Urban Belt Research Articles

Morphological characteristics of green spaces in fortified towns and cities

This research focuses on morphological aspects of green spaces in 26 fortified European towns and cities. Such spaces are insufficiently acknowledged for the identities they confer and the advantages they provide for inhabitants. They are integral parts of inner urban fringe belts, and they are important both functionally and as attributes of heritage. Important aspects of these green spaces include their place within the system of defences, their various types of past and present utilization, their significance within the urban tissue and the need for their careful conservation.

Urban Heat Island Mitigation Effectiveness under Extreme Heat Conditions in the Suzhou–Wuxi–Changzhou Metropolitan Area, China

AbstractCool roofs and green roofs are two important methods used to mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect. The Weather Research and Forecasting Model was used to investigate the UHI effect and the effectiveness of cool and green roof mitigation strategies in the Suzhou–Wuxi–Changzhou metropolitan area during an extreme heat wave episode in the summer of 2013. Both urban land-cover change and anthropogenic heat releases exacerbated high temperatures in the urban area. Notably, urban land-cover change and anthropogenic heat release were responsible for 64% and 36% of the UHI intensity, respectively. Both cool and green roofs decreased near-surface air temperatures. The most dramatic decrease in near-surface air temperature occurred in the late morning; nocturnal air temperature decreased slightly because of the decrease in urban heat storage associated with the cool roof strategy. In addition, the UHI mitigation strategies affected the entire urban boundary layer. The decrease in the potential temperature and static stability created a stable urban boundary layer in which turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) decreased simultaneously. Analysis of an urban belt near a large water body showed that the decrease in the surface skin temperature difference between land and the water body weakened the daytime lake breeze. This effect was observed in both the inflow in the boundary layer and the return flow above the boundary layer, and it decreased the heat and moisture exchange between the lake and land boundary layers.

Périurbanisation et transformation du gradient de la mortalité urbaine en Suisse

Alors que les différences régionales d’espérance de vie se sont estompées en Suisse, quels sont les effets de la périurbanisation sur la géographie de la mortalité ? À partir des données de l’état civil et des recensements, on observe un accroissement des différentiels intra-urbains de mortalité depuis 1980, en particulier dans les villes les plus grandes ou qui se sont récemment étendues. Un gradient non linéaire émerge : l’espérance de vie est plus faible dans les centres-villes et les zones rurales que dans la ceinture des agglomérations urbaines. Les profils de mortalité par âge et cause suggèrent que cela tient à la fois aux styles de vie propres aux populations des centres-villes et à la concentration spatiale des groupes défavorisés. Pour la mortalité entre 20 et 64 ans, un modèle multiniveau appliqué à des données de mortalité couplées aux recensements montre que la moindre mortalité observée dans les zones périurbaines résulte de la concentration d’individus très instruits et de familles. À l’inverse, la surmortalité des 20-64 ans dans les centres-villes reflète des désavantages matériels et sociaux. Cependant, ces conséquences socioéconomiques de la périurbanisation ne suffisent pas à rendre compte du gradient de la mortalité urbaine observé chez les personnes âgées.

Heavy metal concentrations and speciation in riverine sediments and the risks posed in three urban belts in the Haihe Basin

Heavy metal (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) pollution and the risks posed by the heavy metals in riverine sediments in a mountainous urban-belt area (MB), a mountain–plain urban-belt area (MPB), and a plain urban-belt area (PB) in the Haihe Basin, China, were assessed. The enrichment factors indicated that the sediments were more polluted with Cu and Zn than with the other metals, especially in the MPB. The sediments in the MPB were strongly affected by Cu and Zn inputs from anthropogenic sources. The risk assessment codes and individual contamination factors showed that Zn was mobile and posed ecological risks, the exchangeable fractions being 21.1%, 21.2%, and 19.2% of the total Zn concentrations in the samples from the MB, MPB, and PB, respectively. Cr, Cu, and Zn in the sediments from the MPB were potentially highly bioavailable because the non-residual fractions were 56.2%, 54.9%, and 56.5%, respectively, of the total concentrations. The potential risks posed by the heavy metals (determined from the chemical fractions of the heavy metals) in the different areas generally decreased in the order MPB > MB > PB. Pictorial representation of cluster analysis results showed that urbanization development level could cause Cr and Zn pollution in the urban riverine sediments to become more severe.

