scholarly journals Re-Interpreting the Imrahor Valley (Ankara-Turkey) in Terms of Green Infrastructure Directing Urban and Rural Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-95
Author(s):  
Nilgül Karadeniz ◽  
Esra Şenoz Orsan ◽  
Rüveyda Akman Taskin ◽  
Zekiye Cetinkaya
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Metropolitan City ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
The City

AbstractThe earth is rapidly urbanizing. One of the most effective means of dealing with the emergency caused by rapid urbanization is green infrastructure now. Ankara as a metropolitan capital city is also rapidly losing its urban-rural integrity due to rapid urbanization. Although different spatial plans have been made since the declaration of the Republic, the city continued oil-stain expansion and the green area system could not be protected. The Imrahor Valley, which is of ecologically vital importance in the urban-rural integrity, is one of the valuable areas under threat. The valley is an ecotone between the rural and urban ecosystems, southeast of Ankara city center. The valley has come to the point of losing its natural and rural character, especially with the urban transformation practices on the valley floor, slopes and surrounding areas. In this context, the ecological processes to which the Imrahor Valley is connected and dependent and human interventions in these processes are examined in three layers at different levels initially: the province, the city containing the central districts and the basin containing Lake Mogan-Eymir Lake-Imrahor Valley. Then, we focus on the transformation of the Imrahor Valley, one of the most important ecological components of the metropolitan city of Ankara, between 2003–2020. All transformational interventions in the Imrahor Valley affect all natural processes of the Valley irreversibly. It is necessary to re-read and interpret the Imrahor Valley landscape within the framework of the green infrastructure approach in all spatial planning studies and plan changes to be made regarding the metropolitan city.

Towards a More Resilient Delhi: Rapid Urbanization and Climate Change

2018 ◽  
Vol 05 (02n03) ◽  
pp. 1850014
Author(s):  
Jasdeep Singh
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Global South ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Apparent Lack ◽  
The City ◽  
Resilience Assessment

The discourse on resilient cities encapsulates various analogies, which are further constructed through the work of researchers in creation of several resilience assessment methodologies and toolkits. Despite the presence of numerous resilience assessment tools, there is an apparent lack of participation of residents of the global south within the assessment and iterative transformation processes. The situation, hence, is not truly represented through application of these tools in certain socio-political climates such as of India. Consistent economic growth of India has resulted in rapid urbanization of major cities. But, this has not been supplemented with proper planning, resulting in imbalances in all spheres of city infrastructure. Delhi, capital city of India, has been one of the worst hit cities. The hot seasons have caused thousands of fatalities in the past few years. An attempt is made to review the application of current resilience tools in Delhi against the backdrop of the sustainable development goals. In an attempt to improve the approach of these existing tools, an initial iteration is conducted, hinging on qualitative data obtained through surveying a sample population of the city and accessible quantitative metric data. Possible intervention scenarios are further suggested in view of aforementioned stressors and resilience scores. Research question: Where are the current resilience tools found lacking in the case of the global south, specifically in Delhi? How can the applicability of these tools be improved without compromising the deliverables yet ensuring an all-inclusive approach? Key findings: (1) The city is found lacking in adequate infrastructure facilities to its residents especially within the ambits of basic water and sanitation provision and healthcare services. (2) The city is relatively unprepared to face unforeseen events, both at the administrative and the grassroots levels. The lack of knowledge transfer and cooperation are largely evident.

Kavaklidere-Ankara: The Formation of a Residential District During the 1950s

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-42
Author(s):  
Çılga Resuloğlu ◽  
Elvan Altan Ergut
Keyword(s):  
Daily Life ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Economic Context ◽  
International Style ◽  
Residential District ◽  
The 1950S ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

This paper aims to examine the formation of Kavaklıdere as a ‘modern’ residential district during the 1950s. Contemporary urbanization brought about changes in various regions of Ankara, among which Kavaklıdere emerged as an important location with features that defined a new stage in the development of the identity of the capital city. The construction of houses in this district from the early 1950s onwards was in accordance with new functional requirements resulting from the needs of the contemporary socio-economic context, and exemplified the relationship between architectural approaches and social developments. In line with the rapid urbanization of Ankara throughout the 1950s, daily life in Kavaklıdere was transformed, as experienced in the apartment blocks that were the newly constructed sites of modernization. The contemporary transformation of Kavaklıdere was apparently formal and spatial, with the modernist architectural approach of the period, i.e. the so-called International Style, beginning to dominate in the shaping of its changing character. Nonetheless, the transformation was not only architectural but also social: the characteristics of this part of the city were then defined by structures like these apartment blocks, which brought modernist design features, together with modern ways of living, into wider public use and appreciation. The paper discusses how the identity of Kavaklıdere as a residential district was formed in the context of the mid-twentieth century, when these new residences emerged as pioneering modernist architectural housing, the product of social change, which housed and hence facilitated the ‘modern’ lifestyle of that time.

