Mainport and corridor: exploring the mobilizing capacities of Dutch spatial concepts

Spatial concepts play a major role in planning practices all over the world. Some of them rise to the surface and then disappear, others remain thriving for a long time, becoming mobilized to shape politics, public policy and projects. By analysing two important spatial concepts in Dutch planning practice (mainport and corridor), this paper aims to explore the mobilizing capacities of new spatial concepts. The paper argues that the success of spatial concepts in the political arena depends on the interplay of two elements: (1) the concept's meaning, which effectively imagines the spatial challenge, and (2) the presence of a powerful coalition that uses this concept to name, frame and claim. The more meanings a concept accumulates, the more support it attracts. However, as this paper shows, this only holds if a major condition is being met: that the different meanings of the concept do not mutually conflict or contradict. This article presents a method by which to analyse the concept's meanings and to track conceptual changes.     

Reconceptualising territoriality and spatial planning: insights from the sea

The concept of territoriality and its relationship to the focus and substance of spatial planning is the subject of much interest at the present time and this paper seeks to contribute to the debate by stepping into the sea. The first part of the paper establishes a framework for considering the spatial planning implications of changing conceptions of territoriality, outlining key sources of territorial innovation and their implications in terms of the development of new units and styles of governance, new challenges for planning practice, and the potential for feedback informing the development of planning theory. The application of the framework is then illustrated in the second part of the paper with reference to the emerging field of maritime spatial planning and in particular to the pioneering work that is being undertaken in Europe. This work is testing established notions of territoriality by highlighting the strong and growing connections between the land and the sea. Here some of the key implications for future spatial planning practice are identified. These indicate that there is a growing recognition of the need for innovation in the territorial units of governance in maritime regions and in the themes, processes and methods of spatial planning in these areas. The paper concludes with some observations on the implications of these findings for the theory of spatial planning.     

Young adults and the decline of the urban English pub: issues for planning

The numbers of English public houses or “pubs” have reduced significantly in the last two decades. Politicians have called on the planning system to resist their closure but, at the same time, demand further controls over high-street bars. This paper explores the reasons for the decline and the rationale for supporting the continuation of the “traditional” English pub. Using evidence drawn from a wider study of the relationships between places and youth drinking cultures, the paper discusses young adults' use of pubs. While recognising the adverse effects of heavy drinking, arguments are put forward in support of the traditional pub as a site for restrained and responsible social interaction for young adults. The paper discusses the issues this raises for the UK planning system in the context of responsibilities for social sustainability and public health.     

Conceptions of justice in the planning of the new urban landscape – Recent changes in the comprehensive planning discourse in Malmö, Sweden

The Swedish Planning and Building Act (PBL) from 1987, revised in 2011, stipulates that an important task of comprehensive planning is to secure both substantive and procedural justice. However, because of the municipal planning monopoly, the individual municipalities are free to decide how these goals can best be achieved. This article focuses on the ways interpretations of justice have changed over a 10-year period in one selected municipality, Malmö in southern Sweden. Analyses of the comprehensive planning discourse in this municipality reveal that when it comes to substantive justice, discussions of structural inequality and segregation have gradually been replaced by discussions of social cohesion, while at the same time discussions of procedural justice and the need to create public spheres in which underprivileged groups are allowed a voice, have been replaced by discussions of open public spaces, allowing different groups to see each other. Though the issue of social justice seems to be downplayed in the urban planning discourse for the time being, counterforces within city administration are questioning the prevailing line of development.     

Impact of operating rules on planning capacity expansion of urban water supply systems

ABSTRACT

Water utilities often rely on industrial water supply (e.g. desalination) to complement natural resources. These climate-independent sources of supply allow operators to respond quickly to varying operating conditions, but require them to choose operating strategies, or rules. How does such operational flexibility impact the performance of water supply systems? How might it affect long-term plans for capacity expansion? Possibly significantly, as demonstrated by the analysis of a water supply system based on Singapore. First, we simulate the dynamics of the system under multiple rainfall and operating scenarios to understand the extent to which the operators’ behavior affect system performance. Results show that different operating rules can have comparable impact on the variability in system performance as hydrological conditions. Then, we show that small changes in the operating rules can lead to substantial changes in the capacity expansions, such as the size of a new desalination plant.     

A simplified management procedure for bridge network maintenance

Structural problems due to corrosion, ageing, durability, aggressive environments, materials defects, lack of ductility and unforeseen behaviour under seismic loads may significantly compromise the resistance and safety of bridges. Scheduled maintenance of bridges becomes important to ensure complete serviceability of the road network. Among existing bridge management systems (BMSs), this work is a contribution to the evaluation criteria of bridge condition by means of visual inspection, prediction of future structural condition and planning of maintenance intervention. After a brief review of some existing BMSs, a simple new procedure for evaluation of bridge condition by means of visual inspection, aimed at general planning of maintenance in a BMS framework, is presented in this paper. This procedure is applied to stock, including about 200 bridges and viaducts, of the Veneto region road network in the north-eastern part of Italy, and is then discussed.     

山西省住房城乡建设领域行政复议工作现状分析

依据山西省住房城乡建设系统行政复议案件近年来呈现的特点,对住房城乡建设行政主体应当注意的问题进行了分析,阐述了推动行政复议工作取得的新成果,以供参考借鉴。     

谈太原市晋东棚户区改造规划方案

以太原市晋东棚户区改造为背景,对该区位的位置、交通、环境及用地情况进行了分析,结合项目的现状,确立了具体的规划目标,介绍了规划设计理念,并对叠拼住宅、高层住宅、高层办公公寓设计作了阐述,以供借鉴。     

加油加气站在城市中的规划建设研究

结合城市汽车加油加气站近年来的发展情况,对现存加油加气站供需不均衡、布局不合理、建筑陈旧等问题进行了分析,并对加油加气站的规划布局提出了新要求,以期合理选择加油加气站的位置,最大化的发挥加油加气站服务城市的职能作用。     

规划设计与市场需求在住宅小区建设中的重要性

结合目前现状,总结了住宅小区开发建设存在的问题,论述了规划设计管理与市场需求在住宅小区开发建设中的重要性,指出只有迎合市场需求,精心规划设计,才能开发建设出以人为本的住宅小区。