An exploratory study on perceptions of seismic risk and mitigation in two districts of Istanbul

Istanbul is one of the world's cities most vulnerable to seismic events. According to seismologists, the probability of a severe earthquake in the next 30 years is approximately 40 per cent. Following an outline of the seismicity of this vital Turkish city and a summary of current seismic risks and mitigation studies, this paper presents the results of a survey conducted in two districts of Istanbul, Avcilar and Bakirkoy. The survey comprised some 60 questions on the seismic risk perceptions of individuals and requested basic personal data, such as on age, education level, employment type, financial income, and gender. Despite various differences among the survey population, such as academic background and level of financial income, responses were surprisingly similar, especially in terms of having no plan for a safer house. The data may help those planning mitigation programmes and public awareness campaigns on preparedness and particularly mitigation in highly vulnerable regions.     

新疆师范大学大学生环境意识调查与初步研究

大学生的绿色意识如何,所了解的绿色知识有多少,有无绿色思维和行为,对实施可持续发展有什么见解,对绿色技术与知识的渴求程度如何,这些问题均对绿色教育、绿色课程的设置及效果有很大的影响。本文针对这些问题,根据在校大学生的特点,设计内容通过问卷调查,进行摸底和分析,以便在西部地区使绿色教育做到有的放矢,取得实效。     

The influence of building renovation and rental housing on urban trees

Urban forest ecosystems are complex and vulnerable social–ecological systems. The relationship between urban forests and housing is particularly variable and uncertain. We examine the influence of building renovation and rental housing on public trees at the parcel and street-section scale in a residential neighbourhood in Toronto, Canada. We use empirical data describing multiple tree inventories and government open data describing building permit applications to test for effects on urban forest structure, tree mortality, and tree planting. We found that the presence and number of building permits significantly predicted mortality at both scales, while planting was positively correlated with building permits at the street-section scale only. Multi-unit parcels had significantly lower rates of planting than single-unit parcels and multi-unit housing was positively correlated with mortality at the street-section scale. These findings suggest that where concentrated changes in housing stock are occurring, substantial losses of trees and associated ecosystem services are possible.     

Measuring the welfare cost of air pollution in Shanghai: evidence from the housing market

The purpose of this study is to quantify the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for clean air in China. We provide the first estimate of MWTP for clean air by implementing a hedonic method using housing price and air quality data from Shanghai. Our estimates imply that air pollution has a significant and negative impact on housing price. We also find that the willingness to pay for better air quality varies significantly across different income groups. This paper helps to deepen our understanding of the economic impacts of air pollution in emerging Asian metropolises where residents are suffering from the most severe respiratory health problems.     

Social sustainability and neighbourhood design: an investigation of residents' satisfaction in Delhi

Social and environmental goals are often mutually reinforcing. Urban forms may encourage social sustainability as well as social inclusion or may have the potential to create areas of crime and social exclusion. The issues of relationship between sustainable development and urban form have given birth to new paradigms of design approach such as new urbanism, the compact city and the eco-city. This paper examines the impact of urban form on social sustainability at the neighbourhood level. It seeks to better understand the relationship between urban form and social sustainability by comparing three neighbourhoods with dissimilar urban forms in Delhi, India. Household surveys and observation surveys in these three neighbourhoods were conducted, and it was found that the urban form of a neighbourhood plays a very important role in creating a socially sustainable residential neighbourhood. The study established that social interactions within the communities are higher when dwelling units are placed around the public realm or common open space. The study demonstrated that provision of high quality and well-located open space at the precinct level, mixed land use and good accessibility to the public realm and social infrastructure play an important role in increasing the social sustainability of the neighbourhood.     

