Infrastructure Strategies Research Articles

Fuzzy-based multicriteria analysis of the driving factors and solution strategies for green infrastructure development in China

Global efforts are underway to mitigate and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. Green infrastructure development (GID) has been a centre of attention for the policymakers, experts, and the governments as an indispensable development. Similarly, The Chinese government has also put forth serious policy initiatives to promote GID in the economy. However, there is immense potential to turn traditional infrastructure into green infrastructure. For this objective to achieve, the identification, analysis, and prioritization of driving factors and strategies for GID is imperious. The present study serves this purpose by identifying 10 driving factors, 38 sub-factors, and 5 alternative solution strategies to GID in China. The study uses a fuzzy-based multi-criteria decision support framework for the analysis. The Fuzzy AHP analysis revealed global drive to GID, environmental benefitting factors, and economic benefits as leading driving factors of GID.. The evaluation and prioritization of alternative solution strategies for GID through Fuzzy WASPAS concludes the strategy of green infrastructure (GI) in urban areas as the best strategy to develop GI. The study provides a comprehensive and more in-depth understanding of GID in China. The findings of the study would support the policymakers, managers, and governments to stimulate the GID process.

Post-Pandemic Urbanism from the Perspective of Healthy Cities: Evaluation of Urban Green Space Sufficiency in Denizli

The COVID-19 pandemic has re-bought forward the importance of urban open spaces. The scarcities of public spaces and open green spaces have been effective in keeping the city dwellers in their homes due to the need for isolation during the pandemic era. Despite this, cities with sufficient open green spaces have increased the mobility of city dwellers since people interact less with each other. In the process of re-planning urban areas, developing an integrated approach with green infrastructure strategies in parallel with designing resilient cities has the potential to create healthier cities. In this context, the PP-GS (Post-Pandemic Green Spaces) model of the study reveals the minimum amount of green spaces required per capita in the cities, based on the social distance and healthy living principles that emerged during the pandemic. The study examines the required amount of green space in the Denizli urban center based on the PP-GS model from the perspective of healthy cities and proposes spatial suggestions for post-pandemic urban green space planning.

A nationwide mobility service guarantee for Austria: possible design scenarios and implications

BackgroundWe present a sketch for a nationwide “Mobility Service Guarantee” (MSG) for Austria. The approach follows a new paradigm, turning away from car-centric transport policy and planning and towards the extensive provision of public transport. The approach is complemented by the provision of demand-responsive transport services and the support of vehicle sharing as well as active mobility. This combination should serve as an effective alternative option to the use of private cars.PurposeThe aim of this study is to develop a tangible definition of a nationwide MSG in the Austrian context as well as possible design scenarios.MethodsWe took a multi-dimensional approach, using literature review to research existing concepts of mobility guarantees, analysing secondary data on current mobility behaviour and public transport provision and conducting stakeholder workshops.ResultsWe define possible scenarios envisioning a nationwide MSG including different extents of maximum distance to public transport stops and minimum frequency. We discuss the limitations of the MSG with respect to spatial, temporal and modal coverage, as well as how such a guarantee could be embedded in the existing legal system.ConclusionsWe conclude that a nationwide MSG could be an important element of sustainable transport policy that should be embedded in a wider strategy of infrastructure and service design as well as demand management.

Multi-scale stormwater harvesting to enhance urban resilience to climate change impacts and natural disasters

Abstract Stormwater harvesting systems are a viable option to adapt cities to cope with climate change and reduce pressure on water supply services. This is particularly crucial in the event of natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, floods), where large parts of cities may become disconnected from a secure water supply for prolonged time periods. We demonstrate how optimum location, density and storage size can be determined using UrbanBEATS, a spatial planning-support system for planning and design of sustainable Blue-Green Infrastructure strategies. We investigate the Ōtākaro/Avon River catchment, Christchurch, New Zealand for the time periods 2011–2020, 2041–2050 and 2091–2100 (for the RCP 8.5 climate change scenario). For targets of 30% of potable water substitution and 70% storage volumetric reliability, we found that stormwater harvesting systems in all climate scenarios required a larger capacity compared to the baseline. Most storages achieved their set targets and were larger than the municipality's recommended 9 m3 for flood inundation, indicating that the identified storages would also reduce minor flooding while ensuring water savings. A shift in the spatial layout of modelled systems from highly distributed to more centralised, however, raises a potential conflict with disaster resilience where more local solutions would be preferable.

