Emotional and satisfaction benefits to visitors as explanatory factors in the monetary valuation of environmental goods. An application to periurban green spaces

Over the last few decades, especially in urban areas, there has been a revival of the notion of quality of life in connection with periurban green spaces, the presence of which is thought to improve emotional well-being. This paper aims to determine how far the monetary valuation of this environmental resource is influenced by aspects relating to users’ emotional experience and satisfaction. The contingent valuation method is used to estimate monetary valuation and structural equation models allow examination of the relationships between visitor attitude and behaviour variables. The study focuses on two periurban green spaces in Spain and the data are obtained by means of face-to-face, in situ surveys of visitors. The findings support the relationship between visitor attitudes and the monetary valuation of this environmental good, revealing the need to advance further in exploring the potential of such natural resources to enhance urban social well-being.     

Understanding the term green infrastructure: origins,rationales, semantic content and purposes as well as its relevance for application in spatial planning

Recently the term green infrastructure has come to shape professional and scientific debate, political strategies and practical approaches concerning green space development, particularly in urban areas. Actors from all fields of spatial development and planning are referencing this as an emergent approach, which is expected to have a considerable environmental and socio-economic impact. The wide and ubiquitous use of the term in planning debates fosters an impression of agreement in its definition and meaning. Yet several theoretical studies and manifold practical observations confirm a variety of definitions and meanings of this “new” approach in the scientific, political and practical arenas, ranging from simply a buzzword to a mature approach. Clearly, this confusion in meaning has a practical relevance for planning. It seems wise, therefore, to raise awareness and deepen our understanding of the different conceptions of the term green infrastructure. This paper aims to systematically analyse and clarify the contextual, geographical and temporal origins of green infrastructure, as well as its impact on rationales, semantic content and main purposes for spatial planning. To this end, a content analysis of relevant literature has been conducted to reveal the strands which influence the current debate as well as the application of green infrastructure in planning practice. These results are used to derive key statements as a foundation for further critical reflection and conscious application of the term green infrastructure within spatial planning.     

Valuing ecosystem services of urban forests and open spaces: application of the SEEA framework in Australia*

Around two‐thirds of the global population will live in cities by 2050 requiring large urban infrastructure development. Decision‐makers and planners usually rely on standard economic accounting methods for urban planning and investments on infrastructure assets. However, standard methods fail to account for the ecosystem services benefits that living infrastructure (e.g. urban forests, open spaces) provides to city dwellers. This could generate socially inefficient configurations of urban spaces and compromise the achievement of long‐term urban sustainability targets. In this analysis, we applied a stochastic whole‐of‐life benefit–cost analysis following the System of Environmental‐Economic Accounting (SEEA) framework to compare alternative long‐term management strategies for living infrastructure in Canberra, Australia. Spatially explicit data, i‐Tree Eco and benefit transfer methods were used to estimate the stocks and flows ecosystem services benefits of urban forests and irrigated open spaces from 2018 to 2070. Our analysis suggests that a ’30 per cent canopy cover expansion’ scenario has the highest benefit–cost ratio, while the business as usual scenario, where a net loss of 400 trees is expected per year, offers the lowest benefit–cost ratio. Scenarios of expanding versus not expanding irrigated open spaces in the future both result in a benefit–cost ratio of approximately two.     

Urban agriculture and land use in cities: An approach with the multi-functionality and sustainability concepts in the case of Antananarivo (Madagascar)

Urban planners are increasingly interested in agriculture around cities and have to decide whether to maintain or not areas of agricultural land use within and close to growing cities. There is therefore a need for researchers to design tools to guide public decision-making on land use. Various approaches, originating from different disciplines, may be adopted in this respect. We designed an interdisciplinary research program in order to test two related concepts: the “sustainability” and the “multi-functionality” of agriculture. We show that these concepts provide a useful framework for obtaining appropriate knowledge about urban agriculture, which urban planners could apply in real situations. In close collaboration with urban planners, we applied an interdisciplinary research methodology, based on common farm surveys and territorial approaches, to the Antananarivo area (Madagascar). The main functions analyzed were the food production and environmental roles of urban agriculture. Two aspects of sustainability were assessed: the farm sustainability and the territorial sustainability, with expert scores. This approach identified a wide diversity of farming systems that performed differently, depending on their intra- or suburban location. The food supply function appeared to be important not only for fresh produce but also for rice consumption. The function of protection against flooding is now important and this importance will increase with climate change. A diagnosis of sustainability was made and discussed with urban planners: several farming systems and zones were identified in which agriculture was considered important as a means of maintaining or developing the food supply, employment and incomes, and even landscape or environmental quality. We also identified other areas in which poor production conditions and/or the negative effects of urbanization on agriculture jeopardized its sustainability. This methodology appeared to be useful for determining the most appropriate role of urban agriculture in the land-use planning of this city. Our study raises new questions on the subject and should lead to more focused research programmes. We discuss several points of interest and the limitations and possible extension of this method.     

