The Role of Green Infrastructure in Achieving Socio-Spatial Dimensions in Housing Sustainability

Planning sustainable communities is a complex process that addresses the key areas of equitable economic, environmental and social sustainability. Nowadays the sustainable communities became the core objective in the view of building new world facing the multi and various challenges. Socio-spatial dimension represents greenspace networks integration into new development. Protecting and enhancing the existing physical assets are the pillars to achieve this goal. Green infrastructure is a new concept of planning and design that consists primarily of a hybrid hydrological / drainage network, complementing and linking existing green areas with built-in infrastructure that provides ecological functions. Green infrastructure plans apply the basic principles of landscape ecology as well as appropriate solutions for roofing and shading in urban environments, specifically: a multi-scale approach with a clear attention to the pattern, social and spatial relationships, and emphasis on social and environmental interactions. This research focuses on the socio-spatial planning communities in the view point of sustainability, analyzing previous studies, models and applications that illustrate possible spatial configurations of the green infrastructure to support and strengthen social relations with the physical side of the built environment, especially in residential neighbourhoods. The study presents theoretical models to understanding the social sustainability and guidelines for sympathetic the green infrastructure and its impact on achieving socio-spatial sustainability, taking (Sulaimaniyah Heights Residential Complex) in Sulaimaniyah city as a case study of one of the housing complexes that is still under construction, following the analytical quantitative approach methodology. The results show the importance of green infrastructure (GI) to obtain social sustainability through the use of green infrastructure as a tool to achieve socio-spatial sustainability in housing projects in areas with moderate climatic conditions.

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Green infrastructure planning for cooling urban communities: Overview of the contemporary approaches with special reference to Serbian experiences

Spatium ◽

10.2298/spat1533055m ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 55-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Igor Maric ◽

Tijana Crncevic ◽

Jasminka Cvejic

Keyword(s):

Special Reference ◽

Urban Communities ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Special Importance ◽

Policies And Programs ◽

Guidelines And Standards

This paper investigates contemporary approaches defined by the policies, programs or standards that favor green infrastructure in urban planning for cooling urban environments with special reference to Serbian experiences. The research results reveal an increasing emphasis on the multifunctionality of green infrastructure as well the determination to the development of policies, guidelines and standards with the support of the overall community. Further, special importance is given to policies that promote ?cool communities? strategies resulting in the increase of vegetation-covered areas, what has contributed in adapting urban environments to the impacts of climate change. In addition, this research indicates the important role of local authorities and planners in Serbia in promoting planning policies and programs that take into consideration the role of green infrastructure in terms of improving climatic conditions, quality of life and reducing energy needed for cooling and heating.

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Influence of Land Use on Avian Diversity in North African Urban Environments

Land ◽

10.3390/land10040434 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 434

Author(s):

Hani Amir Aouissi ◽

Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor ◽

Mostefa Ababsa ◽

Maria Boştenaru-Dan ◽

Mahmoud Tourki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Green Infrastructure ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Research Question ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Ecological Group ◽

Avian Diversity ◽

North African ◽

Index Method ◽

Urban Green Spaces

Land cover and use changes are important to study for their impact on ecosystem services and ultimately on sustainability. In urban environments, a particularly important research question addresses the relationship between urbanization-related changes and biodiversity, subject to controversies in the literature. Birds are an important ecological group, and useful for answering this question. The present study builds upon the hypothesis according to which avian diversity decreases with urbanization. In order to answer it, a sample of 4245 observations from 650 sites in Annaba, Algeria, obtained through the point abundance index method, were investigated by computing Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index and the species richness, mapping them, and analyzing the results statistically. The findings confirm the study hypothesis and are relevant for planning, as they stress the role of urban green spaces as biodiversity hotspots, and plead for the need of connecting them. From a planning perspective, the results emphasize the need for interconnecting the green infrastructure through avian corridors. Moreover, the results fill in an important lack of data on the biodiversity of the region, and are relevant for other similar Mediterranean areas. Future studies could use the findings to compare with data from other countries and continents.

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Informal Land Rights and Infrastructure Retrofit: A Typology of Land Rights in Informal Settlements

Land ◽

10.3390/land10030273 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 273

Author(s):

Mahsa Mesgar ◽

Diego Ramirez-Lovering

Keyword(s):

