examine the spatial clustering of the four largest ethnic minority groups—Chinese, Indian, Māori and Samoan—in Auckland. To guide our analysis, we employ three theoretical models—the immigrant enclave, ethnic community and place stratification models—that have helped explain the residential patterns of ethnic minority groups in immigrant destination countries. The results of spatial autocorrelation analysis show that all four ethnic minority groups form ethnic neighbourhoods. Indian neighbourhoods are more reflective of the immigrant enclave model as these neighbourhoods are socio-economically impoverished and have a higher percentage of foreign born. On the other hand, Chinese neighbourhoods are better explained by the ethnic community model, which describes an ethnic neighbourhood based more on preference than economic necessity. While the overall findings conform to patterns found in other countries, the severely socially deprived characteristics of Samoan and Māori neighbourhoods are reflective of the place stratification model.     

新西兰奥克兰大学商学院新楼

FJMT和Archimedia共同设计了新西兰奥克兰大学商学院新楼。这一崭新的地标式建筑象征着卓越、创新、进步与开放。建筑设计的灵感来源于自然景观,城市规划以及毛利人文化遗产三者的融合,由一系列玻璃窗和不锈钢条构成的流动开放的建筑形式,仿佛是敞开的怀抱,迎接着人们的到来,     

Contamination of potable roof-collected rainwater in Auckland, New Zealand

One-hundred and twenty-five domestic roof-collected rainwater supplies in four rural Auckland districts were investigated in a cross-sectional survey to determine water quality. Samples of cold faucet water were analysed for physico-chemical and microbiological determinands, including metals (zinc, copper and lead), bacterial indicator organisms--heterotrophic plate count (HPC), total coilforms (TC), faecal coliforms (FC), enterococci (ENT), bacterial pathogens including Salmonella spp., Legionella spp., Campylobacter spp., Aeromonas spp. and the protozoa, Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Twenty-two supplies (17.6%) exceeded one or more of the maximum acceptable values (MAV) or maximum guideline values for chemical determinands of the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards (NZDWS) and 70 (56.0%) supplies exceeded the microbiological criteria of < 1 FC/100 mL. Eighteen supplies (14.4%) exceeded the NZDWS MAV for lead of 0.01 mg/L and three (2.4%) exceeded that for copper, of 2 mg/L. Those supplies with lead or galvanised iron comprising part of the roof or collecting system were more likely to show lead contamination (p = 0.019) as were those supplies with a pH less than 7 (p = 0.013). The presence of the indicator organisms HPC, TC, FC and ENT were all significantly correlated with one another. Aeromonas spp. were identified in 20 (16.0%) supplies. There was a positive association between the presence of Aeromonas and the bacterial indicator organisms. Households reporting at least one member with gastrointestinal symptoms in the month prior to sampling, were more likely to have Aeromonas spp. identified in their water supply than those households without symptoms (odds ratio 3.22, 95% CI 1.15-9.01, p = 0.021). Salmonella typhimurium was detected in one of 115 (0.9%) supplies. Legionella spp. and Campylobacter spp. were not detected. There were 50 supplies sampled for protozoa (sampling criteria: > or = 30 FC or > or = 60 ENT). Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 2 (4%) of these. Giardia was not detected. This study demonstrates that roof-collected rainwater systems provide potable supplies of relatively poor physiochemical and microbiological quality in the Auckland area. Further research is required on Aeromonas spp. as potential indicators of both microbiological quality and health risk along with design and maintenance strategies to minimise contamination of potable roof-collected rainwater supplies.     

Meanings of housing qualities in suburbia: empirical evidence from Auckland, New Zealand

Housing research has mostly addressed notions of housing qualities either from a quantitative approach or through the provision and availability of housing. The literature has predominantly focused on physical structures, often neglecting residents’ experiences of the built environment. Including individuals’ perceptions of their dwelling environment can add insights valuable to planning and design efforts which are aimed at providing good ‘quality’ and need to be taken into account in concepts of housing quality. The present study considers the housing qualities of a suburban built environment as psychological and socio-cultural aspects that are experienced by residents. Owner-occupants’ perceptions of housing quality are illustrated through the use of ‘tag clouds’ that represent visual dwelling-quality profiles. They highlight which attributes of the occupants’ living environment are meaningful to them and how they achieve a greater sense of belonging in the dwelling as well as in the neighbourhood. This paper draws on results from in-depth interviews and brainstorming about housing qualities with 19 owner-occupants in the suburb of Farm Cove in Manukau City in the Auckland Region, New Zealand. Two predominant age groups were identified in this case study: the elderly long-term residents who moved to the area in the 1970s during the time of suburbanization; and families in their thirties and early forties who moved to the area in recent years. The paper reveals a shift in experienced housing qualities from tangible among the younger cohort towards more intangible qualities among the elderly. An assessment of the findings suggests a need for future planning which caters for more heterogeneous housing qualities.     

