City Of Lund Research Articles

Bordering Principles and Integration in Urban Context: Parallel Insights from Lund and Irbid

In this paper we reflect on how bordering emerge in urban integration processes in relation to two geopolitical belongings. The paper emanates from a performative dialogic event, labelled Lund Irbid Parallel Walk connecting two geopolitical regions: one in Europe through the city of Lund in the South of Sweden, and one in the Middle East that is Irbid located in the North of Jordan. Here, we reflect on key places addressed through this staged dialogic event, looking into bordering processes and their effects in and around the two cities. By addressing cultural heritage areas, official government buildings, but above all areas where newcomers have settled, or been placed within the lay-out of the two cities, we trace histories, architecture, and contestations around different bordering processes, exploring how they have been shifting, and emerging. The geopolitical belongings of Lund and Irbid, representing a division between a global North and South, show interesting local complexities as regards ways of handling housing for newcomers, especially refugees, linked to the history of neighboring relations on minor as well as major scales. In this paper we point to varying mechanisms of integration in the two cities, as regards how local border-formation appears, especially as related to architectural and urban transformation. 

An Iron Age Magnate Farm at Odarslöv – a local centre in the realm of Uppåkra

In this article, a newly excavated Iron Age farm with an associated gravefield and its surrounding landscape outside the city of Lund is examined, discussed, analysed and placed in its context. The biography of the farm spans about 400 years, from the Late Roman Iron Age to the Early Vendel Period. Through all phases, the farm remains on a restricted plot and shows both stability and prosperity. It is argued that the farm, based on its size, the number and types of buildings and the find material, can be considered a magnate farm. As magnates, the farm owners must have played an important role in the local community during a time when society underwent change and transition. The farm and the farm owners’ relation to Uppåkra and the rulers of the central place are discussed.

ENVIRONMENTAL LEVELS OF RADIOCARBON IN LUND, SWEDEN, PRIOR TO THE START OF THE EUROPEAN SPALLATION SOURCE

ABSTRACTThe European Spallation Source (ESS) is a neutron-based research facility under construction in Lund in southern Sweden. The spallation reactions will generate not only the desired neutrons, but also many radioactive by-products, including 14C. As part of the licensing process, and as recommended by the IAEA, various preoperational studies are being carried out, including mapping the “zero-point” radiation environment around the site. As the city of Lund hosts several facilities using 14C-labeled substances, and since temporary and local 14C contamination have been observed in the past, 14C mapping is an important part of these baseline assessments. We here present a summary of 14C levels in various terrestrial environmental samples in Lund and in southern Sweden during the years 2012 to 2020. These environmental F14C do not display significantly elevated levels compared to sites located remote from Lund. We also describe a local 14C contamination event that was detected at the Lund Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory in 2009. Horse-chestnut leaves collected close to the laboratory exhibited F14C values of up to ∼25% above the clean air background. Elevated values of F14C were also found in a short tree-ring series, especially in 2007. The source of this contamination was identified and successfully removed.

Contested values in bike-sharing mobilities – A case study from Sweden

The aim of this paper is to analyse the type of mobilities and subjects that are being promoted and constituted through bike-sharing systems. This is done through an analysis of the bike-sharing system in the city of Lund in Sweden. The analysis utilises Bacchi's What is the Problem Represented to be? framework and develops it through adding a spatial perspective. Departing from a critical velomobilities perspective, we argue that urban transport policies cannot merely be regarded as one specific and delimited reaction to well-defined policy problems. Instead, the ways that BSSs are, described, motivated – but also spatially organised – constitute which mobilities are produced. The analysis is based in an analysis of relevant policy documents, maps and observations. It is concluded that bike sharing is not seen as cycling and is rarely linked to cycling as such, but rather is seen as part of the public transport system. Further, it is concluded that the motivation behind the location of the stations is to facilitate the flow of workers to public transport, and promote attractiveness and tourism, thus constituting a strong belief in a win-win situation between sustainability and growth. Here prioritisation between different values, and the possible tensions between different social and environmental dimensions of sustainability is down-played.

