Blurred Borderlands: Sustainability and the Urban/Nature Divide at the Frick Environmental Center

ABSTRACT

Sustainable development is rhetorically framed as exhibiting natural processes, reflected both symbolically and materially. Taking the Frick Environmental Center of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a rhetorical artifact, I argue that spaces where sustainable human-made structures and human-cultivated landscapes meet, reflect blurred borderlands of a culturally constructed urban/nature divide. Considering the Frick Environmental Center as an experiential landscape, my mixed methodology of textual analysis and rhetorical field work identifies how naturalized framing of sustainability bridges the urban/nature divide, inviting restoration, preservation, and construction efforts that are more environmentally engaged.     

Opportunities and challenges for development of urbanization in Western China

Urban and rural dual structure in Western China is obvious.The economic development of the central cities is relatively quick while that of the rural areas is lagging behind.The speeding up of urbanization contributes to the intensively uncoordinated development of urban and rural areas.Besides,the eco-fragile environment,shortage of available water resources,adverse geographic location,and relatively backward social economy restrict the development of urbanization in Western China.However,Western China also has the advantages of backwardness.This paper analyzes the present situation and development trend of urbanization in Western China.The results show that Western China has basically formed a development pattern with"industry promotes agriculture and urban leads to village".Therefore,combined with the present situation of Western China,this paper describes and analyzes the opportunities and challenges that may appear in the process of urbanization in Western China,puts forward the development pattern in which urban and rural areas can gain mutual support and co-development,and provides related recommendations.     

Multi-objective Programming and Social Welfare Analysis of Rural–urban Land Conversion Decision-making

Abstract

Rural–urban land conversion is an inevitable phenomenon in urbanization and industrialization. And the decision-making issue about this conversion is multi-objective because the social decision maker (the whole of central government and local authority) has to integrate the requirements of different interest groups (rural collective economic organizations, peasants, urban land users and the ones affected indirectly) and harmonize the sub-objects (economic, social and ecological outcomes) of this land allocation process. This paper established a multi-objective programming model for rural–urban land conversion decision-making and made some social welfare analysis correspondingly. Result shows that the general object of rural–urban land conversion decision-making is to reach the optimal level of social welfare in a certain state of resources allocation, while the preference of social decision makers and the value judgment of interest groups are two crucial factors which determine the realization of the rural–urban land conversion decision-making objects.     

The spatial-temporal differentiation of green land use in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration

ABSTRACT

As the space carrier of the construction of ecological civilization, land’s green and efficient utilization is an important guarantee for realizing national sustainable development. Based on traditional land evaluation, this paper scientifically defines the green land use, puts land as one of the production factors, and brings energy consumption, environmental pollution, etc. into the input-output system to measure the green land utilization efficiency of the urban construction land of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration from 2006 to 2016. The study shows that the overall efficiency variation of the urban agglomeration is related with the land and environment policies. Efficiency of 2016 is higher than that of 2006, and energy and environment are the principal factors affecting the green land use. The efficiency of each city is positively correlated with its economic development, negatively correlated with the construction land expansion. Efficiency gaps in different cities are expanding. There is positive correlation with overall weak space between cities, and the partial spatial agglomeration phenomenon appears. Therefore, the green land use efficiency could be improved by improving land utilization efficiency, coordinating economic growth of construction land utilization with environmental protection and taking feasible ways to transregional renovation of the stock ecological land utilization, etc.     

梯级拦河堰对典型山地城市河流重金属元素的滞留效应:以重庆市梁滩河为例

梯级拦河堰通过改变水力条件的方式将大量重金属元素滞留到河底沉积物中,滞留在沉积物中的重金属会长期影响地表水质和水生态.在2020年5月采集位于重庆市主城区、布设有梯级拦河堰的典型山地城市河流——梁滩河干流河底沉积物,并监测各河段内沉积物累积量和样品中重金属元素含量以及其它基本理化指标.结果表明,梁滩河干流沉积物ω（As）、ω（Cd）、ω（Cu）、ω（Hg）、ω（Ni）和ω（Pb）均值分别为（4.66±4.78）、（0.361±0.256）、（32.30±14.38）、（0.069±0.039）、（33.47±15.37）和（26.34±11.52） mg·kg^-1,由于污染源空间分布不均和梯级拦河堰对河流连通性的破坏,各点位沉积物重金属含量有着较大的空间变异系数.改进的地累积指数（I_m）显示,Cd是沉积物中污染水平最高的重金属元素;有12.50%的监测点位处于偏中度或中度污染水平,污染主要分布于建设用地集中的上下游区域.潜在生态风险评价指数法（RI）和沉积物质量基准法（SQGs）显示,除污染水平较高、毒性强的Cd和Hg外,流域内背景值含量较高的Ni也对地表水生态风险形成威胁.在梯级拦河堰的影响下,干流沉积物中滞留As、Cd、Cu、Hg、Ni和Pb总量分别为446.10、47.28、4997.80、10.81、5135.68和4048.16 kg,其中Cd、Ni和Pb会长期威胁地表水生态安全.由于较高的重金属滞留总量和更易形成厌氧环境,各级拦河堰上游附近河段也是重金属内源释放所需关注的重点区域.利用主成分分析和聚类分析解析沉积物中重金属元素来源：Cd、Cu和Pb主要源于居民/工业点源污染;Hg主要源于农业面源污染;As和Ni主要源于自然土壤侵蚀.     

