Data-driven modeling of combined electrocoagulation and sand-filtration for sustainable urban wastewater management: A case study on street food cart effluents

Evaluating urban wastewater remediation efficiency of the Hydroponic Vetiver System through predictive modelling using Artificial Neural Network

GIS is used today to better understand and solve urban problems. This book explores and illustrates the use of geo-information in the planning and management of urban regions. The first part of the book addresses the concept of sustainable urban development, its different frameworks, the many ways of measuring sustainability, and its value in the urban policy arena. The second part discusses how urban planning can shape our cities, examines various spatial configurations of cities, the spread of activities, and the demands placed on different functions to achieve strategic objective. It further focuses on the recognition that urban dwellers are increasingly under threat from natural hazards and climate change.

Purpose: The fundamental purpose of this study was to assess the implication of GIS on sustainable urban planning and management in Uganda, one of the East African countries. Methodology: This study was a desk review research where documents were reviewed using a documentary checklist as the primary data collection instrument. Data was analyzed using content thematic analysis where emerging themes were identified and presented in a narrative form accompanied with quotation of texts from the documents where the identified themes emerged from. Findings: This study found out that GIS contributes to sustainable urban planning and management through the following ways; analyzing the existing situation for adequate urban planning process; producing and maintaining geographical information which aids planning of urban areas and towns; providing quick access of data to planners and other stakeholders which eases the urban planning and management process; enabling planners to make effective, efficient and informed decision with regards to urban planning and management; enabling monitoring, evaluation and provision of feedback with regards to implementation of urban plans. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study concludes that GIS has a positive implication on sustainable urban planning and management. This study also recommends that Governments of developing economies especially low income and middle income economies, Uganda not being exceptional should develop a strong data base for GIS systems so as to enable quick access to data by planners for effective and informed decision making in order to foster sustainable urban planning and management in low and middle income countries.

Sustainable urban materials management for air pollutants mitigation based on urban physical input–output model

PurposeThis paper aims to present the potential of placemaking as an approach of sustainable urban facilities management and its impacts on the improvement of the planning procedures which was aimed at involving citizens in the process itself. The study is based on the general concept of placemaking represented as an “overarching idea and a hands-on approach for improving a neighbourhood, city or region”, that serves as a process that “inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community” (PPS, 2007).Design/methodology/approachThe study used placemaking (onsite analysis, stakeholder identification, citizen survey and emotional mapping) and public participation geographic information systems (The Kernel Density tool in ArcGIS and hot spot analysis) methodologies to map problems and preferences identified by stakeholders related to particular spaces within the move formed by Maršala Birjuzova and Sremska streets in Belgrade. The research covered two-day stakeholders’ workshops including four groups of users participated in the workshop – pupils of local private high school, street residents, students of the Faculty of Forestry and the Faculty of Architecture and owners of local shops and businesses.FindingsResearch has shown that different stakeholders can offer very rational observations on the quality of a particular space and provide clear suggestions on its improvement and transformation. These proposals can be organised in the form of visions of the future appearance and functioning of the space, thus recognising the potential in the function of a sustainable urban facilities management tool in the form of creating a common idea, which will result in the creation of a common space.Research limitations/implicationsThe research covered only part of the process that resulted in the creation of an idea of future public space transformation. Continued research should be conducted after the intervention, which would give a more comprehensive picture of the effects of the approach.Practical implicationsPractical implications include the presentation of the ways different groups of users perceive the actual and future transformation of the street to make this place more user-friendly and sustainable, i.e. practical example of the co-design process.Originality/valueThis paper provide an overview of the possibilities of placemaking approach seen from the perspective of sustainable urban facilities management.

<p> With the rapid urbanization, the most challenges have been faced with the accelerated degradation of habitat quality and increasing ecological risks for urban natural ecosystems. It is important to explore an integrated approach for territorial spatial planning towards to sustainable urban ecosystem management for directing programs of natural ecosystems conservation and restoration toward preserving the most valuable natural resources. In the study, Yantai city in Shangdong province in China was as an example. The goal, method and spatial boundary of territorial spatial planning towards to sustainable urban ecosystem management were clarified. A technical framework of urban territorial spatial planning and an integrated approach to determine key areas of ecosystem preservation and restoration were proposed. The results showed that the application of urban territorial spatial planning in Yantai was feasible and effective and provided new ideas and methods for the territorial spatial planning. The ecological network pattern by the “two horizontal and two vertical” spatial pattern was proposed. Key areas of ecosystems conservation and restoration were identified, including 13 ecological pinch points, 8 ecological barrier points, 39 ecological break points, and 1308.66 km<sup>2</sup> fragmented ecological land. Natural solutions and measures for key areas of ecosystems conservation and restoration were proposed. It would help to provide scientific guidance for urban spatial planning toward to sustainable ecosystem management.</p>

