scholarly journals Critical Appraisal of an Example of Best Practice in Urban Sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-41
Author(s):  
Adaku Jane Echendu
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Urban Sustainability ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
Urban Sustainability Indicators

Urban centers are key to achieving the global goals of sustainability. Urban sustainability entails having thriving cities that fulfill their needs without impacting the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem. Achieving urban sustainability is, therefore, an important goal as sustainable urban centers portend numerous benefits to the ecosystem. This paper critically appraises Singapore as a best practice in Urban Sustainability. It reviews the literature on urban sustainability and discusses the high and low-performing sectors in Singapore. It finds a gap in contemporary urban sustainability metrics whereby most of the globally acclaimed Urban Sustainability Indicators do not measure universal design for inclusivity as an aspect of urban sustainability. This study, therefore, includes it as a measure and appraises it. High-performing areas highlighted in this study comprise education; universal design for inclusivity; transportation; people-centered approach; water and energy management; healthcare, safety and security; and food security. Areas for improvement comprise self-sufficiency in food production, urban heat island effect, and public participation and social welfare. The aim is to serve as a lesson to cities worldwide as they work towards achieving urban sustainability and provide key information to policymakers as they seek to improve the sustainability of their urban environment.

scholarly journals Rainwater Use for Vertical Greenery Systems: Development of a Conceptual Model for a Better Understanding of Processes and Influencing Factors

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 1860
Author(s):  
Flora Prenner ◽  
Bernhard Pucher ◽  
Irene Zluwa ◽  
Ulrike Pitha ◽  
Guenter Langergraber
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Potable Water ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Actual Application ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Urban Heat

Vertical greenery systems (VGS) are promoted as a nature-based solution to mitigate the urban heat island effect. In order to ensure the long-term provision of this function, sufficiently available irrigation water is the key element. Currently, potable water is one of the main resources for irrigation of VGS. While rainwater is often mentioned as an alternative, only a few studies investigate the actual application of rainwater for irrigation. In this study a conceptual model is developed to present the processes and influencing factors for a holistic investigation of rainwater use for irrigation. In this model, five sub-modules are identified: the atmospheric, hydraulic, quality, rainwater harvesting and VGS sub-module. The conceptual model depicts which processes and influencing factors are involved in the water demand of VGS. Thus, the conceptual model supports a holistic understanding of the interrelations between the identified sub-modules and their relevance for VGS irrigation with harvested rainwater. The results of this study support the implementation of rainwater harvesting as a sustainable resource for VGS irrigation.

HOW NATURAL IS THE RECENT CENTENNIAL WARMING? AN ANALYSIS OF 2249 SURFACE TEMPERATURE RECORDS

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 1139-1159 ◽  
Author(s):  
HORST-JOACHIM LÜDECKE ◽  
RAINER LINK ◽  
FRIEDRICH-KARL EWERT
Keyword(s):  
Fluctuation Analysis ◽  
The Past ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
Anthropogenic Contribution ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Temperature Records ◽  
Detrended Fluctuation ◽  
Natural Means

We evaluate to what extent the temperature rise in the past 100 years was a trend or a natural fluctuation and analyze 2249 worldwide monthly temperature records from GISS (NASA) with the 100-year period covering 1906–2005 and the two 50-year periods from 1906 to 1955 and 1956 to 2005. No global records are applied. The data document a strong urban heat island effect (UHI) and a warming with increasing station elevation. For the period 1906–2005, we evaluate a global warming of 0.58°C as the mean for all records. This decreases to 0.41°C if restricted to stations with a population of less than 1000 and below 800 meter above sea level. About a quarter of all the records for the 100-year period show a fall in temperatures. Our hypothesis for the analysis is, as generally in the papers concerned with long-term persistence of temperature records, that the observed temperature records are a combination of long-term correlated records with an additional trend, which is caused for instance by anthropogenic CO2 , the UHI or other forcings. We apply the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and evaluate Hurst exponents between 0.6 and 0.65 for the majority of stations, which is in excellent agreement with the literature and use a method only recently published, which is based on DFA, synthetic records and Monte Carlo simulation. As a result, the probabilities that the observed temperature series are natural have values roughly between 40% and 90%, depending on the stations characteristics and the periods considered. "Natural" means that we do not have within a defined confidence interval a definitely positive anthropogenic contribution and, therefore, only a marginal anthropogenic contribution cannot be excluded.

scholarly journals URBAN SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS ASSESSMENT THROUGH AIRBORNE EARTH OBSERVATION: LESSONS LEARNED

2018 ◽  
Vol XLII-1 ◽  
pp. 5-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Alamús ◽  
F. Pérez ◽  
L. Pipia ◽  
J. Corbera
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Earth Observation ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Climate Trends ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Urban Heat

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Europe’s big cities and metropolitan areas constitute an ecosystem where climate trends are having, and will continue to have, a big impact on the population in the short, medium, and long term. Therefore, the task of generating a mapping approach over urban ecosystems to provide indicators assessing their sustainability and facilitating the design and implementation of policies and derived actions has become a priority for the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC) as a mapping agency.</p><p>The ICGC has been using its own assets and competences in airborne Earth Observation for data capture and processing as well as inclusion of additional data such as cadastral databases and digital surface models to generate a set of urban sustainability indicators. ICGC has designed flight campaigns at a very high spatial and spectral resolution in visible, near infrared and long wave infrared regions, processed geospatial data and finally transformed geoinformation into demanded ICGC products over urban ecosystems such as urban green, solar potential, light pollution, energy leaks or urban heat island effect. This approach has been applied in coordination with urban planning stakeholders in different cities and is planned to be extended to the majority of urban ecosystems in Catalonia.</p><p>This paper presents a critical summary of the main advantages, disadvantages, constrains and lessons learned in the search for feasible, available and desirable responses from the earth-observation airborne-sensor point of view to the main urban ecosystem challenges.</p>

