The theory of neighbourhood decline due to pariah land uses: Regaining control of the downward cycle

Some neighbourhood environments have become dumping grounds for locally unwanted land uses (LULUs) that middle-class Americans do not want near their homes. LULUs may combine with other pariah land uses to collectively undermine the quality of the local environment, reduce investment, government services, the proportion of middle-income people and associated businesses. As important neighbourhood attributes are lost, illegal activities, derelict structures, trash-strewn lots and the concentration of poor and unhealthy people may increase. This paper describes the theory behind the impact of pariah land uses through examples of the downward spiral experienced by Camden, New Jersey and the south Bronx, New York. It then documents the experience of one community, Elizabethport, New Jersey, in reversing that downward spiral. Success in Elizabethport came from the synergistic activities of local, state and federal governments, community groups, and not-for-profit organizations as they struggled to regain control through local environmental management, rebuilding, and reducing crime. Social capital was also strengthened by using a local community health concern—that of childhood asthma. Efforts to reverse the downward spiral of urban decay from pariah land uses should be multi-faceted, spurred by local efforts that address local concerns.     

Planning,governance and rural futures in Australia and the USA: revisiting the case for rural regional planning

Rural regions in post-industrial countries confront significant new challenges, particularly in relation to climate, biodiversity, unconventional resource development and energy. Yet at a time when the contours of these challenges are still being sketched, and preliminary, planned interventions undertaken, the practice of rural planning finds itself at a low ebb. We examine two ‘critical cases’, one each from Australia and the USA, to explore the issues and options for capacity of rural regional planning to surmount these new challenges. Our examination indicates the urgent need for a renewed discourse on rural regional planning.     

Small‐Capacity Gold Production Tests From Waste Desktop Computers

This article describes a procedure for the hydrometallurgical recovery of gold from waste computer printed circuit boards (PCBs) and central processing units (CPUs). The wastes processed within the recovery installation described in this article were derived from desktop computers, the parts of which were manually sorted to select those components found to be rich in gold content. X‐ray fluorescence measurements showed that considerable amounts of gold are contained in the “finger” terminals of the PCBs as well as in the CPUs. This article describes the chemical processes for recovering gold from these parts. In addition, the article covers the emissions control apparatus that is capable of eliminating the nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions produced by the recovery process. The main costs arising from the overall procedure are for personnel utilization. Approximately 60 work hours from one worker are required to process 1.75–1.85 tons of unprocessed desktop computer waste to produce gold in the form of sediments. The quantity of gold recovered from this amount of waste computers can reach up to 35 grams with a standardized purity of 21 karats. The overall recovery procedure takes eight consecutive calendar days to accomplish.