Urban Intensification in Auckland,New Zealand: A Challenge for New Urbanism

Medium Density Housing (MDH) is a relatively new form of housing in New Zealand where the standalone house on a separate lot has traditionally been revered. This paper reports on the findings of a research project on Ambrico Place, a major MDH initiative in Waitakere City, one of four cities in the Auckland metropolitan area. This case study explores the development of a site that has been significantly influenced by new urbanist principles. The paper provides an overview of the historical and political context influencing the take up of MDH in Auckland. It briefly reviews theory and principles arising from new urbanist movements then describes the Ambrico Place Research Project. Next, it explores three interrelated issues, relevant to new urbanism, that arose from the research; the quality of the built environment, community and social interaction, and transport patterns of MDH residents. Implications for planning are identified. Finally, three problems are noted: the uncritical and incoherent implementation of new urbanist principles; the contradiction between the drives for both diversity and homogeneity in the built environment; and the tensions arising from the application of an environmental effects-based approach to planning in an urban setting.     

Source apportionment of fine and coarse atmospheric particles in Auckland, New Zealand

Atmospheric fine particles (with a diameter less than 2.5 microm) and coarse particles (with a diameter between 2.5 and 10 microm) were collected simultaneously at an urban background site in Auckland, New Zealand, in the summer and winter of 2003. Major water-soluble ions, black carbon (BC), and some elements in the samples were analysed, and the data compiled into two sets. Selected trace gases (NH3, HONO, HNO3, and SO2) were also collected at the same time. Application of positive matrix factorisation to the particle data resolved five sources for the fine particles and five for the coarse particles. Weighted multiple linear regression was used to investigate the mass contributions of the sources. It was found that although natural sources had significant contributions to the coarse particles, anthropogenic sources dominated the contributions to the fine particles, particularly in winter. Significant seasonal changes of the sources were observed. Overall, sea salt and wind-blown soil had significantly stronger contributions in the summer; in contrast, the winter contribution of vehicle emissions, road dust, and industry and incineration sources was significantly higher. These seasonal changes may be explained by variations in meteorological conditions and atmospheric chemistry. The nonparametric correlations between the atmospheric concentrations of the trace gases and the mass contributions of the resolved sources demonstrate that these sources are realistic, providing a useful supplementary approach for the assessment of receptor modelling.     

Housing Intensification in Auckland,New Zealand: Implications for Children and Families

While commonplace throughout most of the world, inner-city apartments have often been perceived as unsuitable for children in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, where discourses of houses, gardens and open spaces as being desirable sites for children prevail. However, increasing awareness of the need for environmental sustainability has placed the viability of sprawling suburbs in question. As city centres intensify, more families are moving into inner-city apartments. In a study carried out in response to this change, in-depth interviews with parents living in Auckland's CBD found that key drivers were affordability, less reliance on cars and the convenience of the central location. Drawbacks included poor quality apartment design and lack of play space for children, both inside apartment complexes and outdoors. Fears about children's safety were strong. An assessment of the findings raises questions about the social sustainability of recent apartment developments in Auckland, particularly for families.     

Kids in the City: Children's Use and Experiences of Urban Neighbourhoods in Auckland,New Zealand

Cities are largely designed for adults and cars, not children. Auckland City's new ‘children first’ approach signals a shift in policy focus to consider the needs of children. The authors' ‘Kids in the City’ research is helping inform this approach by providing policy-relevant information about children's use and experiences of nine Auckland neighbourhoods, suburban and inner-city, using trip diaries, child-led walk-along interviews and discussion groups. The children were neighbourhood key informants and co-producers of knowledge who reported on their environments, discussed what they liked and disliked, their safety concerns and their limited mobility, and made suggestions for more ‘child-friendly’ neighbourhoods.     