黄淮海平原农区宅基地扩展时空特征及整治潜力分析——以禹城市5个村庄为例

综合遥感解译、宗地调查和入户问卷调查方法,研究黄淮海平原农区禹城市5个村庄的宅基地时空演变特征和不同退出标准的宅基地整治潜力和整治效果。研究结果表明：（1）改革开放以来,农村宅基地经历了剧烈扩张,调研村庄的宅基地平均扩张了3.7倍。2015年户均宅基地高达1.6宗,30.8%的农户存在“一户多宅”现象,28.5%的房屋被闲置或废弃。（2）2000年以前,调研村庄的宅基地空间扩张模式以飞地式为主,2000年后被填充式和蔓延式所取代。分村庄来看,宅基地空间扩张受到主要交通干线布局、土地资源禀赋和村庄初始布局等因素的影响。（3）调研村庄宅基地整治具有较大的理论潜力,可节约56%的村庄居住用地。基于两套退出标准方案的宅基地整治可分别节约26%和36%的村庄居住用地,但均与理论潜力存在较大差距。（4）未来宅基地试点改革亟需在推进转移人口市民化、建立宅基地退出补偿价值体系、探索退出的宅基地转化为集体经营性建设用地的办法等宏观体制机制推进,并在微观层面依据农户就业结构和土地资源禀赋分类施策。     

中国资源型城市土地财政对经济增长的影响——基于住房价格的中介作用

以资源型城市为研究对象,理论分析土地财政对经济增长的影响以及住房价格的中介作用,构建面板数据随机效应模型。选取土地和房地产市场发育比较完善的111个资源型城市,基于2011—2019年的面板数据,分类型检验资源型城市住房价格对土地财政影响经济增长的中介效应。研究结果表明：（1）土地财政显著正向影响资源型城市的经济增长和住房价格,但是影响程度存在一定差异性。再生型城市的影响系数最大,成熟型城市的影响系数最小。这种差异性与城市的资源保障能力相关。（2）资源型城市总体和成熟型城市住房价格对土地财政影响经济增长存在显著的部分中介效应,而再生型城市、成长型城市和衰退型城市住房价格对土地财政影响经济增长的中介效应不显著。     

Life cycle assessment of mobile phone housing

The life cycle assessment of the mobile phone housing in Motorola(China) Electronics Ltd. was carried out, in which materials flows and environmental emissions based on a basic production scheme were analyzed and assessed. In the manufacturing stage, such primary processes as polycarbonate molding and surface painting are included, whereas different surface finishing technologies like normal painting, electroplate, IMD and VDM etc. were assessed. The results showed that housing decoration plays a significant role within the housing life cycle. The most significant environmental impact from housing production is the photochemical ozone formation potential.Environmental impacts of different decoration techniques varied widely, for example, the electroplating technique is more environmentally frieodly than VDM. VDM consumes much more energy and raw material. In addition, the results of two alternative scenarios of dematerialization showed that material flow analysis and assessment is very important and valuable in selecting an environmentally friendly process.     

Impediments to recovery in New Orleans' Upper and Lower Ninth Ward: one year after Hurricane Katrina

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a rapid succession of plans put forward a host of recovery options for the Upper and Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans. Much of the debate focused on catastrophic damage to residential structures and discussions of the capacity of low-income residents to repair their neighbourhoods. This article examines impediments to the current recovery process of the Upper and Lower Ninth Ward, reporting results of an October 2006 survey of 3,211 plots for structural damage, flood damage and post-storm recovery. By examining recovery one year after Hurricane Katrina, and by doing so in the light of flood and structural damage, it is possible to identify impediments to recovery that may disproportionately affect these neighbourhoods. This paper concludes with a discussion of how pre- and post-disaster inequalities have slowed recovery in the Lower Ninth Ward and of the implications this has for post-disaster recovery planning there and elsewhere.     

Sustainable development as a policy guide: an application to affordable housing in island communities

This article uses sustainability as a lens through which to examine affordable housing policies in geographically-isolated island communities, with the intent of assessing the utility of using sustainable development as a guide to policy decision-making. Focusing on the case of Key West, Florida, the article points to the conflicts that must be reconciled to achieve true sustainability. The study applies criteria to identify policy solutions for the provision and retention of affordable housing in island communities, and at the same time provides an application of the sustainable development concept as a policy guide. Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.