Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
A. Daryabeigi Zand; M. Rabiee Abyaneh; H. Hoveidi
Abstract
Annually more than 80% of the overall budget of the uran solid waste management system in Iran is allotted to collection and transportation of the solid wastes. The main objective of the current study is to evaluate the external costs associated with solid waste collection, transfer, and transportation ...
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Annually more than 80% of the overall budget of the uran solid waste management system in Iran is allotted to collection and transportation of the solid wastes. The main objective of the current study is to evaluate the external costs associated with solid waste collection, transfer, and transportation in Tehran for the period of 2018 to 2032 based on the current situation. Waste guidance system as well as Energy and Environment software were applied to anticipate the external costs. Results of the present study indicated that more than 535 million US dollars would be required during the next 15 years in the solid waste collection, transfer, and transportation sector to supply necessary machinery, manpower, fuel, maintenance and other relevant expenses. The principal fraction of the required budget (i.e. 48.99%) should be allocated to provide collection and transportation equipment costs. Manpower, fuel, maintenance, and miscellaneous expenses require 30.34, 7.37, 12.78 and 0.5 percent, respectively of the overall expenses in the solid waste collection, transfer, and transportation sector. In the context of global warming impact, more than 970 million tons of carbon dioxide will be anticipated to be emitted by solid waste collection, transfer, and transportation sector in Tehran during the studied period imposing 23.1 million US dollars to compensate its external effects.
Human capital in urban management
S.H. Mesaeli; Y. Vakil Alroaia
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Over recent years the employment creation discussion was massively raised especially about university graduates and demands from Iran's government increased. The prediction of the youth unemployment rate during the period from 2015 to 2021 showed that with an annual growth ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Over recent years the employment creation discussion was massively raised especially about university graduates and demands from Iran's government increased. The prediction of the youth unemployment rate during the period from 2015 to 2021 showed that with an annual growth rate of 5%, in the last year of the period, the unemployment rate for youth would be equal to 9.36%, and for university graduates will be 36%. Therefore, the main purpose of this research is to provide an applied model for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development and university graduates’ employment in Iran. METHODS: In this regard, an appropriate model was defined by studying the literature about small and medium enterprises development models and extracting effective factors according to Iran’s situation. In the second stage, after selecting a sample of 60 small and medium enterprises in Iran, in order to quantitatively testing the model, the data were collected by a questionnaire and were analyzed with the help of PLS software. In the third stage, the relative importance of factors were tested from the perspective of 10 experts in the field of entrepreneurship with more than 15 years of work experience with the help of ANP and PROMETHEE methods. FINDING: The results shows the preference value (Φ) of these factors respectively include the parameters of: Technology, innovation, and competitiveness (Φ=0.72); Financial support programs (Φ=0.63); Education and consultancy services (Φ=-0.38); Cooperative relationships (Φ=-0.41); and Export development (Φ=-0.55). CONCLUSION: Changing market conditions enable SMEs to respond more agile and faster to customer needs, improve the quality of their products, reduce the cost of their production, and their tendency to recruit university graduates.
Urban and municipalities management
V. Dhenge; G. Nimbarte
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Smart cities are technology-driven urban agglomerations. Sustainability, competitiveness, and quality of life are the three cardinal principles for smart cities. The available studies specific to smart cities are related to smart technologies, innovations, smart infrastructure, ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Smart cities are technology-driven urban agglomerations. Sustainability, competitiveness, and quality of life are the three cardinal principles for smart cities. The available studies specific to smart cities are related to smart technologies, innovations, smart infrastructure, etc., and limited studies are conducted from citizens’ perspectives. The present study aims to assess the impact of governance, general well-being, also called ease of living of citizens, and citizens’ perception of smart cities on their quality of life in mid-sized smart cities of India. The innovation and novelty of present study is that it attempts to fill the research gap in studies on smart cities by adopting the citizen-centric approach rather than infrastructure and technology-centric approach in developing countries. METHODOLOGY: Three Indian mid-sized smart cities, Pune, Nagpur, and Indore were identified for the study. For the purpose of this study, a few hypotheses were developed and a structured questionnaire was prepared from the literature review. The data was collected from Pune, Nagpur, and Indore smart cities and it was analyzed by performing factorial analysis and Structural Equation Modelling using appropriate statistical package software.FINDINGS: The findings from the statistical analysis validated the hypotheses. The results of the study indicate a strong positive impact of citizens’ perception of smart cities on quality of life (Standardized Estimates = 0.66) while governance (Standardized Estimates = 0.11) and ease of living (SE=0.46) presented low to medium impact relationship with citizens’ quality of life.CONCLUSION: The findings of this study concludes that citizens’ perception has highest influence on their quality of life. Considering these findings in the context of mid-sized smart cities, this study significantly contributes in existing research on tools and indicators of quality-of-life assessment in urban centers specifically in developing countries. This research article attempts to provide a substantial theoretical and practical contribution to urban studies.