The research deals with the concept of the Informal settlements, as they are unauthorized subdivisions of lands in the urban environment that start with a sudden invasion on the lands of others without legal capacity, for a specific group of individuals, where they reside their houses, without official permission from the owner They are located in city centers or urban vacancies. So the paper aims to build a comprehensive theoretical framework for solving and addressing the problem of Informal settlements through the Programs and strategies of the urban land management system. The problems of the Informal settlements (security of tenure, ownership issues, increased demand for shelter, violation of the scheme of land use, basic services) are the main issues and tasks of urban land management. The research defines urban land management as the responsible authority in the urban sector that has the responsibility to solve and address obstacles that prevent achieving urban development aims, including these obstacles (informal settlements, housing, and infrastructure services). The research problem was represented by The lack of a clear perception of the role of urban land management programs and strategies in solving and addressing the problem of the Informal Settlements, while the research hypothesis was that Solving and addressing the problem of Informal Settlements is through the programs and strategies of the urban land management system, which is represented by the formal urban land management programs for informal settlements, a sustainable urban land management system and urban land management development in varying proportions. The paper built a theoretical framework for solving and addressing the problem of Informal settlements through the Programs and strategies of the urban land management system. The research concluded that The importance of programs and strategies for each of (formal urban land management approach, sustainable urban land management system, decentralized urban land management system and urban land management development), including (securing tenure for informal settlement dwellers, developing informal settlement areas and converting them into formal areas, providing basic infrastructure services, developing Participatory approaches between the public and private sectors, community participation, recognition of the right to decent housing), in solving and addressing the problem of informal settlements, albeit partially, which contributes to reducing or limiting the resort to informal settlements and thus their gradual disappearance.

Collaborative governance has been widely recognized as an effective strategy to address complex public challenges, particularly in managing urban green spaces. This research examines systemic leadership in promoting cross sectoral collaboration for sustainable urban green space management. Specifically, it explores the role of systemic leadership in fostering cross-sectoral collaboration for sustainable urban green space management in Surabaya during Mayor Tri Rismaharini’s administration (2010-2020). A qualitative case study approach was employed, involving in-depth interviews with 15 informants from various sectors, document analysis, and observations. The findings reveal that systemic leadership ensures alignment between private sector contributions and public goals. Additionally, the integration of multifunctional green infrastructure, such as pedestrian pathways and stormwater management systems, contributes to environmental sustainability and urban resilience. This study reinforces existing collaborative governance theory and highlights the importance of long-term leadership in nurturing sustainable urban green space partnerships. It concludes that systemic leadership acts as a balancing force among stakeholder interests, facilitating compromise and institutional interactions crucial to achieving collaborative goals. This research contributes to the literature by emphasizing the significance of systemic leadership in promoting sustainable urban governance and offers practical insights for policymakers and urban planners to enhance collaborative processes in similar contexts.

A novel hybrid systemic modeling into sustainable dynamic urban water metabolism management: Case study

Land use planning is one of the effective ways of achieving overall sustainable physical development especially, in urban areas. Various stakeholders in Ghana such as government agencies are therefore, responsible for the development and enforcement of national and local plans that specifies land areas for residential, industrial, transport and recreational facilities towards achieving sustainable development. Empirical literature within the Wa Municipality is not clear on weather enforcement and/or compliance pose as a challenge to sustainable urban development. The main objective of this study was therefore, to assess the physical development and land use planning guidelines in the Wa Municipality and analyse people compliance for sustainable land management. Both primary and secondary data were used in this study. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 173 households in the Wa Municipality. Besides, heads of three institutions responsible for enforcing planning guidelines were interviewed. The results maintained that physical development planning guidelines are there to guide urban development in the Wa Municipality, but enforcement and effective compliance has been weak. Also, demographic and economic variables of the respondents as well as the lack of institutional capacity are the factors responsible for low levels of compliance. The non-compliance with planning guidelines contributes to haphazard physical development. This implies that the existence of clear planning guidelines is a necessary but not sufficient condition for sustainable urban land management. It is therefore, recommended that appropriate intervention through effective education for the general public as well as resource allocation to the enforcement institutions. This will facilitate the achievement of sustainable urban land management in the Wa Municipality.

