Coordination Degree of Urban Population, Economy, Space, and Environment in Shenyang Since 1990

In the background of China's rapid urbanization, the conflicts between urban population, economy, space, and environment are intensified and complicated. This article aims to establish a coordinate assessment method for studying urban population, economy, space, and environment interactions in city scale by principal component analysis and regression analysis. On the basis of the case study on Shenyang city, the results indicated that the integrated development of urban population, economic, and space was in a poor situation from 1993 to 1999, whereas it turned better after 2000, and the urban environment improved steadily after 1998. The static coordination degree of urban integrated development and environment showed obvious periodical and fluctuant characteristics. Compared with the static coordination degree, the dynamic coordination degree appeared to be smooth and lag. The static coordination degree was elementary discoordinative in 1993, 1994, and 1999; whereas it turned to be elementary coordinative between 1995 and 2005. The dynamic coordination degree was elementary discoordinative from 1993 to 1996, whereas it became elementary coordinative overall after 1997.     

20世纪90年代以来沈阳市人口、经济、空间与环境的协调度分析

在中国城市化迅速发展的背景下．城市人口、经济、空间与城市环境的矛盾日益复杂和激化，从可持续发展的角度出发．迫切需要研究城市人口、经济、空间与城市环境之闻的协调关系。运用主成分分析和回归分析等方法。在市区尺度上构建城市人口、经济、空阃与城市环境的协调评价体系，并以老工业城市沈阳为例，进行实证分析。分析结果表明：沈阳城市人口经济空间的综合发展于1993—1999年处于困境．2000年以后城市综合发展逐步好转；沈阳城市环境在1998年以后稳定上升；沈阳城市综合发展与城市环境的静态协调度具有明显的阶段性和波动性特征，动态协调度具有平滑和滞后性的特点；静态协调度于1993—1994年属于基本不协调阶段．1995—2005年基本处于协调状态。于1999年出现了低谷。并存在着下降的趋势；动态协调度于1993—1996年属于基本不协调阶段。1997年以后总体上属于基本协调阶段。     

Moving towards urban sustainability in Kenya: a framework for integration of environmental,economic, social and governance dimensions

Global urban development is increasingly becoming an aspect of focus as nations fight sustainability challenges. A review of the current literature on urban sustainability suggests that research on development of cities, in both developed and developing countries, is growing fast, with an emphasis on sustainable development. However, very little of this research contains an integrated framework to systematically identify and examine the various dimensions of urban sustainability and to measure and evaluate them appropriately. Cities are more than the sum of their sectors, and are complex and interdependent systems on whose dynamics the quality of life of millions of human beings and a good part of the economy depend. Environmental, economic, social and governance problems can create formidable barriers to urban sustainability. Governance remains a critically important dimension of urban sustainability, especially when discussing urbanization in developing countries, given rapid population movements and imbalances in socio-economic development. Understanding how cities function is fundamental to resolving these imbalances. The aim of this paper is to provide a review and analysis of the concept of urban sustainability and to propose the development of a holistic framework through integration of environmental, economic, social, and governance dimensions of sustainability. Such a review would make it possible to understand the complex dynamics of the four dimensions and to assess the progress and challenges in moving towards urban sustainability, taking the case of Nairobi, Kenya, as an example. The paper argues that, for urban sustainability in developing countries, more emphasis should be placed on the governance dimension, because this is where the biggest challenge exists, with increasing needs for immediate management of rapid urbanization.     

Peri-urban agro-ecosystems in the Mediterranean: diversity,dynamics, and drivers

Regional Environmental Change - To address sustainability challenges of agro-ecosystems located in Mediterranean urban regions, this paper focuses on the multidisciplinary subject of urban...     

