Industrial location in the Nairobi area

The paper opens with a brief examination of the Nairobi City pattern of industrial location (especially in terms of industrial areas), including the enumeration of some of the industries involve (a number of them located outside the city boundary). Industrial structure (cum-location) aspects, both in the city and in the neighbouring districts of Kiambu, Machakos and Kajiado (which together constitute the Nairobi Area), are next discussed in detail. The data used are those from the 1965 and 1975 research surveys, and are presented on a national basis so as to demonstrate the significance or otherwise of the Nairobi Area as the industrial core of Kenya. The discussion of the location factors in the Nairobi Area brings the paper to a close. Incorporated are seven tables and four maps.     

Industrial location in Japan since 1945

This paper outlines the main changes in industrial location in Japan since the end of World War II. After a brief introduction, the paper discusses the growth of industrial regions between 1955 and 1965, and gives particular attention to the establishment of heavy industrial complexes in coastal locations and to the growth of assembly-line industries in inland locations. Some reference is also made to the role of local government inducement policies. The paper then turns to an examination of trends since 1965, and considers the significance of external diseconomies, changes in local government policy, labour shortage, improvements in transport and communications, and regional development policy. The paper argues that these factors have been responsible for a limited dispersal of manufacturing away from the main industrial regions. In conclusion, the paper briefly considers the implications of current economic trends for industrial location.     

Water quality problems of urban areas

The increases in population and building density that occur as predominantly rural catchment areas become progressively urbanised can have a far-reaching effect on the hydrological cycle, and therefore on both the quantity and quality of water resources. The success of management strategies intended to alleviate the flooding problems and to prevent the degradation of water quality within and downstream of the urban area depends upon a thorough understanding of the sources of urban runoff pollution and the mechanisms by which pollutants are transported to watercourses. Particular care is necessary to ensure that any measures taken to mitigate the adverse effects of either flooding or pollution do not conflict with others in the same overall stormwater management plan.     

Pedestrian hazard criteria for flooded urban areas

Urban floods are sudden phenomena normally characterized by short flooding durations and devastating effects due to the high concentrations of persons, goods, and properties located in urban areas. In these cases, uncontrolled runoff can flow on urban streets, creating a significant hazard for pedestrians and vehicles. The safety of people can be compromised when they are exposed to flows that exceed their ability to remain standing or to traverse flow paths. With the aim of studying the stability of pedestrians in flooded street during storm events, a model representing an urban street in real scale was designed and built. Following a specific protocol that considering several flow rates (up to 500 l/s) and different longitudinal slopes (up to 10 %), 834 tests, using 23 human subjects, were carried out in good and poor light conditions. Hazard conditions were classified into three groups (low, medium, and high), and the parameters for which these conditions occurred were recorded. Results showed that for subjects weighing 50–60 daN (50–60 kg mass) and flow depths between 9 and 16 cm, velocities of 1.5–2 m/s can generate loss of stability due to phenomena of dragging or overturning. Empirical expressions were proposed to relate human subject characteristics (weight and height) and limiting flow conditions at which loss of stability occurs.     

敦化市区地下水动态特征

本文按不同地下水类型,从地下水的水位、水温、水质三个方面论述了敦化市规划区地下水的动态特征。     

Uptake of metals by plants in urban areas

In the present study, bulk contents of Ni, Zn, Cu, Pb and Mn in urban area of Tehran city are determined. Subsequently, the chemical bonds of metals with various soil fractions are brought out. Chemical partitioning studies revealed that various percentile of Ni, Zn, Cu, Pb and Mn is found in anthropogenic portion of soils. Zinc, Ni, Cu, Pb and Mn fall within “low pollution” class in accordance with index of pollution (I _POLL). The trend of anthropogenic share of studied metals in soils of Tehran is Zn (55 %) > Cu (31 %) > Ni and Pb (30 %) > Mn (12 %). The overall potential of studied plants in metal removal from soil is Salvia > Viola > Portulaca. It should be pointed out that roots have higher potential in metal removal from soil when compared with leaf and stem. Lithogenic portion of metals remains intact before and after pot analysis. Thus, phytoremediation is highly dependent on the chemical bonds of metals. Present study showed that metal contents of loosely bonded ions, sulfide bonds and organometallic bonds are reduced after 90 days of plant cultivation. The overall removal trend of studied metals is Zn (16 %) > Cu (14 %) > Ni (11 %) > Pb (7 %) > Mn (6 %). The obtained results show that the anthropogenic portion of metals is reduced after the phytoremediation practice. For instance, the initial anthropogenic portion of Zn (55 %) is changed to 39 % showing an overall reduction of about 16 %. The anthropogenic portions of Cu, Ni, Pb and Mn are also reduced by 14, 11, 7 and 6 %, respectively.     

Python based location analysis of wind mills in urban environment

GeoJournal - Identification of appropriate location for windmills in landlocked states, like the state of Iowa requires consideration of multiple factors and analysis of a large database, which is...     