Sustainable urban infrastructure
S.Sh. Hossain; H. Delin
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The reduction of tariffs in Public infrastructure sectors is believed to be one of the key factors in addressing the socio-economic challenges of high unemployment, income inequality, and poverty. The primary objective of this paper is to design a general equilibrium model for ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The reduction of tariffs in Public infrastructure sectors is believed to be one of the key factors in addressing the socio-economic challenges of high unemployment, income inequality, and poverty. The primary objective of this paper is to design a general equilibrium model for infrastructural sectors among Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, China, USA, Australia, Japan and Korea, and evaluate potential economic impact of tariff reduction. METHODS: The research method of this paper was to construct a Computational General Equilibrium model to assess the economic effects. The global trade analysis project model was calibrated and discussed in this paper. The global trade analysis project database was used to validate the model. FINDINGS: Simulation result showed that tariff removal in infrastructure has the most significant effects in China, Japan, and Korea’s economic growth and employment than other countries. Gross Domestic Product, output price, and social welfare increase significantly in China compared to other countries. Gross Domestic Product increases in China by 616%, decreases in Japan and Korea 77% and 7% after mutual tariff reduction on infrastructure sectors. Meanwhile, China’s export on infrastructural sector increases by 1.71%, Japan and Korea’s export increases by 0.75% and 0.05%. On the other hand, export decreases in Germany, France, Italy, UK, USA and Australia. Finally, social welfare increases in China by $2.26 billion and Japan by $239 million. CONCLUSION: The presence of tariff reduction in infrastructure sectors will likely strengthen the market share of most of the simulated regions. These findings may provide policy-makers with crucial information for better understanding about new tariff policy. Computable General Equilibrium analysis in infrastructure sectors had paid little attention in past and this paper tries to fill the gaps and attempts to find the benefit of mutual tariff policy among countries based on global trade analysis project model.
Urban architecture, design, development and planning
H. Abaeian; R. Madani; A. Bahramian
Abstract
The strategies to reduce the consumption of non-renewable energies in buildings are becoming increasingly important. In the meantime, nature-inspired approaches have emerged as a new strategy to achieve thermal comfort in the interiors. However, the use of these approaches in architecture and buildings ...
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The strategies to reduce the consumption of non-renewable energies in buildings are becoming increasingly important. In the meantime, nature-inspired approaches have emerged as a new strategy to achieve thermal comfort in the interiors. However, the use of these approaches in architecture and buildings requires a proper understanding regarding the features of ecosystems. Although acquiring this knowledge requires a high degree of familiarity with the fields such as biology and environmental science, review of achievements made by the use of these features could facilitate the understanding of ecomimicry processes and thereby contribute to environmental sustainability in buildings. In other words, this paper concerns the relationship between these features and the thermal comfort inside the building. Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies. The objective of this paper is to use such review to provide an approach to the use of natural features for achieving thermal comfort in the buildings of hot and dry climates. In this review, the successful examples are analyzed to identify and examine the principles that influence the thermal comfort in both building and urban levels. The results show that the three elements of water, wind, sun are the effective natural resources that must be utilized in the design in a way proportional and consistent with the natural features. In addition, functional features of ecosystem can be of value only in the presence of a processual relationship between them.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
P. D. Bhangaonkar; J. S. Patel
Abstract
Environmental flow requirements, to maintain the functioning of freshwater-dependent ecosystems and restore rivers in ecologically acceptable conditions, depend upon the present water quality status of the river. Various stretches of Vishwamitri River vary in quality and quantity. Water quality index ...
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Environmental flow requirements, to maintain the functioning of freshwater-dependent ecosystems and restore rivers in ecologically acceptable conditions, depend upon the present water quality status of the river. Various stretches of Vishwamitri River vary in quality and quantity. Water quality index is a tool to converse information regarding water quality of various stretches of river and can be used for zoning them based on their present water quality status. Through such zoning, based on water quality index values as an integral component, Environmental flow requirements can be explored for Vishwamitri. In this paper, ‘Weighted Arithmetic Index’ method is used to find water quality index for both Vishwamitri and its tributaries using observed values of general physico-chemical parameters. The indices have been computed for pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons at sixteen sampling stations, i.e. S-1 to S-16 along the Vishwamitri and eight sampling stations on its various tributaries. Based on the analysis, Vishwamitri is zoned in two various zones. Sampling stations, S-1 to S-7 represent Zone 1 which contains WQI values from 50 to 75. Sampling stations S-8 to S-16 represent zone 2 which contain WQI values more than 75. Zone 1 is rich with DO whereas zone 2 contains high BOD and less DO. The WQI value of Surya River, a major tributary of Vishwamitri, indicates that river water is suitable for irrigation purpose. The WQI values of tributaries and drains, draining wastewater to stretch of Vishwamitri within Vadodara city, represents water quality as mostly unsuitable for drinking, irrigation or industrial purpose.
Urban health, safety and environment (HSE)
V. Parth; S. Mukherjee
Abstract
Present study was undertaken to examine the extent of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination in neighbourhood lithospheric environment of landfill site situated in eastern outer edge of Kolkata metropolitan city in West Bengal, India, along with its sources identification, spatial distribution ...
