The Living Community Challenge for Environmental and Urban Sustainability

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Krinos
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Sustainability ◽  
Certification Program ◽  
Certification Programs ◽  
Living Building Challenge ◽  
Green Certification

The Living Community Challenge (LCC) is a green certification program that, unlike most certification programs, is geared toward whole neighborhoods as opposed to singular buildings. Unfortunately, no existing communities have achieved Living Community Challenge certification. Still, there are many neighborhoods utilizing the ideals – known as petals – of the LCC in attempts to become more sustainable. The Living Building Challenge (LBC), the parent certification for the LCC, has seen more success than the LCC and will provide further research on the implications of its criterion. This paper will look at the hypothetical variables of the LCC, the communities trying to achieve these variables, and how elements of it could be used in relation to impoverished communities. Through case studies on groups and individuals attempting LCC and LBC certification, specifically Bend, Oregon and the BLOCK Project, the potential of the research becomes evident. This paper seeks to demonstrate how the LCC could be applied specifically in low-income areas in Gainesville, FL without achieving all the requirements of each petal.

scholarly journals FOREST CARE: Evaluating progress toward sustainable forest management in Alberta

1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 811-820
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Carpenter ◽  
Winifred B. Kessler
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Forest Planning ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Certification Program ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Certification Programs ◽  
Northern Alberta

Forest certification programs establish standards for sustainable forest management (SFM), and processes for evaluating the practices of companies relative to those standards. FORESTCARE is a volunteer, provincial-level certification program initiated by the Alberta Forest Products Association, its members, and stakeholders. Using a participating woodlands operation in northern Alberta as a test case, we examined how SFM criteria are applied in the FORESTCARE program, and whether measurable progress is evident. We also compared the FORESTCARE audit process with corporate and government audits performed in the same year. The test case revealed specific, measurable changes in management that represent actual or potential progress toward SFM. However, the improvements could not be directly attributed to the FORESTCARE Program. Recommendations are provided for strengthening FORESTCARE processes and practices. Key words: Alberta forestry, ecosystem management, FORESTCARE, forest certification, forest planning, public participation, sustainable forest management

Human resource management practices at university spin-offs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Of Work ◽  
Human Resource Management Practices

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the human resource management practices and the associated dimensions of quality of employment in university spin-offs. Through this, it becomes possible to explore and recognize the practices and difficulties placed on the employees of university spin-offs. Design/methodology/approach The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) framework to assess the quality of work in the European Union is adopted. It is used a qualitative approach through the development of four case studies at university spin-offs located in Portugal. These case studies relate to four sectors of activity, such as information technology, urban mobility, health and electronics. Findings The findings reveal that most of the challenges of quality of work in a spin-off university are common to those in an SME or micro company. Among these factors, the authors highlight the lack of job security, reduced or no social protection and very low income and nonwage pecuniary benefits. Other factors specific to university spin-offs also emerge, such as the numerous opportunities for skills development and training, the potentialities to become an entrepreneur and the high number of working hours that are necessary to face the vibrant market dynamics. Originality/value The study aims to contribute, in a theoretical and empirically grounded basis, to the knowledge about the quality of employment in a spin-off university. This work becomes relevant for policymakers to understand in depth the specific challenges faced by employees of a spin-off university.

scholarly journals Indoor Temperature Validation of Low-Income Detached Dwellings under Tropical Weather Conditions

Climate ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 96 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Alexis Barrientos-González ◽  
Ricardo E. Vega-Azamar ◽  
Julio C. Cruz-Argüello ◽  
Norma A. Oropeza-García ◽  
Maritza Chan-Juárez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Mean Bias Error ◽  
Bias Error ◽  
Indoor Temperature

