Investigating challenges and opportunities of water sensitive urban design for knowledge based development of Australian cities

A new approach that is slowly replacing neoclassical models of economic growth and commodity based industrial activities, knowledge based urban development (KBUD) aims to provide opportunities for citiesw to foster knowledge creation, exchange and innovation, and is based on the concepts of both sustainable urban development and economic prosperity; sustainable uses and protection of natural resources are therefore integral parts of KBUD. As such, stormwater, which has been recognised as one of the main culprits of aquatic ecosystem pollution and as therefore a significant threat to the goal of sustainable urban development, needs to be managed in a manner that produces ecologically sound outcomes. Water sensitive urban design (WSUD) is one of the key responses to the need to better management urban stormwater runoff and supports KBUD by providing an alternative, innovative and effective strategy to traditional stormwater management.

Evaluation of accessibility for knowledge-based cities

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to develop a framework for evaluation of accessibility for knowledge based cities. ----- ----- Design/methodology/approach: This approach notifies common mistakes and problems in accessibility assessment for knowledge cities. ----- ----- Originality/value: Accessibility plays a key role in transport sustainability and recognizes the crucial links between transport and sustainable goals like air quality, environmental resource consumption & social equity. In knowledge cities, accessibility has significant effects on quality of life and social equity by improving the mobility of people and goods. Accessibility also influences patterns of growth and economic health by providing access to land. Accessibility is not only one of the components of knowledge cities but also affects other elements of knowledge cities directly or indirectly. ----- ----- Practical implications: The outcomes of the application will be helpful for developing particular methodologies for evaluating knowledge cities. On other words, this methodology attempts to develop an assessment procedure for examining accessibility of knowledge-based cities.

Using a knowledge-based approach : the way healthy communities make decisions

The planning for Knowledge Cities faces significant challenges due to the lack of effective information tools. These challenges are magnified while planning healthy communities. The Australian Health Information Council (AHIC) concluded in its last report that health information needs to be shared more effectively (AHIC, 2008). Some research justifies the use of Decision Support Systems (DSS) as an E-planning tool, particularly in the context of healthy communities. However, very limited research has been conducted in this area to date, especially in terms of evaluating the impact of these tools on decision-makers within the health planning practice. The paper presents the methodological instruments which were developed to measure the impact of the E-planning tool (i.e., Health Decision Support System [HDSS])) on a group of health planners, namely, the Logan Beaudesert Health Coalition (LBHC). The paper is focused on the culture in which decisions were made before and after the intervention of the HDSS. Subsequently, the paper presents the observed impact of the HDSS tool, to facilitate a knowledge-based decision-making approach. This study is an attempt to make some contribution to the Knowledge Cities literature in the context of planning healthy communities by adopting E-planning tools.

Determining indicators of transportation disadvantage for establishing knowledge-based environments

Although, transportation disadvantage or imbalance between travel needs and supply of transportation system is a great harm to knowledge based environments, quantification and objectively measuring the state of transportation disadvantaged remain to be a great challenge for researcher due to its ambiguity. This poses questions of whether the current indicators are accurately linked with transportation disadvantages and the effectiveness of the current policies. Using current indicators of transportation disadvantages, the state of transportation disadvantage is often exaggerated due to limited afford has been put forward to provide clear assessment on the existed relationship between transportation disadvantage indicators with travel performance or capability. This paper proposes a structural equation model of transportation disadvantage using household variables gained from the 2006-2008 South-East Queensland Travel Survey (SEQTS). The underlying relationships between social economics and demographic characteristics of household with travel performance are modelled using a latent variable approach. The final model has been able to fit the data gathered from SEQTS and explained established links between key household factors with travel capability and determined key indicator of travel capability. The model recognises that travel capability is directly influenced by household factors; vehicle ratio, license possession, retirees and pensioners.

Knowledge based urban development in classrooms : planning Taipei's knowledge based development

Rapid urbanisation of the global population over the last two centuries has inevitably brought with it a number of challenges and opportunities for economic, environmental and social sustainability of regions. This is arguably a result of rapid globalisation and subsequent growth in knowledge and service based economic markets. This paper reviews the introduction of a specialised teaching structure where the concepts of Knowledge Based Urban Development and Knowledge Cities were taught to various students of the discipline of Urban and Regional Planning at the Queensland University of Technology, through their study tour to the city of Taipei, Taiwan. The concepts were conveyed under the name ‘Taipei Metropolis Knowledge Based Regional Planning Studio’ and its methodology reviewed a series of tasks that was considered to provide a stronger level of understanding of how Knowledge Cities and Knowledge Based Urban Development had been formed in some areas of Taiwan. Findings from this international collaborative planning studio indicate that students have gained a greater level of understanding and insight into planning systems and processes in a trans-cultural context. The students have also been exposed to ideas and knowledge that have challenged conventional perspectives and encouraged global awareness.

