Racial and Religious Determinants of Terrorism in Western Europe

The gradual rapprochement between peoples, cultures, beliefs involve numerous conflicts with indigenous peoples on ethnic or religious grounds. These conflicts tend to turn into articulation of radical positions and extremist activities. The aim of this study was to analyze the current state of terrorist acts and identify the determinants of terrorism on racial and religious grounds in Western Europe. The statistical method, comparison, graphic analysis, analysis of the Global Index of Terrorism; The European Union reports on the situation and trends of terrorism, as well as the research on terrorism-related issues for 2011-2021, were used as empirical research methods. It is determined that the UK, France, Germany, Greece, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Sweden are subject to the highest risk of terrorist acts. It was proved that the determinants of terrorism are localized in relation to key issues related to the state of the economic sphere, social development, as well as the spiritual and cultural sphere. Emphasis is placed on the need to overcome the problems associated with terrorist activities by formulating a policy of national means of resolving ethnic and racial issues and active international cooperation. Further research will identify key determinants of terrorism in Eastern Europe.

Internationalization of Renminbi as a Function of China’s Foreign Exchange Policy

This article discusses the prospects of the Chinese renminbi (RMB) to expand its sphere of influence and become a full-scale reserve world currency. The methods used in the article are retrospective analysis and graphic analysis. The work is divided into three sections. The first section provides a broad overview of modern reserve currencies. The second part characterizes RMBs shaping as a reserve currency, as well as inner and outer factors that influence its status. The third section includes information about RMBs current status and its perspectives for being a reserve currency in the future. The article argues that currently RMB has already become a regional reserve currency in Asia-Pacific. Chinese government continues to make steps towards international expansion of RMB, yet these steps cannot make RMB one of the leading world currencies together with USD and EUR in the nearest decade.

SYSTEMATICS OF COMPOSITIONS IN HISTORICAL GARDENS AS A DESIGN SUPPORT IN CONTEMPORARY DESIGN CONCEPTS

People always valued nature around them so the gardens accompanied their houses and residences from the ancient times. Some features of garden compositions were recurring in historical periods differing only in some aspects. In contemporary gardens they are repeated again. To assess the coincidences, a short graphic analysis of the basic features of historical gardens was developed. A tool that has allowed to identify differences and similarities between old and contemporary is the tabulation of composition schemes of well-known historic gardens and comparing the results with the features of the recent developments. This allowed us to investigate whether the same elements of composition, despite 21st century changes, apply today. Key words: residential garden, historical establishments, garden layout, composition, contemporary gardens, repeated solutions.

Industrial Revolutions Examining the Potential of Redundant Railway Land within Provincial New Zealand Cities

<p>Economic and technological shifts over the last half of the 20th century have seen widespread changes in the way the New Zealand rail network operates, and are continuing to lead to the eminent decline of sections within the network as priorities shift to ensure its long-term survival as a whole. The decline in rail operations to the present point has already seen railway stations, goods yards and associated industrial areas in many rural areas and some smaller centers falling into disuse, and it is inevitable that many more will follow. The aim of this research is to identify and analyze these rail facilities, both redundant and operational, within provincial New Zealand cities with the intention of establishing possible strategies for re-integrating these sites back within the surrounding urban fabric of their respective cities, while retaining links to the cultural and industrial heritage of the sites in terms of the role they played in the birth and development of provincial New Zealand. A review of relevant literature has been conducted in unison with a graphic analysis of both current and redundant rail sites in ten provincial New Zealand cities. The former railway goods yard in Oamaru was selected for the design case study as it encompasses the common issues identified throughout the graphic analysis, while also presenting a number of unique issues. In response to the initial aim of this research, the design case study for Oamaru concludes that, once redundant, these former rail facilities can be successfully re-integrated with their surrounding urban fabric, without comprimising the unique inherent cultural and industrial heritage of the site.</p>

Industrial Revolutions Examining the Potential of Redundant Railway Land within Provincial New Zealand Cities

