scholarly journals Periurbanization and conservation pressures over remnants of native vegetation: impact on ecosystem services for a Latin-American capital city

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco de la Barrera ◽  
Cristián Henríquez ◽  
Fanny Coulombié ◽  
Cynnamon Dobbs ◽  
Alejando Salazar
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Vegetation Impact ◽  
Development Alternatives ◽  
The City

Abstract Urban expansion in Latin-American cities is faster than urban planning. In order to implement sustainable planning the capacity of peri-urban areas to provide ecosystem services must be evaluated in the context of competing urbanization and conservation pressures. In this study we analyzed the effect of urban expansion on peri-urban vegetation of the Metropolitan Area of Santiago and what ecosystem services are provided by El Panul, land rich in biodiversity embedded in the fringe of the city. The city has lost vegetation while urbanized areas grow. Under this context, we evaluated the multi-functionality of El Panul through the quantification of three ecosystem services (ES): sense of place through the interviews of 60 residents, recreation via GIS analyses, and local climate regulation determined with air temperature measurements. El Panul increased the provision of urban green spaces, where inhabitants recognize and appreciate ES, and it plays a significant role in mitigating the urban heat island on summer nights. ES have emerged as a concept and framework for evaluating competing urban development alternatives.

scholarly journals Urban Cold and Heat Island in the City of Bragança (Portugal)

Climate ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artur Gonçalves ◽  
Gabriella Ornellas ◽  
António Castro Ribeiro ◽  
Filipe Maia ◽  
Alfredo Rocha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Urban Climate ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Local Climate Zones ◽  
The City

The thermal environment is an important aspect of the urban environment because it affects the quality of life of urban residents and the energy use in buildings. Urban Heat Island (UHI) and Urban Cold Island (UCI) are complementary effects that are the consequence of cities’ structures interference with the local climate. This article presents results from five years of urban climate monitoring (2012–2016) in a small Portuguese city (Bragança) using a dense meteorological network of 23 locations covering a wide array of Local Climate Zones (LCZ), from urban areas to nearby rural areas. Results show the presence of both the UHI effect, from mid-afternoon until sunrise, and the UCI after sunrise, both being more intense under the dense midrise urban context and during the summer. Urban Green Spaces had an impact on both UHI and UCI, with an important role in cooling areas of the city during daytime in the summer. Other LCZs had less impact on local thermal conditions. Despite the small size of this city, both effects (UHI and UCI) had a relevant intensity with an impact on local climate conditions. Both effects tend to decrease in intensity with increasing wind speed and precipitation.

The City of Oslo in Jan Erik Vold’s Poems

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-230
Author(s):  
Raluca-Daniela Duinea
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Social Criticism ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Reading Technique ◽  
Social Critical ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The City ◽  
Selection Of

"The City of Oslo in Jan Erik Vold’s Poems. The aim of this paper is to examine, from a cultural and social perspective, the Norwegian urban areas and everyday situations in Jan Erik Vold’s (b. 1939) poems. Our close-reading technique reveals important social aspects, different places and streets, located in the capital city of Norway, Oslo. These urban poems written by the contemporary Norwegian poet Jan Erik Vold contribute to the reconstruction of a new Norwegian cultural identity as it is reflected in a selection of poems taken from Mor Godhjertas glade versjon. Ja (Mother Goodhearted’s Happy Version. Yes, 1968), followed by the poet’s wanderings in the city of Oslo in En som het Abel Ek (One Named Abel Ek, 1988), and concluding with his bitter social criticism in Elg (Moose, 1989) and IKKE. Skillingstrykk fra nittitallet (Not: Broadsides from the Nineties, 1993). Vold’s urban poems emphasise the transition from nyenkle (new simple), friendly and descriptive poems which present closely the city of Oslo on foot, to short, political and social critical poems from the 90s. Thus, it is of great importance to traverse various urban ‘landscapes’ in different periods of time, beginning with the 1960s, followed by the 80s and the 90s. Keywords: Jan Erik Vold, urban poems, social criticism, Norwegian urban areas, the city of Oslo "

scholarly journals Urban Emissions of CO2 from Davos, Switzerland: The First Real-Time Monitoring System Using an Atmospheric Inversion Technique

