Land Acquisition Costs Research Articles

Fish shoal optimization for identification of the most suitable revetment stone for design of minimum cost earthen canals carrying sediment-laden flow

A novel variant of particle swarm optimization (PSO), referred to as Fish Shoal Optimization (FSO), is developed to add an additional capability to its ancestor PSO to handle concurrently three different types of stones for the design of minimum cost earthen canals whose side slopes are riprap riveted and bottom is unlined with the most suitable type of stone. Costs of land acquisition and freeboard provision (fixed magnitude and depth-dependent scenarios) for a non-symmetric canal carrying sediment-laden flow are accounted for. The FSO concurrently handled various types of riprap stones in a single program to portray its resemblance with the biological character of a fish shoal (aggregation of mixed species of fish in nature). It allowed interaction of dissimilar species of shoal – the social characteristic of PSO and stiff competition – a feature of Genetic Algorithms, among their own and other groups’ members to yield the minimum cost design of canals having symmetric shape and angular particles as the most suitable revetment stone. The FSO yielded not only the minimum cost canals but also hydraulically efficient designs with 1.32, 4.86, 4.42, 4.28, and 4.40% less costs than those obtained by PSO for five different freeboard scenarios, respectively.

Sustainable Mining Land Use for Lignite Based Energy Projects

This research aims to discuss complex lignite based energy projects economic viability and its impact on sustainable land use with respect to project risk and uncertainty, economics, optimisation (e.g. Lerchs and Grossmann) and importance of lignite as fuel that may be expressed in situ as deposit of energy. Sensitivity analysis and simulation consist of estimated variable land acquisition costs, geostatistics, 3D deposit block modelling, electricity price considered as project product price, power station efficiency and power station lignite processing unit cost, CO2 allowance costs, mining unit cost and also lignite availability treated as lignite reserves kriging estimation error. Investigated parameters have nonlinear influence on results so that economically viable amount of lignite in optimal pit varies having also nonlinear impact on land area required for mining operation.

Ownership Restrictions and Farmland Values: Evidence from the 2003 Saskatchewan Farm Security Act Amendment

An underlying issue in discussions of farmland ownership restrictions is their impact on farmland values and on land acquisition costs for local farmers. In this article, I examine the farmland value consequences of relaxing a particularly stringent farmland ownership restriction in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Farm Security Act was introduced in 1974 and prohibited non‐Saskatchewan residents and corporations from owning Saskatchewan farmland. In 2003, the act was amended to allow Canadian residents and Canadian corporations to acquire farmland, bringing Saskatchewan in line with neighboring provinces and states that restrict foreign ownership but are open to domestic ownership. I estimate the impact of the 2003 amendment on Saskatchewan farmland values using 1995 through 2010 parcel‐level farmland transactions in Saskatchewan and its neighboring province of Manitoba. The impact of the 2003 amendment is assessed in a series of econometric models that use differential trends in farmland prices in the two provinces before and after the amendment. I find that the 2003 amendment led to a 1.9% to 3.1% per year increase in Saskatchewan farmland values.

Costs of Urbanisation in Poland, Based on the Example of Wrocław

The paper deals with the issue of charging communes with the costs of realisation of the provisions contained in local spatial development plans. When such local spatial development plan enters into force, it leads to economic consequences. In Poland, these consequences are specified in the forecast of the financial impact, which contains a prognosis of own revenues as well as of costs incurred by the budget of the commune. The research consisted in the analysis of the costs of urbanisation of land located in Wrocław, in the southern part of the Krzyki district (Poland). This area is undeveloped to a major extent, consisting mainly of agricultural land, and its development requires the construction of technological and social infrastructure facilities. The expected costs of the realisation of local spatial development plans that are binding for the southern part of Wrocław demonstrate significant costs of the construction of sewage network and municipal roads. The planned development of residential districts is not supported by the existing infrastructure. Additionally, the development of new areas will require the city of Wrocław to take over the real properties on which public goals are planned to be realised. The estimated costs of land acquisition for the realisation of public goals amount to EUR 3 728 500.

