scholarly journals A disaster resilient built environment in urban cities

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chamindi Malalgoda ◽  
Dilanthi Amaratunga
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
National Level ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Expert Interviews ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – This research aims at making recommendations to empower the Sri Lankan local governments in creating a disaster resilient built environment. Disasters make a huge impact on the built environment. In turn, failure of the built environment can create significant impacts on social and economic activities. Thus, when moving towards safer cities, it is important to develop the built environment in such a way that it can withstand threats posed by natural disasters. Various stakeholders need to get involved in the process of making a disaster resilient built environment, of which the local governments need to play a critical role, as they are the closest government body to the local community. However, local governments are facing a number of challenges in responding to city resilience activities. Design/methodology/approach – The research adopts case studies as its research strategy and investigates three cities in Sri Lanka which are potentially vulnerable to disasters. A number of expert interviews have also been conducted to supplement the case study findings. Findings – The paper presents the challenges faced by the Sri Lankan municipalities in creating a disaster resilient built environment and provides recommendations to empower municipalities to effectively contribute to city resilience. The paper suggests amending policies related to establishment of municipal councils and disaster management to provide more authoritative powers for municipalities to effectively engage in city resilience building. Findings also revealed the importance of addressing financial and human resource issues, which were the main drivers of hindrance. Furthermore, all relevant urban development plans, risk maps, disaster resilient planning, construction and operation guidelines and resilient land use practices need to be integrated into existing planning and building regulations, and proper monitoring and control mechanisms have to be established to ensure compliance with the regulations. In doing so, it is important to raise awareness of council officials of disaster risks and resilient practices by way of organising educational programmes such as seminars and workshops. It is also suggested that municipal officials should be involved in national-level decision-making with regard to their local areas and to establish proper communication channels to exchange decision and information related to city resilience. Research limitations/implications – The paper is based on case studies in three cities and a number of expert interviews, which are limited to the Sri Lankan context. Inputs from other cities from developed countries may further validate the recommendations. Originality/value – The paper highlights the challenges faced by the local governments in creating a disaster resilient built environment within Sri Lankan cities and provides recommendations as to how the local governments could be empowered in creating a disaster resilient built environment within cities.

scholarly journals Overcoming challenges faced by local governments in creating a resilient built environment in cities

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 628-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chamindi Malalgoda ◽  
Dilanthi Amaratunga ◽  
Richard Haigh
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Indian Ocean Tsunami ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Sector

Purpose Although, a number of initiatives have been taken after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami to institutionalise disaster risk reduction (DRR), gaps still exist in the Sri Lankan local government sector. Even after ten years, local governments are still struggling to overcome a number of challenges in relation to making resilience in the built environment. DRR has not yet been properly integrated into the local government system and, as a result, poses a significant challenge. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to discover the hindrances for local governments in creating disaster resilient built environment within cities and to propose ways of overcoming the identified limitations. Design/methodology/approach In total, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted among experts from Sri Lanka who are involved in disaster management, local governments and built environment fields of study. The interviews were conducted with the intention of gaining expert knowledge pertaining to this field of study. The interviews were mainly designed to capture the current practices for instigating DRR initiatives within Sri Lanka, the role of local governments in creating a disaster resilient built environment and the associated challenges, and ways of overcoming such challenges to ensure an effective contribution to city resilience. Findings Primary data discovered 36 challenges along with some associated sub-challenges. The challenges were categorised under eight main themes: legal framework; lack of adequate tools, techniques and guidelines; human resource constraints; funding constraints; weaknesses in the internal systems and processes; weaknesses in the external systems; community engagement; and other challenges. The paper analyses these challenges in detail and proposes a set of recommendations to overcome the challenges in order to create disaster resilient built environments within cities. Research limitations/implications The paper provides a descriptive analysis of how the Sri Lankan local government sector could overcome the underpinning challenges of contributing to disaster resilience in the built environment and no comparative studies were conducted with in other tsunami affected regions. Furthermore, the paper analyses partial findings of a broader research, which was aimed at developing a framework to empower local governments in creating a disaster resilient built environment. Originality/value The paper provides an extensive analysis of the challenges faced by local governments in contributing to the resilience of their built environment and proposes how these challenges could be overcome while making a worthwhile contribution to both theory and practice. Accordingly, the paper recommends major changes in policy and practice with respect to bringing local governments into DRR.

