Considering the application of biophilic urbanism: A Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre discussion paper

Biophilic urbanism, or urban design which refl ects human’s innate need for nature in and around and on top of our buildings, stands to make signifi cant contributions to a range of national, state and local government policies related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Potential benefi ts include reducing the heat island effect, reducing energy consumption for thermal control, enhancing urban biodiversity, improving well being and productivity, improving water cycle management, and assisting in the response to growing needs for densifi cation and revitalisation of cities. This discussion paper will give an overview of the concept of biophilia and consider enablers and disablers to its application to urban planning and design. The paper will present findings from stakeholder engagement related to a consideration of the economics of the use of biophilic elements (direct and indirect). The paper outlines eight strategic areas being considered in the project, including how a ‘daily minimum dose’ of nature can be received through biophilic elements, and how planning and policy can underpin effective biophilic urbanism.

Finding the leverage point in the sustainability crisis: Global, national and regional Australian responses

From an economic perspective, the sustainability crisis is ultimately characterized by a worsening relationship between the resources required to support the global population and the ability of the earth to supply them. Despite the ever-increasing threat of a calamity, modern society appears unable to alter its course. The very systems which underpin global human endeavor seem to actively prevent meaningful change and the one irrepressible goal to which all societies seem to strive is the very thing that makes such endeavor ultimately life threatening: that of global growth. Using the Australian experience as an exemplar, this paper explores how the concept of growth infiltrates societal reactions to the crisis at various scales – global, national and regional. Analysis includes historic studies, a critique of current misconceptions around population demographics, comparative evaluation of various interventions in the Australian context and considerations around potential ways to address the crisis.

Planning, development and management of sustainable cities: A commentary from the guest editors

Cities are the most dramatic manifestations of human activities on the surface of the earth. These human-dominated organisms—i.e., cities—degrade natural habitats, simplify species composition, disrupt hydrological systems, and modify energy flow and nutrient cycling. Today, these consequential impacts of human activities, originated from population increase, rapid urbanization, high private motor vehicle dependency, deregulated industrialization and mass livestock production, are increasing exponentially and causing great deal of environmental, social, and economic challenges both at global and local scales. In such a situation, establishment of sustainable cities, through sustainable urban development practices, is seen as a potential panacea to combat these challenges responsibly, effectively, and efficiently. This paper offers a critical review of the key literature on the issues relating to planning, development and management of sustainable cities, introduces the contributions from the Special Issue, and speculates on the prospective research directions to place necessary mechanisms to secure a sustainable urban future for all.

Governance and regional planning outcomes: Using governance indicators to support a policy implementation approach

Regional planning faces numerous decision making uncertainties related to the complex interdependencies between urban and regional centres. Questions about how to achieve sustainable planning solutions across regions are a key uncertainty and relate to a lack of information about the actual achievement of outcomes as proposed by the objectives of a plan. Regional plan implementation and its impact on environmental, social and economic outcomes have been little explored within Australian urban and regional planning research. Despite a desire to improve the conditions across Australian regions, ambiguity persists regarding the results of regional planning efforts. Of the variables affecting regional planning, scholars argue that governance has a significant impact on achieving outcomes (see Pahl-Wostl 2009). In order to better analyse the impact of governance, we propose a set of governance indicators to examine decisions across regional planning institutions and apply this to governance models across Queensland’s regions. We contend that these governance indicators can support a more rigorous assessment of the impacts of governance models on plan implementation and outcomes. We propose that this is a way to better understand the relationship between planning and outcomes across urban and regional areas.

