A decision support system for sustainable urban development : the integrated land use and transportation indexing model

Broad, early definitions of sustainable development have caused confusion and hesitation among local authorities and planning professionals. This confusion has arisen because loosely defined principles of sustainable development have been employed when setting policies and planning projects, and when gauging the efficiencies of these policies in the light of designated sustainability goals. The question of how this theory-rhetoric-practice gap can be filled is the main focus of this chapter. It examines the triple bottom line approach–one of the sustainability accounting approaches widely employed by governmental organisations–and the applicability of this approach to sustainable urban development. The chapter introduces the ‘Integrated Land Use and Transportation Indexing Model’ that incorporates triple bottom line considerations with environmental impact assessment techniques via a geographic, information systems-based decision support system. This model helps decision-makers in selecting policy options according to their economic, environmental and social impacts. Its main purpose is to provide valuable knowledge about the spatial dimensions of sustainable development, and to provide fine detail outputs on the possible impacts of urban development proposals on sustainability levels. In order to embrace sustainable urban development policy considerations, the model is sensitive to the relationship between urban form, travel patterns and socio-economic attributes. Finally, the model is useful in picturing the holistic state of urban settings in terms of their sustainability levels, and in assessing the degree of compatibility of selected scenarios with the desired sustainable urban future.

Developing regional precise positioning services using the legacy and future GNSS receivers

This paper presents an overview of technical solutions for regional area precise GNSS positioning services such as in Queensland. The research focuses on the technical and business issues that currently constrain GPS-based local area Real Time Kinematic (RTK) precise positioning services so as to operate in future across larger regional areas, and therefore support services in agriculture, mining, utilities, surveying, construction, and others. The paper first outlines an overall technical framework that has been proposed to transition the current RTK services to future larger scale coverage. The framework enables mixed use of different reference GNSS receiver types, dual- or triple-frequency, single or multiple systems, to provide RTK correction services to users equipped with any type of GNSS receivers. Next, data processing algorithms appropriate for triple-frequency GNSS signals are reviewed and some key performance benefits of using triple carrier signals for reliable RTK positioning over long distances are demonstrated. A server-based RTK software platform is being developed to allow for user positioning computations at server nodes instead of on the user's device. An optimal deployment scheme for reference stations across a larger-scale network has been suggested, given restrictions such as inter-station distances, candidates for reference locations, and operational modes. For instance, inter-station distances between triple-frequency receivers can be extended to 150km, which doubles the distance between dual-frequency receivers in the existing RTK network designs.

Impacts and opportunities : resident's view on sustainable development of tourism in regional Queensland, Australia

Tourism development is a priority for rural and regional areas of Australia. The challenge is how to develop the tourism industry in a sustainable manner. As part of a larger project investigating community perceptions of opportunities, strategies and challenges in regional sustainable development, this article explores participant's views and opinions of tourism development. Through purposive sampling, 28 local community leaders and residents in the Darling Downs region in Queensland, Australia, participated in four semi-structured focus groups. This paper focuses on two of these focus groups, where tourism was a critical issue. Participants were generally positive about the tourism industry and its impacts on their community, although they expressed several triple bottom line concerns about economic, environmental and scoial issues. Four key themes emerged: appropriate land use management, limited resources and ageing/insufficient infrastructure, preservaation of community heritage and lifestyle, and regional conflict. Residents supported sustainable tourism development and wanted to be more actively involved in decision-making, demanding greater transparency - and true engagement - from local government.

Sustainable urban infrastructure development in south east Asia : evidence from Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore

Many South East Asian cities have experienced substantial physical, economic and social transformations during the past several decades. The rapid pace of globalisation and economic restructuring has resulted in these cities receiving the full impact of urbanisation pressures. In an attempt to ease these pressures, cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur have advocated growth management approaches focussing especially on urban infrastructure sustainability. These approaches aim to achieve triple bottom line sustainability by balancing economic and social development, and environmental protection. This chapter evaluates three Asia-Pacific city cases, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, and assesses their experiences in managing their urban forms and infrastructure whilst promoting sustainable patterns of urban development.

Coordinated research skills training at QUT

Universities are wanting to drive research performance to new levels to increase competitiveness and secure additional research funding. Information technology departments, libraries and research offices are being tasked with the triple role of developing infrastructure, introducing new services, and raising researchers’ awareness and skill levels in the uptake of these services and related eResearch concepts in order to achieve institutional goals. The purpose of this poster is to provide an overview of the coordinated approach to the provision of research skills workshops and seminars provided to researchers and higher degree research (HDR) students at QUT. Seminars and workshops are provided by the Library in collaboration with High Performance Computing and Research Support (HPC) and the Research Students Centre. The sessions are findable and bookable via the Library’s KickStart system. A list of session topics is provided. The Research Support services web site brings together information on a range of research support services provided by the Library and HPC. Seminars and workshops are also available via a research training calendar system into which all sessions are populated, regardless of the provider. The Library and HPC are also undertaking a train the trainer program.

