‘I could eat a horse’! : meal planning determines meal size

Evidence that our food environment can affect meal size is often taken to indicate a failure of ‘conscious control’. By contrast, our research suggests that ‘expected satiation’ (fullness that a food is expected to confer) predicts self-selected meal size. However, the role of meal planning as a determinant of actual meal size remains unresolved, as does the extent to which meal planning is commonplace outside the laboratory. Here, we quantified meal planning and its relation to meal size in a large-cohort study. Participants (N= 764; 25.6 yrs, 78% female) completed a questionnaire containing items relating to their last meal. The majority (91%) of meals were consumed in their entirety. Furthermore, in 92% of these cases the participants decided to consume the whole meal, even before it began. A second major objective was to explore the prospect that meal plans are revised based on within-meal experience (e.g., development of satiation). Only 8% of participants reported ‘unexpected’ satiation that caused them to consume less than anticipated. Moreover, at the end of the meal 57% indicated that they were not fully satiated, and 29% continued eating beyond comfortable satiation (often to avoid wasting food). This pattern was neither moderated by BMI nor dieting status, and was observed across meal types. Together, these data indicate that meals are often planned and that planning corresponds closely with amount consumed. By contrast, we find limited evidence for within-meal modification of these plans, suggesting that ‘pre-meal cognition’ is an important determinant of meal size in humans.

Re-thinking how we plan to address technically complex problems : drawing on planning theory to guide practice in revision of land use plans in coastal high hazard zones

Queensland's new State Planning Policy for Coastal Protection, released in March and approved in April 2011 as part of the Queensland Coastal Plan, stipulates that local governments prepare and implement adaptation strategies for built up areas projected to be subject to coastal hazards between present day and 2100. Urban localities within the delineated coastal high hazard zone (as determined by models incorporating a 0.8 meter rise in sea level and a 10% increase in the maximum cyclone activity) will be required to re-evaluate their plans to accommodate growth, revising land use plans to minimise impacts of anticipated erosion and flooding on developed areas and infrastructure. While implementation of such strategies would aid in avoidance or minimisation of risk exposure, communities are likely to face significant challenges in such implementation, especially as development in Queensland is so intensely focussed upon its coasts with these new policies directing development away from highly desirable waterfront land. This paper examines models of planning theory to understand how we plan when faced with technically complex problems towards formulation of a framework for evaluating and improving practice.

Knowledge-based urban development processes of an emerging knowledge city : Brisbane, Australia

In the global knowledge economy, to attract and retain knowledge-intensive industries and workers, cities produce various development strategies. Such strategising is an important development mechanism for cities to complete their transformation into knowledge cities. This paper discusses the critical connections between knowledge city foundations and integrated knowledge-based urban development strategies, and scrutinises Brisbane’s strategies in attracting and retaining investment and talent. The paper introduces a knowledge-based urban development assessment framework and uses this framework to provide a clearer understanding of Brisbane’s knowledge-based development processes and knowledge city transformation experience. The assessment framework particularly focuses on examining Brisbane’s four development processes, institutional, economic, socio-cultural and urban development, in detail. The findings reveal that although Brisbane is still in early stages of its transformation into a fully-fledged knowledge city, global orientation and achievements of Brisbane in strategising knowledge-based urban development are noteworthy.

The role of universities in building prosperous knowledge cities : the Malaysian experience

This paper explores the role and importance of universities, particularly in the Malaysian context, for building prosperous knowledge cities of the rising knowledge economy. It aims to shed light on how universities contribute to the knowledge-based development of Malaysian cities by undertaking a case study investigation. In the case of Bandar Seri Iskandar, the paper scrutinises the creation – from scratch – of a knowledge city, including the establishment of new public and private universities and hence providing a unique opportunity to understand how the idea of the knowledge economy has permeated economic development policy within a developing country context. The research findings reveal that in Malaysia, much like many of the developed countries, universities are being positioned to play a major role in supporting knowledge city (trans)formation. While there has been a tangible success on the spatial development based on a rapid land use change towards accommodating knowledge-intensive land use and activities, the research reports that a more concerted and coordinated effort from academia, public and private sectors are needed to further foster the growth and development of economical, environmental, institutional and social aspects of Bandar Seri Iskandar to become a fully functioning prosperous knowledge city.

