Suitable Housing Placement: A GIS-Based Approach

The intent of this paper is to operationalize some aspects of local sustainability in a suitable development scenario and to compare its energy-use and environmental impacts to trend development. After a discussion of suburban sprawl, local sustainability, and the current state of the Pennypack Creek Watershed in the Philadelphia metro region, these residential location scenarios are presented. The latter were created using geographic information systems software and are based on projections from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. The impacts of the scenarios on energy use, air emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, and biological integrity were estimated with very few data, and the effect on the value of generic ecosystem services was assessed. The suitable development scenario was 29% better in terms of energy use and air and greenhouse gas emissions, 2.4% worse on water quality, and 2.6% better with respect to biological integrity. Given its net beneficial results, recommendations for policies to engender suitable development are made, and an outline of an implementation plan is proposed. Thoughts regarding refinements of the present work and the applicability of the methods used here to other watersheds conclude the work.     

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.     

The International Environmental Expert Panel for Major Dam/Reservoir Projects: The Yellow River, China

The experience of the International Expert Panel on Environment for the Xiaolangdi dam/reservoir project in China (XEP) showed that the Panel meetings resulted in a marked improvement in project environmental performance by all parties participating in project implementation, with no parties exempt from the Panel's evaluations. Unfortunately the Loan Agreement authorizes use of the Panel only through the project stages of final design and construction, hence the 12th Panel meeting, which matched project construction completion, ended this series. The Panel has recommended that some meetings of the Panel be held during the project's operations stage in order to maintain continuing attention to environmental needs. The XEP experience showed that the XEP, in addition to monitoring project environmental performance, was very valuable for (i) training of Chinese staff involved in project implementation, and (ii) serving in the role as expert consultant for guiding the work of the Chinese participants. The XEP experience also showed the need for making a clear separation between evaluation, the overall resettlement program per se, and the environmental effects of the program. The Panel recommended that the Ministry of Water Resources and World Bank cooperate in sponsoring a book on The Environmental History of the Xiaolangdi Project, including both dam construction as well as resettlement problems, which would serve as a very valuable reference for guiding environmental planning for future dam projects in China (Ludwig, H.F. 1994–2000).     

Nowe Tychy: an assessment of a polish new town

No we Tychy is the most prominent and successful of the new towns in post‐war Poland. The paper describes the new town programme resulting from the Regional Plan for Upper Silesia and provides an appraisal of the town's achievement from the point of view of the residents’ living conditions, the usability of the housing stock and the spatial character of the town. The conclusions provide a critique of the process through which the town was developed and built.     

Building safety in humanitarian programmes that support post-disaster shelter self-recovery: an evidence review

The humanitarian sector is increasingly aware of the role that good quality evidence plays in the underpinning of effective and accountable practice. This review addresses the need for reliable evidence by evaluating current knowledge about the intersection of two key outcome targets of post-disaster shelter response: supporting shelter self-recovery and building back safer. Evidence about post-disaster shelter programmes that aim to improve hazard resistance while supporting shelter self-recovery has been systematically analysed and evaluated. Technical support, especially training in safer construction techniques, was found to be a central programme feature, but the impact of this and other programme attributes on building safety was largely not ascertainable. Programme reports and studies lack sufficient detail, especially on the hazard resistance of repaired houses. Accounts of shelter programmes need to include more reliable reporting of key activities and assessment of outcomes, in order to contribute to the growing evidence base in this field.     

武汉居住区的能源利用与环境保护规划

针对武汉市冬季湿冷，夏季闷热的典型气候特点，探讨了统筹规划的武汉市住宅小区的能源利用怀环境保护的必要性和可行性。在对武汉市住区进行详细的现状分析后，明确提出了建设南北朝向的各式住宅，进行小区绿化与房顶绿化和发展区域锅炉房集中供热等节约能源，减轻大气污染，提高居室环境质量的规划措施。     

FLOODPLAINS AND HOUSING VALUES: IMPLICATIONS FOR FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS1

ABSTRACT: The hedonic valuation method was used to quantify the impact of floodplain location on housing values in Fargo‐Moor‐head. Being located in the 100‐year floodplain lowered the home values by $8,990, and such homes were worth $10,241 less than similar homes located outside the floodplain before the major flood event of 1997. Required flood insurance premiums for these homes were determined to account for approximately 81 percent of this price depreciation. In contrast, homes in the 500‐year floodplain were worth $3,100 more than similar homes not in the floodplain. It was concluded that more disclosure is needed regarding the location of the 500‐year floodplain, and that the hedonic valuation method can be used to calculate the economic gains and losses associated with flood mitigation projects or floodplain remapping efforts that result in the reclassification of the legal floodplain status of individual homes.     

掘进工作面贴附射流通风浓差理论研究

掘进工作面压入式通风形成的风流是贴附射流。根据流体力学和射流理论 ,通风射流体结构分为起始段和主体段。风筒出口风流是新鲜的 ,射流周围气体中污染物浓度高于射流体的浓度 ,与射流气体存在浓度差。因此 ,其通风射流为浓差射流。笔者分析了贴附射流主体段、起始段的轴心浓差和质量平均浓差 ,得出了计算模型。同时为研究压入式通风过程中污染物的分布提供了新的理论依据     

雄激素1,4-雄烯二酮和雄烯二酮对斑马鱼胚胎昼夜节律和下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴通路中基因转录表达的影响

雄激素1,4-雄烯二酮(androstadienedione, ADD)和雄烯二酮(androstenedione, AED)主要用于人类和牲畜疾病的预防和治疗。近年来,ADD和AED的大量使用导致其在河流中广泛检出,甚至在多种鱼类体内亦有检出,且浓度较高。ADD和AED已被证实对鱼类具有生殖毒性和发育毒性,但ADD和AED在转录水平上对鱼类的影响鲜有报道。为探究ADD和AED分子水平毒性,本研究考察了斑马鱼胚胎暴露于ADD(4.48、30.0和231 ng·L~(-1))和AED(3.64、21.7和230 ng·L~(-1))144 h后,对其昼夜节律和下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴(hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, HPG axis)通路中基因转录表达的影响。结果表明,所有浓度的ADD都显著上调了昼夜节律通路中生物钟基因(per1b)、核受体亚族1的D群基因(nr1d2b)、隐花色素基因(cry5)和si:ch211-132b12.7的转录水平,30.0和231 ng·L~(-1)的ADD下调了时钟节律调节因子基因(clocka)和芳香烃受体核转录蛋白样基因(arntl2)的转录水平。3.64 ng·L~(-1)AED显著增强了per1b和nr1d2b的转录表达。此外在HPG轴中,30.0 ng·L~(-1)ADD显著降低了促黄体生成素V亚基基因(lhb)的转录表达水平,而3.64 ng·L~(-1)AED显著上调了lhb的转录表达水平。值得注意的是,4.48ng·L~(-1)ADD和3.64 ng·L~(-1)AED均显著降低了细胞色素P450的11亚族基因(cyp11b)的转录表达水平。上述研究表明,ADD和AED对昼夜节律和HPG轴中相关基因的转录表达有显著性影响,对斑马鱼具有潜在的内分泌干扰风险。     

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.