Comprehensive Analysis of the Built Environment through the Introduction of Induced Impacts via Transportation

2015 ◽  
Vol 2500 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-74
Author(s):  
John E. Anderson ◽  
Gebhard Wulfhorst ◽  
Werner Lang
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Impact Category ◽  
Urban Region ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
City Center ◽  
Significant Research ◽  
Environmental Goals ◽  
Center City ◽  
Operational Impacts

The built environment, accounting for the building and transportation sectors, is the dominant source of environmental impacts. While significant research has assessed environmental impacts in the built environment, existing research is strongly separated by the scale of analysis: individual buildings or the urban scale. However, assessing buildings as isolated objects ignores their urban context, while concentrating on urban-scale projects does not represent the actual scale of construction: growth within existing cities. As such, environmental impacts resulting from the interplay of individual buildings and their urban context, induced impacts, have yet to be determined. This paper presents a new methodology for capturing induced impacts in the built environment. The new methodology was applied to the urban region of Munich, Germany, at three geographical resolutions (traffic cell, city neighborhood, and district) to illustrate the significance of induced impacts. The research contributes to the literature through the integration of the assessment of the transportation infrastructure in addition to the traditional focus on operational impacts. Transportation embodied impacts were found to account for approximately 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, transportation impacts (embodied and operational) were summarized at three locations: city center, city periphery, and rural. Consequently, the work has identified a missing impact category, expanded the assessment methodology, and provided quantitative analysis for holistic evaluation of the built environment. The inclusion of induced impacts allows for innovative policies to achieve environmental goals within the built environment.

scholarly journals Measuring the Urban Forms of Shanghai’s City Center and Its New Districts: A Neighborhood-Level Comparative Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8481
Author(s):  
Lin Lin ◽  
Xueming (Jimmy) Chen ◽  
Anne Vernez Moudon
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
City Center ◽  
Urban Forms ◽  
Application Programming ◽  
Large Center ◽  
Center City ◽  
The City ◽  
Neighborhood Level

Rapid urban expansion has radically transformed the city centers and the new districts of Chinese cities. Both areas have undergone unique redevelopment and development over the past decades, generating unique urban forms worthy of study. To date, few studies have investigated development patterns and land use intensities at the neighborhood level. The present study aims to fill the gap and compare the densities of different types of developments and the spatial compositions of different commercial uses at the neighborhood level. We captured the attributes of their built environment that support instrumental activities of daily living of 710 neighborhoods centered on the public elementary schools of the entire Shanghai municipality using application programming interfaces provided in Baidu Map services. The 200 m neighborhood provided the best fit to capture the variations of the built environment. Overall, city center neighborhoods had significantly higher residential densities and housed more daily routine destinations than their counterparts in the new districts. Unexpectedly, however, the total length of streets was considerably smaller in city-center neighborhoods, likely reflecting the prominence of the wide multilane vehicular roads surrounding large center city redevelopment projects. The findings point to convergence between the city center’s urban forms and that of the new districts.

scholarly journals Simulating the effects of redesigned street-scale built environments on access/egress pedestrian flows to metro stations

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanan Liu ◽  
Dujuan Yang ◽  
Harry J. P. Timmermans ◽  
Bauke de Vries
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Route Choice ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Destination Choice ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Renewal Processes ◽  
City Center ◽  
Metro Station ◽  
Route Choice Behavior ◽  
The City

AbstractIn urban renewal processes, metro line systems are widely used to accommodate the massive traffic needs and stimulate the redevelopment of the local area. The route choice of pedestrians, emanating from or going to the metro stations, is influenced by the street-scale built environment. Many renewal processes involve the improvement of the street-level built environment and thus influence pedestrian flows. To assess the effects of urban design on pedestrian flows, this article presents the results of a simulation model of pedestrian route choice behavior around Yingkoudao metro station in the city center of Tianjin, China. Simulated pedestrian flows based on 4 scenarios of changes in street-scale built environment characteristics are compared. Results indicate that the main streets are disproportionally more affected than smaller streets. The promotion of an intensified land use mix does not lead to a high increase in the number of pedestrians who choose the involved route when traveling from/to the metro station, assuming fixed destination choice.

