Amir Reza Khavarian-Garmsir, Ayyoob Sharifi, Nabi Moradpour
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought questions about the desirability of compact urban development to the fore. There are some concerns that high density may be a risk factor that makes it challenging to contain the pandemic. This study aims to investigate the link between density and pandemic spread through a case study of Tehran that has been the epicenter of the pandemic in Iran. Based on data obtained from an online platform and analyzed using structural equation modeling, we found that density alone cannot be considered a risk factor for the spread of COVID-19. In fact, density alone did not explain the geographic distribution pattern of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths across the 22 municipal districts of Tehran. We, therefore, argue that efforts should be made to minimize concerns about living in dense urban environments. Indeed, residents of high-density districts can live safely when an outbreak occurs, provided they make some changes in lifestyle and follow public health instructions. Based on the findings, and considering other benefits of compact cities (e.g., climate change mitigation) planners and policy makers are encouraged to continue promoting compact urban forms. They can also use the results of this study in their efforts towards developing appropriate mechanisms and guidelines for effective management of future pandemics in cities.
The study of the “heritagization” of the ruins and the archaeological site of Palmyra allows us to understand the evolution of views and uses, both political and social, of the remains of this ancient caravan city, which has become a place of memory, both national and global, as well as a major heritage and tourist site in Syria. Palmyra is also an object of desire and a place of conflict where the recent destruction by Daesh and the subsequent debates on its reconstruction have also reminded us of the importance of the ideological and economic issues associated with this site. Furthermore, these processes were marked by the commitment of various actors: travelers, archaeologists, foreign and national institutions, associations, local populations, thus contributed to the recognition and transmission of a heritage that was sometimes shared, sometimes contested. This article thus discusses how the development of Palmyra as heritage took place over a long period of time, and was marked by movements of construction/deconstruction, forgetting-abandonment/rediscovery-reuse.
Ethnology. Social and cultural anthropology, Cities. Urban geography
The development of urbanization and urbanism in Iran has created a wide socioeconomic gap in urban areas. Rapid population growth along with the lack of socioeconomic growth programs and urban development strategies have deteriorated unemployment, inflation, housing price, traffic congestion, and marginalization in cities, particularly in metropolises of Iran. This paper, using a descriptive-analytic research method and a meta-analysis technique, addresses the urbanization and urbanism changes in Iran. Using GIS technique and CV formula, the spatial distribution of urbanization and its rapid growth in Iran are depicted. The research data was derived from a systematic review of documents and techniques over 40 years. The results of the study demonstrated that Iranian cities have undergone an unsustainable growth trend and urbanization has overtaken urbanism. Over the past 4 decades, cities have been struggling with rapid growth and development. In this regard, development-oriented governments can play a significant role in tackling growth and urbanization problems. These problems are especially evident in the socio-economic, urban planning and urban ecology. The rapid growth of urbanization (74% in 2016) has resulted in the emergence of metropolitan areas in an unstable process. Also, in metropolitan areas of Iran, environmental and ecological threats, rural–urban migration and marginalization have posed serious national–regional and local challenges. The structural–functional reforms in Iran, along with skeletal–spatial and socio-economic changes in cities, have given rise to a new social class (low-income people), which is characterized with non-formal businesses and informal settlements in the outskirts of cities, especially metropolitan areas. This has prompted unsustainability in main indicators of urban development such as security, building density, environmental threats, and centralization, among other things. This analysis is based on indicators such as density and centralization, informal settlement, and urban security.
Abstract Bridge widening involves phased construction of adjacent structures to maintain uninterrupted traffic flow. This process exposes freshly placed longitudinal joints between staged deck constructions to vehicle-induced vibrations, potentially compromising their mechanical integrity. This study investigates the flexural behavior of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) longitudinal joints under such vibrations through model tests. To simulate actual site conditions, we developed a novel vibration test setup that replicates the dynamic environment experienced by these joints during construction. Micro- and meso-scale tests were conducted to examine the flexural behavior of longitudinal joints following vibration exposure. Results revealed that vibration amplitude significantly influences fiber orientation and flexural strength of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) wet joint specimens. Low-amplitude vibrations (3 Hz at 1 mm and 3 mm) enhanced fiber orientation, increasing flexural strength by 11.5% to 19.8% and ultimate load capacity by 17% compared to non-vibrated specimens. Conversely, high-amplitude vibrations (3 Hz at 5 mm) adversely affected fiber orientation, decreasing flexural strength by 23.9% and ultimate load capacity by 19% relative to non-vibrated specimens.