Green Infrastructure ◽

Service Providers ◽

Informal Settlements ◽

Land Rights ◽

Spatial Dimension ◽

Careful Consideration ◽

Public Infrastructure ◽

The Individual ◽

The Right ◽

Control And Management

Informal settlements represent a challenging operational context for local government service providers due to precarious contextual conditions. Location choice and land procurement for public infrastructure raise the complicated question: who has the right to occupy, control, and use a piece of land in informal settlements? There is currently a dearth of intelligence on how to identify well-located land for public infrastructure, spatially and with careful consideration for safeguarding the claimed rights and preventing conflicts. Drawing on a case study of green infrastructure retrofit in seven informal settlements in Makassar, Indonesia, we classify the informal settlers’ land rights into four types: ownership, use, control, and management. This exploratory study uses a typological approach to investigate the spatial dimension of land rights in informal settlements. We introduce non-registrable land interests and the partial, dynamic, and informal land use rights that impact the land procurement for infrastructure retrofit. We also create a simple spatial matrix describing the control/power, responsibilities and land interests of different stakeholders involved in the location decision making for public infrastructure. We argue that without sufficient understanding of non-formal land rights, land procurement proposals for the public infrastructure upgrades can be frustrated by the individual or group claims on the land, making the service provision impossible in informal settlements.

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The Effect of Blue-Green Infrastructure on Habitat Connectivity and Biodiversity: A Case Study in the Ōtākaro/Avon River Catchment in Christchurch, New Zealand

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13126732 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 6732

Author(s):

Thuy Thi Nguyen ◽

Colin Meurk ◽

Rubianca Benavidez ◽

Bethanna Jackson ◽

Markus Pahlow

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Natural Capital ◽

Research Question ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Habitat Connectivity ◽

Added Value ◽

Environmental Evaluation ◽

Representative Species ◽

The Matrix

The natural capital components in cities (“blue-green infrastructure” BGI) are designed to address long-term sustainability and create multi-benefits for society, culture, business, and ecology. We investigated the added value of BGI through the research question “Can the implementation of blue-green infrastructure lead to an improvement of habitat connectivity and biodiversity in urban environments?” To answer this, the Biological and Environmental Evaluation Tools for Landscape Ecology (BEETLE) within the Land Utilisation and Capability Indicator (LUCI) framework was adopted and applied in Christchurch, New Zealand, for the first time. Three ecologically representative species were selected. The parameterisation was based on ecological theory and expert judgment. By implementation of BGI, the percentages of habitats of interest for kereru and paradise shelduck increased by 3.3% and 2.5%, respectively. This leads to improved habitat connectivity. We suggest several opportunities for regenerating more native patches around the catchment to achieve the recommended minimum 10% target of indigenous cover. However, BGI alone cannot return a full suite of threatened wildlife to the city without predator-fenced breeding sanctuaries and wider pest control across the matrix. The socio-eco-spatial connectivity analysed in this study was formalised in terms of four interacting dimensions.

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Do planning concepts matter? A Lacanian interpretation of the urban village in a British context

Planning Theory ◽

10.1177/14730952211038936 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 147309522110389

Author(s):

Chuan Wang

Keyword(s):

Discourse Analysis ◽

Social Relations ◽

Analytical Framework ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Planning Practice ◽

Comprehensive Review ◽

Urban Village ◽

New Concepts ◽

The Uk ◽

Planning Concepts

Numerous novel planning concepts have been developed in pursuit of better urban environments, while many are notoriously difficult to define. Lacan’s master signifier is widely employed to criticise these vague, fashionable concepts but lacks a specific examination tool. To fill this gap, this article develops an analytical framework based on Lacanian discourse analysis (LDA) to decipher the complex social relations in the process of applying new concepts to planning policymaking and practice. A comprehensive review of the UK urban village movement is used to demonstrate how this framework provides a deeper analysis, arguing that urban villages are understood differently depending on individual social positions, which, to some extent, determine their actions towards planning practice.

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One Vanderbilt: Unprecedented Project Delivery Through Integrated Innovation

IABSE Congress, New York, New York 2019: The Evolving Metropolis ◽

10.2749/newyork.2019.1851 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Cleary ◽

Edward M. DePaola ◽

Christopher R. Horch

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Structural Steel ◽

Fast Track ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Advanced Technology ◽

Parametric Modelling ◽

Under Construction ◽

Construction Loads ◽

Design Schedule ◽

Construction Documents

One Vanderbilt Avenue, currently under construction in midtown Manhattan, will be one of the tallest buildings in New York. By collaborating with the construction teams in the early stages of the design, the foundations and the superstructure were able to proceed well in advance of a typical project. For example, the structural steel was erected to the 6th floor, was fabricated to the 32nd Floor, and the shop drawings were checked up to the 45th floor on the day that the 100% Construction Documents were issued.The structural steel frame was designed so that its core columns only carried 12 levels of framing and construction loads during the tower’s erection. A concrete shear wall system followed the steel framing, permitting the steel erection to proceed without regard to the concrete operations. When complete, the project will stand 1,401 feet tall and contain 26,000 tons of structural steel, and 93,000 cubic yards of concrete.The presentation focuses on the challenges and technological requirements for vertical construction in dense urban environments. It explains the amount of detail, thought, and knowledge of construction that must happen earlier in the design process and the participants will appreciate how the fast‐track process can be applied to complex architectural, mechanical and structural designs.It describes the integration of design team parametric modelling with the construction process early in the design schedule. Fast‐track projects with complex designs like One Vanderbilt can be successfully completed by understanding and integrating an IPD process, even with competing objectives. The presentation discusses the challenges and technological requirements for vertical construction in dense urban environments, including the importance of direct links to mass transportation.This type of team structure is the future of the industry, and One Vanderbilt is the first of its kind to illustrate how innovative design ambitions are being realized through the use of increasingly refined and advanced technology.