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 2654-2668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Lauvaux ◽  
Natasha L. Miles ◽  
Scott J. Richardson ◽  
Aijun Deng ◽  
David R. Stauffer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Cold Wave ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Diurnal Cycles ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
The City ◽  
Atmospheric Inversion

AbstractAnthropogenic emissions from urban areas represent 70% of the fossil fuel carbon emitted globally according to carbon emission inventories. The authors present here the first operational system able to monitor in near–real time daily emission estimates, using a mesoscale atmospheric inversion framework over the city of Davos, Switzerland, before, during, and after the World Economic Forum 2012 Meeting (WEF-2012). Two instruments that continuously measured atmospheric mixing ratios of greenhouse gases (GHGs) were deployed at two locations from 23 December 2011 to 3 March 2012: one site was located in the urban area and the other was out of the valley in the surrounding mountains. Carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide were measured continuously at both sites. The Weather Research and Forecasting mesoscale atmospheric model (WRF), in four-dimensional data assimilation mode, was used to simulate the transport of GHGs over the valley of Davos at 1.3-km resolution. Wintertime emissions prior to the WEF-2012 were about 40% higher than the initial annual inventory estimate, corresponding to the use of heating fuel in the winter. Daily inverse fluxes were highly correlated with the local climate, especially during the severe cold wave that affected most of Europe in early February 2012. During the WEF-2012, emissions dropped by 35% relative to the first month of the deployment, despite similar temperatures and the presence of several thousand participants at the meeting. On the basis of composite diurnal cycles of hourly CO/CO2 ratios, the absence of traffic peaks during the WEF-2012 meeting indicated that change in road emissions is potentially responsible for the observed decrease in the city emissions during the meeting.

scholarly journals Comparative Assessment 0f Water Quality in the Bagmati River Basin, Nepal

ZOO-Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 68-78
Author(s):  
Chadka B Pal ◽  
Ramesh R Pant ◽  
Bhagawat Rimal ◽  
Akkal D Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Waste Water ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Monsoon Period ◽  
Bagmati River

Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal is one of the most populated destinations of the country. The water pollution remains a challenging issue for the sustainable development in the valley despite several pollution control devices, awareness-raising and policy measures. During monsoon period 2018, surface water samples were collected from 10 sites of the Bagmati River and its tributaries within the valley to evaluate the water quality. The different physico-chemical parameters were determined to assess pollution along a 26.5 km stretch between Sundarijal Dam to Balkhu Bridge of the Bagmati River and its selected tributaries. The Electrical Conductivity (EC) ranged from 33-816μS/cm while turbidity ranged from 0.3- 981 NTU and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) ranged from 16 to 612 mg/l. The ionic concentrations were higher in the lower sections where the population density is high compared to the head waters. The high value of TDS and low value of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in the lower belts of rivers were due to large inputs of waste water, uncoordinated rapid urban expansion, inadequate waste water treatment facilities and organic loads caused by anthropogenic activities. A comparative study for the water quality variables in the urban areas showed that the main river and its tributaries were equally polluted. From water analysis, downstream sites showed contamination and comparatively polluted among the tributaries and Bagmati River. There is a need to take action plan against polluted site for sustainability of aquatic health of the riverine environment and to address the river for its longer life both by public and government sectors.

scholarly journals Geographical Analysis of Ruralization Phenomenon in Rania City and Impact on Their Urban Enviroment

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-109
Author(s):  
Bestun Ahmed Hussein
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Geography ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Master Plan ◽  
Urban Issues ◽  
Infrastructure Services ◽  
The City ◽  
Different Parts ◽  
The Ideal

Ruralization of Urban areas is one of the most important topics of Urban Geography as it is one of the issues of urban areas and a major contributor to other urban issues; therefore, researchers need to look at this issue with caution. Ranya city has experienced this issue to a great extent mostly due to population growth and urban expansion. Ruralization has caused major issues such as infrastructure issues in terms of education, health, transportation and increased crime rates in different parts of the city. This research addresses this issue and aims to investigate the causes and characteristics of ruralization in Ranya city. This effort will help the local government to look for solution to address this issue. This research has used descriptive and analytical methods.The research concludes that ruralization has caused some drastic consequences when it comes to providing and delivering different public and infrastructure services. The paper recommends to authorities that preparing a master plan for the city would be the ideal resolution for this issue and other issues in the city.

