scholarly journals Residents’ Attention and Awareness of Urban Edible Landscapes: A Case Study of Wuhan, China

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1142
Author(s):  
Qijiao Xie ◽  
Yang Yue ◽  
Daohua Hu
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
National Recommendation ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
Edible Landscape

More and more urban residents in China have suffered from food insecurity and failed to meet the national recommendation of daily fruit and vegetable consumption due to rapid urbanization in recent years. Introducing edible landscapes to urban greening systems represents an opportunity for improving urban food supply and security. However, residents’ opinion on urban edible landscapes has rarely been discussed. In this study, questionnaire surveys were performed in eight sample communities in Wuhan, China, to collect the information on residents’ attention and awareness of urban edible landscapes. Results indicated that nearly one-third of the respondents were unaware of edible landscapes before the interview. Most residents thought that an edible landscape could promote efficient land use (57.26%) and express special ornamental effects (54.64%), but quite a few didn’t believe that growing edible plants in urban public spaces could increase food output (37.10%) and improve food quality (40.12%). Overall, 45.65% and 32.73% of the growers performed their cultivation behavior in private and semiprivate spaces, respectively. Lack of public areas for agriculture use was regarded as the main barrier restricting the development of urban horticulture by 55.86% of growers and 59.51% of non-growers. The residents were also worried about their property manager’s opposition, possible conflicts, and complex relationships with their neighbors. Food policies and infrastructure support from local governments and official institutions were needed to ensure the successful implementation of edible landscapes in urban areas.

scholarly journals Measurement of Polycentric County-Level Areas in a Rapid Urbanization Region from a Public Service Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 8285
Author(s):  
Mingyu Zhang ◽  
Yichen Ruan ◽  
Ge Lou ◽  
Qiuxiao Chen ◽  
Jiayi Wu
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
County Level ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Service Perspective

Despite various studies regarding polycentric development at metropolis or even larger spatial scales, there is little systematic analysis regarding the rapid urbanization area at the county-level scale. Therefore, this study explored polycentric development in 52 county-level administrative units in Zhejiang Province, China, from a public service perspective. Based on point-of-interest data, our analysis detected the intra-county urban centers and measured their polycentric characteristics. According to the number, scale, and equilibrium value of intra-county polycentricity, the 52 county-level units were classified into three types using a two-step cluster algorithm method. The empirical results suggest that polycentric characteristics vary in the rapid urbanization area, and the spatial distribution of typological units is characterized by agglomeration. Topographical condition, fixed assets investment, public transportation, and residential consumption ability are highly associated with the classification of polycentric urban areas. The conclusion of this study would help local governments initiate better urban development policies and provide potential research directions for further studies about the relationship of inter-county urban centers.

scholarly journals Multi-Disciplinary Determination of the Rural/Urban Boundary: A Case Study in Xi’an, China

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Fang ◽  
Yingjie Wang
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Accurate Determination ◽  
National Bureau ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
New Model ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban

Rapid urbanization in China has blurred the boundaries between rural and urban areas in both geographic and conceptual terms. Accurately identifying this boundary in a given area is an important prerequisite for studies of these areas, but previous research has used fairly simplistic factors to distinguish the two areas (such as population density). In this study, we built a model combining multi-layer conditions and cumulative percentage methods based on five indicators linking spatial, economic, and demographic factors to produce a more comprehensive and quantitative method for identifying rural and urban areas. Using Xi’an, China as a case study, our methods produced a more accurate determination of the rural-urban divide when compared to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of the People’s Republic of China. Specifically, the urbanization level was 3.24% lower in the new model, with a total urban area that was 621.87 km2 lower. These results were checked by field survey and satellite imagery for accuracy. This new model thus provides local governments and other interested parties a theoretical and technological foundation for more accurate rural/urban planning and management in the future.

Urbanization and Changes in Cropping Patterns at Kathmandu Valley

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raj Man Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Considerable Change ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Kathmandu Valley ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Cropping Patterns ◽  
Agriculture Land

The increase of population in Kathmandu valley is bringing a considerable change in cropping system. Rapid urbanization and introduction of new agriculture technology have encouraged the valley’s farmers to change their cropping patterns from traditional (low value crops) to new crops (high value crops). According to numerous studies made in Nepal, the change is seen considerably in winter crops than in summer crops and the land under cultivation of green leafy vegetables is increasing rapidly in the urban and semi-urban areas. An average growth of population at 3 % in the valley during the period 1951-2001 has resulted in the rapid expansion of area under urban coverage (24.6 % growth per year from 1984 - 2000) has made agriculture land of Katmandu valley to decline per year by 2.04 % (836.27 ha per year). If this trend of decline in agriculture land in Kathmandu valley continues in future too, it is expected that there will be no agriculture land left over by two and half decades in the valley. The planners should take note of this fact that if fertile land of Katmandu valley is to be preserved for agriculture necessary planning is urgently needed. <i>Nepal Journal of Science and Technology</i> Vol. 7, 2006

scholarly journals Key factors to facilitate locally driven family planning programming: a qualitative analysis of urban stakeholder perspectives in Africa and Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Mwaikambo ◽  
Sarah Brittingham ◽  
Saori Ohkubo ◽  
Ruwaida Salem ◽  
Denis Joel Sama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Country Ownership