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PARAMETERS OF INTEREST FOR THE DESIGN OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering ◽

10.4090/juee.2019.v13n1.092101 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 92-101

Author(s):

Marija Šperac ◽

Dino Obradović

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Urban Environment ◽

Air Temperature ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Land Surface ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Hydrological Cycle ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Land Surfaces ◽

Selection Of

The urbanization process significantly reduced the permeability of land surfaces, which affected the changes of runoff characteristics and the relations in the hydrological cycle. In urban environments, the relationships within the hydrological cycle have changed in quantity, in particular: precipitation, air temperature, evaporation, and infiltration. By applying the green infrastructure (GI) to urban environments is beneficial for the water resources and the social community. GI has an effect on the improvement of ecological, economic, and social conditions. Using GI into urban areas increases the permeability of land surfaces, whereby decreasing surface runoff, and thus the frequency of urban floods. It also has a significant influence on the regulation of air quality, water purification, climate change impact, and the changes in the appearance of the urban environment. When planning and designing the GI, it is necessary to identify the type of GI and determine the size and location of the selected GI. Since each urban environment has its own characteristics, it is necessary to analyze them before deciding on the GI. The paper analyzed meteorological parameters (precipitation, air temperature, insolation, air humidity) affecting the selection of GI types, using the specific example of an urban environment – the City of Osijek, Croatia. Significant parameters when designing GI are operation and maintenance These parameters directly affect the efficiency of GI. The proper selection of GI and its location results in maximum gains: the reduction of land surface drainage - drainage of the sewage system, purification and retention of precipitation at the place of production, the improvement of air quality, and the improvement of living conditions in urban environments

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Economic assessment of urban space and blue-green infrastructure in Singapore

Journal of Urban Ecology ◽

10.1093/jue/juab020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mabel Lim ◽

Stefanos Xenarios

Keyword(s):

Urban Space ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Life Quality ◽

Economic Assessment ◽

Well Being ◽

Pilot Project ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Mean Value ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Urban Greenery

Abstract The urban conglomeration has accentuated the role of urban greenery as a determinant factor for sustainable living, especially in highly dense cities. The country of Singapore has consistently attempted to develop and rehabilitate urban greenery by attempting to align the green space policy with the pursuit of better life quality. In this study, we assess the benefits arising from the rehabilitated Bishan-Ang Mo Kio (AMK) Park in north Singapore and the effects on economic welfare. The Bishan-AMK Park was initially constructed in the late 70 s as a drainage area for the avoidance of flooding incidents. In 2012, a pilot project was introduced to create a blue-green infrastructure (BGI) space for the provision of drainage and flood prevention but also for recreational and environmental improvement in the area. Yet, the benefits emerging from BGI are not well explored and still underestimated. To this extent, we evaluate selected services related to recreational, socio-cultural and tourism-related values by indicating the economic benefits from the introduction of BGI in condensed urban environments like Singapore. The findings indicate that the benefits deriving from the selected services could be within the range of US$100 million to US$220 million with a mean value of US$160 million per year by substantially contributing to human well-being. The assessment of environmental services can raise the awareness of residents and local authorities on the contribution of urban greenery to livelihoods and economic development in Singapore and similar densely populated areas.

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Improving modern technology and construction of multi-storey residential buildings by optimizing shuttering works

Russian journal of transport engineering ◽

10.15862/07sats219 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Denis Pogodin ◽

Nikolay Spiridonov ◽

Abdulkarim Khalidov

Keyword(s):

Residential Buildings ◽

Modern Technology ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Practical Significance ◽

Space Planning ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Planning And Design ◽

Design Characteristics ◽

Under Construction ◽

Structural Solutions

This article deals with the selection of optimal sets of formwork of the object under construction, depending on the space-planning and design solutions. Improving the use of system formwork design. The areas of formwork application are characterized, the requirements for formwork systems are given. The author presents modern types of formwork, which have different design characteristics and are designed for different climatic conditions. In the article the author characterizes the main types of formwork systems used in modern monolithic construction. Development of technology of monolithic reinforced concrete works is largely constrained by the structural shortcomings of formwork systems. The paper proposes a formwork construction module that allows concreting structures with different lengths for each object using one unified formwork panel, based on the space-planning and structural solutions. Thus it is necessary to change only places of fastening of face elements of a timbering. The practical significance of the study lies in the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of system formwork.

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