Tsunami vulnerability assessment in urban areas using numerical model and GIS

Natural disasters can neither be predicted nor prevented. Urban areas with a high population density coupled with the construction of man-made structures are subjected to greater levels of risk to life and property in the event of natural hazards. One of the major and densely populated urban areas in the east coast of India is the city of Chennai (Madras), which was severely affected by the 2004 Tsunami, and mitigation efforts were severely dampened due to the non-availability of data on the vulnerability on the Chennai coast to tsunami hazard. Chennai is prone to coastal hazards and hence has hazard maps on its earth-quake prone areas, cyclone prone areas and flood prone areas but no information on areas vulnerable to tsunamis. Hence, mapping has to be done of the areas where the tsunami of December 2004 had directly hit and flooded the coastal areas in Chennai in order to develop tsunami vulnerability map for coastal Chennai. The objective of this study is to develop a GIS-based tsunami vulnerability map for Chennai by using a numerical model of tsunami propagation together with documented observations and field measurements of the evidence left behind by the tsunami in December 2004. World-renowned and the second-longest tourist beach in the world “Marina” present in this region witnessed maximum death toll due to its flat topography, resulting in an inundation of about 300 m landward with high flow velocity of the order of 2 m/s.     

An integrated earthquake vulnerability assessment framework for urban areas

In this paper, an integrated urban earthquake vulnerability assessment framework, which considers vulnerability of urban environment in a holistic manner and performs the vulnerability assessment for the neighborhood scale, is proposed. The main motivation behind this approach is the inability to implement existing vulnerability assessment methodologies for countries like Turkey, where the required data are usually missing or inadequate for the decision-makers in prioritization their limited resources for risk reduction in the administrative units from which they are responsible for. The methodology integrates socio-economical, structural, coastal, ground condition, vulnerabilities (fragilities), as well as accessibility to critical services. The proposed methodology is implemented for Eskisehir, which is one of the metropolitans of Turkey. In the implementation of the proposed framework, geographic information system (GIS) is used. While the overall vulnerabilities obtained for neighborhoods are mapped in GIS, the overall vulnerabilities obtained for buildings are visualized in 3D city model. The main reason behind using different mapping and visualization tools for vulnerabilities is to provide better ways for communicating with decision-makers. The implementation of the proposed vulnerability assessment methodology indicates that an urban area may have different vulnerability patterns in terms of structural, socio-economical, and accessibility to critical services. When such patterns are investigated, effective vulnerability reduction policies can be designed by the decision-makers. The proposed methodology well serves for this purpose.     

Concept for near-natural storm water control in urban areas

Storm water control in urban areas helps to conserve the natural water balance and to protect soil and groundwater from hazardous substances. This paper introduces the concept for a near-natural storm water control system, including an associated decision-making chart. In this concept, the quantitative aspects of storm water infiltration are checked first. All important factors and their parameters, which enable a judgement on the tolerance of rising groundwater levels, are identified and evaluated. If the predicted rise in groundwater level is considered tolerable, the qualitative aspects of storm water infiltration are then checked. Again, all important factors and their parameters, which enable a judgement on the hazards to the soil and groundwater, are identified and evaluated. The presented concept also includes recommendations and demonstrates alternative control systems. Urban planners and public authorities are regarded as potential users of this concept.     

Estuarine flooding in urban areas: enhancing vulnerability assessment

The assessment of vulnerability provides valuable knowledge in the risk assessment steps of a risk governance process. Given the multiscale, multilevel, and multisectorial aspects of flood risk, the diversified entities that directly and indirectly intervene in risk management require specific outputs from the assessment studies. Urban areas in estuarine margins are particularly exposed and vulnerable to flooding. Such interface conditions are found in the Old City Centre of the Seixal, located in the Tagus estuary, Portugal. Here, two distinct methodologies were applied for the assessment of territorial vulnerability. A regional, lower-scale, methodology explores the application of the statistical procedure based on the SoVI^® at the statistical block level. A second, local and higher-scale, methodology is based in data collected through field matrices at the building and statistical sub-block level. Comparison of results revealed that the lower-scale assessment provides information on the vulnerability drivers at the regional and municipal level. Nevertheless, only at a higher-scale, it is possible to characterize and differentiate the smaller geographical units of analysis that compose the Old City Centre of Seixal. The lower-scale vulnerability assessment allows a strategic response, based on adaptation measures such as spatial planning, institutional capacity building and public awareness. The local level assessment provides more accurate knowledge to support local emergency planning and the allocation of operational and material resources at the urban level. Nevertheless, rather than antagonistic, both models can be considered as complementary, having in mind the requirements of an holistic flood risk governance model.