Voluntourism inspiring change in service of the common good: The mediating role of volunteer travelers

Voluntourism has always been portrayed as a crucial role in developing economies. However, as voluntourism evolves and expands, a question of sustainability arises. The majority of populaces served by short-term volunteer trips are predisposed communities. Thus, this raises ethical questions such as voluntourism as a savior or impediment to communities. This study examines the attractiveness of volunteer tourists in recent years in Cambodia and India and how it contributes to future sustainable tourism research. The paper uses KH Coder to collect primary data for the quantitative analysis of text data. Moreover, the paper applies an exploratory approach using content analysis of participant reviews to identify the critical dimensions of experiences. Based on the analysis of trends in voluntourism and their ecosystem, an approach to the sustainable development strategy of voluntourism actors is proposed. First, voluntourism operators and host organizations, a pivotal element of the development strategy of voluntourism infrastructure, are considered. It was revealed that there is a nexus between the well-being of the community/business opportunities and experienced voluntourists. Consequently, these voluntourism activities may provide intrinsic gains for them and the targeted communities, plus its support toward corporate social responsibility. Acknowledgment This study received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Experience and benefits of using green roofs as an element in green infrastructure

Purpose. To analyze the international experience of using green roofs an element of green infrastructure as, to outline the main advantages of using this element, to analyze the ways of implementation in Ukraine and to identify difficulties in this process. Results. Modern processes of urbanization lead to a reduction in the number of green spaces, climate change, an increase in the city's heat island, the impoverishment of biodiversity and more. The use of green infrastructure strategy provides a foundation for further sustainable urban development. Green infrastructure plays a key role in finding a balance between nature and urbanization. It can solve a number of problems, as well as improve the quality of ecosystem services. An analysis of scientific sources on the use of such an element of green infrastructure as green roofs was performed. It has been established that green roofs have a very long history of creation in the Scandinavian countries, their use dates back to 1500 years, in European countries the most advanced country is Germany. The implementation of green roofs has significant advantages when properly implemented can provide a wide range of ecosystem services. However, there are some subtleties for their proper implementation. Conclusions. The implementation of green roof technology in different countries has different features, the common denominator is that when choosing plants it is necessary to use local plants that are adapted to the climatic conditions of a particular area, you need a legal basis to develop this idea. Taking into account all the benefits of using this technology, we can state that their implementation is a necessary today for adaptation to climate change.

Infrastructures of obscenity: Total Request Live and participatory TV production in action

Obscenity and pornographic culture did not disappear with Times Square’s gentrification in the 1990s. Rather, gentrification inaugurated new obscene cultural forms, displaying the opulence of celebrity and the enclosed spaces of media production. Using observations and interviews with production staff at Total Request Live (1998–2008), the flagship music countdown show on the MTV cable network, the essay examines techniques of incorporating audiences and audience-generated content into late-1990s/early-2000s TV production, just before social media’s rise. It examines media production within a material urban process, not simply producing ideology or images, but inciting and laboring on forms of self-exposure and a quasi-erotic excitement of watching others transgress deepening class hierarchies. The essay describes the urban material foundations of this cultural form as infrastructures of obscenity. For this, it theorizes obscenity beyond sex and explicitly erotic content. It likewise proposes obscenity as an alternative to standard analytical approaches to media, like ‘ritual’, ‘transgression’ and carnivalesque ‘inversion’ or resistance, which are insufficient to understand the production techniques at TRL. It connects those insights to Times Square’s millennial transformations, focusing on the strategies used by MTV’s Midtown Studio in the production of TRL. The analysis demonstrates how the social production of new architectural and infrastructural strategies in Times Square’s post-Disney Store period used highly staged audience engagement to build a recursive, shared experience of obscenity through transgression, prurience, intensity, and authenticity. The infrastructures of obscenity approach complements theories of active viewership but also problematizes viewers’ activity as fully-formed resistance or ‘subversion,’ implicitly or explicitly. This essay’s evidence illustrates how an opposing organizational project by media capital happens, imperfectly, pragmatically, and perhaps even contrary to many theoretical assumptions about how audiences and industry encounter each other, provoking further an engagement with contradiction, ambivalence, and labor to materially organize the heterogeneity of social feeling.

