The re-urbanization of the city center of Manaus , Brazil - Facing the challenges of informal settlements

Illegal occupation of urban land in Brazil is a widespread phenomenon. Slum dwellers are excluded from the attributes of urban citizenship although they provide the labor force required by low productivity urban services needed by cities. Illegal settlements generate multiple problems for the rest of the city . Its solution is of key relevance to the city in general but also provide an opportunity for the social and economic advancement of slum dwellers. The programs required to attain these results are complex and difficult to implement underscoring the challenges countries will face to attain the Millennium Development Goals of reducing the population living in slums.

Can microgrids make a major contribution to UK energy supply?

Almost all the electricity currently produced in the UK is generated as part of a centralised power system designed around large fossil fuel or nuclear power stations. This power system is robust and reliable but the efficiency of power generation is low, resulting in large quantities of waste heat. The principal aim of this paper is to investigate an alternative concept: the energy production by small scale generators in close proximity to the energy users, integrated into microgrids. Microgrids—de-centralised electricity generation combined with on-site production of heat—bear the promise of substantial environmental benefits, brought about by a higher energy efficiency and by facilitating the integration of renewable sources such as photovoltaic arrays or wind turbines. By virtue of good match between generation and load, microgrids have a low impact on the electricity network, despite a potentially significant level of generation by intermittent energy sources. The paper discusses the technical and economic issues associated with this novel concept, giving an overview of the generator technologies, the current regulatory framework in the UK, and the barriers that have to be overcome if microgrids are to make a major contribution to the UK energy supply. The focus of this study is a microgrid of domestic users powered by small Combined Heat and Power generators and photovoltaics. Focusing on the energy balance between the generation and load, it is found that the optimum combination of the generators in the microgrid- consisting of around 1.4 kWp PV array per household and 45% household ownership of micro-CHP generators- will maintain energy balance on a yearly basis if supplemented by energy storage of 2.7 kWh per household. We find that there is no fundamental technological reason why microgrids cannot contribute an appreciable part of the UK energy demand. Indeed, an estimate of cost indicates that the microgrids considered in this study would supply electricity at a cost comparable with the present electricity supply if the current support mechanisms for photovoltaics were maintained. Combining photovoltaics and micro-CHP and a small battery requirement gives a microgrid that is independent of the national electricity network. In the short term, this has particular benefits for remote communities but more wide-ranging possibilities open up in the medium to long term. Microgrids could meet the need to replace current generation nuclear and coal fired power stations, greatly reducing the demand on the transmission and distribution network.

Implications of climate change for expanding cities worldwide

This paper analyses the trends of the changing environmental effects within growing megacities as their diameters exceed 50–100 km and their populations rise beyond 30 million people. The authors consider how these effects are influenced by climate change, to which urban areas themselves contribute, caused by their increasing greenhouse gas emissions associated with rapidly expanding energy use. Other environmental and social factors are assessed, quantitatively and qualitatively, using detailed modelling of urban mesoscale meteorology, which shows how these factors can lead to large conurbations becoming more vulnerable to climatic and environmental hazards. The paper discusses the likely changes in meteorological and hydrological hazards in urban areas, both as the climate changes and the sizes of urban areas grow. Examples are given of how these risks are being reduced through innovations in warning and response systems, planning and infrastructure design, which should include refuges against extreme natural disasters. Policies are shown to be more effective when they are integrated and based on substantial community involvement. Some conclusions are drawn regarding how policies for the natural and artificial environment and for reducing many kinds of climate and hazard risk are related to future designs and planning of infrastructure and open spaces.

Climate change adaptation strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa: foundations for the future

Many institutions across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and many funding agencies that support them are currently engaged in initiatives that are targeted towards adapting rainfed agriculture to climate change. This does, however, present some very real and complex research and policy challenges. Given to date the generally low impact of agricultural research across SSA on improving the welfare of rainfed farmers under current climatic conditions, a comprehensive strategy is required if the considerably more complex challenge of adapting agriculture to future climate change is to bear fruit. In articulating such a strategy, it is useful to consider the criteria by which current successful initiatives should be judged.

What drives city branding?

The article revises the role of architecture and iconic buildings in the branding of urban spaces.

How remote are R&D labs? Distance factors and international innovative activities

This paper shows that value creation by multinational enterprises (MNEs) is the result of activities where geographic distance effects can be overcome. We submit that geographic distance has a relatively low impact on international research and development (R&D) investments, owing to the spiky nature of innovation, and to the unique ability of MNEs to absorb and transfer knowledge on a global scale. On the one hand, MNEs need to set up their labs as close as possible to specialized technology clusters where valuable knowledge is concentrated, largely regardless of distance from their home base. On the other, MNEs have historically developed technical and organizational competencies that enable them to transfer knowledge within their internal networks and across technology clusters at relatively low cost. Using data on R&D and manufacturing investments of 6320 firms in 59 countries, we find that geographic distance has a lower negative impact on the probability of setting up R&D than manufacturing plants. Furthermore, once measures of institutional proximity are accounted for, MNEs are equally likely to set up R&D labs in nearby or in more remote locations. This result is driven by MNEs based in Triad countries, whereas for non-Triad MNEs the effect of geographic distance on cross-border R&D is negative and significant.