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Present study was undertaken to examine the extent of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination in neighbourhood lithospheric environment of landfill site situated in eastern outer edge of Kolkata metropolitan city in West Bengal, India, along with its sources identification, spatial distribution and probabilistic cancer risks to residents. The collection and analytical tests were performed for all prevailing seasons in local geographical condition. The concentration of sum of 16PAHs (Σ16PAHs) in soil ranged from 8561μg/kg to 20268μg/kg and the average concentration is 14459μg/kg. On the basis of experimental information, the likelihood of cancer manifestation through contact to place-linked PAHs was quantitatively estimated. benzo(a)pyrene, Benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, dibenzo(a)anthracene, indeno (1,2,3-c,d) pyrene and chrysene, among 16PAHs are ascertained to provoke cancer in the residents. Carcinogenic risk due to oral intake and dermal contact is computed as 1.21E-05 and 4.02E-06 respectively. Progressive lifetime cancer risk to resident is set up as 1.61E-05. Source identification of PAHs indicates that it mainly originated from incomplete combustion of solid waste. Atmospheric diffusion and deposition led to PAHs input to soil all around waste disposal site, resulting in a consistent pyrogenic supply pattern in soil. This risk appraisal grants a realistic tool for resolution at corporation level to take up risk management policy at contaminated location.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
A.B. Imran; S. Ahmed
Abstract
Forest ecosystems are among the largest terrestrial carbon reservoirs on our planet earth thus playing a vital role in global carbon cycle. Presently, remote sensing techniques provide proper estimates of forest biomass and quantify carbon stocks. The present study has explored Landsat-8 sensor product ...
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Forest ecosystems are among the largest terrestrial carbon reservoirs on our planet earth thus playing a vital role in global carbon cycle. Presently, remote sensing techniques provide proper estimates of forest biomass and quantify carbon stocks. The present study has explored Landsat-8 sensor product and evaluated its application in biomass mapping and estimation. The specific objectives were estimation of above ground biomass and carbon stocks using field data, assessing relationships of Landsat-8 spectral indices and field data and modeling of biomass and carbon stocks based on best linear regression model. Results showed that the highest aboveground biomass and below ground biomass was recorded as 246 t/ha and 64 t/ha whereas the lowest aboveground biomass and below ground biomass was 55 t/ha and 14 t/ha, respectively. Similarly, the highest above ground carbon and below ground carbon (t/ha) were 116 t/ha and 30 t/ha respectively while the lowest above ground carbon and below ground carbon (t/ha) were estimated as 26 t/ha and 6.7 t/ha respectively. Indices computed from Landsat-8 included normalized difference vegetation index, difference vegetation index, soil adjusted vegetation index, perpendicular vegetation index and atmospherically resistant vegetation index. Regarding relationship between aboveground biomass and vegetation indices, the coefficient of correlation (R2) were 0.67, 0.68, 0.65, 0.58 and 0.23 for normalized difference vegetation index, soil adjusted vegetation index, Perpendicular vegetation index, difference vegetation index and atmospherically resistant vegetation index respectively. The stepwise correlation between aboveground biomass (dependent variable) and five indices (Normalized difference vegetation index; soil adjusted vegetation index; Perpendicular vegetation index; difference vegetation index; atmospherically resistant vegetation index). Among five vegetation indices, only soil adjusted vegetation index was selected in stepwise method, satisfying the criteria and the overall model R2 was 0.63 and its adjusted R2 was 0.60. Simple linear regression model between aboveground biomass and single predictor index was better than stepwise regression model with (R2= 0.68) and (Root mean square error = 33.75 t/ha). Thus, soil adjusted vegetation index was considered best for biomass mapping. The study concluded that Landsat-8 product has considerable potential for biomass and carbon stocks estimation and can be expanded to national and regional forest inventories, modeling and future reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation+ implementation.
Human capital in urban management
M. Valibeigi; M. Afsharirad; M. Valibeigi; E. Sarhangi
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this paper is to propose a performance measurement framework for Iranian municipalities as a public institution. METHODS: By selecting Karaj Municipality and referring to Balanced Score-Card Methodology, an attempt has been made to provide a framework ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this paper is to propose a performance measurement framework for Iranian municipalities as a public institution. METHODS: By selecting Karaj Municipality and referring to Balanced Score-Card Methodology, an attempt has been made to provide a framework that can be used in public institutions as an efficient tool for measuring performance. The research used analytical methods and stand-alone questionnaire survey techniques, a case study approach by cross-sectional method. The research environment was the central municipality of Karaj and the relevant deputies. Content validity was used to determine the validity of the questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined based on Cronbach's alpha. Also, the Balanced Score-Card framework is integrated with an Analytic Hierarchy Process. FINDING: The results show that through the citizenship viewpoint, the satisfaction level of personal investors and makers is almost 7 times more important than citizens’ satisfaction. The Municipality of Karaj pays more attention to the interests of the private sector than the public interests which comes from the municipality money making target. The improved implemented projects index was, through the internal processes of business, about 3 times more important than the number of new projects index. It seems more logical to focus on the process improvement plan and project management improvement. Completion of the current projects can increase the added value to Karaj municipality. Also proper performance of Information Technology unit shows the growing importance of e-government to improve the performance of municipalities and process improvement plan. CONCLUSION: Finally, it seems a continuous process of such framework has the ability to bring together all key internal and external shareholders and rulemakings can be shaped during time and this process can be accepted by Iran’s municipal management with methodologies that compare relative importance in performance criteria.