Weathering of radiocaesium contamination on urban streets,walls and roofs

Recent investigations in Russia have emphasised the significance of dose contributions from contamination on urban streets and roof pavings, and, typically to a lesser extent, walls in the urban environment. The crucial factor determining the magnitude of these contributions is the retention of the contamination by the different types of urban surface. Since the Chernobyl accident, a series of long-term field studies has been carried out on urban streets, walls and roofs, to examine the weathering processes of 137Cs on the various surface types. The derived time-functions are applied to estimate resultant long-term doses to inhabitants of an urban centre. The paper highlights the effect on caesium retention of surface material characteristics.     

Changing air quality in Delhi,India: determinants,trends, and policy implications

Air pollution is a major environmental problem in urban areas worldwide. Delhi, the capital city of India, is no exception to the universal pattern of deteriorating urban air quality with concentration of pollutants being well above the recommended WHO levels. The magnitude and urgency of the problem as a global environmental issue needs a systematic understanding of the potential causes of pollution and their contribution to air quality. In the present study, ambient air quality data (1987–2006) of SO₂, NO₂, SPM, and RSPM were analyzed to asses the changing air quality in the study area and to evaluate the effect of measures taken to control it. The primary data were collected from 1,583 households to examine the relationship between outdoor and indoor pollution level. Based on the data, the current study concludes that despite the implementation of different pollution-controlling measures, the pollutants, especially the particulate pollutants, were well above the standard limits set by CPCB. Integration between technological and social approach of urban planning is required to mitigate and manage urban environmental problems in sustainable manner.     

人口增长、收入水平与城市环境

伴随着我国城镇化进程的不断加快,城市环境污染问题备受关注。本文以城镇居民生活垃圾污染行为为起点,通过比较居民与政府目标函数,首先从理论上做出判断,城镇人口数量增加以及居民生活质量提高均会导致城市生活垃圾数量增长,从而对城市环境产生影响。随后,进一步采取Panel data的分析方法,以我国2004-2008年省级面板数据为样本,从城市生活垃圾污染的角度对我国城镇人口增长、居民收入水平与城市环境间的关系进行计量检验。结果显示:我国城市生活垃圾产生数量分别与城镇人口增长、居民收入水平间存在着长期正向协整关系,即在我国城镇化水平和居民生活质量不断提升的背景下,城市生活垃圾数量的增长以及对城市环境的污染存在着内在必然性;另外,我国城市生活垃圾数量的自发增长对平均增长的偏离逐年下降,可见,存在政策、制度、行为等外生因素抑制我国城市生活垃圾数量的增长。最后,文章从生活垃圾控制和处理的角度,就改善我国城市环境和促进城市环境可持续发展提出了简要的政策建议。     

Carbon-14, tree rings,and urban air pollution

Differences in natural ¹⁴C content of rings from trees from urban and rural locations have been compared on a year by year basis. The differences as a fraction of the urban tree's radioactivity reflect the local excess ¹⁴C-free carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion in the urban environment. New York City, Boston, and Washington, D.C., show different degrees of excess carbon dioxide. New York City averages about 6% excess carbon dioxide between 1950 and 1970. From this is infered an average carbon monoxide concentration during this period of 5 ppm.     

中国城市建设用地集聚对利用效率的影响:机理、空间效应与分群差异

为探究城市建设用地集聚对城市建设用地利用效率的作用机理,文章基于2003—2017年中国278个地级及以上城市面板数据,通过构建多产出随机前沿生产函数模型测度城市建设用地利用效率,采用时间-空间双固定的空间杜宾模型探讨了不同程度的城市建设用地集聚对利用效率的影响机理与差异。结果表明:(1)从时空特征上来看,样本考察期内中国城市建设用地利用效率总体上呈稳步提升趋势,东部城市建设用地效率最高,西部次之,中部最低。(2)从全国维度的空间计量模型回归结果来看,城市建设用地集聚所带来的规模效应和外溢效应对城市建设用地利用效率具有改进作用,有利于利用效率进一步提升。(3)从不同城市建设用地集聚度分群回归结果来看,高集聚城市(东部发达地区)的直接效应显示随着城市建设用地集聚度的提高,利用效率也不断提高;间接效应中,建设用地集聚度的提高对周边城市的利用效率产生先带动后抑制的"倒U"形作用。低集聚城市(中西部欠发达地区)的直接效应和间接效应均显示,随着城市建设用地集聚的提高,其利用效率存在"先降后升"的"U"形曲线特征。可见,在城市发展的不同阶段,城市建设用地集聚对城市土地利用效率存在差异化影响。因此,中国城市发展应立足当前发展阶段特征,制定差别化的供地政策,促进城市建设用地集聚,针对性地提升区域要素利用效率,支撑经济社会进一步发展。     