scholarly journals Analysing Urban Development Patterns in a Conflict Zone: A Case Study of Kabul

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 3662
Author(s):  
Vineet Chaturvedi ◽  
Monika Kuffer ◽  
Divyani Kohli
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Urban Growth ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Image Features ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Maximum Pressure ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
The City

A large part of the population in low-income countries (LICs) lives in fragile and conflict-affected states. Many cities in these states show high growth dynamics, but little is known about the relation of conflicts and urban growth. In Afghanistan, the Taliban regime, which lasted from 1996 to 2001, caused large scale displacement of the population. People from Afghanistan migrated to neighboring countries like Iran and Pakistan, and all developments came to a halt. After the US invasion in October 2001, all the major cities in Afghanistan experienced significant population growth, in particular, driven by the influx of internally displaced persons. Maximum pressure of this influx was felt by the capital city, Kabul. This rapid urbanization, combined with very limited capacity of local authorities to deal with this growth, led to unplanned urbanization and challenges for urban planning and management. This study analyses the patterns of growth between 2001 and 2017, and the factors influencing the growth in the city of Kabul with the help of high-resolution Earth Observation-based data (EO) and spatial logistic regression modelling. We analyze settlement patterns by extracting image features from high-resolution images (aerial photographs of 2017) and terrain features as input to a random forest classifier. The urban growth is analyzed using an available built-up map (extracted from IKONOS images for the year 2001). Results indicate that unplanned settlements have grown 4.5 times during this period, whereas planned settlements have grown only 1.25 times. The unplanned settlements expanded mostly towards the west and north west parts of the city, and the growth of planned settlements happened mainly in the central and eastern parts of the city. Population density and the locations of military bases are the most important factors that influence the growth, of both planned and unplanned settlements. The growth of unplanned settlement occurs predominantly in areas of steeper slopes on the hillside, while planned settlements are on gentle slopes and closer to the institutional areas (central and eastern parts of the city). We conclude that security and availability of infrastructure were the main drivers of growth for planned settlements, whereas unplanned growth, mainly on hillsides, was driven by the availability of land with poor infrastructure.

scholarly journals Friendly Communities and Outdoor Spaces in Contexts of Urban Population Decline

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 439
Author(s):  
M. Francisca Lima ◽  
Catharine Ward Thompson ◽  
Peter Aspinall
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Population ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Public Parks ◽  
Outdoor Spaces

Urban population decline has been extensively described as a triggering factor for community segregation and fragmentation, as well as for land use vacancy and house/flat vacancies, resulting in rising interest in strategies of green infrastructure expansion aimed at citizens’ wellbeing and urban ecosystems. However, city-scaled green infrastructures can be formed by different typologies of outdoor spaces, providing diverse social affordances that can impact community cohesion and resilience differently. This study focuses on the relationship between preferences for particular outdoor space typologies and for community friendliness, under contexts of urban population decline as a migratory process. In the context of Lisbon, a European capital-city experiencing migration and immigration but also urban population shrinkage in some areas of its metropolitan region, the study used conjoint analysis to test participants’ preference for different attributes of their urban environment. The results showed a significant positive correlation, in the sample living in depopulating neighbourhoods, between preferences for friendlier communities and for outdoor spaces of an enclosed and protected character (r = 0.34), compared with no significant correlation in the studied non-depopulating neighbourhoods. These results do not deny the importance of public parks of wide dimensions as a strategy for shrinking cities’ green infrastructures but suggest that urban citizens living in depopulating neighbourhoods have a higher awareness of the importance of small-scale, enclosed outdoor/green spaces to give a stronger sense of social connectedness. This study contributes to the general literature on urban shrinkage by showing that these sensitive conditions can potentially change behaviour and use of public spaces in urban contexts.