Urban and municipalities management
A. Jafari Shahrestani; E. Sangi; H. Mazaherian; S. Movaghar Hoor
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Given the tremendous progress of today's societies and the expectations of the people from public institutions that are increasing day by day, having complex organizations is inevitable. As a non-parametric border method, data envelopment analysis approach has been presented ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Given the tremendous progress of today's societies and the expectations of the people from public institutions that are increasing day by day, having complex organizations is inevitable. As a non-parametric border method, data envelopment analysis approach has been presented as a relative assessment tool to evaluate performance assessment of The Municipality of Tehran with 22 districts. This paper aims to assess all 22 districts of Tehran in terms of cash and sustainable income. METHODS: In this paper, BCC output-oriented model has been opted to employ DEA for the performance assessment of Tehran Municipality in 2020. In order to formulate optimal programs, especially in the income programs of the regions, it is necessary to consider the specific conditions and characteristics of each region. Therefore, while cash and sustainable incomes have been selected as the model's output, number of building permits, number of inhabitants, number of housing deals, and the price of the residential unit have been considered as inputs of BCC-O model. FINDINGS: BCC-O approach was implemented to classify 22 districts of the Municipality of Tehran. The findings revealed that 50 percent of districts namely 1, 6, 9, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 operated efficiently. Also, it was determined that there has not been a proportional analogy between cash and sustainable income in comparison with input indices. For such areas an alternative program is proposed using the method. CONCLUSION: Due to the continuous increase of Tehran's county population and consequently the increase of citizens' requests and the lack of resources and facilities in Tehran Municipality on the other hand, it is necessary to formulate and implement the annual plans of the regions with higher accuracy. Given that at present the annual plan of cash and stable income of regions are based on past years' performance ignoring specific conditions of each region, so it is possible to evaluate a more real and precise value of income plan through DEA model with considering the conditions of each district. Decision-makers of inefficient districts can modify the approved plans of cash income and sustainable income base on the optimal value of the proposed data envelopment analysis model. Based on BCC-O model, guidelines are provided for transferring inefficient districts from the current state to the efficient ones. These values can be the basis for compiling the revenue plan for next year in districts of the Municipality of Tehran.
Human capital in urban management
Z. Delrobay; A. Vedadi; N. Pilevari salmasi
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sustainable development is a process that envisions a desirable future for human societies in which living conditions and resource use meet human needs without compromising the integrity, beauty, and stability of vital systems. Knowledge-based companies today are among those ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sustainable development is a process that envisions a desirable future for human societies in which living conditions and resource use meet human needs without compromising the integrity, beauty, and stability of vital systems. Knowledge-based companies today are among those companies that act as factories for converting knowledge into goods and services. In this regard, organizational social responsibility can be the basis for the sustainable development of companies and organizations. Therefore, this research aims are to examine the role of the organization’s social responsibility for sustainable development in terms of mediating the participation of employees of knowledge-based companies. METHODS: This research is applied in terms of purpose, descriptive survey and correlation in terms of method. Field and library methods, literature reviews, and standard questionnaires were used to collect information. The statistical population consisted of 578 senior and middle managers of knowledge-based companies in the Science and Technology Park of Sharif University of Technology, Tehran- Iran, and 231 people were sampled using Cochran's formula method and stratified random sampling. A standard questionnaire was also used to collect information. The validity of the questionnaire was checked and confirmed using convergent and divergent validity and confirmatory factor analysis and its reliability using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, joint and combined reliability. Finally, the collected data was analyzed using SPSS and smartPLS software’s.FINDINGS: Based on the results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the significance of this test was calculated for all indicators less than 0.05 and 0.000, and due to the lack of normal distribution of the data, the smart PLS software was used. The overall fitting criterion was calculated to be 0.551, which means that the model fits well. When testing the main hypothesis, a coefficient of 0.408 was calculated, showing that employee participation explains 40% of the impact of social responsibility on sustainable development. The path coefficient of the sub-hypotheses for these relationships is above 0.5 and the significance is above 1.96. It can be said that the sub-hypotheses of the research are confirmed.CONCLUSION: According to the indicators obtained, the organization’s social responsibility positively and significantly impacts sustainable development and employee participation. The positive role of employee participation in sustainable development was also confirmed. Finally, the results showed that employee participation can mediate the impact of social responsibility on sustainable development.
Urban health, safety and environment (HSE)
C. Karani; E. Gido; H. Bett
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Whereas management of waste in urban areas across the globe is essentially a public service, there is dearth of knowledge on waste management efforts at the household level in developing countries. The study aimed to avail crucial information on the largely informal management ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Whereas management of waste in urban areas across the globe is essentially a public service, there is dearth of knowledge on waste management efforts at the household level in developing countries. The study aimed to avail crucial information on the largely informal management of agro-food waste that is practiced in low- and lower middle-income countries. Insights of safety measures adopted in the utilization of agro-food wasteamong urban agro-producers were explored empirically.METHODOLOGY: An electronically-structured questionnaire was administered on a sample of 456 urban agro-producer households for data collection.Descriptive as well asMultivariate Probit models were employed for analysis.FINDINGS: The results indicated significant disparities in management options and safety risk management practices between the participating and non-participating livestock and mixed producers. Waste reduction (86%), utilization (86%), segregation (63%) and composting (58%) were the most preferred waste management practices. Waste disposal (18%) and mixing with salt/dry feeds (24%) were lowly preferred methods. Whereas the regression models showed disparities in the contextual factors influencing management options and safety risk measures, the knowledge variables (waste sorting and urban agriculture knowledge) had greater influence across these agro-food waste aspects. This implies that implementation of education programs in agro-food waste management and safety risk management practices among urban agro-producer households by urban authorities would enhance sustainable food safety in urban food supply chains.CONCLUSION: The findings could inform self-management efforts of agro-food waste in small-urban agribusinesses thus increasing economic benefits and improving environmental wellbeing.