Contributions of knowledge-based foundations of universities in knowledge city formation : a Malaysian case study

Purpose – In the 21st Century, as knowledge, technology and education are widely accepted to play key roles in the local economic development, the importance of making space and place for knowledge production is, therefore, on the rise resulting many city administrations and urban policy-makers worldwide restructuring their cities to become highly competitive and creative. Consequently, this has led to a new type of city form, knowledge city, and a new approach in their development, knowledge-based urban development. In this context, knowledge-based foundations of universities are regarded as one of the key elements for knowledge-based urban development and knowledge city formation due to their ability to provide a strong platform for knowledge generation, marketing and transfer. This paper aims to investigate the role and importance of universities and their knowledge-based foundations in the context of developing countries, particularly in Malaysia, in building prosperous knowledge cities of the era of the knowledge economy. Design/Methodology/Approach – The main methodological techniques employed in this research includes: a thorough review of the literature on the role of universities in spatial and socio-economic development of cities; a best practice analysis and policy review of urban and regional development policies targeting to use of university clusters in leveraging knowledge-based development, and; a case study in Malaysia with a review of various policy documents and strategic plans of the local universities and local and state authorities, interviews with key actors, and a trend analysis of local socio-economic and spatial changes. Originality/Value – This paper reports the findings of a pioneering research on examining the role and impact of universities and their knowledge-based foundations, in the context of Malaysia, in building knowledge cities of the era of the knowledge economy. By undertaking a case study investigation in Bandar Seri Iskandar, which is a newly emerging Malaysian knowledge city, located in Perak, Malaysia, the paper sheds light on an important issue of the 21st Century of how universities contribute to the knowledge-based development of cities. Practical Implications – Universities with their rich knowledge-based foundations are increasingly being recognised as knowledge hubs, exercising a strong influence in the intellectual vitality of the city where they are embedded. This paper reveals that universities, in joint action with business and society at large, are necessary prerequisites for constructing and maintaining knowledge societies and, therefore, building prosperous knowledge cities. In light of the literature and case findings, the paper sheds light on the contribution of knowledge-based foundations of universities in knowledge city formation and provides generic recommendations for cities and regions seeking knowledge city transformation.

Planning for knowledge based urban development in Malaysia : Cyberjaya @ Multimedia Super Corridor

Knowledge based urban development (KBUD) is a new paradigm in urban planning tailoring to the era of knowledge economy. It aims mainly to assist a contemporary city to promote a more sustainable socio-spatial order. The paper reports on the investigation of KBUD initiative in Malaysia which is manifested through the establishment of a project called Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC). MSC Malaysia aims to attract knowledge workers and industries to invest and operate within the area by creating a world class urban corridor with state-of-the-art multimedia infrastructure, efficient transportation system and an attractive living environment. Based on documents analysis and interviews, this paper analyses the strategies, implementations, and achievements of KBUD initiative in Cyberjaya, being the leading intelligent city of the unique Malaysia’s KBUD project-MSC Malaysia. A critical evaluation is made to assess the achievements of MSC, by looking at the physical changes after about ten years since its official launching. The findings recommend some valuable lessons for other cities that strive to develop KBUD strategies, strengthen their sustainable socio-spatial policies, and seek a global recognition.

A human capital framework : designed for convergence

The 21" century business environment is dominated by unprecedented change across a broad spectrum of social, economic, technological and cultural factors (Nowotny, Scott & Gibbons 2001). Among these, two broad trends -economic globalisation and rising knowledge intensity (Hart 2006)have come to distinguish organisational life. Under the weight of these transformational influences, the developed world, it seems, has arrived at a transformational moment. The far-reaching effects of the global financial crisis and its shadowy twin: the threat of a double dip recession, continue to exert an unsteadying influence on global and corporate finances. Growth in developed economies has slumped, share prices have declined, the market value of corporations has slipped and unemployment rates, in the vast majority of developed economies, have risen. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth has retreated from the strong growth experienced in the late 1990s to negative growth in 2009 and a sluggish and unsteady recovery in 2010. In response, the reach of Government in terms of its participation in markets has been extended, bringing with it the need to transition to new governance and regulatory arrangements. Ongoing concerns regarding the pace and sustainability of the recovery remains a front-of-mind concern with bailouts, buybacks, borrowings and BP dominating news services: 'We are witnessing the reweaving of the social, political and economic fabric that binds our planet, with long-term consequences that are as or more profound than those of the industrial era' (Tapscott & Williams 2006, p. 59).

