Application of System Dynamics model as decision making tool in urban planning process toward stabilizing carbon dioxide emissions from cities

In spite of the fact that cities are the main sources of CO₂ emissions, presently there are still no specific measures directly addressing the global warming issue in the urban planning process in Malaysia. The present study thus aims to shed new light in the urban planning sector in Malaysia by adopting System Dynamics Model as one of the decision making tools in the urban planning process, with specific considerations on the future CO₂ emission trends. This paper presented projections of future CO₂ emission trends based on the case of Iskandar Development Region of Malaysia, under various options of urban policies, using the System Dynamics Model. The projections demonstrated the capability of the said model in serving as a decision making tool in the urban planning process, with specific reference to CO₂ emissions from cities. Recommendations have been made on the possible approach of adopting the model in the process of Structure Plan study. If the current model was successfully adopted in the urban planning process in Malaysia, it will mark the first step for Malaysia in taking specific considerations on the issues of CO₂ emissions and global warming in the urban planning process.     

Iskandar Malaysia

Since 2006, the Federal Malaysian government has developed the South-Johor Economic Region as a major corridor for economic development. A vision, known as Iskandar Malaysia, has been facilitated through a Comprehensive Development Plan underpinning strategies to boost the physical and economic development of the Johor Bahru metropolitan area. The latter borders Singapore; the two cities, separated by a one km. sea channel, are linked by two bridges. Thousands of people cross the Johor Straits to enjoy better wages (in Singapore) and cheap goods (in Malaysia). The paper provides an analysis of the Iskandar Malaysia Vision. A key message is the need for future plans to consider both cities, Johor Bahru and Singapore, as part of an emerging transnational urban region.     

Historicity： Preservation or Revitalization Planning Tools？

The historic centres revitalization addresses the challenges related to the preservation of fundamental heritage values. At a time, when everyone looks with concern to our cities＇ future, it is important to reflect on the received heritage, seeking the most appropriate answers to the planning of the historic centres. These fabrics are reference places in the urban space, due to their role of memorial testimony and of generators of cultural and economic dynamics. However, often times, inherited urban fabrics are affected by the limitations of the heritage policies which, for being too general and based on theoretical and abstract frameworks, have difficulty incorporating the characteristics of each area and neglect the formulation of specific criteria and intervention methods. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative reading of the levels of urban renewal allowed by the planning tools. This study chooses two historic centers in Portugal： Oporto and Guimarfies historic centres （World Heritage Sites since 1996 and 2001, respectively, and were the last to get this classification in Portugal）. This reflection is a contribution to peer trends and raise the discussion on the role that the different heritage policies have to the revitalization of the historic centres.     

Strengthening of the Territorial Position of Valladolid through Planning Strategies： Networks,Patterns and Centralities

The urban condition of the European territory requires new approaches to explain the current development of cities and to propose new planning tools. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that we can support an innovative perspective based on intermediate geographical scales, more useful for outlining the specific features of territory. While we analyze the territory, we should overcome the strictly local scale of the administrative boundaries and create new relationship between contemporary urban concepts （metropolization of territory and metapolis） and the regional ecological patterns. In the case of Valladolid （E） urban/metropolitan area, we focus on both causes and process of city growth. We have understood that it could be inefficient for planning forgetting the real spatial configuration （the city is located in an intersection between two territorial corridors） and misunderstanding the territorial role of the city at different scales （the double centrality in the emerging urban area and in the region）. The significance of this case is to reveal the inter-scalar condition of places as generators of constraints in the contemporary urban fabric and, at the same time, to show the quality and the potential of places in the future urban realm.     

Absorbing the Rapid Growth of Shopping Centres in Poland after the Political Change

The aim of this paper is to present the development of shopping centres in Poland after its political transition. From that time, all types of shopping centres were built, starting from the very basic first generation and developing into the most current formats. In the article, types of shopping centres are compared to their western origins. Planning laws and procedures that apply to the processes are also described, with an example of a law that was introduced to specifically control growth of shopping centres. Apart from that current trends and growth possibilities in the present market situation are discussed. As a result, a very rapid development process was observed, with little hampering from the planning policies. This may be used as a point of reference for other countries that have not yet encountered that process.     