scholarly journals International retirement migration and Thai stakeholders’ views: a Japanese case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Suwaree Ashton ◽  
Noel Scott
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The Body ◽  
Local Resident ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Stakeholder Collaboration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Retirement Migration ◽  
International Retirement Migration

Purpose This paper aims to investigate Thai stakeholders’ perceptions of developing a destination for international retirement migration (IRM). Increasingly, residents of developed nations such as Japan who retire from work are choosing to live in Thailand or other less-developed countries. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative approach was used, and data were collected through focus groups and in-depth interviews in Chiang Mai and Bangkok. Content analysis technique was used to analyze data after completing the interviews of 35 industry participants. Findings It was found from the participants that considerable new real estate development and services specifically for these retirees has been created in recent years, but that there is a lack of stakeholder collaboration in catering to this market. Moreover, local resident knowledge of the retirees’ culture and language is lacking, along with a need for policy and planning support from government. Research limitations/implications A limitation of this study is that it explored only the perception of business stakeholders involved with Japanese IRM, a group of importance to the Thai Government due to their increasing numbers. Further study could look at local community attitudes toward IRM and how a community adapts to this new phenomenon. Practical implications This study provides guidelines for stakeholders, government and local communities. Especially, the role of government is to provide support with clear information about the visa process and legal documents. Originality/value This study contributes to the body of knowledge of destination development strategy for a specific international retirement tourist group.

scholarly journals Internationalisation at home for tourism training programmes: case studies from Vietnam

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-35
Author(s):  
Cam Thi Hong Khuong ◽  
Ly Thi Tran
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Global Competency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internationalisation At Home ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Training Programmes

Purpose Tourism is one of the most notable features of the contemporary globalised world. The tourism industry is becoming increasingly vital to the economy of many developing and developed countries around the globe. The demand of the tourism industry has posed a challenge for tourism training providers to move towards a more responsive and internationalised curriculum to enhance work readiness for tourism graduates who are expected to work with an increased number of international tourists. The purpose of this paper is analyse whether and how internationalisation has been implemented in the tourism training programmes across six institutions in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach The research deployed case studies as research strategy with interviews and document analysis as two instruments of data collection. Findings The major findings show that even though the tourism industry demands graduates to possess global competency, knowledge and skills, the curriculum does not prioritise the internationalisation dimensions and the faculty members are not facilitated to be internationally active in their roles. Overall, internationalisation is still fragmented and ad hoc in these institutions even though the private institutions in this research appear to be more responsive to the trend of internationalisation in education than their public counterparts. Research limitations/implications The paper provides recommendations on how to effectively embed internationalisation components into local tourism training programs in Vietnam. Originality/value The research bridges the gap in the literature on internationalisation of the local tourism programme in non-English-speaking countries.

Zingen over branden, scheepsrampen en grote buitenlandse catastrofes, 1755-1918

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 270-293
Author(s):  
Lotte Jensen
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Local Community ◽  
National Level ◽  
International Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
International Solidarity ◽  
Different Types

Abstract Singing about fires, ship wrecks and major international catastrophes between 1755 and 1918 Local, national and international solidarity This article focuses on Dutch songs about three different kind of disasters in the period 1755-1918: fires (which occurred in Dutch villages and cities), ship wrecks (both in the Netherlands and abroad) and other foreign catastrophes, such as the earthquake on Martinique (1839) or the floods in Mexico (1888). This popular genre is an important source to understand how people coped with disasters in the past. They were not only used to spread the news, but also to make sense of the events by offering moral and religious lessons. This article investigates how these different types of disaster songs could shape a shared sense of community on the local, national and international level. While songs about fires were often directed at the local community, ballads about shipwrecks appealed to the imagined Dutch community. Songs about big disasters in foreign places, sometimes aimed at raising international solidarity, but they were more often used to strengthen communal feelings at the national level.

Prospects and restraints of green roofs for high-rise buildings in Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-260
Author(s):  
Subaskar Charles ◽  
Herath Vidyaratne ◽  
Damithri Gayashini Melagoda
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Expert Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Rise ◽  
The Government

