Developing a Low-Carbon Ecological City Planning Model from the Viewpoint of Eco-Region: Case Study of Shenzhen

With the impact of global climate change, how should the concept of low-carbon ecological city be implemented in urban planning practice has become a critical issue challenging decision-makers and planners. This issue is particularly important for the fast-growing regions in China which has experienced rapid urbanization and an increase in carbon emission. In view of these problems, this study uses the Shenzhen city, an extremely fast-growing city in China, as an empirical case setting to address this issue. A systematic approach that integrates research methods including literature review, case studies, field survey, and stakeholder-based interviews was employed. Through our research investigation, a comprehensive low-carbon ecological city planning framework was developed. Several selected planning strategies that address the key elements of the framework were also suggested.

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(Transport) history as policy lab for democratic governance

The Journal of Transport History ◽

10.1177/0022526619847393 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 270-280

Author(s):

Bert Toussaint

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Deliberative Democracy ◽

Environment Impact ◽

Environment Impact Assessment ◽

Planning Framework ◽

Participatory Processes ◽

Research Questions ◽

The Impact

In the past decades we witnessed a rise of public participation in transport and land-use projects, and often those practices have been formalised in a solid juridical framework. In the Netherlands and other EU-countries, the cornerstones of this participatory planning framework are the Environmental Impact Study and the Environment Impact Assessment. However, historical appraisals of the impact of these instruments on participatory processes are lacking. Using the case study of the contested Dutch motorway project passing through the Amelisweerd forest (1970s), this paper aims to appraise the role of deliberative democracy concepts and practices. This paper is a plea for a novel academic agenda driven by the research questions: to what extent have participatory processes in transport, land-use and water management policies had an impact on deliberative democracy concepts and practices? Which role did citizens and users have in shaping the decision-making process?

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Scenario Analysis on Climate Change Impacts of Urban Land Expansion under Different Urbanization Patterns: A Case Study of Wuhan Metropolitan

Advances in Meteorology ◽

10.1155/2013/293636 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Xinli Ke ◽

Feng Wu ◽

Caixue Ma

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Urban Land ◽

Urban Land Use ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Urban Land Expansion ◽

The Impact

Urban land expansion plays an important role in climate change. It is significant to select a reasonable urban expansion pattern to mitigate the impact of urban land expansion on the regional climate in the rapid urbanization process. In this paper, taking Wuhan metropolitan as the case study area, and three urbanization patterns scenarios are designed to simulate spatial patterns of urban land expansion in the future using the Partitioned and Asynchronous Cellular Automata Model. Then, simulation results of land use are adjusted and inputted into WRF (Weather Research and Forecast) model to simulate regional climate change. The results show that: (1) warming effect is strongest under centralized urbanization while it is on the opposite under decentralized scenario; (2) the warming effect is stronger and wider in centralized urbanization scenario than in decentralized urbanization scenario; (3) the impact trends of urban land use expansion on precipitation are basically the same under different scenarios; (4) and spatial distribution of rainfall was more concentrated under centralized urbanization scenario, and there is a rainfall center of wider scope, greater intensity. Accordingly, it can be concluded that decentralized urbanization is a reasonable urbanization pattern to mitigate climate change in rapid urbanization period.

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Aerosol specification in single-column CAM5

Geoscientific Model Development Discussions ◽

10.5194/gmdd-7-7693-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 7693-7731

Author(s):

B. Lebassi-Habtezion ◽

P. Caldwell

Keyword(s):

Climate Model ◽

Global Climate ◽

Global Climate Model ◽

Strong Dependence ◽

Ice Nucleation ◽

Ice Crystal ◽

Shallow Convection ◽

Single Column ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The ability to run a global climate model in single-column mode is very useful for testing model improvements because single-column models (SCMs) are inexpensive to run and easy to interpret. A major breakthrough in Version 5 of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5) is the inclusion of prognostic aerosol. Unfortunately, this improvement was not coordinated with the SCM version of CAM5 and as a result CAM5-SCM initializes aerosols to zero. In this study we explore the impact of running CAM5-SCM with aerosol initialized to zero (hereafter named Default) and test three potential fixes. The first fix is to use CAM5's prescribed aerosol capability, which specifies aerosols at monthly climatological values. The second method is to prescribe aerosols at observed values. The third approach is to fix droplet and ice crystal numbers at prescribed values. We test our fixes in four different cloud regimes to ensure representativeness: subtropical drizzling stratocumulus (based on the DYCOMS RF02 case study), mixed-phase Arctic stratocumulus (using the MPACE-B case study), tropical shallow convection (using the RICO case study), and summertime mid-latitude continental convection (using the ARM95 case study). Stratiform cloud cases (DYCOMS RF02 and MPACE-B) were found to have a strong dependence on aerosol concentration, while convective cases (RICO and ARM95) were relatively insensitive to aerosol specification. This is perhaps expected because convective schemes in CAM5 do not currently use aerosol information. Adequate liquid water content in the MPACE-B case was only maintained when ice crystal number concentration was specified because the Meyers et al. (1992) deposition/condensation ice nucleation scheme used by CAM5 greatly overpredicts ice nucleation rates, causing clouds to rapidly glaciate. Surprisingly, predicted droplet concentrations for the ARM95 region in both SCM and global runs were around 25 cm−3, which is much lower than observed. This finding suggests that CAM5 has problems capturing aerosol effects in this climate regime.