Improving SEA procedures within Italian regions: Towards a more effective evaluation of urban sustainability

Sustainable urban development, a major issue at global scale, will become more relevant according to population growth predictions in developed and developing countries. Societal and international recognition of sustainability concerns led to the development of specific tools and procedures, known as sustainability assessments/appraisals (SA). Their effectiveness however, considering that global quality life indicators have worsened since their introduction, has promoted a re-thinking of SA instruments. More precisely, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), – a tool introduced in the European context to evaluate policies, plans, and programmes (PPPs), – is being reconsidered because of several features that seem to limit its effectiveness. Over time, SEA has evolved in response to external and internal factors dealing with technical, procedural, planning and governance systems thus involving a shift of paradigm from EIA-based SEAs (first generation protocols) towards more integrated approaches (second generation ones). Changes affecting SEA are formalised through legislation in each Member State, to guide institutions at regional and local level. Defining SEA effectiveness is quite difficult. Its’ capacity-building process appears quite far from its conclusion, even if any definitive version can be conceptualized. In this paper, we consider some European nations with different planning systems and SA traditions. After the identification of some analytical criteria, a multi-dimensional cluster analysis is developed on some case studies, to outline current weaknesses.

Improving SEA prodedures within Italian regions: Towards a more effective evaluation of urban sustainability

Sustainable urban development, a major issue at global scale, will become more relevant according to population growth predictions in developed and developing countries. Societal and international recognition of sustainability concerns led to the development of specific tools and procedures, known as sustainability assessments/appraisals (SA). Their effectiveness however, considering that global quality life indicators have worsened since their introduction, has promoted a re-thinking of SA instruments. More precisely, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), – a tool introduced in the European context to evaluate policies, plans, and programmes (PPPs), – is being reconsidered because of several features that seem to limit its effectiveness. Over time, SEA has evolved in response to external and internal factors dealing with technical, procedural, planning and governance systems thus involving a shift of paradigm from EIA-based SEAs (first generation protocols) towards more integrated approaches (second generation ones). Changes affecting SEA are formalised through legislation in each Member State, to guide institutions at regional and local level. Defining SEA effectiveness is quite difficult. Its’ capacity-building process appears quite far from its conclusion, even if any definitive version can be conceptualized. In this paper, we consider some European nations with different planning systems and SA traditions. After the identification of some analytical criteria, a multi-dimensional cluster analysis is developed on some case studies, to outline current weaknesses.

Talking green: From Oz to Oz

This paper is an extension of Talking Green in Red States: Stories from the Great Plains (Gibson et al., 2014) that examined the communication strategies of planners involved in sustainability planning initiatives in the U.S. Great Plains. We expand these narratives beyond the Great Plains to Queensland, Australia by interviewing planners about their experiences when communicating and deliberating about issues of sustainability. Using a semi-formal structure, interviews are conducted as casual “coffee talks” (Maynard-Moody & Musheno, 2003). Together, these collected stories help us to understand how planners are “talking green” in conservative political atmospheres, across vastly differing geographies using an international comparative framework described by Reimer et al. (2014). The paper presents comparisons between the collected narratives, concerning similarities and differences in regard to the nuances of sustainability planning dialog. We relate the lessons learned about communication strategies of planners working in sustainability in Kansas and Queensland to the broader discourse of planning and politics, communicative planning and planning as storytelling, as they relate to sustainability planning in challenging situations. From this paper, the audience will better understand how: 1) to discuss environmental and sustainable planning in communities that have varying levels of distrust and suspicion towards these concepts; 2) to develop strategies to work around these planning communication issues, and; 3) international context affects these communication challenges.

