scholarly journals Inflows and Outflows from Material Stocks of Buildings and Networks and their Space-Differentiated Drivers: The Case Study of the Paris Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1376
Author(s):  
Vincent Augiseau ◽  
Eunhye Kim
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Central City ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Flow Analysis ◽  
Paris Region ◽  
Context Specific

Urbanization causes massive flows of construction materials and waste, which generates environmental impacts and land-use conflicts. Circular economy strategies at a local scale and in coordination with urban planning could respond to those issues. Implementing these strategies raises challenges as it requires a better knowledge of flows and their space-differentiated drivers. This article focuses on the case of the Paris region (Ile-de-France) in 2013. Construction materials inflows and outflows to and from anthropogenic stocks of buildings and networks are estimated and located though a bottom-up approach based on the collection and processing of geolocalized data. Flow analysis focuses on the relationship between urbanization and flows with a view to establishing context-specific circular economy strategies. Results show that regional inflows of construction materials to stocks in 2013 reach between 1.8 and 2.1 t/capita while outflows are between 1.0 and 1.5 t/capita. Both inflows and outflows are mainly driven by building construction and demolition as well as by road renewal. The region is composed of three sub-urban areas and flows per capita in the dense central city of Paris are significantly lower than in the low-density outskirt area of Grande Couronne (GC). Road renewal accounts for a larger share of flows in GC. Future research will address methodological limits.

scholarly journals Measuring Walkability with Street Connectivity and Physical Activity: A Case Study in Iran

World ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-61
Author(s):  
Pouya Molaei ◽  
Liyaning Tang ◽  
Mary Hardie
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
International Physical Activity Questionnaire ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Street Connectivity ◽  
Walking Time ◽  
Activity Questionnaire

The walkability of urban areas is an important criterion related to the level of physical activity and public health of citizens. This research aims to measure this parameter in Golsar town located in Rasht, Iran. Two methods were used in this research: Street connectivity and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The principal variables of street connectivity were measured in four districts of Golsar by Geographic Information System (GIS) to rank each one. Then, the acquired results were compared by the average walking time of the respondents of the questionnaire. The comparison explicitly indicated that there is a strong positive correlation between the measures of street connectivity and people’s tendency to walk. As well, District 1 had the highest value of connectivity and the highest average time for walking amongst the four districts. This supports the contention that walkability and the level of outdoor physical activities of people in each district are undoubtedly under the influence of the variables of street connectivity. Nevertheless, the evaluation of other indexes such as proximity, land use mix, safety, and density in Golsar, in future research. can expand our perception of the walkability of this region.

Organizational change for sustainability education: a case study of one university’s efforts to create and implement institution-wide sustainability competencies

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-515
Author(s):  
Vanessa R. Levesque ◽  
Cameron P. Wake
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
Similar Process ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Level ◽  
Institutional Sustainability ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how the process of creating and implementing sustainability competencies across a university illuminate dynamics of organizational change. The push to advance education for sustainable development in higher education will likely require transformation of existing policies and practices. A set of shared sustainability competencies could guide the integration of sustainability throughout an institution. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on a case study of one US university, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) that developed institutional-level sustainability competencies. The process used to create and implement sustainability competencies is outlined, and key factors that influenced the associated organizational change are identified. Findings Very few US universities have institutional-level sustainability competencies. At UNH, drivers of organizational change such as overcoming disciplinary boundaries, developing a common vision and working from the bottom-up enabled the creation of institutional sustainability competencies, but the same processes were not enough to drive deeper implementation of the competencies. Originality/value This paper not only identifies the context-specific drivers of the development of institutional sustainability competencies, but also identifies universal themes that can be applied to other institutions embarking on a similar process. Additionally, this paper serves as a foundation for future research exploring how the process of creating institutional sustainability competencies may be linked to how effective they are in shaping subsequent sustainability education.