Survey of Spring Oats for Barley Yellow Dwarf Viruses in Illinois

During the spring of 1987, 1,215 samples of spring oats (Avena sativa L.) were collected in Madison, Champaign, Woodford, Warren, and DeKalb counties, Illinois. At each site on each of three sampling dates, 45 samples were collected (regardless of symptoms) in a W pattern in I ha and tested for the PAY, MAV, RPV, and RMV serotypes of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) by direct doubleantibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RMV was not detected at any location. PAY and RPV were detected at all locations, as early as 17 April in Champaign County. The incidences of P A V and RPV from all plants sampled ranged from 2 to 64% and from 2 to 88%, respectively. Highest incidences of both strains were in May samples [rom Woodford County. MAV was detected in lower incidences (2-16%) only in samples from the central region of the state (Champaign, Woodford, and Warren counties). The presence of MA V serotypes was confirmed in triple-antibody sandwich ELISA with the MA V -specific MAFF2 monoclonal antibody from L. Torrance. In the last previous survey for BYDV in Illinois during 1967-1968 (1), about 75% of the isolates were PAY and about 20% were RPV; single isolates of RMV and MAV were found. Twenty years later, 55% were PAY, 39% were RPV, and 6% were MAV.

Pedagogies of industry partnership

This chapter discusses the experiences of doctoral students who work across traditional disciplinary and university-industry boundaries. These new contexts for doctoral education are shaping how students are experiencing and responding to requirements for changing knowledge relationships. Drawing on Bernstein's discussion of pedagogic practice as being socially constructed, and his conceptual framework outlining the social implications of the weaker boundaries required for these knowledge relationships, we discuss students' descriptions of their topics, processes and challenges and show their strategies for performing scholarly research across these boundaries as key elements in the nature and achievement of “industry readiness”. In particular, we identify two key elements in the pedagogy of industry partnership: students’ understandings and management of the knowledge relationships involved in this work, and the dispositions they bring to bear in negotiating research and careers across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries.

Green buildings : a framework for social sustainability

Despite the ongoing debate surrounding climate change, sustainability is increasingly a key consideration for building owners and tenants with the ‘triple bottom line’ as desired outcomes. The triangulated social, economic and environmental goals of sustainability are now the mantra of many businesses. While much has been written of the benefits of green buildings to its occupants, comparatively fewer studies have been devoted to investigating the perceived drawbacks and measures to improve the social sustainability factor, i.e., user satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to consider the impacts of green buildings on its occupants by drawing together past empirical findings and summarizing the results. In addition, the paper will also present a case study of the Institute of Sustainable Development and Architecture, which is Australia’s first 6-green star, rated educational building. Through these methods, the paper will identify gaps between green building performance and user satisfaction. Thereafter, it will introduce a social sustainability framework that seeks to improve the social performance of green buildings. The 6-P model is a holistic framework targeting the following factors that can influence user satisfaction of green buildings. These factors are: public perception, price, policies, psychological, physical and personal.

Association between indoor air pollution measurements and respiratory health in women and children in Lao PDR

This article presents the results of a study on the association between measured air pollutants and the respiratory health of resident women and children in Lao PDR, one of the least developed countries in Southeast Asia. The study, commissioned by the World Health Organisation, included PM10, CO and NO2 measurements made inside 181 dwellings in nine districts within two provinces in Lao PDR over a 5- month period (12/05–04/06), and respiratory health information (via questionnaires and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) measurements) for all residents in the same dwellings. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated separately for each health outcome using binary logistic regression. There was a strong and consistent positive association between NO2 and CO for almost all questionnaire-based health outcomes for both women and children. Women in dwellings with higher measured NO2 had more than triple of the odds of almost all of the health outcomes, and higher concentrations of NO2 and CO were significantly associated with lower PEFR. This study supports a growing literature confirming the role of indoor air pollution in the burden of respiratory disease in developing countries. The results will directly support changes in health and housing policy in Lao PDR.

Unsteady natural convection in a triangular enclosure under isothermal heating

The fluid flow and heat transfer inside a triangular enclosure due to instantaneous heating on the inclined walls are investigated using an improved scaling analysis and direct numerical simulations. The development of the unsteady natural convection boundary layer under the inclined walls may be classified into three distinct stages including a start-up stage, a transitional stage and a steady state stage, which can be clearly identified in the analytical and numerical results. A new triple-layer integral approach of scaling analysis has been considered to obtain major scaling relations of the velocity, thicknesses, Nusselt number and the flow development time of the natural convection boundary layer and verified by direct numerical simulations over a wide range of flow parameters.