scholarly journals Strategic Mapping and Optimised Allocation of Automated External Defibrillators in Urban Areas

2020 ◽  
pp. 138-145
Author(s):  
Kanteler Despoina ◽  
Katsaros Evangelos ◽  
Bakouros Yiannis
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Time Range ◽  
Public Access Defibrillation ◽  
Full Coverage ◽  
The City

<p><strong>Background</strong>: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of death and is regarded as a significant public health issue. Immediate treatment with an automated external defibrillator (AED) increases OHCA patient survival potential. For AEDs to be used and fulfil their lifesaving potential, they need to be in close proximity to the victim and accessible at the time of a cardiac arrest. The current paper sheds light upon an optimized location-allocation method achieving full coverage with immediate accessibility in an urban context given a limited number of available AEDs for deployment using GIS. The case study is the Region of Western Macedonia (RWM) in Greece for a pilot AED placement program for the Governance of RWM. The focus of the current study is the capital city of RWM, Kozani. The initial number of the defibrillators (120) that are needed to be distributed is very small and cannot cover the needs for every major city or rural area in the region. Out of the 120 AEDs, the challenge is to find the minimum required number of AEDs to allocate in the city providing full coverage and accessibility. This paper focuses only on one city, however, the same methodology was applied to allocate AEDs in the other selected cities of the region. The rural dimension and methodology are not in the scope of this paper. <br> <strong>Methods</strong>: Road network data, spatio-temporal analysis of accessibility network, digital elevation model, land uses, population density, seasonal fluctuations and socio-demographic variables were used. GIS algorithms such as spatial analysis, kernel density, hot spot analysis, maximal covering location problem (MCLP) tests, proximity algorithms, buffer zoning, were a few of the tests made in order to find the most efficient positions and maximize coverage keeping in mind that access to an AED until defibrillation time must not exceed the time range of five minutes. <br> <strong>Results</strong>: optimised sites and allocated AEDs in urban areas we managed to achieve full city coverage with 17 AEDs. In every part of the city, people can have access to a nearby AED with its critical radius of less than or equal to 250m achieving defibrillation in the critical period of 5 minutes. The results are promising for the establishment and expansion of optimised AED deployment in cities. <br> <strong>Conclusions</strong>: The progress of the project must be monitored and there are still unresolved problems that need to be tackled to provide a robust allocation of future defibrillators. Further research to enhance our understanding on public access defibrillation and optimize the accessibility and functionality of the medical health care services is needed. A network of engaged and informed citizens ready to act is required for a successful public access defibrillation program.</p>

scholarly journals Accessibility to and Availability of Urban Green Spaces (UGS) to Support Health and Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic—The Case of Bologna

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 11054
Author(s):  
Claudia De Luca ◽  
Andrea Libetta ◽  
Elisa Conticelli ◽  
Simona Tondelli
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
The City

In accordance with SDG N11.7, each city should work on providing “by 2030, universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities”. This target became even more crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This paper presents and discuss a method for (i) assessing the current distribution and accessibility of urban green spaces (UGSs) in a city using hierarchical network distances; and (ii) quantifying the per capita values of accessible UGSs, also in light of the restrictions in place, namely social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The methods have been tested in the city of Bologna, and the results highlight urban areas that suffer from a scarcity of accessible UGSs and identify potentially overcrowded UGSs, assessing residents’ pressure over diverse UGSs of the city in question. Based on our results, this work allows for the identification of priorities of intervention to overcome these issues, while also considering temporary solutions for facing the eventual scarce provision of UGSs and related health and wellbeing benefits in periods of movement restrictions.

scholarly journals THE STUDY OF HEAT ISLAND AND ITS RELATION WITH URBANIZATION IN GURUGRAM, DELHI NCR FOR THE PERIOD OF 1990 TO 2018

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-5/W3 ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
S. Kushwaha ◽  
Y. Nithiyanandam
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Large City ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Spatial Decision Support System ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Landsat Images ◽  
Infrared Band ◽  
Major Satellite