Human capital in urban management
H. Izadkhasti
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Differences in the fundamental factors of production and technology are cited as the reason for the disparity in growth rates by primary research. Improving the quality of human capital through education, the quality of institutions such as the public policies and innovation ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Differences in the fundamental factors of production and technology are cited as the reason for the disparity in growth rates by primary research. Improving the quality of human capital through education, the quality of institutions such as the public policies and innovation play an important role in economic growth. Also, technological innovation creates circumstances for any region to extract more value from limited resources to support sustainable economic growth. In this study, the effect of human capital, institutional quality, and innovation are investigated on regional gross domestic product per capita in oil-exporting countries. Moreover, the effect of institutional quality has been investigated on the regional gross domestic product through government consumption expenditures.METHODS: The panel data method is used to investigate the effect of human capital, institutional quality, and innovation on regional gross domestic product per capita from 2011 to 2021. The Levin-Lin-Chu test was employed to determine the reliability of the variables. The panel cointegration are used to ensure the existence of long-term relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables. In order to select the pooling and panel method, Flemer's test was used, and Hausman's test was used to select fixed and random effects methods. Also, statistical and econometric analysis is done with Stata17.0 software.FINDINGS: The results of the random effects method in the first and the second models indicated that the human capital index has had a positive and significant effect on gross domestic product per capita at the level of 1% and its coefficient are 0.878 and 0.905, respectively. So, human capital improvement facilitating the absorption of technology, and boosting the productivity of production factors and increases economic growth. Also, the institutional quality has had a positive and significant effect on gross domestic product per capita at the 1% level in the first model and its coefficient is 0.182. Moreover, the coefficient of interaction effects of institutional quality and government consumption expenditure in second model is 0.073 and is statistically significant at the 1% level. According to this, Institutional quality shape the economic environment of countries and improves the economic performance. The Innovation index has had a positive and significant effect on gross domestic product per capita at the level of 1% and its coefficient in the first and the second models are 0.324 and 0.331, respectively. Therefore, strengthening the innovation system expanding the supply of new products and services.CONCLUSION: The results indicate that, growth rate of gross domestic product per capita averaged at 2.12% over the sample period with standard deviation of 3.66 among the selected oil-exporting countries. Based on the results, improving the human capital through education and the acquisition of diverse skills have led to an increase in gross domestic product per capita at the level of 1%. In addition, the institutional quality limit government spending and direct financial resources towards healthy investments. According to this, institutional quality has increased regional gross domestic product through government consumption expenditures at the level of 1%. In addition, improving the system of innovation by maximizing the use of existing resources and boosting productivity has increased production.
Human capital in urban management
D. Halvachizadeh; Gh. Memarzadeh; N. Mohammadi; H. Doroudi
Abstract
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Quick advancement of technology, rising risks, globalization, and expectations for privatization are among the environmental characteristics that current organizations are facing. To be successful in this setting, lean human resources provide a competitive advantage, which ...
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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Quick advancement of technology, rising risks, globalization, and expectations for privatization are among the environmental characteristics that current organizations are facing. To be successful in this setting, lean human resources provide a competitive advantage, which its implementation results in the continuous removal of wastes (obstacles) and the high-quality and low-cost providing of services. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to Evaluation of lean human resource management model in the Islamic Council of Tehran. Tehran''s City Council as a service organization must reform the structure of Human Resource to increase the skills of employee, so this study aimed to changing the approach of Human Resource Management to Lean and increasing the productivity. METHODS: The present study uses a quantitative approach. This article has a “descriptive-correlational” methodology of the type of “analysis of variance-covariance matrix”. In other words, the relationship between variables is analyzed based on the purpose of the research. The survey was carried out in the form of a desk and field research. The research model was extracted via analysis and interpretation of the interviews with the experts of the Islamic City Council of Tehran by employing the thematic analysis method and four rounds of the Delphi technique. Eventually, the measurement model and the structural model to assess the relationships between variables, as well as confirm the developed model, were examined utilizing the data gained from the Islamic City Council of Tehran.FINDINGS: On the basis of the findings achieved from the structural equation modeling, the items "Performance Appraisal" with a factor loading of 0.89, "Employment" with a factor loading of 0.91, "Improvement" with a factor loading of 0.77, "Remuneration" with a factor loading of 0.87, "Supply" with a factor loading of 0.92, "Compensation System (Benefits and Rewards)" with a factor loading of 0.84, "Flow" with a factor loading of 0.76, "Relationships" with a factor loading of 0.79, and "Maintenance" with a factor loading of 0.86 explain the latent variable of the "lean human resource management model in the Islamic City Council of Tehran".CONCLUSION: Results of this investigation have presented a comprehensive model for the evaluation of the lean human resources management in Tehran''s City Council that could be exploited by industrialists and scholars.NOVELTY AND ORGINALITY: The LHRM model has not been designed and localized for Tehran''s City Council up to now. Therefore, this research enhances the existing knowledge about LHRM.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
K. Ravindran; A.C. Chandan; D. Sivakumar; S.B. Inayath Ahamed; T. Dhanabalan; V. Kumaresan
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The nation's urban sector has experienced significant changes since industrialization, both in terms of growth and improvement in terms of creating jobs and the depletion of natural resources. The development and destruction are commendable and need mention and attention. These ...