Abstract Background There has been greater recognition of the importance of country ownership in global health and development. However, operationalising country ownership to ensure the scale up and sustainability of proven interventions remains elusive at best. To address this challenge, we undertook a thematic analysis of interviews collected from representatives of local governments, public health systems, and communities in poor urban areas of East Africa, Francophone West Africa, India, and Nigeria, supported by The Challenge Initiative (TCI), aiming to rapidly and sustainably scale up evidence-based reproductive health and family planning solutions. Methods The main objective of this study was to explore critical elements needed for implementing and scaling evidence-based family planning interventions. The research team conducted thematic analysis of 96 stories collected using the Most Significant Change (MSC) technique between July 2018 and September 2019. After generating 55 unique codes, the codes were grouped into related themes, using TCI’s model as a general analytical framework. Results Five key themes emerged: (1) strengthening local capacity and improving broader health systems, (2) shifting mindsets of government and community toward local ownership, (3) institutionalising the interventions within existing government structures, (4) improving data demand and use for better planning of health services, and (5) enhancing coordination of partners. Conclusion While some themes feature more prominently in a particular region than others, taken together they represent what stakeholders perceive to be essential elements for scaling up locally-driven health programmes in urban areas in Africa and Asia.

scholarly journals Cost-efficient factors in local public spending: Detecting relationships between local environments, population size and urban area category

2021 ◽  
pp. 239980832110038
Author(s):  
Hiroki Baba ◽  
Yasushi Asami
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Public Spending ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Environment Factors ◽  
Major Factors

This study examines regional differences in local environment factors to better understand the sustainability of local governments indexed by per capita public spending. Under the condition of heterogeneous population size, we examine how factor characteristics differ depending on the spatial context represented by the urban area category. By employing a Cobb–Douglas cost function with congestion effects on public service provision, the estimated factors enable us to articulate major factors and differences in cost-efficiency between urban area categories. We found that statistical significance and even the signatures of local environment factors differ depending on the urban employment area category. Regarding factors such as the ratios of employees in secondary and tertiary industries, these did not tend to be statistically significant in small-sized urban areas, while small-sized cities in large-sized urban areas were likely to gain confidence intervals. Moreover, we did not observe any statistical significance for the ratio of elderly people due to the balance of spending between national and local governments. These findings could contribute to sustainable management of cities in the advent of population decline.

scholarly journals Community Perceptions and Knowledge of Modern Stormwater Treatment Assets

Urban Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Hadi Zamanifard ◽  
Edward A. Morgan ◽  
Wade L. Hadwen
Keyword(s):  
Urban Design ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Urban Runoff ◽  
Community Perceptions ◽  
Stormwater Treatment ◽  
Runoff Water ◽  
Community Acceptance ◽  
Water Sensitive Urban Design

Modern stormwater treatment assets are a form of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) features that aim to reduce the volumes of sediment, nutrients and gross pollutants discharged into receiving waterways. Local governments and developers in urban areas are installing and maintaining a large number of stormwater treatment assets, with the aim of improving urban runoff water quality. Many of these assets take up significant urban space and are highly visible and as a result, community acceptance is essential for effective WSUD design and implementation. However, community perceptions and knowledge about these assets have not been widely studied. This study used a survey to investigate community perceptions and knowledge about stormwater treatment assets in Brisbane, Australia. The results suggest that there is limited community knowledge of these assets, but that communities notice them and value their natural features when well-maintained. This study suggests that local governments may be able to better inform residents about the importance of these assets, and that designing for multiple purposes may improve community acceptance and support for the use of Council funds to maintain them.

scholarly journals Where Do I Allocate My Urban Allotment Gardens? Development of a Site Selection Tool for Three Cities in Benin

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 318
Author(s):  
B. G. J. S. Sonneveld ◽  
M. D. Houessou ◽  
G. J. M. van den Boom ◽  
A. Aoudji
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Site Suitability ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Allotment Gardens

