scholarly journals The Perspectives of Commercial Property Stakeholders in Post-Disaster Rebuild

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Ikenna C. Chukwudumogu
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Central Business District ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Commercial Property ◽  
Major Disaster ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Business District ◽  
The City ◽  
Post Disaster

This paper seeks to expand our theoretical knowledge on what happens in post-disaster rebuild from the perspective of commercial property stakeholders (investors and developers; agents and professionals). By exploring how they have fared in a post-disaster rebuild environment, this paper has provided a nuanced understanding of the complex challenges they face after a major disaster. This paper adopts an interpretive approach to understanding what it takes to rebuild in a post-disaster environment through the lens and experiences of property stakeholders. After a series of catastrophic earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand, there was consequential damage to most of the commercial buildings in the central business district (CBD). Seven (7) years on, the CBD is still being rebuilt after so much demolition and clearing of debris for an extended period when the city was cordoned off just after the earthquakes. For this study, qualitative data was gathered via semi-structured interviews from twenty (20) purposively identified “Informed Property Stakeholders” involved in post-disaster rebuilding. The interview findings were subjected to an interpretative and thematic analysis used to provide a veracious way of characterising the viewpoints of those interviewed. Overall, this paper has highlighted the perspectives of those interviewed and the findings conveyed that post-disaster rebuilding was an unprecedented and unusual challenge for many property stakeholders.

The influence of sentiments on property owners in post-disaster rebuild

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikenna Cosmos Chukwudumogu ◽  
Deborah Levy ◽  
Harvey Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Central Business District ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Commercial Property ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Major Disaster ◽  
Property Owners ◽  
Post Disaster

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a nuanced understanding of the complex factors driving the decision of commercial property owners (investors and developers) to stay and rebuild after a major disaster. The study examines what happens in the post-disaster rebuild of a central business district (CBD) from the perspective of commercial property owners in Christchurch, New Zealand.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretive approach is adopted to understand what it takes to rebuild in a post-disaster environment through the lens and experiences of property owners. The study has observed the significant physical changes that have occurred in the Christchurch CBD as a result of the earthquakes. For this study, qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews from 20 purposively identified property owners rebuilding the Christchurch CBD. The interview findings were subjected to a thematic analysis used to provide a factual way of characterising the viewpoints of those interviewed.FindingsThe findings have highlighted that the decision-making behaviour of property owners in Christchurch’s CBD post-disaster rebuild has been driven significantly by an emotional attachments to people and place.Practical implicationsThe global trend in increasing destruction from natural disasters has raised the need for more efficient and effective post-disaster responses and activities. The paper has developed a knowledge base required to inform public policy and advice all those involved in the rebuilding of cities after a major disaster.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the property literature and debates about the decision-making behaviour of commercial property owners who are engaged in rebuilding after a major natural disaster. The qualitative methodology used presents a novel approach to property research. The findings challenge the underlying premises of much of the mainstream property literature on normative investment behaviour and decision making.

Walking Distances to and from Light-Rail Transit Stations

1996 ◽  
Vol 1538 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean O'Sullivan ◽  
John Morrall
Keyword(s):  
Central Business District ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Walking Distance ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Rail Transit ◽  
Light Rail Transit ◽  
Bus Stop ◽  
Business District ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

A quantifiable basis for developing design guidelines for pedestrian access to light-rail transit (LRT) stations is provided for planners based on observations in Calgary, Canada. Calgary's LRT system, which began operations in 1981, has been operating for long enough for walking patterns to and from its stations to become established. Interviews were conducted with 1,800 peak-hour LRT users about the origins and destinations of their LRT trips. Those who walked to or from a station were asked to point out on a map their approximate origins or destinations. The distances were then measured off the maps. Walking distance guidelines were developed for central business district (CBD), transfer and local stations. Catchment area maps were produced, and the relationship between reported walking time and measured walking distance was calculated. Also compared are the walking distances at LRT stations and the walking distances at bus stops. The research strongly indicates that people walk farther to reach an LRT station than a bus stop. Using bus walking standards would result in an underestimate of LRT walking distances by about half. For the city of Calgary the average walking distance to suburban stations is 649 m with a 75th-percentile distance of 840 m. At CBD stations the average walking distance is 326 m and the 75th-percentile distance is 419 m.

scholarly journals Analyzing the Issue of On-street Parking in Commercial Areas: A Case Study of the City of Hyderabad, Pakistan