A Formal Definition of FRSM and Applications

1998 ◽  
Vol 08 (02) ◽  
pp. 253-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaoying Liu
Keyword(s):  
Data Flow ◽  
Formal Semantics ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Flow Diagram ◽  
Data Flow Analysis ◽  
Requirements Specifications ◽  
Specification Method ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Formal Requirements

FRSM (Formal Requirements Specification Method) is a structured formal language and method for requirements analysis and specification construction based on data flow analysis. It uses a formalized DeMarco data flow diagram to describe the overall structure of systems and a VDM-SL like formal notation to describe precisely the functionality of components in the diagrams. This paper first describes the formal syntax and semantics of FRSM and then presents an example of using the axiom and inference rules given in the definition of the formal semantics for checking consistency of specifications. A case study of applying FRSM to a practical example is described to demonstrate the principle of constructing requirements specifications and to uncover the benefits and deficiencies of FRSM.

scholarly journals Method for Quantifying Supply and Demand of Construction Minerals in Urban Regions—A Case Study of Hanoi and Its Hinterland

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4358
Author(s):  
Georg Schiller ◽  
Tamara Bimesmeier ◽  
Anh T.V. Pham
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Material Flow Analysis ◽  
Resource Efficiency ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Urban Structures

Urbanization is a global trend: Since 2007 more than 50% of the world’s population have been living in urban areas, and rates of urbanization are continuing to rise everywhere. This growth in urbanization has led to an increased demand for natural resources, in particular non-metallic minerals such as stones, sand and clay, which account for one third of the entire flow of materials. Generally, these materials are traded within regional markets. This close geographical link between the demand for building materials in urban areas and the material supply in the hinterland leads to massive interventions in the natural environment and landscape. These urban–rural linkages can be revealed by applying Material Flow Analysis (MFA) to the built environment in order to trace the flows of building materials. The objective of this paper is to present a method for quantifying regional material flows by considering the supply and demand of building materials. This will be applied to the Vietnamese case study area of Hanoi and its hinterland province Hoa Binh. The results indicate a consumption of almost 60% of the construction mineral reserves in total secured by planning in the hinterland province considering a period of 15 years. However, this does not allow for the general conclusion that raw materials are sufficiently available. The sand reservoirs are only sufficient for eight years and clay reserves are used up after four years. This increases the need to exploit further raw material reserves, which are becoming increasingly scarce and results in stronger interventions in nature In order to safeguard the hinterland from the negative impacts of urbanization, a new understanding of resource efficiency is needed—one that acknowledges both resource efficiency in the construction of urban structures and appropriate resource conservation in the provision of the raw materials from the hinterland. This will require the creation of new integrated planning approaches between urban and regional planning authorities. Regional MFA is one way of realising such an approach.

scholarly journals The case for urban and reclaimed wood in the circular economy

BioResources ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 5226-5245
Author(s):  
Anna R. Pitti ◽  
Omar Espinoza ◽  
Robert Smith
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Production Quality ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Waste Products ◽  
Online Sales ◽  
Emotional Value ◽  
Trade Shows

Circular economy production, or upcycling of traditional waste products, has evolved in alignment with consumer driven accountability and demand for environmentally friendly alternatives. In recent years, industries have emerged to upcycle materials for value-added production. This paper presents case study interview results used to gather information about current marketing practices within the urban and reclaimed wood industries, which upcycles trees felled in urban areas and wood generated through construction and demolition. Firms reported entering the industry for a variety of reasons, most frequently surrounding intangible raw material and product attributes. Interviewees reported generating primarily made-to-order products, made-to-stock furniture, mantels, slabs, lumber, beams, flooring, millwork, and other products priced largely in line with their competition. Promotion consisted primarily of word of mouth, company webpages, social media, and event participation, such as craft fairs or trade shows. Firms relayed messages of sustainability, local production, quality, and emotional value. Companies primarily participate in direct, retail, or online sales, which have become increasingly prevalent. This paper outlines opportunities to explore, as well as barriers to overcome through examination of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats present in the internal and external environments of the urban and reclaimed wood industries.

scholarly journals Quantification of anthropogenic metabolism using spatially differentiated continuous MFA

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Schiller ◽  
Karin Gruhler ◽  
Regine Ortlepp
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Fresh Concrete ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Recycled Aggregates ◽  
Lower Grade ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Local Conditions