Joining Paths and Dividing Paths： Juiz de Fora, Brazil

The aim of this paper is to present the urban history of Juiz de Fora, a city with some 500,000 inhabitants in southeastern Brazil, and discuss how strategic decisions about the planning and construction of roads and highways can determine ways of life in a city. While paths may integrate landholdings and territories, they may also segregate communities and environments, causing deep rifts in the fabric of urban and land areas. The growth of Juiz de Fora is particularly marked by the construction of paths. This article reviews the local urban history from the establishment of paths in the city, to an analysis of the major impact and benefits they have had, notably on the local economy and demographics, as well as on the conservation of the local environment： Issues that are frequently relegated to a secondary role in the cost-benefit analysis of the city＇s planning decisions. After analysis of the case study, the authors concluded that citizens should be included on the agenda of the city, from spectators to actors of daily urban life.     

Consideration of Shape Characteristics for Apartments Incorporating Daylight and Energy Performance

The objective of this paper is to design units with well-lighted environment and low-energy consumption in the apartment building. Their daylight and energy performance can be determined by the building shape and orientation. The paper initially produced the results of illuminations and energy efficiency using the daylight and thermal simulations by Autodesk ＂ECOTECT＂. It then provided the comparison on simulation results of two type buildings： Flat-type and L-type apartment. The available options for the design incorporating the environmental performance have less flexibility in fiat-type apartments than in L-type ones. The best unit in the fiat apartment is fixed from -45 to 45 degrees rotation, however, that in the L-type one can change depending on rotating the building. Moreover, if the upper level units had the appropriate environment, the lower level could have larger window areas in order to meet those daylight performance needs. Results show that the facade design should have the different window areas depending on the location of each unit. It can assist in the comfort and low-energy consumption design by using simulation tools that achieve the more predictable understandings.     

Village Centre Internal Resources Used for New Development

Villages historically have been founded around agriculture but farm land has greatly changed, mainly in the areas of the centralised conception of agriculture from the 1950s. Original parcelling, homestead composition and functional layouts have stopped being useful for current village inhabitants. The Czech Republic is an example of an area where this problem has appeared. According to the Czech Statistical Office, the number of inhabitants working in agriculture is now only 1%. Therefore, we need to concentrate on the village historic centre： the possibilities of restructuring and the definition of its potential and possibilities for new development. The internal resources of the village mentioned in this paper refer to the buildings, structures and land of the village centre core. The case studies worked out by the students of architecture in the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Czech Technical University in Prague from the 1990s were used for the research. Comparing designs can define these basic approaches to the new historic centre＇s use： a spatial solution--urban （non-invasive and invasive） and architectonical （reconstruction, traditional form with modern detail or completely modern design） and a functional solution. The research shown in the original historic village core offers enough opportunities for new usages and non-agricultural functions which are suitable for this area.     

Participatory Planning of Social and Spatial Organization in Agrarian Reform Policy in Brazil： An Assessment of the Implementation Challenges

The social endeavors for Agrarian Reform in Brazil have a history of at least sixty years. Throughout this time, distinct political regimes, increased land concentration, disordered urbanization and the development of a dynamic agribusiness sector inserted in global economy led to both the aggravation of social conflicts over land in Northern and Southern Brazil as well as new inquiries on the features necessary for an efficient Agrarian Reform Plan in the authors＇ country. Focused on the agrarian reform projects in the Brazilian Amazon, this work discusses on the political and methodological perspectives drawn in II PNRA （second National Plan of Agrarian Reform）. The authors frame their account mostly along the theoretical scaffolding provided by the Bloomington School of Institutional Analysis. The authors analyze the multiple challenges facing the organization and the maintenance of the institutional structure designed to facilitate participatory planning and governance of collective resources in periurban settlements. The authors portrait these settlements as highly complex socio-ecological systems wherein socioeconomic asymmetries, cultural diversity and poor social capital and education promote political and ideological disputes that jeopardize safeguarding global commons.     