生态补偿机制下的两湖地区绿色城镇建设研究

文章解读了生态补偿机制的内涵,结合两湖地区绿色城镇发展模式进行解析。并构建了两湖地区绿色城镇化建设模式。     

Barrier identification framework for the implementation of blue and green infrastructures

Blue-green infrastructure (BGI) is becoming a more popular means of dealing with climate change and climate change-related events. However, as the concept of BGI is relatively new, many urban and rural planners are unfamiliar with the barriers they may face during the lifecycle of a BGI project. As a result, some have been hesitant to adopt BGI solutions. The literature has unveiled many of the barriers that inhibit the successful development of BGI, however, this information has yet to be presented in a manner that allows for easy identification. In this paper, a systematic literature review is undertaken to develop a framework which will enable BGI planners to assess the potential threats of a BGI project throughout the project’s lifecycle.     

Attitudes of farmers in China's northern Shaanxi Province towards the land-use changes required under the Grain for Green Project, and implications for the project's success

To restore China's degraded environment, the government launched an environmental restoration project named the “Grain for Green” Project (GGP) in 1999. From 1999 to 2010, the government will spend US$ 40 billion to convert 147 million ha of farmland into forest and grassland and 173 million ha of wasteland (including abandoned farmland) into forest in 25 provinces. A primary focus is to replace farming and livestock grazing in fragile areas with reforestation and planting of forage crops. Given the project's tremendous size and number of participants, the attitudes of the affected farmers will strongly influence the GGP's success. To learn their attitudes, we surveyed 2000 farmers in 2005 to quantify their opinions of the GGP and how it has affected their livelihoods, and we discuss the concerns raised by these attitudes. Farmers appreciated the grain and financial compensation offered by the GGP, but few considered planting of trees (8.9%) or forage species (2.2%) to be a priority. Although only 19.1% felt that their livelihoods had been adversely affected by the GGP and 63.8% supported the project, a large proportion (37.2%) planned to return to cultivating forested areas and grassland once the project's subsidies end in 2018. Therefore, much of the restored vegetation risks being converted into farmland and rangeland again, compromising the sustainability of the environmental achievements. To succeed, strategies such as the GGP must compensate farmers fairly for their costs, create new agricultural products and techniques for use on more suitable land, and create job and training programs that account for the needs and desires of farmers and give them alternatives to returning to old land-use practices.     

拉萨市矿产资源开发与经济跨越式发展

近年来,拉萨市矿业发展速度逐渐加快,矿业在国民经济和社会发展中的地位越来越重要.但是,在矿产资源勘查开发利用中还存在三低一弱的问题,在一定程度上制约了矿业的发展.按照中央第五次西藏工作座谈会的要求,结合拉萨市资源和开发特点,需要从加大勘查投入、改善环境、协调利益和严格规划管理等方面,保障拉萨市矿业及经济社会的可持续发展.     

陆海统筹优化国土空间开发战略布局

构建陆海开放型国土开发综合格局要强化“三纵四横”轴线的支撑作用,加强沿边沿海对外开放开发平台建设,积极谋划建设南海海上开放开发经济区。实施沿海地带发展空间布局调整要优化以城市群为支撑的沿海地带综合布局、优化海岸带资源开发和产业布局、协调港-城-园发展关系,推动渤海、黄海、东海、南海海域开发空间布局优化。     

Water rights: a comparison of the impacts of urban and irrigation reforms in Australia

Although there has been a policy thrust towards making all Australians more cognisant of the relative scarcity of water resources, the approach adopted for urban dwellers differs markedly from that applied to irrigators. These differences are examined from a property-rights perspective focussing primarily on the institutional hierarchies in the Victorian water sector. The analysis reveals significant attenuation of urban dwellers' rights, presumably on the basis of the information deficiencies that circumscribe urban water use. Alternative policy options are then proposed, which might alleviate some of these information deficiencies and simultaneously address the efficiency losses that attend the present arrangements.     