Big Science, Ethics, and the Scalar Effects of Urban Planning

The urban expansion currently under development around the two materials science facilities MAX IV and European Spallation Source in Lund, Sweden, surrounds two meticulously designed research facilities steered by global demands. The new urban area, together with the research facilities dedicated to science and the development of knowledge, expands the city of Lund onto high-quality agricultural land. In doing so, the municipal planning is attempting to align contemporary ideas of sustainable urban development with large-scale scientific infrastructure. This actualizes an ethical dilemma as the urban expansion onto productive agricultural land overrides previous decisions taken by the municipality regarding land use. It can also be understood as going against national land use policy which states that development on productive agricultural land should be avoided. As the planning stands today, the research facilities heavily push local urban development into the area while the intended research outcomes primarily relate to a global research community tied to international scientific demands for materials science. Although the Brunnshög area is realized through a neutralizing planning strategy, thought to balance and compensate for the development on farmland, the effects of the counterbalancing acts are primarily played out at a local urban level in terms of diverse, exciting, and locally sustainable neighbourhoods. The land use protection policies meant to secure national food production rather operates on a national scale. The argument made in this text is that sustainable development, and the intended balancing acts it involves, ought to be carefully considered in terms of scalar effects. Sustainable planning<em> </em>effects’ <em>scalar extent</em> should be taken into account through careful assessment of the step between good intentions and expected outcomes.

An iterative k-means clustering approach for identification of bicycle impediments in an urban traffic network

The bicycle has many positive effects; however, bicyclists are more vulnerable than users of other transport modes, and the number of bicycle related injuries and fatalities are too high. We present a clustering analysis aiming to support the identification of the locations of bicyclists' perceived unsafety in an urban traffic network, so-called bicycle impediments. In particular, we present an iterative k-means clustering approach, which in contrast to standard k-means clustering, enables to remove outliers and solitary points from the data set. In our study, we used data collected by bicyclists travelling in the city of Lund, Sweden, where each data point defines a location and time of a bicyclist's perceived unsafety. The results of our study show that 1) clustering is a useful approach in order to support the identification of perceived unsafe locations for bicyclists in an urban traffic network and 2) it might be beneficial to combine different types of clustering to support the identification process. Furthermore, using the adjusted Rand index, our results indicate high robustness of our iterative k-means clustering approach.

On the use of clustering analysis for identification of unsafe places in an urban traffic network

Abstract As an alternative to the car, the bicycle is considered important for obtaining more sustainable urban transport. The bicycle has many positive effects; however, bicyclists are more vulnerable than users of other transport modes, and the number of bicycle related injuries and fatalities are too high. We present a clustering analysis aiming to support the identification of the locations of bicyclists’ perceived unsafety in an urban traffic network, so-called bicycle impediments. In particular, we used an iterative k-means clustering approach, which is a contribution of the current paper, and DBSCAN. In contrast to standard k-means clustering, our iterative k-means clustering approach enables to remove outliers from the data set. In our study, we used data collected by bicyclists travelling in the city of Lund, Sweden, where each data point defines a location and time of a bicyclist’s perceived unsafety. The results of our study show that 1) clustering is a useful approach in order to support the identification of perceived unsafe locations for bicyclists in an urban traffic network and 2) it might be beneficial to combine different types of clustering to support the identification process.

Environmental Comparison of Energy Solutions for Heating and Cooling

Humanity faces several environmental challenges today. The planet has limited resources, and it is necessary to use these resources effectively. This paper examines the environmental impact of three energy solutions for the heating and cooling of buildings. The solutions are conventional district heating and cooling, a smart energy solution for heating and cooling (ectogrid™), and geothermal energy. The ectogrid™ balances energy flows with higher and lower temperatures to reduce the need for supplied energy. The three solutions have been studied for Medicon Village, which is a district in the city of Lund in Sweden. The study shows that the energy use for the conventional system is 12,250 MWh for one year, and emissions are 590 tons of CO2 equivalents. With ectogrid™, the energy use is reduced by 61%, and the emissions are reduced by 12%, compared to the conventional system. With geothermal energy, the energy use is reduced by 70%, and the emissions by 20%. An analysis is also made in a European context, with heating based on natural gas and cooling based on air conditioners. The study shows that the environmental impact would decrease considerably by replacing the carbon dioxide intensive solution with ectogrid™ or geothermal energy.

Design and build with straw, earth and reeds for a minus carbon and plus energy building practice

The 6Zs target refers to the concept of a minus carbon and plus energy eco-cycle refugee house. A 37 m2 house was designed and constructed in a participatory manner in the City of Lund, Sweden. The 6Zs include: zero emissions, zero energy, zero waste, zero cost, zero indoor air pollutants and zero impact on the environment after the shelter is demolished. The key idea of this eco-cycle house is to reach net 6Zs during all stages—material extraction, building construction, operation and maintenance—until the shelter’s end of life. The main construction material is plant-based raw fibers (mainly straw and reed), which are available around the building site. This house is designed to accommodate the needs of two adults and one child. It was built with the help of 7 refugees in 11 working days through an experimental participatory urban living lab methodology. The paper discusses the 6Z design concepts and draws conclusions on the preliminary assessment of the house prototype that was built as a proof of concept. The beneficiaries of this project are not restricted to refugees but also include the majority of individuals and families seeking affordable ways of living with a low impact on the environment. The house is designed for the cold Swedish climate, but the design concept and methodological approach can be adjusted to other climates or geographical contexts.