Importance of fuel in the valuation of lignite-based energy projects with risk assessment from geology to energy market

This research aims to discuss complex economics of lignite-based energy projects with respect to risk and uncertainty, optimisation, sustainable land use and the importance of lignite as fuel that may be expressed in situ as a deposit of energy. The sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo simulations performed in this article include estimated land acquisition costs, geostatistics, 3D deposit block modelling, electricity (product) price, power station efficiency, the unit cost of lignite processing at the power station, CO2 allowance costs, mining unit cost and also geological risk considered as kriging estimation error for lignite reserves. The investigated parameters have a nonlinear influence on the final results and hence the economically viable amount of lignite in the optimum ultimate pit varies. The optimum ultimate pit area varies across scenarios from 11.2km2 (or even 9.1km2) up to 14.3km2. The performed simulations allowed each optimum ultimate pit to be calculated from a unique set of project parameters based on their distributions. For the highest surface cost scenario, there is 95% probability of obtaining undiscounted net value of €1277 million and also there is only 5% chance to obtain the net value of €5524 million.

Tax Shifting and Incentives for Biodiversity Conservation on Private Lands

AbstractConservation in human‐dominated landscapes is challenging partly due to the high costs of land acquisition. We explored a property tax mechanism to finance conservation easements or related contracts as a partial‐property acquisition strategy to meet Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) treaty targets to conserve critically imperiled coastal Douglas fir ecosystems in Canada. To maximize cost‐efficiency, we used systematic planning tools to prioritize 198,058 parcels for biodiversity values, estimated the cost of eliminating property tax on high‐priority parcels to engage land owners in conservation, and then calculated the tax increase on nonpriority parcels necessary to maintain tax revenue. Marginal tax rate increases of 0.13, 0.21, and 0.51% on nonpriority parcels were necessary to offset the elimination of tax revenue on ∼21,000 ha of high‐priority parcels, and potentially sufficient to increase area protection from 9% to 17% to meet CBD targets given uptake rates of 100, 50, or 25%, respectively. Sensitivity analyses suggest uptake rates of 30% to 40% could allow government to achieve a 17% target with 30% of the planning area prioritized for inclusion in a property tax mechanism. Our results suggest prioritizing parcels for biodiversity value and commensurate “tax shifting” may offer an efficient route to conservation on private land.

Assessing the shelf life of cost-efficient conservation plans for species at risk across gradients of agricultural land use.

High costs of land in agricultural regions warrant spatial prioritization approaches to conservation that explicitly consider land prices to produce protected-area networks that accomplish targets efficiently. However, land-use changes in such regions and delays between plan design and implementation may render optimized plans obsolete before implementation occurs. To measure the shelf life of cost-efficient conservation plans, we simulated a land-acquisition and restoration initiative aimed at conserving species at risk in Canada's farmlands. We accounted for observed changes in land-acquisition costs and in agricultural intensity based on censuses of agriculture taken from 1986 to 2011. For each year of data, we mapped costs and areas of conservation priority designated using Marxan. We compared plans to test for changes through time in the arrangement of high-priority sites and in the total cost of each plan. For acquisition costs, we measured the savings from accounting for prices during site selection. Land-acquisition costs and land-use intensity generally rose over time independent of inflation (24-78%), although rates of change were heterogeneous through space and decreased in some areas. Accounting for spatial variation in land price lowered the cost of conservation plans by 1.73-13.9%, decreased the range of costs by 19-82%, and created unique solutions from which to choose. Despite the rise in plan costs over time, the high conservation priority of particular areas remained consistent. Delaying conservation in these critical areas may compromise what optimized conservation plans can achieve. In the case of Canadian farmland, rapid conservation action is cost-effective, even with moderate levels of uncertainty in how to implement restoration goals.

Joint ecological, geographical and cultural approach to identify territories of opportunity for large vertebrates conservation in Mexico

The objective of the present paper is to provide a holistic framework to delineate “territories of opportunity” where agrarian communities can manage areas to enhance the conservation of large vertebrates. The study was conducted Mexico, which is sociologically, culturally and ecologically complex, similar to other “megadiverse” countries. We conducted ensemble niche modeling of endangered top predators to define a set of large vertebrate species. Environmental attributes were used to perform three distance-based and two artificial intelligence-based algorithms. Socio-cultural attributes were included to depict agricultural communities with strong social government schemes and clear evidence of well-managed natural resources. Other socio-economic attributes such as land acquisition cost, human agglomeration and anthropogenic land use were included in the analysis. Scenarios were computed and displayed cartographically with the aid of a geographic information system. Results showed that the largest concentration of biodiversity converges on regions with large land cover persistence and high local governance, defined as potential willingness to engage in conservation actions. The cartographic areas identified overlapped with current Mexican protected areas in only 2.7% of the country. Thus, conservation law enforcement in most of the country seems to be ineffective. Here we show that, in a number of territories, agrarian communities that have coexisted for millennia with umbrella species can be regarded as allies in biodiversity conservation. Results are discussed in the light of their relevance for future niche modeling, environmental policy design and implications for climate change.

