An integrated study of urban microclimates in Chongqing, China: historical weather data, transverse measurement and numerical simulation

Chongqing is the largest central-government-controlled municipality in China, which is now under going a rapid urbanization. The question remains open: What are the consequences of such rapid urbanization in Chongqing in terms of urban microclimates? An integrated study comprising three different research approaches is adopted in the present paper. By analyzing the observed annual climate data, an average rising trend of 0.10◦C/decade was found for the annual mean temperature from 1951 to 2010 in Chongqing,indicating a higher degree of urban warming in Chongqing. In addition, two complementary types of field measurements were conducted: fixed weather stations and mobile transverse measurement. Numerical simulations using a house-developed program are able to predict the urban air temperature in Chongqing.The urban heat island intensity in Chongqing is stronger in summer compared to autumn and winter.The maximum urban heat island intensity occurs at around midnight, and can be as high as 2.5◦C. In the day time, an urban cool island exists. Local greenery has a great impact on the local thermal environment.Urban green spaces can reduce urban air temperature and therefore mitigate the urban heat island. The cooling effect of an urban river is limited in Chongqing, as both sides of the river are the most developed areas, but the relative humidity is much higher near the river compared with the places far from it.

Network optimization for enhanced resilience of urban heat island measurements

The urban heat island is a well-known phenomenon that impacts a wide variety of city operations. With greater availability of cheap meteorological sensors, it is possible to measure the spatial patterns of urban atmospheric characteristics with greater resolution. To develop robust and resilient networks, recognizing sensors may malfunction, it is important to know when measurement points are providing additional information and also the minimum number of sensors needed to provide spatial information for particular applications. Here we consider the example of temperature data, and the urban heat island, through analysis of a network of sensors in the Tokyo metropolitan area (Extended METROS). The effect of reducing observation points from an existing meteorological measurement network is considered, using random sampling and sampling with clustering. The results indicated the sampling with hierarchical clustering can yield similar temperature patterns with up to a 30% reduction in measurement sites in Tokyo. The methods presented have broader utility in evaluating the robustness and resilience of existing urban temperature networks and in how networks can be enhanced by new mobile and open data sources.

Direito à moradia em cidades sustentáveis: parâmetros de políticas públicas habitacionais Natal 2013

The right to housing is included in several international human rights instruments and in Brazilian legal system integrates the constitutional catalog of fundamental social rights (art. 6) and urban development policy (art. 182 and 183). Besides, it is for all federative governments its effectiveness by building programs and improvement of housing conditions and sanitation (art. 23, IX), which justifies the investment in urban planning and public policy of housing affordability because they are tools for achieving this right. Newer strategies in this area have been based on tax incentives, combined with the mortgage as a way to induce the construction of new housing units or reform those in a precarious situation. However, there is still a deficit households and environmental soundness, compounded with the formation of informal settlements. Consequently, we need constant reflections on the issue, in order to identify parameters that actually guide their housing policies in order to meet the constitutional social functions of the city and ensure well-begins of its citizens (art. 182). On the other hand, the intervention of the government in this segment can not only see the availability of the home itself, but also the quality of your extension or surroundings, observing aspects related to environmental sanitation, urban mobility, leisure and services essential health, education and social assistance. It appears that the smoothness and efficiency of a housing policy condition to the concept of adequate housing, in other words, structurally safe, comfortable and environmentally legally legitimate, viable from the extensive coordination with other public policies. Only to compliance with this guideline, it is possible to realize the right to housing in sustainable cities

Sustentabilidade de cidades, inovação e competitividade - Explorando conceitos no caso Brasil

Competitiveness is the basis of economic progress of a country. Innovation is a cornerstone of competitiveness. The competitiveness of the countries has been assessed by studies of competitiveness through a comprehensive set of indicators, which year after year evolve and expand, with the incorporation of new indicators. Stands out in this expansion the integration of new indicators related to sustainability of cities. This short article will explore the concepts of Competitiveness, Innovation and Sustainability, and based on the description of the methodology of two major studies on Competitiveness, will demonstrate the growing importance of sustainability indicators for cities have been given for these studies. To illustrate the results of studies show Brazil. And finally, will seek to highlight the role of Information and Communication in this context. © 2012 AISTI.

