scholarly journals The Spatial Perspective in Post-Earthquake Evaluation to Improve Mitigation Strategies: Geostatistical Analysis of the Seismic Damage Applied to a Real Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (15) ◽  
pp. 3182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvador García-Ayllón ◽  
Antonio Tomás ◽  
José Luis Ródenas
Keyword(s):  
Earthquake Engineering ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Statistical Point ◽  
The Real Estate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
New Framework

The analysis of damage in cities after an earthquake to implement mitigation strategies of seismic risk is a complex job that is usually full of uncertainties. Numerous variables affect the final result of the observable damage in a set of buildings in an urban area. The use of methodologies capable of providing global explanations beyond the traditional unidisciplinary approach of disciplines, such as structural analysis, earthquake engineering, geotechnics, or seismology, can be very useful for improving the behavior of our cities against earthquakes. This article presents geostatistical post-earthquake analysis, an innovative approach in this field of research based on GIS spatial statistical tools to evaluate the importance of the different variables after an earthquake that may have caused damage in a city. This new framework will be applied to analyze, from a geostatistical perspective, the damage levels observed in the city of Lorca (Spain) after the earthquake of 2011; a case study where various studies have proposed different measures to mitigate the impact of future earthquakes as a consequence of focusing on different phenomena as the main variable for the damage produced. A bivariate GIS assessment will allow spatial correlation of the problems detected from a statistical point of view (inadequate design of buildings, age of the real estate stock, inefficient urban planning configurations, geological risk, etc.) and the different levels of damage that the technicians who participated in the post-earthquake phase evaluated in the city. The results obtained will allow one to hierarchize the importance of the different detected phenomena to prepare the city better against future earthquakes and to elaborate an improved seismic mitigation strategy.

scholarly journals Impact of Railway Investment on Regional Development – Case Study of Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 669-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cezary Mankowski ◽  
Dariusz Weiland ◽  
Borna Abramović
Keyword(s):  
Regional Development ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Living Standard ◽  
Final Conclusion ◽  
Levels Of Detail ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Construction Works

From the regional development point of view new investments are always of great importance as they are mainly expected to boost the regional economy and thus improve the living standard of inhabitants. Also for the literature purposes a new case study on the impact of investments on regional development can be perceived as an added value to the state of the art and thus worthy to be explored. In this research the impact is measured in the following aspects: social, economic, innovation, and environmental, which stand also for the main assessment criteria. Just recently, an opportunity has appeared to explore this subject on the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway (PMR), which started its operations on 1st September 2015, after five years of construction works and more than a 100-year long history. Thus, the paper presents the impact results of PMR on the development of the Pomeranian region, in the form of qualitative as well as quantitative assessments in the four aspects and on different levels of detail. The final conclusion states that the impact of PMR on the regional development has appeared to be negative in 33% and positive in 67%.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Retail Structure in Barcelona: From Tourism-Phobia to the Desertification of City Center

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8215
Author(s):  
Lluís Frago Clols
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Real Estate Market ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
City Center ◽  
Urban Theory ◽  
The Real Estate ◽  
Tourist Flows ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

COVID-19 has meant major transformations for commercial fabric. These transformations have been motivated by the collapse of consumer mobility at multiple scales. We analyzed the impact of the collapse of global tourist flows on the commercial fabric of Barcelona city center, a city that has been a global reference in over-tourism and tourism-phobia. Fieldwork in the main commercial areas before and after the pandemic and complementary semi-structured interviews with the main agents involved highlight the relationship between global tourist flows and commercial fabric. The paper shows how the end of global tourism has meant an important commercial desertification. The end of the integration of the city center into global consumer flows has implications for urban theory. It means a downscaling of the city center and the questioning of traditional center-periphery dynamics. It has been shown that the tourist specialization of commerce has important effects on the real estate market and makes it particularly vulnerable. However, the touristic specialization of commercial activities as a strategy of resilience has also been presented. This adaptation faces the generalized commercial desertification that drives the growing concentration of consumption around the online channel.

unrechtliche peinliche schmehung oder dem gemeinen nutz nuetzlich?Eine Fallstudie zur Normenkonkurrenz im Schmähschriftprozess des 16. Jahrhunderts

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-149
Author(s):  
Jan Siegemund
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Legal Norms ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
The City ◽  
Different Levels

AbstractLibel played an important and extraordinary role in early modern conflict culture. The article discusses their functions and the way they were assessed in court. The case study illustrates argumentative spaces and different levels of normative references in libel trials in 16th century electoral Saxony. In 1569, Andreas Langener – in consequence of a long stagnating private conflict – posted several libels against the nobleman Tham Pflugk in different public places in the city of Dresden. Consequently, he was arrested and charged with ‘libelling’. Depending on the reference to conflicting social and legal norms, he had therefore been either threatened with corporal punishment including his execution, or rewarded with laudations. In this case, the act of libelling could be seen as slander, but also as a service to the community, which Langener had informed about potentially harmful transgression of norms. While the common good was the highest maxim, different and sometimes conflicting legally protected interests had to be discussed. The situational decision depended on whether the articulated charges where true and relevant for the public, on the invective language, and especially on the quality and size of the public sphere reached by the libel.

