A good enough approach to setting planning obligations

In this paper we propose an alternative model of, what is often called, land value capture in the planning system. Based on development viability models, negotiations and policy formation regarding the level of planning obligations have taken place at the local level with little clear guidance on technique, approach and method. It is argued that current approaches are regressive and fail to reflect how the ability of sites to generate planning gain can vary over time and between sites. The alternative approach suggested here attempts to rationalise rather than replace the existing practice of development viability appraisal. It is based upon the assumption that schemes with similar development values should produce similar levels of return to the landowner, developer and other stakeholders in the development as well as similar levels of planning obligations in all parts of the country. Given the high level of input uncertainty in viability modelling, a simple viability model is ‘good enough’ to quantify the maximum level of planning obligations for a given level of development value. We have argued that such an approach can deliver a more durable, equitable, simpler, consistent and cheaper method for policy formation regarding planning obligations.

Green marketing in housing: reality or rhetoric?

All new homes in the UK will be required to be zero carbon from 2016. Housing sector bodies and individual housing developers are championing a transition from traditional marketing to green marketing approaches to raise consumer awareness of the benefits of low and zero carbon homes. On-site sales teams on housing developments form a central interface between the developer and potential buyers. These teams, then, have a critical role in the success or otherwise of the developers’ green marketing strategies. However, there is a dearth of empirical research that explores the actual attitudes and practices of these teams. An exploratory case study approach was adopted. The data collection consisted of reviewing relevant company documentation and semi-structure interviews with the on-site sales teams from six housing developments. The findings from two case studies suggest that the sales teams do have potential to forge a bridge between the design / production and consumption spheres in the way that consumers understand and appreciate, but further work is required. The sales teams’ practices were constrained by the incumbent, traditional marketing logic that rotates around issues such as location and selling price. The sales teams appeared to adopt a strategy of a restriction of information about the benefits of low and zero carbon homes to not disturb the prevailing logic. Further, the sales teams justify this insulating mechanism by the argument that consumers are not interested in those benefits. This rhetoric may be driving a real wedge between the design / production and consumption spheres to the detriment of the consumer and, in the longer term, the house builder itself.

The role of UK development industry in Brownfield regeneration Vol 1

As part of the SUBR:IM work (www.subrim.org.uk) being undertaken at The College, the research team for this project (Tim Dixon, Yasmin Pocock and Mike Waters) has produced the first two of three volumes covering Stage 2 of the research. Volume 1 examines the results from the national UK developer interviews (carried out in 2004-2005); National Land Use Database (NLUD) analysis (1998-2003); and residential planning permission analysis for Salford/Manchester and Barking & Dagenham (2000-2004) using Estates Gazette Interactive (EGi) data and published information. Volume 1 (of 3): Literature Review, National Developer Interviews, Planning Permission Analysis and NLUD Analysis

The role of UK development industry in Brownfield regeneration Vol 2

As part of the SUBR:IM work (www.subrim.org.uk) being undertaken at The College, the research team for this project (Tim Dixon, Yasmin Pocock and Mike Waters) has produced the first two of three volumes covering Stage 2 of the research. Volume 1 examines the results from the national UK developer interviews (carried out in 2004-2005); National Land Use Database (NLUD) analysis (1998-2003); and residential planning permission analysis for Salford/Manchester and Barking & Dagenham (2000-2004) using Estates Gazette Interactive (EGi) data and published information. Volume 2 covers the sub-regional context for Thames Gateway and Greater Manchester, which form the basis for the case studies (these are to be published as Volume 3 Volume 2 (of 3): Sub-regional context (Thames Gateway and Greater Manchester)

The persistence of distance: a gravity model of European cross-border real estate development flows

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the scale and drivers of cross-border real estate development in Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe. Design/methodology/approach – Placing cross-border real estate development within the framework of foreign direct investment (FDI), conceptual complexities in characterizing the notional real estate developer are emphasized. Drawing upon a transaction database, this paper proxies cross-border real estate development flows with asset sales by developers. Findings – Much higher levels of market penetration by international real estate developers are found in the less mature markets of Central and Eastern Europe. Analysis suggests a complex range of determinants with physical distance remaining a consistent barrier to cross-border development flows. Originality/value – This analysis adds significant value in terms of understanding cross-border real estate development flows. In this study, a detailed examination of the issues based on a rigorous empirical analysis through gravity modelling is offered. The gravity framework is one of the most confirmed empirical regularities in international economics and commonly applied to trade, FDI, migration, foreign portfolio investment inter alia. This paper assesses the extent to which it provides useful insights into the pattern of cross-border real estate development flows.

Financial viability appraisals for site-specific planning decisions in England

In England, appraisals of the financial viability of development schemes have become an integral part of planning policy-making, initially in determining the amount of planning obligations that might be obtained via legal agreements (known as Section 106 agreements) and latterly as a basis for establishing charging schedules for the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Local planning authorities set these policies on an area-wide basis but ultimately development proposals require consent on a site-by-site basis. It is at this site-specific level that issues of viability are hotly contested. This paper examines case documents, proofs of evidence and decisions from a sample of planning disputes in order to address major issues within development viability, the application of the models and the distribution of the development gain between the developer, landowner and community. The results have specific application to viability assessment in England and should impact on future policy and practice guidance in this field. They also have relevance to other countries that incorporate assessments of economic viability in their planning systems.

