Combining continuous monitoring and High-Precision altitude measurements in forensic groundwater surveys: a case study of chlorinated solvent pollution in an urban context

In the urban context, buildings play a key role as they are energy consumers. In well-established cities with a high percentage of aged building stock, the focus should lie on sensitive urban areas where the weakest population sectors and the worst physico-economic conditions are usually encountered. In this work, the energy refurbishment of social housing is proposed. A block of municipally owned buildings is selected as a case study to consider that public buildings play an exemplary role according to Directive 2012/27/EU. The group is formed by 12 buildings, which account for 120 dwellings.This study is grounded on two levels. First the urban level. The building is located in a prioritised urban Area of Rehabilitation, Renovation and Urban Regeneration (ARRU), according to the new local Land Plan. This area presents multidimensional vulnerability and considers urban, building, socio-demographic and socio-economic features. Second, the building presents very low energy performance. It was built in 1959 when a high demand of dwellings and the economic resources then available led to low-quality buildings that are far from meeting today’s standards.Some proposals are made, having in mind the specific features of the urban context. The energy refurbishment of the building is proposed, selecting the optimal solution, considering technical, environmental and economic criteria. The energy performance simulation shows a remarkable improvement of the energy performance, resulting in an improvement of the thermal comfort of the dwellers. Besides, a reduction in the energy consumption is reached, which would reduce the energy bills and, on the other hand, a reduction of the carbon emissions to the atmosphere, contributing to a better environment quality. Having in mind that the building is intended for social housing, energy poverty situations could be avoided, as dwellings are inhabited by low-income dwellers.

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THE PROBLEM OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE OBJECT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN CONTEXT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CITY’S MASTER PLAN SOLUTIONS / KRAŠTOVAIZDŽIO ARCHITEKTŪROS OBJEKTO IR URBANISTINIO KONTEKSTO SĄVEIKOS PROBLEMA ĮGYVENDINANT MIESTŲ BENDRŲJŲ PLANŲ SPRENDINIUS

Mokslas - Lietuvos ateitis ◽

10.3846/mla.2016.870 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 48-64

Author(s):

Vaiva Deveikienė

Keyword(s):

Landscape Architecture ◽

Comparative Method ◽

City Management ◽

Urban Context ◽

Case Study Methodology ◽

Master Plans ◽

Territorial Planning ◽

Management And Development ◽

Study Methodology

The article discusses the interaction of the object of landscape architecture and urban context in the processes of territorial planning, in which the guidelines of city management and development are coded. Considering that the field of landscape architecture includes and deals with the issues of links between nature and built environment infrastructure, on the level of planning, issues of protection and adaptation for the use of natural structures, the development of urbanized natural environment objects and their systems and the interaction between natural and urban frame are all included in the field of the competencies of landscape architecture and urbanism and in the search of sustainable relationship. Based on case study methodology, this article analyses the examples of master plans of different Lithuanian cities (Vilnius, Utena, Rokiškis, Biržai), focusing on the problem of the interaction between natural structures and urbanistic solutions. Besides general city plans, the study analyses conclusions of Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) documents and monitorings that best reflect the problem of implementing the solutions of interaction between landscape architecture and urban context. Using a comparative method, the Lithuanian experience is analysed in the light of the latest global urbanistic theories and trends, which widen the field of interaction between landscape architecture and urbanism. Straipsnyje aptariama kraštovaizdžio architektūros objekto ir urbanistinio konteksto sąveika teritorinio planavimo procesuose, kuriuose iš esmės yra koduojamos miesto tvarkymo ir vystymo gairės. Atsižvelgiant į tai, kad kraštovaizdžio architektūros sritis apima ir sprendžia natūralios gamtos ir sukurtos aplinkos infrastruktūros sąsajų klausimus, planavimo lygmenyje gamtinių struktūrų apsaugos ir pritaikymo naudoti, urbanizuotos gamtinės aplinkos objektų ir jų sistemų kūrimo, gamtinio ir urbanistinio karkasų sąveikos klausimai patenka į kraštovaizdžio architektūros ir urbanistikos kompetencijų ir darnaus santykio paieškos lauką. Taikant atvejo analizės metodą, straipsnyje nagrinėjami atskirų Lietuvos miestų (Vilniaus, Utenos, Rokiškio, Biržų) bendrųjų planų pavyzdžiai, dėmesį sutelkiant į gamtinių struktūrų ir urbanistinių sprendinių sąveikos problematiką. Be bendrųjų planų, tyrimo metu nagrinėjamas Strateginio poveikio aplinkai vertinimo (SPAV) dokumentų, monitoringų išvados, labiausiai atspindinčios kraštovaizdžio ir urbanistinio konteksto sąveikos sprendinių realizavimo problematiką. Lietuvos patirtis palyginamuoju metodu nagrinėjama naujausių pasaulinių urbanistinių teorijų ir tendencijų, praplečiančių kraštovaizdžio ir urbanistikos sąveikos lauką, aspektu.