The urbanisation of Java, 2000–2010: towards ‘the island of mega-urban regions’

ABSTRACTThe mega-urbanisation process in Java is reflected in the spatial patterns of urban population growth between 2000 and 2010, although there has been a small deceleration in the rate of growth recently. This process is also clearly indicated in the significant increase in the number of urban localities, which reflects in situ urbanisation and rural–urban transformation in Java. Most districts and cities located adjacent to large cities experienced much higher population growth rates, compared to the core areas in cities. The formation of urban belts with a mix of economic activities connecting large cities is greatly expanding, while the small and medium cities, those with population sizes between 100,000 to one million, have tended to stagnate as their role and functions as centres of socio-economic activities are taken over by the large cities. Java’s mega-urbanisation appears unstoppable, and is largely uncontrolled at the present time. It is a daunting challenge for the central and local governments to manage the spatial urban growth in Java in the near future.

Reshaping the Urban Space in Portuguese Fortified Cities

In the early nineteenth century, the (obsolete) Portuguese urban fortifications were frequently ruined and suffering from a gradual desertion around them. With the emergence of patrimonial concerns, those defensive structures began being considered as historical and cultural monuments. As a result, the isolation of these monuments became a common practice that often created public green areas (gardens and parks) framing monuments, giving them a picturesque image. The consequences of these rehabilitation actions on urban fortifications in Portugal are analyzed here, focusing particularly on those that created new public green spaces within and around urban areas. In fact, the shape of several Portuguese cities was conditioned by those interventions: not only were breathing areas conceived in the middle of dense urban masses, allowing their fruition by local populations, but also some ancient urban belts associated with former defensive needs were recovered by those interventions.

Urban fringe belts: evidence from China

Research on the fringe-belt concept has grown significantly in the past decade. This is particularly evident in parts of the world in which interest in urban morphology has been slight until recently. The main emphasis continues to be the light that this concept can shed on the historico-geographical grain of urban areas. This paper reports a morphogenetic investigation into fringe belts that gives particular attention to the fixation lines associated with Chinese city walls. Discussion is concentrated on a fringe belt related to one of the world’s longest and most massive city walls, that of Nanjing. The formation, consolidation and, in places, alienation of the Ming fringe belt of Nanjing has been influenced by natural and artificial fixation lines and the political economy of an authoritarian society. Understanding the changing spatial structure of fringe-belt landscapes has implications for the management of urban form in ways sensitive to its historico-geographical development.

Estimation of water pollution and probability of health risk due to imbalanced nutrients in River Ganga, India

ABSTRACTThe River Ganga is the largest, perennial and one of the sacred rivers in India. It supports the lifeline of major population in urban and rural areas existing in the river basin. The river is a chief source of water supply, power generation, river-borne transport and expansion of the urban industrial belt. However, the river receives huge amount of untreated wastewater which imbalances the nutrient concentration at many points along the stretch. Therefore, the present study is focused to estimate the water pollution using water quality indices, such as OPI, national sanitation foundation index (NSFWQI), comprehensive pollution index (CPI) and heavy metal pollution index (HPI), and identify the imbalance nutrients (i.e. NO3, PO4, heavy metals, etc.) in the river. Also, the probability of health risk that might occur by drinking the river water has been classified using risk assessment index (RAI). The water samples were collected in post- and pre-monsoon months in year 2014–2015, from nine sampling locations between Haridwar and Garhmukteshwar. The results indicate that the water quality of River Ganga is unsuitable for drinking during sampling months, because the average NSFWQI was found to be 53.44 and 43.56, while CPI was 2.71 and 2.82 in post- and pre-monsoon, respectively. The river water has been found to be severely contaminated due to heavy metals (i.e. HPI > 3) and indicates the human health risk (i.e. RAI > 1). Therefore, it has been suggested that the river water must be treated to balance the nutrient concentration before used for drinking. Further, by a comparative analysis of indices, NSFWQI and CPI have been found as the better suitable indices to classify the status of water quality.