scholarly journals Reducing environmental impacts from garments through best practice garment use and care, using the example of a Merino wool sweater

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen G. Wiedemann ◽  
Leo Biggs ◽  
Quan V. Nguyen ◽  
Simon J. Clarke ◽  
Kirsi Laitala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Impact Category ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Multiple Users ◽  
Washing Machines ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose Garment production and use generate substantial environmental impacts, and the care and use are key determinants of cradle-to-grave impacts. The present study investigated the potential to reduce environmental impacts by applying best practices for garment care combined with increased garment use. A wool sweater is used as an example because wool garments have particular attributes that favour reduced environmental impacts in the use phase. Methods A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to compare six plausible best and worst-case practice scenarios for use and care of a wool sweater, relative to current practices. These focussed on options available to consumers to reduce impacts, including reduced washing frequency, use of more efficient washing machines, reduced use of machine clothing dryers, garment reuse by multiple users, and increasing number of garment wears before disposal. A sixth scenario combined all options. Worst practices took the worst plausible alternative for each option investigated. Impacts were reported per wear in Western Europe for climate change, fossil energy demand, water stress and freshwater consumption. Results and discussion Washing less frequently reduced impacts by between 4 and 20%, while using more efficient washing machines at capacity reduced impacts by 1 to 6%, depending on the impact category. Reduced use of machine dryer reduced impacts by < 5% across all indicators. Reusing garments by multiple users increased life span and reduced impacts by 25–28% across all indicators. Increasing wears from 109 to 400 per garment lifespan had the largest effect, decreasing impacts by 60% to 68% depending on the impact category. Best practice care, where garment use was maximised and care practices focussed on the minimum practical requirements, resulted in a ~ 75% reduction in impacts across all indicators. Unsurprisingly, worst-case scenarios increased impacts dramatically: using the garment once before disposal increased GHG impacts over 100 times. Conclusions Wool sweaters have potential for long life and low environmental impact in use, but there are substantial differences between the best, current and worst-case scenarios. Detailed information about garment care and lifespans is needed to understand and reduce environmental impacts. Opportunities exist for consumers to rapidly and dramatically reduce these impacts. The fashion industry can facilitate this through garment design and marketing that promotes and enables long wear life and minimal care.

scholarly journals Dynamic relationship between embodied and operational impacts of buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saheed O. Ajayi ◽  
Lukumon O. Oyedele ◽  
Jamiu A. Dauda
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dynamic Relationship

Purpose Buildings and their construction activities consume a significant proportion of mineral resources excavated from nature and contribute a large percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere. As a way of improving the sustainability of building construction and operation, various sustainable design appraisal standards have been developed across nations. Albeit criticism of the appraisal standards, evidence shows that increasing sustainability of the built environment has been engendered by such appraisal tools as Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficacy, among others. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the appraisal standards in engendering whole lifecycle environmental sustainability of the built environment. Design/methodology/approach In order to evaluate the adequacy of sustainability scores assigned to various lifecycle stages of buildings in the appraisal standards, four case studies of a block of classroom were modelled. Using Revit as a modelling platform, stage by stage lifecycle environmental impacts of the building were simulated through Green Building Studio and ATHENA Impact estimator. The resulting environmental impacts were then compared against the assessment score associated with each stage of building lifecycle in BREAAM and CfSH. Findings Results show that albeit the consensus that the appraisal standards engender sustainability practices in the AEC industry, total scores assigned to impacts at each stage of building lifecycle is disproportionate to the simulated whole-life environmental impacts associated with the stages in some instances. Originality/value As the study reveals both strengths and weaknesses in the existing sustainability appraisal standards, measures through which they can be tailored to resource efficiency and lifecycle environmental sustainability of the built environment are suggested.

