Assessment of pollution from livestock and poultry breeding in China

Livestock and poultry husbandry is a major source of agricultural pollution in China. Thus far, national-scale approaches to estimating pollutant loads from livestock and poultry rearing remain limited. This impedes effective water quality assessment and relevant policy making. Applying unit load and export coefficient modelling, we estimated pollutant loads from livestock and poultry raising from 2000 to 2010. Results show that the total annual pollutant loads generated from the faeces and urine of livestock and poultry in 2010 had a chemical oxygen demand of 78.2?million metric tonnes; biochemical oxygen demand of 72.7?million tonnes; ammonia nitrogen of 7.4?million tonnes; total phosphorus of 6.0?million tonnes; and total nitrogen of 18.0?million tonnes. Livestock and poultry husbandry has been one of the main pollution sources in China. The significant contributors are pigs and cattle. In particular, pollution from livestock and poultry raising in China spatially overlaps with industrial and domestic pollution. South eastern regions face the difficult challenge of controlling and managing agricultural, industrial and domestic pollution.     

Citizens' expectations of information cities: implications for urban planning and design

The European Union has made the development of a vibrant knowledge-based economy a key policy objective, and increasingly national and local governments worldwide are seeking to harness information and communication technologies to provide government services more effectively and for the benefit of their citizenry. The paper reports on the first phase of the ongoing European Union IntelCities integrated project that seeks to integrate electronic governance of cities and urban planning. The background to the project in terms of the e-Europe Action Plan is explored and the outcome of surveys of user needs and requirements carried out in the cities of Marseilles (France), Siena and Rome (Italy), Helsinki (Finland), Leicester and Manchester (UK), and Dresden and Berlin (Germany) are explained. The outcomes identify a range of implications for digital or electronic planning in terms of increasing the efficiency in e-urban planning and the need to develop digital methodologies for widening public participation. Thus, the importance of e-skills development in new forms of e-planning for planners, developers and citizens is highlighted and shown to be important for achieving a wider e-enabled sustainable knowledge society.     

The governance of urban shrinkage in cities of post-socialist Europe: policies,strategies and actors

This paper presents results of an international comparative research project ‘Smart governance of shrinking cities in a European context’. In recent years, many European cities have experienced urban shrinkage (population decline). Whereas there has been a wealth of research into the governance of growing cities, little consideration has been given to the governance of and policy responses to shrinking cities, particularly in relation to the declining cities of post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe. The aim of this paper is to compare the governance responses to shrinkage in different national contexts and assess the policy responses applied. This is done through the comparison of case studies examining the governance of shrinkage in Leipzig (Germany), Bytom (Poland), Ostrava (Czechia) and Timisoara (Romania). Two different strategies have been identified. First, Leipzig – due to its inclusion in the (former Western) German welfare state – followed a reasonably holistic strategy implemented by strong public actors focused not only on economic growth, but also on tackling issues of falling housing demand and the need to strengthen the attractivity of city centre. Second, in Ostrava, Bytom and Timisoara strategies have been inspired by neoliberal thinking, denying the important role of public sector city planning and ignoring the fact of shrinkage. In these cities, the main reply to shrinkage has been to seek economic development through the attraction of private investment (especially FDI) into the cities and using pragmatically any EU structural funding.     

Planning strategies for a resilient urban fringe in three medium-sized Spanish cities

The fringes between urban areas and their surrounding territory usually concentrate strains of transformation and urban growth. Equally, planning strategies that promote the adaptation of urban development to the identity of territory contribute to the resilience of these urban fringes. This paper aims to illustrate this idea through the analysis of three of Spain’s inland medium-sized cities during the period of intense urban growth that started in the eighties and concluded in 2008. The cases of Vitoria, Zaragoza, and Valladolid clearly show the negative consequences of an expansive urban model in their urban fringes, but also the alternatives that slowly emerged over this period. While the main urban planning tools enabled an unsustainable urban expansion, other planning proposals introduced an alternative approach that mitigated the effects of the real estate boom and have paved the way towards a better future: Vitoria with its green infrastructure, Zaragoza with its integrated development effort that took advantage of an International Exhibition and Valladolid with its coordinated planning. These different tools have a key feature in common: a deep comprehension of their territories as the strongest foundation for conducting urban development in more sustainable ways.     

生态型动物展区在创造城市园林景观中的作用

探讨了生态型动物展区研究的目的和意义,阐述了生态学的定义和动物园建设可持续发展的战略措施,通过对动物园展区的现状分析,提出了创造生态型动物园展区的建议,以体现人类、动物与城市自然环境的有机融合。     

Citizens' expectations of information cities: implications for urban planning and design

The European Union has made the development of a vibrant knowledge-based economy a key policy objective, and increasingly national and local governments worldwide are seeking to harness information and communication technologies to provide government services more effectively and for the benefit of their citizenry. The paper reports on the first phase of the ongoing European Union IntelCities integrated project that seeks to integrate electronic governance of cities and urban planning. The background to the project in terms of the e-Europe Action Plan is explored and the outcome of surveys of user needs and requirements carried out in the cities of Marseilles (France), Siena and Rome (Italy), Helsinki (Finland), Leicester and Manchester (UK), and Dresden and Berlin (Germany) are explained. The outcomes identify a range of implications for digital or electronic planning in terms of increasing the efficiency in e-urban planning and the need to develop digital methodologies for widening public participation. Thus, the importance of e-skills development in new forms of e-planning for planners, developers and citizens is highlighted and shown to be important for achieving a wider e-enabled sustainable knowledge society.     

