Archive for the ‘Research’ Category
Research refers to reports by organisations or research by academic institutions relating to urban sustainability issues. If you have research that relates to urban sustainability issues and could benefit people and organisations that are relevant to cities around the world, please post this information on SustainableCitiesNet.com. To do so visit the “How to use this site†page and follow the prompts.
Low-Speed Urban Maglev Research Program – Lessons Learnt
Posted in Research by Kate Archdeacon on July 1st, 2009
Source: Going Solar Transport Newsletter
Image: withvengeance86 via Flickr
In 1999, the US Federal Transit Administration initiated the Low-Speed Urban Magnetic Levitation (UML) Program to develop magnetic levitation technology that offers a cost effective, reliable, and environmentally sound transit option for urban mass transportation in the United States. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: enabling technologies, energy, Transport
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Autophobia: Love and Hate in the Automobile Age
Posted in Research by Devin Maeztri on June 22nd, 2009
Book: Autophobia: Love and Hate in the Automobile Age
Author: Brian Ladd
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
City: Chicago
Year: 2008
A review by Milton Takei
Brian Ladd’s book, Autophobia,is a history of the love and hatred people have felt for the automobile. Autophobes such as myself can take comfort in how, from the beginning of the age of the automobile, some people were against cars, for example because motorists disturbed the tranquility of both the city and the countryside. The dismaying part is that the attraction of the automobile soon overwhelmed the opposition.
The book is particularly strong in pointing out the injuries and deaths that automobiles cause. The World Health Organization estimates that automobile incidents kill over a million people yearly.
See: http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/81/3/WHONews0303.pdf
Tags: automobile, autophobia, car, motorists, power, tranport
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Integrating biodiversity into water sensitive urban design
Posted in Research by Virginia on June 19th, 2009
Water sensitive urban design is still at an infant stage and there’s been much research into integrating biodiversity values into water sensitive urban design. A model used to increase the water sensitive design of an urban area is through the use of wetlands. Wetlands can act as storm water treatment points whereby wetland plants soak up nutrients and metals from incoming storm water and discharge cleaner storm water back into the waterway. An aspect that is often missing when building these remedial wetlands is the idea of integrating biodiversity regimes into the construction of the wetland.
Wetland projects tend to concentrate on the use of native vegetation and the attraction of wetland birds as an achievement in biodiversity conservation. Whilst that goal can hardly be undermined, nor disagreed with, it is a question to ponder whether such a goal truly reflects the notion of biodiversity conservation.
In itself, biodiversity conservation is much like the term sustainability- vague, ambiguous and lacking a precise quantifiable form of measurement. For what does it truly mean to conserve something? In terms of urban biodiversity, the precise definition of conservation becomes highly problematic in that, to what extent do we conserve the environment? Do we try and restore the environment to a pre-urban settlement environment or to an even earlier era, for example, pre-European settlement? Therefore, in order biodiversity conservation to have some meaning, a reference point must be established.
The problem with many urban sustainability projects advocating biodiversity conservation aims is that many don’t specify what sort of biodiversity conservation they are aiming for, that is, to what extent, if any, are the projects aiming to restore the environment. Using wetland remediation projects as an example, many such developments have cited biodiversity conservation as a result of implementing wetlands, however it is not clear as to what they were trying to conserve. In truth, perhaps the particularities of what was conserved is not important and it’s perhaps the overall picture of a greater presence of species within an area which should be celebrated.
However, the issue of not having a clear idea as to what type of biodiversity conservation the project is wanting to achieve is the result of having species that may not be wanted suddenly appear in the neighbourhood. An example of this is the much maligned kingdom of insects represented by the mosquitoes and associated larvae. There’s been community concern over the spread of mosquitoes in wetland areas and the risks associated with that. As a consequence of community concern, there has been initiatives by local governments to prevent them from establishing. However, mosquitoes play an integral role in both the maintenance and as a provision of food in the wetlands ecosystem. Therefore, whilst the increase in wetland birds have generally been celebrated, the overall increase in lifeforms such as insects must too be embraced if a more holistic view of biodiversity conservation is to occur.
Tags: biodiversity, water sensitive urban design, wetland, wetland remediation
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Call for Climate Change Project Proposals
Posted in Events, Research by Virginia on May 12th, 2009
Despite broad recognition that small island, Arctic, high altitude and other vulnerable communities are on the frontlines of climate change, community voices have remained on the margins of global climate change debates. It is these voices, however, that most need to be heard. They provide first hand evidence, experience and expertise on climate change impacts and adaptation.With assistance from the Government of Denmark, UNESCO’s Frontlines Forum is funding local projects on climate change impacts and adaptation.
What are we funding?
Community-level projects focusing on local experiences with climate change impacts and adaptation. These could involve field research, interviews with community members, workshops, photo projects, film projects, etc.
Who are we funding?
Proposals can be made by interested groups or individuals, for example, local and indigenous organisations, research centres, researchers, graduate students with interdisciplinary training, community members (youth groups, women, elders) etc.