Adensamento e habitação: a implantação do programa Minha Casa Minha Vida na cidade de Bauru (SP) sob a ótica da sustentabilidade

Pós-graduação em Engenharia de Produção - FEB

Regularização fundiária sustentável como instrumento para o direito à cidade: por uma nova ética urbana à luz de Ronald Dworkin

O presente trabalho realiza a análise dos processos de urbanização, cuja característica marcante é a segregação econômica, social e espacial da população de baixa renda, perceptível pelo fenômeno de periferização urbana vivenciado por este segmento social. Sem vias de acesso formal à terra urbana, a população de baixa renda residente em centros urbanos promove a ocupação irregular de áreas desprovidas ou carentes de infraestrutura e serviços urbanos, as quais, em geral, não são requisitadas pelo mercado imobiliário formal. A forma de apropriação desigual dos espaços territoriais é fruto do modo de apropriação do modo capitalista. Nesse contexto de desigualdade, exclusão, segregação se insere a questão da ocupação irregular nas margens de cursos d’água situadas no meio urbano, áreas estas especialmente protegidas pela legislação ambiental, tema que nos remete ao foco principal da dissertação: o estudo da possibilidade de implementação de ações de regularização fundiária sustentável em ocupações de interesse social, consolidadas em áreas urbanas situadas às margens de cursos d’água, analisada como instrumento de combate ao processo de segregação socioespacial vivenciado pela população de baixa renda em decorrência do processo de produção capitalista dos espaços urbanos. Para tanto, a partir da análise de casos concretos utiliza-se as ações de regularização como instrumento para a consecução do direito às cidades sustentáveis, albergado no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro na Lei nº10.257/2001, afirmando-o como um direito fundamental, a partir da teoria do jusfilósofo Ronald Dworkin. A problemática que a dissertação revela reside no aparente conflito ante a necessidade de atendimento dos direitos fundamentais das populações residentes destas ocupações e o dever de manutenção do meio ambiente ecologicamente equilibrado, cuja solução é pautada pelo sopesamento de princípios, e valores neles incutidos, com fundamento no conceito de direito como integridade, também desenvolvido por Ronald Dworkin.

Sustentabilidade urbana e as certificações ambientais na construção civil

There is a huge debate surrounding the sustainability issues, especially urban sustainability. This article seeks to establish a critique of models of sustainable cities and postmodern city structured by dispersed city model produced by the logic of capital, it is an effort to confront methodological theoretical models of two cities, the capitalist model of production space and model sustainable city, the dispersed city model against a model of the compact city. For example it was used as environmental certifications for building a label denoting sustainable building when actually articulate a series of symbols that mask and reaffirm their production processes from the perspective of capital cities

Princípios da cultura de paz e estratégias de sensibilização em relações públicas no Programa Cidades Sustentáveis

The proposal of this article is discuss about the concept of social responsibility in the context of the activity of Public Relations in order to verify how this concept is related to the notion of Peace Culture. It is a complex concept supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which, among other objectives, seeks to interpret and also paid up organizational objectives to local and global demands by articulating social actions that lead to a sustainable development and management of cities. For this, we will defend the use of audiovisual resource for awareness of stakeholders as a strategic tool in Public Relations for the efficacy of topics related to "Sustainable Cities Program”, about which we will briefly discuss. The Program is a nonpartisan initiative that focuses on the sustainable management of cities so it functions as a tool that assists municipal managers in making strategic decisions.

Integrated analisis of building and users: a way to reduce energy consuption

In many countries buildings are responsible for a substantial part of the energy consumption, nd it varies according to their energetic and environmental performances. The potential for major reductions in buildings consumption have bee well documented in Brazil. Opportunities have been identified throughout the life cycle of the buildings, due of projects in diverse locations without the proper adjustments. This article offers a reflection about project processes and how its understanding can be conducted in an integrated way, favoring the use of natural resources and lowering energy consumption. It concludes by indicating that the longest phase in the life cycle of a building is also the phase responsible for its largest energy consumption, not only because of its duration but also for the interaction with the end user. Therefore, in order to harvest the energy cost reduction potential from future buildings designers need a holistic view of the surrounding, end users, materials and methodologies.