Ecological footprint analysis for urban agglomeration sustainability in the middle stream of the Yangtze River

How to balance ecosystem health and economic development is essential to study sustainability of urban ecosystems. Many methods for assessing urban sustainability have been developed, among which ecological footprint analysis (EFA) has been widely applied as a promising policy and planning tool. This paper proposed a modified EFA with the local ecological footprint being justified by adapting equivalence and yield factors in context of net primary productivity (NPP) from the Miami model. Biodiversity reserves were also incorporated using GIS technology and synthetic assessment of attributes to reflect various ecological functions. In addition, ecological footprint deficit (EFD), implying that the productive land cannot sustain current levels of consumption for a given population, was used to reveal the extent of ecological debt, while the ecological footprint variation index (EFVI) was proposed to describe the tradeoffs between real consumption and the carrying capacity of a specific region. A case study of urban areas in the middle stream of the Yangtze River Basin showed that the per capita EFD of the Wanjiang urban belt, central Poyang Lake urban agglomeration, suburban Poyang Lake urban agglomeration, Wuhan megalopolis, Jingmen–Jingzhou–Yichang urban agglomeration, central Changsha–Zhuzou–Xiangtan urban agglomeration, and suburban Changsha–Zhuzou–Xiangtan urban agglomeration increased by 64.83%, 178.05%, 214.82%, 59.08%, 71.68%, 100.62%, and 91.06% between 2000 and 2010, respectively. The local ecological footprint pressure index (EFPI) was classified into five levels. The Poyang lake urban agglomeration was found to be in a slight deficit, while all others were in a severe deficit in 2010. Calculations of EFVI also revealed that the booming urbanization occurred at great cost to the deteriorating ecosystems between 2000 and 2010. Accordingly, relevant influence factors were investigated using a forward stepwise regression method, which indicated that ecological deficit was positively correlated with GDP, population density, and emission of industrial waste, but negatively correlated with the tertiary industry.

The Economic Legacy of Warfare: Evidence from Urban Europe

Historical warfare in Europe inflicted numerous costs on rural populations. To reduce such costs, rural populations relocated behind the relative safety of urban fortifications. We argue that war-related urbanization had positive consequences for long-run regional economic development. We geocode the locations of more than 600 conflicts in early modern Europe. We find a positive and significant relationship between historical conflict exposure and regional economic development today. Our results are robust to a wide range of econometric techniques, alternative samples, and economic outcomes. Human capital accumulation stands out as one channel through which war-related urbanization translated into regional economic development. Our results highlight the military origins of European wealthy urban belt.

Intervenciones en paisajes urbanos residuales: en búsqueda de una gramática para los espacios olvidados

Beginning from the reconstruction process of the Chilean earthquake and tsunami of February 27, 2010, it was generated the need of an intervention on those rings and bags of residual urban space, the most affected areas, because of their relation with the landscape. For this purpose, a new landscape planning was developed in order to propose new public space and to integrate concepts of mitigation through green urban belts, generating the concept of mitigation parks. Those residual urban spaces that the expansion of our cities have generated over ecologically vulnerable territories, in the measure of having been treated with sustainable criteria, will develop value no just in landscape design terms, but also as a potential sustainable public space capable of a dialogue with the natural environment. Methodologically, this study analyzed a relevant sample of the main urban projects of this type in the regions of Maule and Biobio, Chile, analyzing goods and wrongs in the process. In that way, it was established a series of general urban design criteria in order to generate an intervention that guarantee a better relationship between the urban landscape and natural environment.

Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation: A Typical Syndrome in Sub-Urban Rural Areas: Require Scientific and Technological Intervention

The population and industrial growths are demanding for sustainable and safe drinking water and waste disposal in rural and urban belts. Deficiency and lack of fresh water supply and sewage disposal/treatment affects the health and hygiene of household, community dwellers and local/regional environment. The paper highlights the problems around Farukh Nagar of Gurgaon District in Haryana and suggests for scientific and technological study to address the issue. Preliminary field visit and study show the gravity of problem and possible reasons. However, detailed study is required adopting scientific and technological viable strategy including methodology, questionnaire based interaction with beneficiaries and agencies to collect stratified socio-economic and technical primary and secondary details/records, people perceptions and experiences, Ground water details (level, yield, point source and quality fluctuations), Surface water source, rainfall, water supply system/parameters, population and growth, waste water and sludge production, treatment and disposal system, recharge and outfall zone in the study/nearby areas, etc. Further, analysis of data employing hydrological/hydraulic software, testing/verification of quality parameters with Indian and international standards, physical models, workshops among beneficiaries and user agencies addressing the points of innovation to implement viable and sustainable water supply and sewage disposal plans are needed.

Urban Green Corridor Planning

This paper analyzes the deficiencies and development constraints of the present non-motorized traffic in China. Integrating urban non-motorized lanes, urban landscape belts, urban ecological corridors and urban evacuation routes, the idea of constructing urban green corridor is proposed in this paper, following by preliminarily analyzing the planning objectives, strategies and effects.

Empirical Study of the Coupling Coordination Relationship of urbanization and ecological environment in Nanchang and Jiujiang urban belts

On the basis of the comprehensive evaluation of urbanization and ecological environment indicators, this paper utilizes the coupling coordination degree model to conduct a quantitative analysis of the coupling relation and evolution between urbanization and ecological environment in Nanchang and Jiujiang urban belts. The research results are as follows: (1) the comprehensive urbanization indicators of Nanchang and Jiujiang urban belts show a rising trend, while the comprehensive ecological environment indicators remain stable. The indicator for Nanchang has been rising steadily, while that of Jiujiang has been more volatile. The overall trend is upward; (2) the coupling coordination degree and coupling degrees of Nanchang and Jiujiang urban belts are both rising. The coordination degree of Nanchang rises at a faster speed, reaching a moderate balance level. The coordination degree of Jiujiang also grows at a relatively fast speed, yet still remains at a low level of coordination. Therefore, Nanchang and Jiujiang urban belts should further transform its economic growth model, optimize the industrial structure, improve its technology and embark on a new-urbanization path featuring resource-saving, low carbon emission, environmental-friendly and cost effective.

Surviving the Era of Deindustrialization: The New Economic Geography of the Urban Rust Belt

ABSTRACT:This article details the transformation of the urban rust belt over the course of economic restructuring. It begins by building typologies of cities at the starting point of restructuring and by showing how cities vary in socioeconomic performance by the endpoint. Multiple methods and data sources are then used to provide a general and detailed story of change for successful and unsuccessful performers. Results show that, in general, deindustrialization is not associated with performance. However, manufacturing still matters. Detailed stories show successful cities of one type have diversified manufacturing, becoming post-industrial producers. Successful cities of another type have specialized, retaining old manufacturing in branch plants. For the first type of city, policies aimed at developing the labor force and encouraging collaboration between local manufacturers is recommended. For the second type, policies targeted at improving the local business climate are encouraged. Results also show all unsuccessful cities have become healthcare-based economies.

Dynamic Changes of Landscape Pattern in Coastal Urban Belt in Liaoning

Based on field investigation and social-economical data, in combination with the 1992 and 2007 Landsat TM remote sensing images of Coastal Urban Belt in Liaoning, this paper analyzed the dynamic changes of landscape pattern at both class and landscape levels and their driving forces in the study area. From 1992 to 2007, the landscape pattern in the study area experienced a significant change. At class level, the area of farmland, forestland, wetland, grassland, and abandoned land decreased, while the area of residential area, salt pan, and water area increased. At landscape level, both total number of patches and patch density increased significantly, while the largest patch index decreased, and the complication of landscape shape intensified.