A necessidade da reserva de área para o armazenamento de água no início do crescimento urbano

Atualmente, o desenho urbano tem sido realizado dentro de um âmbito restrito do conhecimento. Este não tem considerado aspectos de drenagem da água que trazem grandes transtornos e custos para a sociedade e o ambiente. O desenvolvimento urbano brasileiro tem produzido um aumento significativo na freqüência de inundações, na produção de sedimentos e na deterioração da qualidade da água. Tal situação é decorrente, na maioria dos casos, da ocupação intensiva do solo urbano. Assim, essa abordagem demonstra, inicialmente, uma visão sobre o desenho urbano e suas interfaces; particularmente as relacionadas com a geografia, o ambiente natural e o construído. Na seqüência, pretendendo atingir o enfoque interdisciplinar, aponta vínculos entre o desenho urbano e a hidrologia através de uma análise ambiental de bairros dos municípios de Porto Alegre e Lindolfo Collor, de modo a identificar relações com a utilização de uma variável - a superfície impermeável, procurando descrever o comportamento ambiental de bacias hidrográficas urbanizadas bem como mostrar a necessidade da reserva de área para armazenar água no início do crescimento urbano. Finalizando, apresenta os principais parâmetros ou características de desenho que deverão garantir a sustentabilidade urbana e hidrológica. Apesar de prematuro, pode-se afirmar que existem indícios para que a dissertação venha suprir algumas deficiências existentes no planejamento urbano-ambientalatualmente adotado.

Mecanismos técnico-institucionais para a sustentabilidade da drenagem urbana

A drenagem urbana, especialmente nos grandes centros, tem sido efetuada de forma não sustentável com contaminação e alterações no regime de escoamento superficial devido à impermeabilização de superfícies, e deposição de resíduos sólidos. Estas condições representam ameaça considerável ao homem e ao ecossistema do corpo receptor. O emprego de práticas sustentáveis aparece como caminho a ser perseguido, encontrando no Desenvolvimento Urbano de Baixo Impacto (Low Impact Development, LID) o conjunto de técnicas que mais se aproxima desta meta. LID objetiva atingir paisagens com funções hidrológicas, apresentando comportamento mais similar ao natural, por controlar não somente o pico de vazões, mas volume, freqüência/duração, além de qualidade dos escoamentos pluviais. Este tipo de desenvolvimento atua recuperando a capacidade de infiltração das superfícies urbanas, além de estimular o reuso de água, reduzindo os impactos, com ganhos econômicos e paisagísticos em comparação ao controle efetuado pelos métodos tradicionais de controle por condutos e mesmo detenções. A utilização desta nova tecnologia se aplica à implantação de novos desenvolvimentos e redesenvolvimentos, a priori, apresentando ainda vantagens para implantação destas em empreendimentos antigos com relação a métodos tradicionais Buscou-se, por intermédio deste estudo, avaliar os potenciais mecanismos técnicoinstitucionais que possam ser empregados na realidade brasileira, em especial em Porto Alegre, vislumbrando a implementação da sustentabilidade, assim como, avaliar as respostas obtidas da simulação numérica da implantação das técnicas de LID a um condomínio hipotético. Para tanto, fez-se necessário aplicar metodologia diferente da proposta pelos manuais existentes, em virtude da insuficiência destes em representar o comportamento dos dispositivos de controle do escoamento. Os resultados obtidos confirmaram a necessidade de revisão nos mecanismos para controle da drenagem vigentes, bem como, as vantagens de aplicação de técnicas que apresentam abordagem mais integradora e de escala menor.

Um olhar sobre o patrimônio histórico-arquitetônico de Assú/RN: análise com base na percepção dos usuários e no ponto de vista técnico

This research analyzes the actual Historic-Architectural Heritage of Assú City which is located in Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, the study is based on both Assú s residents perception and technician s viewpoint. It looks forward to expose this community s relationship with the existing number of historic buildings, the scale of people s identity to the place and the association of this perception toward the preservation and conservation s scale of the historic settlement. Since the contextualization of the degradation s process of central areas, the study draw nea initially the conceptual aspects, focusing on the debate about heritage and the preservationist practice. The work complements the discussion through an approach on people-environment relationship and environmental perception, considering relevant factors for planning process. The obtained and presented data had diagnosed the condition of the architectural pile and also allowed this work to formulate recommendations for the studied area and architectural set in order to contribute for future urban politics implementation that consider the building, which are not only important to the considered population, but to the Rio Grande do Norte s History, as well

Análise bioclimática do bairro do Renascença II São Luis-MA: realidade e perspectiva do conforto térmico em espaços externos