2018 ◽  
Vol 01 (02) ◽  
pp. 01-09
Author(s):  
Baig Farrukh ◽  
Sahito Noman ◽  
Bano Arsla ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Central Business District ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Business District ◽  
Public Views ◽  
The City

In developing countries, rapid urbanization has created an enormous pressure on land use, infrastructure and transportation. The fast growing ratio of motorized vehicles in urban areas is the main cause of environmental degradation. Almost 80% of the greenhouse gas emission is from vehicles in cities. In the city centers, on-street parking is considered the major cause of traffic congestion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the problems of on-street parking and disorderly parking at Central Business District (CBD) of Hyderabad city. The field survey methodology was adopted to perceive the current traffic problems in the city center and traffic count survey was carried out in both peak and off hours. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics frequency analysis technique with the help of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings revealed that increasing number of vehicles, on-street parking, improper parking, encroachment, inadequate parking space and poor condition of roads are the main causes of traffic congestion. The study bridges up the research gap of determining public views about on-street parking challenges in the context of Hyderabad, Pakistan and provides statistical results which may equally be adapted by policy makers and transportation planners in order to improve the traffic situation.

scholarly journals Exploring the Synergies between Urban Overheating and Heatwaves (HWs) in Western Sydney

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Saeed Khan ◽  
Riccardo Paolini ◽  
Mattheos Santamouris ◽  
Peter Caccetta
Keyword(s):  
Central Business District ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Urban Station ◽  
Advective Flux ◽  
Important Interaction ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Business District ◽  
Open Question ◽  
The City ◽  
Synoptic Circulation

There is no consensus regarding the change of magnitude of urban overheating during HW periods, and possible interactions between the two phenomena are still an open question, despite the increasing frequency and impacts of Heatwaves (HW). The purpose of this study is to explore the interactions between urban overheating and HWs in Sydney, which is under the influence of two synoptic circulation systems. For this purpose, a detailed analysis has been performed for the city of Sydney, while considering an urban (Observatory Hill), in the Central Business District (CBD), and a non-urban station in Western Sydney (Penrith Lakes). Summer 2017 was considered as a study period, and HW and Non-Heatwave (NHW) periods were identified to explore the interactions between urban overheating and HWs. A strong link was observed between urban overheating and HWs, and the difference between the peak average urban overheating magnitude during HWs and NHWs was around 8 °C. Additionally, the daytime urban overheating effect was more pronounced during the HWs when compared to nighttime. The advective flux was found as the most important interaction between urban overheating and HWs, in addition to the sensible and latent heat fluxes.

scholarly journals Gender Dimensions of (Non)Violence in Communal Conflict: The Case of Jos, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 1466-1499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Krause
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Religious Conflict ◽  
Conflict Prevention ◽  
Communal Conflict ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
The City

Peacebuilding is more likely to succeed in countries with higher levels of gender equality, but few studies have examined the link between subnational gender relations and local peace and, more generally, peacebuilding after communal conflict. This article addresses this gap. I examine gender relations and (non)violence in ethno-religious conflict in the city of Jos in central Nigeria. Jos and its rural surroundings have repeatedly suffered communal clashes that have killed thousands, sometimes within only days. Drawing on qualitative data collected during fieldwork, I analyze the gender dimensions of violence, nonviolence, and postviolence prevention. I argue that civilian agency is gendered. Gender relations and distinct notions of masculinity can facilitate or constrain people’s mobilization for fighting. Hence, a nuanced understanding of the gender dimensions of (non)violence has important implications for conflict prevention and local peacebuilding.

Finding the movement: the geographies of social movement scenes

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 792-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Creasap
Keyword(s):  
Social Movement ◽  
Central Business District ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Housing Tenure ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spatial Dimensions ◽  
Business District ◽  
Commercial Landscape

