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

Land ◽  
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.

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

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.

scholarly journals Identifying the Planning Priorities for Green Infrastructure within Urban Environments Using Analytic Hierarchy Process

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 5468
Author(s):  
Yeeun Shin ◽  
Suyeon Kim ◽  
Sang-Woo Lee ◽  
Kyungjin An
Keyword(s):  
Analytic Hierarchy Process ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Government Sector ◽  
The Government ◽  
Hierarchy Process ◽  
Design And Construction

Urban environmental issues such as declining air quality and increasing urban heat island effects can be managed by the effective use of urban green spaces. Consequently, the importance of green infrastructure (GI) has rapidly increased over time. While the various functions of GI have been investigated in numerous studies, limited research has focused on prioritizing those factors which impact the planning and development of GI. This study used literature reviews, expert surveys, and an analytic hierarchy process methodology to identify and prioritize the critical factors influencing GI during the design and construction process to enhance the role of GI in urban areas. Experts were asked to prioritize four primary (ecological, landscape, usability, and economic factors) and 16 secondary aspects of GI design. Respondents strongly agreed on the importance of the ecological aspects of GI, while the government sector also highlighted the importance of economic concerns, such as ongoing maintenance. Results indicated that the priorities for creating GI require further analysis and mediation between stakeholders. Further empirical evidence should be accumulated regarding the functions of GI for policy implementation in design and construction.

scholarly journals Improving Community Health and Wellbeing through Multi-functional Green Infrastructure in Cities Undergoing Densification

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Marques ◽  
jacqueline McIntosh ◽  
victoria Chanse
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
City Development ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Design Solutions

Evidence shows that maintaining a relationship with nature is essential for human health and wellbeing. This is of great importance when migration to urban areas is increasing globally and the need for nature as well as green and blue spaces as a source of recreation and relaxation is highly regarded for the health and wellbeing of local communities. Sustainable urban development and alternative design solutions to address urban compactness and densification are becoming increasingly important tools to counteract the adverse effects of urban sprawl. In the context of the highly compact bicultural capital city of Wellington, Aotearoa-New Zealand, this paper examines the effects of urban densification and compact city development in urban green spaces. It explores how architecture and landscape architecture can transform urban environments into desirable places to live and capitalise on the potentials of interstitial spaces, outdated zoning and changing land-use. To achieve that, it looks at green and blue infrastructure design solutions and opportunities that foster sustainable intensification and by offering new views for health and wellbeing that improve the social, cultural and environmental health of the city.

Children as Language Brokers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachele Antonini
Keyword(s):  
Family Relationships ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
North African ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Language Brokers

Child language brokering (CLB) is a widespread practice of linguistic and cultural mediation or brokering that is generally performed by the children of immigrant and minority groups and that takes place in all those domains that pertain to these families’ social and daily life. It is a very young topic of interest; hence the body of research and literature available on CLB is still limited and highly fragmented and discipline-based, and attempts at bringing together researchers with different disciplinary and methodological perspectives are quite recent. Nonetheless, the increased interest in this topic of study has contributed to make it a fully fledged and freestanding area of study. Until the mid-1970s, the study of CLB was never the primary research question, and any observation on its existence was considered a byproduct of research focusing on other topics and issues. In the 1980s, articles and essays describing this practice started appearing in a variety of journals and volumes from a wide array of disciplinary perspectives. In the mid-1990s, research on CLB gained momentum and shifted to other aspects and issues of CLB, namely, the who, what, and where of CLB and its positive and negative effects on the language brokers’ education, identity construction, and psychological well-being. These include parentification and adultification issues that emerge when children assume the role of the decision-maker in the family and that may have a significant impact on family relationships, the children’s acculturation and learning process, and their attitudes toward their native and/or second language and culture. The study of CLB in Europe was introduced in the late 1990s and was initially almost exclusively UK-based. Since the end of the 1990s, it has developed in other European countries too, by focusing on the communities that represent the largest migrant groups present in each country, like for instance Moroccan communities in Spain, North African and Italian immigrants in Germany, and a variety of immigrant groups in Italy. CLB is now a topic of research in, inter alia, anthropology, bi- and multilingualism studies, educational studies, interpreting and translation studies, sociolinguistics, and psychology.

scholarly journals Review on Urban Forests and Trees as Nature-Based Solutions over 5 Years

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1453
Author(s):  
Xiangqi Kong ◽  
Xinna Zhang ◽  
Chengyang Xu ◽  
Richard J. Hauer
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Sustainable Living ◽  
Keyword Analysis ◽  
Research Pattern

As human living environments face increasing challenges with resilience, the concept of nature-based solutions (NBS) was proposed in recent years as a way to promote sustainable living in urban environments. Urban forests and trees play important roles in urban ecosystems, while their potential as an NBS is promising. A bibliometric analysis was first conducted to explore the research pattern of NBS in urban environments. Studies of urban forest and tree-based green infrastructure in NBS research were further investigated using a systematic literature review method. The initial studies on NBS have increased since 2015 with 493 documents published from 142 sources in over 70 countries and regions. Keyword analysis showed green infrastructure had a rather high frequency of utility and received considerable attention. As for urban forests as nature-based solutions (UF-NBS) research, the most prominent study approaches used at different scales and the main benefits and typologies of urban forest studied in the articles were identified. UF-NBS research is still relatively scarce at present. Despite the role of urban forest and trees in addressing environmental challenges being well recognized, UF-NBS studies still need to be conducted in a more comprehensive context, taking social and economic aspects into account.