Atmospheric CO2 sensing using Scheimpflug-lidar based on a 157-µm fiber source

A molecular laser-radar system, based on the Scheimpflug principle, has been constructed and demonstrated for remote sensing of atmospheric CO2 concentrations using Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) in the (30012←00001) absorption band. The laser source is a Continues Wave (CW) Distributed-FeedBack (DFB) diode laser seeding an Erbium-doped fiber amplifier, emitting narrowband (3 MHz) tunable radiation with an output power of 1.3 W at 1.57 µm. The laser beam is expanded and transmitted to the atmosphere. The atmospheric backscattered signal is collected with a Newtonian telescope and detected with a linear InGaAs array detector satisfying the Scheimpflug condition. We present range-resolved measurements of atmospheric CO2 concentration from a test range of 2 km located in the city of Lund, Sweden. We discuss and provide scalable results for CO2 profiling with the Scheimpflug-lidar method.

Behaviour of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and eight of their metabolites during wastewater treatment studied by hollow fibre liquid phase microextraction and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

In this work hollow fibre liquid phase microextraction combined with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was applied for the determination of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and ibuprofen as well as eight of their known human metabolites in wastewater samples. Extraction time and addition of tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) to the liquid membrane were evaluated resulting in a method with an optimal extraction time of 5h and 5% (w/V) TOPO addition to the membrane liquid (di-n-hexyl ether). With the optimized method, enrichment factors ranged between 778 and 4830. The method was applied for analysis of samples collected from Källby wastewater treatment plant in the city of Lund, Sweden. Samples were collected from the influent, water entering as well as exiting the conventional activated sludge treatment and the effluent to study the behaviour of these compounds during the treatment process. All twelve substances were found in the influent and for all four drugs, higher concentrations were detected of the metabolites than the parent compounds. Highest concentrations were detected of o-desmethylnaproxen, 2-hydroxyibuprofen and carboxyibuprofen (average influent concentrations of 45, 35 and 63μg/L respectively). The study showed only partial removal during the primary treatment whereas both parent compounds and metabolites were efficiently removed during the activated sludge process. In the effluent all analytes were detected in concentrations below 1μg/L thus showing that either the investigated metabolites do not belong to the NSAID transformation products formed during the activated sludge treatment or they are also quickly further transformed within the treatment.

Body mass index (BMI) and dental caries in 5‐year‐old children from southern Sweden

The aim of the present survey was to study the association between dental caries and body mass index (BMI) in Swedish preschool children (born in 1999). A population-based and cross-sectional study design was used comprising all 920 5-year-old children in a defined area in and around the city of Lund. Anthropometric measures for the calculation of BMI were retrieved for each child from recordings at Child Health Care Centers (CHC). The occurrence of caries and fillings in the primary dentition, defined as deft (decayed, extracted, or filled primary teeth) and dt (decayed primary teeth), was collected from the children's dental records. The mean BMI was 16.1 (no differences between boys and girls). About 19.2% were overweight, of which 5.1% were obese. Overweight or obese children did not have higher deft or dt than others. However, children with low BMI (below -1 SD of national mean values for Swedish 5-year-olds) had statistically significantly higher deft and dt than children with normal BMI. Children with low BMI may be at risk of caries development. Low BMI may be associated with eating habits endangering dental health.

Planning for climate change: the role of indigenous blue infrastructure, with a case study in Sweden

By analysing past hydrological structures in the city of Lund, Sweden, this paper highlights the contexts in which knowledge of the dynamic landscape in its origin, and the subsequent integration of human implementation and perception, will provide a complementary guidance to sustainable planning and adaptation to climate change. Using the concept of indigenous blue infrastructure, the aim is to present and raise questions concerning contemporary planning and stormwater management of the urban core, and the consequent flooding incidents in the surrounding countryside. It also places emphasis on a systems thinking much needed in current planning, which recognises the correlation of different scales and urban land morphologies within the entire urban–rural landscape. Further, it aspires to depict a vista from which ensuing exploration into the role of indigenous hydrology and the historical landscape, as flexible, dynamic and unrestrained entities, can expand to address future challenges.

