Measuring Spanish airport performance: A bootstrap data envelopment analysis of efficiency

This work studies the efficiency of Spanish airports for the year 2018. In the first stage, efficiency is calculated by applying the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. As inputs, variables have been selected representing the airports' physical aspects, such as the number of boarding gates or the runway area. As outputs, the number of passengers, tons of cargo and the number of operations are included. By means of bootstrapping, it is empirically demonstrated that the airports operated under variable returns to scale. In the second stage, a truncated regression is carried out to determine which variables influence the efficiency of the airports. Previously a bootstrapping with 2000 iterations is applied to correct the possible bias of the DEA results. Airport apron and opening hours are relevant factors to explain the efficiency of airports as well as being a tourist airport.     

The “effect procargo” on technical and scale efficiency at airports: The case of Spanish airports (2009–2011)

This paper studies the “effect procargo” (or effect of the proportion of cargo traffic relative to total traffic) on technical and scale efficiency at airports. To this end, using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology, a comparative technical efficiency analysis is developed for 35 Spanish airports over the 2009 to 2011 period. In a second stage, using Tobit regression, we analysed the effects of airport size, low-cost carrier (LCC) presence, and cargo traffic on efficiency. The results suggest that cargo traffic has a positive impact on the technical and scale efficiency of Spanish airport operations. Airports with a higher share of cargo traffic are expected to have higher overall technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency, in comparison to airports with a lower share.     

Sustaining Rural Landscapes: The role of integrated tourism

The aim of a European Union-funded research project entitled 'Supporting and Promoting Integrated Tourism in Europe's Lagging Rural Regions' (SPRITE) is to analyse and develop the potential for better-integrated tourism in the rural landscapes of Europe. Integrated tourism can be defined as that which is explicitly linked to the localities in which it takes place and, in practical terms, has clear connections with local resources, activities, products, production and service industries, and a participatory local community. Enhancing the sustainable economic potential of rural landscapes requires partnerships among rural people and the sustainable yet productive use of rural resources. A 'culture economy' approach to integrated tourism is proposed, which emphasizes the importance of local identity, the strategic commodification of resources and of place, and the importance of extra-local forces in enabling local activities. It is suggested that this approach may represent a shift beyond more traditional approaches to rural development.     

The role of efficiency estimates in UK regulatory price reviews: The case of rail

This paper reviews the methods that have been applied to assess the efficiency performance of Britain's rail infrastructure provider since privatisation. The paper shows that a wide range of approaches has been adopted by the ORR. However, we argue that, in contrast to the other regulated sectors, the benchmarking methods developed in rail have not been sufficiently robust to restrain costs to efficient levels. We suggest that the main problem stems from a lack of external comparators based on hard data, such as international benchmarks or comparisons with previous experience under British Rail. Although, during the 2003 Interim Review, the ORR obtained an external perspective through bottom-up consultant reviews, we suggest that such studies are not an adequate substitute for quantitative analysis. Looking forward we suggest that more work needs to be done to obtain a better understanding of the reasons for recent cost increases, and also to develop robust international benchmarks against which to judge Network Rail's relative efficiency position. International comparisons are not straightforward, of course, and it is therefore important to start now, rather than wait until the next review of Network Rail's finances, by which time it will be too late.     

Sustaining Rural Landscapes: the role of integrated tourism

The aim of a European Union-funded research project entitled 'Supporting and Promoting Integrated Tourism in Europe's Lagging Rural Regions' (SPRITE) is to analyse and develop the potential for better-integrated tourism in the rural landscapes of Europe. Integrated tourism can be defined as that which is explicitly linked to the localities in which it takes place and, in practical terms, has clear connections with local resources, activities, products, production and service industries, and a participatory local community. Enhancing the sustainable economic potential of rural landscapes requires partnerships among rural people and the sustainable yet productive use of rural resources. A 'culture economy' approach to integrated tourism is proposed, which emphasizes the importance of local identity, the strategic commodification of resources and of place, and the importance of extra-local forces in enabling local activities. It is suggested that this approach may represent a shift beyond more traditional approaches to rural development.     