Network governance in action: the case of Groningen complex decision-making in urban regeneration

Theories on network governance constitute a promising approach to a better understanding of complex decision-making and problem-solving. Network theories are increasingly used in housing research. In this paper we present case-study findings on urban regeneration decision-making in Groningen, a medium-sized city in the North of the Netherlands. We used a network governance approach as an analytical framework. Social landlords and local government in Groningen have been collaborating in urban regeneration processes for many years. In 2006 negotiations between these actors on a renewal of the Local Urban Regeneration Covenant ran into difficulties and encountered seemingly insurmountable differences of opinion. These difficulties were largely caused by the increased complexity of the decision-making process, the large number of actors involved and a shift in focus from ‘bricks-and-mortar’ investments to a more balanced approach including social and economic aspects of urban regeneration. In this paper we analyse decision-making on urban regeneration policy in Groningen over the past 10 years. The outcomes of the case study demonstrate the usefulness of the network approach as a framework to analyse decision-making processes. The paper also identifies strategies used by actors in the field to successfully deal with complexities and uncertainties in networks.     

多功能景观 ——城乡边缘区规划管理的新策略

展望未来,城乡边缘区无疑是未来城镇化压力最为剧烈的地区。城乡边界日益模糊,如何有效的协调城乡两种社会经济和空间形态的关系是当今面临的重要挑战,决策者亟需一种更为综合整体的概念和方法。“多功能景观”的概念内在整合了多功能与多目标的进程,成为当今自然资源管理和空间规划中的重要概念;景观特征评估的方法通过识别与理解景观的内在特征从而指导、控制与容纳变化;景观管治的概念强调了各政治决策层级与社会利益团体的协调,以及与自然尺度的链接,以迈向可持续发展的目标。     

自然保护地景观治理的实践模式：以长沟泉水国家湿地公园为例

景观治理是自然保护地治理体系中的重要组成部分。将自然保护地景观治理作为一种特殊的空间治理,引入列斐伏尔“三元空间理论”。以长沟泉水国家湿地公园局部景观为案例,探讨了保护地景观治理与景观空间相互关联的影响机理,并提出了设计介入景观治理的4种实践模式。总结实践得出,设计是实现保护地景观治理有效性和可持续性的一种行为手段和价值方式,虽非自然保护地治理体系的根本,但却能以自身优势,调节政策制定、规划设计、体制管理与监测评估等多方矛盾偏差。     

A framework for governance of public green spaces in cities

Public authorities that seek to transfer the cost of managing green spaces to the private sector face apprehension about the extent of community input in managing of public green spaces in cities. In practice, the governance arrangements for managing public green spaces are neither a purely private or public sector responsibility. They are part of complex and contested governance schemas that involve multiple stakeholder groups with varying interests and responsibilities. This paper proposes a simple framework to support different modes of governance appropriate for the management of public green spaces in cities. The framework classifies stakeholders’ desires for engagement based on ecosystem service characteristics defined on a spectrum of excludability and rivalry. The framework is applied to case studies in Australia and Canada. Finally, we discuss the new insights for governance arrangements for public green space management in cities.     

Spatial analysis of urban edges in Arab historic walled cities: Alexandria as a case study

Defensive walls in historic cities represent an urban edge between the old fabric and adjacent urban growth layers. Through history, the wall functioned as a main defensive element of the city, forming an urban edge for both accessibility and socio-cultural activities. It is only comparatively recently that its function has been altered. Despite this fact, walls continue to influence the surrounding fabric and affect city inhabitants’ daily life. This article aims to understand the urban edges formed by defensive walls of Arab historic walled cities in general and Alexandria City in particular. It proposes a preliminary classification framework to analyse the type of spatial configuration on both sides of the wall and their degree of interaction. The analysis focuses on the defensive wall's footprint and its cumulative effect through history on the adjacent urban fabric. A greater understanding of the impact of historic city walls on urban patterns would inform the regeneration plans of these sites and contribute to improving and sustaining their relationship with the surrounding context.     

Public space and the challenge of urban transformation in cities of emerging economies: Jeddah case study

Urban planning, design guidelines and new management practices have radically transformed public spaces in many countries. With fresh development decisions, urban spaces change spatially. This may improve places, increasing prosperity and extending expectations of modernization in many cities. However, widespread public disillusion and failures to produce environments reflecting local values can collectively shape public areas. This article contributes to debate about dynamism in such spaces. It explores how modernist approaches to planning and design alongside fractures in management practices in emerging cities have shaped the quality urban space. We use Jeddah as a radically re-planned city in a rapidly developing economy, but one where largely unusable public spaces have failed to meet people's everyday needs and aspirations. Our investigation – based on extensive literature reviews, documentary analyses, morphological survey, photographic and qualitative surveys – provides a better understanding of the role of a proactive urban design for promoting environmental quality. This helps resolve the multiple challenges confronting public space provision.     