Simulating spatial pattern of urban growth using GIS-based SLEUTH model: a case study of eastern corridor of Tehran metropolitan region,Iran

Tehran metropolitan region (TMR) has experienced rapid urbanization in the last few decades. This accelerating urbanization trend mainly arising from high natural population growth and rural–urban migration along with rapid socioeconomic changes formed unplanned and uncontrolled urban expansion in peri-urban areas and resulted in degrading environmental quality and considerable changes in the urban landscapes of the TMR. Thus, the main objective of this research is to model spatial pattern of urban growth in eastern corridor of TMR using GIS-based SLEUTH model and the prediction of future developments of the region from 2014 to 2060. The SLEUTH is one of the most powerful models for urban growth modeling. This model analyzes the spatial pattern of urban growth based on historical data obtained from satellite images of 1987, 2003, 2011, and 2014. The results indicate that the most important factors affecting the urban growth are slope resistance and road gravity. The slope resistance is the highest coefficients value, which illustrates the limiting influence of the slopes on general trend of urban growth in eastern corridor of the TMR. The road gravity stands in second place where it displaces orientation of linear form of outlying pattern alongside the transportation network; it represents that the main pattern of urban growth in peri-urban areas of the region have a linear nature and edge expansion due to slope resistance and road-influenced growth, while spread, diffusion, and breed coefficients display low probability of new spreading center and spontaneous growth in the study area. In addition, the prediction of urban growth for 2020–2060 revealed that urban expansion which was 41,500 ha in 2014 will increase to 179,400 ha in 2060 with noticeable growth rate of 145.6 %. Comparing study area and other researches indicate that the urban growth happens in high rate in eastern corridor. One of the main reasons of this growth goes back to the formation of the second homes for residents of Tehran metropolitan city.     

Urban heat island intensity and evaluation of outdoor thermal comfort in Chennai,India

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The variation in the atmospheric conditions of urban areas to the fringe areas is termed as urban heat island and is attributed predominantly to the...     

A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Growth:A Case Study for Jinan Municipality,China

China is experiencing a process of rapid industrialization and urbanization at the cost of agricultural land and environment,particularly in the costal areas. This study takes Jinan as a case presenting a time-series analysis of urban land expansion from 313 to 2003. The results show that the urban expansion of Jinan city mainly took place in the last 100 years, especially after the economic reform in 1978. Social development and economic growth,urban population growth and migration policies were factors driving the urban land expansion. Urban sprawl resulted in a disappearance of wetlands and a great loss of agricultural land, and over-pumping of ground water that led to disappearance of the city‘s feature,namely “the city of springs“.     

Non-agricultural Population,Employment and Land: An Econometric Study in an Integrated Framework

Abstract

This paper explored the relationships among nonagricultural population, employment and land in an integrated framework, taking account of rural-urban land conversion into Carlino–Mills’s model on the regional growth. Two-stage-leastsquares and ordinary-least-squares were employed. Recent data for district (grade) cities in China (from 1999 to 2005) were used. Our results showed that: first, urban population influenced non-agricultural employment, and vice versa, but the evidence that non-agricultural employment influenced urban population was stronger than the evidence that urban population influenced non-agricultural employment; second, urban population and non-agricultural employment both influenced ruralurban land conversion, but the evidence that urban population influenced rural urban land conversion was more stronger than the evidence that non-agricultural employment did. We also found that: first, the employment from the secondary industry influenced urban population in a positive way, and vice versa, but the employment from the tertiary industry influenced urban population in a negative way, and vice versa; second, the employment from the secondary industry influenced rural-urban land conversion in a positive way, but the employment from the tertiary industry influenced rural-urban land conversion in a negative way. We can conclude that the key of urbanization is to speed up the process of non-agricultural employment, especially the employment from the tertiary industry, which might promote non-agricultural population, employment and land harmoniously.     