What topics?
Projects could explore any topic relating to climate change and local communities.
To apply, fill out the proposal form
For more information please visit Climate Frontlines.
Tags: climate change, climate change research, climate frontlines, funding
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New Food Policy Book: Integrating health, environment and society
Posted in Research by Devin Maeztri on May 7th, 2009
Food Policy: integrating health, environment and society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lang. T., Barling, D. & Caraher. M. (2009)
For over half a century, food policy has mapped a path for progress based upon a belief that the right mix of investment, scientific input, and human skills could unleash a surge in productive capacity which would resolve humanity’s food-related health and welfare problems. It assumed that more food would yield greater health and happiness by driving down prices, increasing availability, and feeding more mouths. In the 21st century, this policy mix is quietly becoming unstuck.
In a world marred by obesity alongside malnutrition, climate change alongside fuel and energy crises, water stress alongside more mouths to feed, and social inequalities alongside unprecedented accumulation of wealth, the old rubric of food policy needs re-evaluation. This book explores the enormity of what the new policy mix must address, taking the approach that food policy must be inextricably linked with public health, environmental damage, and social inequalities to be effective.
For more information visit Oxford University Press.
Tags: book, environment, Food, food policy, Health, society
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City slickers have a lower footprint
Posted in Research by fedwards on April 3rd, 2009
According to a new study released by the International Institute for Environment and Development, urban dwellers have a lower carbon footprint than the national average. “Many cities have surprisingly low per capita emissions but what is clear is that most emissions come from the world’s wealthier nations,” says David Dodman, author of the study that will be published in the April edition of Environment and Urbanization. “The real climate-change culprits are not the cities themselves but the high consumption lifestyles of people living across these wealthy countries. To read more about this report visit the IIED website here.
Tags: carbon footprint, climate change, urban sustainability
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Launch of new Environment, Health and Development research network
Posted in Research by fedwards on March 23rd, 2009
A new Environment, Health and Development research network has been launched in 2009, funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. Please see the website: http://www.uea.ac.uk/dev/ehdnet.
There will be an inaugural conference in June 2009. This will comprise an electronic conference and a symposium, where we will particularly explore the role of social science perspectives on themes linking environment, health and development, discuss different analytical approaches, and discuss ways forward for the network. The website gives details of how to join the network and how to apply for the symposium.
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Tags: development, environment, Health, networks, Research
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Seeking information – do you grow your own food for ’survival’?
Posted in Research by fedwards on March 13th, 2009
I realise that ’survival’ is a fairly strong term, but I’m wondering if there are many people out there – in Australia and elsewhere – who have been or who have recently started to grow their own food in order to supplement their diets? The reasons of course may be varied – is it due to burgeoning tough times in the economic recession, is it because you’d like to become more self-sufficient and self-supporting, is it because you want to act and do something for yourself and for the environment in this era of climate change? Of course, there’s probably many more reasons than that…. And maybe you’re doing other things besides…. I’d be very interested to know.
Please either comment on Sustainable Cities Net below or email me directly at fedwards @unimelb.edu.au.
Best,
Ferne
Ferne Edwards, Moderator, SustainableCitiesNet.com
Tags: climate change, Food, grow your own, seeking, survival
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On the state of sustainable cities
Posted in Research by fedwards on March 6th, 2009
The section below is republished with permission from the Going Solar Transport Newsletter #99, 24 February 2009, compiled by Stephen Ingrouille. Going Solar newsletter provides an excellent commentary on sustainable transport issues. The original article is by John Whitelegg, Canberra Times, 4/2/09. It outlines the states of several world cities such as London, Beijing and Sydney.
“The world’s great cities are at a crucial tipping point in their development. London is finding it difficult to cope with the growth in demand for public transport, Beijing has serious air pollution and the infrastructure of US cities is collapsing. Australia’s cities are rightly regarded as some of the finest urban environments in the world but they, too, are in trouble.
“The Sydney city region is typical. Its traffic levels are among the highest in the world, its air pollution routinely breaches World Health Organisation standards, and its planning and metropolitan governance are not fit for the purpose. Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne have fuelled traffic growth with an excess of highly expensive new highways and a failure to recognise global trends in so-called demand management. London has its congestion charge, Toronto will not build new roads and many other cities are heavily into high-quality public transport, walking and cycling strategies. Australia is being left behind.
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Tags: city design, healthy cities, sustainable cities, Transport, urban design
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Report on Superstores and Climate Change
Posted in Research by fedwards on March 4th, 2009
A short paper by economist Jean-Marie Beauvais describes the results of a study indicating that shopping at large, suburban ’superstores’ consumes more than four times as much transport energy as local grocery store shopping. This aspect has also been discussed (with possible alternative transport models) in the “Virtual Shopping” chapter of George Monbiot’s book, “Heat“. To view the Beauvais article visit http://www.vtpi.org/superstores.pdf.
Tags: energy consumption, shopping, supermarkets, Transport
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