A no-camp policy: Interrogating informal settlements in Lebanon

As fewer refugees move into formal camps, what kinds of non-camp spaces are emerging and how does that challenge the ways in which we understand the management and politics of refuge? This paper seeks to shed light on this question through an analysis of informal settlements in Lebanon. The Syrian crisis has displaced millions of people, most of whom have moved into neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The Lebanese government, faced with a longer history of Palestinian camps and their militarization has refused to allow the establishment of official refugee camps for Syrians. As a result of this ‘no camp’ policy, Syrians are forced to either live in private rented accommodation in towns and cities throughout the country, or in informal settlements (ISes) built on private, often agricultural land. These informal settlements are built and developed through a complex assemblage of humanitarianism, hospitality, security, economic and political considerations. In this paper, I look at the physical and social spaces of informal settlements in the Bekaa Valley, Eastern Lebanon, examining how differential access to aid, support, security and tacit recognition by the state has led to variations amongst them. In doing so, I expose how an informalized response to the crisis through a system of deregulation is enabling refugee spaces to emerge that are visible, yet unrecognized, flexible, yet precarious. These spaces destabilize the city/camp dichotomy by drawing together elements of both. In engaging with debates on informality, the paper contributes to a growing critical literature on refugee geographies and seeks to expand beyond the reductive narratives of refugee camps, thereby offering insights into refugee futures in increasingly uncertain times.     

湘南传统村落人居环境的营建模式

以湘南地区为地理单元,在分析该地自然地理条件和历史文化环境的基础上,探索该地传统村落人居环境的选址思想和营建模式。从选址思想来看,基于安全防御、农业生产、经济营建和风水观念的考虑,湘南传统村落多选址于地域环境相对独立或封闭的丘陵坡地或台地上;从营建模式来看,湘南传统村落人居环境追求“天人合一”的哲学思想,布局遵循传统礼制,实行自主互助并秉承经济实用的原则,发展体现区位择优的生长规律。     

快速城镇化背景下海岛农村居民点空间演变——以福建海坛岛为例

以平潭综合实验区主岛--海坛岛为研究区,基于 2000、2009 和 2013 年 3 期 SPOT 遥感数据,运用单一土地利用动态度、马尔科夫转移矩阵模型、最近邻点统计量、核密度估计、探索性数据分析和空间“热点”探测方法定量分析海坛岛农村居民点时空分布特征及其演变规律,并从景观生态学角度深入分析农村居民点空间分布特征的影响因素。结果表明：1）2000―2013 年间农村居民点扩张明显,面积共增加 399.69 hm² ,主要转自耕地和林地,后期（2009―2013 年）的增量、增速均比前期（2000―2009 年）大,说明综合实验区的成立对海坛岛农村居民点扩张产生重要影响。2）海坛岛农村居民点扩展主要形式：一是块状扩展,即沿原有斑块向四周蔓延式向外扩展;二是带状扩展,即沿各乡镇的交通干线向两侧或某侧扩展。3）2000、2009 和 2013 年海坛岛农村居民点的空间分布均表现出显著的聚集特征,呈现高密度小规模集聚分布与低密度大规模集聚分布格局,且随时间变化,农村居民点集聚程度不断提高。4）坡度、地形起伏度、道路和河流等景观要素对海坛岛农村居民点的布局有显著影响,农村居民点主要分布在地势平坦、坡度平缓（0~10°）、近水源（距河流＜1 500 m）以及交通便利（距离道路＜500 m）的地方,且扩张趋势明显;反之,农村居民点分布明显较少。     

Anmeldelser

Meyer, Marlene: Settlement Patterns and Land-use in Northern Ghana—A Study of the Changes during the period 1963–1991 based on Historical Surveys and recent SPOT-images. Geografisk Tidsskrift 92:101–104. Copenhagen 1992.

A study by Hunter (1966) describes how large areas along the Red Volta River bank, have been abandoned due to river blindness. The mapping of current land-use status and settlements patterns, using multispectral SPOT-satellite images, shows how the border of settlements continue to retreat, whereas new land is being reclaimed for bush fields in the abandoned areas.     

