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The low cost construction techniques fueling Asia’s affordable housing boom
Posted on: 16 October 2014
By: mackene
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Rapid population growth and urbanisation has precipitated a boom in affordable housing projects across Asia. To capitalise on these projects, developers are on the lookout for new construction techniques that can reduce costs, whilst retaining build quality and durability. This article considers the latest cost-saving construction techniques available, as well as one with the potential to revolutionise the entire construction industry.
International Conference on Small Island Developing States
Posted on: 14 October 2014
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Stakeholder Forum produced eight thematic editions of Outreach during the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States and pre-Conference events in Apia, Samoa, in August/September. Access all of the editions on the Outreach website.
The Oriel Open Knowledge Hub
Posted on: 14 October 2014
By: mackene
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The Oriel Open Knowledge Hub is an Open Data platform for sharing and downloading digital content about development. A key aspect of the hub’s design is to raise the profile of diverse perspectives on development, paying particular attention to content from the South. The Oriel Open Knowledge Hub can be linked to other Open Knowledge initiatives and its aim is to improve the supply and accessibility of content that supports evidence-informed policy making and practice by development actors. The hub is largely being developed in collaboration with a range of organisations based in developing countries. It is anticipated that through peer support and shared learning, the Institute of Development Studies and its partners will increase their capacity to engage and innovate with Open Data and Open Content.
Climate adaptation in Dhaka, do or die?
Posted on: 14 October 2014
By: mackene
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This research essay explores that climate adaptation needs of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It identifies climate challenges across the human health; water, sanitation and drainage, industry, trade and commerce, and transport sectors.
Urban Africa
Posted on: 14 October 2014
By: mackene
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A news resource from the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town. Themes covered include: built environment, culture, economy, human rights, governance, infrastructure and sustainability.
Car-free concept in Changzhou high-speed rail station area development
Posted on: 7 October 2014
By: mackene
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Rapid urban development and increased car ownership and use in China bring many social and environmental problems. Many Chinese cities are promoting numerous large-scale transport infrastructures and development projects. How to shift the car-oriented development paradigm in the planning and construction of these projects is a challenge for planners and engineers. In the planning of the new town of Changzhou high-speed rail station, the car-free development concept was introduced to create a pedestrian-friendly urban space with easy transportation accessibility, safety and vitality. The planning team studied the car-free development concept and practices, and proposed an adaptive integrated solution for the HSR station project. It consists of four components: mixed-use development, maximum accessibility by public transportation, seamless transport transfer and continuous pedestrian network, which were integrated in the urban design by interfacing with land use, landscape and architecture. The result of the urban design is acknowledged and used as a guiding and control instrument by the city planning bureau for planning and management, serving as a basis for the regulatory planning and further spatial design.
Proceedings of the ICE, Urban Design and Planning
Posted on: 7 October 2014
By: mackene
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The latest issue of the ICE Proceedings on Urban Design and Planning, Vol.167 Issue 5, 2014 contains the following articles on China:
Changing spatial planning in China’s five-year planning system
The five-year planning (FYP) system is very important in regulating economic and spatial development in China. By analysing the texts of five-year plans and corresponding spatial policies, as well as the primary governance issues since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, this paper argues that market-oriented reform and decentralised economic administration have changed China’s political economy and necessitated transformation of the FYP mechanism. However, the emerging spatial governance mechanism is encountering many challenges and may not operate smoothly in the near future.
China’s urban planning and administrative urbanisation: case of Ordos
China’s urbanisation is characterised by strong state intervention, which includes various forms of urban planning made by local governments. Not much academic attention has been paid, however, to the relations between urban planning and urbanisation. This paper tries to narrow this gap by developing a theoretical framework based on the concept of ‘administrative urbanisation’ developed by Liu and co-workers. It is argued that urban planning in China not only provides the local states with a number of tools to manipulate various resources to shape their urban spatial structure and accelerate the pace of urban sprawl, but also legitimates the irrational decisions made by local government. The rationales and strategies facilitated by urban planning in the process of defining goals for the city, struggling for enough land conversion quota and attracting capitals and population to the planned areas, reflect the fundamental characteristics of ‘administrative urbanisation’. Ordos, a city newly formed over the last 15 years, is examined as a case under this framework. The importance of relations between urban planning and administrative urbanisation is also discussed.
A review of large-scale urban design in China
Since the 1980s, China has accumulated nearly 30 years of experience in modern urban design, during which time, large-scale urban design (LSUD), triggered by government-led rapid urbanisation in the late 1990s, arose as a main mission of physical planning. To analyse and interpret this special planning phenomenon in China, the paper traces the evolution of Chinese LSUD and examines it under specific phases of China’s socio-economic development, so as to first reveal the driving forces, various types, design methods and implementation approaches of China’s LSUD projects. By contextualising urban design within China’s unique statutory urban planning and design system, the paper then summarises the main gains and losses of physical planning development in China and puts forward some suggestions for transforming China’s physical planning and design in the future.
China’s urban planning in transition
Significant political and economic shifts since 1949 have affected urban planning practice in China. This paper examines the transition of urban planning systems in China, using Beijing as a case study. China’s master planning practice is divided into four stages – socialist master planning and anti-planning (1949–1978), reforming master planning (1979–late 1980s), urban development planning (early 1990s–2000) and comprehensive planning (2001–present). China’s urban planning is closely related to its political, economic and social development. Plan making, implementation and the construction of large infrastructure and public facilities have played significant roles in China’s rapid economic development. However, planning has also caused problems such as social injustice, environmental pollution and the uncoordinated development of municipal infrastructure, open spaces and human settlements.
Gehl Architects
Posted on: 25 September 2014
By: mackene
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A blog from Danish-based Gehl Architects, featuring its work worldwide.
12 cities
Posted on: 24 September 2014
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This issue puts the public transport systems of our cities under the microscope. Although just one aspect of a city’s personality, these arteries play a significant role in determining the way that people interact and how they can use a city. The cities covered are: London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, Moscow, Sydney, Dubai, Shanghai, Rio de Janiero and Mumbai.
Urban resilience in Indore and Surat, India
Posted on: 23 September 2014
By: mackene
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Cities in Asia are some of the most vulnerable areas on earth to the impacts of climate change. At the same time rapid development makes them spaces of great innovation and vibrancy. The Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) is working to harness the creativity of urban centres in the region to increase their resilince to climate impacts. In this video we see how ACCCRN partner ‘Taru Leading Edge’ is developing city-level innovations to build resilience to the effects of climate change in Surat and Indore, India.
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