Urban Form Dynamics and Modelling towards Sustainable Hinterland Development in North Cianjur, Jakarta–Bandung Mega-Urban Region

The urban form is the physical configuration of a city, developed over time and space. Urban form can be considered at different scales, from region to neighborhood, each carrying a different focus. North Cianjur serves as the hinterland and one of the conurbation corridors of the Jakarta–Bandung Mega-Urban Region, meaning that the balance between its function as an environmental buffer area and the destination of urban growth needs to be planned carefully. This paper explores the dynamics in North Cianjur and employs several model scenarios as a planning intervention using landscape dynamic tools and land-change modeling, with three scenarios employed: Business as Usual (BAU), Spatial Planning Policy (SPP), and Urban Containment (UCT). The result show that North Cianjur has transformed into a polycentric region with two urban zones, a peri-urban zone, and a rural zone in the northernmost part of the region. Urban form trends show a sprawling built-up pattern outside urban zones, and a compacted trend in urban zones due to expansion from the Jakarta and Bandung Metropolitan Area. UCT models appear to be the most optimal for implementation in North Cianjur, representing a way to accommodate urban growth and expansion inside the urban center while still maintaining regional sustainability.

Design of a Highly Efficient Wideband Multi-Frequency Ambient RF Energy Harvester

For low input radio frequency (RF) power from −35 to 5 dBm, a novel quad-band RF energy harvester (RFEH) with an improved impedance matching network (IMN) is proposed to overcome the poor conversion efficiency and limited RF power range of the ambient environment. In this research, an RF spectral survey was performed in the semi-urban region of Malaysia, and using these results, a multi-frequency highly sensitive RF energy harvester was designed to harvest energy from available frequency bands within the 0.8 GHz to 2.6 GHz frequency range. Firstly, a new IMN is implemented to improve the rectifying circuit’s efficiency in ambient conditions. Secondly, a self-complementary log-periodic higher bandwidth antenna is proposed. Finally, the design and manufacture of the proposed RF harvester’s prototype are carried out and tested to realize its output in the desired frequency bands. For an accumulative −15 dBm input RF power that is uniformly universal across the four radio frequency bands, the harvester’s calculated dc rectification efficiency is about 35 percent and reaches 52 percent at −20 dBm. Measurement in an ambient RF setting shows that the proposed harvester is able to harvest dc energy at −20 dBm up to 0.678 V.

Proposal of a methodology for accessibility projects on urban roads and places / Proposta de uma metodologia para projetos de acessibilidade em estradas e lugares urbanos

A study of the current accessibility legislation was carried out in order to obtain a clear assessment of the physical aspects of an urban region, given the importance of accessible spaces for integration of the general people, based on the survey of the positive and negative points of roads and public places. From these studies, a systematization of activities was proposed to favor design interventions and corrections in accordance with the ABNT Technical Standards. The methodology is composed by identification e register files of the accessibility conditions, the analysis of post-occupation assessment carried out, postposed by the elaboration of an architectural-landscape-urban project. The main objective of eliminating architectural barriers, promoting safety and movement without interferences, in addition to optimizing of urban place use is completed.

A kelet-közép-európai városrégiók átalakulása a posztfordi korban – elméleti alapok

The post-Fordist and post-socialist transition had a significant impact on the development of cities in East Central Europe. One of the most spectacular processes in the development of postsocialist cities has been the transformation of the inner areas and outskirts of the urban regions. In the inner areas, after the regime change, urban regeneration gained momentum and thanks to the prevailing neoliberal urban policies almost without exception triggered gentrification processes in the neighbourhoods. Outside the administrative boundaries of the city, in the agglomeration zone and in the more remote areas of the urban region, suburbanisation and urban sprawl have determined the development process. As a consequence, the previously compact urban fabric of post-socialist cities slowly disintegrated and cities became more and more fragmented. The aim of this theoretical study is to explore the most important processes of urban transformation in the post-Fordist era. We briefly introduce the theoretical background of metropoliszation, suburbanization and urban sprawl, as well as the main characteristics of commuting and land use. The role of urban regeneration and fragmentation in the urban fabric will be highlighted as well.

Financial Status of Rural and Urban Dalit of Kaski District

The primary objective of this paper is to describe and measure financial status of the Bishowkarma, Pariyar, and Nepali caste in the rural and urban regions of Kaski district of Nepal. The study has used descriptive research design and judgmental and quota sampling with an equal 150 samples of the rural and urban areas including 50 samples of each caste. A set of close-ended questionnaires was used to collect data from primary sources. The collected data were analyzed with the help of statistical tools like frequencies, weighted mean, and percentage using MS-Word, MS-Excel, and SPSS. The Bishwokarma caste has good financial status in the urban area followed by Nepali and Pariyar. However, in a rural area, the Nepali caste has a better financial position followed by Pariyar and Bishwokarma. The study results indicate people living in the urban areas have a stronger financial position with an overall mean score of 3.02 compared to people living in the rural areas with an overall mean score of 2.85. The concerned government bodies need to give special care to uplift the financial status of the Pariyar people in the urban region and the Bishwokarma people in the rural region. Thus, this study conveys a comprehensive picture of the financial status of rural and urban Dalits of Kaski District which could be the baseline data set for future study and primary data sources for local stakeholders.