Analysis of Development Regulation in Chinese Regulatory Planning towards the Main Function Zoning Strategy

China is in a process of rapid urbanization. However, along with the dramatically economic growth, there constantly emerges environmental and social constraints which may be great challenges of China＇s future sustainable development. In order to optimize the developmental mode, the latest national plan, ＂The 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan （2011-2015）＂, is establishing the ＂Main Function Zoning Strategy＂, which could be considered as a new prototype of national spatial plan and may cover all Chinese territories. Based on the latest ＂Main Function Zoning Strategy＂ stipulated in ＂The 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan （2011-2015）＂, the article builds main interlinks between the spatial development strategy and urban regulatory planning. Secondly, regulation factors in Chinese regulatory planning, which may implement the task of main function zoning, have been clarified and categorized. For each regulation factor, its regulation capability is defined by applying a coding method developed by the author. Finally, according to the output of the study, the spatial regulation approaches to implementing the ＂Main Function Zoning Strategy＂ in Chinese regulatory planning are analyzed.     

Structural Behavior of Repaired Reinforced Concrete Beams with Glued Steel Plate and Carbon Fiber

This paper investigates the strength and deformation characteristics of reinforced normal and high-strength concrete rectangular beams which failed in shear and repaired by external bonding of carbon fiber and steel plate. Five simply supported reinforced concrete beams with shear reinforcement are tested, three of which are made with NSC （normal-strength concrete） and the other two with HSC （high-strength concrete）. The span of the simply supported beams is 0.9 m with 100 mm wide by 200 mm deep cross section. All five beams are tested under four-point bending. Careful repair process is adopted and proved successful. The aim is to restore or increase shear strength of these beams and to monitor their post-repair load-deflection behavior. The effect of concrete compressive strength on the behavior and strength of beams before and after repair is also investigated. Shear cracks patterns and their evolution are observed and discussed.     

Wood Preservative Solutions for Creative and Sustainable Bridge Design and Construction

Timber bridges can provide an economical alternative to concrete and steel structures, particularly in rural areas where vehicle traffic is light to moderate. The wooden components of bridges have historically been preserved with either an oil type or waterborne preservative system to protect the wood from decay in order to maintain required performance standards for an extended period of time. The focus of this paper is to describe some of the key preservatives, research and case studies that support use of preserved wood, and some important steps to follow for the appropriate and safe use of preserved wood when the planned application will be in or over aquatic and wetland environments. A wealth of scientific information has been collected and analyzed that clearly suggests the use of preserved wood does not present a significant adverse effect on aquatic and wetland environments. This conclusion is based on two decades of empirical research and case study evaluating the environmental fate and effects of preserved wood, level of migration of contaminates into aquatic and marine environments, and the preserved wood environment. This is particularly true when risks are properly assessed on a project site, the appropriate preservative is selected and the wood is preserved to the Western Wood Preservers Institute＇s BMPs （best management practices）, along with properly installing and maintaining the preserved material. To assist with the assessment process, peer-reviewed risk assessment models for 11 commonly used preservatives have been developed that provide for streamlined data entry by users and allow for evaluation of a structure above and below water. A companion preliminary screening level assessment tool is also available. When these measures are properly utilized engineers, biologists and other responsible officials can be confident that the service life of the preserved wood components will more than likely meet the required performance standards in an environmentally safe manner for up to 50 or more     

Conceptual Model for Collaborative Planning in Iran with Emphasis on the Role of Urban Planners： A Case Study of Anzali＇s Development Strategy

Nowadays, public participation is one of the most important factors to improve the feasibility, legitimacy and quality of urban plans. In Iran, due to lack of comprehensive understanding about the participation notion and its necessary socio-economic and political infrastructures, participatory decision-making has faced with some serious challenges in both processes of preparing and implementing. The present paper focuses on providing practical strategies for preparing collaborative urban plans in Iran＇s conditions. Also it seeks to answer this question： What is the role of planners to prepare a real collaborative plan？ It is assumed that a conceptual model for collaborative planning can be fitted with Iran＇s conditions by means of integrating the fundamental philosophic ideas of participatory planning such as theories of Paul Michel Foucault and Jürgen Habermas, given the fact that the present situation of collaborative planning in Iran needs a supportive theory which is compatible with power structures of Iranian urban planning system. In this regard, the Habermas＇ theory of “communicative action” and the Foucault＇s theory of “power structures” are reviewed by a comparative analysis methodology to present an integrated conceptual model for collaborative planning in Iran＇s condition. At the end, the CDS （City Development Strategy）---making process of Anzali City of Iran is analysed to examine this claim in the practice. The results yield that enabling urban planners to act as communication facilitators during planning can direct the collaborative planning in Iran from theory to a real practice by means of integrating the positive aspects of communication and power.     