Purpose A social movement scene is “a network of people who share a set of subcultural or countercultural beliefs, values, norms, and convictions as well as a network of physical spaces where members of that group are known to congregate” (Leach and Haunss 2009, p. 260, emphasis in the original). The purpose of this paper is to further develop theories of social movement scenes by examining the spatial dimensions of proximity, centrality, visibility, and accessibility, arguing that different scene configurations are shaped by gentrification processes. Design/methodology/approach This is an ethnographic study based on research conducted in Sweden over a five year period (2007-2012), including several summer research trips and a sustained fieldwork period of 14 months. Using snowball sampling, the author conducted semi-structured interviews with 38 activists involved in autonomous movement scenes. The author interviewed both men (n=26) and women (n=12) who ranged in age from 18 to 37, with most interviewees in their late 20s and early 30s. Findings Findings suggest that neighborhoods in the early stages of gentrification are most conducive to strong scenes. The author’s findings suggest that, while some of these conditions are locally specific, there were common structural conditions in each city, such as changes in the commercial landscape and housing tenure. Originality/value This paper contributes to the specificity of the concept of a social movement scene by presenting three spatial dimensions of scenes: centrality (relative to the Central Business District), concentration (clustering of scene places in one area of the city), and visibility (a visible presence communicated by signs and symbols). A second contribution of this paper is to offer a set of hypotheses about the urban conditions under which social movement scenes thrive (or fizzle).

Evaluating the prevalence and nature of blat in post-Soviet societies

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (9) ◽  
pp. 747-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin C. Williams ◽  
Olga Onoshchenko
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Personal Connections ◽  
Stratified Sample ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
The City

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extent to which the practice of using personal networks to obtain goods and services or to circumvent formal procedures, known as blat in the Soviet era, persists in post-Soviet societies and whether its character has altered. Design/methodology/approach – To do this, the prevalence and nature of blat in the education sector in the city of Mykolayiv in Ukraine is analysed using 200 face-to-face structured interviews with a spatially stratified sample of Mykolayiv residents and 30 follow-up semi-structured in-depth interviews. Findings – The finding is that blat is widely used to gain places in kindergarten, schools and universities. However, unlike Soviet era blat which took the form of non-monetised friendly help in the market-oriented society of post-Soviet Ukraine, both possessing control over access to assets such as education, as well as possessing personal connections to those with control over access to these assets, is increasingly viewed as a commodity to be bought and sold, and illicit informal monetary payments are now commonplace. The result is that nepotism, cronyism, bribery and corruption hinder meritocratic processes. Research limitations/implications – This paper examines the prevalence and nature of blat in just one sector in one post-Soviet country. An analysis across a wider range of sectors in various post-Soviet societies is now required to develop a more context-bound and nuanced understanding of blat in post-Soviet societies. Originality/value – This is the first in-depth empirical evaluation of the prevalence and nature of blat in contemporary post-Soviet societies.

scholarly journals Central Business District of St. Petersburg 1869–2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-39
Author(s):  
Константин Аркадьевич Холодилин ◽  
Леонид Эдуардович Лимонов
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Market Economy ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Central Business District ◽  
Soviet Period ◽  
City Center ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Business District ◽  
The City

The city center is at the core of urban and housing economics. Many models crucially depend on it. In a market economy, the location of urban amenities, especially eating establishments, closely correlates with that of the city center and, more generally, with the Central Business District (CBD). In a centrally planned economy, the spatial distribution of those amenities is determined by the central planner and can differ significantly from a market-based distribution. Using the case of St. Petersburg (Russia), we investigate changes in the spatial distribution of eating establishments resulting from the transition from a market economy to a centrally planned one and then again to a market economy. In addition, we explore the shifts of the city center between 1895 and 2017 using eating establishments as a proxy. The spatial distribution is analyzed using a 2-D kernel density estimation. We find evidence for a substantial reduction and dispersion of eating establishments during the Soviet period. We also establish that after the October 1917 Revolution the city center of St. Petersburg moved several kilometers to the north-east.

scholarly journals Sense of Safety and Planning and Design Policies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rangajeewa Ratnayake ◽  
Naduni Wickramaarachchi ◽  
Julie Rudner
Keyword(s):  
Central Business District ◽  
Building Design ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Personal Safety ◽  
The Past ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Planning Development ◽  
Business District ◽  
The City ◽  
City Centres

Planning, development and design policies influence sense of safety of people touse the City centre or Central Business District (CBD) and therefore city centres can becomeactive and vibrant during the day and night. This paper reviews past and present planningpolicies relevant for feeling of personal safety in the context of housing, retail, amenities,street infrastructure, building design and transportation aspects. The past development trendsshow that insignificant attention has been paid to people's sense of safety when using publicspaces, particularly at night, a factor identified important in creating attractive city centressince 1960s. Local plans primarily refer to safety in relation to roads, accessibility andworkability. Local policies also show the dominance of CCTV since the 1990s has becomeubiquitous, but changes to sense of safety in urban spaces now may actually be a betterreflection of planning and design decisions made over the past 20 years.

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