Project manager competencies in a knowledge-based society

The construction phase of building projects is often a crucial influencing factor in success or failure of projects. Project managers are believed to play a significant role in firms’ success and competitiveness. Therefore, it is important for firms to better understand the demands of managing projects and the competencies that project managers require for more effective project delivery. In a survey of building project managers in the state of Queensland, Australia, it was found that management and information management system are the top ranking competencies required by effective project managers. Furthermore, a significant number of respondents identified the site manager, construction manager and client’s representative as the three individuals whose close and regular contacts with project managers have the greatest influence on the project managers’ performance. Based on these findings, an intra-project workgroups model is proposed to help project managers facilitate more effective management of people and information on building projects.

Comparing: knowledge-based urban development of Vancouver, Melbourne, Manchester and Boston

The research reported in this paper introduces a knowledge-based urban development assessment framework, which is constructed in order to evaluate and assist in the (re)formulation of local and regional policy frameworks and applications necessary in knowledge city transformations. The paper also reports the findings of an application of this framework in a comparative study of Boston, Vancouver, Melbourne and Manchester. The paper with its assessment framework: demonstrates an innovative way of examining the knowledge-based development capacity of cities by scrutinising their economic, socio-cultural, enviro-urban and institutional development mechanisms and capabilities; presents some of the generic indicators used to evaluate knowledge-based development performance of cities; reveals how a city can benchmark its development level against that of other cities, and; provides insights for achieving a more sustainable and knowledge-based development.

Knowledge based urban development lessons from a non-western country : the Malaysia experience

Knowledge based urban development (KBUD) is seen as a new paradigm in urban planning and development which is now being implemented across the globe in order to increase the competitiveness of cities and regions. The KBUD concept has been widely applied in western and more developed countries over the last decade, and many have been proven successful. This paper, however, aims to provide an overview of the KBUD exercise in a context of a non western country scenario—Malaysia. Literature suggests that the urban development process in non western countries is different and very much focusing on physical elements. Whether this is the case or otherwise, this paper scrutinises the project of Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), Malaysia, which is regarded as one of the first large scale manifestations of KBUD exercise in South East Asia. Based on development policies analysis and results of the interviews with the major stakeholders, this paper investigates the application of KBUD concept within the Malaysian context by examining the development and evolution of the city of Cyberjaya—the leading intelligent city of the MSC project. In the light of the literature and case findings, the paper provides recommendations and lessons learned, on the orchestration of KBUD, for other non western cities and regions that are working hard to develop KBUD strategies, strengthening their sustainable socio-spatial policies and seeking a global recognition.

The role of HRM practices in building intellectual capital in knowledge-based teams

In this paper, we investigate the ways HRM systems support development of intellectual capital in teams in three case studies of knowledge-intensive firms (KIFs) in Denmark. By focusing on team composition and structure, findings build on the rapidly growing body of literature on HRM’s role in supporting intellectual capital development. Specifically, we make a theoretical contribution to this literature by identifying three distinct ways KIFs develop intellectual capital: 1) through HRM development systems that build relationship-centric team-based intellectual capital by targeting development of social capital; 2) through HRM employee relations systems that build human-centric team based intellectual capital by targeting human capital; 3) through a balanced approach to HRM that builds polycentric team-based intellectual capital through focusing on all aspects of intellectual capital. The findings also have managerial implications regarding the need to align team composition and structure, HRM systems, and intellectual capital focus to support development of team-based intellectual capital.

A business engineering approach to client relationship management in a knowledge based firm

This thesis examines Customer Relationship Management and how the capabilities of an organisation to innovate can be enhanced via its implementation in a Knowledge Based Firm. The research identifies current customer knowledge components within an organisation and identifies for future use, CRM components for implementation within a Knowledge Based Firm. Opinions from a panel of experts' are identified for best practice customer relationship strategy, the most important CRM processes and identification of customer knowledge components that will form the basis of implementing a successful CRM to gain a competitive advantage through enhancing the innovative capability for a Knowledge Based Firm.

Critical success factors for the implementation of a knowledge management system in a knowledge-based engineering firm

This research identifies factors that are crucial to the success of a knowledge management system (KMS) implementation in a prominent Australian engineering consultancy firm. The study employs the Delphi method to solicit the opinions of experienced market leaders in the Australian construction industry, and then benchmarks the organisational profile of the consultancy firm against the Delphi findings. From this comparative case study, recommendations are made pertaining to the organisational and cultural changes required within the consultancy firm in order to improve its readiness to successfully implement a KMS.