Electricity consumption patterns within cities: application of a data-driven settlement characterization method

ABSTRACT

Urban areas presently consume around 75% of global primary energy supply, which is expected to significantly increase in the future due to urban growth. Having sustainable, universal energy access is a pressing challenge for most parts of the globe. Understanding urban energy consumption patterns may help to address the challenges to urban sustainability and energy security. However, urban energy analyses are severely limited by the lack of urban energy data. Such datasets are virtually non-existent for the developing countries. As per current projections, most of the new urban growth is bound to occur in these data-starved regions. Hence, there is an urgent need of research methods for monitoring and quantifying urban energy utilization patterns. Here, we apply a data-driven approach to characterize urban settlements based on their formality, which is then used to assess intra-urban urban energy consumption in Johannesburg, South Africa; Sana’a, Yemen; and Ndola, Zambia. Electricity is the fastest growing energy fuel. By analyzing the relationship between the settlement types and the corresponding nighttime light emission, a proxy of electricity consumption, we assess the differential electricity consumption patterns. Our study presents a simple and scalable solution to fill the present data void to understand intra-city electricity consumption patterns.     

European capital cities as political frontiers

The capital is the centre of the established order but it always had to accept a relatively uncontrollable world of individuals redefining urban space in their own way or pioneering new means of support. As their existence is both a political nuisance and a foreshadowing of institutional changes (sometimes revolutionary) of nation-wide importance, I call such ways of life political frontiers. One may wonder what will become of political frontiers in the information society (or postmodern society) that, apart from borderless, has been described as society without a centre as well. Actually information society is the prototype of a frontier society with self-responsible groups and individuals. However, capitals – even stripped of their governmental functions – may offer a symbolical environment (a condensation of space and time) that precisely satisfies the wants of those who wish to politicise a way of life. Niches for pioneering behaviour may get dispersed over a wider territory but new types of political activity will gravitate to the capital even if the capital's official political status has dwindled.     

Assessment with satellite data of the urban heat island effects in Asian mega cities

This study focuses on using remote sensing for comparative assessment of surface urban heat island (UHI) in 18 mega cities in both temperate and tropical climate regions. Least-clouded day- and night-scenes of TERRA/MODIS acquired between 2001 and 2003 were selected to generate land-surface temperature (LST) maps. Spatial patterns of UHIs for each city were examined over its diurnal cycle and seasonal variations. A Gaussian approximation was applied in order to quantify spatial extents and magnitude of individual UHIs for inter-city comparison. To reveal relationship of UHIs with surface properties, UHI patterns were analyzed in association with urban vegetation covers and surface energy fluxes derived from high-resolution Landsat ETM+ data. This study provides a generalized picture on the UHI phenomena in the Asian region and the findings can be used to guide further study integrating satellite high-resolution thermal data with land-surface modeling and meso-scale climatic modeling in order to understand impacts of urbanization on local climate in Asia.     

The future of industrial cities and regions in central and eastern Europe

Economic transition in central and eastern Europe (CEE) has had a particularly strong impact on industrial cities and regions. Following their economic collapse, most of them are now confronted with serious problems such as high unemployment and vast ecological damage. The paper presents findings from a pan European research project that investigated the problems of these cities and regions as well as the strategies being adopted to cope with structural change. It examines the differences in approaches and addresses the question whether existing EU policy is suitable for supporting the redevelopment of old industrial cities and regions in CEE countries. The paper concludes with recommendations for future directions in policy making.     

3S集成技术在城镇土地利用变更调查中的应用研究

城镇地区由于建筑物密集、土地利用类型变化快、土地利用现状图比例尺较大等特点,土地利用变更调查主要依靠专业部门利用全站仪完成,但全站仪需要通视的特点限制了其工作效率。而采用3S集成技术进行城镇地区土地利用变更调查的技术方法,则可以相应提高工作效率。基于3S集成技术城镇地区土地利用变更调查的应用模式为:通过GPS接收机与笔记本电脑(已配置GIS软件系统)通讯,实现GPS与GIS的集成,并调用RS影像作为底图,既可实现实时的数据采集、存储和编辑。对于城镇地区部分GPS信号弱的地区,采用测边交会的方法则可以完成这些点的数据采集,克服了GPS使用盲区的限制。     

滨海城市工程地质环境类型划分及其特征研究

滨海城市是我国国民经济和社会发展的重要地区,又处于大陆与海洋交界地带,地质环境比较脆弱。提出了滨海城市工程地质环境类型划分原理,将滨海城市按照工程地质环境特征划分为四大类型：即滨海平原型城市、滨海山地平原型城市、滨海平原山地型城市、滨海山地型城市,并对其工程地质环境特征进行了研究。     

滨海城市环境工程地质问题的成因系统分析

滨海城市是我国经济最发达的地区,近年来经济与城市建设均得到迅速发展,城市土地开发力度加大,由此引起的环境工程地质问题也日趋严重。本文分析了我国滨海城市环境工程地质问题的主要类型,对环境工程地质问题的成因系统进行了研究。     

AVERAGE GLOBAL LOCATIONS

Global distributions are commonly described by maps and tables which emphasize the dispersion of a distribution. The Mean Spheroidal Center (M.S.C.) defines the average location of a world distribution. It is an objectively determined point within the sphere's surface. The M.S.C. calculations are demonstrated using the world's 25 largest cities in each of four time periods.     

IMPLEMENTATION OF CLEANER PRODUCTION STRATEGIES TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE CITY

Rapid urbanization and growing size of cities will have an increasing impact on the global environment in the 21st century. As an engine of urban development to drive economic growth and technological innovations, industry has moved its focus from controlling environmental hazards to stimulating sustainable industrial development throughout the entire product lifecycle. These process- and technology-driven innovations for industrial production are prerequisites for enhancement of urban environment and sustainable development of cities. In this review, problems of environment and resources scarcity associated with rapid urbanization are demonstrated. And, on the basis of expatiations on the concepts and policies of the cleaner production (CP) and other similar initiatives with the goal of preventing pollution at the source and of managing the raw material more efficiently, two different ways to link the practice of cleaner production in industrial sector with performance of urban environment are discussed in detail. Then, the introduction, practice and legislation of CP strategies in China are outlined, and possibility for China to develop CPC (Cleaner Practices for Cities) approaches in the demonstration cities is discussed. Finally, some suggestions on implementation of CPC strategies are put forward.     

地理信息系统技术在区域城镇发展用地评价中的应用——以海南省为例

区域城镇发展用地评价是区域经济开发的先行步骤。作者利用地理信息系统的技术,建立地形评价模型、基础设施辐射范围扩散模型、分区多幅图覆盖分析模型等一整套模型,使评价工作较以往更为科学、系统,且省时省力。本文研究了海南省城镇发展用地条件。