A case study of noise pollution levels during the restrictions period due to COVID-19.

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (6) ◽  
pp. 206-214
Author(s):  
David Montes-González ◽  
Juan Miguel Barrigón-Morillas ◽  
Ana Cristina Bejarano-Quintas ◽  
Manuel Parejo-Pizarro ◽  
Guillermo Rey-Gozalo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Acoustic Measurements ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) led to the need for drastic control measures around the world to reduce the impact on the health of the population. The confinement of people in their homes resulted in a significant reduction in human activity at every level (economic, social, industrial, etc.), which was reflected in a decrease in environmental pollution levels. Studying the evolution of parameters, such as the level of environmental noise caused by vehicle traffic in urban environments, makes it possible to assess the impact of this type of measure. This paper presents a case study of the acoustic situation in Cáceres (Spain) during the restriction period by means of long-term acoustic measurements at various points of the city.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Soundscape Factors Influencing Perceptions of Square Dancing in Urban Streets: A Case Study in a County Level City in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jieling Xiao ◽  
Andrew Hilton
Keyword(s):  
Daily Basis ◽  
County Level ◽  
Urban Streets ◽  
Site Survey ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Related Group ◽  
Physical Features ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Square dancing is a popular music-related group physical exercise for health benefits in China mainly participated by mid-aged women and elderly people. This paper investigates the soundscape and enjoyment of the square dancing in urban streets through a case study in Lichuan, a county level city in southwest China, in December 2017. It examines the impact of gender, age, participation and places on perceptions of square dancing soundscape. Two sites along two main urban streets in the city were selected to conduct onsite investigations where residents spontaneously perform square dancing on a daily basis. Ethnographical observations were conducted to identify the social-physical features and sounds of both sites during the dance and without dance. Sound pressure measurements (LAeq and LAmax) were also conducted under the two conditions. An off-site survey was distributed through the local social media groups to understand residents’ everyday experiences and perceptions of square dancing in the city; 106 responses were received for the off-site survey. T-tests and Chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis of the survey data. The results show gender does appear to be a factor influencing the regularity of participation in square dancing, with a bias towards more female participants. Participation frequency of square dance has an impact on the enjoyment of square dancing. There is no correlation between the dislike of watching square dancing, or dislike of the music and a desire to restrict locations for square dancing.

Increasing Competition for University and the Challenge of Access for Government School Students—A Case Study

2008 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Edwards
Keyword(s):  
School Students ◽  
Government School ◽  
Educationally Disadvantaged ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
University Courses ◽  
Education Degree ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

There is a wide variety of universities, university campuses and university courses in Australia available to those interested in pursuing a higher education degree. This paper examines the impact of increasing competition for entrance to university on the educational outcomes for students from the government school sector. Using Melbourne as a case study, the research shows that, over a four-year period of increased competition, entry to some of the more academically accessible university campuses in the city became more difficult and this disproportionately affected the opportunities for university entrance among some groups. Despite the fact that there was no noticeable change in the academic standards achieved by government school completers, the rate at which government school students gained access to these universities declined noticeably during this time. These findings show how changes in supply of university places from year to year can have a profound effect on the opportunities of secondary-school completers—particularly those in more educationally disadvantaged settings.

scholarly journals The city and the war

2021 ◽  
pp. 114-121
Author(s):  
Leonid Salmin
Keyword(s):  
Point Of View ◽  
Visual Discourse ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City ◽  
Ritual Practices

The article focuses on the city as a visual discourse. This topic was previously studied in the article “Invisible Moscow” (Salmin, 2018). The impact of the war on the concepts of visibility / invisibility of the city and their relationship is analyzed from the point of view of mytho-ritual practices. Inversions of the visible and invisible are considered in the context of evolution of the city's symbolism under the influence of the military threats.

scholarly journals The (No-)Public Space. Reviewing the Transformation of Al-Qaed Ibrahim's Urban Image