<p>Economic and technological shifts over the last half of the 20th century have seen widespread changes in the way the New Zealand rail network operates, and are continuing to lead to the eminent decline of sections within the network as priorities shift to ensure its long-term survival as a whole. The decline in rail operations to the present point has already seen railway stations, goods yards and associated industrial areas in many rural areas and some smaller centers falling into disuse, and it is inevitable that many more will follow. The aim of this research is to identify and analyze these rail facilities, both redundant and operational, within provincial New Zealand cities with the intention of establishing possible strategies for re-integrating these sites back within the surrounding urban fabric of their respective cities, while retaining links to the cultural and industrial heritage of the sites in terms of the role they played in the birth and development of provincial New Zealand. A review of relevant literature has been conducted in unison with a graphic analysis of both current and redundant rail sites in ten provincial New Zealand cities. The former railway goods yard in Oamaru was selected for the design case study as it encompasses the common issues identified throughout the graphic analysis, while also presenting a number of unique issues. In response to the initial aim of this research, the design case study for Oamaru concludes that, once redundant, these former rail facilities can be successfully re-integrated with their surrounding urban fabric, without comprimising the unique inherent cultural and industrial heritage of the site.</p>

Hidden Territories: Integrating New Zealand Secondary Schools with Their Suburban Contexts

<p>High schools are a significant physical and social component within the suburban environment. These campus like institutions represent a marked change from the homogenous residential suburban environments they are situated within. These school environments posses many urban qualities such as building density and enclosure. This thesis investigates the physical relationship between high schools and the suburban environment and examines how this relationship can be improved. A review of the relevant literature has been conducted in unison with a graphic analysis of sixteen existing New Zealand High schools. Several concepts emerged from these investigations. Of greatest significance were the concepts of New Urbanism, of which the ideas of walkable and multi-use environments, and increased density were of greatest relevance. These ideas were found to align cohesively with those of Roy Stricklands City of Learning concept. Further, the graphic analysis revealed that the school and suburban environments are deficient in three key areas. These are permeability, the built interface between school and suburb, and the suburban environments functional segregation. The research then investigates how both physical and functional connections between school and suburb can be increased to correct these deficiencies. Cashmere High School, Christchurch, was selected for the design case study as it was representative of many of the salient issues identified. The research finds that permeability within the studied suburbs is poor; secondly it finds that school buildings are disengaged from their surrounding context. In addition it finds that school environments posses many urban like qualities such as density, variety and walkability. Finally the research concludes that school environments can be better integrated into their suburban environment.</p>

Hidden Territories: Integrating New Zealand Secondary Schools with Their Suburban Contexts

<p>High schools are a significant physical and social component within the suburban environment. These campus like institutions represent a marked change from the homogenous residential suburban environments they are situated within. These school environments posses many urban qualities such as building density and enclosure. This thesis investigates the physical relationship between high schools and the suburban environment and examines how this relationship can be improved. A review of the relevant literature has been conducted in unison with a graphic analysis of sixteen existing New Zealand High schools. Several concepts emerged from these investigations. Of greatest significance were the concepts of New Urbanism, of which the ideas of walkable and multi-use environments, and increased density were of greatest relevance. These ideas were found to align cohesively with those of Roy Stricklands City of Learning concept. Further, the graphic analysis revealed that the school and suburban environments are deficient in three key areas. These are permeability, the built interface between school and suburb, and the suburban environments functional segregation. The research then investigates how both physical and functional connections between school and suburb can be increased to correct these deficiencies. Cashmere High School, Christchurch, was selected for the design case study as it was representative of many of the salient issues identified. The research finds that permeability within the studied suburbs is poor; secondly it finds that school buildings are disengaged from their surrounding context. In addition it finds that school environments posses many urban like qualities such as density, variety and walkability. Finally the research concludes that school environments can be better integrated into their suburban environment.</p>

Sizing Methodology of Floating Photovoltaic Plants in Dams of Semi-Arid Areas

Floating photovoltaic (FPV) plants in reservoirs can contribute to reduce water evaporation, increase power generation efficiency, due to the cooling process, and reduce competitiveness in land use. Based on this motivation we propose a new methodology for sizing FPV plants in dams of semi-arid regions by using the Flood Duration Curve (FDC). The methodology innovations are: no use of commercial software, the possibility of choosing the reliability level, the application in reservoirs of semi-arid areas of the world and the use of a graphic analysis of the reservoir hydrological behavior. The case studies in the Brazilian and Australian semi-arid consider two scenarios: high reliability level (90%, scenario 1) and low reliability level (70%, scenario 2). The reliability level is linked to the electricity production; the evaporation reduction is proportional to the FPV plant area.