Identifying Spatial Priority of Ecological Restoration Dependent on Landscape Quality Trends in Metropolitan Areas

Ecological restoration has become an important tool for mitigating and adapting to environmental degradation caused by global urbanization. However, current research has focused on single indicators and qualitative analysis, meaning that ecological restoration has not been effectively and comprehensively addressed. This study constructed a spatial priority identification system for ecological restoration, with landscape area, landscape structure and landscape function as the core indicators. The system has wide adaptability. In this work, the spatial classification of ecological degradation was performed by overlay analysis. The results showed the following: (1) In the Shanghai metropolitan area, the landscape quality showed a trend of degradation, with built-up areas encroaching on forests and cropland. (2) Ecological degradation in the suburbs was more severe than that in the urban center. Forests had the highest landscape area indicator (LAI) stability. Significant degradation of landscape structure indicators (LSIs) occurred when built-up area and cropland were transformed into forests. (3) Different types of ecological restoration had significant spatial distribution patterns. Through this identification system, this study aimed to help planners/managers of ecological restoration to recognize the changing patterns of regional landscape quality and its relationship with land cover. It ultimately provides a basis for the formulation of regional ecological objectives and spatial strategies.

Urban Compression: Incremental Strategies for Achieving Suburban Densification

<p>Background: Sprawling, car related development dominates and destroys natural landscapes and productive farm land at the edges of urban centres. Yet, suburbs continue to grow outwards to meet New Zealanders’ preferences for stand-alone housing and keep up with increasing housing demand, while existing dwellings are demolished to make way for new developments. Research objectives: This research aims to investigate the implications of building dwellings incrementally to achieve gradual densification within New Zealand suburbs, reducing the need for green field development, and slowing urban sprawl. The objective of this research is to determine how incremental housing strategies could enable suburbs to continue to grow, however in density rather than sprawl, through the design of accessory dwelling units that can be added to existing sites and developed over time. Research method: Built and proposed incremental housing projects are reviewed to determine existing strategies and their suitability for creating buildings that are able to grow over time. Literature is reviewed to identify current preferences and priorities for suburban living, strategies for sustainable suburban development and current provisions within district plans for achieving denser suburbs. Siteless and site responsive architectural strategies for incremental accessory dwelling units are developed through iterative massing and plan studies to generate a wide range of potential solutions at each stage of development, continually reflecting on and progressing with the most successful options. Potential Implications: The development of spatial strategies for incrementally built accessory dwelling units that could facilitate long term densification in the New Zealand suburban context while reducing the need for the demolition and redevelopment of existing residential sites.</p>

Urban Compression: Incremental Strategies for Achieving Suburban Densification

<p>Background: Sprawling, car related development dominates and destroys natural landscapes and productive farm land at the edges of urban centres. Yet, suburbs continue to grow outwards to meet New Zealanders’ preferences for stand-alone housing and keep up with increasing housing demand, while existing dwellings are demolished to make way for new developments. Research objectives: This research aims to investigate the implications of building dwellings incrementally to achieve gradual densification within New Zealand suburbs, reducing the need for green field development, and slowing urban sprawl. The objective of this research is to determine how incremental housing strategies could enable suburbs to continue to grow, however in density rather than sprawl, through the design of accessory dwelling units that can be added to existing sites and developed over time. Research method: Built and proposed incremental housing projects are reviewed to determine existing strategies and their suitability for creating buildings that are able to grow over time. Literature is reviewed to identify current preferences and priorities for suburban living, strategies for sustainable suburban development and current provisions within district plans for achieving denser suburbs. Siteless and site responsive architectural strategies for incremental accessory dwelling units are developed through iterative massing and plan studies to generate a wide range of potential solutions at each stage of development, continually reflecting on and progressing with the most successful options. Potential Implications: The development of spatial strategies for incrementally built accessory dwelling units that could facilitate long term densification in the New Zealand suburban context while reducing the need for the demolition and redevelopment of existing residential sites.</p>

Urban search and rescue (USAR) simulation system: spatial strategies for agent task allocation under uncertain conditions