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Analysis of the Impact of Land Use on Spatiotemporal Patterns of Surface Urban Heat Island in Rapid Urbanization, a Case Study of Shanghai, China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12031171 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 1171 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hongyu Du ◽

Fengqi Zhou ◽

Chunlan Li ◽

Wenbo Cai ◽

Hong Jiang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Urban Heat Island ◽

Land Surface ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Heat Island ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Urban Heat ◽

Surface Urban Heat Island ◽

The Impact

In the trend of global warming and urbanization, frequent extreme weather influences the life of citizens seriously. Shanghai, as a typical mega-city in China that has been successful in urbanization, suffers seriously from the urban heat island (UHI) effect. The research concentrates on the spatial and temporal pattern of surface UHI and land use. Then, the relation between them are further discussed. The results show that for the last 15 years, the UHI effect of Shanghai has been increasing continuously in both intensity and area. The UHI extends from the city center toward the suburban area. Along with the year, the ratio in area of Agricultural Land (AL), Wetland (WL), and Bare Land (BL) has decreased. On the contrary, Construction Land (CL) and Green Land (GL) have increased. The average land surface temperature (LST) rankings for each research year from high to low were all CL, BL, GL, AL, and WL. CL contributed the most to the UHI effect, while WL and GL contributed the most to mitigate the UHI. The conclusion provides practical advice aimed to mitigate the UHI effect for urban planning authorities.

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Research on Prediction Model for Durability of Straw Bale Walls in Warm (Humid) Continental Climate—A Case Study in Northeast China

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma13133007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 3007 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xunzhi Yin ◽

Qi Dong ◽

Mike Lawrence ◽

Daniel Maskell ◽

Jiaqi Yu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Carbon ◽

Isothermal Model ◽

Hygrothermal Environment ◽

Low Carbon Energy ◽

Straw Bale Walls ◽

The Impact ◽

Straw Bale ◽

Continental Climate

This research analyses straw degradation inside straw bale walls in the region and develops the prediction of degradation inside straw bale walls. The results show that the straw inside straw bale walls have no serious concerns of degradation in the high hygrothermal environment in the region with only moderate concerns of degradation in the area 2–3 cm deep behind the lime render. The onsite investigations indicate that the degradation isopleth model can only predict straw conditions behind the rendering layer, whereas the isothermal model fits the complete situation inside straw bale walls. This research develops the models for predicting straw degradation levels inside a straw bale building in a warm (humid) continental climate. The impact of this research will help the growth of low carbon energy efficient straw bale construction with confidence pertaining to its long-term durability characteristics both in the region and regions sharing similar climatic features globally.

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Achieving a low carbon transition in Japan, the role of motor vehicle lifetime

Low Carbon Mobility Transitions ◽

10.23912/978-1-910158-64-7-3270 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Shigemi Kagawa ◽

Daisuke Nishijima ◽

Yuya Nakamoto

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

New Technologies ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Global Climate ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Policy Tool ◽

Using Data

In order to achieve climate change mitigation goals, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Japan’s household sector is critical. Accomplishing a transition to low carbon and energy efficient consumer goods is particularly valuable as a policy tool for reducing emissions in the residential sector. This case study presents an analysis of the lifetime of personal vehicles in Japan, and considers the optimal scenario in terms of retention and disposal, specifically as it relates to GHG emissions. Using data from Japan, the case study shows the critical importance of including whole-of-life energy and carbon calculations when assessing the contributions that new technologies can make towards low carbon mobility transitions. While energy-efficiency gains are important, replacing technologies can overlook the energy and carbon embedded in the production phase. Without this perspective, policy designed to reduce GHG emissions may result in increased emissions and further exacerbate global climate change.

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Assessing Urban Greenness Fragmentation and Analysis of Its Associated Factors: A Case Study in Wuhan Metropolitan Area, China

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information ◽

10.3390/ijgi10110760 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 760

Author(s):

Husheng Fang ◽

Moquan Sha ◽

Wenjuan Lin ◽

Dai Qiu ◽

Zongyao Sha

Keyword(s):

Metropolitan Area ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Dominant Factor ◽

Support Vector ◽

Urban Vegetation ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Wuhan Metropolitan Area ◽