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Background and Objectives: The nation's urban sector has experienced significant changes since industrialization, both in terms of growth and improvement in terms of creating jobs and the depletion of natural resources. The development and destruction are commendable and need mention and attention. These days, issues such as environmental degradation, the wealth gap, and unequal access to opportunities and resources are increasing. These concerns have increased the need for urban management through sustainable and planned development. The development cannot be sustained unless the depletion is controlled and taken care of. The current study focused on how urban regions have changed and how sustainable development helps cope with the changes. Furthermore, the study focused on enhancing the well-being of urban communities and promoting inclusivity to develop sustainable businesses that are economically sustainable in the long run. The novelty of the study is that explores how sustainable development can mitigate the impacts of urban change and enhance community well-being and inclusivity.Methods: Quantitative methodologies, such as surveys and statistical analyses, may have shed light on the broader impact of sustainable business practices on urban development. To complement these findings, qualitative case studies and interviews could have fostered deeper insights into specific initiatives and the perspectives of entrepreneurs navigating this landscape. A mixed-methods approach, weaving together quantitative trends with rich qualitative narratives, would have further enriched the understanding of motivations and challenges encountered. Ultimately, regardless of the specific methodologies employed, this research likely aimed to achieve a holistic understanding of the intricate connections between urban management, sustainable business practices, and the innovative spirit of entrepreneurs driving change in India. In this study, the researcher used regression analysis and factor analysis to achieve the research objectives.Findings:The entrepreneurs examined in the study exhibited a proactive stance towards critical aspects of sustainable business, notably waste management, energy efficiency, and resource optimization. The study identifies significant associations between key variables and sustainable urban development. Urban management demonstrates a positive impact (B = 1.286, SE = 0.621, Beta = 0.116, T = 2.071, P = 0.0039), highlighting its crucial role in shaping sustainable practices. Sustainable practices, in turn, exhibit a strong positive correlation (B = 1.088, SE = 0.257, Beta = 0.238, T = 4.242, P = 0.0001), indicating their pivotal role in driving urban development towards sustainability. These findings underscore the importance of integrating effective urban management strategies and sustainable practices to foster inclusive and resilient urban communities.Conclusion: The findings provide the government with all the criteria essential for a valid approach to the sustainable development of the urban regions of the country and provide the appropriate balance between growth and development. The researcher recommended that creating supportive policies and incentives, investing in green infrastructure, supporting local entrepreneurship ecosystems, collecting and sharing data, and promoting community engagement are requirements for urban management. In addition, recommended that focusing on triple bottom line impact, collaborating with other stakeholders, Innovating and adapting, communicating transparently, and advocating for change are required for Sustainable Businesses by Entrepreneurs.
K. Kennedy; F. Nourzad
Abstract
This paper investigates empirically the effect of volatility of the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar vis-à-vis the euro on U.S. stock market volatility while controlling for a number of drivers of stock return volatility. Using a GARCH(1, 1) model and using weekly data covering the period from ...
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This paper investigates empirically the effect of volatility of the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar vis-à-vis the euro on U.S. stock market volatility while controlling for a number of drivers of stock return volatility. Using a GARCH(1, 1) model and using weekly data covering the period from the week of January 1, 1999 through the week of January 25, 2010, it is found that the 9/11 terrorist attack, bear markets, fluctuations in jobless claims, and negative equity market returns increase financial volatility. On the other hand, no conclusive results are found regarding the effect of fluctuations in M2, or incorrect expectations of changes in the federal funds target rate. Finally, it is found that when major drivers of financial volatility are controlled for, increased exchange rate volatility exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on the volatility of stock returns. Monetary policymakers need to take this effect into account when formulating exchange rate actions within the prevailing managed float.
Human capital in urban management
M. Mirzapour; S.S. Toutian; A. Mehrara; S. Khorrampour
Abstract
The main objective of this study is to investigate the role of strategic human resource management in crisis management with regard to the role of mediating organizational culture and intellectual capital. This study is based on the purpose of the applied type and in terms of data collection is a descriptive ...
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The main objective of this study is to investigate the role of strategic human resource management in crisis management with regard to the role of mediating organizational culture and intellectual capital. This study is based on the purpose of the applied type and in terms of data collection is a descriptive research type. The statistical population includes all 257 staff of the Governorate of Thran. The sample size is set to 225 people using Cochran equation. Simple random sampling is used as the sampling method. The data was gathered through distribution and collection of the questionnaire and the analysis has been performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Lisrel software. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling have been used to investigate study hypotheses. The results of the study hypotheses indicate a positive and significant impact of strategic management of human resources with the value of 0.21, organizational culture with a value of 0.43 and intellectual capital with a value of 0.55 on crisis management. The mediating role of organizational culture and intellectual capital variables has also been confirmed in the model.