The impacts of policy change on collaborative governance networks

For many complex natural resources problems, planning and management efforts involve groups of organizations working collaboratively through networks (Agranoff, 2007; Booher & Innes, 2010). These networks sometimes involve formal roles and relationships, but often include informal elements (Edelenbos & Klijn, 2007). All of these roles and relationships undergo change in response to changes in personnel, priorities and policy. There has been considerable focus in the planning and public policy literature on describing and characterizing these networks (Mandell & Keast, 2008; Provan & Kenis, 2007). However, there has been far less research assessing how networks change and adjust in response to policy and political change. In the Australian state of Queensland, Natural Resource Management (NRM) organizations were created as lead organizations to address land and water management issues on a regional basis with Commonwealth funding and state support. In 2012, a change in state government signaled a dramatic change in policy that resulted in a significant reduction of state support and commitment. In response to this change, NRM organizations have had to adapt their networks and relationships. In this study, we examine the issues of network relationships, capacity and changing relationships over time using written surveys and focus groups with NRM CEOs, managers and planners (note: data collection events scheduled for March and April 2015). The research team will meet with each of these three groups separately, conduct an in-person survey followed by a facilitated focus group discussion. The NRM participant focus groups will also be subdivided by region, which correlates with capacity (inland/low capacity; coastal/high capacity). The findings focus on how changes in state government commitment have affected NRM networks and their relationships with state agencies. We also examine how these changes vary according to the level within the organization and the capacity of the organization. We hypothesize that: (1) NRM organizations have struggled to maintain capacity in the wake of state agency withdrawal of support; (2) NRM organizations with the lowest capacity have been most adversely affected, while some high capacity NRM organizations may have become more resilient as they have sought out other partners; (3) Network relationships at the highest levels of the organization have been affected the most by state policy change; (4) NRM relationships at the lowest levels of the organizations have changed the least, as formal relationships are replaced by informal networks and relationships.

Analysis of governance for sustainability planning in the Cairns Region

The relationship between governance arrangements and sustainability planning outcomes in complex governance systems remains poorly understood, despite significant discussions of governance in the environmental management literature emerging in the last decade. In order to analyse and examine the relationship between the health of sustainability planning governance and decision-making outcomes, this paper applies the Governance Systems Analysis framework (GSA) in the Cairns region. This paper analyses the sustainability planning governance arrangements in the Cairns region by exploring the capacity, connectivity and knowledge use of institutions in the region to deliver desired sustainability planning outcomes. The paper finds that the planning for sustainability in the Cairns region is on a knife’s edge, and could fail or succeed to deliver its intended decision-making outcomes. The paper concludes with recommendations for governance reform for sustainability in the Cairns region.

Place quality and urban competitiveness symbiosis? A position paper

Urban agglomerations—where innovation and knowledge generation activities take place—are in a tough competition to become a major player in the global knowledge economy. It is claimed that soft measures—namely quality of life and place—help in fostering and attracting talent, and consequently draw investment to these urban localities. This paper aims to scrutinise the role of soft measures in supporting urban competitiveness through a critical review of the scholarly literature. The findings shed some light on whether there is a symbiotic relationship between place quality and urban competitiveness. The paper also points out directions for future investigations.

Mapeamento digital do uso da terra da cobertura vegetal no Parque Estadual da Serra da Tiririca (PESET) a partir de imagens orbitais de alta resolução.

No Brasil, entre as áreas protegidas e regulamentadas por lei estão às denominadas Unidades de Conservação (UC) e são definidas assim por possuírem características ambientais, estéticas, históricas ou culturais relevantes, importantes na manutenção dos ciclos naturais, demandando regimes especiais de preservação, conservação ou exploração racional dos seus recursos. O Parque Estadual da Serra da Tiririca (PESET), criado pela Lei 1.901, de 29 de novembro de 1991 localizado entre os municípios de Niterói e Maricá no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, enquadra-se na categoria de UC de Proteção Integral abrigando uma extensa faixa de Mata Atlântica em seus limites. Para a presente pesquisa foi feita uma classificação de Uso da terra e cobertura vegetal, refinada por pesquisas feitas através do trabalho de campo, que subsidiou a elaboração da proposta de Zoneamento Ambiental para o parque. O processamento digital da imagem foi feito utilizando-se o sistema SPRING desenvolvido pelo Instituto de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). A confecção dos mapas temáticos foi feita com apoio do sistema Arcgis desenvolvido pela ESRI. O Sistema de Informação Geográfica (SIG) foi empregado para as modelagens ambientais. Nessa etapa foram consideradas, de forma integrada, a variabilidade taxonômica, a expressão territorial e as alterações temporais verificáveis em uma base de dados georreferenciada. A tecnologia SIG integra operações convencionais de bases de dados, relativas ao armazenamento, manipulação, análise, consulta e apresentação de dados, com possibilidades de seleção e busca de informações e suporte à análise geoestatística, conjuntamente com a possibilidade de visualização de mapas sofisticados e de análise espacial proporcionada pelos mapas. A opção por esta tecnologia busca potencializar a eficiência operacional e permitir planejamento estratégico e administração de problemas, tanto minimizando os custos operacionais como acelerando processos decisórios. O estudo feito através da modelagem computacional do PESET apresentará o emprego das técnicas amplamente utilizadas no monitoramento ambiental, sendo úteis aos profissionais destinados à gestão e aos tomadores de decisão no âmbito das políticas públicas relacionadas à gestão ambiental de Unidades de Conservação.