In the context of rapid urbanization, poorer residents in cities across low- and middle-income countries increasingly experience food and nutrition deficiencies. The United Nations has highlighted urban agriculture (UA) as a viable solution to food insecurity, by empowering the urban poor to produce their own fresh foods and make some profit from surplus production. Despite its potential role in reducing poverty and food insecurity, there appears to be little political will to support urban agriculture. This is seen in unclear political mandates that are sustained by information gaps on selection criteria for UA sites. The research reported here addresses this issue in the form of a decision-making support tool that assesses the suitability of cadastral units and informal plots for allotment gardens in urban and peri-urban areas. The tool was developed and tested for three rapidly expanding cities in Benin, a low-income country in West Africa, based on an ordered logit model that relates a set of 300 expert assessments on site suitability to georeferenced information on biophysical and socio-economic characteristics. Soil, land use, groundwater depth, vicinity to market and women’s safety were significant factors in the assessment. Scaled up across all cadastral units and informal sites, the tool generated detailed baseline maps on site suitability and availability of areas. Its capacity to support policymakers in selecting appropriate sites comes to the fore by reporting changes in site suitability under scenarios of improved soil fertility and enhanced safety for women.

scholarly journals Urban agriculture: local government stakeholders’ perspectives and informational needs

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Catherine G. Campbell ◽  
Shelli D. Rampold
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
Public Issues ◽  
Subjective Knowledge ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Study Support

Abstract In many US states, the power to regulate urban agriculture (UA) rests in local governments. Although there has been increased interest in UA, some local governments have been slow to adopt policies or ordinances to foster food production in urban areas or have actively sought to limit UA in their municipalities. To learn more about the disconnect between resident interest and local government policy, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension and Center for Public Issues Education conducted a statewide survey of local government stakeholders (LGS) to assess their attitudes toward UA, subjective knowledge of UA, perceived benefits of and barriers to the implementation of UA and educational needs. Responses were collected using 5-point semantic differential and Likert-type scales. Overall, respondents displayed positive attitudes and moderate knowledge of UA, and they identified a number of benefits of and barriers to implementing UA in their communities. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that lack of basic knowledge about UA is one difficulty in fostering UA. Despite being positively disposed toward UA, LGS may not fully understand how to effectively develop and implement policies to foster UA. This finding may also help explain reluctance to adopt local government policies to support UA. Efforts to provide LGS key information and enhance their knowledge of UA may support the development of UA activities.

scholarly journals Drug dealing and drug use prevention – a qualitative interview study of authorities’ perspectives on two open drug scenes in Stockholm

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Feltmann ◽  
Johanna Gripenberg ◽  
Anna K. Strandberg ◽  
Tobias H. Elgán ◽  
Pia Kvillemo
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Drug Dealing ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers

Abstract Background The use of illicit substances causes various health and social problems globally. Moreover, open drug use and dealing in urban areas, i.e., open drug scenes, can cause public order problems, lead to the recruitment of marginalized and young people for drug use or sale, and induce feelings of insecurity in the general public. Although some international studies have described various ways to manage open drug scenes, such as law enforcement and social interventions, there is limited knowledge about the facilitators and barriers promoting or impeding the implementation of such interventions. The aim of the current study was to explore how different authorities describe the nature of two open drug scenes in Stockholm and to derive authorities’ perspective on facilitators and barriers to implementing interventions to reduce open drug dealing, drug use, and related problems at these locations. Methods Semi-structured interviews with police officers, security staff, social workers, and municipality officials (n = 21) in the municipality of Stockholm were conducted and analyzed by qualitative content analysis. Results The analysis of the interviews generated the following categories: Problems, Interventions, Organizational factors, and External factors, revealing information about the strategic and daily counteracting work occurring at the open drug scenes as well as authorities’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers to implementing interventions to reduce open drug dealing, drug use, and related problems. Facilitators included motivated and skilled professionals and organized collaboration between key actors. Prominent barriers were a lack of resources to maintain personnel continuity at the scenes, policies that impede information sharing and put security staff in danger, and people who use or sell drugs without having residence permits. Conclusions To increase the possibility of successful implementation of interventions to counteract open drug dealing, politicians and authorities should pay attention to collaboration between key actors, sufficient resource allocation, possible modification of policy governing professional duties, and remedies to the vulnerability of individuals without residence permits.

The Urban Transition in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

10.1068/c3p ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 466-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Kessides
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
National Development ◽  
Favourable Outcome ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Urban Transition ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Sub Saharan

In this paper I ask how the ongoing processes of urban and local government development in Sub-Saharan Africa can and should benefit the countries, and what conditions must be met to achieve this favourable outcome. The region faces close to a doubling of the urban population in fifteen years. This urban transition poses an opportunity as well as a management challenge. Urban areas represent underutilised resources that concentrate much of the countries' physical, financial, and intellectual capital. Therefore it is critical to understand how they can better serve the national growth and poverty reduction agendas. The paper challenges several common ‘myths’ that cloud discourse about urban development in Africa. I also take a hard look at what the urban transition can offer national development, and what support cities and local governments require to achieve these results. I argue that, rather than devoting more attention to debating the urban contribution to development in Africa, real energy needs to be spent unblocking it.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document