Social needs of the elderly and active aging in public open spaces in urban renewal

Urban renewal districts have a relatively high concentration of elderly people. Open spaces are important for the elderly for enhancing social interaction and active aging. However, planning and design of open spaces tend to stress on the physical and safety needs of the elderly, while social needs are not frequently addressed. This study intends to identify whether the social needs of the elderly regarding the use of public open spaces in urban renewal districts are addressed in the standard planning and design guidelines which newly planned development and districts are often based upon. Eight focus groups were conducted in elderly community centers in two urban renewal districts in Hong Kong. The results indicate that elderly people consider ‘social and physical activities’, ‘community life facilities and services’ and ‘social network’, as well as a ‘clean and pleasant environment’ to be their most important needs. Thus, planners and designers should take into consideration these criteria for enhancing the social well-being of the elderly and active aging in public open spaces in urban renewal. Furthermore, it stresses that urban renewal districts are part of the elderly's past living experiences and established social networks, which is not the case in new developments and areas. As such, the users' actual needs should be elicited rather than perceived by planners and designers.     

Mapping urban public spaces based on the Nolli map method

In 1748, Giambattista Nolli published a large map of Rome, which accurately depicted the form and system of public space in the city. This graphic presentation has become a powerful tool for urban space research. However, given the increasingly abundant types of contemporary urban spaces and diverse functions of public buildings, the application of the drawing principle of the Nolli map to contemporary cities remains uncertain. Taking the Laochengnan area in Nanjing as an example, this study investigates the mapping of urban public spaces based on the Nolli map method. On the basis of a field survey, the public and private spaces in the blocks are identified. By comparing the graphic information of the Nolli map and that of the Nolli-type map in terms of public, private, and green spaces, this work also reveals the similarities and differences between traditional and modern urban spaces. Urban spatial mapping methods, including the figure-ground map, street map, and Nolli-type map, are explored and compared using complementary mapping techniques. The practicality and effectiveness of each technique are also discussed. Results show that the Nolli map method is effective in mapping contemporary urban public spaces and provides an effective tool for urban designers and architects to depict and analyze urban public spaces.     

浅谈中国当代城市公共空间设计理念的演变

论述并分析了当代城市公共空间在1978年改革开放以来经历的三个阶段的转变中设计理念的演变,分析了导致这3次演变的动因,并讨论了经济、文化等社会因素与我国当代城市公共空间发展的关系以及人对于城市公共空间的影响。     

Stakeholder involvement and public participation: a critique of Water Framework Directive arrangements in the United Kingdom

Expert consensus regarding public consultation and participation on environmental matters favours a multilevel approach: the process is much more likely to succeed when those consulted can relate to the boundaries, scale and the local nature of the issues. The Water Framework Directive requires those with the responsibility for river basin management planning to engage with stakeholders and the general public when such plans are being developed. Examination of the arrangements for public participation in the regions of the United Kingdom shows a marked variation in the interpretation of the Directive that may leave the general public residing in England and Wales at a significant disadvantage. In both Scotland and Northern Ireland involvement by the general public is planned at a much more local level through groups established specifically for that purpose. Arrangements at local level in England and Wales are focused on narrower existing liaison arrangements in place before the implementation of the Directive.     

Integrating public safety and use into planning urban greenways

Greenways provide much-needed natural corridors and environments in urban and suburban areas, along with recreational, transportation and nature education opportunities for urban residents. However, there is a tension between the natural environment and public use in urban areas. Local residents' concerns for safety through clear sightlines and the use of lighting along trails may compromise the ecological integrity and natural character of urban greenways, whereas natural corridors in the city are often considered as being potentially unsafe, and therefore essentially inaccessible to use by many residents, particularly women, children, aging people and those with disabilities. As a result, the planning and development of safe urban trails within natural greenways can be challenging and contentious. Prospect and refuge theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding the human ecological dimensions of environmental design. Within this framework, a growing body of environment-behavior research provides useful principles for planning and designing greenways that are both ‘green’ and safe. These principles include: visibility of others, visibility by others, choice and control, solitude without isolation, and environmental awareness and legibility. This paper outlines the ‘safe communities’ approach developed in the city of Toronto, Canada, and applies it to the planning and design of trails in urban greenway systems through a series of planning guidelines, with particular reference to the Greater Toronto Area experience. The paper concludes that only when public safety is paramount will the necessary community support be built which will allow the successful integration of natural greenways into the fabric of metropolitan areas.     