Turbulent velocity and suspended sediment concentration measurements in an urban environment of the Brisbane River Flood Plain at Gardens Point on 12-13 January 2011

The flood flow in urbanised areas constitutes a major hazard to the population and infrastructure as seen during the summer 2010-2011 floods in Queensland (Australia). Flood flows in urban environments have been studied relatively recently, although no study considered the impact of turbulence in the flow. During the 12-13 January 2011 flood of the Brisbane River, some turbulence measurements were conducted in an inundated urban environment in Gardens Point Road next to Brisbane's central business district (CBD) at relatively high frequency (50 Hz). The properties of the sediment flood deposits were characterised and the acoustic Doppler velocimeter unit was calibrated to obtain both instantaneous velocity components and suspended sediment concentration in the same sampling volume with the same temporal resolution. While the flow motion in Gardens Point Road was subcritical, the water elevations and velocities fluctuated with a distinctive period between 50 and 80 s. The low frequency fluctuations were linked with some local topographic effects: i.e, some local choke induced by an upstream constriction between stairwells caused some slow oscillations with a period close to the natural sloshing period of the car park. The instantaneous velocity data were analysed using a triple decomposition, and the same triple decomposition was applied to the water depth, velocity flux, suspended sediment concentration and suspended sediment flux data. The velocity fluctuation data showed a large energy component in the slow fluctuation range. For the first two tests at z = 0.35 m, the turbulence data suggested some isotropy. At z = 0.083 m, on the other hand, the findings indicated some flow anisotropy. The suspended sediment concentration (SSC) data presented a general trend with increasing SSC for decreasing water depth. During a test (T4), some long -period oscillations were observed with a period about 18 minutes. The cause of these oscillations remains unknown to the authors. The last test (T5) took place in very shallow waters and high suspended sediment concentrations. It is suggested that the flow in the car park was disconnected from the main channel. Overall the flow conditions at the sampling sites corresponded to a specific momentum between 0.2 to 0.4 m2 which would be near the upper end of the scale for safe evacuation of individuals in flooded areas. But the authors do not believe the evacuation of individuals in Gardens Point Road would have been safe because of the intense water surges and flow turbulence. More generally any criterion for safe evacuation solely based upon the flow velocity, water depth or specific momentum cannot account for the hazards caused by the flow turbulence, water depth fluctuations and water surges.

Pattern recognition using invariants defined from higher order spectra : 2-D image inputs

A new algorithm for extracting features from images for object recognition is described. The algorithm uses higher order spectra to provide desirable invariance properties, to provide noise immunity, and to incorporate nonlinearity into the feature extraction procedure thereby allowing the use of simple classifiers. An image can be reduced to a set of 1D functions via the Radon transform, or alternatively, the Fourier transform of each 1D projection can be obtained from a radial slice of the 2D Fourier transform of the image according to the Fourier slice theorem. A triple product of Fourier coefficients, referred to as the deterministic bispectrum, is computed for each 1D function and is integrated along radial lines in bifrequency space. Phases of the integrated bispectra are shown to be translation- and scale-invariant. Rotation invariance is achieved by a regrouping of these invariants at a constant radius followed by a second stage of invariant extraction. Rotation invariance is thus converted to translation invariance in the second step. Results using synthetic and actual images show that isolated, compact clusters are formed in feature space. These clusters are linearly separable, indicating that the nonlinearity required in the mapping from the input space to the classification space is incorporated well into the feature extraction stage. The use of higher order spectra results in good noise immunity, as verified with synthetic and real images. Classification of images using the higher order spectra-based algorithm compares favorably to classification using the method of moment invariants

Scaling analysis of the unsteady natural convection boundary layer adjacent to an inclined plate for Pr > 1 following instantaneous heating

The unsteady natural convection boundary layer adjacent to an instantaneously heated inclined plate is investigated using an improved scaling analysis and direct numerical simulations. The development of the unsteady natural convection boundary layer following instantaneous heating may be classified into three distinct stages including a start-up stage, a transitional stage and a steady state stage, which can be clearly identified in the analytical and numerical results. Major scaling relations of the velocity and thicknesses and the flow development time of the natural convection boundary layer are obtained using triple-layer integral solutions and verified by direct numerical simulations over a wide range of flow parameters.

Development of the rural statistical sustainability framework tool

It is important to promote a sustainable development approach to ensure that economic, environmental and social developments are maintained in balance. Sustainable development and its implications are not just a global concern, it also affects Australia. In particular, rural Australian communities are facing various economic, environmental and social challenges. Thus, the need for sustainable development in rural regions is becoming increasingly important. To promote sustainable development, proper frameworks along with the associated tools optimised for the specific regions, need to be developed. This will ensure that the decisions made for sustainable development are evidence based, instead of subjective opinions. To address these issues, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), through an Australian Research Council (ARC) linkage grant, has initiated research into the development of a Rural Statistical Sustainability Framework (RSSF) to aid sustainable decision making in rural Queensland. This particular branch of the research developed a decision support tool that will become the integrating component of the RSSF. This tool is developed on the web-based platform to allow easy dissemination, quick maintenance and to minimise compatibility issues. The tool is developed based on MapGuide Open Source and it follows the three-tier architecture: Client tier, Web tier and the Server tier. The developed tool is interactive and behaves similar to a familiar desktop-based application. It has the capability to handle and display vector-based spatial data and can give further visual outputs using charts and tables. The data used in this tool is obtained from the QUT research team. Overall the tool implements four tasks to help in the decision-making process. These are the Locality Classification, Trend Display, Impact Assessment and Data Entry and Update. The developed tool utilises open source and freely available software and accounts for easy extensibility and long-term sustainability.