Meta-analysis of rate of return on road projects

This study analyzes the impact of economic and spatial factors on the economic return on Korean road projects, using meta-regression models and Monte Carlo simulation. This paper finds that the internal rate of return (IRR) is negatively affected by the distance and land acquisition cost (LAC) in urban areas while it is positively related to the population density, ratio of manufacturing workforce to total workforce, and LAC in rural areas. In addition, net benefits can be generated if a road length is less than 5 km. Finally, the IRR tends to be highly sensitive to the population density.

Land Tenure, Governance and Accountability in Nigeria: The Implications on Food Production to Feed the Present and the Future

Land is very vital for agricultural production, and for any nation that wants to be self-food sufficient. Different land reforms have taken place in Nigeria since 1960 with the aim of facilitating access to agricultural land, and make the nation self-sufficient in food production, but little changes have only been recorded. Bureaucracy by approving authorities in practice in communities where land is situated still hinders land acquisition for agricultural investment. This study therefore analyzes land policy, governance and accountability and draw out some implications on food production in Nigeria. The percentage of arable land to the total land area was 37.3 percent by available data in 2013, which suggests that smaller area is only available for cultivation with little for agricultural expansion. There may likely be a great challenge in producing enough food to sustain the future population of Nigeria if issues on land tenure and governance are not addressed. Even though our finding revealed that Nigerians cultivate more land at present than ever before with a percentage increase of 19.2 percent in 2000 to 2010, much needs to be done considering challenges confronting agricultural investors. Some of the identified challenges in Ogun State include: the activities of nomadic, high cost of land acquisition, land grabbing which has dispossessed members of the communities of their large parcels of land, scarcity of labor in rural community due to youth rural-urban drift and high cost of modern agricultural input preventing them to adopt. This is a dangerous trend for the future considering the current food deficit problem in Nigeria. Transparency in land governance with customary laws can improve land access. Removal of gender biases in access to land, bureaucracy and cost of securing and perfecting title, short-term lease which cannot be used as collateral for agricultural loans in the Land Use Act need to be amended.

The cost of convenience; Air pollution and noise on freeway and arterial light rail station platforms in Los Angeles

Light rail transit (LRT) systems constitute one of the most sustainable public transportation modes and transit agencies have increasingly constructed LRT lines along the median of roadways to reduce land acquisition costs and traffic conflicts. Despite these conveniences, few studies have examined the air pollution and noise exposures for passengers on LRT station platforms within freeway or arterial medians. In response, we monitored particle number count (PNC) concentrations and noise levels on 17 station platforms in the Los Angeles metro system in summer 2012 and assessed differences between freeway and arterial platforms. We visited each station on average 7 times for approximately 19min with two teams carrying a full set of instruments. As expected, impacts were higher on green line platforms in the center of a grade-separated freeway compared to blue line platforms in the center of an arterial due to being in close proximity to greater traffic volumes. Overall, freeway-arterial platform differences were 35,100 versus 20,000particles/cm3 for PNC and 83 versus 62dBA for noise. This average noise intensity on green line platforms was four times that on blue line stations. We also found that PNC concentrations were significantly higher at open air monitoring platform positions compared to standing under a shade canopy (about 2000particles/cm3 higher), but that noise levels were significantly lower at open air positions compared to under canopy positions (about 3.2dBA lower). Results identify important factors for transport planners to consider when locating and designing in-roadway LRT platforms.