Non-agricultural Population, Employment and Land： An Econometric Study in an Integrated Framework

Abstract： his paper explored the relationships among nonagricultural population, employment and land in an integrated framework, taking account of rural-urban land conversion into Carlino-Mills＇s model on the regional growth. Two-stage-leastsquares and ordinary-least-squares were employed. Recent data for district （grade） cities in China （from 1999 to 2005） were used. Our results showed that： first, urban population influenced non-agricultural employment, and vice versa, but the evidence that non-agricultural employment influenced urban population was stronger than the evidence that urban population influenced non-agricultural employment; second, urban population and non-agricultural employment both influenced ruralurban land conversion, but the evidence that urban population influenced rural urban land conversion was more stronger than the evidence that non-agricultural employment did. We also found that： first, the employment from the secondary industry influenced urban population in a positive way, and vice versa, but the employment from the tertiary industry influenced urban population in a negative way, and vice versa; second, the employment from the secondary industry influenced rural-urban land conversion in a positive way, but the employment from the tertiary industry influenced rural-urban land conversion in a negative way. We can conclude that the key of urbanization is to speed up the process of non-agricultural employment, especially the employment from the tertiary industry, which might promote non-agricultural population, employment and land harmoniously.     

An assessment of urban vulnerability in the Amazon Delta and Estuary: a multi-criterion index of flood exposure,socio-economic conditions and infrastructure

The Amazon Delta and Estuary (ADE) is a region of continental and global ecological importance. Controversy, many of the basic infrastructure and services essential for quality of life and sustainable development of this delta are absent. Using a conceptual model to define socio-economic vulnerability in the urban ADE, a thorough assessment of indicators including sanitation services, housing conditions, household income, population, flood risk and unplanned settlements was conducted in 41 cities at the census sector scale (n = 2938). A multi criterion index was applied to classify urban vulnerability from three dimensions: flood exposure, socio-economic sensitivity and infrastructure. This is the first study to examine urban vulnerability within and between urban areas of the ADE. Results indicated that most of the urban sectors of the ADE are exposed to potential risks due to a combination of flood hazards, poverty and basic structural deficiencies such as insufficient drinking water or inadequate waste water collection, with several sectors being afflicted by similar problems. The assessment of vulnerability indicates that 60–90 % of the urban population live in conditions of moderate to high degree of vulnerability. The ADE cities presented a pattern where vulnerability increases from city center to their newly developed urban areas. Inadequate planning coupled with rapid urbanization has contributed to the development of unplanned settlements in almost half of the urban sectors of the ADE. Combined, these factors contribute to widespread socio-economic vulnerability along the urban spaces of the ADE, increasing exposure to health risks and more frequent seasonal and stochastic events such as storm surges and high flooding levels.     

居民活动空间与生态约束协调的城市开发边界划定方法——以长沙市为例

为了遏制长沙市城市的无序扩张,促进土地节约集约、高效利用,保障生态空间质量,划定长沙市城市开发边界成为重要举措。基于居民活动空间扩展,选取人口密度、居民活动分布、基础设施布局等多源时空数据,通过量化居民活动空间扩展概率,并利用植被覆盖度构建生态约束强度,确定二者协调规则,作为CA模型的约束条件,进行城市建设用地模拟,划定城市开发边界。结果表明：划定的长沙市城市开发边界,结果与长沙市“十三五”规划的城市空间发展框架基本一致,对未来建设用地扩展方向预测合理,而且避免了侵占重要生态资源,达到了兼顾城市空间发展和生态资源保护的多重目的。     