Graphite-silicone rubber composite electrode: Preparation and possibilities of analytical application

Composite electrodes were prepared using graphite powder and silicone rubber in different compositions. The use of such hydrophopic materials interned to diminish the swallowing observed in other cases when the electrodes are used in aqueous solutions for a long time. The composite was characterized for the response reproducibility, ohmic resistance, thermal behavior and active area. The voltammetric response in relation to analytes with known voltammetric behavior was also evaluated, always in comparison with the glassy carbon. The 70% (graphite, w/w) composite electrode was used in the quantitative determination of hydroquinone (HQ) in a DPV procedure in which a detection limit of 5.1 x 10(-8) mol L-1 was observed. HQ was determined in a photographic developer sample with errors lower then 1% in relation to the label value. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Formgivning av magasin i ett redaktionellt utvecklingsarbete

Tidningskompaniet, a publishing agency in Göteborg, has during the spring of 2003 developed a customermagazine for Göteborgsvarvet, a Half Marathon Race in Göteborg. If realized the magazine shallbe distributed to former participants of the race twice a year and will be financed by adverts.As part of the editorial concept, development of a graphic profile will be made for the magazine. Thisdegree project will result in the production of a »dummy« magazine to be presented to the client and tobe used by the advertisement sales people in their work.The magazine, named »Varvet«, will convey the message that anyone can run Göteborgsvarvet. Theintention is to give the magazine a »youthful and sporty« image.The work in this degree project has comprised designing the magazine in co-operation with an editorialconcept developer and a project leader at Tidningskompaniet, and also the production of 18 magazinepages including prepress work. The magazine has been made into a strictly sectionized product,with a mix of short and long articles with lighter material and strict how-to-do-it guides. The designhas been made to complement the editorial concept, with typography and colours that feel modern and»active«.The dummy magazine has been digitally printed using a Xeikon digital press and has been distributedto the client and the advertisement sales bureau.

Passive MVC och MVVM designmönster i Android : En jämförelse av kodkomplexitet mellan Passive MVC och MVVM

Det mobila operativsystemet Android är idag ett ganska dominerande operativsystem på den mobila marknaden dels på grund av sin öppenhet men också på grund av att tillgängligheten är stor i och med både billiga och dyra telefoner finns att tillgå. Men idag har Android inget fördefinierat designmönster vilket leder till att varje utvecklare får bestämma själv vad som ska användas, vilket ibland kan leda till onödigt komplex kod i applikationerna som sen blir svårtestad och svårhanterlig. Detta arbete ämnar jämföra två designmönster, Passive Model View Controller (PMVC) och Model View View-Model (MVVM), för att se vilket designmönster som blir minst komplext med hjälp av att räkna fram mätvärden med hjälp av Cyclomatic Complexity Number (CCN). Studien är gjord utifrån arbetssättet Design & Creation och ämnar bidra med: kunskap om vilket mönster man bör välja, samt om CCN kan peka ut vilka delar i en applikation som kommer att ta mer eller mindre lång tid att testa. Under studiens gång tog vi även fram skillnader på om man anväder sig av den så kallade Single Responsibilyt Principle (SRP) eller inte. Detta för att se om separerade vyer gör någon skillnad i applikationernas komplexitet. I slutändan så visar studien på att komplexiteten i små applikationer är väldigt likvärdig, men att man även på små applikationer kan se skillnad på hur komplex koden är men också att kodkomplexitet på metodnivå kan ge riktlinjer för testfall.

O jogo das interligadas: uma política pública em avaliação: a lei no. 10.209/86 do município de São Paulo: 1986-1993

Trata dos problemas de operacionalização da Lei Municipal n. 10.209 de 09 de dezembro de 1986, de seu aperfeiçoamento de 1988 a 1993 e dos resultados obtidos em habitações de interesse social doadas a Prefeitura pelos empreendedores imobiliários, em contrapartida a exceções à legislação de uso e ocupação do solo do Município de São Paulo.

The land assembly problem revisited

As in the standard land assembly problem, a developer wants to buy two adjacent blocks of land belonging to two di¤erent owners. The value of the two blocks of land to the developer is greater than the sum of the individual values of the blocks for each owner. Unlike the land assembly literature, however, our focus is on the incentive that each lot owner has to delay the start of negotiations, rather than on the public goods nature of the problem. An incentive for delay exists, for example, when owners perceive that being last to sell will allow them to capture a larger share of the joint surplus from the development. We show that competition at point of sale can cause equilibrium delay, and that cooperation at point of sale will eliminate delay.

A arquitetura jurídico-institucional de um ambiente de inovação brasileiro: o Parque Tecnológico de São José dos Campos.

