The multifunctionality of urban farming: perceived benefits for neighbourhood improvement

Urban farming – a type of urban agriculture focused on entrepreneurial food production – serves multiple functions in neighbourhoods; yet these are not well delineated. Expectations for urban farming often centre on traditional measures of economic development, potentially overlooking other benefits. Through a qualitative case study conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, we sought to understand community perceptions regarding the ways in which urban farms can benefit cities. Interviews with residents, neighbourhood leaders, and urban farmers in three residential neighbourhoods with urban farms revealed the pathways by which community members view farms as improving neighbourhoods. Benefits stemmed from four primary changes urban farms made to study neighbourhoods: creation of public projects welcoming involvement, physical improvement of degraded space, production of local food, and creation of new businesses. These changes led to multiple perceived benefits including increased social connectedness, a transformed physical landscape, improved neighbourhood reputation, increased access to fresh produce, and educational, youth development, and employment opportunities. Our findings demonstrate the importance of a multifunctional paradigm that accounts for social and educational functions in assessing the value of urban farming and bring empirical evidence to the concept of multifunctional agriculture. Urban farms with strong social aims may appear to contribute little to economic development if measured using traditional indicators of success such as job creation or fiscal impacts, but provide numerous other benefits for community development.     

乌鲁木齐市不同区域大气降尘中重金属污染及来源分析

为进一步了解城市不同区域间大气降尘中重金属含量及其差异性,沿城市走向梯度布设降尘采样点采集样品。采用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱(ICP-AES)仪测定样品中Cu、Cr、Mn、Fe、Ni、Zn、Cd、Pb和As等重金属含量,并计算富集因子来判断不同区域间的污染源类型,通过因子分析方法探讨污染的来源。结果显示,所测重金属元素中除Mn外,均受到人为源的影响,且十分严重。从贡献率来看,不同区域间第一因子的贡献率虽有差异,但均为来自土壤的风沙扬尘造成;第二因子的贡献率也不尽相同,主要是燃煤产生的污染;第三因子出现了差异,市南区和市北区主要是受金属冶炼的影响,而市中区的影响可能来自垃圾焚烧;市南区未出现第四因子,而市中区和市北区的污染源也不相同。分析表明,城市大气降尘污染依然严重,做好防控风沙和建筑扬尘,减少煤炭消耗,调整能源结构和产业布局是整体减少大气降尘的关键。     

A2O-MBR工艺处理城市污Z作农业灌溉用水中试研究

为开发一种污水再生利用于农田灌溉领域的新型技术,本实验以城市污水为研究对象,采用A2O—MBR工艺进行中试研究,并将系统出水水质与《农田灌溉水质标准（GB5084—2005）》的主要水质指标进行对比分析。结果表明,系统COD和BOD,出水浓度范围分别为3．2～59．6mg／L、1．0～7．6mg／L,系统出水pH为7．16～7．54,悬浮物浓度几乎为0,上述指标均符合标准;TP、TN和氨氮的出水范围分别为0．03～0．79mg／L、1．6～17．7mg／L和0．8～10．3mg／L。《农田灌溉水质标准》没有对上述3个指标提出具体要求,且少量的氮磷是植物生长的营养元素。该系统出水的主要水质指标符合标准兽求．     

基于生态位理论的京津冀城市生态文明评价

生态文明评价体系是明确生态文明建设现状、定位生态文明建设存在问题的关键。从城市群视角出发引入生态位理论,界定生态文明位内涵,构建涵盖社会子系统生态位—经济子系统生态位—资源环境子系统生态位共29项指标的城市生态文明评价指标体系,并提出相对生态文明位和生态经济指数的二维模型,测算京津冀城市群6个案例城市在2007—2011年的生态文明建设水平、趋势以及地位。结果显示,2011年北京生态文明水平(相对生态文明位)最高,邢台生态文明水平最低,石家庄、秦皇岛、承德、天津生态文明水平分别排名第2、第3、第4、第5。2007—2011年,北京、承德、邢台生态文明水平呈现波动下降趋势,而秦皇岛、石家庄、天津呈现小幅上升趋势;但生态经济指数测算显示,北京的经济社会发展对于生态资源环境的占用消耗大,承德有较好的经济发展潜力。并基于该二维模型,将京津冀城市生态文明建设分为4种类型:发展失衡型、相对和谐型、高质量发展型、资源环境优势型,分别确定城市生态文明建设重点,为京津冀协同发展提供了指导依据。     