This review discusses high impact research in sustainable urban and land management. The focus is on large European projects that have a holistic and multi-disciplinary assessment approach towards the total environment. This paper clearly indicates that many projects propose decision-making tools partly supported by numerical models. Successful projects were identified as applying the following criteria: a communicative and holistic approach involving economic, environmental and social sciences throughout the project; sufficient geographic coverage; engagement of stakeholders from a wide variety of sectors; and plans for dissemination of project outcomes and active knowledge sharing.

Sustainable urban planning and management demand innovative concepts and techniques to obtain up-to-date and area-wide information on the characteristics and development of the urban system. The increasing availability of Earth Observation (EO) technologies has provided new opportunities for a wide range of urban applications, such as mapping and monitoring of the urban environment, socio-economic estimations, characterization of urban climate, analysis of regional and global impacts and urban security and emergency preparedness. However, a gap exists between the research-focused results offered by the urban EO community and the application of these data and products by urban planners and decision makers. Hence, the main objective of the GEOURBAN (ExploitinG Earth Observation in sUstainable uRBan plAnning & maNagement) project is to bridge this gap by demonstrating the ability of current and future EO systems to depict parameters of urban structure and urban environmental quality at detailed level. This paper introduces the conceptual approach towards the integration of EO-based geo-information into urban and spatial planning and presents and discusses first results of the indicators developed and evaluated by using remote sensing data.

The provision of a sustainable supply of water is an increasingly difficult task to achieve in many urban environments. This arises because of pressures related to population growth and increased per capita demand for water. Additionally, climate change is impacting the natural cycle of water in many locations, with a significant impact projected for the future. Many scholars advocate ‘sustainable urban water management’ (SUWM) as an approach that can address the root causes of these challenges. Yet the implementation of SUWM and adaptation to climate change in the urban water sector remains limited. This paper argues that spatial planning provides tools and processes that can facilitate the full implementation of SUWM goals, and adaptation to climate change. The potential of spatial planning to achieve SUWM, including sustainable urban water supply management through both supply and demand end initiatives, in light of climate change, is discussed. A framework is developed to consider a broad range of spatial planning interventions that can facilitate adaptation to climate change and SUWM concurrently. The paper provides information and tools to assist water planners achieve SUWM and a well-adapted water sector and urban environment, in an integrated, holistic and comprehensive manner, to meet future water supply needs. Achieving these goals will need collaborative activities across multiple built environment disciplines. Future research activities to advance these goals are outlined.

The planning literature, against the backdrop of rapid urbanisation, technological advancement (automated vehicle), and climate change, tells very little about what constitutes a sustainable urban growth management policy. This research aims to address this gap through a two - round of Delphi survey involving 29 experts from six related fields: urban planning, transportation, economic development, environmental planning, social planning, and academia. Based on the literature, t he study first developed 19 pol icy scenarios under three focused areas (environment al, economic, and balanced). In R ound 1 of the Delphi survey , experts were requested to highlight the importance of these scenarios on a 5 -point Likert scale. Consensus level among the experts was assesse d using median score and expected probability of occurrence. In Round 2, the consensus level of each scenario was provided and the experts were requested to indicate whether they agree with the scores. Results from Round 1 show that none of the scenarios reached consensus based on a 50% a cut -off point. However, in Round 2, all policy scenarios reached a consensus with: two as highly important , seven as important, seven as moderately important, and the remaining three as less important . Highly important policy scenarios include: avoid high risk development in flood zones ; and fast paced development to accommodate demand for housing infrastructure and services such as health, education, electricity, water and other utilities . The findings suggest that ther e is no common understanding about what constitutes a sustainable urban growth management policy and that a range of issues require policy implement ation for a sustainable future.

Sustainable management and conservation of urban forests are becoming increasingly important to achieve urban sustainability, thus requiring a unified stakeholder collaboration at different levels. Local communities and youth play essential roles in sustainable urban forest management. This study analyzed the institutional arrangement for urban forest management in Ghana and the involvement of local communities and youth. The research involved an in-depth analysis of environmental institutions in Ghana and used qualitative methods to explore community and youth roles in urban forest management. Findings revealed a lack of a specific institution spearheading urban forest management, leading to overlapping responsibilities and administrative conflicts. Despite their potential, local communities and youth are often excluded from urban forest planning and management, resulting in decreased ownership and misuse of urban forests. Recommendations include assigning clear roles to responsible institutions, designating a specific urban forest management body, and adopting a youth-focused participatory approach for effective management.