Measurement report: Fast photochemical production of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) over the rural North China Plain during haze events in autumn

Photochemical pollution over the North China Plain (NCP) is attracting much concern. We usually view peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) as the second most important photochemical pollutant featuring high mixing ratios during warm seasons. Our observations at a background site in the NCP identified high PAN concentrations, even during haze events in autumn. The substantial increasing ratios of PAN, by 244 % and 178 %, over the morning hours (08:00–12:00 local time) on 20 and 25 October 2020 were 10.6 and 7.7 times larger than those on clean days. Polluted days are characterized by higher temperature, higher humidity, and anomalous southerly winds compared with clean days. Enhanced local photochemistry has been identified as being the dominant factor that controls the PAN increase in the morning at the rural site, as the time when prevailing wind turns to a southerly wind is too late to promote direct transport of PAN from the polluted urban region. By removing the effect of direct transport of PAN, we provide a quantitative assessment of net PAN chemical production rate of 0.45 ppb h−1 for the mornings of polluted days, also demonstrating the strong local photochemistry. Using observations and calculated photolysis rates, we find that acetaldehyde oxidation by hydroxyl radical (OH) is the primary pathway of peroxyacetyl radical formation at the rural site. Acetaldehyde concentrations and production rates of HOx (HOx= OH + HO2) on polluted days are 2.8 and 2 times as large as those on clean days, leading to a remarkable increase in PAN in the morning. Formaldehyde (HCHO) photolysis dominates the daytime HOx production, thus contributing to fast photochemistry of PAN. Our observational results suggest the cause of a rapid increase in PAN during haze events in autumn at a rural site of the NCP and provide evidence of important role of HCHO photolysis in secondary pollutants at lower nitrogen oxide emissions. This highlights the urgency of carrying out strict volatile organic compound controls over the NCP during the cold season and not just in summer.

A Rapid Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Mothers Admitted with Diarrhoea Suffering Children in West Urban Region of Unguja-Zanzibar

BackgroundThe knowledge, attitude and health practices of the mothers directly reflect on the health and vitality of the child in most of diarrhoea affected communities. The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of mothers and caregivers (house girls) towards diarrhoeal disease among children under-five in Unguja, Zanzibar Tanzania. MethodsA quantitative cross-sectional study using a rapid appraisal technique to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice of mothers and caregivers admitted with children with diarrhoeal diseases was conducted in 23 hospitals of west urban region of Unguja, Zanzibar. ResultsA total of 102 mothers and caregivers were studied. From the respondents 97 (95%) had satisfactory level of knowledge on diarrhoea while 5 (5%) had unsatisfactory knowledge. A total of 52 (51%) rejected the use of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) at home due to taste and smell and 50 (49%) agreed its use. A total of 55 (54%) children were served by caregivers. Collectively mothers and caregivers were asked for their practice of drinking treated or boiling water where 47 (46%) reported not to practice. A total of 48 (47%) respondents reported hand washing after helping children with defecation while only 19 (19%) respondents reported washing hands before preparing food. ConclusionLimited use of water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices was observed among mothers and caregivers in the prevention and management of under-five children with diarrhoeal disease.

Improving assessment of urban racial segregation by partitioning a region into racial enclaves

Frequently, a single-value metric is needed to rank urban regions with respect to the level of multiracial segregation or to compare a segregation level of a single urban region at two different times. Assessment of segregation depends not only on a metric used but also on a choice of region’s partitioning. The standard practice is to partition the region into single-scale subregions. In the United States, census tracts are the subregions of choice. Census aggregation units including tracts are delineated without direct regard to racial homogeneity and are in fact heterogeneous. Consequently, using tracts as subdivisions leads to the underestimation of the segregation level of the entire region. Here we propose to partition a region into racial enclaves - units having boundaries that align with transitions between different racial compositions. By reflecting true demographic structure, such units minimize their internal racial inhomogeneity resulting in improved assessment of segregation. Enclaves are defined as aggregates of adjacent census blocks (smallest and the most racially homogeneous census units) of similar composition. In a typical US urban region effective population size of enclaves is an order of magnitude larger than the size of a census tract and yet the segregation calculated based on enclaves is larger than segregation based on census tracts. The proposed methodology is described and applied to a set of 61 largest cities in the U.S. in their metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) as well as their urban areas (UAs) boundaries using 1990 and 2010 block-level data. The method is compared to the standard methodology using correlations between cities’ segregation rankings.