The Production and Politics of Urban Knowledge: Contesting Transport in Auckland,New Zealand

Expert technical knowledge has a central role in decision-making for urban transport and is subject to public scrutiny for major investments. This paper examines how expertise is produced and contested by advocacy groups in Auckland, New Zealand. A network of advocates has emerged, garnering considerable influence as “experts” on urban transport and planning. In response to the perceived over-reliance on outdated approaches to transport, advocates mobilised alternative expertise using blogs and social media. Internet platforms enabled groups to extend the public sphere online, creating spaces for deliberation and contestation. Their activities targeted the technocratic logics embedded in forecasting models, reasserted transport infrastructure’s function as urban space, and highlighted how transport infrastructure shapes everyday experience. This case shows how advocates countered the postpolitical condition by re-ordering the polity of transport in Auckland. Advocates have been instrumental in appropriating globally mobile policies and successfully promoted improvements to public transport and cycling. However, those interviewed showed limited consideration of equity issues related to income, race and gender. This raises questions over whether the expertise mobilised favoured privileged groups, as advocates may be unaware of marginalisation that they rarely experience themselves. Alliances with community groups and local researchers can support broader engagement with distributional issues.     

Trace element concentrations in hair of healthy Chinese centenarians

Trace element concentrations, as indicators of micronutrient status of healthy centenarians, have not been widely analyzed. This study aimed to assess trace element concentrations in the hair of healthy centenarians. The effects of gender and age on element concentrations were also investigated. Eleven trace elements (Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Pb, Se, Sr and Zn) in the scalp hair of 107 healthy Chinese centenarians were examined. The overall reference values (RVs) in mg/kg for the hair concentrations of trace elements in centenarians were as follows: Al, 14.95; Ba, 2.68; Cd, 0.06; Cr, 0.59; Cu, 6.21); Fe, 19.37; Mo, 0.50; Pb, 4.64; Se, 0.37; Sr, 4.84; and Zn, 154.37. Data analysis found that only Cu and Zn concentrations show a normal distribution, and there is no significant difference between males and females in any element except Zn. However, the levels of Al, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mo, Pb decrease and the levels of Ba, Cu, Se, Sr, Zn increase with age in the centenarian cohort. Results also revealed that sufficient Zn and Se concentrations as well as low exposure to heavy metals pollution contribute to the longevity of centenarians. The results imply the possibility of manipulating trace element concentrations, especially Zn and Se concentrations in tissues, as a means for therapeutic modality in geriatric disease.     

公众参与下新西兰奥克兰植物园建设经验及启示

公众参与是现代城市公园规划建设的一项重要议题。新西兰植物园建设管理成果显著,产生了良好的社会价值,对城市公共生活和生态环境发挥了重要的作用,这得益于新西兰围绕“植物园之友”展开的全面、系统的公众参与机制。以新西兰奥克兰植物园为例,阐述其依据公众调查信息完善规划与建设的措施与做法,剖析“植物园之友”制度下植物园公众参与的管理体系、公众活动组织和运营养护的方法,总结公众参与下新西兰植物园的建设经验。针对中国植物园发展中面临的问题,从提高公众参与度、培育社区合作组织、构建公众参与体系三方面探讨了中国植物园如何建立广泛、有效的公共参与机制,实现植物园的多元化服务效益和文化潜能,推进我国公园城市的建设与发展。     

Trace element concentrations in blood of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from the Wadden Sea

Concentrations of 23 elements (Be, Al, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Pd, Cd, Sn, Pt, Pb) were evaluated in whole blood samples of live harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from two different locations in the Wadden Sea, the Lorenzenplate in Germany, and the Danish island R?m?. Elemental blood levels were compared to data from literature of seals, other marine mammals and humans. While homeostatically controlled elements showed no differences, concentrations of As, Cr, Mn, Mo, Se, and V were higher than human levels. Furthermore, animals from both locations showed significant geographical differences in whole blood concentrations of Al, Mn, Cu, and Pt. These findings could be explained by differences in feeding areas. The element pattern was not affected by gender. In conclusion, these findings indicate an impact of the environment on biochemical blood parameters of the harbor seals. The significant differences of elements in blood samples of two groups of seals, which were associated with geographical variations of prey support the use of element pattern in blood as tool for investigation of environmental impact on seals.     