Human capital in urban management
M. Tajpour; F. Moradi; S. E. Jalali
Abstract
In the last decades, large organizations have paid more attention to the topics such as creativity and innovation in organizational level because of changes and evolutions in the increasing competition field and unreliable environmental conditions. This research investigates the influence of emotional ...
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In the last decades, large organizations have paid more attention to the topics such as creativity and innovation in organizational level because of changes and evolutions in the increasing competition field and unreliable environmental conditions. This research investigates the influence of emotional intelligence on the organizational innovation. This research is considered application-oriented and descriptive regarding the objectives and data collection method, respectively. Statistical population of the research included 300 employees from whom 169 employees were selected as statistical sample applying simple random sampling method and Cochran`s formula. Data collection was performed on the basis of standard questionnaires of emotional intelligence and organizational innovation. Questionnaire`s stability was calculated as 0.88 applying a Cronbach`s alpha coefficient. The obtained data were analyzed by applying regression and correlation coefficients in software SPSS. Research results showed that emotional intelligence and it`sdimensions had a significant positive influence on the organizational innovation in the employees
Urban health, safety and environment (HSE)
M. Yarmohammadi; F. Razavian
Abstract
Construction projects are one of the most important economic sectors in the world. At the same time, these projects are one of the hazardous industries that cause many accidents resulting from injuries and deaths, occupational diseases, delay in time, environmental problems and other direct and indirect ...
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Construction projects are one of the most important economic sectors in the world. At the same time, these projects are one of the hazardous industries that cause many accidents resulting from injuries and deaths, occupational diseases, delay in time, environmental problems and other direct and indirect damages. While in many industries, the issue of health, safety and environment is meticulously planned as an important and structured topic, in construction projects this is not taken seriously. Therefore, the vital role of the Health, Safety and Environment staff would be meaningless without sufficient power. The current study examined the status of Health, Safety and Environment authorities in construction projects and their impact on the performance indicators of this sector. Eight indicators were identified in relation to the main research question and the relationship between Health, Safety and Environment authority delegation and the eight performance indicators. Out of these significant relationships, authority delegation had the maximum correlation (0.690) with environmental health status and the least correlation was observed with per capita disease (-0.513). The results of the data analysis showed that the terms of discretion of the Health, Safety and Environment authorities in construction projects are inadequate. Managers of this field trust authorities with higher academic degrees and give them more authority.
Human capital in urban management
A.R. Dabir; M. Azarpira
Abstract
Organizational commitment is one of the most widely researched topics in the field of organizational behavior. The main objective of this study was to investigate the impact of organizational commitment on individual interactions which was conducted in Municipality of Karaj. To achieve this objective, ...
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Organizational commitment is one of the most widely researched topics in the field of organizational behavior. The main objective of this study was to investigate the impact of organizational commitment on individual interactions which was conducted in Municipality of Karaj. To achieve this objective, the data was collected using the Standard questionnaires applying descriptive statistics and inferential statistical methods within the population consisted of 400 employees of Karaj municipality. The present research is a descriptive and co relational study and is of applied type. The results indicated that there is a significant relationship between the dimensions of employees’ individual interaction and organizational commitment in Karaj Municipality. Besides, correlation with other variables of individual engagement and commitment were not verified. At the end, it is suggested to Karaj Municipality that regarding human force as human capital and before recruiting and employment and maintenance, make attempt to identify internal and personality features of them to design required plans in the promotion of organization commitment and drive tomore exploitation.
Human capital in urban management
S. Sutiyatno
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Job satisfaction is important to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of bank employees. Moreover, quality of work-life and leadership’s communication ability are also required to increase their productivity.METHODS: This research was conducted to investigate the ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Job satisfaction is important to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of bank employees. Moreover, quality of work-life and leadership’s communication ability are also required to increase their productivity.METHODS: This research was conducted to investigate the effect of leadership’s communication ability on the quality of work-life and employees job satisfaction. A quantitative approach was adopted using a survey method with the employees of the local bank in Magelang in Indonesia used as the respondents. Moreover, data were collected using a questionnaire as the research instrument and analyzed through the means of path analysis.FINDINGS: Leadership’s communication has a positive effect on the quality of work-life with a standardized coefficient of 0.928 and sig. 0.000 < 0.05 and this means the influence is significant by 86.11%. The quality of work-life influenced the employees’ job satisfaction, with a standardized coefficient of 0.451 and sig. 0.032< 0.05 and this means the effect is significant by 20.34%. Leadership’s communication directly influenced employees job satisfaction with 0.460=21.16% and sig. 0.029 < 0.05 and indirectly through the intervening or mediating variable of quality of work-life by P2 x P3 (0.928 x 0.451= 0.4185 or 41.85%). Therefore, the total effect of leadership's communication on the employees job satisfaction were found to be 0.460 + 0.4185 = 0.8785 which means the significance of the influence is 87.85%.CONCLUSIONS: The results showed leadership’s communication influences the employees’ job satisfaction directly and also indirectly through the mediation of the quality of work Life. Communication was also observed to have a positive significant effect on the quality of work-life and this subsequently affected the job satisfaction of employees positively. The results of this research increase and improve the quality of leadership's communication patterns to enhance employee’s job satisfaction and quality of work-life.