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Radon monitoring in a historical building in Košice city, Slovakia – a case study

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/900/1/012040 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 900 (1) ◽

pp. 012040

Author(s):

E Singovszká ◽

A Eštoková ◽

M Vertaľ

Keyword(s):

Human Exposure ◽

Continuous Monitoring ◽

Building Materials ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Research Topic ◽

Relevant Research ◽

Historical Building ◽

Limit Value ◽

Radon Monitoring

Abstract It is known that the highest contribution to the yearly radiation dose for the population derives from natural radioactivity. About 50% of that is estimated to be caused by exposure to radon (Rn) and its products. Human exposure to indoor Rn is currently considered a relevant research topic, because of the associated epidemiological aspects. This paper aimed at Rn concentration measurement in a selected building in Košice city, Slovakia. The continuous monitoring of indoor radon levels was performed over a period of 40 days. The measured concentrations ranged in a wide interval up to 92 Bq/m3. The WHO limit value of 100 Bq/m3 wasn´t exceeded. Analysing the possible sources, both contributions of radon from the building materials and radon from the soil was observed.

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3D ESTIMATION OF SLOW GROUND MOTION USING INSAR AND THE SLOPE ASPECT ASSUMPTION, A CASE STUDY: THE PUNCAK PASS LANDSLIDE, INDONESIA

ISPRS Annals of Photogrammetry Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprs-annals-iv-2-w5-623-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol IV-2/W5 ◽

pp. 623-630

Author(s):

N. H. Isya ◽

W. Niemeier ◽

M. Gerke

Keyword(s):

Continuous Monitoring ◽

Nearest Neighbor ◽

Primary Objective ◽

Ground Movement ◽

Slope Aspect ◽

Main Body ◽

Landslide Area ◽

Phase Filter ◽

Active Landslide

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> The Indonesian Centre of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation classified the Ciloto district as one of the most landslide prone areas in Indonesia. Some evidence of ground movement and the landslide failures occurred in recent years. Thus, continuous monitoring is necessary for supporting the precautions of an upcoming landslide. This study applies Small Baselines - Slowly Decorrelated Phase Filter (SDPF) for InSAR processing both for the ascending and the descending data. The primary objective is to generate horizontal and vertical components of InSAR results from two different tracks and slope aspect information in order to retrieve a projection to the northward direction. We used the available Sentinel-1 SAR data from 2014 until 2018. Combination of two orbits is approached by the surface and the nearest-neighbor gridding method. The 3D components were examined at the Puncak Pass, Ciloto, an active landslide area. For the case study area, it appeared that soil materials transferred slowly from the top of main body landslide to the accumulated zone near to the buildings owned by a local resort. The cumulative 3D displacements for three years were computed for the depleted zone: it moved &minus;47, 23, &minus;10 mm for dU, dE and dN, respectively. Meanwhile, the accumulated zone was considered having the up-lift motion to maximum 43, &minus;13, 7 mm, respectively.</p>

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Cordaid’s Post-Disaster Shelter Strategy in Haiti: Linking Relief and Development

Open House International ◽

10.1108/ohi-03-2014-b0009 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 77-85

Author(s):

Harmen Janse ◽

Kees van der Flier

Keyword(s):

Urban Area ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Life Support ◽

Comparative Case Study ◽

Urban Context ◽

Short Term ◽

Stage Of Development ◽

Post Disaster

Haiti was struck by a heavy earthquake in 2010 and international aid poured into the country. News reports in 2011 were not very positive about the results of post-disaster reconstruction: “The relief efforts are only putting Haiti on life-support instead of evolving into the next stage of development”. One of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in Haiti was Cordaid, implementing a ‘transitional shelter strategy’ to support the transformation of neigh-bourhoods from a state of life-support into a state of self-sustaining development. The strategy was implemented in both a rural and an urban area. The main feature of the strategy was the provision of structures that could be adapted from simple shelters to permanent houses. Since the results of the strategy were mixed and ambiguous, a comparative case study was conducted to evaluate the shelter strategy in both areas. The objective was to draw lessons about what has to be taken into account when formulating future urban shelter strategies. The case study is discussed in this article. The main finding from the case study is that producing the intended number of shelters within the financial and time budgets that were set (efficiency), was more difficult in the urban area than in the rural area. But the conditions for linking relief and development (effectiveness) are more favourable in the urban context. NGOs may achieve long-term (effective) results in the urban context when a lower efficiency can be justified. That is why NGOs need to engage in a debate about the extent to which they are able to focus on long-term shelter or housing strategies. The important element in the debate is communication with the donors who are often focused on short-term relief measures. However urban areas cannot be rebuilt with only short-term interventions. The link between relief and development has to be made by a process-orientated approach focusing on capacities of local participants.

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