The present research concerns about outdoor s thermal comfort conditions in hot-humid climate cities, understanding that life quality is a result of the urban object s type built for the human being in an environment with specific climate and morphological characteristics. It is presented as object of study the correlation between the neighborhood Renascença II s microclimate in São Luis /MA-Brazil, hot-humid climate city, and its urban morphological changes. As well as the thermal comfort s satisfaction level of its outdoor users. The research has as general goal to diagnosis the way these transformations caused by the urbanization influence the Renascença II s microclimate, identifying critical spots of the studied area, in order to contribute with land use recommendations based on bioclimatic architecture concepts and supply bases to urban design decisions adequate to the São Luis climate. It is presented as theoretical bases the urban climate, its concepts and elements. After that, the thermal comfort conditioners and its prediction models of thermal comfort sensation in outdoor are presented. The predictive models are presented along with bioclimatic assessment methods. Finally the use of bioclimatic assessment as an effective tool to identify places that need changes or preservation in order to seek environment quality. The applied methodology was based on the studies of Katzschner (1997), complemented by Oliveira s (1988) and Bustos Romero s (2001) studies that suggest an analysis and evaluation of maps of topography, buildings floors, land use, green areas and land covering, in order to overlap their characteristics and identify climate variable s measurements points; then a quantitative analysis of the climate variables (air temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction) of the chosen points takes place. It was perceived that Renaissance II has no permanence areas as squares or parks, its outdoor has little vegetation and presets high land impermeability and built density levels. The majority of the people interviewed said that was comfortable in a range of air temperature between 27,28ºC and 30,71ºC. The elaboration of a neighborhood master plan is important, which defines strategies for improvement of the life quality of its inhabitants

A cidade-jardim de Ebenezer Howard: um estudo de sua influência para a circulação de ideias e modelos no urbanismo do século XX

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Clima urbano e vegetação: estudo analítico e prospectivo do Parque das Dunas em Natal

The present study deals with the relationship between urban vegetation and climate. The process whereby the Parque das Dunas a 1,172 ha green area in the city of Natal, State of Rio Grande do Norte exerts influence on the climate of the city is analyzed. The hypothesis on which the present work rests is that the green area referred to acts upon the climate of the city. The study is based on the analysis of climatic factors and elements of this green area and of the city of Natal. In order to give rise to final recommendations, a methodology grounded on a quantitative and qualitative standpoint has been used. The data were collected both within and without the limits of the Parque das Dunas area. Secondary and primary data resulting from the measurements taken by the researcher and her work group have been used. The aim was to contribute to the understanding of the influence of vegetation on the climate of a city having a warm and humid climate. A historical and environmental characterization of the Parque das Dunas was then sought. The local climatic factors and the elements of the climate have been studied within the scope of the city of Natal. A comparative study between the climatic elements within and without the limits of the Parque das Dunas area from the survey of technical data and the systematization of the information collected has been made, aiming at proposing a set of bioclimatic recommendations for the urban design in Natal. The results of such work allowed for the validation of the important role that the Parque das Dunas plays in the climate of Natal. This has led to the acknowledgement of the relevance of the green areas on the climate of cities. They bring about important benefits to the process of rendering agreeable the climate in the urban environment by providing pleasant microclimates that give a valuable contribution to the environmental comfort of urban nuclei having the same size of Natal

Análise comparativa entre simuladores de linha de fluxo e diferenças finitas para um reservatório de petróleo submetido a injeção de água

Water injection is the most widely used method for supplementary recovery in many oil fields due to various reasons, like the fact that water is an effective displacing agent of low viscosity oils, the water injection projects are relatively simple to establish and the water availability at a relatively low cost. For design of water injection projects is necessary to do reservoir studies in order to define the various parameters needed to increase the effectiveness of the method. For this kind of study can be used several mathematical models classified into two general categories: analytical or numerical. The present work aims to do a comparative analysis between the results presented by flow lines simulator and conventional finite differences simulator; both types of simulators are based on numerical methods designed to model light oil reservoirs subjected to water injection. Therefore, it was defined two reservoir models: the first one was a heterogeneous model whose petrophysical properties vary along the reservoir and the other one was created using average petrophysical properties obtained from the first model. Comparisons were done considering that the results of these two models were always in the same operational conditions. Then some rock and fluid parameters have been changed in both models and again the results were compared. From the factorial design, that was done to study the sensitivity analysis of reservoir parameters, a few cases were chosen to study the role of water injection rate and the vertical position of wells perforations in production forecast. It was observed that the results from the two simulators are quite similar in most of the cases; differences were found only in those cases where there was an increase in gas solubility ratio of the model. Thus, it was concluded that in flow simulation of reservoirs analogous of those now studied, mainly when the gas solubility ratio is low, the conventional finite differences simulator may be replaced by flow lines simulator the production forecast is compatible but the computational processing time is lower.