The disadvantage of the traditional approach to territorial planning of the past years is associated with an underestimation of the essence and multifaceted social brownfields and their importance in the sustainable development of urban areas in post-industrial society. The prospects for the development of the inner space of the city and the quality of life of people largely depend on the presence of brownfields since most of the brownfields can have a negative impact on the environment. This is especially noticeable in large cities and agglomerations. In this paper, we analyze the spatial distribution of brownfields in the largest agglomeration of Russia, comparing their prospects for redevelopment with the analysis of 10 dominant criteria of local priority affecting the transformation of the urban area. The article discusses in detail the reasons for making decisions about the nature of the impact of brownfields and the priority tasks of their elimination: the environmental situation and the economic interests of stakeholders. The study shows that the practice of making decisions on the liquidation of brownfields largely depends on their inclusion in the state register of objects of accumulated environmental damage, which makes it possible to accumulate environmental damage in the near future. However, the entry of accumulated environmental damage into the state register of objects is (1) a practiced procedure because it implies co-financing of the brownfield liquidation project by the federal authorities and (2) an insufficiently objective procedure for assessing the impact (lack of local priority criteria). Based on the conducted research, we believe that the elimination or urbanization of brownfields should be based on the analysis of local priorities in the transformation of urban areas (different from the criteria of modern practice of introducing the state register of brownfields), including the features of the territorial organization of public space, ecological and geographical environment, and public opinion.
Nowadays, the topic of CO2 emissions has been a subject of intensive debate. There is a significant policy push toward reducing emissions that cause air pollution and other environmental concerns. The aim of this paper is to analyze the CO2 emissions as well as economic growth along with renewable energy use and the level of urbanization in the selected World countries in the period of 1995-2018. In general, almost all of the Northern part of the World was characterized by a high level of CO2 emissions, while the majority of African territory was the least polluted. The empirical result shows that the growth rate of air pollution is much higher in countries that initially had a low level of CO2 emissions, so the convergence process occurred. Conditioning convergence with the renewable energy use and the urbanization level indicates that its speed is higher. Club convergence analysis has proved that well-developed regions in terms of GDP per capita are able to improve the ecological situation despite further economic growth.
After obtaining the German upper secondary school-leaving certificate (Abitur), school-leavers are free in their choice of career path. Obtaining a double qualification by first completing an apprenticeship and then graduate from university is thereby popular. Using the BIBB/BAuA Employment Survey of the Working Population on Qualification and Working Conditions 2018, this paper analyses the individual effects of these double qualifications by exploiting the rich information on education in the data. In relation to earlier studies, we find that the proportion of men gaining a double qualification decreased by 8 percentage points but is almost constant for women. Furthermore, we detect a significantly negative effect of double qualification on wages for women, but no significant effect on wages for men. We presume that these changes may be related to the rising inequality due to the rising number of academics and the increase of earnings inequality.
Durante la década de 1960, la actuación de la primera generación de arquitectos formados en la Universidad Nacional de La Plata renovó el paisaje arquitectónico de la ciudad. Entre sus representantes emergió la figura de Vicente Krause, quien con una poética personal supo aunar la sensibilidad artística con el conocimiento técnico en la experimentación proyectual. Este artículo se propone como un aporte al análisis de su obra, desde una mirada biográfica que se centra en su relación con el arte, e intenta desarticular la imagen personalista que el mismo arquitecto conformó, para situarlo en función de las ideas de la época, sus recorridos colectivos y las distintas facetas de su producción, en un contexto económico y político cambiante. El estudio de su legado busca revalorizar su trayectoria, junto con la de otros referentes que se desempeñaron en el ámbito local y que pasaron desapercibidos en la historiografía argentina del siglo XX.
У статті йдеться про здійснення влади Радянським Союзом у період Холодної війни на території Польської Народної Республіки (ПНР) через економічні та містобудівні механізми на прикладі побудови Нової Гути. Зокрема, розглядається втручання в структурні реорганізації побудови міста та комбінату, консультаційні наради польських та радянських експертів. Зазначається, що вплив Радянського Союзу спостерігався, починаючи від сприйняття радянської моделі форсованої індустріалізації та управління будівництвом і закінчуючи щоденним контролем технологічних процесів на виробництві. У пропагандистському образі Нової Гути постійно підкреслюється її важливість як одного з найголовніших символів польсько-радянської дружби та символу миру, що відповідає риториці Холодної війни. Зрештою, у сучасній історіографії та колективній пам’яті концептуалізується сприйняття Нової Гути як спадщини Холодної війни, зокрема, через музеєфікацію її простору, відбувається її вписування в рамки незручної спадщини.