Partnership patterns and homeownership: a cross-country comparison of Germany,the Netherlands and the United Kingdom

Using detailed micro-level survey data for three advanced European welfare-state economies (Germany, Netherlands and UK), our analyses suggest a fairly common hierarchy to homeownership, according to partnership status, exists. In all three countries, a variety of interrelated factors appear to encourage greater propensities for homeownership amongst co-residential households (married/cohabiting), as compared to single-person households. However, important macro-contextual differences do appear to play a significant role in mediating the magnitude of difference within this hierarchy. For instance, in Germany the importance of marriage as a predictor of homeownership is found to be particularly strong, with married couples having far higher propensities for homeownership, even when compared to non-married cohabiters. In the Netherlands and UK, where an emphasis on traditional family and marriage is less pronounced, and where homeownership is generally more popular and accessible, the differentiation between married/unmarried partners is greatly reduced. Furthermore, we find no evidence to suggest that living-apart-together partners are more/less likely to own their home than singles.     

我国城市公用事业发展的探索

城市公用事业一般包括城市供排水、供气、供热,市政设施,公共交通,污水处理,垃圾处理,城市绿化等内容。新中国成立以来,我国城市公用事业一直由国家管理。在这种管理方式下,政府通过直接生产     

On-street toilets for sanitation access in urban public spaces: A systematic review

This review aims to raise awareness of the role of on-street public toilets in urban sanitation and to identify gaps in understanding and guiding future research. Although the literature shows a diversity of viewpoints with regard to solutions, sanitation in public spaces was shown as indispensable for providing universal access to safe, accessible, and inclusive public spaces, particularly for women, transgender people, children, elderly, and people with disabilities. The provision of sanitation services in public spaces can be guided by further research, inclusive engagement, and the elements of the normative policy framework provided by the United Nations.     

对中国城市公共交通私营化有关问题的思考

在中国社会主义市场经济条件下 ,私营化城市公共交通将变得越来越重要 ,弥补了传统的公营化城市公共交通的不足。必须要充分运用市场经济规律来管理中国的城市公共交通。首先 ,要开放市场和鼓励竞争 ,通过竞争提高公共交通的运行效率 ,降低成本 ,改善经营状况。传统的低票价制度将被受市场供需关系调节的灵活票价制度所代替。其次 ,要兼顾经济效益和社会公平 ,对低收入者实行适当的财政补贴 ,方便他们使用公共交通。政府要加强对私营公共交通公司的监督和管理使其在追求利润的同时更好地为乘客服务。第三 ,要加强公共交通私营化的立法 ,使得公共交通私营化多样化、规范化和法制化 ,形成政府、私人机构、乘客三赢的局面。第四 ,公共交通规划、设计和施工单位的私营化是一个重要的发展趋势 ,政府机构的功能将逐步转变成财政资助 ,项目管理 ,监督执行 ,质量控制和协调发展     

Performance of buildings in the United Kingdom

The performance of buildings in the United Kingdom in response to severe winds is assessed through the Building Research Establishment (BRE) survey of damage between 1962 and 1981. The damage is categorized by severity, geographical distribution, structural type, and related to the meteorological conditions prevailing at the time of failure. The economic aspects are assessed in terms of direct costs of repair or replacement of the structures, but not in terms of the loss of service and other consequential losses. Deaths and injuries caused by structural failures are compared with those caused directly by the wind, but not related to buildings. In conclusion, some implications for design practice are given.     