Study on Emphases and Trend of Tianjin Urban Public Safety Planning from the View of Bohai Rim Megalopolis

Nowadays urban public safety has been an important subject of study in urban planning study. And planners realized that a safe city is very important for sustainable development. Traditional urban public safety planning begins to perfect the contents and method. And regional research is an important aspect in the improvement of new era urban public safety planning. This paper chooses Tianjin, the important city in Bohai rim area as the example for research. Tianjin urban public safety planning includes not only comprehensive disaster prevention and reduction, effectively preventing and reducing disasters, ensuring the safety of the life and property of the residents, but also sharing resources and facilities from the view of megalopolis, eliminating hidden area troubles, reducing whole environment risks and so on.     

A Study for the Environmental Design Supporting an Intellectual Activity

Japan is facing a demographic challenge of a falling birthrate coupled with an aging society that is already adversely affecting the economy. The situation is only expected to worsen as the working-age population continues to decrease. Well aware of this situation, businesses and offices are seeking ways to enhance the intellectual productivity of their workers. This paper explores environmental elements of work spaces that might stimulate intellectual activity. Using a CAD （AutoCAD） miniature garden program, subjects were asked to design a project room that is optimized for creative work using a certain number of elements--11 types of walls, 14 types of floors, 4 types of scenery, 3 types of furniture and 3 types of plantings--but the subjects were free to position and arrange these elements any way they want. The subjects were then interviewed using the evaluation grid method. Based on the results, we created an evaluation structure diagram by analyzing key words and phrases emphasized by subjects in the interviews. The overall evaluation structure represents a summary overview of all 30 subjects who participated in the experiment. This approach captures all the key elements of the office environment that might be used to stimulate intellectual activity of employees.     

Construction of a Butterfly Web Bridge

A new type of bridge called ＂butterfly web bridge＂ is under construction in Japan. In a butterfly web bridge, the butterfly-shaped web forms a structure that exhibits behavior similar to a double Warren truss. The 80 MPa concrete is used for the butterfly web which has a precast plate with a thickness of 150 mm. As butterfly web is a concrete material, reinforcement provided by prestressing tendons is needed on the tension side. Moreover, the 150 mm plate has no re-bars but is reinforced by steel fibers. This bridge, named Takubogawa Bridge, is a highway bridge and has 10 spans including the 87.5 m maximum span length. Takubogawa Bridge is constructed by flee cantilevering method. The butterfly web enables the construction speed of cantilevering to be advanced about 50% compared with conventional cast-in-situ method and can meet the requirement of light weight and low maintenance.     

低碳城市规划建设的难点与关键问题

城市是碳排放的集中地,建设低碳城市成为应对气候及环境变化的重要内容。文章分析了低碳城市规划建设的难点,及低碳城市规划需要解决的关键词问题。     

基于低碳发展的城市规划

城市规划对于一个地区有“碳锁定”效应。随着低碳发展成为各个城市的发展战略,如何将低碳发展融于城市规划,如何在城市规划中落实低碳发展理念,已经成为当前城市规划的重要命题。在上海新一轮城市规划中,引导城市低碳发展成为重要的发展目标。从影响城市碳排放的主要因素切入,分析低碳发展对城市规划提出的要求。在此基础上,从需求控制、效率提升这两个城市规划的核心着力点上剖析低碳发展与城市规划的融合,并对上海未来低碳化的城市规划提出了一些建议。     

低碳理念下社区规划策略研究

随着环境问题日益引起全球广泛的关注,各国经济发展开始迈向生态化发展的道路已得到世界范围内的认可,低碳作为一种理念已经开始渗透到各个方面。本文通过对低碳及社区建设相关概念和理论进行梳理,分析建设低碳社区的必要性,提出低碳社区的相关规划策略途径。