Purpose Green roofs are acknowledged as a method to substitute greenery washed out by the urbanization. They provide many ecological and sustainable benefits of greenery; reduce the adverse effects of high-rise building constructions. Though this concept is more popular across many countries over the past few decades, still, implementation of this technology in Sri Lanka is new and scant. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the potential of green roofs in high-rise buildings in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach The data collection was conducted through expert interviews and questionnaire survey. Expert interviews were carried out to validate the prospects and restraints identified through literature review to the Sri Lankan context and analyzed using content analysis. Questionnaire survey identified the most significant prospects and restraints using descriptive statistics and paired sample t-test. Purposive sampling was used to select participants. Findings Reduction of air pollution, aesthetical appearance, thermal benefits and energy savings, reduction of an urban heat island effect, the addition of points in the green rating system are the top most significant prospects that need to be highlighted in promoting green roof systems in Sri Lankan high rises. Less space allocation on rooftops, lack of technical competence and lack of awareness and research are restraints that need most effective elimination strategies to encourage green roof systems. Originality/value The first identified and quantified prospects and restraints for green roof system in Sri Lankan high-rise buildings can be utilized by the government, donors, multi-lateral agencies to promote the sustainable development in Sri Lanka and this knowledge could be used in different scale awareness programs. The value of this paper is such that the paper discusses the links of green roofs with the other facets of sustainability. The new legal reforms and amendments in Sri Lanka could potentially be pending with findings of this study.

LibraryCraft – how the COVID-19 pandemic led to the growth of the WA libraries public Minecraft server

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-388
Author(s):  
Jayne Cleave ◽  
John Geijsman
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Economic Management ◽  
Content Type

Purpose LibraryCraft was created to bring communities together across Western Australia (WA) in a safe, structured and moderated way so that players could stretch their creativity and imagination. LibraryCraft uses the features of Minecraft that stretch users’ innovation and creative thinking, develops their STEAM skills and builds social and life skills such as collaboration, negotiation, economic management and civic engagement. Design/methodology/approach In late 2019, the Fremantle Library launched a small, local Minecraft server for the local community of young people. After several months of testing and upgrades, LibraryCraft was made available to all players aged 7–17 across WA, and WA local governments were invited to participate. Findings The COVID-19 pandemic led to a cancellation of Fremantle Library in-person programmes; LibraryCraft, as a purely online programme, was scaled up, and in a few weeks, had more than tripled its player base. At the time of writing, LibraryCraft brings together 20 WA local councils, reaches over 100 players from Derby-West Kimberley to Albany and sees hundreds of play hours logged each week. Players have created new friendships across the state and are regularly working collaboratively on challenges and exploration. Originality/value While Minecraft servers operated by libraries are far from new, LibraryCraft is unique. No groups of libraries have run Minecraft servers collaboratively in Australia before, and none is available state wide. The programme is highly valued with families in WA, providing a safe social outlet for players stuck at home in isolation.

Learning how we learn

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-41
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
League Tables ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Traditional Sense ◽  
Education Policy Implementation ◽  
Smart Boards ◽  
Fact Learning ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings It is perhaps ironic that one of the areas that we as a society have most to still learn about is in fact learning itself. Learning in the traditional sense is for the most part widely understood. The old-fashioned “chalk and talk” delivery of high school teachers has for the most part been replaced – and not just because chalk does not work so well on interactive smart boards. Modern teachers are much better drilled in the benefits of student engagement, the utilization of a variety of teaching activities, when to use repetition and when to use pair and group work. In many developed countries, years of comprehensive education policy implementation and the pressure of league tables at a local and national level have professionalized the vocation of teaching. Practical implications: Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

An institution-based view of firms’ early internationalization

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 911-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhad Uddin Ahmed ◽  
Louis Brennan
Keyword(s):  
New Ventures ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Bank Loans ◽  
International Expansion ◽  
Least Developed Countries ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Early Internationalization ◽  
Regulatory Policies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the differential effects of national export promotion policies (EPPs) on firms’ early internationalization using the institution-based view (IBV) as our theoretical foundation. Early or speedy internationalization is an important topic for academics, executives and policy makers. However, the effect of the regulatory dimension of institutions incorporating governmental policies on firms’ early internationalization remains unexplored in the literature. Design/methodology/approach The study was survey-based and the authors engaged in quantitative analysis using data drawn from the apparel industry in a least-developed country (LDC), i.e. Bangladesh. The authors employed 174 valid questionnaires in the analysis. To test the proposed hypotheses, an ordered-logistic regression modeling technique was used. Findings The findings reveal a positive effect of those national policies focusing on market development, guarantee-related and technical support schemes. Two individual elements of direct finance-related assistance, namely, bank loans and cash subsidy are also found to be influential. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature and extends the IBV by establishing that the industry-specific regulatory policies designed by home country governments can play a critical role in international expansion of new ventures from an LDC. In particular, the study established the critical role of national EPPs in driving firms’ early internationalization and thereby, contributing to the international marketing and international entrepreneurship (IE) literature. Least-developed countries provide different institutional environments for entrepreneurship. They thus provide an atypical context within the field of IE. By incorporating sample firms from an LDC, the authors address the knowledge gap related to those countries. The implications of the authors’ findings for national and enterprise development policies are also considered.