scholarly journals Useful wasteland - the potential of undeveloped land in modification of urban green infrastructure based on the city of Poznań

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 225-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Gałecka-Drozda ◽  
Elżbieta Raszeja
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Barren Land ◽  
Recreation Areas ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Abandoned Land ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
The City

Abstract Numerous barren land areas are found within administrative boundaries of cities. They include both former farmland located at the outskirts of cities, as well as vacant plots, postindustrial plots or former railway infrastructure plots. Barren plots are integral elements of the urban landscape and contemporary scientific concepts indicate their important role in the functioning of urban ecosystems. Abandoned land provides a potential for the development of green infrastructure and further development of recreation areas. At the same time some abandoned plots are informally adapted by local residents to suit their needs, transforming them into community gardens and recreation areas. This paper presents results of studies conducted by the authors in selected derelict areas in the city of Poznań. Analyses were conducted on their type, origin, size and location within the city. Observations were also recorded on the methods to adapt abandoned land by local communities.

scholarly journals Structure and Composition of Plant Vegetation in Urban Area of Dhaka South City Corporation, Bangladesh

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Shahariar Jaman ◽  
Ishrat Jahan ◽  
Mahbuba Jamil ◽  
Md. Golam Jilani Helal ◽  
Md. Shariful Islam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Cocos Nucifera ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Average Frequency ◽  
Swietenia Macrophylla ◽  
Samanea Saman ◽  
Polyalthia Longifolia ◽  
The City

Plants are an important feature of urban ecosystems which provide numerous environmental and ecosystem benefits such as defenses against noise and air pollution and conservation of biodiversity. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure and composition of urban vegetation in different urban habitats like roadsides, parks, gardens and playgrounds in Dhaka South City area. Stratified random sampling method was used in this study. A total of 221 plant species belonging to 63 families were identified and recorded. Among all plant species Swietenia macrophylla, Polyalthia longifolia, Cocos nucifera, Samanea saman, and Artocarpus heterophyllus are recorded as the most dominant. Most of the tree and shrub population were found between 6-9 m and 1-3m height classes whereas most of tree and shrub population were found in between 10-15cm dbh classes. Highest IVI was found for Swietenia macrophylla (193.22%) followed by Polyalthia longifolia (184.59%), Samanea saman (138.37%), Cocos nucifera (79.9%) and Delonix regia (68.27%) respectively. Average frequency, density, dbh and basal area were found 46.82%, 138.28 tree ha-1, 458.59 cm ha-1 and 12.33 m2 ha-1 respectively. Findings of this study reveals that structural attributes of plant represent quite young and still developing vegetation. This research will help to plan for future green infrastructure which will maintain ecosystem function, therefore, providing longer term benefits for the city dwellers.

scholarly journals Local Scale Prioritisation of Green Infrastructure for Enhancing Biodiversity in Peri-Urban Agroecosystems: A Multi-Step Process Applied in the Metropolitan City of Rome (Italy)

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Capotorti ◽  
Vera De Lazzari ◽  
Marta Alós Ortí
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Riparian Ecosystems ◽  
Metropolitan City ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Complex Solutions

Urban–rural interfaces represent complex systems that require complex solutions for sustainable development and resilience against pollution, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss and impaired flux of ecosystem services (ES). Green infrastructure (GI) is increasingly recognised as an effective tool for addressing such a complexity, but needs priority setting to maximise benefits and minimise drawbacks of implementation. Therefore, a prioritisation approach focused on biodiversity and ES in peri-urban areas is required. In the present work, a systematic and hierarchical framework is proposed for setting priority GI objectives, location and actions aimed at enhancing local biodiversity, ES flux and farming sustainability in urban peripheries. By means of a case study in the Metropolitan City of Rome, the framework allowed identification of the main demand for ES and biodiversity; the most suitable location for GI implementation; and the best cost-effective actions. The GI implementation showed an improvement in terms of wooded hedgerow density, an increase regarding the ecological connectivity of riparian ecosystems, and an increment of agroecosystems designated to enhance the ecological network and wildlife support. Finally, the prioritisation framework contributes to fostering environmental benefits while complying with regulations and management practices from the regional to the farm/field decision level.

scholarly journals Introducing Nature into Cities or Preserving Existing Peri-Urban Ecosystems? Analysis of Preferences in a Rapidly Urbanizing Catchment