重庆主城区秋冬季逆温对空气质量影响的观测分析

2013年9—11月利用RPG-HATPRO地基多通道微波辐射计对重庆主城区大气进行连续探测,统计了大气逆温情况,并对典型重污染天气下大气逆温与空气质量状况进行综合分析。结果表明,逆温出现的频率为63.3%,基本为接地逆温类型,逆温层厚度为953 m,逆温强度为0.3℃/hm;逆温的存在为气溶胶的积聚和凝聚创造了有利条件。     

直接投菌法在城市重污染河流治理中的应用研究

在无截污和清除内源的情况下,对深圳市甘坑河采用梅花式接种法将本源微生物菌剂分两次直接接入河流水体及底泥中。结果表明,第1次接种后的4 d内各项水质指标都不稳定,4 d后,悬浮物、COD、TP和NH3-N等浓度下降,水质明显改善;但从第8天开始,COD、NH3-N和TP的去除率同时下降,本源微生物的处理效率开始降低,需进行第2次接种;第2次接种后,DO浓度提升至2.0 mg/L以上,COD、TP和NH3-N的去除率分别保持在40%、30%和40%以上。结果表明,直接投菌法在城市重污染河道治理中可以初步消除河道的黑臭现象,修复水质。     

基于RS的成都市城市扩张监测与分析

随着21世纪人口和经济的快速增长,城市扩张速度明显加快,如何快速获取城市的扩张信息并进行分析,对城市的规划和可持续发展具有十分重要的意义。采用监督分类方法对3个时相的成都市建成区进行提取,并分析比较。在此基础上,结合相关的统计数据分析,得出成都市城区的扩张与经济发展密切相关,人口增长与基础设施完善也起到了重要的驱动作用。     

城市旅游的一个研究剖面：国内外城市旅游产品研究述评

在回顾国内外城市旅游已有文献的基础上,对国外城市旅游产品这一专项内容进行了文献述评,内容集中于城市旅游产品类型包括城市文化旅游产品、城市遗产旅游产品、城市事件旅游产品、城市夜间旅游产品和城市旅游产品,要素包括城市旅游吸引物、城市旅游设施、城市旅游服务、城市可进人性。     

遗传投影寻踪回归在城市环境质量评价中的应用

引入投影降维的思想,将遗传投影寻踪与回归分析技术运用到城市环境质量评价中。将此技术与神经网络方法进行实例比较,投影寻踪回归方法不但可以合理地作出环境质量的综合评价,而且消除了神经网络方法中类别判断不够精确的影响。     

Is Urban Stream Restoration Worth It?1

Kenney, Melissa A., Peter R. Wilcock, Benjamin F. Hobbs, Nicholas E. Flores, and Daniela C. Martínez, 2012. Is Urban Stream Restoration Worth It? Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(3): 603-615. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00635.x Abstract: Public investment in urban stream restoration is growing, yet little has been done to quantify whether its benefits outweigh its cost. The most common drivers of urban stream projects are water quality improvement and infrastructure protection, although recreational and aesthetic benefits are often important community goals. We use standard economic methods to show that these contributions of restoration can be quantified and compared to costs. The approach is demonstrated with a case study in Baltimore, Maryland, a city with a legal mandate to reduce its pollutant load. Typical urban stream restoration costs of US$500-1,200 per foot are larger than the cost of the least expensive alternatives for management of nitrogen loads from stormwater (here, detention ponds, equivalent to $30-120 per foot of restored stream) and for protecting infrastructure (rip-rap armoring of streambanks, at $0-120 per foot). However, the higher costs of stream restoration can in some cases be justified by its aesthetic and recreational benefits, valued using a contingent valuation survey at $560-1,100 per foot. We do not intend to provide a definitive answer regarding the worth of stream restoration, but demonstrate that questions of worth can be asked and answered. Broader application of economic analysis would provide a defensible basis for understanding restoration benefits and for making restoration decisions.