Choosing landmarks for risky planning

This work examines the effect of landmark placement on the efficiency and accuracy of risk-bounded searches over probabilistic costmaps for mobile robot path planning. In previous work, risk-bounded searches were shown to offer in excess of 70% efficiency increases over normal heuristic search methods. The technique relies on precomputing distance estimates to landmarks which are then used to produce probability distributions over exact heuristics for use in heuristic searches such as A* and D*. The location and number of these landmarks therefore influence greatly the efficiency of the search and the quality of the risk bounds. Here four new methods of selecting landmarks for risk based search are evaluated. Results are shown which demonstrate that landmark selection needs to take into account the centrality of the landmark, and that diminishing rewards are obtained from using large numbers of landmarks.

Path planning using surface shape and ground properties

This paper presents a path planning technique for ground vehicles that accounts for the dynamics of the vehicle, the topography of the terrain and the wheel/ground interaction properties such as friction. The first two properties can be estimated using well known sensors and techniques, but the third is not often estimated even though it has a significant effect on the motion of a high-speed vehicle. We introduce a technique which allows the estimation of wheel slip from which frictional parameters can be inferred. We present simulation results which show the importance of modelling topography and ground properties and experimental results which show how ground properties can be estimated along a 350m outdoor traverse.

Social Procurement: Promoting the sustainability of NPOs through the transformation of economic, social and cultural capital

Social procurement provides a key source of income for the Third Sector, and is vital for the sustainability of many nonprofit organisations. Social procurement involves the exchange of economic capital from one organisation, typically government (although for-profit and non-profit organisations can also purchase), with a nonprofit organisations in order to deliver other forms of. It is this transformation of economic capital into other forms of capital (cultural, human, social) in the social procurement process, which is the focus of this paper. Four case studies, which are representative of the four main types of social procurement, will be examined in order to trace how economic capital is transformed into other types of capital in each of these cases. In so doing, the paper will advance our understanding of social procurement theoretically, and lead to a wider discussion about the role of social procurement in ensuring the sustainability of nonprofit organisations, and the civil societies in which they operate.

Planning and evaluation

- identify the importance of planning and evaluation in public health practice - recognise the links between planning and evaluation through the presentation of relevant models - identify the core concepts of needs assessment in public health - describe the evaluation cycle and the importance of an evaluation plan - understand evaluation designs and their application in practice.

Urban food futures : ICTs and opportunities

Food is a vital foundation of all human life. It is essential to a myriad of political, socio-cultural, economic and environmental practices throughout history. However, those practices of food production, consumption, and distribution have the potential to now go through immensely transformative shifts as network technologies become increasingly embedded in every domain of contemporary life. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are one of the key foundations of global functionality and sustenance today and undoubtedly will continue to present new challenges and opportunities for the future. As such, this Symposium will bring together leading scholars across disciplines to address challenges and opportunities at the intersection of food and ICTs in everyday urban environment. In particular, the discussion will revolve around the question: What are the key roles that network technologies play in re-shaping the food systems at micro- to macroscopic level? The symposium will contribute a unique perspective on urban food futures through the lens of network society paradigm where ICTs enable innovations in production, organisation, and communication within society. Some of the topics addressed will include encouraging transparency in food commodity chains; value of cultural understanding and communication in global food sustainability; and technologies to social inclusion; all of which evoke and examine the question surrounding networked individuals as changes catalysts for urban food futures. The event will provide an avenue for new discussions and speculations on key issues surrounding urban food futures in the network era, with a particular focus on bottom-up micro actions that challenge the existing food systems towards a broader sociocultural, political, technological, and environmental transformations. One central area of concern is that current systems of food production, distribution, and consumption do not ensure food security for the future, but rather seriously threaten it. With the recent unprecedented scale of urban growth and rise of middle-class, the problem continues to intensify. This situation requires extensive distribution networks to feed urban residents, and therefore poses significant infrastructural challenges to both the public and private sectors. The symposium will also address the transferability of citizen empowerment that network technologies enable as demonstrated in various significant global political transformations from the bottom-up, such as the recent Egyptian Youth Revolution. Another key theme of the discussion will be the role of ICTs (and the practices that they mediate) in fostering transparency in commodity chains. The symposium will ask what differences these technologies can make on the practices of food consumption and production. After discussions, we will initiate an international network of food-thinkers and actors that will function as a platform for knowledge sharing and collaborations. The participants will be invited to engage in planning for the on-going future development of the network.