scholarly journals Improving Community Health and Wellbeing Through Multi-Functional Green Infrastructure in Cities Undergoing Densification

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-107
Author(s):  
Bruno Marques ◽  
Jacqueline McIntosh ◽  
Victoria Chanse
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
City Development ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Design Solutions

AbstractEvidence shows that maintaining a relationship with nature is essential for human health and wellbeing. This is of great importance when migration to urban areas is increasing globally and the need for nature as well as green and blue spaces as a source of recreation and relaxation is highly regarded for the health and wellbeing of local communities. Sustainable urban development and alternative design solutions to address urban compactness and densification are becoming increasingly important tools to counteract the adverse effects of urban sprawl. In the context of the highly compact bicultural capital city of Wellington, Aotearoa-New Zealand, this paper examines the effects of urban densification and compact city development in urban green spaces. It explores how architecture and landscape architecture can transform urban environments into desirable places to live and capitalise on the potentials of interstitial spaces, outdated zoning and changing land-use. To achieve that, it looks at green and blue infrastructure design solutions and opportunities that foster sustainable intensification and by offering new views for health and wellbeing that improve the social, cultural and environmental health of the city.

scholarly journals Improving Community Health and Wellbeing through Multi-functional Green Infrastructure in Cities Undergoing Densification

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Marques ◽  
jacqueline McIntosh ◽  
victoria Chanse
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
City Development ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Design Solutions

Evidence shows that maintaining a relationship with nature is essential for human health and wellbeing. This is of great importance when migration to urban areas is increasing globally and the need for nature as well as green and blue spaces as a source of recreation and relaxation is highly regarded for the health and wellbeing of local communities. Sustainable urban development and alternative design solutions to address urban compactness and densification are becoming increasingly important tools to counteract the adverse effects of urban sprawl. In the context of the highly compact bicultural capital city of Wellington, Aotearoa-New Zealand, this paper examines the effects of urban densification and compact city development in urban green spaces. It explores how architecture and landscape architecture can transform urban environments into desirable places to live and capitalise on the potentials of interstitial spaces, outdated zoning and changing land-use. To achieve that, it looks at green and blue infrastructure design solutions and opportunities that foster sustainable intensification and by offering new views for health and wellbeing that improve the social, cultural and environmental health of the city.

scholarly journals Improving Community Health and Wellbeing through Multi-functional Green Infrastructure in Cities Undergoing Densification

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Marques ◽  
jacqueline McIntosh ◽  
victoria Chanse
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
City Development ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Design Solutions

Evidence shows that maintaining a relationship with nature is essential for human health and wellbeing. This is of great importance when migration to urban areas is increasing globally and the need for nature as well as green and blue spaces as a source of recreation and relaxation is highly regarded for the health and wellbeing of local communities. Sustainable urban development and alternative design solutions to address urban compactness and densification are becoming increasingly important tools to counteract the adverse effects of urban sprawl. In the context of the highly compact bicultural capital city of Wellington, Aotearoa-New Zealand, this paper examines the effects of urban densification and compact city development in urban green spaces. It explores how architecture and landscape architecture can transform urban environments into desirable places to live and capitalise on the potentials of interstitial spaces, outdated zoning and changing land-use. To achieve that, it looks at green and blue infrastructure design solutions and opportunities that foster sustainable intensification and by offering new views for health and wellbeing that improve the social, cultural and environmental health of the city.

scholarly journals Improving Community Health and Wellbeing through Multi-functional Green Infrastructure in Cities Undergoing Densification

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Marques ◽  
jacqueline McIntosh ◽  
victoria Chanse
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
City Development ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Design Solutions

Evidence shows that maintaining a relationship with nature is essential for human health and wellbeing. This is of great importance when migration to urban areas is increasing globally and the need for nature as well as green and blue spaces as a source of recreation and relaxation is highly regarded for the health and wellbeing of local communities. Sustainable urban development and alternative design solutions to address urban compactness and densification are becoming increasingly important tools to counteract the adverse effects of urban sprawl. In the context of the highly compact bicultural capital city of Wellington, Aotearoa-New Zealand, this paper examines the effects of urban densification and compact city development in urban green spaces. It explores how architecture and landscape architecture can transform urban environments into desirable places to live and capitalise on the potentials of interstitial spaces, outdated zoning and changing land-use. To achieve that, it looks at green and blue infrastructure design solutions and opportunities that foster sustainable intensification and by offering new views for health and wellbeing that improve the social, cultural and environmental health of the city.

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

Spatium ◽  
2015 ◽  
pp. 55-61 ◽  
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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