AbstractCoefficient-based, bottom-up material flow analysis is a suitable tool to quantify inflows, outflows and stock dynamics of materials used by societies, and thus can deliver strategic knowledge needed to develop circular economy policies. Anthropogenic stocks and flows are mostly of bulk nonmetallic mineral materials related to the construction, operation and demolition of buildings and infrastructures. Consequently, it is important to be able to quantify circulating construction materials to help estimate the mass of secondary materials which can be recovered such as recycled aggregates (RA) for fresh concrete in new buildings. Yet as such bulk materials are high volume but of low unit value, they are generally produced and consumed within a region. Loops are thus bounded not only by qualitative and technical restrictions but also spatially to within regions. This paper presents a regionalized continuous MFA (C-MFA) approach taking account of these restrictions of local consumption, quality standards and technical limitations, illustrated using the example of Germany. Outflows and inflows of stocks are quantified at county level and generalized by regional type, considering demand and supply for recycled materials. Qualitative and technical potentials of recycling loops are operationalized by defining coefficients to reflect waste management technologies and engineering standards. Results show that 48% of outflows of concrete and bricks are suitable for high-quality recycling, while 52% of outflows do not fulfill the quality requirement and must be recovered or disposed of elsewhere. The achievable inflow to RA is limited by the building activity as well as the requirements of the construction industry, e.g. the RA fraction of fresh concrete must not exceed 32%. In addition, there exist spatial disparities in construction across the country. In Germany, such disparities mean that there will be a shortfall in RA of 6.3 Gt by the year 2020, while the technically available but unusable RA (due to a regional mismatch of potential supply and demand) will total 3.2 Gt. Comprehensive recycling strategies have to combine high-quality recycling with other lower-grade applications for secondary raw materials. Particularly in the case of building materials, essential constraints are not only technical but also local conditions of construction and demolition. These interrelations should be identified and integrated into a comprehensive system to manage the social metabolism of materials in support of circular economy policies.

scholarly journals Upscaling Urban Recycled Water Schemes: An Analysis of the Presence of Required Governance Conditions in the City of Sabadell (Spain)

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josep Pinyol Alberich ◽  
Farhad Mukhtarov ◽  
Carel Dieperink ◽  
Peter Driessen ◽  
Annelies Broekman
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Policy Coordination ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Recycled Water ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public Forum ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The City

Cleaning wastewater and using it again for secondary purposes is a measure to address water scarcity in urban areas. However, upscaling of recycled water schemes is challenging, and little is known about the governance conditions which are required for this. This paper addresses this knowledge gap. Based on a review of governance literature we suggest that five governance conditions are necessary for a successful upscaling of recycled water schemes: (1) policy leadership, (2) policy coordination, (3) availability of financial resources, (4) awareness of a problem, and (5) the presence of a public forum. We applied these concepts in a case study on the upscaling of a recycled water scheme in Sabadell, Spain. We reviewed policy documents, conducted a set of 21 semi-structured interviews, and attended two policy meetings about the subject. Our results suggest that Sabadell meets the required conditions for upscaling reused water to a certain extent. However, a public forum is not well-developed. We discuss the implications of this and conclude with some suggestions for future research and some lessons for other cities that plan to upscale their recycled water schemes.

Land use and soils disposal: From competition to territorial governance (examples from land use conflicts in the greater Paris region)

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Torre ◽  
Ségolène Darly
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Spatial Parameters ◽  
Land Use Transformation ◽  
Paris Region

AbstractRural, natural and peri-urban areas seem nowadays to become the object of conflicts and tensions because of their multi-functional nature. If these conflicts issue from opposing views about the use of land, they are also determined by the spatial parameters that characterize the pieces of land affected by the projects of land-use transformation, and by the antagonistic relationship between two or several units of action (farmers and local planners, for example). Therefore, there is a need for a new management of rural (and peri-urban) areas, and this is the role of territorial governance, which is the engine of local development, and the tool for better local compromises, involving periods of opposition and streams of negotiation. Territorial governance has to take into account not only negotiations but conflict relations as well and to include both interaction schemes into its framework. Our study assesses the role played by conflicts in land use within a peri-urban context, based on studies on the Greater Paris region, and a case study on the use of agricultural soils on the urban fringe.

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