The Impact

Green vegetation plays a vital role in urban ecosystem services. Rapid urbanization often tends to induce urban vegetation cover fragmentation (UVCF) in cities and suburbs. Mapping the changes in the structure (aggregation) and abundance of urban vegetation cover helps to make improved policies for sustainable urban development. In this paper, a new distance-based landscape indicator to UVCF, Frag, was proposed first. Unlike many other landscape indicators, Frag measures UVCF by considering simultaneously both the structure and abundance of vegetation cover at local scales, and thus provides a more comprehensive perspective in understanding the spatial distribution patterns in urban greenness cover. As a case study, the urban greenness fragmentation indicated by Frag was demonstrated in Wuhan metropolitan area (WMA), China in 2015 and 2020. Support vector machine (SVM) was then designed to examine the impact on the Frag changes from the associated factors, including urbanization and terrain characteristics (elevation and slope). The Frag changes were mapped at different scales and modeled by SVM from the selected factors, which reasonably explained the Frag changes. Sensitivity analysis for the SVM model revealed that urbanization showed the most dominant factor for the Frag changes, followed by terrain elevation and slope. We conclude that Frag is an effective scale-dependent indicator to UVCF that can reflect changes in the structure and abundance of urban vegetation cover, and that modeling the impact of the associated factors on UVCF via the Frag indicator can provide essential information for urban planners.

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The impact of climate change on tourism in Australia – a case study relating to bushfires in Australia in 2019/2020

Studia Periegetica ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0014.3966 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 79-107

Author(s):

Małgorzata Kurleto

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

National Parks ◽

Global Climate Change ◽

Preliminary Analysis ◽

Global Climate ◽

Summer Season ◽

Tourism Demand ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

The Impact

The main purpose of the study is to offer a preliminary analysis of the impact of Australian bush fires on tourism in the summer season of 2019/2020. The article addresses issues related to global climate change, including Australia. The author discusses the causes and effects of recent catastrophic fires in Australia, focusing on their negative impacts for tourism. Another problem raised in the article is how climate change in Australia causes bushfires that destroy the nature and life of this country. The study mainly analyses the effects of climate change on the natural environment, especially on the most attractive tourist areas in Australia, i.e. national parks. The study uses the latest information to show the effects of damage caused by fires in Australia, especially in tourism. The author concludes that there is a direct relationship between climate change resulting from global warming and tourism demand.

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Measuring the Evolution of Urban Resilience Based on the Exposure–Connectedness–Potential (ECP) Approach: A Case Study of Shenyang City, China

Land ◽

10.3390/land10121305 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1305

Author(s):

Xinghua Feng ◽

Chunliang Xiu ◽

Jianxin Li ◽

Yexi Zhong

Keyword(s):

Comprehensive Evaluation ◽

Global Climate ◽

Sustainable Urban Development ◽

Urban Resilience ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Shenyang City ◽

Downtown Area ◽

Adaptive Cycle ◽

Outer Expansion

Resilience is a new path to express and enhance urban sustainability. Cities suffer from natural shocks and human-made disturbances due to rapid urbanization and global climate change. The construction of an urban resilient developmental environment is restricted by these factors. Strengthening the comprehensive evaluation of resilience is conducive to identifying high-risk areas in cities, guiding regional risk prevention, and providing a scientific basis for differentiated strategies for urban resilience governance. For this study, taking Shenyang city as a case study, the resilience index system was constructed as an ECP (“exposure”, “connectedness”, and “potential”) framework, and the adaptive cycle model was introduced into the resilience assessment framework. This model not only comprehensively considers the relationship between exposure and potential but also helps to focus on the temporal and spatial dynamics of urban resilience. The results show that the exposed indicators have experienced three spatial evolution stages, including single-center circle expansion, multicenter clustering, and multicenter expansion. The potential index increased radially from the downtown area to the outer suburbs, and the low-value area presented a multicenter pattern. The spatial agglomeration of connectivity indicators gradually weakened. The results reflect the fact that the resilience level of the downtown area has been improved and the resilience of the outer expansion area has declined due to urban construction. The multicenter cluster pattern is conducive to the balance of resilience levels. In terms of the adaptive cycle phases of urban resilience, the first ring has gone through three phases: exploitation (r), conservation (K), and release (Ω). The second and third rings have gradually shifted from the exploitation (r) phase to the conservation (K) phase. The fourth ring has entered the exploitation (r) phase from the reorganization (ɑ) phase. The fifth ring and its surrounding areas are in the reorganization (ɑ) phase. The results provide specific spatial guidance for implementing resilient urban planning and realizing sustainable urban development.

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Carbon regulation and pathways for institutional transition in market-led housing systems: A case study of English housebuilders and zero carbon housing policy

Environment and Planning E Nature and Space ◽

10.1177/2514848618784282 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 470-493 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sarah Payne ◽

Adam Barker

Keyword(s):

Regulatory Change ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Housing Systems ◽

Carbon Regulation ◽

Institutional Transition ◽

Complex Interactions ◽

Zero Carbon ◽

The Impact ◽

Market Behaviour

In this paper, we argue that current research on carbon regulation neglects the complex interactions of institutional norms and market behaviour that characterise responses to regulatory change. We draw on empirical research undertaken with English housebuilders and housing market stakeholders to examine how transitional pathways towards a low-carbon housing future might be advanced and consider the implications of such for carbon regulation and low-carbon economies. Our core proposition is that carbon regulation research can no longer ignore the impact of institutionally constituted market behaviour in shaping pathways and transitions towards low-carbon futures.

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