关于珠海城市旅游形象设计的几点思考

随着旅游业的蓬勃发展和城市旅游业竞争的日趋激烈,城市旅游地形象设计已经成为旅游地的生命。实施城市旅游形象策划,对城市进行旅游形象定位和形象设计的研究具有现实意义。论文通过对珠海城市旅游形象定位及形象设计的相关理论进行探讨分析,提出了对珠海市城市形象设计的定位和研究思路,旨在为珠海城市旅游形象设计和珠海城市旅游业发展提供一些参考。     

Reconciling alignment,efficiency, and agility in IT project portfolio management: Recommendations based on a revelatory case study

Current developments put significant pressure on IT project portfolio management (IT PPM), increasingly requiring IT project portfolios to be strategically aligned and efficient yet agile. Accordingly, our aim is to identify IT-PPM-related tensions among the three design goals alignment, efficiency, and agility, and to elaborate a set of design principles that will provide organizations with recommendations for reconciling these goals. We conduct our research trough the theoretical lens of Activity Theory. Our findings are based on a revelatory case study in the financial services sector and are evaluated through focus group discussions and expert interviews.     

丹东民航机场改扩建工程噪声环境影响评价

以丹东机场为例,通过对机场周围噪声现状进行连续监测,运用计权等效连续感觉噪声级评价方法和飞机噪声预测程序,分别对丹东机场的声环境现状以及2020年的声环境进行了预测和评价,结果显示军航飞机噪声为丹东机场声环境的主要噪声源,并针对军航噪声提出有效的防治措施,为丹东民航机场的改扩建项目提供了科学依据。     

Importance and performance of streetscapes at a tourism destination in Indonesia: The residents' perspectives

The present study examined the importance and performance of streetscapes at a tourism destination in Makassar, Indonesia, from the residents’ perspectives using the importance–performance analysis method. Thus, six attributes of the streetscapes in four segments of the old city district were identified and presented to 400 participants. The participants were then asked to rate the perception and preference of each attribute. Results of the attribute values were illustrated in a Cartesian diagram. Findings indicate notable discrepancies between the perceptions and preferences of the respondents. Thus, these attributes were inconsistent with their expectations. Moreover, the results showed that each segment should have different priorities for specific attributes to improve the performance of the streetscapes. Overall, such data can be used by stakeholders, such as tourism developers and government policymakers, to make appropriate and informed decisions that will improve the attractiveness of this tourism destination and increase the number of visitors.     

The impact of local factors on the scope of benefits from public investment: the case of tourism infrastructure in Saxon municipalities

Following the transition from socialist central planning economies to market economies in all of the former socialist countries, many regions have had to cope with severe structural changes and economic development problems. To overcome these problems, local governments have tried to invest in new public infrastructure to support the development of new industries. This paper looks at infrastructure that supports tourist activities and argues that the impact of infrastructure generally depends on certain local factors which differ between municipalities. One important factor is whether the local population possesses the relevant complementary factors, in particular the right ‘soft skills’.     

The efficiency of Norwegian road toll companies

This paper analyses the level of efficiency at which road toll companies are operated in Norway. Two alternative methods are applied for this purpose: data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). The data comprise a total of 20 toll companies that have been in operation in the period 2003–2008. The findings of the paper are as follows: 1) There is a great potential for efficiency improvement in the sector, irrespective of the method used, but the variation in the efficiency scores is dependent on the method used; 2) there is no evidence of economies of scale, as has been found by other authors, such as Odeck 2008, How efficient and productive are road toll companies? Evidence from Norway, Transport Policy. 15, 232–241 and, Amdal, E., Bårdsen, G., Johansen K. and Welde M., 2007. Operating costs in Norwegian toll companies: a panel data analysis. Transportation. 34, 681–695. These results suggest that toll companies could generate significant savings by employing industry best practices. Further, decision makers are warned not to be indifferent to the approach used i.e., DEA and SFA, as these may give very different results.     

Sydney airport's third runway: A case study of flawed EIS processes

How did an environmental impact statement, often described as 'the most comprehensive EIS ever in Australian history', get it so wrong? This paper argues that there are basic flaws in current EIS procedures that caused the community to be misled about the impacts of the third runway at Sydney Airport.     

The efficiency of container terminals in the northern region of Brazil

The North region has the largest presence of navigable waterways in Brazil, and the greatest potential for growth in container handling. However, the region lacks research on the performance of the region's port sector. This article aims to analyze the efficiency of the main container terminals in the North of Brazil, using the data envelopment analysis method (DEA). Based on this research, we seek to contribute to improving the efficiency of the analyzed terminals as well as the management of the local port sector.     