Abstract. Rapid growth in population and land cover makes urban areas more vulnerable to Urban Heat Island. Due to which, cities experience higher mean temperature than its proximate surrounding rural or non-urban area. The relationship between UHI and urbanization is proven in previous studies. Delhi the capital city of India is well known for its extreme heat condition in summer and air pollution. In this study, an attempt has been made to understand UHI behavior in a satellite town of Delhi. Satellite town or cities are the small independent towns built in the vicinity of a large city or metropolitan city. In this paper 4 major satellite towns of Delhi, i.e. Gurugram (name changed from Gurgaon in April 2016), Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad has been studied to understand the changing trends in urbanization and temperature. The parameters used are rate of urban expansion, population density, GDP growth and increasing temperature over the last two decades. Gurugram showed the maximum urbanization and identified as study area. Gurugram has undergone a major growth journey from being a small town to ‘The Millennium city’ of the country in a short span. The Landsat images of past three decades ranging from different time period i.e. 1990, 1996, 2002, 2009, 2014 and 2018 were investigated by applying integrated approach of GIS and Remote sensing. The images represent the condition of UHI and urbanization in different period. The temporal change in LULC was used to study the rate of urban growth in last three decades. The results showed the increase in built-up area out of the total area of Gurugram from 10% (i.e.50.6 sq. km) in 1990 to 17.25% (80.5 sq. km) in 2002 which further increased to 45.1% (210.4 sq. km) in 2018. Thermal Infrared band of Landsat series were used to retrieve land surface temperature (LST) intensity of the study period. The results show a positive correlation (r = 0.46) between impervious surfaces and LST. The results of the study could be helpful in identifying the causative factors and level of impacts in different zones and also enable us to develop a mitigation strategy based on spatial decision support system.

scholarly journals Changes in Urbanization and Urban Heat Island Effect in Dhaka City

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A S M Shanawaz Uddin ◽  
Najeebullah Khan ◽  
Abu Reza Md. Towfiqul I ◽  
Mohammad Kamruzzaman ◽  
Shamsuddin Shahid
Keyword(s):  
Urban Heat Island ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Clustering Algorithm ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Dhaka City ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
The City

Abstract Urbanization changes the local environment, resulting in urban heat island (UHI) effect and deteriorating human life quality. Knowledge of urban environments and temperature changes is important to outline the urban planning process for mitigation of UHI effect. The study aimed to assess the changes in urban areas and UHI effects in Dhaka city, Bangladesh from 2001to 2017, using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) daily day- and nighttime land surface temperature (LST) data from 2001to 2017. The expansion of the city was calculated using the city clustering algorithm (CCA). The temperature of the identified urbanized area was analyzed and compared with the adjacent regions. The changes in urban temperature were estimated using non-parametric statistical methods. The results showed that the Dhaka city area has grown by 19.12% and its inhabitants by 76.65% during 2001–2017. Urban expansion and dense settlements caused an increase in average temperature in some areas of Dhaka city nearly 3°C compared to that at its boundary. The day and night temperatures at Dhaka city's warmest location were nearly 7 and 5ºC, respectively, more than the coolest point outside the city. The city's annual average day- and nighttime temperature was increasing at a rate of 0.03° and 0.023°C/year over the period 2001–2017. The rising temperature would increase the UHI effect in the future, which combined with high humidity, may cause a significant increase in public health risk in the city if mitigation practices are not followed.

scholarly journals Improving Community Health and Wellbeing through Multi-functional Green Infrastructure in Cities Undergoing Densification

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Marques ◽  
jacqueline McIntosh ◽  
victoria Chanse
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
City Development ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Design Solutions

Evidence shows that maintaining a relationship with nature is essential for human health and wellbeing. This is of great importance when migration to urban areas is increasing globally and the need for nature as well as green and blue spaces as a source of recreation and relaxation is highly regarded for the health and wellbeing of local communities. Sustainable urban development and alternative design solutions to address urban compactness and densification are becoming increasingly important tools to counteract the adverse effects of urban sprawl. In the context of the highly compact bicultural capital city of Wellington, Aotearoa-New Zealand, this paper examines the effects of urban densification and compact city development in urban green spaces. It explores how architecture and landscape architecture can transform urban environments into desirable places to live and capitalise on the potentials of interstitial spaces, outdated zoning and changing land-use. To achieve that, it looks at green and blue infrastructure design solutions and opportunities that foster sustainable intensification and by offering new views for health and wellbeing that improve the social, cultural and environmental health of the city.

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