Role of Technology for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity

In this 21st century, technology has brought revolutionary change in global realm, specifically in information society, which influenced all the different fields of human society. To compete in world economy, nations cannot think of their development without the integration of technology (such as information and communication technology) in their educational systems (United Nations, 2005). Information and communication technology (ICT) is proved very useful to attain educational objectives in inclusive setting, where all children are taught in common classroom regardless of their socio-economic, cultural, religious, regional, caste and creed backgrounds. The task of providing qualitative and accessible education to differently abled children has become a shared responsibility for all stakeholders (Ahmad,2015;Praisner,2003); which demands a change in attitude, the presence and accessibility of infrastructure facilities, different methods and strategies of teaching and learning, varied tools and techniques for assessment and evaluation, and the solution of issue of acceptance and accommodation of all learners at all levels in education system(Ahmad,2014;2015b;Stainback & Stainback,1984). Assistive devices and assistive equipments of Information and communication technology facilitate children with varied impairments in inclusive setting. Researches proved that information and communication technology has played a crucial role to bring equality among all learners in the inclusive classrooms, however the efficiency in educational process can be achieved only through the involvement of stakeholders of education and with the efforts of different countries ( in terms of finance disbursement and provision of infrastructure facilities).

Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Model of the Farmers’ Sense of Gain in the Provision of Rural Infrastructures: The Case of Tourism-Oriented Rural Areas of China

During the rapid development of rural infrastructures in China, many important issues such as the real wishes of farmers and the proper management of the infrastructure have been overlooked, resulting in a weak sense of gain among farmers. To propose effective improvement strategies, this research aimed to explore the influence mechanism of the farmers’ sense of gain and to build a comprehensive evaluation model of farmers’ sense of gain in the provision of rural infrastructure. To achieve the above aims, we first proposed hypotheses among four constructs and selected an evaluation index for each construct. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and a questionnaire survey, we then verified the proposed hypotheses and developed a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model of the farmers’ sense of gain in the provision of rural infrastructure. The results first showed that the content of gain and the way of gain directly affect the farmers’ sense of gain, and the governance indirectly affects the farmers’ sense of gain. Moreover, the way of gain has the greatest impact on the sense of gain, followed by the governance and the content of gain. Furthermore, the analysis results demonstrate that the developed fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model is feasible and effective in evaluating farmers’ sense of gain in the provision of rural infrastructures. The findings of this study first enrich the relevant theories of farmers’ sense of gain in the provision of rural infrastructure. The findings also provide theoretical support for the government authorities to put forward effective governance strategies for rural infrastructure from the perspective of farmers’ sense of gain.

Planning and designing green infrastructure across landscapes and scales

Abstract Planning and designing sustainable, resilient, and healthy landscapes, cities and communities is anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2015. Current European strategies, such as the EU Green Infrastructure Strategy, the European Green Deal, the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and other related policy and strategic documents all recognise green infrastructure and nature-based solutions as important planning approaches, as well as design and implementation tools in urban areas and landscapes. This issue of Acta Horticulturae et Regiotecturae is dedicated to landscape architecture, landscape planning and green infrastructure at various scales and in diverse landscape settings. It provides original research findings from Chinese, Croatian, Latvian, Nigerian, Polish, Slovak, and Ukrainian cities and metropolitan regions. The issue deals with regional landscape specificities and qualities and shows examples of urban green infrastructure planning and design both at holistic and site-specific scales. At the local scale, it is highly important to involve and engage the public from the very beginning of the planning and design process. This issue introduces various experiences and empirical findings generated by local participatory and co-design actions. The articles show a wide range of ecosystem services provided by green infrastructure and its elements, while also mentioning some of possible ecosystem disservices.