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 587
Author(s):  
Cécile Hérivaux ◽  
Philippe Le Coent
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Climate Regulation ◽  
Quality Regulation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Environmental Inequalities ◽  
Heterogeneity Of Preferences

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly being promoted as a means to address societal and environmental challenges, especially flood risk reduction. In the context of rapidly urbanizing catchments, NBS can take part of the development of sustainable cities, either by conserving peri-urban ecosystems from urban sprawl or by developing green infrastructure in the cities. Both can provide a wide range of co-benefits (e.g., climate regulation, air quality regulation), but also generate some negative effects (e.g., mobility issues, unsafety, allergens). We develop and implement a Discrete Choice Experiment survey to analyse people’s perception of co-benefits and negative effects, and associated preferences for the two types of NBS at a catchment scale. The results obtained from 400 households living in a French Mediterranean catchment highlight that people associate numerous co-benefits to NBS, but also negative effects. Our estimations reveal that resident households are ready to contribute large amounts through a tax increase for the development of NBS (from 140 to 180 EUR/year, on average). There is however a strong heterogeneity of preferences at the catchment scale influenced by income, location of the respondent along an urban–rural gradient, and perception of the importance of ecosystem services. These differences may reflect urban environmental inequalities at the catchment scale, which are important to take into account in order to avoid distributive inequalities.

The homeland and the city: Rural and urban decolonization in Patricia Grace’s Potiki

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Brückner
Keyword(s):  
Literary Criticism ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Binary Opposition ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Binary Oppositions ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
The City

Over the last decade, studies from multiple academic disciplines have started to examine the city’s role as a place of decolonization for Māori people in Aotearoa New Zealand. This article uses those multidisciplinary findings as a basis for literary criticism by re-examining the role of the city in Patricia Grace’s second novel Potiki (1986). Indigenous urbanites are generally deemed impossible and ‘unnatural’ within the inherited colonial ideology. And even though the novel foregrounds a Māori family’s return to their ancestral land, this article argues that the very success of this return is based on the interrelation between ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ strategies of decolonization. While the colonial urban–rural binary often seems reinforced, the novel inverts the power positions between colonizer and colonized, thereby promoting decolonization. At the same time, some characters become unconsciously entrapped in a romanticized pre-migration idyll, which the harsh reality of agricultural working life cannot satisfy. In order to assess the effectiveness of the different decolonizing strategies employed by the characters, my analysis utilizes the postcolonial key concepts of binary opposition, the liminal, the interstice, ambivalence, double consciousness and cultural appropriation, and examines the degree to which inherited binary oppositions are either maintained or defied by Pākehā and Māori within the novel.

scholarly journals Effects of Urbanization on Storm Water Run-off : A Case Study of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashim Ratna Bajracharya ◽  
Ritu Raj Rai ◽  
Shreema Rana
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Surface Characteristics ◽  
Impervious Surfaces ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Metropolitan City ◽  
Run Off ◽  
The City

In urban and suburban areas, much of the land surface is covered by buildings and pavements, which do not allow precipitation and snowmelt to soak into the ground. Instead, most developed areas rely on storm drains to carry large amounts of runoff from roofs and paved areas to nearby waterways. Hard surfaces such as streets, parking lots and built-up areas are impervious surfaces through which, water cannot pass through. As more and more landscapes are covered with hard impervious surfaces, the amount of water that infltrates, decreases and the amount that runs off, increases. This research is focused on studying run-off conditions in context of urban areas. The study area is Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). The City is in the stage of rapid urbanization and with it, a rapid increase in built-up spaces. As a result, the city is losing a balance between impervious and pervious cover. Loss of greeneries and unpaved open spaces are causing rapid drain of rain-water. This is creating a disturbance in the hydrological cycle of the area. For assessing the extent of runoff, total runoff was estimated of KMC, as per the surface characteristics and using rational method for calculation.  Parameters for determining run-off coeffcients were mainly land cover and land use data, soil type and slope of surface. Results show that current runoff is alarmingly high, indicated by the difference between the run-off values of pre and post-development scenarios. Urban development pattern has caused a major impact, in the prevailing run-off and it is very crucial that these issues are addressed in urban planning to promote effective solutions for maintaining water cycle and water resources in urban areas. Journal of the Institute of Engineering, 2015, 11(1): 36-49 

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