Prevalence of Wegener's granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis, polyarteritis nodosa and Churg Strauss syndrome within a defined population in southern Sweden

To estimate the point prevalence (p.p.) of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) and Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) within a defined population in southern Sweden. A cross-sectional p.p. study using multiple sources for case identification. The study area, a healthcare district around the city of Lund in southern Sweden (Mellersta Skånes sjukvårdsdistrikt), had, on 31 December 2002, a total population of 287 479 inhabitants. All the identified cases were verified by medical record review. The patients were classified according to an algorithm based on the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria 1990 and the Chapel Hill Consensus Conference definitions 1994. Eighty-six patients (49% female) with a median age of 64.8 yrs (range 15-90.5) fulfilled the study criteria. There were 46 patients with WG; 27 with MPA; nine with PAN; and four with CSS. The p.p. per million inhabitants was estimated on 1 January 2003 to be 160 (95% confidence interval 114-206) for WG, 94 (58-129) for MPA, 31 (11-52) for PAN and 14 (0.3-27) for CSS. Capture-recapture analysis estimated the completeness of the case finding to 96%. The prevalence of WG, MPA, PAN and CSS in our district is the highest figure reported so far. Explanations for this finding may include high incidence, extensive ANCA-testing, good survival as well as sensitive search methods for case identification.

Optimizing route choice for lowest fuel consumption – Potential effects of a new driver support tool

Today, driver support tools intended to increase traffic safety, provide the driver with convenient information and guidance, or save time are becoming more common. However, few systems have the primary aim of reducing the environmental effects of driving. The aim of this project was to estimate the potential for reducing fuel consumption and thus the emission of CO 2 through a navigation system where optimization of route choice is based on the lowest total fuel consumption (instead of the traditional shortest time or distance), further the supplementary effect if such navigation support could take into account real-time information about traffic disturbance events from probe vehicles running in the street network. The analysis was based on a large database of real traffic driving patterns connected to the street network in the city of Lund, Sweden. Based on 15 437 cases, the fuel consumption factor for 22 street classes, at peak and off-peak hours, was estimated for three types of cars using two mechanistic emission models. Each segment in the street network was, on a digitized map, attributed an average fuel consumption for peak and off-peak hours based on its street class and traffic flow conditions. To evaluate the potential of a fuel-saving navigation system the routes of 109 real journeys longer than 5 min were extracted from the database. Using Esri’s external program ArcGIS, Arcview and the external module Network Analysis, the most fuel-economic route was extracted and compared with the original route, as well as routes extracted from criterions concerning shortest time and shortest distance. The potential for further benefit when the system employed real-time data concerning the traffic situation through 120 virtual probe vehicles running in the street network was also examined. It was found that for 46% of trips in Lund the drivers spontaneous choice of route was not the most fuel-efficient. These trips could save, on average, 8.2% fuel by using a fuel-optimized navigation system. This corresponds to a 4% fuel reduction for all journeys in Lund. Concerning the potential for real-time information from probe vehicles, it was found that the frequency of disturbed segments in Lund was very low, and thus so was the potential fuel-saving. However, a methodology is presented that structures the steps required in analyzing such a system. It is concluded that real-time traffic information has the potential for fuel-saving in more congested areas if a sufficiently large proportion of the disturbance events can be identified and reported in real-time.

Effects of an active accelerator pedal on driver behaviour and traffic safety after long-term use in urban areas

The long-term effects of the active accelerator pedal (AAP) were evaluated in the city of Lund in 2000 and 2001. The system, installed in 284 vehicles, produced a counterforce in the accelerator pedal at the speed limit. It could, however be overridden by pressing the accelerator pedal harder. The results showed that test drivers’ compliance with the speed limits improved considerably. Reduction in average speeds and less speed variation by the test vehicles indicate a great traffic-safety potential. Travel times were unaffected, while emission volumes decreased significantly.

Multiregression analysis on predictors determining the urinary potassium excretion and radiocaesium body burdens in two different ethnic groups

Within the field of environmental radiology, the levels of potassium and creatinine in urine are sometimes used to estimate the 24h excretion of radiocaesium from single urine samples. This is done in order to estimate the whole-body content of radiocaesium and the associated absorbed dose rate in man. Data on human urinary potassium excretion from various sources are available in the literature, but there are clear discrepancies between the ICRP 23 values for the reference man and these data which vary with the geographical location of the population. The relationship between urinary potassium and creatinine excretion and the correlation to parameters such as age, sex, body weight and ethnicity were investigated through multiple regression analysis. The groups of adults studied were a group from the city of Lund in southern of Sweden (1987-1994) and a group from rural areas outside the city of Bryansk, Russia (1994-1997). A significant difference was found in the relationship between the urinary potassium concentration and the creatinine concentration between the Swedish and Russian subjects. The elevated potassium concentrations found in the rural Russian subjects indicate a high dietary intake of potassium, which is in accordance with results from a Russian food habit questionnaire in the Bryansk area. No significant correlations were found between urinary potassium concentration and weight or age. The significant difference in the relationship between urinary potassium and creatinine between the two populations could explain the difference of a factor of two found in estimations of the whole-body content of 137 Cs for the Russian group, depending on which of the two substances, creatinine or potassium, was used for estimation of the body burden of 137 Cs from single urine samples.