Cities. Urban geography, Economic history and conditions
Com o objetivo de propor um dispositivo metodológico aplicável de forma online, o embasamento bibliográfico deu suporte para a construção de um percurso investigativo, que, unindo conceitos da etnotopografia e do mapeamento visual, pode ser aplicado como piloto aos participantes de uma oficina virtual temática, contida na programação de um evento acadêmico local, com potencial para revelar atributos e elementos da percepção, pertencimento, cultura, memória e identidade, a fim de questionar se as pessoas percebem a presença e/ou como identificam as táticas discursivas presentes em seu cotidiano. Delimitou-se um caminho linear para um flâneur digital para observar os graffitis ao longo da Avenida XV de Novembro na região central da cidade de Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ, às margens do Rio Paraíba do Sul, onde aconteceu o Festival Campos Graffiti, em 2016.
Arquitecto Jaime Roca. Reflejo de tradición y ruptura en su obra y su tiempo.
De la Rua, Berta; Rodríguez de Ortega, Ana María; Civalero, Roxana; Bettolli, Mariana (Eds.). Córdoba, Argentina: Miguel Ángel Roca, 2016, 334 páginas.
En este documento se exponen los resultados de una investigación que indagó en los factores que incentivan la actividad de innovación en América Latina durante 2006-2017. Metodológicamente, la investigación se apoya en un modelo de corrección de errores (VECM) que estima la relación de equilibro de largo plazo entre las variables. Los resultados sugieren la existencia de una relación de equilibrio positiva y significativa. Se concluye que en los países de la región donde predominan actividades económicas con escaso contenido tecnológico es más importante la absorción de tecnología empresarial que el gasto en I+D a nivel empresa.
Cities. Urban geography, Urban groups. The city. Urban sociology
The study of the development of settlement systems has traditionally been included in sphere of public geography and regional economics. Based on statistical material, the author characterizes the urban system of settlement in coastal zones of European part of Russia. The author analyzes the structural differences between the Northern and Southern coastal macrozones, the features of cities location and their functional specialization. Is emphasized the role of “sea factor” in the history of origin and development, the dynamics of population of coastal cities. The author shows the dominant influence of demographic, socio-economic and administrative factors on evolution of spatial structure on the urban settlement system in the coastal zones of European Russia in recent decades. Conclusions are drawn about polarization of the urban settlement system in direction of population concentration in urban agglomerations and strengthening of their role in social and economic development.
Economic growth, development, planning, Economics as a science
João Ernandes Barreto Nascimento, Jose Eloizio da Costa, Fernanda Viana de Alcantara
O objetivo deste trabalho consiste em compreender dinâmica socioeconômica que envolve a agricultura familiar do município de Ribeirópolis/SE, buscando identificar os fatores que podem ser compreendidos como atuantes na reprodução das unidades familiares deste município. Sendo assim, a partir da revisão da literatura selecionada e através das discussões em reuniões semanais realizadas no Grupo de Pesquisa sobre Dinâmica Rural e Regional (GDRR), além da coleta e análise de dados secundários, pode-se fundamentar teórico e empiricamente a pesquisa em questão, além da realização de trabalho de campo aonde foram aplicados 15 questionários e realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas. Pode-se destacar que as rendas oriundas das atividades não agrícolas, verificadas a partir do trabalho de campo, são atividades do tipo pedreiro, ajudante de serviços em geral, pintor, faxineira e marchante. Nestes termos, o estudo em questão poderá proporcionar novos olhares sobre a nova realidade rural, assim como, estratégias de intervenção pública, fornecendo subsídios que contribuam para a inclusão dos pequenos produtores no sistema produtivo. Portanto, concluiu-se que mesmo não apresentando as mesmas condições socioeconômicas de outras áreas do Brasil, à diversificação do trabalho representa, para as unidades familiares pluriativas, uma relevante alternativa para os agricultores familiares do município de Ribeirópolis/SE.