Design of Minimum Cost Earthen Channels Having Side Slopes Riveted With Different Types of Riprap Stones and Unlined Bed by Using Particle Swarm Optimization

AbstractSeveral design alternatives for a trapezoidal earthen channel whose side slopes are riveted with riprap stones and bottom is unlined were analysed to compare the performance of different types of stones (round, sub‐round and sub‐angular, and angular) for minimum cost and performance effectiveness. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was implemented to determine the minimum cost channel in contrast with earlier alternatives relating to the most hydraulically efficient sections. Both clear water and sediment‐laden flow conditions were applied to investigate the effect of flowing water characteristics on optimality, which is not available in the literature. Optimal design of channels incorporating land acquisition cost is scanty; therefore, land cost was also included in the objective function. In addition to the design of a channel without freeboard, different freeboard scenarios, including depth‐dependent equations, were applied to assess the impact of freeboard provision methodologies on optimal channel dimensions and cost. It was found that the channels having angular riprap revetment for sediment‐laden flow conditions offered the minimum cost of construction, with sub‐round and sub‐angular, and round stones coming next in sequence, and the freeboard provisions also impacted the channel shape, dimensions and cost. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Benchmarking parties’ obligations in the execution of concession-based PPP projects in Nigeria

Purpose Demand–supply matrices with adverse consequences has occasioned government response to concession initiatives in infrastructure in Nigeria. However, concession-based projects have been trailed by administrative and legal controversies. While this scenario has negatively impacted the acceptability of a concession contract, there is, nevertheless, a paucity of research effort aimed at developing a sustainable framework. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for the evaluation and allocation of obligations of parties, thereby enhancing the synergy and cooperation between the public and private sector organization. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained through a questionnaire administered to professionals in concession-based contracts in southwestern Nigeria, which included architects, estate surveyors, quantity surveyors, engineers and builders, accountants/bankers/economists and lawyers. The respondents were selected using random and respondent driven sampling approaches. The questions were structured to ensure that the respondents have appropriate experience in concession-based projects and hold appropriate positions as decision-makers so as to give credence to the collected data. Findings The study identified 47 contractual obligations in the specific context of developing countries. Based on “half-adjusting principle”, 13 of the obligations notably cost of land acquisition and cost of social disturbances were allocated to the public party; 18 of the obligations notably project design and cost of feasibility study were allocated to the private party; and 16 of the obligations including preparation of terms of a contract and relocation of third party facilities were shared by the parties. Originality/value The framework benchmarked the categorization of public and private parties’ obligations in concession-based public–private partnership (PPP) contracts. The study has the implication for the evaluation and allocation of obligations of parties, which could mitigate the risk of failure of PPP projects in relation to the specific context of developing countries.

Optimizing regulatory requirements to aid in the implementation of compensatory mitigation

Optimizing regulatory requirements to aid in the implementation of compensatory mitigation

Optimizing channel cross-section based on cat swarm optimization

Optimal design of channel cross-section is an important task in the hydraulic design of open channels. The traditional methods and models which neglect the frost heave are trial procedures and may result in failure of channels in design of irrigation channels. To improve the total cost, reliability and effectiveness, the model which is used in this study, is not only minimizing the cost of land acquisition but also the cost of concrete lining considering cost as the objective function. The constrained optimization model which considers values of thickness of channel concrete slab constraint simultaneously along with the objective of minimization of cost is propounded and solved using a recent global optimization technique, namely cat swarm optimization (CSO). The optimized channel section not only satisfies the optimal hydraulic cross-section but guarantees the safety and stability of the side walls so that both the amount of the concrete lining and the land acquisition are optimized. Finally, we take a main channel of Qinghe Irrigated Area of Farm 853 in Heilongjiang Province as a study area. The results obtained using the CSO approach are satisfaction and the method can be used for reliable design of artificial open channels. Furthermore, we compare the CSO algorithm with a genetic algorithm (GA) and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) to verify the effectiveness of the cat swarm algorithm in the channel section optimization.

Incorporating habitat availability into systematic planning for restoration: a species‐specific approach for Atlantic Forest mammals

