How designs develop: Insights from case studies in building engineering services

1993 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 475-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Macpherson ◽  
J. R. Kelly ◽  
R. S. Webb
Author(s):  
Chris Zevenbergen ◽  
Berry Gersonius ◽  
Mohan Radhakrishan

Three different conceptual frameworks of resilience, including engineering, ecological and social–ecological have been presented and framed within the context of flood risk management. Engineering resilience has demonstrated its value in the design and operation of technological systems in general and in flood resilient technologies in particular. Although limited to the technical domain, it has broadened the objectives of flood resilient technologies and provided guidance in improving their effectiveness. Socio-ecological resilience is conceived as a broader system characteristic that involves the interaction between human and natural systems. It acknowledges that these systems change over time and that these interactions are of complex nature and associated with uncertainties. Building (socio-ecological) resilience in flood risk management strategies calls for an adaptive approach with short-term measures and a set of monitoring criteria for keeping track of developments that might require adaptation in the long-term (adaptation pathways) and thus built-in adaptive capacity as opposed to building engineering resilience which involves a static approach with a fixed time horizon a set of robust measures designed for specific future conditions or scenarios. The two case studies, from a developing and a developed country, indicate that the concepts of ecological and socio-ecological resilience provide guidance for building more resilient flood risk management systems resulting in an approach that embraces flood protection, prevention and preparedness. The case studies also reveal that the translation of resilience concepts into practice remains a challenge. One plausible explanation for this is our inability to arrive at a quantification of socio-ecological resilience taking into account the various attributes of the concept. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Urban flood resilience’.


2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dexter Dunphy

ABSTRACTThis paper addresses the issue of corporate sustainability. It examines why achieving sustainability is becoming an increasingly vital issue for society and organisations, defines sustainability and then outlines a set of phases through which organisations can move to achieve increasing levels of sustainability. Case studies are presented of organisations at various phases indicating the benefits, for the organisation and its stakeholders, which can be made at each phase. Finally the paper argues that there is a marked contrast between the two competing philosophies of neo-conservatism (economic rationalism) and the emerging philosophy of sustainability. Management schools have been strongly influenced by economic rationalism, which underpins the traditional orthodoxies presented in such schools. Sustainability represents an urgent challenge for management schools to rethink these traditional orthodoxies and give sustainability a central place in the curriculum.


1978 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 220-235
Author(s):  
David L. Ratusnik ◽  
Carol Melnick Ratusnik ◽  
Karen Sattinger

Short-form versions of the Screening Test of Spanish Grammar (Toronto, 1973) and the Northwestern Syntax Screening Test (Lee, 1971) were devised for use with bilingual Latino children while preserving the original normative data. Application of a multiple regression technique to data collected on 60 lower social status Latino children (four years and six months to seven years and one month) from Spanish Harlem and Yonkers, New York, yielded a small but powerful set of predictor items from the Spanish and English tests. Clinicians may make rapid and accurate predictions of STSG or NSST total screening scores from administration of substantially shortened versions of the instruments. Case studies of Latino children from Chicago and Miami serve to cross-validate the procedure outside the New York metropolitan area.


2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanya Rose Curtis

As the field of telepractice grows, perceived barriers to service delivery must be anticipated and addressed in order to provide appropriate service delivery to individuals who will benefit from this model. When applying telepractice to the field of AAC, additional barriers are encountered when clients with complex communication needs are unable to speak, often present with severe quadriplegia and are unable to position themselves or access the computer independently, and/or may have cognitive impairments and limited computer experience. Some access methods, such as eye gaze, can also present technological challenges in the telepractice environment. These barriers can be overcome, and telepractice is not only practical and effective, but often a preferred means of service delivery for persons with complex communication needs.


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