Premio "Capitale verde europea". Studio di una politica dell'Unione europea in tema di sostenibilità ambientale con approfondimento terminologico sul minieolico.

This dissertation is divided into four chapters and combines the study of the European Green Capital Award with a terminology research on small wind turbines, a technical subject in the macro-area of sustainable cities. Chapter I aims at giving an overview of the development of environmental policies and treaties both at the international and European level. Then, after highlighting the crucial role of cities for the global environment, the chapter outlines the urban dimension of the EU environmental policies and defines the vision of a sustainable city promoted by the European Union. Chapter II contains an in-depth analysis of the European Green Capital Award and illustrates its aims, the entire designation process, its communication campaign and its evolution. Chapter III focuses on applicant, finalist and winning cities in order to study the aspect of participation in the competition. It also contains a detailed analysis of two European Green Capitals, i.e. Nantes and Bristol, who respectively won the title in 2013 and 2015. Based on a variety of sources, this chapter examines the successful aspects of their bids and communication campaigns during their year as Green Capitals. Chapter IV presents the terminology research in the field of small wind turbines and the resulting bilingual glossary in English and Italian. The research was carried out using two terminology tools: TranslatorBank and InterpretBank. The former is composed by two software programmes, CorpusCreator and MiniConcordancer DB, which were used to semi-automatically create specialized corpora from the Web and then extract terminology and occurrences of terms from the collected texts. The latter is a software which has been specifically designed for interpreters in order to help them optimize their professional workflow, from gathering information and creating glossaries on a specific subject to the actual interpreting task at a conference. InterpretBank’s tool TermMode was used to create a glossary with term equivalents and additional information such as definitions and the contexts of use.

Indicadores de sostenibilidad de la gestión integral de las aguas de lluvia en los entornos urbanos : aplicación a la ciudad de Zaragoza