Urban territorial expansion generated in the last decades has brought a series of consequences, such as the variation between urban and suburban weather conditions affecting indoor temperature and increasing electricity consumption derived from the use of cooling systems. Current approaches of simulation models in residential buildings use indoor environmental data for carrying out validations to propose hygrothermal comfort alternatives for the mitigation of the effects of the external environmental conditions on the interior spaces of dwellings. In this work, an hourly evaluation of both indoor and outdoor environmental parameters of two case studies in a tropical climate was carried out, by means of a whole-building simulation approach tool during a week representative of the warmest period of the year. The integration of the collected environmental data in the theoretical model allowed us to reduce the error range of the estimated indoor temperature with results in normalized mean bias error between 7.10% and −0.74% and in coefficient of variation of the root mean square error between 16.72% and 2.62%, in the different indoor zones of the case studies. At the same time, the energy assessment showed a difference of 33% in Case 1 and −217% in Case 2 for final electricity consumption.

Maximizing sustainability of existing buildings within limited upgrade budgets

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 705-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moatassem Abdallah ◽  
Boateng Akyeampong ◽  
Khaled El-Rayes
Keyword(s):  
Optimization Model ◽  
Present Model ◽  
Environmental Design ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
Certification Programs ◽  
Green Certification ◽  
Selection Of

Existing buildings, especially aging ones, are currently in urgent need of upgrading to improve their performance and potentially achieve green certification. Building owners often need to identify and implement building upgrades that maximize the sustainability of their buildings as well as achieve green certification programs such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This paper presents the development of an optimization model that maximizes the number of earned LEED points for existing buildings within a specified upgrade budget. A case study of an existing building is used to demonstrate the use of the optimization model and illustrate its capabilities. This research presents new methodology for optimizing the selection of building upgrades to maximize the sustainability of existing buildings and achieve green certification within limited budgets. The present model is expected to support decision-makers, building owners and operators, building managers, and contractors to optimize the use of their upgrade budgets and maximize sustainability of their buildings.

Understanding studentification dynamics in low-income neighbourhoods: Students as gentrifiers in Concepción (Chile)

Urban Studies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (14) ◽  
pp. 2863-2879 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Prada
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Student Population ◽  
Dynamic Effects ◽  
University System ◽  
Urban Contexts

The studentification of neighbourhoods in university towns is a topic addressed in several studies, together with its varied effects. However, there are no contributions to this issue from the Latin American sphere, where the increase in the student population in recent decades constitutes one of the main sociodemographic changes of the region. This article analyses and interprets the changes produced in a marginal area, the neighbourhood of Agüita de la Perdiz (Concepción, Chile), as a consequence of the arrival of university students. From the application of a methodology that combines the use of quantitative and qualitative data, results obtained confirm the existence of some transformations similar to other case studies, together with other particular ones, explainable by the socially peripheral character and the informal origin of the neighbourhood analysed. Likewise, the quality of the Chilean university system would suppose segregation between students with more or less resources at the time for looking at lodging, so the profile of the students who stay in the neighbourhood is well defined. The conclusions indicate an emerging type of gentrification whose trigger was the arrival of students; an improving of the image of the neighbourhood is also observed in parallel to a deterioration of neighbourhood links. The study of this case contributes with new elements on the varied and dynamic effects of studentification in ‘peripheral’ urban contexts.

A Progress Report from the BCIA Neurofeedback Certification Task Force

Biofeedback ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 135-136
Author(s):  
Judy Crawford ◽  
Fred Shaffer
Keyword(s):  
Task Force ◽  
Progress Report ◽  
Muscle Dysfunction ◽  
Certification Program ◽  
Professional Certification ◽  
The Past ◽  
Certification Programs ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
International Alliance ◽  
Current Science

Professional certification programs must continuously assess and improve their blueprints, exams, and reading lists to stay relevant. In 2009, the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) revised its biofeedback and neurofeedback certification programs under the leadership of Randy Neblett and Leslie Sherlin. In 2012, BCIA revamped the Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback program under the guidance of Debbie Callif. For the past 8 months, BCIA's Neurofeedback Task Force, led by Genie Davis, has collaborated with its stakeholders to revise the entire neurofeedback certification program to continue to reflect current science, technology, and practice standards. This article explains the goals and process that guided this herculean effort.

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