英、美、德绿色基础设施规划案例对于中国的借鉴意义

在国家空间规划转型的背景下,通过对比英国、美国、德国的绿色基础设施规划案例,探讨适宜中国国情的绿色基础设施或生态空间规划体系。发现：德国绿色基础设施规划流程体系更为完善;美国绿色基础设施规划是在城市更新的背景下发展演化而来的;英国的绿色基础设施规划更注重乡村的地方特色保护。我国地理环境的多样性,城乡结构的复杂性决定我国的绿色基础设施规划需要区别、借鉴国外的体系。主要建议包括：理念上,树立自然资源的综合价值观;体系上,通过借鉴德国绿色基础设施来建构一个以自然资源价值为先导的法律依托,进而在不同层级构建系统的绿色基础设施或生态空间规划体系、方法途径与制图规范;方法上,要区别对待乡村和城市,探索各自适宜的思路与方法体系,如：城市应借鉴美国费城的规划思路,乡村地区则需参考英国案例。     

城市土地利用扩展的空间模式与研究方法

对城市土地利用扩展的各种空间模式作了阐述、比较，以武汉市为典型例证，阐释了城市土地利用扩展的空间模式与研究方法的有机结合，旨在高效、经济、合理的利用城市土地。     

西部地区的土地利用与城镇开发

探索和研究西部城镇土地开发 ,必然涉及到西部地区的土地资源、特征、耕地保护与政策调整。文章重点研究西部地区土地资源的利用及其政策调整和西部地区城镇开发的重点及其城镇开发的资金筹措 ,以及如何建立城市建设资金的良性循环机制问题。     

Cultural urban branding and creative cities: A theoretical framework for promoting creativity in the public spaces

In response to the fragmentation of individuals brought on by globalization, it is important to expand the positioning of the four quadrants of public space, based on cosmopolitanism, in order to re-establish the creativity of cities. By examining cases such as that of cultural urban branding at BMW-MINI, and Montreal’s puppet theatre, which chose to adopt the methods of Bunraku for its displays, this paper points out a direction for the building of an urban strategic management system that will expand the city’s capabilities. For creative cities, it is important to motivate people for implementing cultural urban branding by inserting balance into the process of expanding the four public spaces. Design and the arts can have integrative functions for attaining this.     

清末中英基督教堂建筑比较研究

随着国内中西建筑文化交流研究的拓展与深化,近代西方基督教会在华营建活动及其建筑渐为学术界所关注。通过对近代中国以及西方教会宗主国—英国（为例）同期教堂建筑样式进行对比,阐释近代中西建筑文化交融中错综复杂的建筑现象,揭示近代教堂建筑发展的特征、规律。     

英国零售业规划政策评述

本文对英国零售业的规划政策进行了回顾与评述。在过去的20年间,英国零售业规划政策的一项核心内容是通过“城镇中心优先政策”来减少新型零售业态的扩张对城镇中心所带来的影响,从而保持与提高城镇中心的活力,并通过集约化使用土地达到可持续性发展。文章同时对规划政策制定过程中的五大矛盾进行了阐述。研究表明,“城镇中心优先政策“的执行受到近年来经济衰退和其他经济结构变化的影响和干扰。对很多人而言,城镇中心不再是他们日常生活的主要场所。在网购和手机购物直行的今天,现行的零售规划政策必须与时俱进,做出适当调整和改变。同时,许多经营大店的零售商正在反思和重估大店赖以生存的社会经济条件,并减少对大店的投资。     

Monitoring intercensal migration in the United Kingdom

"This author demonstrates the utility of the National Health Service Central Register of patient reregistrations for providing continuous information for monitoring changes over time in migration behaviour within the United Kingdom. An information system has been constructed that contains annual time-series data with which to illustrate trends in the volume, composition, and geographical distribution of migration during the 1980s. Issues of data reliability and system expansion are amongst those discussed."