En un contexto de rápido crecimiento de la población urbana y de cambio climático global, la consecución de un modelo de desarrollo sostenible pasa inevitablemente por construir ciudades más sostenibles. Basado en una intensiva impermeabilización de los suelos, el modelo actual de desarrollo urbano modifica profundamente el ciclo natural del agua en las ciudades. La drástica reducción de la capacidad de infiltración del terreno hace que gran parte de la precipitación se transforme en escorrentía superficial, que se concentra rápidamente originando grandes caudales punta. Además, el lavado de las superficies urbanas aporta altas cargas de contaminación a la escorrentía que producen importantes impactos en los medios receptores. Esta realidad motiva la realización de la presente tesis doctoral cuyo objetivo general es contribuir a la consecución de ciudades sostenibles a través de la gestión integral de las aguas de lluvia en los entornos urbanos. Con el objetivo prioritario de minimizar los riesgos de inundación, el enfoque convencional del drenaje urbano desarrolló las primeras soluciones en relación a los caudales punta, centralizando su gestión en el sistema de saneamiento e incorporando la escorrentía al mismo tan rápido como fuera posible. Pero en episodios de lluvias intensas la sobrecarga tanto hidráulica como de contaminación del sistema provoca un incremento de la vulnerabilidad de la población a las inundaciones, una falta de garantía de salud pública y graves impactos sobre los medios receptores. La aprobación en 1987 del CleanWaterAct en Estados Unidos, en el que se reconoció por primera vez el problema de la contaminación aportada por la escorrentía urbana, fue el punto de partida de un nuevo enfoque que promueve un conjunto de técnicas de drenaje que integran aspectos como cantidad de agua, calidad de agua y servicio a la sociedad. Estas técnicas, conocidas como Sistemas de Drenaje Sostenible (SUDS), son consideradas como las técnicas más apropiadas para gestionar los riesgos resultantes de la escorrentía urbana así como para contribuir a la mejora medioambiental de la cuenca y de los ecosistemas receptores. La experiencia internacional apunta a que la efectiva incorporación de los SUDS como sistemas habituales en el desarrollo urbano debe basarse en tres elementos clave: El desarrollo de un marco normativo, la aplicación de instrumentos económicos y la participación ciudadana activa en el proceso. Además se identifica como una de las líneas estratégicas para avanzar en la resolución de la problemática el desarrollo y aplicación de metodologías que apoyen el proceso de toma de decisiones basadas en indicadores cuantificables. Convergiendo con esta línea estratégica la presente tesis doctoral define unos indicadores de sostenibilidad focalizados en una temática no desarrollada hasta el momento, la gestión integral de las aguas de lluvia. Para ello, se aplica el marco analítico Presión-Estado–Respuesta bajo un enfoque que rebasa el sistema de saneamiento, enmarcando la gestión de las aguas de lluvia en las múltiples y complejas interrelaciones del sistema urbano. Así se determinan indicadores de presión, de estado y de respuesta para cada elemento del sistema urbano (Medio Receptor – Cuenca Urbana – Sistema de Saneamiento), definiendo para cada indicador el objetivo específico, la unidad de medición, la tendencia deseada de evolución y la periodicidad de seguimiento recomendada. La validez de la metodología propuesta se comprueba en el estudio de caso de la ciudad de Zaragoza. La determinación de los indicadores permite realizar un diagnóstico y definir unas líneas estratégicas de actuación que contemplan mejoras no sólo en el sistema de saneamiento y drenaje urbano, sino también en el marco normativo, urbanístico, económico, social y ambiental. Finalmente, se concluye que la integración de la gestión de las aguas de lluvia en las políticas de ordenación del territorio, el desarrollo de mecanismos de coordinación institucional, la mejora del marco normativo y la aplicación de instrumentos económicos son elementos clave para la gestión integral de las aguas de lluvia y el consecuente desarrollo de ciudades más sostenibles en España. In a context of rapid urbanization and global climate change, coping with sustainable development challenges requires the development of sustainable cities. Based on an intensive soil permeability reduction, the current development model deeply modifies the natural water cycle in the urban environment. Reduction of soil infiltration capacity turns most of the rainwater into surface runoff, rapidly leading to heavy peak flows which are highly contaminated due to the flushing of the urban surface. This is the central motivation for this thesis, which aspires to contribute to the attainment of more sustainable cities through an integrated management of rainwater in urban environments. With the main objective of minimizing floods, the conventional approach of drainage systems focused on peak flows, centralizing their management on the sewage system and incorporating flows as fast as possible. But during heavy rains the hydraulic and contamination overcharge of the sewage system leads to an increase in the vulnerability of the population, in regards to floods and lack of public health, as well as to severe impacts in receiving waters. In 1987, the United States’Clean Water Act Declaration, which firstly recognized the problem of runoff contamination, was the starting point of a new approach that promotes a set of techniques known as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS)that integrates issues such as quantity of water, quality of water and service to society. SUDS are considered the most suitable set of techniques to manage the risks resulting from urban runoff, as well as to contribute to the environmental enhancement of urban basins and of the aquatic ecosystems. International experience points out that the effective adoption of SUDS as usual systems in urban development must be based on three key elements: The enhancement of the legal frame, the application of economic tools and the active public participation throughout the process. Additionally, one of the strategic actions to advance in the resolution of the problem is the development and application of methodologies based in measurable indicators that support the decision making process. In that line, this thesis defines a set of sustainability indicators focused in integrated management of rainwater. To that end, the present document applies the analytical frame Pressure – State – Response under an approach that goes beyond the sewage system and considers the multiple and complex interrelations within urban systems. Thus, for the three basic elements that interact in the issue (Receiving Water Bodies – Urban Basin – Sewage System) a set of Pressure – State – Response indicators are proposed, and the specific aim, the measurement unit, the desired evolution trend and the regularity of monitoring are defined for each of the indicators. The application of the proposed indicators to the case study of the city of Zaragoza acknowledged their suitability for the definition of lines of action that encompass not only the enhancement of the performance of sewage and drainage systems during rain events, but also the legal, urban, economic, social and environmental framework. Finally, this thesis concludes that the inclusion of urban rainwater management issues in the definition of regional planning policies, the development of mechanisms to attain an effective institutional coordination, the enhancement of the legal framework and the application of economic tools are key elements in order to achieve an integrated rainwater management and the subsequent sustainability of urban development in Spain.