Living City 2010 Workshop

Living City 2010 was a three-day place-based urban design immersion workshop program held at Logan Road Conference Centre, Stones Corner, for 30 self-selected Year 11 Visual Art Students and 4 Teachers drawn from 11 state and private Brisbane Secondary Schools, that focused on the active Brisbane City Council redevelopment site of Stones Corner, specifically Logan Road, public spaces at Stones Corner Library and rehabilitation of the nearby creek corridor. The workshop, framed within notions of ecological, economic, social and cultural sustainability, aimed to raise awareness of the layered complexity and perspectives involved in the design of shared city spaces and to encourage young people to voice their own concerns as future citizens about the shape and direction of their city. On Day 1, Brisbane City Council Public Art Officers Brendan Doherty and Genevieve Searle, local landscape architect Peter Boyle (Verge) and artists Malcolm Enright and Barbara Heath provided students with an overview of the historic and future context of the area including proposed design and public art interventions, followed by a site walk. The afternoon session, led by Natalie Wright and QUT design staff and students, focused on design tools to assist in the tackling of the redesign of the Stones Corner library precinct, where students worked on ideas. On Day 2, students were mentored by artist Liam Key to participate in a computer animation activity using the built environment as a canvas, and by artist Sebastian Moody to participate in an activity using red helium balloons as a playful catalyst for interaction to activate and create new public space. Later, students worked in teams on their ideas for redevelopment of the site in preparation for their Day 3 presentations. The workshop culminated in an exchange of planning ideas with Georgina Aitchison from Brisbane City Council's Urban Renewal Division. Students were introduced to design methodology, team thinking strategies, the scope of design practices and professions, presentation skills and post-secondary pathways, while participating teachers acquired content and design learning strategies transferable in many other contexts.

Managing financial implications for sustainable highway infrastructure delivery

Highway construction works have significant bearings on all aspects of sustainability. As they typically involve huge capital funds, stakeholders tend to place all interests on the financial justifications of the project, especially when embedding sustainability principles and practices may demand significant initial investment. Increasing public awareness and government policies demand that infrastructure projects respond to environmental challenges and people start to realise the negative consequences of not to pursue sustainability. Stakeholders are now keen to identify sustainable alternatives and financial implications of including them on a whole lifecycle basis. Therefore tools that aid the evaluation of investment options, such as provision of environmentally sustainable features in roads and highways, are highly desirable. Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is generally recognised as a valuable approach for investment decision making for construction works. However to date it has limited application because the current LCCA models tend to focus on economic issues alone and are not able to deal with sustainability factors. This paper reports a research on identifying sustainability related factors in highway construction projects, in quantitative and qualitative forms of a multi-criteria analysis. These factors are then incorporated into existing LCCA models to produce a new sustainability based LCCA model with cost elements specific to sustainability measures. This presents highway project stakeholders a practical tool to evaluate investment decisions and reach an optimum balance between financial viability and sustainability deliverables.

Creative suburbia : rethinking urban cultural policy – the Australian case

This article considers the question of whether creative workers demonstrate a preference for inner cities or suburbs, drawing upon research findings from the ‘Creative Suburbia’ project undertaken by a team of Australian researchers over 2008–2010 in selected suburban areas of Brisbane and Melbourne. Locating this question in wider debates about the relationship of the suburbs to the city, as well as the development of new suburban forms such as master-planned communities, the article finds that the number of creative industries workers located in the suburbs is significant, and those creative workforce members living and working in suburban areas are generally happy with this experience, locating in the suburbs out of personal choice rather than economic necessity. This runs counter to the received wisdom on creative cities, which emphasize cultural amenity in inner city areas as a primary driver of location decisions for the ‘creative class’. The article draws out some implications of the findings for urban cultural policy, arguing that the focus on developing inner urban cultural amenity has been overplayed, and that more attention should be given to how to better enable distributed knowledge systems through high-speed broadband infrastructure.