SPEED REGULATION BY IN-CAR ACTIVE ACCELERATOR PEDAL: Effects on Speed and Speed Distribution

The effects on speeds and speed distribution were studied in a large scale field trial with an in-car system for speed adaptation in the city of Lund, Sweden. In the trial 290 vehicles were equipped with an “active accelerator pedal” and a data logger for a period of 3–11 months. Data was logged in each test vehicle during the whole trial and was analyzed for 3 one-month periods: Before activating the system, after short time use and after long time use. The results showed significant reductions in the speed level. Speeds on stretches decreased statistically significantly (p < 0.05) at 60 out of 69 observed sections. The effects were largest on arterial roads, at mid-block sections, where the prevailing traffic conditions and street design allows higher speeds. The standard deviation decreased on all arterial roads, mainly due to the decrease in speed of the fastest vehicles but there was also an effect from an increase in speed of the slowest vehicles. On streets with mixed traffic no differences in speed or speed distribution could be shown. This is most likely due to the fact that speeds were already controlled by the prevailing traffic conditions and they already were so low that the system never had to interfere. Further research is needed in order to investigate possible behavioral adaptation effects when the system is active as well as inactive and how driver behavior would be influenced in a situation where a large part of the vehicle fleet is equipped with an active accelerator pedal.

Ecological half-time of radiocesium from Chernobyl debris and from nuclear weapons fallout as measured in a group of subjects from the south of Sweden.

From 1960 to 1980 and between 1987 and 1994 the whole-body content of 17Cs, and when possible also 134Cs, was measured in a group of subjects living in the city of Lund, Sweden (55.7 degrees N, 13.2 degrees E). The results have been analyzed to estimate the effective ecological half-time of fallout radiocesium in humans living in the area. The Lund area (The Province of Skåne) was subjected to a deposition of about 2 kBq m(-2) of pre-Chernobyl 137Cs from nuclear weapons testing and 1 kBq m(-2) of 137Cs from Chernobyl fallout in May 1986. The radiocesium from the nuclear weapons tests in the 1950's and 1960's still gave a significant contribution to the total 137Cs levels in humans in the post-Chernobyl study period (1987-1994) of about 0.4 Bq per kg body weight, which was about 10% of the peak post-Chernobyl concentration level of 137Cs (3.5-4 Bq kg(-1)) in 1987. The effective ecological half-time for 137Cs from Chernobyl was found to be 1.8 +/- 0.2 y. The aggregate transfer factor from deposition to mean activity concentration in man was estimated to be 3.6 Bq kg(-1)/kBq m(-2). These values may be compared with an effective ecological half-time of 1.3 y found in the reference group in the 1960's, and an aggregate transfer factor of 10 Bq kg(-1)/kBq m(-2). This difference is largely explained by the continuous nature of the global fallout leading to contamination on growing crops whereas the Chernobyl fallout occurred just prior to the South Swedish growing season, leading to less efficient transfer to crops and to human diet. The average committed individual effective dose (50 y) from ingested 137Cs from the Chernobyl fallout was estimated to be 0.02 mSv and from the nuclear weapons fallout (1945-1995) to be 0.20 mSv.

A new method for finding inaccurate gas flow meters using billing data: Finding faulty meters using billing data

A method that uses billing readings to find inaccurate meters is presented. This method uses these readings to form an individual load index (LI), which is primarily affected by the climate rather than the customer's individual behaviour. Meters used in installations where the gas is used in industrial processes are therefore excluded since the consumption is not affected by the climate. The individual LI is compared with an average LI, and meters that differ from the average LI are examined. The method was tested on the gas distribution network in the city of Lund, which consists of approximately 1500 meters. Based on the results obtained so far, the LI method will be a useful aid in tracking down faulty meters. However, laboratory tests of a large number of meters selected by the LI method are still needed. Extrapolation of the results indicates that at least 1% of the installed meters have substantial errors.