Planning and policy effectiveness toward sustainable housing provision in Indonesia through econometric approach

Abstract To foster spatial planning, effective instruments are needed so that the implementation of space utilization is in accordance with the expected goals so that resources remain efficient, investment calculations become more real, and environmental balance in sustainable urban development is maintained. Housing development is often delayed (planning delay) due to the inefficient land provision process, on the other hand the housing backlog is increasing to 800,000 units per year so it is necessary to investigate the effectiveness of planning, especially in the housing sector that has been running in Indonesia. Econometry as a quantitative approach with various variances of analysis techniques has many benefits but has not been widely integrated in planning, especially in calculating the effectiveness of instruments in achieving spatial planning goals. This article aims to examine the effectiveness of planning, especially related to land value and housing development through an econometric model approach by taking samples in Surabaya. The technique used is multiple regression analysis which shows the level of influence between seven independent variables, consist of number of lots, accessibility, land status, types of developers, infrastructure, spatial policies, and sectoral strategies; while the dependent variable is the effectiveness of planning indicated by the development rate. Based on the regression results, it takes an average of one month to be constant, if other variables are considered absent, or it is interpreted that the phenomenon of housing development tends to be slower than housing planning in sectoral plans and spatial plans.

History of Seoul’s Parks and Green Space Policies: Focusing on Policy Changes in Urban Development

Globally, urban areas have been expanding rapidly since industrialization. In South Korea, urban policy has evolved according to urban development, but the change in parks and green spaces policy for a pleasant urban environment is insignificant. The purpose of this study is to present the direction of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s parks and green spaces policy in terms of green infrastructure, by examining urban policies and changes in the parks and green spaces policy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The research method established the concepts of urbanization, green park areas, and green infrastructure, focusing on a literature review. The trends in urban development in South Korea and abroad, the correlation between urban development and green park areas, and changes in the parks and green spaces policy of Seoul are examined. The study found that urbanization in South Korea has augmented since 1960, and the parks and green spaces policy has also focused on quantitative expansion. As the era of local autonomy passed, there were remarkable policy changes tailored to citizens’ needs, and major policy directions were determined according to the political inclinations of policymakers. The era of low growth adopted the policy of introducing green park areas as green infrastructure to solve urban environmental problems, and parks and green spaces policies as strategic plans to re-naturalize smart green cities and urban infrastructure, and to increase urban resilience using advanced technology. Future research is expected regarding consistent policy implementation measures linked to the state-regions, such as analyzing citizens’ perceptions of policies to solve urban problems and taking practical measures for the implementation of parks and green spaces policies to expand green infrastructure. The implication of the study is that the green infrastructure strategy is important as a solution to urban environmental issues such as climate change. Therefore, there should be a will of policymakers and strong institutional support for continuous policy promotion.

Food Vertigo. Processes and devices for metropolitan food resilience

By 2050, more than 80% of the world’s population will live in metropolitan conurbations. From a holistic and circular economy perspective, strategies for urban resilience that include universal access to food and alimentary security will be essential. This paper investigates the integration of existing traditional urban farming systems with new vertical farming techniques. The proposal is for an infrastructural strategy that improves human-environment interaction through the development of agricultural production on an intermediate scale and through architectural elements – such as urban vertical farms – configured as modular landmarks that respond to the technological complexity of the agro-industrial chain and can be adapted to different contexts, thus defining an inclusive and sustainable urban landscape.

Public infrastructure for food and nutrition security in brazil: fufilling the constitutional commitment to the human right to adequate food.