历史园林:"活"的古迹——《佛罗伦萨宪章》解读

解读《佛罗伦萨宪章》关于保护历史园林－“活”的古迹的原则和方法，梳理出其整体思路以及各条文间的内在逻辑，以增加对宪章精神的理解；并就宪章对我国历史园林保护的指导意义和适用性作简要探讨。     

La Manga case study: Consequences from short-term urban planning in a tourism mass destiny of the Spanish Mediterranean coast

Urban planning is a lengthy and settled process, the results of which usually emerge after several years or even decades. That is why it is necessary for a proper urban design of cities to use parameters that are able to predict and gauge the potential long-term behaviour of urban development.In the tourist towns of the Mediterranean coast, the long-term design is often at odds with the generation of business profits in the short term. This paper presents the results of this phenomenon for an interesting case of a Spanish Mediterranean coastal city created from scratch in the 1960s and turned into a tourist destination today hypertrophied.La Manga del Mar Menor in the Murcia region every year reaches a population of more than 250,000 people during the summer, which is reduced to just a few dozen in winter. This crowded environment with an asymmetric behaviour submits annual progressive impoverishment in its economic return. This questionable profitability is the result of a misguided urban development; its results are analyzed through the evolution of the land market and the resulting urbanization in the last fifty years, with a GIS methodology.     

旧机场用地再开发的规划前期研究探析——以武汉王家墩机场为例

1机场外迁背景及其遗留问题分析 随着航空事业的日益发展,机场已成为现代城市的重要组成部分,国外一些大城市如纽约、伦敦。巴黎、莫斯科等．民航机场已多达3-4个。我国机场建设则起步较晚、主要集中于上个世纪的三个发展阶段．是抗战时期,机场建设以军事用途为主;二是建国初期,由于国家建设的需要．各地建设了一批军用、民用及专用机场。     

Wind of change: Small-scale electricity production and distribution-grid efficiency in Sweden

In this paper, we measure the technical efficiency for local electricity distribution firms in Sweden, and in particular how small and micro-scale generation affects efficiency scores. Using a two-stage data envelopment analysis to model the technical efficiency and a double bootstrap approach to estimate the determinants of inefficiencies, we show that firms are heterogeneous in terms of inefficiency, but that a large share of small and micro-scale generation is not associated with more inefficient operations.     

The role of efficiency estimates in regulatory price reviews: Ofgem's approach to benchmarking electricity networks

Electricity regulators around the world make use of efficiency analysis (or benchmarking) to produce estimates of the likely amount of cost reduction which regulated electric utilities can achieve. This short paper examines the use of such efficiency estimates by the UK electricity regulator (Ofgem) within electricity distribution and transmission price reviews. It highlights the place of efficiency analysis within the calculation of X factors. We suggest a number of problems with the current approach and make suggestions for the future development of X factor setting.     

The applicability of sustainable city paradigm to the city of Jerusalem: Criteria and indicators of efficiency

Making the world's villages, towns and cities environmentally, economically and socially sustainable is humanity's most urgent challenge for the 21st century. This issue has been the focus of many researchers and several studies have been carried out in order to find the closest city form to the ethos of sustainability. Efficiency is one of the main key issues closely related to the sustainable city agenda. Since the concept of sustainable city is highly contextual, this study is concerned with the investigation of the applicability of sustainable city paradigm, in terms of efficiency, to the old city of Jerusalem. Investigation is limited to one major theoretical area, city form; and two minor theoretical areas, street system and land use. In order to carry out the investigation, the study used different methods (multi-method approach) consisting of content analysis and field survey, thus, incorporating the triangulation method in data analysis. The use of different methods was inspired by the very nature of the data collected, and the local context of Jerusalem. Also, the adoption of different methods compensated for the limited sources of data and provided strength for each method. The findings provide evidence that the parameter ‘efficiency’ of the sustainable city paradigm is applicable to the old city of Jerusalem with respect to the city's form and street system, but this is not the case for land use. The criteria and indicators that were not applicable identified a number of problems in the functioning of the city. The paradigm characterized is not a healing recipe or a blueprint. Rather, it is a flexible framework or a vision out of many others and, thus, disputable. This study provides an approach, out of many others, to investigate the applicability of the sustainable city paradigm on Arabic–Islamic cities in general and the old city of Jerusalem in particular. This approach provides a flexible framework for officials and planners to work through and vision each city's own version of sustainability.     

Model for evaluating the efficiency of Russian water utilities

The objective of this study is to assess the efficiency of Russian water utilities based on a set of characteristic indicators. The novelty of the research is in the application of tools of the theory of economic “growth points” for analyzing water utility performance. The generalized development of a water utility is defined in terms of the efficiency of external and internal resources use. Conclusions on the development of water utilities in the six regional administrative centers of Siberia (Barnaul, Chita, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk and Tomsk) in the 2013–2016 period were made.