土地利用总体规划环境影响评价指标体系研究——以邛崃市土地利用总体规划为例

土地利用是人类根据土地质量特性来开发利用土地，创造财富，满足人类生产和生活的需要，同时改善环境，满足人类生存需要的过程。土地利用总体规划是对未来各类用地在空间上、时间上作出总体的协调的预先安排，不仅受到一定历史背景的制约，同时也受影响于当前的社会经济发展情况。但是，国内传统的土地利用总体规划往往从狭窄的技术经济观点出发，对远期的生态环境问题、社会问题缺少考虑，将新的用地尽量安排在最便捷、最经济的地方。 由于土地利用总体规划对环境影响具有长期性、复杂性、综合性、有时还有不可逆转性等特点，迫切需要在编制土地利用总体规划时对规划区与土地利用有关的环境影响进行科学研究，把环境保护纳入土地利用活动的计划、决策和规划实施中，促进土地资源持续、协调的利用。为更好地进行土地利用总体规划环境影响评价必须首先建立相应的评价指标体系，而目前国内关于该项研究的理论和实践的相关报道都较少。 本论文在综述国内外土地利用总体规划环境影响评价的理论与实践的基础上，在国内第一批开展了相关领域的案例研究，采用理论研究和案例分析相结合的研究方法对土地利用总体规划环境影响评价方法和指标体系进行了研究，对邛崃市土地利用总体规划进行了环境影响评价，其研究的主要内容和论点如下: (1)第一次根据FAO 确定的五大原则，引入了生态用地的概念并按照价值模型构建了以土地资源可持续利用为目标的县级土地利用总体规划环境影响评价的指标体系。以生产性、稳定性、保护性、经济活力、社会可接受性五个方面作为指标层来度量土地利用总体规划的环境影响，并选取了土地利用率、土地整理率、水面指数、生态用地面积比例、耕地转化率、建设用地产值指数、公众满意度等21 个元指标作为具体的评价指标。该指标体系强调了规划方案的公众参与，便于充分吸收公众的意见和建议；并且评价指标获取容易，实用性较强。 (2)在土地利用总体规划环境影响评价方法上进行了有益的探索和尝试，由于土地利用总体规划环境影响评价的主要对象是几个拟定的规划方案，所以采用综合评分法（包括特尔斐法和层次分析法）和公众参与相结合的评价方法。应用上述指标体系和评价方法对邛崃市土地利用总体规划的三个方案进行了评价筛选，高方案最终得分为92.049；中方案最终得分为91.028；而低方案最终得分为95.541，为最优方案。 （3）开展了对土地利用总体规划替代方案和公众参与机制的研究，对公众参与的方式、程序及主要内容从理论和实践两方面进行了有益的尝试，收到了良好的效果。 （4）对邛崃市土地利用总体规划进行了环境影响评价，根据邛崃市的具体情况，对规划实施后可能造成的环境正、负面影响进行了分析和预测，提出了预防或者减轻不良环境影响的对策和措施。 Land use is a process, which is to develop land according to its mass property. Bycreating the wealth and improving the environment, it can meet the need of production,life and human survival. Land use planning, as a planning form to guide land use, issubject to the historical background, and influenced by development of economic andsociety. The land use planning in the past, from narrow economic technology view,lacking of concerning ecologic environmentand social problem, arranged new land in the most convenient and economic place. Because of complexity, comprehensive and sometimes irreversible characteristicsof environmental impact caused by land use planning which has been implemented, it isneed to carry on scientific research on environmental impact related to land use as theland use planning is forming, to bring environmental protection within the plan, policymaking and implementing of land use activity, promoting the sustainment, harmonious use of land resource. This paper, taking the readjustment of land use planning in Qionglai as an example,assessed its environmental impact of land use planning. The main contents and results arepresented as follows: (1) On the basis of the five criterions of AFO, for the first time propose county classoverall planning of land uses SEA index by inducting ecological land use andestablishing the Value factor system, according to Productivity criterion，Stabilitycriterion，Sheltered criterion，Economic livingness criterion，Social acceptabilitycriterion，the environmental impact of land use system was assessed by using Valuemodel. Through identifying the factors of environmental impact of land use planning, thepaper established the factor system of SEA of land use planning. From the land usefactors, 21 factors was chosen to assess the environmental impact degree of land useplanning, such as, index of land use degree, the rate of land collating, index of watersurface, the rate of ecological use land, cultivated land conversion ratio, forest landconversion ratio, public satisfaction degree and so on. These indexes make a point thatpublic participation of plan project fully absorb public idea and propose and the index easily get, better utility. (2) Attempt useful assessment method system of SEA of land use planning. In viewof there are no or almost no inevitable contact among the factors of SEA of land useplanning，we use AHP （Analytic Hierarchy Process） as the main assess method . Thereare three plans are compared in this paper apply the foregoing index and assessmentmethod. The high plan finally score is 92.049，while the middle plan is 91.028. The lowplan score is 95.541，is the best one，as the selected plan. (3) Carry on the research of the alternative scheme of overall planing of land useand public participation，to the fashion ，procedure and object matter carry out helpfulattempt from theory to practice，the results is good. （4）Took place SEA of Qionglai County overall planing of land use，according to thecircumstance of Qionglai，we analyze and forecast the positive and negative affect afterthe plan implement，and put forward the countermeasure and means to prevent or abatebad environmental impact.

Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS) fonds, 1954-2015, n.d.

Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society [PALS] held its first meeting at Brock University on June 21, 1976. Its first executive consisted of Robert Hoover, Rick Teather, Debbie Kehler and Bill Forster. Some objectives of the organization were "to seek the preservation of valuable farm areas from non-agricultural expansion and development and to foster development and support of federal, provinicial and local policy which will provide a secure financial future for farming." Gracia Janes and John Bacher are some of the organizations' well known advocates. The organization was active in raising public awareness of the issues surrounding encroaching development onto existing agricultural lands. The organization is still active today [2016] in educating the public and attempting to influence governments at all levels to protect valuable agricultural lands.

Avaluació per capacitat agrològica i capacitat de segrest de carboni dels sòls d’un transsecte de la comarca de La Selva

Aquest projecte es basa en obtenir informació dels sòls d’una zona representativa de la comarca de La Selva on hi trobàvem sòls amb diferents usos i diferents orígens geològics. Es pretén conèixer les propietats físico-químiques d’aquests sòls i la contribució dels diferents usos i orígens geològics del sòl respecte les emissions de diòxid de carboni. També s'avaluen les classes de capacitat agrològica i el coeficient de mineralització del carboni

Variació temporal de paràmetres de qualitat del sòl ocasionada per l’ús i abandó agrícola del Cap de Creus

Estudi i avaluació de les principals propietats del sòl i la dinàmica erosiva relacionades amb l’ús del sòl i l’abandó agrícola en diferents ambients de la península del Cap de Creus. Per dur a terme aquest estudi s’han seleccionat 7 ambients diferents representatius d’una seqüència d’usos fins l’abandó en diferents etapes de successió vegetal. Els ambients són diferenciats entre sòls cultivats (vinya i olivera), sòls forestals (sureda i pineda), pastures (prats) i matollars (Cistus monspeliensis i d’Erica arborea) respectivament cremat reiteradament i no cremat durant 25 anys. En cada ambient s’han instal.lat parcel.les d’erosió que permeten avaluar la producció de sediments i la mobilització de nutrients (carboni i nitrogen) durant els episodis de precipitació que generen escolament superficial