Del plan a la realidad: gobernanza y toma de decisiones en los procesos de regeneración urbana. El caso de Boston = From plan to reality: governance and decision-making in urban regeneration processes in Boston

En las últimas tres décadas, las dinámicas de restructuración económica a nivel global han redefinido radicalmente el papel de las ciudades. La transición del keynesianismo al neoliberalismo ha provocado un cambio en las políticas urbanas de los gobiernos municipales, que han abandonado progresivamente las tareas de regulación y redistribución para centrarse en la promoción del crecimiento económico y la competitividad. En este contexto, muchas voces críticas han señalado que la regeneración urbana se ha convertido en un vehículo de extracción de valor de la ciudad y está provocando la expulsión de los ciudadanos más vulnerables. Sin embargo, la regeneración de áreas consolidadas supone también una oportunidad de mejora de las condiciones de vida de la población residente, y es una política necesaria para controlar la expansión de la ciudad y reducir las necesidades de desplazamiento, promoviendo así ciudades más sostenibles. Partiendo de la hipótesis de que la gobernanza de los procesos de regeneración urbana es clave en el resultado final de las operaciones y determina el modelo de ciudad resultante, el objetivo de esta investigación es verificar si la regeneración urbana es necesariamente un mecanismo de extracción de valor o si puede mejorar la calidad de vida en las ciudades a través de la participación de los ciudadanos. Para ello, propone un marco de análisis del proceso de toma de decisiones en los planes de regeneración urbana y su impacto en los resultados de los planes, tomando como caso de estudio la ciudad de Boston, que desde los años 1990 trata de convertirse en una “ciudad de los barrios”, fomentando la participación ciudadana al tiempo que se posiciona en la escena económica global. El análisis se centra en dos operaciones de regeneración iniciadas a finales de los años 1990. Por un lado, el caso de Jackson Square nos permite comprender el papel de la sociedad civil y el tercer sector en la regeneración de los barrios más desfavorecidos, en un claro ejemplo de urbanismo “desde abajo” (bottom-up planning). Por otro, la reconversión del frente marítimo de South Boston para la construcción del Distrito de Innovación nos acerca a las grandes operaciones de regeneración urbana con fines de estímulo económico, tradicionalmente vinculadas a los centros financieros (downtown) y dirigidas por las élites gubernamentales y económicas (la growth machine) a través de procesos más tecnocráticos (top-down planning). La metodología utilizada consiste en el análisis cualitativo de los procesos de toma de decisiones y la relación entre los agentes implicados, así como de la evaluación de la implementación de dichas decisiones y su influencia en el modelo urbano resultante. El análisis de los casos permite afirmar que la gobernanza de los procesos de regeneración urbana influye decisivamente en el resultado final de las intervenciones; sin embargo, la participación de la comunidad local en la toma de decisiones no es suficiente para que el resultado de la regeneración urbana contrarreste los efectos de la neoliberalización, especialmente si se limita a la fase de planeamiento y no se extiende a la fase de ejecución, y si no está apoyada por una movilización política de mayor alcance que asegure una acción pública redistributiva. Asimismo, puede afirmarse que los procesos de regeneración urbana suponen una redefinición del modelo de ciudad, dado que la elección de los espacios de intervención tiene consecuencias sobre el equilibrio territorial de la ciudad. Los resultados de esta investigación tienen implicaciones para la disciplina del planeamiento urbano. Por una parte, se confirma la vigencia del paradigma del “urbanismo negociado”, si bien bajo discursos de liderazgo público y sin apelación al protagonismo del sector privado. Por otra parte, la planificación colaborativa en un contexto de “responsabilización” de las organizaciones comunitarias puede desactivar la potencia política de la participación ciudadana y servir como “amortiguador” hacia el gobierno local. Asimismo, la sustitución del planeamiento general como instrumento de definición de la ciudad futura por una planificación oportunista basada en la actuación en áreas estratégicas que tiren del resto de la ciudad, no permite definir un modelo coherente y consensuado de la ciudad que se desea colectivamente, ni permite utilizar el planeamiento como mecanismo de redistribución. ABSTRACT In the past three decades, the dynamics of global economic restructuring have radically redefined the role of cities. The transition from keynesianism to neoliberalism has caused a shift in local governments’ urban policies, which have progressively abandoned the tasks of regulation and redistribution to focus on promoting economic growth and competitiveness. In this context, many