AbstractAimSpecies persistence often depends not only on habitat protection, but also on habitat restoration. The effectiveness of species conservation through habitat restoration can be enhanced by explicitly considering ‘habitat availability’, the combined effects of the total amount of habitat and its spatial configuration. We develop an approach for prioritizing land for restoration in a complex biome, considering habitat availability, land acquisition cost and biogeographical representation.LocationBrazilian Atlantic Forest.MethodsWe evaluate alternative restoration prioritization strategies for two mammal species with widely different dispersal abilities and habitat patch requirements. Our strategies focused on minimizing cost while meeting targets for biogeographical subregion representation and habitat availability metrics. We evaluated solutions based on the expected post‐restoration improvement in habitat availability per unit cost.ResultsRestoration through land acquisition to improve habitat availability for both species and to ensure 20% forest cover within each of the Atlantic Forest biogeographical subregions would cost US$ 17.5–20.5 billion. The 12.6 and 11.4 million ha of restored forest resulted in an increase of 10.5% and 9.8% in habitat area and 5518% (55‐fold) and 4100% (41‐fold) in future habitat availability forLeopardus pardalisandCaluromys philander, respectively. We found a high degree of concordance (> 75%) among selected planning units for each species.Main conclusionSubstantial improvements in habitat availability that benefit both species can be realized for minimal additional cost relative to solutions based solely on cost‐minimization and biogeographical subregion representation. We demonstrate that metrics based on metapopulation theory can be quantified in complex systems and used in a systematic restoration prioritization approach to improve habitat availability cost‐effectively. Concordance among priority areas for restoration for species with widely different dispersal abilities and habitat patch requirements supports the idea that many species in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest might benefit from plans based on indicator species. This is particularly useful in data‐deficient systems like the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

KAJIAN KELAYAKAN EKONOMI PEMBANGUNAN JEMBATAN LAYANG SIMPANG SELAYANG KOTA MEDAN

The purpose of this study is to create an economically effective flyover construction in Medan so that this study can inspire the local official. Total cost of the construction is Rp. 720 billion which consist of Rp 10.8 billion of flyover base structure construction cost, mobilization and road hardening cost, design and supervision cost; Rp 7.641 billion annual maintenance unit cost; Rp 22.923 billion/5 years periodically maintenance cost; and Rp 4,375,000/m2 estimated land acquisition cost. The calculated benefit is travel cost cut-off which is the difference between the total travel cost with and without project. The travel cost consists of Vehicle Operational Cost and Time Value. Based on year 2014 analysis, the total amount of the cut-off saving of Simpang Selayang Flyover is Rp 30.06 billion. Economic feasibility analysis of horizon years for 30 years showed that the benefit obtained based on NPV, which is Rp 61,1 billion, is not adequate enough for 12,5 % annual interest rate, this can be seen by the 10.99% Internal Rate Return (IRR), so, the value of Simpang Selayang Flyover construction is not economically feasible yet.

A historical examination of the Corps of Engineers and natural valley storage protection: the economics and politics of ‘green’ flood control

Abstract Between 1972 and 1994, the US Army Corps of Engineers undertook five studies in New England evaluating the benefits and costs of protecting natural valley storage (NVS) areas—natural reservoirs—for flood mitigation. Only along the Charles River did benefits outweigh costs. Analysis of the studies finds that the costs of large-scale land acquisition will often exceed the sole benefits of avoided flood damages. To generate net benefits, there must be significant amounts of NVS lands still undeveloped, development pressure on those lands, and downstream areas that would sustain large damages. The NVS studies also raised questions of whether the Corps should be involved in land acquisition, and whether regulating land use could substitute for purchasing land. Note, these findings do not apply to other forms of natural flood-risk reduction, such as levee setbacks, green infrastructure for stormwater management, and multi-purpose projects, which have different economic and institutional contexts.

Study on Commodity Residential House Price Volatility of the Guanzhong Urban Agglomeration Using Spatial Econometric Analysis

This paper was based on the theory of spatial econometric model. It selected the panel datas of the guanzhong urban agglomeration of five core cities from 1998 to 2012, and inspected the commodity residential house price if there is a space dependency relationship between the two cities. On the basis to analyze the main factors influencing the commodity residential house price volatility and research on the influence of the housing price direction. Results show that the sample is significant spatial correlation between urban housing prices. Xi 'an have great influence on regional cities housing price. The urban population, household disposable income, land acquisition costs, sales area are the main influence factors affecting housing price volatility.

Too Loud to Hear the Train! Noise Assessment, Implications, and Mitigation Strategies on Light Rail Platforms

Transit planners often place light rail station platforms in the middle of freeways to avoid land acquisition costs and neighborhood opposition. However, waiting for the rail at these platforms is unpleasant and may present a health risk. The study measures, compares, and contrasts noise levels at such “freeway stations” with noise levels encountered at non-freeway stations. It identifies the factors contributing to noise in both types of stations and presents recommendations for quieter light rail station platforms.