O presente trabalho objetiva investigar a arquitetura jurídico-institucional de um ambiente inovativo denominado parque tecnológico. Este é um arranjo imobiliário que conta com os elementos da chamada tríplice hélice - academia, setor privado e Estado. Almeja a transformação do conhecimento em desenvolvimento, por meio de atividades fundadas em ciência, tecnologia e inovação (C&T&I). A pretensão é contribuir com a premissa de que esses arranjos são frutos da nova lógica econômica baseada no conhecimento e da atual concepção sistêmica de inovação que exige interdependência e interação dos seus agentes. Dentre esses destacamos, o Estado, por ser o ator mais paciente por resultados e o potencial idealizador, fomentador e articulador de processos inovativos sistemicamente pensados. A estratégia Estudo de Caso Único foi eleita para observar, em detalhes, a arquitetura jurídico-institucional do Parque Tecnológico de São José dos Campos, bem como para, a partir de um olhar jurídico-institucional, retirar aprendizados dessa experiência que possam ser aproveitados em novas modelagens de parques tecnológicos e de políticas públicas que focam a estruturação de ambientes inovativos sistêmicos. Foram priorizados exames qualitativos: (i) da sua fisiologia jurídico-institucional; (ii) dos agentes envolvidos e das respectivas amarrações jurídicas estabelecidas; (iii) da influência do Estado e das políticas públicas que o permeiam; (iv) do seu processo de implantação e desenvolvimento; e (v) dos desafios jurídico-formais e jurídico-institucionais que enfrenta. Compreendeu-se que parques tecnológicos são estruturados como arranjos híbridos, segundo a lógica da inovação em sistema, em que os elementos da tríplice hélice atuam em sinergia a partir da ativa atuação do Estado. Sua arquitetura jurídico-institucional decorre da aplicação de tecnologias de contratação e de regulação aplicadas em ambientes alicerçados em fatores institucionais específicos.

A feasibility study for modelling tie strength with the facebook API

This thesis examines the concept of tie strength and investigates how it can be determined on the fly in the Facebook Social Network Service (SNS) by a system constructed using the standard developer API. We analyze and compare two different models: the first one is an adaptation of previous literature (Gilbert & Karahalios, 2009), the second model is built from scratch and based on a dataset obtained from an online survey. This survey took the form of a Facebook application that collected subjective ratings of the strength of 1642 ties (friendships) from 85 different participants. The new tie strength model was built based on this dataset by using a multiple regression method. We saw that the new model performed slightly better than the original adapted model, plus it had the advantage of being easier to implement. In conclusion, this thesis has shown that tie strength models capable of serving as useful friendship predictors are easily implementable in a Facebook application via standard API calls. In addition to a new tie strength model, the methodology adopted in this work permitted observation of the weights of each predictive variable used in the model, increasing the visibility of the factors that affects peoples’ relationships in online social networks.

Rapid prototyping of ubiquitous computing environments

Ubiquitous computing raises new usability challenges that cut across design and development. We are particularly interested in environments enhanced with sensors, public displays and personal devices. How can prototypes be used to explore the users' mobility and interaction, both explicitly and implicitly, to access services within these environments? Because of the potential cost of development and design failure, these systems must be explored using early assessment techniques and versions of the systems that could disrupt if deployed in the target environment. These techniques are required to evaluate alternative solutions before making the decision to deploy the system on location. This is crucial for a successful development, that anticipates potential user problems, and reduces the cost of redesign. This thesis reports on the development of a framework for the rapid prototyping and analysis of ubiquitous computing environments that facilitates the evaluation of design alternatives. It describes APEX, a framework that brings together an existing 3D Application Server with a modelling tool. APEX-based prototypes enable users to navigate a virtual world simulation of the envisaged ubiquitous environment. By this means users can experience many of the features of the proposed design. Prototypes and their simulations are generated in the framework to help the developer understand how the user might experience the system. These are supported through three different layers: a simulation layer (using a 3D Application Server); a modelling layer (using a modelling tool) and a physical layer (using external devices and real users). APEX allows the developer to move between these layers to evaluate different features. It supports exploration of user experience through observation of how users might behave with the system as well as enabling exhaustive analysis based on models. The models support checking of properties based on patterns. These patterns are based on ones that have been used successfully in interactive system analysis in other contexts. They help the analyst to generate and verify relevant properties. Where these properties fail then scenarios suggested by the failure provide an important aid to redesign.

3D reconstruction through photographs

Humans can perceive three dimension, our world is three dimensional and it is becoming increasingly digital too. We have the need to capture and preserve our existence in digital means perhaps due to our own mortality. We have also the need to reproduce objects or create small identical objects to prototype, test or study them. Some objects have been lost through time and are only accessible through old photographs. With robust model generation from photographs we can use one of the biggest human data sets and reproduce real world objects digitally and physically with printers. What is the current state of development in three dimensional reconstruction through photographs both in the commercial world and in the open source world? And what tools are available for a developer to build his own reconstruction software? To answer these questions several pieces of software were tested, from full commercial software packages to open source small projects, including libraries aimed at computer vision. To bring to the real world the 3D models a 3D printer was built, tested and analyzed, its problems and weaknesses evaluated. Lastly using a computer vision library a small software with limited capabilities was developed.