Sustainable Planning Strategies Research Articles

Evaluating the strategy of integrated urban-rural planning system and analyzing its effects on land surface temperature in a rapidly developing region

This study highlights the importance of integrated urban-rural land-use planning system in a rapidly developing region, Falavarjan Township, Iran. It also analyses the effect of various urban growth policies on land surface temperature (LST). In doing so, this paper combines several modeling methods including LST map generation algorithm, urbanization suitability mapping, and scenario-based analysis of future circumstances through cellular automata (CA)-Markov modeling and regression analyses. The potential impact of various urban growth policies including historical growth, extensive growth and rural development on LST values of interior urban environments are quantified and compared. These scenarios are introduced to the CA-Markov model by generating several urbanization suitability layers insisting on various urban-rural planning perspectives. In addition, linear, quadratic and logarithmic regression models were also developed to measure the relationship between LST values and urban patches areas. The results demonstrated that logarithmic regression model yields stronger relationships (R2 = 0.35, p < 0.01) such that the model is capable of predicting LST values over temporal scales. By coupling the results derived from CA-Markov model and temporal estimation of LST values, an integrated urban-rural land-use planning system is developed. The findings of this study can effectively assist land managers in central Iran to adopt a sustainable planning strategy in a highly developing region.

LAND USE, TRANSPORT, AND CARBON EMISSIONS: A COMPUTABLE URBAN ECONOMIC MODEL FOR CHANGZHOU, CHINA

Rapid economic growth and urbanization has been accompanied by the equally rapid growth of carbon dioxide emissions in China. From the perspective of urban planning, land use, transport, and carbon emissions are involved in a complex process in which they interact with each other. We need to develop a computable urban economic model for sustainable infrastructure planning strategy, which can reflect the interaction among land use, transport, and carbon emissions. Our case study of Changzhou shows that a compact city scenario generates less carbon emissions than an urban sprawl scenario, indicating that a compact urban form can be accepted as a promising solution for developing a low‐carbon city.

Measuring rural settlement expansion in Uzbekistan using remote sensing to support spatial planning

Population growth demands sustainable spatial planning strategies for settlements in Uzbekistan, Central Asia, especially in rural areas that are inhabited by approximately 64 percent of the country's population. Where can settlements expand in rural Uzbekistan and does settlement growth affect valuable agricultural land? SPOT-5 data with a resolution of 2.5 m was utilized for mapping building layers and assessing settlement growth between 2006 and 2011 at the example of 53 communities located in the Khorezm province in North-West Uzbekistan. Object based image analysis was conducted, i.e. a multi-scale segmentation for the derivation of building contours, followed by a random forest (RF) classification of the object's spectral and spatial characteristics. A geographical information system (GIS) was used for identifying settlement densification and expansion processes, and for quantifying agricultural land parcels of different soil quality occupied during settlement growth.A calibration routine based on indices of segmentation quality enabled the selection of optimal segmentation parameters. After GIS-based refinements of the RF classification results, the overall accuracy (OA) of the building layers of both years exceeded 95%. The OA of the change map was 92.7%. The results revealed that the building area increased by 20%, whilst settlement expansion amounted to 10% in 2006–2011. Settlements widely expanded in accordance with the existing rules prohibiting the conversion of agricultural land to housing areas. Nevertheless, about 20% of the settlement growth occurred on agricultural production areas, also on those with highly productive soils. The results indicated both, the pressure on land resources for settlement growth and – in face of continuous population growth – an increasing demand for comprehensive spatial planning in rural Uzbekistan. The elaborated methodological approach can be extrapolated to regions throughout Central Asia with similar environmental conditions.

Climate Change Adaptation in Urban India An Approach for Inclusive Formulation of Local Adaptation Strategies

&lt;div&gt; &lt;p&gt;In Kota, the third largest city of Rajasthan, poverty levels are high in many areas and there is a great need to assess the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of different societal groups and sectors to the impacts of climatic variability and change, and to formulate sustainable planning strategies. The city is a large rapidly growing centre (but not a megacity), facing a varied and challenging water situation and anticipated harmful effects of climate change. The methodological approach involves participatory workshops with key stakeholders in urban administration to identify vulnerabilities, and discuss concrete strategies for increasing the adaptive capacity of the most vulnerable areas and sectors. The paper focuses on water resource planning (storm, potable, and wastewater), since it is already a challenging societal issue and one which will become even more critical in the future with climate change. We aim to contribute to improved urban water management for sustainable climate change adaptation in developing countries through an improved methodology of vulnerability assessments, capacity building and social learning, and a deeper empirical understanding of an urban context in Central India.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

Exploring the influence of built environment on tour-based commuter mode choice: A cross-classified multilevel modeling approach

Understanding travel behavior and its relationship to urban form is vital for the sustainable planning strategies aimed at automobile dependency reduction. The objective of this study is twofold. First, this research provides additional insights to examine the effects of built environment factors measured at both home location and workplace on tour-based mode choice behavior. Second, a cross-classified multilevel probit model using Bayesian approach is employed to accommodate the spatial context in which individuals make travel decisions. Using Washington, D.C. as our study area, the home-based work (Home-work) tour in the AM peak hours is used as the analysis unit. The empirical data was gathered from the Washington-Baltimore Regional Household Travel Survey 2007–2008. For parameter estimation, Bayesian estimation method integrating Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling is adopted. Our findings confirmed the important role that the built environment at both home location and work ends plays in affecting commuter mode choice behavior. Meanwhile, a comparison of different model results shows that the cross-classified multilevel probit model offers significant improvements over the traditional probit model. The results are expected to give a better understanding on the relationship between the built environment and commuter mode choice behavior.