2020 ◽  
pp. 177-192
Author(s):  
Iman Hegazy
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
The Political ◽  
Urban Image ◽  
Political Conflicts ◽  
Political Events ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Public spaces are defined as places that should be accessible to all inhabitants without restrictions. They are spaces not only for gathering, socializing and celebrating but also for initiating discussions, protesting and demonstrating. Thus, public spaces are intangible expressions of democracy—a topic that the paper tackles its viability within the context of Alexandria, case study Al-Qaed Ibrahim square. On the one hand, Al-Qaed Ibrahim square which is named after Al-Qaed Ibrahim mosque is a sacred element in the urban fabric; whereas on the other it represents a non-religious revolutionary symbol in the Alexandrian urban public sphere. This contradiction necessitates finding an approach to study the characteristic of this square/mosque within the Alexandrian context—that is to realize the impact of the socio-political events on the image of Al-Qaed Ibrahim square, and how it has transformed into a revolutionary urban symbol and yet into a no-public space. The research revolves around the hypothesis that the political events taking place in Egypt after January 25th, 2011, have directly affected the development of urban public spaces, especially in Alexandria. Therefore methodologically, the paper reviews the development of Al-Qaed Ibrahim square throughout the Egyptian socio-political changes, with a focus on the square’s urban and emotional contextual transformations. For this reason, the study adheres to two theories: the "city elements" by Kevin Lynch and "emotionalizing the urban" by Frank Eckardt. The aim is not only to study the mentioned public space but also to figure out the changes in people’s societal behaviour and emotion toward it. Through empowering public spaces, the paper calls the different Egyptian political and civic powers to recognize each other, regardless of their religious, ethnical or political affiliations. It is a step towards replacing the ongoing political conflicts, polarization, and suppression with societal reconciliation, coexistence, and democracy.

scholarly journals After Planning, the Production of Radical Social Space in Barcelona: Real-Estate Financial Circuit and (De Facto) Right to the City

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 83-104
Author(s):  
Pedro Jiménez-Pacheco
Keyword(s):  
Real Estate ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Planning System ◽  
Right To The City ◽  
Previous Knowledge ◽  
The Real Estate ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The City ◽  
Theoretical Apparatus

This article is based on the premise that it is possible to apply Henri Lefebvre’s critical-theoretical apparatus to complex urban processes as a pedagogical case study. From previous knowledge of Lefebvrian thought, the article provides an overview of what Lefebvre called “the science of the use of social space”, supported by a transdisciplinary methodological plurality. The starting point is that neoliberal social space is produced, prepared, and led to the imminent urban post-neoliberalism, in the midst of this movement, a sophisticated planning system appears, with the old promise of service tradition, egalitarian ethics and pragmatic orientation. But in practice, it only reproduces the impotence of being inside a wave of localized surplus-benefits that expels human residues, avoiding any reaction. The Lefebvrian apparatus and a part of its theoretical tradition guide the research on Barcelona as a paradigm of global real-estate violence. This urban phenomenon is examined in central Barcelona, in order to rescue it from the pessimism of its own inhabitants, from the harsh perception that urban centrality no longer reproduces life. In this way, the article puts into operation an analytical tool designed to sabotage the real-estate circuit through a renewed right to the production of radical social space.

scholarly journals Collecting Microplastics in Gardens: Case Study (i) of Soil

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Sobhani ◽  
Yunlong Luo ◽  
Christopher T. Gibson ◽  
Youhong Tang ◽  
Ravi Naidu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Statistical Point ◽  
Image Mapping ◽  
Noise Ratio ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
Raman Image ◽  
Selection Of

As an emerging contaminant, microplastic is receiving increasing attention. However, the contamination source is not fully known, and new sources are still being identified. Herewith, we report that microplastics can be found in our gardens, either due to the wrongdoing of leaving plastic bubble wraps to be mixed with mulches or due to the use of plastic landscape fabrics in the mulch bed. In the beginning, they were of large sizes, such as > 5 mm. However, after 7 years in the garden, owing to natural degradation, weathering, or abrasion, microplastics are released. We categorize the plastic fragments into different groups, 5 mm–0.75 mm, 0.75 mm–100 μm, and 100–0.8 μm, using filters such as kitchenware, meaning we can collect microplastics in our gardens by ourselves. We then characterized the plastics using Raman image mapping and a logic-based algorithm to increase the signal-to-noise ratio and the image certainty. This is because the signal-to-noise ratio from a single Raman spectrum, or even from an individual peak, is significantly less than that from a spectrum matrix of Raman mapping (such as 1 vs. 50 × 50) that contains 2,500 spectra, from the statistical point of view. From the 10 g soil we sampled, we could detect the microplastics, including large (5 mm–100 μm) fragments and small (<100 μm) ones, suggesting the degradation fate of plastics in the gardens. Overall, these results warn us that we must be careful when we do gardening, including selection of plastic items for gardens.

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