Life cycle assessment of asphalt pavement maintenance and rehabilitation techniques: a study for the City of St. John’s

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 1320-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Rakibul Alam ◽  
Kamal Hossain ◽  
Ali Azhar Butt ◽  
Tim Caudle ◽  
Carlos Bazan
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Impact Category ◽  
Pavement Maintenance ◽  
Environmental Footprints ◽  
Maintenance And Rehabilitation ◽  
Maintenance Techniques ◽  
Acidification Potential ◽  
The City

Although pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) techniques are usually examined in economic terms, there is a growing need to address their environmental footprints. The objective of this study is to assess the environmental impacts of M&R techniques. Life cycle assessment (LCA) can help in the decision-making process of selecting suitable maintenance techniques based on their environmental impacts. This study investigates: patching, rout & sealing, hot in-place recycling, and cold in-place recycling. Global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential, human health particulate, eutrophication potential, ozone depletion potential, and smog potential are estimated as environmental impacts for each maintenance activity. Materials, equipment use (for construction and M&R), and transportation were the main elements considered. A sensitivity test is performed to identify the significant factors for the LCA. The study concluded that GWP was the most important impact category. Rout & sealing and cold in-place recycling produced the lowest GWP emissions. Notably, pavement patching and hot in-place recycling showed significant detrimental environmental impacts.

scholarly journals Exploring the potential of Urban Leftover Spaces

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jasim Azhar
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Urban Fabric ◽  
Aesthetic Quality ◽  
Visual Preference ◽  
Spatial Environment ◽  
Human Perceptions ◽  
Design Attribute ◽  
Design Preferences ◽  
Preference Study

<p>A city’s spatial environment emerges from the ongoing negotiation between the constructed environment, urban processes, and bodily experience. Many spaces do not represent a static notion but are continually challenged and reconstituted, including spaces that appear to be ‘leftover’. The ability to recognise leftover spaces in the urban context is an integral part of the urban redevelopment process, where structured and layered approaches become useful in understanding how to transform these spaces into places. Consequently, leftover spaces in the urban fabric can be seen both as having potential and as threatening. Researchers have pointed out the issues, conditions, and importance of the positive utilisation of leftover spaces. These spaces can be designed, transformed, and integrated into the main urban fabric to achieve environmental and social gains. Creative and flexible design should lead to psychologically healthy places by improving the image of a city from within. However, there is insufficient information available on how to go about designing such spaces.  The revitalisation and aesthetic quality of leftover spaces could expand the dynamism of a city through strategic design interventions. This study explores how the visual perception of leftover spaces in Wellington City that influences both personal experiences and their potential usage could be enhanced. The research aims to investigate the potential of different types of urban leftover spaces, which could be used in a more effective way than they are present. The mixed methodology undertaken in this study seeks to inform planning initiatives by knowing what people feel about leftover spaces and their aspects that need improvement. This research, therefore, examines how such leftover spaces are defined and can be redesigned to become part of a built environment. The research thus consists of three studies starting with an initial visual preference study to understand human perceptions that could lead to better design solutions. The second study explored the differences in design preferences among participants coming from different fields of study, forming the main visual preference study. Visual preferences can guide behaviour and the emotional responses of different users in the redesign of such spaces and their essential attributes. Lastly, focus group discussions were held with built and non-built environment participants. To sum up, the results revealed that providing more vegetation is a critical design attribute for such spaces. The study contradicts theories that hold there are differences in the ways built and non-built environment experts perceive the environment.</p>

The Astu of Athens

2020 ◽  
pp. 127-174
Author(s):  
Jessica Paga
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
City Center ◽  
Architectural Form ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Ritual Landscape ◽  
And Function ◽  
The City

This chapter evaluates buildings in the astu (city center) of Athens, excluding the Akropolis and Agora. Buildings and monuments within distinct areas are treated together in order to consider the broader impact of discrete sectors of the city. The chapter concludes with an examination of the sight lines and viewing axes that crisscross the city, connected to and independent of the roadways and paths. These sight lines, axes, and roads link various parts of the city together via the built environment, thereby underscoring relationships in both architectural form and function. The chapter emphasizes how the changes to the built environment in the late sixth and early fifth centuries also transformed the ritual landscape and lived experience of the astu.

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