Food insecurity is a critical global problem with social and public health consequences. In Brazil, access to adequate food is a fundamental human right guaranteed under the country’s Constitution since 2010. As such, the State assumes the distinct and complementary obligations to respect, protect, promote and provide the Right to Adequate Food. The aim of this study is to present actions related to the “provision” dimension that have been developed as part of a network of public infrastructure strategies for food and nutrition security in Brazil. Through an exploratory, analytical literature review, the paper focuses on the operational designs and logistics of three main strategies: Food Banks, Community Kitchens, and Popular Restaurants. The Brazilian experience indicates that public actions are necessary, especially considering the urgency for those groups living with hunger and poverty. While similar programs can be found in other countries in South and North America, they are mostly offered by civil society organizations, and have not advanced toward public institutionalization. In fact, private programs are criticized for negating governments’ obligation and responsibility in this area. Brazil’s experience sheds light on public initiatives in meeting the State’s obligations towards the Right to Adequate Food.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12571-022-01272-1.

Modeling development strategy of tourism companies under the influence of external and internal environment: Evidence from Ukraine

Nowadays, there is uncertainty in the external environment of tourism infrastructure companies. Such a situation necessitates modeling their behavior in the strategic perspective and identifying key development factors that will minimize the impact of adverse socioeconomic indicators, thus minimizing the likelihood of negative financial outcomes. This is taking place in conditions of development of tourism infrastructure companies in Ukraine and intensified competition with the absence of an appropriate management system in the development, production, and sale of tourism products and services. Thus, this study is highly relevant. The aim of this paper is to model the strategic development of tourism infrastructure using the SWOT methodology and correlation-regression analysis. Based on the diagnosis of trends in tourism infrastructure companies of Ukraine and their environment, an approach to the development strategy of tourism infrastructure companies is proposed. First, market trends in the tourism industry, which is a crucial component of the development strategy of tourism infrastructure, are considered. The essence of the proposed approach is to use the SWOT methodology. The determination of the most significant factors of companies’ internal and external environment is based on multifactor regression-correlation modeling. It is concluded that the general growth of tourism in Ukraine is due solely to the growing demand among the citizens of Ukraine for outbound tourism.

Policy choices can help keep 4G and 5G universal broadband affordable

• The UN broadband commission is targeting universal broadband of 10 Mbps by 2030. • This paper evaluates if this is actually feasible, considering viability and affordability. • Deployment of 5G non-standalone costs USD 2 trillion (0.67% of annual GDP for the developing world). • A favorable regulatory environment can reduce this cost by almost half, avoiding public subsidy. • Governments must adopt fiscal and regulatory regimes conducive to lowering broadband costs. • If so, universal broadband may be within reach of most developing countries over the next decade. The UN Broadband Commission has committed to universal broadband by 2030. But can this objective really be affordably delivered? The aim of this paper is to assess universal broadband viability in the developing world, quantifying the relationship between demand-side revenue and supply-side cost. A comprehensive scenario-based simulation model is developed open-source, capable of evaluating the global cost-effectiveness of different 4G and 5G infrastructure strategies. Utilizing remote sensing and demand forecasting, least-cost network designs are developed for eight representative Low and Middle-Income Countries (Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, Pakistan, Albania, Peru and Mexico), the results from which form the basis for global aggregation via a new assessment framework. The cost of meeting a minimum ∼10 Mbps per user is estimated at USD 2 trillion using 5G Non-Standalone, approximately 0.67% of annual GDP for the developing world over the next decade. However, by creating a favorable regulatory environment, governments can bring down these costs by almost half – to USD 1.2 trillion (approximately 0.41% of annual GDP) – and avoid the need for public subsidy. Providing governments make judicious choices, adopting fiscal and regulatory regimes conducive to lowering costs, universal broadband may be within reach of most developing countries over the next decade.