A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Growth: A Case Study for Jinan Municipality,China

Abstract

China is experiencing a process of rapid industrialization and urbanization at the cost of agricultural land and environment, particularly in the costal areas. This study takes Jinan as a case presenting a time-series analysis of urban land expansion from 313 to 2003. The results show that the urban expansion of Jinan city mainly took place in the last 100 years, especially after the economic reform in 1978. Social development and economic growth, urban population growth and migration policies were factors driving the urban land expansion. Urban sprawl resulted in a disappearance of wetlands and a great loss of agricultural land, and over-pumping of ground water that led to disappearance of the city's feature, namely “the city of springs”.     

经济增长激励、官员异质性与城市工业污染：以长三角地区为例

地方政府尤其是地方官员的决策行为对于一个城市工业污染的程度及其变化有着不可忽略的影响。首先探讨了地方官员的个体差异及其行为特征对城市工业污染的影响机理；然后以长三角地区为例，通过建立地方官员特征指标与城市工业污染间关系的计量模型，运用2005~2014年的相关统计数据，实证检验了地方官员异质性（主要体现为年龄、任期和晋升来源等方面的差异）对城市工业污染的具体影响。结果发现，地方官员的年龄、任期和晋升来源等因素对于城市工业污染有着不同程度的影响：（1）地方官员年龄增加对城市工业污染的影响表现为先增后减的倒U型变化趋势；（2）地方官员任期增加对城市工业污染的影响呈先减后增的趋势；（3）本地晋升官员相对于外地晋升官员，其执政下的城市工业污染程度会有所缓减。最后就有效管控城市工业污染，从完善地方官员晋升机制、健全地方官员环境考核制度等方面提出了相关政策建议     

Urban sprawl,public transport,and increasing CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions: the case of Metro Manila,Philippines

Current international discussions on the increasingly critical levels of carbon emissions from the transportation sector commonly attribute the causality chain to urban sprawl growth–private car use–carbon emission. An often assumed development context of this causality chain is that common of developed country urbanization. However, in the particular context of developing country urbanization, urban sprawl and associated workplace–home distanciation may lead to more intensive use by the urban workforce of public mass transportation system, instead of higher dependence on private vehicle travel. Thus, the source of the rise in carbon emission may actually be the public transportation system. Utilizing mixed methods, combining quantitative (origin–destination matrices) and qualitative data gathering and analysis, the authors present a case study in Metro Manila which has been experiencing sprawl and increasing costs and unaffordability of land and housing in the workforce’s vicinity of employment. This, in turn, causes greater distances of daily travel between home and workplace using public transportation system. When the latter is characterized by fuel-inefficient small vehicles with second-hand engines, higher carbon emission results. We argue that the convergence of multiple interacting factors such as urban sprawl, lack of affordability of housing near the centres of employment, high dependence of commuters on public transports, longer distance travel by commuters, and low fuel efficiency of the public utility vehicles primarily causes the increase in CO₂ emission from the transport sector. Implications of this case to policy scoping of immediate and long-term state responses for carbon emission mitigation in transportation sector are discussed.     

The Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Urban Environmental Management: Some Evidence from Hanoi, Vietnam

In recent years flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) to developing countries have rapidly been increasing. It is now an important contributor to the national economy and urban growth in scores of developing countries. Rapid urbanization in these countries is leading to many problems in the cities. Existing urban infrastructure and municipal services have been unable to cope with the increased demand arising from growing population and rapid economic growth. Consequently, the environment in these cities has deteriorated alarmingly. This paper assesses the role of FDI in urban environmental management (UEM) by analyzing the linkages between them for Hanoi City in Vietnam. The paper's analysis and findings are presented under three main themes: one, FDI, employment and income; two, FDI and environmental degradation; and three, potential of utilizing FDI for the provision of urban environmental infrastructure and services (UEI&S) in order to improve the urban environment. Both primary and secondary source data have been used. Policy implications of the research findings are drawn from the perspective of sustainable development.