行动研究:新西兰奥克兰大学城市设计工作坊教学方法及借鉴

作为空间发展和治理工具,国土空间规划体系中城市设计是实现国土空间高质量发展的重要支撑,如何培养与之相适应的城市设计人才是当前城市设计教学改革关注的焦点。新西兰奥克兰大学城市设计课程采用行动研究式工作坊特色教学,注重城市设计人才空间设计和治理能力培养,其经验值得我国高校城市设计教学参考和借鉴。奥克兰大学城市设计工作坊教学秉持CPS创新性教学理念,以行动研究为特色,注重学生的学术素养、批判思维、决策能力、研究独立性和社会责任感等综合能力培养。城市设计工作坊教学包括现状调查、发现问题、观点产生、找出解决方案和形成解决策略五个环节,教学内容涵盖空间设计和治理实施等系列课程。通过讲座、调研、阅读、研讨、咨询等教学方式,将城市形态学理论贯穿于项目实践教学,让学生多视角参与城市动态发展与建设的行动研究中,实现创新性解决问题的目的。以奥克兰滨海地块的更新与开发工作坊教学为例,介绍了行动研究方法在奥克兰大学城市设计教学中的应用及实践。针对我国城市设计工作坊教学中存在的问题,从强调综合能力培养、建构设计与治理并重的教学内容体系、运用行动研究的实践教学方法等对我国城市设计专业人才培养提出了具体建议。     

Trace element concentrations in skin of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the southeast Atlantic coast

Concentrations of trace elements (Al, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Tl, U, V, Zn) and total mercury (THg) were determined in skin samples collected from free-ranging bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) populations. Dolphins were captured in the estuarine waters of Charleston (CHS), South Carolina (n=74) and the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida (n=75) during 2003, 2004 and 2005. A subset of the skin tissue samples were used to determine methylmercury (MeHg) levels in CHS (n=17) and IRL (n=8) bottlenose dolphins. Distributions of trace element concentrations by age (adult vs. juvenile), gender (male vs. female) and study area (CHS vs. IRL) were examined. In general, higher elemental skin concentrations were found in CHS adult males than those of IRL adult males, except for THg and MeHg. For CHS dolphins, adult females showed significantly higher THg levels than juvenile females while higher Mn levels were found in juvenile females. For IRL dolphins, adult males showed significantly higher As concentrations than that in juvenile males and females while higher Co and V levels were found in juvenile males than adult males. Of all elements measured in this study, significantly higher levels of Fe, Se and Zn concentrations in skin tissue of both dolphin populations were similar to other studies reported previously. Percentage of MeHg/THg in skin tissue of CHS and IRL dolphin was about 72% and 73%, respectively. Dietary levels of trace elements may play an important role in contributing to concentration differences for As, Co, Mn, Sb, Se, THg and Tl between CHS and IRL dolphins. Total Hg concentrations were significantly correlated with the age of CHS dolphins, while an inverse relationship was detected for Cu, Mn, Pb, U and Zn. The only significant correlation found between trace element concentration and IRL dolphins' age was Mn. Geographic differences in several trace element concentrations (As, Co, Mn, Sb, Se, THg and Tl) in skin tissue may be potentially useful to discriminate between dolphin populations and is a possibility that warrants further investigation.     

Trace element pollution of soils by abandoned gold mine tailings,near Potchefstroom,South Africa

Fine-grained material eroded by wind and water from tailings dams at the abandoned Machavie Gold Mine was deposited over an area of more than 1 km². The high acidity (average pH of 3.4) of the tailings caused sulphide minerals to decompose and form trace-element-rich leachate. Comparisons of the trace element content of the tailings and underlying soils with the Dutch-B soil standards indicated a potential contamination with As, Co, Cr, Cu and Ni. The degree of contamination and mobility of trace elements was determined by extraction with ammonium nitrate as the leaching agent. Mobilities were calculated by comparing total trace element concentration with extractable trace element concentration. Average trace element mobilities were generally higher in the tailings than in the underlying sandy colluvial and clayey alluvial soils and also showed an increase where the pH values of soils and tailings were lower than 5 and 3.5 respectively. Electronic Publication     

Ambient trace element background concentrations in soils and their use in risk assessment

The definition of ambient background concentrations (ABCs) is used in this study to assess the potential environmental risk of trace elements in soils and parent materials from Granada, Spain. Two different layers of soil (0-20 and 20-40 cm) and parent material samples were collected at 93 sites. From cumulative frequency distribution curves, ABCs for As, Co, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn were estimated at 3.5-20, 7-23, 13-25.6, 29-66, 7-20, 15-36, and 5.5-76 mg kg^− 1, respectively. Tukey box-plots were used to discriminate different concentration classes and identify potentially contaminated sites. Weakly-weathered soils (Entisols) over carbonate materials showed the lowest background contents, the most developed soils (Alfisols) over metamorphic rocks the highest ones. Outliers were mainly found near a former iron mine where arsenic concentrations were by far exceeding the corresponding regional ABC. These soils were however, not toxic to Escherichia coli and Vibrio fischeri. The prediction of site-specific ABCs together with bioavailability and toxicity assessment is a valuable tool for giving further insight into the risk of trace elements in soils.     