Integrating urban and port planning policies in a sustainable perspective: the case study of Naples historic harbour area

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the case of the historic harbour area of Naples, considered highly significant, due to its physical and cultural characteristics, with the aim of reflecting on the contemporary need for building renewed and synergic city–port relations in a sustainable perspective. Focusing on the physical and functional city–port integration, the study investigates Naples harbour planning policy between twentieth and twenty-first centuries in order to identify the limitations of older instruments and to exam the current proposal, finally suggesting perspectives for the future. The analysis highlights the fact that, in the port of Naples, with a landlord governance, the main obstacles to a more inclusive planning policy have been related to land use conflict between on one hand the public interest of the Port Authority and Municipality and the private interest of port operators on the other. In conclusion, the need for city–port plan integration is outlined as a central planning issue so as to combine the economic development of the harbour with social, cultural and ecological themes and to overcome the conflicts between the different actors involved in the complex planning process.     

LAI based trees selection for mid latitude urban developments: A microclimatic study in Cairo, Egypt

To study the leaf area index, LAI, based thermal performance in distinguishing trees for Cairo's urban developments, ENVI-met plants database was used as platform for a foliage modeling parameter, the leaf area density, LAD. Two Egyptian trees; Ficus elastica, and Peltophorum pterocarpum were simulated in 2 urban sites with one having no trees, whilst the second is having Ficus nitida trees. Trees LAD values were calculated using flat leaves' trees LAI definition to produce maximum ground solid shadow at peak time. An empirical value of 1 for LAI is applied to numerically introduce LAD values for ENVI-met.Basically, different meteorological records showed improvements for pedestrian comfort and ambient microclimate of the building using F. elastica. About 40–50% interception of direct radiation, reductions in surfaces' fluxes around trees and in radiant temperature T_mrt in comparison to base cases gave preferability to F. elastica. The lack of soil water prevented evapotranspiration to take place effectively and the reduced wind speeds concluded negligible air temperature differences from both base cases except slightly appeared with the F. elastica. Results show that a flat leaves tree if does not validate LAI of 1, the ground shading would not fulfill about 50% direct radiation interception and this value can be used as a reference for urban trees selection.Further simulations were held to investigate LAI value of maximum direct radiation interception.Performing additional simulations, F. elastica of LAI of 3 intercepted almost 84% of direct radiation and revealed implications about urban trees in practice and its actual LAI.     

城市居住小区景观水系统优化设计研究

介绍了某居住小区收集、利用雨水,构建景观带和人工湖,实现水循环的景观水系统的设计。该系统采用"沉砂+过滤+消毒+生态技术"的雨水处理工艺,人工湖及景观带水体水质符合《城市污水再生利用景观环境用水水质》中观赏性景观环境用水水质指标要求。系统运行良好,每年可节省资金近40万元,经济效益和环境效益显著,为新建小区的雨水利用提供了参考。     

Social effects of urban restructuring: a case study in Amsterdam and Utrecht,the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, urban restructuring has been a major policy since 1997. Its principal aim is to improve neighbourhoods by demolishing or upgrading low-rent social dwellings and building more expensive rental or owner occupied units. A fundamental idea underlying this policy is to break up the physical and social monotony of urban areas and to achieve a mixed population in terms of income. The consequence of this new mix should be that people interact better and fully enjoy all kinds of facilities in the restructured area. This paper addresses the question of whether this new policy has indeed had these effects. The focus point is the role of the neighbourhood, featuring changes for traditional inhabitants while accommodating the newcomers. Do they use the area? Are their social contacts made there? Or can the restructured area be seen as a dormitory, where the residents have no contact with other people in the immediate environment? The paper is based on a fieldwork study undertaken in the cities of Amsterdam and Utrecht. Lessons for future policies of urban restructuring are formulated.     

Complexity in urban agriculture: the role of landscape typologies in promoting urban agriculture’s growth

This research identifies the potential shortcomings of local initiatives to encourage urban agriculture projects by comparing citywide efforts with existing community projects. It investigates how more effectual policy might be developed to accommodate a fuller range of urban agriculture projects, and how urban agriculture stakeholders might use clearer promotion processes to meet stated goals. It hypothesizes the important role of clear urban agriculture definitions, typologies, and links to associated benefits towards meeting the stated goals of policy-makers. Utilizing San Francisco in California as a case study, this paper investigates recent efforts at citywide urban agriculture promotion.     

西北城市滨水景观规划实践初探

以张掖滨河新区湖区景观规划为例,探讨了城市滨水景观规划设计,指出应充分挖掘城市历史文脉和地方自然特色,将历史、自然融入城市滨水景观规划中,以人为本,打造富于地方特色的、人性化的城市滨水景观。     

城市历史遗存的景观再生初探

通过对城市中历史遗存进行分析,提出从景观设计的角度对其进行更新与再生,从文化、功能以及空间三个方面论述了景观再生的策略与方法,以期实现城市风貌的提升。