Informing sustainable building design

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathilde Landgren ◽  
Signe Skovmand Jakobsen ◽  
Birthe Wohlenberg ◽  
Lotte Bjerregaard Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Integrated Design ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Design Teams ◽  
Design Decisions ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interdisciplinary Design

Purpose In recent decades there has been a focus on reducing the overall emissions from the built environment, which increases the complexity of the building design process. More specialized knowledge, a greater common understanding and more cooperation between the stakeholders are required. Interdisciplinary design teams need simple and intuitive means of communication. Architects and engineers are starting to increase their focus on improving interdisciplinary communication, but it is often unclear how to do so. The purpose of this paper is to define the impact of visually communicating engineering knowledge to architects in an interdisciplinary design team and to define how quantifying architectural design decisions have an impact during the early phases of sustainable building design. Design/methodology/approach This work is based on a study of extensive project materials consisting of presentations, reports, simulation results and case studies. The material is made available by one of the largest European Engineering Consultancies and by a large architectural office in the field of sustainable architecture in Denmark. The project material is used for mapping communication concepts from practice. Findings It is demonstrated that visual communication by engineers increases the level of technical knowledge in the design decisions made by architects. This is essential in order to reach the goal of designing buildings with low environmental impact. Conversely, quantification of architectural quality improved the engineer’s acceptance of the architects’ proposals. Originality/value This paper produces new knowledge through the case study processes performed. The main points are presented as clearly as possible; however, it should be stressed that it is only the top of the iceberg. In all, 17 extensive case studies design processes were performed with various design teams by the 3 authors of the paper Mathilde, Birthe and Signe. The companies that provided the framework for the cases are leading in Europe within sustainability in the built environment, and in the case of Sweco also in regards to size (number of employees). Data are thus first hand and developed by the researchers and authors of this paper, with explicit consent from the industry partners involved as well as assoc. Professor Lotte B. Jensen Technical University of Denmark (DTU). This material is in the DTU servers and is in the PhD dissertation by Mathilde Landgren (successful defence was in January 2019). The observations and reflection is presented in selected significant case examples. The methods are descriped in detail, and if further information on method is required a more in depth description is found in Mathilde Landgrens PhD Dissertation. There is a lack in existing literature of the effect of visualisation in interdisciplinary design teams and though the literature (e.g. guidelines) of integrated design is extensive, there is not much published on this essential part of an integrated design process.

Mainstreaming DRM into subnational development policies in Mexico

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 811-827
Author(s):  
Valeria Maurizi ◽  
Adelfo Santis de la Torre ◽  
Luis Mauricio Escalante Solís ◽  
Ana Luisa Quezadas Barahona ◽  
Gontrán Villalobos Sánchez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Development Plans ◽  
Development Approach ◽  
Public Policy Instruments

PurposeThe present study proposes the analysis of DRM strategies that had been implemented into subnational development plans and public policy instruments in the States of Chiapas and Tabasco, located in Southeast Mexico. It describes the methodological phases for the implementation of those strategies and the participatory process, with a multi-level approach, carried out with multiple stakeholders and UNDP advisory.Design/methodology/approachFor this research, two case studies were developed to highlight the factors which make successful DRM in development plans and policies. It included the compilation and review of documents generated by UNDP-PMR program on the mainstreaming process in the past four years, interviews with key actors in the states of Chiapas and Tabasco, such as governmental officers, national and international ONG's, UN agencies and rural communities' leaders.FindingsThe review of these case studies demonstrate that for developing countries like Mexico, the process to strengthening institutions setting, needs being present in the field and creating alliances and synergies to generate advocacy processes from a capacity development approach. Having not only an output approach in projects but also mainly an impact strategy, both at the local and the sectoral levels, along with a mid-term timeline and budget, are some of the hallmarks of UNDP-PMR program work.Originality/valueThis study showed two original experiences of mainstreaming DRM into subnational development policies in high risk contexts. These experiences had the participation of multiple stakeholders from local governments and communities. Nowadays, these two experiences are being implemented in the territories despite political administration changes in the last years.

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