Anthropogenic platinum group element (Pt, Pd and Rh) concentrations in road dusts and roadside soils from Perth, Western Australia

The emission of platinum group elements (PGE) from automobile catalytic converters has led to rapid increases in Pt, Pd and Rh concentrations in roadside media. This article represents the first detailed study to assess PGE levels in road dusts and roadside soils in Australia. Road dust and roadside soil samples were analysed by ICP-MS following microwave digestion and cation exchange. All samples show elevation of PGE above average upper crust values, with maximum values of 420 ng g(-1) Pt, 440 ng g(-1) Pd and 91 ng g(-1) Rh. PGE ratios in road dusts and soils are consistent with known catalytic converter compositions and while Pt and Rh abundances are comparable with European studies, Pd levels are substantially higher in Australian samples. PGE in these samples are not correlated with Pb, though positive correlations with Ce, Cu and Y are evident. No straightforward relationship between traffic volume and PGE abundance is evident and factors such as driving style, topography, road drainage and potentially climate exert considerable influences.     

Elevated concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene in schoolchildren during winter in Christchurch, New Zealand

Particulate air pollution is significantly elevated during the winter in Christchurch, New Zealand, largely attributable to use of wood burners for domestic home heating, topography, and meteorological conditions. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a key component of airborne particulate matter (PM) and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) has previously been used to assess exposure of people to PAHs. We examined urinary 1-OHP in Christchurch male non-smoking schoolchildren (12-18 yr) on two occasions after high pollution events (48 and 72 microg PM(10)/m(3) 24-h average) and two occasions during periods of low pollution (19 and 12 microg PM(10)/m(3)). Concentrations of urinary 1-OHP were significantly elevated in the students during high pollution events (median (mean+/-SD) 0.043 (0.051+/-0.032) and 0.042 (0.060+/-0.092) micromol OHP/mol creatinine respectively) compared with low pollution periods (median (mean+/-SD) 0.019 (0.026+/-0.032) and 0.025 (0.028+/-0.018) micromol/mol creatinine respectively). The observed 1-OHP concentrations are at the lower end of those determined in children and non-occupationally exposed adults in international studies and suggest a generally low exposure to PAHs. The increased urinary 1-OHP concentrations following nights of elevated particulate concentrations in ambient air suggest increased exposure to ambient air pollution during winter time, and could potentially be used as a biomarker of exposure in this population.     

Concentrations, enantiomeric compositions, and sources of HCH, DDT and chlordane in soils from the Pearl River Delta, South China

Concentrations, and enantiomeric compositions of HCH, DDT and chlordane in 74 soils of the Pearl River Delta, South China were investigated. The mean concentrations of HCHs and DDTs descended in the order: crop soils>paddy soils>natural soils. The concentrations (ng/g dw) of p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD and o,p'-DDT in crop soils were 0.14-231, 0.07-315, 0.5. An EF value >0.5 generally suggested a preferential degradation of the (-) enantiomers of both TC and CC. The racemic alpha-HCH observed in the soils with higher HCH concentrations indicated that the transformation from gamma-HCH (e.g. lindane) to alpha-HCH may be an important process in the soils. The isomer ratios of p,p'-DDT/(DDE+DDD), o,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDT and enantiomeric compositions of o,p'-DDT suggested that both illegal use of technical DDT and the DDT impurity in dicofol may be responsible for the freshly DDT input in the region. The sources of DDTs were drawn by principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR). The relative contributions of dicofol-type DDT, residues, and fresh technical DDT were estimated to be 55%, 21% and 17%, respectively. In addition, CC was found to degraded faster than TC in soils from the Pearl River Delta. The study demonstrated that the combination of isomer ratios and enantiomeric composition analysis may provide critical information on the potential sources and fate of organochlorine pesticides in soil.