Opioid crisis in primary care? An audit of high-dose opioid prescribing at Bangholm GP Practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp20X711581
Author(s):  
Charlotte Greene ◽  
Alice Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Practice Guidelines ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Opioid Prescription ◽  
Opioid Prescribing ◽  
Best Practice Guidelines

BackgroundOpioids are effective analgesics for acute and palliative pain, but there is no evidence base for long-term pain relief. They also carry considerable risks such as overdose and dependence. Despite this, they are increasingly prescribed for chronic pain. In the UK, opioid prescribing more than doubled between 1998 and 2018.AimAn audit at Bangholm GP Practice to understand the scale of high-strength opioid prescribing. The aim of the audit was to find out if indications, length of prescription, discussion, and documentation at initial consultation and review process were consistent with best-practice guidelines.MethodA search on Scottish Therapeutics Utility for patients prescribed an average daily dose of opioid equivalent ≥50 mg morphine between 1 July 2019 and 1 October 2019, excluding methadone, cancer pain, or palliative prescriptions. The Faculty of Pain Medicine’s best-practice guidelines were used.ResultsDemographics: 60 patients (37 females), average age 62, 28% registered with repeat opioid prescription, 38% comorbid depression. Length of prescription: average 6 years, 57% >5 years, 22% >10 years. Opioid: 52% tramadol, 23% on two opioids. Indications: back pain (42%), osteoarthritis (12%), fibromyalgia (10%). Initial consultation: 7% agreed outcomes, 35% follow-up documented. Review: 56% 4-week, 70% past year.ConclusionOpioid prescribing guidelines are not followed. The significant issues are: long-term prescriptions for chronic pain, especially back pain; new patients registering with repeat prescriptions; and no outcomes of treatment agreed, a crucial message is the goal is pain management rather than relief. Changes have been introduced at the practice: a patient information sheet, compulsory 1-month review for new patients on opioids, and in-surgery pain referrals.

scholarly journals Detecting the Cool Island Effect of Urban Parks in Wuhan: A City on Rivers

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 132
Author(s):  
Qijiao Xie ◽  
Jing Li
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Urban Parks ◽  
High Water ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Urban Heat

As a nature-based solution, development of urban blue-green spaces is widely accepted for mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect. It is of great significance to determine the main driving factors of the park cool island (PCI) effect for optimizing park layout and achieving a maximum cooling benefit of urban parks. However, there have been obviously controversial conclusions in previous studies due to varied case contexts. This study was conducted in Wuhan, a city with high water coverage, which has significant differences in context with the previous case cities. The PCI intensity and its correlation with park characteristics were investigated based on remote sensing data. The results indicated that 36 out of 40 urban parks expressed a PCI effect, with a PCI intensity of 0.08~7.29 °C. As expected, larger parks with enough width had stronger PCI intensity. An increased density of hardened elements in a park could significantly weaken PCI effect. Noticeably, in this study, water bodies in a park contributed the most to the PCI effect of urban parks, while the vegetated areas showed a negative impact on the PCI intensity. It implied that in a context with higher water coverage, the cooling effect of vegetation was weakened or even masked by water bodies, due to the interaction effect of different variables on PCI intensity.

scholarly journals Cooling Effect of Different Land Cover Types: A Case Study in Xi’an and Xianyang, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1099
Author(s):  
Yuhe Ma ◽  
Mudan Zhao ◽  
Jianbo Li ◽  
Jian Wang ◽  
Lifa Hu
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Urban Heat Island ◽  
Land Surface Temperature ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Cooling Effect ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Land Cover Types ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Urban Heat

One of the climate problems caused by rapid urbanization is the urban heat island effect, which directly threatens the human survival environment. In general, some land cover types, such as vegetation and water, are generally considered to alleviate the urban heat island effect, because these landscapes can significantly reduce the temperature of the surrounding environment, known as the cold island effect. However, this phenomenon varies over different geographical locations, climates, and other environmental factors. Therefore, how to reasonably configure these land cover types with the cooling effect from the perspective of urban planning is a great challenge, and it is necessary to find the regularity of this effect by designing experiments in more cities. In this study, land cover (LC) classification and land surface temperature (LST) of Xi’an, Xianyang and its surrounding areas were obtained by Landsat-8 images. The land types with cooling effect were identified and their ideal configuration was discussed through grid analysis, distance analysis, landscape index analysis and correlation analysis. The results showed that an obvious cooling effect occurred in both woodland and water at different spatial scales. The cooling distance of woodland is 330 m, much more than that of water (180 m), but the land surface temperature around water decreased more than that around the woodland within the cooling distance. In the specific urban planning cases, woodland can be designed with a complex shape, high tree planting density and large planting areas while water bodies with large patch areas to cool the densely built-up areas. The results of this study have utility for researchers, urban planners and urban designers seeking how to efficiently and reasonably rearrange landscapes with cooling effect and in urban land design, which is of great significance to improve urban heat island problem.

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