卡卡杜国家公园的规划与管理及对我国森林公园发展的启示

卡卡杜国家公园是澳大利亚四大自然文化双遗产之一。阐述卡卡杜在整个澳大利亚国家公园网络中的地位、遗产价值、可持续旅游规划与管理,从而保证公园的可持续发展。分析我国森林公园发展中存在的问题,并提出卡卡杜国家公园的规划与管理模式对我国森林公园管理与发展的借鉴与启示。     

区域一体化背景下长三角城市群绿色发展效率评价及驱动因素研究

发展绿色经济、提升绿色发展效率是当前中国走高质量发展之路的必然选择。通过构建包含非期望产出的超效率SBM模型测度长三角城市群26个城市的绿色发展效率,并使用泰尔指数和核密度估计研究其空间差异以及分布动态变化趋势,基于人力资本理论将科技人才集聚纳入回归模型以探究绿色发展效率的驱动因素。结果表明:2007—2019年长三角城市群26个城市的绿色发展效率整体呈波动上升趋势,但城市之间差异显著,且省内差异是影响长三角城市群绿色水平均衡发展的主要原因;核密度估计显示各城市绿色发展效率的总体离散程度呈扩大趋势,效率值集中度降低,且逐渐出现两极分化特征;科技人才集聚与长三角城市群的绿色发展效率之间呈现倒“U”形关系,经济发展水平、产业结构对长三角城市群的绿色发展效率呈显著正向影响。     

Territorial management contracts as a tool to enhance the sustainability of sloping and mountainous olive orchards: Evidence from a case study in Southern Spain

The continuity of farming in traditional sloping and mountainous olive production systems (SMOPS) is at risk, especially in marginally productive areas. The abandonment of olive production on sloping lands would have adverse economic, social, environmental and cultural effects. To tackle this risk of abandonment and to improve the sustainability of traditional SMOPS, we propose the Territorial management contracts (TMC) of rural areas. The potential of this instrument to be specifically applied to organic olive production systems on sloping lands is assessed. The paper then summarises the results of a survey of Andalusian farmers in sloping and mountainous areas aimed at identifying key characteristics of the TMC with the potential to enhance its uptake in target farming communities. Results show that farmers are well-disposed towards TMC, and that issues such as flexibility and external advice need to be considered for its successful implementation. From a policy perspective, the instrument is well aligned with the objectives of the last reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).     

The loss of land devoted to allotment gardening: The context of the contrasting pressures of urban planning,public and private interests in Prague,Czechia

Prague, the capital of Czechia, has a long history of allotment gardening, however, since 1989 allotment gardens are diminishing at a considerable rate. Allotments are being transformed into recreation sites, permanent residences, or used for the construction of residential projects, transportation infrastructure or commercial facilities. Often, they simply turn into vacant land. This paper critically assesses the decline of allotment gardens in Prague. The analysis is based on an extensive field survey. Land use changes of allotment gardens in Prague were monitored during three time periods and the main reasons and motives that have led to a diminution of gardening as a sustainable productive and recreational function during the nineties and the first decade of the new millennium are presented (construction of second homes, transformation to residential dwelling, destruction). The need for a much broader community and civic movement involvement in the planning decision-making processes is viewed as crucial to secure the continuity of the allotment gardens within the city. A successful case of negotiation with local government and further conversion of one of Prague´s threatened allotment garden colonies into public access garden is then presented as a suitable solution to the problems with allotment gardens´ extinction.     