     

Correlation between land-use change and greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas

Urban areas are the main sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Previous studies have identified the effectiveness of better urban design on mitigating climate change and land-use patterns in cities as important factors in reducing GHG by local governments. However, studies documenting the link between land-use and GHG emissions are scant. Therefore, this study explores the driving forces of land-use change and GHG emission increments in urban areas and investigates their correlations. The study area, Xinzhuang, is a satellite city of Taipei that has rapidly urbanized in the past few decades. Twenty-one potential variables were selected to determine the driving forces of land-use change and GHG emission increments by binomial logistic regression based on the investigation data of national land use in 1996 and 2007. The correlation of land-use change and GHG increments was examined by Spearman rank-order analysis. Results of logistic regression analysis identified that population and its increasing density rate are main driving forces on both land-use change and GHG increments. The Spearman rank correlation matrix indicates that fluctuating urbanization level is significantly correlated with the increase of total GHG emissions, the emissions of residence, commerce, and transportation sectors in neighborhoods; and the emissions of residence and transportation sectors seem closely connected to current urbanization level. The findings suggest that relationships among land-use, urbanization, and GHG emissions in urban areas vary greatly according to residence and transportation characteristics. Land-based mitigation may provide the most viable mechanism for reducing GHG emissions through residence and transportation sectors.     

A method for assessing and managing landslide residual hazard in urban areas

On February 14, 2010, a large landslide affected the urban centre of San Fratello town (Sicily Island, Southern Italy), causing severe damage to buildings, roadways, and infrastructure, as well as about 2000 evacuees. This large complex landslide, covering more than 1 km² in extension, represents one of the major phenomena that ever occurred in Sicily. In order to manage the landslide risk, the civil protection system was activated as part of the initial response to the emergency (the “emergency phase”). This involved the Civil Protection Departments both at national (DPC) and regional (DRPC) levels, as well as scientific institutions (namely “Competence centres”, CdCs), local administration personnel, and technicians. On March 8, 2010, during the post-event recovery phase, a ground-based synthetic aperture radar (GB-InSAR) system was installed in order to monitor the ground surface deformation, assess the landslide residual risk, and analyse its displacement trend. Accurate field surveys and building inspections were also performed for a validation of the GB-InSAR data, in order to map the ground deformation, plan building evacuation-demolishment, as well as check the efficiency of the landslide mitigation works. This paper describes the outcomes of the 57 month monitoring campaign (March 2010–December 2014), reporting the use of GB-InSAR data for near real-time monitoring, mapping, and post-emergency/recovery management activities. The final aim was to provide the civil protection personnel with a reliable, rapid, and easy communication system of the monitoring results, designed to an enhance understanding of the landslide phenomena, and to support the decision-making process.     

Modelling phosphorus inputs from agricultural sources and urban areas in river basins

An area-differentiated model approach (MEPhos) for the quantification of mean annual P-inputs from point and diffuse sources is presented. The following pathways are considered: artificial drainage, wash-off, groundwater outflow, soil erosion, rainwater sewers, combined sewer overflows, municipal waste water treatment plants and industrial effluents. Two retention functions for rivers and reservoirs are included in order to model P-sinks within a river basin. This allows a complete record of P-loads in heterogeneous meso- and macroscale river basins and enables validation of modeling results with water quality data on a load basis. The model is applied to the River Ruhr basin (4,485 km²) in Germany, which includes contrasting natural conditions, land use patterns as well as population and industry densities. Based on validated modelling results sub-areas of high P-loads are localized and management options for the reduction of P-inputs to surface waters are proposed taking into account the site conditions of the sub-areas relevant for high P-inputs into surface waters.     

Land subsidence caused by ground water withdrawal in urban areas

At least eight urban areas in the world have encountered significant economic impact from land subsidence caused by pumping of ground water from unconsolidated sediment. The areas, most of which are coastal, include Bangkok, Houston, Mexico City, Osaka, San Jose, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Venice. Flooding related to decreased ground elevation is the principal adverse effect of the subsidence. Lesser effects include regional tilting, well-casing failures, rising buildings, and ground failure or rupture. Subsidence of most of these urban areas began before the phenomenon was discovered and understood. Thus, the subsidence problems were unanticipated. Methods to arrest subsidence typically have included control of ground water pumping and development of surface water to offset the reductions of ground water pumping. Ground water recharge has also been practiced. Areas threatened by flooding have been protected by extensive networks of dikes and sea walls, locks, and pumping stations to remove storm runoff.     

基于GeoStation的城市片区地质三维建模技术研究

本文基于华东院自主研发的GeoStation地质三维勘察设计系统,设计一种城市片区地质三维建模技术方法。该方法首先采用地质剖面作为地质拓扑剖面,其次使用地质拓扑剖面将城市片区划分为若干城市区块,再次使用GeoStation系统的地层自动建模功能独立构建城市区块模型,最后将城市区块拼合为整体模型。该方法集成在GeoStation系统中,并在某城市级BIM应用中进行应用,结果表明该技术方法可行,实现了海量庞杂地质建模数据的高效管理,构建的地质三维模型可满足某城市BIM平台数据要求,为城市地理空间信息建模提供新的手段,也为其他城市开展数字化建设和智慧化管理提供范例。