scholarly journals IMPACTS OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ON OUTDOOR INSECURITY IN URBAN HOUSING COMPLEXES

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.H. Lakchan ◽  
◽  
S. Udalamaththa ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Design Theory ◽  
Landscape Architecture ◽  
Environmental Design ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Police Reports ◽  
Landscape Character ◽  
Housing Complex

Housing is one of the most essential components of life, offering shelter, protection, and comfort, as well as a place to rest. When considering the Sri Lankan housing complexes Millennium city housing complex was highlighted mainly because of the crime incidents that happened inside the housing complex. This research is done to demonstrate and to investigate the application of landscape architecture for security on urban housing complexes based on Millennium city housing complex, using landscape character to reduce outdoor insecurity. Seven places in the millennium city housing complex premises were selected to apply the crime prevention through environmental design theory and to observe its effectiveness through structured interviews and by considering the police reports that were taken through Sri Lanka police Athurugiriya. Natural surveillance, Territorial reinforcement, Maintenance, Prospect, Refuge, and Escape factors are separately discussed in the analysis regarding the selected places. A sectional survey is done for further analysis. The outcome shows that the house settings and the landscape character affect the outdoor landscape safety of the residents. The study will be a source to better understand how landscape architecture can be applied for outdoor security in urban housing complexes.

Exploring Just Sustainability in Re-Blocking Intervention in a Johannesburg Informal Settlement

2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 782-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olumuyiwa Bayode Adegun
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Justice ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Material Distribution ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Institutional Structures ◽  
Just Sustainability

Addressing intertwined socio-economic and environmental problems in informal urban areas underscores the need for just sustainability. The co-production of urban housing provides a useful domain to link issues related to sustainability with social and environmental justice. Using the example of an informal settlement re-blocking project, this paper shows how co-production as an approach might or might not promote principles ingrained in just sustainability. The study relied on data collected through semi-structured interviews with residents and key informants as well as transect walks within the settlement. The case shows that working towards just sustainability is not straight-forward. It demands efforts that navigate, with foresight rather than hindsight, the dynamics in multi-scalar contexts into which informal settlements are embedded. Social and institutional structures, processes and relationships producing and reproducing material distribution are crucial to entrenching the just sustainability praxis.

A decision-making formula for value engineering applications in the Sri Lankan construction industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayani Karunasena ◽  
Kosala Rajagalgoda Gamage
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Cognitive Mapping ◽  
Value Engineering ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
Research Outcome ◽  
Analyse Data

Purpose The construction industry in many developing countries is reluctant to apply value engineering (VE) due to uncertainty of outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing practices of VE techniques and make recommendations to organisations and national construction regulatory bodies, to standardise VE practices. A decision-making formula is introduced to determine profitability of VE applications prior to implementation. Design/methodology/approach A broad literature review and six case study projects that applied VE were selected. Thirty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data within cases. Six expert interviews were conducted as confirmatory interviews to clarify and validate research outcome. Content analysis and cognitive mapping were used to analyse data among case studies. Findings Application, knowledge and experience on VE techniques among construction professionals are unsatisfactory. Recommendations include reducing contractor’s design responsibility, introducing proper VE guidelines and statutory regulations. A framework is introduced to assist authorities to standardise application of VE techniques. A decision-making formula is suggested to determine margins of contractor’s portion due to VE techniques and original profits gained. Originality/value The formula can be used as a decision-making tool by construction industry practitioners to determine successfulness of proposed VE techniques, and the proposed framework can be used to guide construction professional bodies to standardise VE practices.

Significance of operational capabilities of suppliers on the front-end decision making in apparel product innovation in Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niromi Seram ◽  
Julian Nanayakkara ◽  
Gamini Lanarolle
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Product Innovation ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Apparel Manufacturing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Front End ◽  
Operational Capabilities ◽  
Apparel Product

Purpose The suppliers are recognized as important external sources who can significantly contribute by working together with the buyer during the innovation process. Operational capabilities of suppliers can be one of the considerable factors when selecting them to participate in the activities at the front-end of innovation. However, proper understanding of the influence of operational capabilities of suppliers on front-end decision-making in apparel product innovation is still very limited particularly in the context of the Sri Lankan apparel industry. Therefore, this study aims to explore the influence of operational capabilities of suppliers on the front-end decision making in apparel product innovation in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach Both semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey were used as data collection techniques. Six senior managers for the interviews and 60 participants for the questionnaire were randomly selected. All those who participated in interviews and the questionnaire respondents have been involved in the front-end of innovation in different apparel manufacturing organizations in Sri Lanka. Findings The results indicated that the operational capabilities of suppliers had a direct positive influence on front-end decision-making, and the suppliers’ production flexibility was found to be the most influential. Further, the results highlighted that 27.3% of the front-end decisions associated with apparel product innovation in Sri Lanka were influenced by the factors governing operational capabilities of suppliers. Originality/value The findings of the research will be beneficial for both academia and industry. The findings will be useful to extend the current understanding and make a noteworthy contribution to this topic and to provide useful and practical guidance to material suppliers and supporting industries who work with Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing.

scholarly journals Stakeholder Legitimization of the Provision of Emergency Centralized Accommodations to Displaced Persons