The Driving Forces of Landscape Pattern in Coastal Urban Belt in Liaoning

Based on field investigation and social-economical data, in combination with the 1992 and 2007 Landsat TM remote sensing images of Coastal Urban Belt in Liaoning, this paper analyzed the driving forces of landscape pattern in the study area. From 1992 to 2007, the landscape pattern in the study area experienced a significant change. The rapid population growth, economic development and infrastructure construction had exerted strong influences on these changes of landscape pattern, and thus leading to a deeper level of landscape fragmentation

Impact of Administrative Division Adjustment on Location and Accessibility of Heifei, China

The location may appear to be extremely important due to changes of some factors. Administrative division expansion of Hefei in August 2011 will affect its location advantage and accessibility. In this paper, updated data of the study area were collected including administrative division, transportation network and economic data, by using GIS spatial analysis methods and establishing the economic potential model, quantitatively evaluated the location advantage and accessibility of Hefei before and after the administrative area adjustment, and analyzed the economic relationship change between Wanjiang urban belt cities and Nanjing based on the gravity model. The results show that Hefei occupies the highest accessibility while Maanshan, Chuzhou and Wuhu comparatively rank behind before the administrative division adjustment, and the descending order is Maanshan, Hefei, Chuzhou and Wuhu after the administrative division adjustment. Although the location advantages of Hefei relatively reduced, the economic relationship have been further enhanced on the regional level, which played an important role in formation of the industrial cluster in Wanjiang urban belt and enhancing regional competitiveness, for easy integration into the Pan-Yangtze River Delta city group and promoting regional economic development in Anhui Province.

Diversity and community structure of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) associated with semi-urban fragmented agricultural land in the Malabar coast in southern India

An evaluation of the diversity and community structure of dung beetles associated with semiurban agricultural land in the Malabar coast of southern India revealed that urbanization has led to decreased diversity compared to regional forests, and has affected the community status of dung beetles. However, contrary to expectations, species richness was observed to be equivalent to rural agricultural fields in the region. Low abundance of prominent agricultural habitat species indicates that the study area has changed as a result of habitat modification/urbanization, and the prevailing conditions are not ideal for the establishment of the most common species in agriculture belts. Prominence of two less common species, Tiniocellus spinipes and Caccobius vulcanus, indicates these generalist urban adaptable (synanthropic) species have become increasingly widespread and locally abundant. The low abundance of tunnelers and rollers is attributed to fragmentation of the urban agricultural belt, low mammalian diversity and dung availability, and the hard nature of the laterite soil in the Malabar coast region.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in HIV-positive patients on the island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea: Its relation to sanitary conditions and socioeconomic factors

The prevalence of intestinal parasitic diseases and their associated factors has been investigated in HIV populations from the Island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea. The feces of 310 participants from the island of Bioko (260 HIV-positive and 50 HIV-negative) were analyzed by microscopic observation. Immunochromatography was also used to diagnose Giardia, Entamoeba histolytica and Cryptosporidium spp. In addition, patients were asked for sociodemographic, economic and academic status, and CD4+ T cell counts were recorded. For HIV-positive patients, the prevalence of infection by intestinal parasites was 81.5% (212/260), 83.8% (218/260) by pathogenic helminths and 55.4% (168/260) by pathogenic protozoa (E. histolytica/dispar and Giardia duodenalis). Gender association was found between the infection by Ascaris and Schistosoma, a higher proportion being found in women; and between Entamoeba and the place of residence, a higher proportion being observed in the urban belt. Strongyloides stercoralis and Chilomastix mesnili appeared only in the people of this group, all the cases of Chilomastix being in females. For HIV-negative participants, the prevalence of infection by intestinal parasites was 74.0% (37/50), 90.0% (45/50) by pathogenic helminths and 66.0% (43/50) by pathogenic protozoa. Gender, educational level and low hygiene were associated with intestinal parasitic infection. When comparing the two groups (HIV-positive and HIV-negative), statistical association between HIV co-infection and infection by Giardia and Entamoeba was found. Diarrhea was also associated with intestinal parasitic infection in the HIV-positive group. Not only do our findings reflect high rates of intestinal parasitic infections in HIV-positive people, but also in the HIV-negative group, suggesting a closer relationship between sanitary status and living conditions than with immune status, and thus they highlight the need to carry out health education policies in the population. In addition, Schistosoma intercalatum/guineensis has been detected for the first time as an autochthonous parasite on the island.