Speculation’s Spatial Terms: Imminence and Inevitability in Amaravati

This paper considers the interruption of Amaravati, a project for a new state capital in southern India. I argue that the terms and conditions of Amaravati’s financing had specific spatial consequences at multiple scales. The discussion traces the deterritorialization of an agrarian landscape into speculative real estate through so-called “land pooling.” It considers the new technologies and modes of governance that facilitated this speculation and catalyzed an “all-over, all-at-once” infrastructural strategy that organized construction work synchronously on scattered sites spread across 217 square kilometers of land. The expedited construction of government housing blocks—using monolithic in situ casting techniques—further supported the financialized terms of development, emphasizing the imminence and inevitability of the future capital as a means of securing private investment from around the world. As Amaravati’s ultimate demise suggests, the abstractions of contemporary global finance can be grasped through a close reading of their architectural manifestations.

PLANNING FOR SEWERAGE AND SANITATION IN LUCKNOW MUNICIPAL CORPORATION AREA

Simplified Sewerage and affordable, environmentally friendly, and sustainable sanitation are the significant aspects of any smart city. Providing adequate sanitation will have profound consequences for human health and poverty alleviation. In fact, access to adequate sanitation essentially signifies carrying the most important barrier to a life of dignity and satisfaction of basic needs. To safeguard the community's and individuals' health, sanitation entails the collection and hygienic disposal of excreta and liquid wastes (WHO, 1987). “Facilities and hygienic conceptualizations associated to the safe collection, removal, or disposal of human excreta” are called to as sanitation. Sanitation must be viewed of as a networked system. Creating efficient solutions for the entire process, from “creating awareness to disposal,” is a must. Whereas conclusion we got is According to the findings, Simplified Sewerage and low cost, ecological Sanitation play a vital role in achieving sustainable Sanitation and meeting the city's basic needs. The Sewerage and Sanitation problems in Lucknow are more serious due to numerous causative factors. The growth of Population needs to be curbed with the development of simplified sewerage and need to make strategies for Sanitation infrastructure.

The Case of the Basque Country Capital City´s Green Belt: An Effective Resilient Border

In this article, we analyze not only the evolution but the different effects Vitoria-Gasteiz´s green belt has showed on retaining urban sprawl and the simultaneous natural native environment enhancement. Assets that granted the city the European Green Capital award in 2012, and still render important environmental benefits. Applying the beneficial effects of green borders as a soft transition between the urban and the rural realm, amid the never properly solved problem of the city limits. It means a remarkable case study to learn from, that deals with the way of giving form to the already built city limits. Starting from the very first steps with a set of small peripheral parks that meant the beginning of a whole green infrastructure strategy, this text is a succinct critical view that depicts the origins, processes and challenges of this case study. It mainly focus its scope on the North and East part of the belt (some of the earliest and biggest), where water is the main character based on the recovery of existing wetlands, giving form to a kind of green and blue belt, performing multiple functions according to the quoted key concepts. And in the end, being a repeatable example of a resilient border for medium size cities.

Transformation pathways towards sustainable urban development by the inclusion of peri-urban farmland in green infrastructure strategies

Urbanization and agricultural land use are two of the main drivers of global changes with effects on ecosystem functions and human wellbeing. Green infrastructure is a new and promising approach in spatial planning contributing to sustainable urban development, but rarely considers spatial and functional potentials of utilizable agricultural land as an integral part. This doctoral thesis addresses this gap and investigates how peri-urban farmland can promote green infrastructure and sustainable urban development. The results contribute to the conceptual understanding of urban green infrastructures as a strategic spatial planning approach that incorporates inner-urban utilizable agricultural land and the agriculturally dominated landscape at the outer urban fringe. Four strategies are introduced for spatial planning with the contribution to a strategically planned multifunctional network. Finally, this thesis sheds light on the opportunities that arise from the integration of peri-urban farmland in the green infrastructure concept to support transformation towards a more sustainable urban development. This work concludes that the linkage of peri-urban farmland with the green infrastructure concept is a promising action field for the development of new pathways for urban transformation towards sustainable urban development. Along with these outcomes, attention is drawn to limitations that remain to be addressed by future research.