宝鸡市区人居环境状况动态变化研究

在探讨城市人居环境基本概念的基础上,构建了城市人居环境评价指标体系,并对宝鸡市区2004～2008年的人居环境进行了系统的分析与评价。分析结果表明,2004年以来宝鸡市区的人居环境有了很大的改善,尤其是居住条件改善速度较快,但基础设施与公共服务设施、生态环境质量改善速度缓慢。针对这些问题,提出优化宝鸡市区人居环境的具体...     

中国农业污染防控的制度约束研究

中国作为世界上最大的发展中国家,正经历着越发严重的农业污染问题;对农业污染防控的制度性约束因素进行深入分析,是实现有效污染防控的前提,具有积极的理论和现实意义。对中国农业污染防控的制度约束分析研究表明：农业污染及其防控涉及的利益主体关系及相关制度设计,对各利益主体形成了污染防控负激励,加重了农业污染;城乡＂二元＂结构及其衍生的一系列体制问题,导致＂三农＂在农业环境治理、农村公共物品提供等方面被严重边缘化,进而直接制约了农业污染防控;此外,高度分散的小规模农户经营模式也不利于农业污染防控。最后,针对中国农业污染防控的制度性约束因素,提出了有针对性的农业污染防控政策建议。     

1979—2006年泰安市建成区扩展特征及影响因素分析

在遥感和GIS技术支持下,采用扩展强度指数、紧凑度指数、象限分割方法研究了泰安市建成区1979—2006年的时空扩展变化特征及形态模式。结果表明,泰安市建成区自1979年以来呈现快速扩展趋势,建成区紧凑度指数呈现逐渐下降趋势。对自然和社会经济发展资料分析后认为,泰山对建成区北部的扩展形成天然屏障,而其他方位的快速扩展与泰安市固定资产投资、旅游业发展和人口增长等社会经济发展因素具有密切联系。针对紧凑度指数逐渐下降趋势,提出今后泰安市城市建设应当在城市合理布局的前提下,进一步加强土地的集约利用。     

城市重点公共区域人群聚集风险的实时定量技术

城市公共区域人群高度聚集且流动性大,紧急状态时易发生群死群伤的拥挤踩踏事故,造成大量人员伤亡和社会负面影响。在FIST模型的基础上,提出以人员密度（D）、人员特性（C）、人与人的相互作用（I）以及人群聚集环境（E）作为表征公共场所人群聚集风险的基本参数,接下来对四个参数进行了相应的技术分析。第一,利用人群监控技术估计人群密度;第二,通过现场监测网络得到的人群压力值来表征人与人相互作用的强度;第三,忽略了个体差异对人群整体的影响;第四,把公共场所中导致事故发生的影响因子归结为综合扰动强度,并建立了相应的数学模型表征了这种强度的大小。最终建立了描述人群聚集风险的DICE模型。同时,给出了人群密度阈值、人群压力阈值以及人群聚集风险的总阈值及其判断标准,整个工作将人群聚集风险实时定量及管理技术推向了实用化的道路。     

城市土地储备制度绩效评价研究——以武汉市为例

城市土地储备制度绩效评价对保障土地储备制度健康发展有重要意义.在对城市土地储备制度绩效评价内涵界定的基础上,构建绩效评价指标体系,运用层次分析法和综合指数法.以武汉市为例,对城市土地储备制度绩效进行评价研究.结果表明,武汉市城市土地储备制度绩效评价综合得分为78.89,取得了良好制度绩效.其中,城市经济发展和土地利用配置效益明显提高,综合指数分别为80.50和83.16,而公平配置效益得分较低,为70.18.依据评价结果,提出了兼顾"效益"和"公平"的政策建议.