critics have pointed out that urban regeneration has become a vehicle for extracting value from the city and is causing the expulsion of the most vulnerable citizens. However, regeneration of consolidated areas is also an opportunity to improve the living conditions of the resident population, and is a necessary policy to control the expansion of the city and reduce the need for transportation, thus promoting more sustainable cities. Assuming that the governance of urban regeneration processes is key to the final outcome of the plans and determines the resulting city model, the goal of this research is to verify whether urban regeneration is necessarily a value extraction mechanism or if it can improve the quality of life in cities through citizens’ participation. It proposes a framework for analysis of decision-making in urban regeneration processes and their impact on the results of the plans, taking as a case study the city of Boston, which since the 1990s is trying to become a "city of neighborhoods", encouraging citizen participation, while seeking to position itself in the global economic scene. The analysis focuses on two redevelopment plans initiated in the late 1990s. The Jackson Square case allows us to understand the role of civil society and the third sector in the regeneration of disadvantaged neighborhoods, in a clear example of bottom-up planning. On the contrary, the conversion of the South Boston waterfront to build the Innovation District takes us to the big redevelopment efforts with economic stimulus’ goals, traditionally linked to downtowns and led by government and economic elites (the local “growth machine”) through more technocratic processes (top-down planning). The research is based on a qualitative analysis of the processes of decision making and the relationship between those involved, as well as the evaluation of the implementation of those decisions and their influence on the resulting urban model. The analysis suggests that the governance of urban regeneration processes decisively influences the outcome of interventions; however, community engagement in the decision-making process is not enough for the result of the urban regeneration to counteract the effects of neoliberalization, especially if it is limited to the planning phase and does not extend to the implementation of the projects, and if it is not supported by a broader political mobilization to ensure a redistributive public action. Moreover, urban regeneration processes redefine the urban model, since the choice of intervention areas has important consequences for the territorial balance of the city. The results of this study have implications for the discipline of urban planning. On the one hand, it confirms the validity of the "negotiated planning" paradigm, albeit under public leadership discourse and without a direct appeal to the leadership role of the private sector. On the other hand, collaborative planning in a context of "responsibilization" of community based organizations can deactivate the political power of citizen participation and serve as a "buffer" towards the local government. Furthermore, the replacement of comprehensive planning, as a tool for defining the city's future, by an opportunistic planning based on intervention in strategic areas that are supposed to induce change in the rest of the city, does not allow a coherent and consensual urban model that is collectively desired, nor it allows to use planning as a redistribution mechanism.

Improving urban park design: A comparative and analytical study addressing resources available and components necessary to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of urban parks

Urban parks have long been valued for the environmental, social, and economic benefits they provide. Increasingly, parks are also being recognized as features important for sustainable city design. This Capstone Project will identify, compare, analyze, and discuss means for designing sustainable urban parks. Recommendations for designing sustainable urban parks, based on project results, include: 1) ensure park features will support high levels of human activity; 2) use gravel to construct park trails; 3) purchase playground structures made of recycled materials; 4) plant a high number of perennials in flowerbeds and other vegetated areas; 5) plant climate-appropriate plants in vegetated areas; 6) ensure parks have high levels of plant diversity; and 7) develop future studies further exploring sustainable park design.

Envisioning urban sustainability

Envisioning sustainable cities through and exploration of key documentary films on urban development

Identificação do potencial renovável para produção de electricidade na perspectiva da microgeração

Tese submetida à Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e aprovada em provas públicas para a obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Energia e Ambiente (especialidade em Energia e Desenvolvimento Sustentável).