Agriculture and the city: A method for sustainable planning of new forms of agriculture in urban contexts

Contemporary cities are threatened by urban development decreasing the overall environmental quality and fragmenting natural and agricultural landscapes. As a result of this fragmentation the number of Non Urbanized Areas (NUAs) present in urban contexts is dramatically decreasing. These areas include cultivated land, Abandoned Farmlands, Grassland, Woods and Shrubs that are often located at the peri-urban cities’ fringes. Among NUAs, farmlands and other forms of urban and peri-urban agriculture provide all three major categories of ecosystem services, provisioning, regulating and cultural services. Recently, New Forms of Urban Agriculture (NFUA) have gained increasing attention from researchers for their promising multifunctionality. Incorporating NFUA into the urban environment will thus improve the sustainability of cities, taking advantage of the multiple benefits and services they can provide.This paper presents a method for the characterisation of NUAs in terms of their physical, ecological and social features. These areas are analysed with different criteria and related indicators structured according to a GIS-based Multi Criteria Suitability Model. The proposed model checks the suitability of transformation of the NUAs toward NFUA, thereby enhancing their ecological and social function as well as accessibility and overall connectivity. Different scenarios of spatial configurations for NFUA have been explored with a sensitivity analysis on the values of used indicators. The method was tested for the municipality of Catania, south Italy, an urban context characterised by a relevant shortage of public green spaces and services.     

Into the urban wild: Collection of wild urban plants for food and medicine in Kampala,Uganda

In sub-Saharan Africa, many people depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. While urbanisation causes landscape changes, little is known of how this process affects the use of wild plant resources by urban populations. This study contributes to addressing this knowledge gap by exploring the prevalence and determinants of urban collectors of wild plants in Kampala, Uganda. During February to August 2015, 93 structured interviews were conducted in inner, outer, and peri-urban areas of the city. The findings in this study show that urban wild plants are used by almost half (47%) of the respondents, mainly for medicinal purposes but also as a complement to diets. The findings further indicate that residents with lower income, of younger age (<51 years old), and predominantly living in peri-urban areas are more likely to be urban collectors. Seasonality appears to be of greater importance in collection of food plants than of medicinal plants. Overall, these findings indicate that wild plants occupy an important role in the livelihoods and traditions of Kampala’s residents, and we argue that this should be taken into account in urban planning projects.     

开发区土地集约利用评价省级成果管理系统研究

研究目的：研制开发区土地集约利用评价成果管理软件,实现省级行政区划范围内开发区土地集约利用评价项目成果数据的规范管理,为决策应用提供分析支持。研究方法：从开发区、时点、专题、格式等角度分析项目成果数据特征并设计系统的数据模型,根据项目成果数据汇总、管理与应用的业务需求设计系统的运行环境、功能结构和关键的技术方法,运用ArcGIS EngineV 9.3组件和高级编程工具Visual Studio 2008实现系统软件的开发。研究结果：基于ArcGIS的Personal Geodatabase设计关系数据模型,实现了“多开发区、多时点”的集约利用评价项目的“多专题、多格式”成果数据集成存储,设计并开发了结合C/S与B/S架构的成果管理系统软件。研究结论：本文研究设计的系统软件有效实现了开发区土地集约利用评价成果数据的提交入库、审查、统计分析等业务,对省级国土管理部门实施开发区土地的集约利用监管与调控具有重要意义。     

迷茫中林业经济管理学科:发展旅程的断裂和知识结构的困惑

1955年以来,中国林业经济管理学科经历了三代人的努力,其发展旅程嵌入了政治因素、社会经济发展因素和学术代际替换的影响,学术传承连续性不够,连同行政化的教育科研体系,林业经济管理学科的学理基础和知识结构十分混乱。森林作为环境和发展的纽带,为林业经济管理学科战略性建构提供了足够的空间。中国林业经济管理学科应当兼容发展理论和生态系统管理理论的知识体系,着力于森林管理实践,寻求中国林业经济管理学科的知识结构,在中国生态文明建设和世界可持续发展中获取学术空间。     

关于土地开发整理项目实施管理措施研究——以辽宁某县土地开发整理项目为例

土地开发整理项目实施管理是项目进入建设阶段后对建设过程中的各个环节所进行的控制,是保证项目计划、质量标准、进度安排、预算执行顺利实现的保证。文章按照国家投资要求的管理原则,就如何科学地对土地开发整理项目实施管理进行研究,并结合辽宁某县实际情况提出探索性的管理措施。