成都市新津县城乡建设用地增减挂钩农民安置区人居环境满意度分析

通过对成都市新津县3个城乡统筹试点区农民安置区的实地调查,构建了基于客观建设条件与主观满意度的安置区人居环境指标体系,运用模糊综合分析法对主客观两方面因素进行综合分析,得出居民对安置区的满意度及安置区建设条件评价。结果表明:袁山社区居民人居环境满意度及客观建设条件得分最高,其在安置区建设、安置区政策、居民社会经济等方面均优于其他两个社区。对成都市新津县"挂钩"试点区农民安置区的人居环境满意度评价,能从侧面反映出成都市推行"挂钩"政策的具体情况,客观衡量政策实施的优劣程度,发现政策推行过程中的主要问题,对推进区域城乡统筹具有一定的借鉴意义。     

基于居民点密度的人口密度空间化

提出了一种基于居民点密度的人口密度空间化方法。以江苏省人口数据空间化为例,在采用核密度估计法得到江苏省镇(乡、街道)居民点密度后,运用基于居民点密度的人口密度空间化计算公式获得江苏省1 000m×1 000m的人口密度格网图,结果表明:江苏省人口分布的热点地区正是在建的三大都市圈(苏锡常都市圈、南京都市圈和徐州都市圈),其中苏锡常都市圈的人口分布呈现各向异性,而南京和徐州都市圈的人口分布则表现为各向同性;人口密度不仅取决于居民点密度,还与平均每个居民点的人口数密切相关,居民点密度大的区域的人口密度不一定大,居民点密度小的区域的人口密度也不一定小。     

Effects from diaphragm wall installation to surrounding soil and adjacent buildings

A new approach for simulating the excavation and construction of subsequent panels is proposed to investigate the effects from the installation of diaphragm walls on the surrounding and adjacent buildings. The method has been combined with a 3-D nonlinear analysis and a constitutive law providing bulk and shear modulus variation, depending on the stress path (loading, unloading, reloading). From the application of the method in a normally to slightly over-consolidated clayey soil it was found that the panel length is the most affecting factor of ground movements and lateral stress reduction during panel installation. Moreover, from the evaluation of horizontal stress reduction and the variation of horizontal displacements arises that the effects from the construction of a panel are mainly limited to a zone within a distance of the order of the panel length. The effects on an adjacent building have also been investigated by applying a full soil–structure interaction including the whole building. Settlement profiles and settlements are given at specific points as increasing with subsequent installation of panels, providing the ability of specific monitoring guidelines for the upcoming construction of the diaphragm wall in front of the building. Contrary to lateral movements, which mostly take place at the panel under construction, it was found that the effect of settlements covers a larger area leading to a progressive settlement increase. The effect highly depends on the distance from the panel under construction.     

上海农村居民点整理权属调整及农民权益分析

农村居民点整理是土地整治的重要内容,对城镇化建设具有推动作用。针对上海农村居民点整理实践,分析了土地权属调整及农民权益保障问题,并提出了相关建议。     

中国沙区人居环境安全研究的初步探讨

沙漠化严重威胁沙区人居环境安全,研究沙区人居环境安全保障技术,是关系到民族生存空间的迫切任务。基于人居环境理论的介绍,阐述了沙区人居环境的概念、内涵、分级和研究尺度,初步勾勒了沙区人居环境安全研究的内容体系和评价方法。在深入讨论导致沙区人居环境恶化根源的基础上,认为从资源环境和人类社会两个互相耦合的维度上,从沙区人居环境这一综合的系统整体入手,是防沙治沙技术研究重大突破的一个方向。     

巢湖流域新石器至汉代古聚落变更与环境变迁

以GIS为手段,在对巢湖流域新石器中晚期至汉代聚落遗址时空分布特征进行分析的基础上,探讨流域内古聚落变更对环境变迁的响应关系.研究表明,巢湖流域新石器中晚期至汉代古聚落变更的规律主要表现为,随着时代推进聚落遗址从高海拔逐渐向低海拔地区转移并向湖泊靠近,这种变更响应于中全新世以来流域气候由温暖湿润向温和干燥的发展,以及由此导致的巢湖湖泊收缩、水位持续下降和生活范围扩展,反映了在气候变化的大背景下,地貌演化和水文条件的改变对古聚落变更的影响;而各时期聚落遗址西多东少的分布格局,则与流域东部极易受河道摆动和洪涝灾害影响的地貌条件有关.因此,气候变化成为巢湖流域古聚落变更的重要激发因子,对古聚落的分布、扩展、演变都产生了重要影响,古聚落变更对环境变迁的响应明显.