Task allocation under uncertain conditions is a key problem for agents attempting to achieve harmony in disaster environments. This paper presents an agent-based simulation to investigate task allocation considering appropriate spatial strategies to manage uncertainty in urban search and rescue (USAR) operations. The proposed method is based on the contract net protocol (CNP) and implemented over five phases: ordering existing tasks considering intrinsic interval uncertainty, finding a coordinating agent, holding an auction, applying allocation strategies (four strategies), and implementing and observing the real environment. Applying allocation strategies is the main innovation of the method. The methodology was evaluated in Tehran's District 1 for 6.6, 6.9, and 7.2 magnitude earthquakes. The simulation began by calculating the numbers of injured individuals, which were 28 856, 73 195, and 111 463 people for each earthquake, respectively. Simulations were performed for each scenario for a variety of rescuers (1000, 1500, and 2000 rescuers). In comparison with the CNP, the standard duration of rescue operations with the proposed approach exhibited at least 13 % improvement, with a maximal improvement of 21 %. Interval uncertainty analysis and comparison of the proposed strategies showed that increased uncertainty led to increased rescue time for the CNP and strategies 1 to 4. The time increase was less with the uniform distribution strategy (strategy 4) than with the other strategies. The consideration of strategies in the task allocation process, especially spatial strategies, facilitated both optimization and increased flexibility of the allocation. It also improved conditions for fault tolerance and agent-based cooperation stability in the USAR simulation system.

Oceanic Creative Practice: Re-evaluating indigenous spatial strategies as relevant to twenty-first century creative exploration and practice

<p>“Oceania is vast, Oceania is expanding, Oceania is hospitable and generous, Oceania is humanity rising from the depths of brine and regions of fire deeper still, Oceania is us.”¹ ­‐ Epeli Hau’ofa This research investigates how indigenous visual spatial strategies can be used to assist in the definition of a framework that helps characterise Oceanic perspectives and methods of creative practice. Cultural diversity in the New Zealand context holds important potential for explaining expressions of use and continuing the development of Oceanic creative practice. I will assert that the indigenous spatial strategy known as vā (space) holds important potential to help understand the significance of collective relationships within the Oceanic creative community. Vā is an indigenous spatial strategy that captures the process of engaging with and nurturing connections that, I argue, should be at the forefront of the definition for Oceanic creative practice. By comparing established Eurocentric understandings of creative disciplines and processes to indigenous understandings and methodologies, this research will posit indigenous spatial strategies as not only relevant but pivotal to 21st-century creative exploration and practice. This research will contribute to the outlining of a framework that helps to define the authentic values held within Oceanic creative practice. ¹ Epeli Hau'ofa, "Our Sea of Islands," The Contemporary Pacific 6, no. 1 (1994): 160.</p>

Oceanic Creative Practice: Re-evaluating indigenous spatial strategies as relevant to twenty-first century creative exploration and practice

<p>“Oceania is vast, Oceania is expanding, Oceania is hospitable and generous, Oceania is humanity rising from the depths of brine and regions of fire deeper still, Oceania is us.”¹ ­‐ Epeli Hau’ofa This research investigates how indigenous visual spatial strategies can be used to assist in the definition of a framework that helps characterise Oceanic perspectives and methods of creative practice. Cultural diversity in the New Zealand context holds important potential for explaining expressions of use and continuing the development of Oceanic creative practice. I will assert that the indigenous spatial strategy known as vā (space) holds important potential to help understand the significance of collective relationships within the Oceanic creative community. Vā is an indigenous spatial strategy that captures the process of engaging with and nurturing connections that, I argue, should be at the forefront of the definition for Oceanic creative practice. By comparing established Eurocentric understandings of creative disciplines and processes to indigenous understandings and methodologies, this research will posit indigenous spatial strategies as not only relevant but pivotal to 21st-century creative exploration and practice. This research will contribute to the outlining of a framework that helps to define the authentic values held within Oceanic creative practice. ¹ Epeli Hau'ofa, "Our Sea of Islands," The Contemporary Pacific 6, no. 1 (1994): 160.</p>