Multiobjective strategies for farms, using the Dominance-based Rough Set Approach

The objective of this work is to present how the decision support method IMO-DRSA, combining the Interactive Multiobjective Optimization (IMO) with the Dominance-based Rough Set Approach (DRSA), can be efficiently applied in the agricultural sector, in order to determine optimal and sustainable planning strategies for farms. The method, elaborated by Greco, Matarazzo and Slowinski in 2008, is a novelty in the multiobjective optimization sector. Through IMO-DRSA, we found an optimal multiobjective strategy related to the farm planning of our case study, conciliating four different objectives, one of economic and three of environmental nature. Concerning some practical problems for the application of the method in the agricultural sector, availability and completeness of both environmental and economic data represented a crucial aspect. Another important point concerned the level of subjectivity intrinsic in the method.

Archaeological Heritage as Palimpsest. The Multiple Layers of Contents of a Byzantine Tower and the Challenges of Sustainable Management Planning

This paper attempts to explore the multiple layers of contents of a Byzantine tower reconstructed as a contemporary museum-monument and to produce a discussion on the challenges of proposed sustainable planning strategies. The management of a Byzantine monument and its reconstruction and transformation into a museum could raise a number of challenges and con- tradictions which constitute thought-provoking stimuli for the development of a critical discussion on the sustainability of the built environment and the practices of successful management planning. The case study focuses on the potential of a variety of different approaches and especially on a more public-centred and locally-seen direction which could make the museum an institution and a place for making histories and meanings within modern societies.How might the interpretive approaches of past material have a strong impact on the formation of a multi-based and multi-sided strategic manage- ment policy? To what extent could a sustainable management plan include more ‘voices’ and not only those of the experts? How could the terms ‘locality’ and ‘community’ and their relationships introduce new methods and approaches in a well-established, officially and traditionally regulated heritage management system? These are some of the points that will be addressed in the paper to stimulate the development of a critical theorizing of the sustainability of archaeological heritage through multiple approaches to planning.

A methodology for the energy performance classification of residential building stock on an urban scale

An understanding of the energy performance in buildings in an entire municipality or an entire district is important for sustainable energy planning strategies that accelerate the energy renovation process in existing buildings that are not energy efficient.The methodology described in this paper is largely based on information that is already available on building stock (i.e., cartographic documentation, thematic maps, geometric data and others). Data regarding the energy performance of buildings are collected using energy audits on sample buildings, which are selected using a statistical approach. Using the tools in a GIS platform, the integration of two data sources allows for a low cost, comprehensive framework of the energy performance of buildings. This methodology was tested in a medium sized town in the Lombardy region (Italy), and the results are discussed in this paper.

Towards an effective strategy to cope with housing land scarcity in the Gaza Strip as a sustainable development priority

Consistent with the global trends towards the adoption and implementation of sustainable urban planning strategies, this study discusses the problem of housing land shortage, considering the ever rapidly growing human population. Urban land is one of the most precious resources that need to be consumed and developed wisely. In this context, housing density is a widely used tool to control housing land consumption and ensure acceptable housing environments. With reference to the Gaza Strip (Palestinian Territories), the main aim of this study is to highlight the role of increasing housing density in order to face the problem of housing land scarcity. Within this scope, building legislation implemented in Gaza has been reviewed with reference to housing density. A questionnaire and a case study have been analyzed to propose recommendations related to housing planning and design. It has been concluded that rationalising urban land consumption in Gaza can be achieved by a dual strategy approach that increases housing density above the currently specified limit, and reduces the area of the typical Palestinian housing unit. This has to be done without sacrificing the limited open spaces available in the local housing environment. Thus, solutions that strike a balance between dense housing patterns and adequate urban environment, are essentially required here.

An integrated approach to better define the concept and functions of Urban Biosphere Reserves

The UNESCO-MAB Programme, and in particular the Biosphere Reserve Network, is described within the context of international strategies aimed at ecological sustainability in cities. An innovative acceptation of Biosphere Reserves for urban areas, based on the landscape ecology principle of the integration of natural, social, economic and cultural knowledge, is proposed. The interdisciplinary definition of structure and functions for Urban Biosphere Reserves envisages: (i) the inclusion of the whole metropolitan territory within the Reserve's boundaries; (ii) specific criteria for the delimitation of core areas and buffer zones in urban and periurban contexts; (iii) special focus on transition area requirements; (iv) the improvement in living conditions and a solution to the conflict between humans and the environment by enhancing and harmonizing the overall natural, economic, social and cultural qualities of cities; and (v) support for sustainable planning strategies on a local scale rather than the imposition of new conservation ties.

A conceptual framework for sociotechno-centric approach to sustainable development

This paper identifies technology, planning, and lifestyle as the main aspects of a holistic approach to the analysis of sustainable development in general and the sustainability of the built environment in particular. A single factor-based linear approach to sustainability issues is naïve at best and risky at worst, posing conflicts with other approaches and misrepresenting the true overarching picture that needs to be defined as a basis for setting development strategies. Integrating all the three aspects has been attempted for a holistic and effective approach to sustainable development. However, the current practice of integration involves a one-way, top-down relationship - from sustainable objectives, to technical and planning strategies, and finally to technology-driven lifestyle. In terms of the built environment, this imposed lifestyle puts under question users’ readiness and willingness to be part of the built environment. The task of solving these conflicts has often relied on education and economic incentives, which have not, however, always been effective. The paper argues that redefining the roles of technology, planning and lifestyle in a holistic framework, at least conceptually, is necessary for a sound approach to sustainable development.