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie C. Faure ◽  
Kasey M. Faust ◽  
Jessica Kaminsky
Keyword(s):  
Urban Housing ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Displaced Persons ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Moral Legitimacy ◽  
Institutional Responses ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
Stakeholder Acceptance ◽  
Modular Housing

Sudden population influxes into cities—such as those seen during post-disaster migration—place unexpected demands on the urban housing system. Decisions made during these influxes are often controversial, potentially hindering the ability of the organizations involved to respond. This study’s objective was to explore strategies (e.g., types of information shared and types of accommodation chosen) that can be used during decision-making processes when providing emergency accommodations to increase stakeholder acceptance, and thus lead to sustainable institutional responses. This study specifically sought to shed light on how, during the Refugee Crisis in Germany of 2015 and 2016, stakeholders legitimized decisions made to provide centralized emergency accommodations to displaced persons. Making this study possible were 25 semi-structured interviews with utility, government, nonprofit, and company employees involved in the provision of centralized accommodations for displaced persons. Interviews were conducted in 2016 and underwent a qualitative analysis. Results indicate that stakeholders primarily legitimized the provision of centralized accommodations based on convictions of right and wrong (moral legitimacy), while they legitimized decisions to not provide such accommodations based on their understanding and experience of practical barriers (cultural-cognitive legitimacy). Recommendations arising from this study include the following: provide information to stakeholders about accommodations’ livability (to gain consequential legitimacy) and past successes (to gain comprehensibility legitimacy), adapt regulations to help stakeholders use procedural legitimacy, and prefer fully renovated buildings or modular housing to buildings with no major renovations or container housing (to gain consequential rather than procedural legitimacy).

scholarly journals Attributes of Perceived Bikeability in a Compact Urban Neighborhood Based on Qualitative Multi-Methods

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (19) ◽  
pp. 3738 ◽  
Author(s):  
HaeLi Kang ◽  
Dong Ha Kim ◽  
Seunghyun Yoo
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Internal Conflict ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Policy System ◽  
Community System ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Urban Contexts

Cycling provides opportunities to promote healthy and sustainable cities. However, few studies examine cyclists’ perceived attributes of a bicycle-friendly environment in relation to compact urban contexts. This study explored the attributes of perceived bikeability and urban context related to the cycling experience in Seoul, Korea. Purposive sampling with public recruitment and a snowball technique was used to recruit twenty-two cyclists and three bicycle-related community service providers from a bikeable environment. Qualitative multi-methods, including semi-structured interviews and bicycle tours with a GPS device, were adopted. The main themes of perceived bikeability were derived through thematic analysis. Cyclists perceived the attributes of a bicycle-friendly physical environment as essential components of bikeability. In urban environments where cycling is not yet recognized as the main transportation mode, internal conflict among cyclists and external conflicts between cyclists and other transportation users were evident. A supportive community system included developing an appropriate environment, providing information, and expanding riding opportunities. A bicycle-friendly culture accumulated over a long period influenced the initiation and maintenance of cycling and contributed to a more bikeable community environment. Cyclists’ attitude, behaviors, and perceived environment differed according to purpose. Policy, system, and environmental changes are required to promote cycling in compact urban contexts.

Research on Landscape Environmental Design of Universal Design

2011 ◽  
Vol 71-78 ◽  
pp. 4756-4759
Author(s):  
Dan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Design Theory ◽  
Design Principle ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Environmental Design ◽  
Environment Design ◽  
Specific Behavior ◽  
User Friendly

In this article, one kind of feasibility design theory and the method is presented. It is on base of the advanced universal design, showing concern to the minority groups, and also by the user-friendly principle. The method is to satisfy the minority groups the specific behavior demand; moreover the paper explores the construction landscape environment design principle and arrives on some suggestion.

scholarly journals APPLICABILITY OF POLYMER BUILDING MATERIALS FOR PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT AND COST REDUCTION IN SRI LANKAN BUILDING INDUSTRY

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.D. Wijeratne ◽  
◽  
K.A.K. Devapriya ◽  
S.D. Gallage ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Cost Reduction ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Quantitative Model ◽  
Building Construction ◽  
Polymer Materials ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Structured Interviews

Building construction contributes to a substantial consumption of raw materials compared to other sectors in Sri Lanka. Despite the excessive consumption of raw materials, industry is suffering due to low productivity and economic inefficiency. Thus, the circumstance has led to employ alternative building materials to overcome productivity and cost inefficiency with favourable impacts on sustainability. Polymer has become a global phenomenon with increasing demand as sustainable alternative. Polymer facilitates multiple applications in building construction due to its supreme properties and characteristics. Thus, this research focused develop a quantitative model based on factors related to productivity enhancement and cost reduction to measure the applicability of polymer materials in Sri Lankan building construction. A mixed approach consisting of semi structured interviews followed by a questionnaire survey was adapted for conduct this study. 12 experts were selected for the semi structured interviews and 34 respondents participated for the questionnaire survey. The significance of favourable impact to the productivity and cost efficiency of using polymer materials have been identified in the study. The study discussed the applicability of polymer types in building sector in Sri Lanka and derived resulted in a quantitative model to measure applicability of polymer adoption in the terms of productivity and cost related factors. Study concluded that inherent properties of polymers, buildability, ability to prefabricate, life cycle cost, handling would improve the applicability to local context. Further, relationship identified through the regression model would assist practitioners to select polymer materials while enabling researchers to improve the quality of the products.

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