Urban architecture, design, development and planning
S. Sultana; A.M. Khan; A. Rahman
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Though Public Spaces are the images of the social status of the community, but in case of Dhaka City (Bangladesh), there are intensely shortages of public open spaces. Recently, a number of parks and playgrounds in Dhaka South City Corporation area have been redeveloped under ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Though Public Spaces are the images of the social status of the community, but in case of Dhaka City (Bangladesh), there are intensely shortages of public open spaces. Recently, a number of parks and playgrounds in Dhaka South City Corporation area have been redeveloped under a government project. So, this research has highlighted on the state of usefulness of these redeveloped public spaces of Dhaka South City Corporation.METHODS: Amongst many types of public spaces, only parks and playgrounds had been counted for this research purpose. A mixed method approach had been opted, as it includes both qualitative and quantitative data for the assessments. Qualitative assessment with pictures of structures in public spaces had been conducted and maps of the area had been produced using ArcGIS 10.5 software. Also, statistical analysis like descriptive analysis, chi-square test, multiple regression model etc. had been conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Microsoft Excel software which covered quantitative assessment.FINDINGS: This study found that though the visitors had been increased after redevelopment, but the quality of infrastructures and accessibility were not up to the mark even after redevelopment. These public spaces were abandoned or vacant land formerly. But these places were refurnished with new structures. But there was cave-looked boundary in every public space and the area had been restricted and locked up by the authorities. Elderly people, less-educated people, high income group people, new inhabitants of that area visited most. And also, in every demographic group, visitors have been increased after redevelopments. The selected public spaces only serve 6.44% of the Dhaka South City Corporation area in terms of walking distance (400-meter). ‘Unclean toilet’ is the major problem and almost around 65% to 85% respondents had complaints on it in most of the public spaces. Besides, Women, new inhabitants of that area, visitors who faced problems in accessibility and who can’t feel safe and secure in the public spaces have less satisfaction with these public spaces.CONCLUSION: This research has addressed the efficiency of redeveloped public spaces in Dhaka South City Corporation area. A strong community involvement in public space is beneficial to improve wellbeing. So, it was an important affair to investigate the association between the public involvement in public space and the quality of public space. The research findings may help the urban planners and policymakers in development sectors of Bangladesh.
Urban transportation systems and traffic management
A. Rasaizadi; A. Ardestani; S.E. Seyedabrishami
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: One of the short-term strategies to manage the traffic and make a balance between travel supply and demand for the near future is the short-term prediction of traffic parameters and informing the passengers. Therefore passengers are more likely to avoid traveling during traffic ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: One of the short-term strategies to manage the traffic and make a balance between travel supply and demand for the near future is the short-term prediction of traffic parameters and informing the passengers. Therefore passengers are more likely to avoid traveling during traffic peak hours. In this study, hourly average traffic speed and hourly traffic volume as two traffic parameters that indicate traffic state are predicted for Karaj-Chaloos road in Iran. METHODS: Since traffic data have large volume, machine learning-based models have more suitable performance than traditional models. However, it is not merely possible to discover the cause and effect relationships and the importance of features. In this study, after using the artificial neural network and K-nearest neighbor models to predict traffic parameters, to analyze the sensitivity of the results, the importance of used features is investigated. Also, the effect of passing the time over the accuracy of predictions has been examined. FINDINGS: According to the results, the highest accuracy of predicting hourly traffic volume and hourly average traffic speed is achieved by the K-nearest neighbor that is equal to 61% and 91%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Compared to the historical average as a benchmark model, a significant improvement in the accuracy of predictions has been obtained by the artificial neural network and K-nearest neighbor models.
Human capital in urban management
S.M. Mirbagheri; A. Rafiei Atani; M. Parsanejad
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Collective decision-making can increase the probability of reaching the correct decision. In Collective decision-making, information, experience, and knowledge are shared, and managers can use the wisdom of their employees with this method. In addition, in Collective decision-making, ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Collective decision-making can increase the probability of reaching the correct decision. In Collective decision-making, information, experience, and knowledge are shared, and managers can use the wisdom of their employees with this method. In addition, in Collective decision-making, learning and ideation take place, and employees express their opinions freely and reach a common decision with the help of each other. METHODS: In this study, the concepts related to Collective decision-making are explained using the research background. Then, by using the grounded theory method, the most important questions related to why and how Collective decision-making are answered. To get the opinions of organizational and academic experts in this field, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 54 people who were selected by purposeful sampling. After collecting the data through interviews, the components are coded in an open, axial, and selective. FINDINGS: Through coding, 26 concepts were obtained which were later classified into 5 categories: causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, central phenomenon, strategies, and consequences. The findings of this study provide a comprehensive model for the central phenomenon of Collective decision-making.CONCLUSION: The results show that collection alliance, increased awareness and knowledge, growth, and development of members, increased wisdom and collective intelligence, increased members' commitment, increased quality of decision-making, and increased justice are the most important consequences of Collective decision-making. This study is important because it broadens the perspective of managers, and provides a deeper understanding of the nature of Collective decision-making in the organization.
Urban social and cultural welfare
M.H. Askari; K. Gupta
Abstract
The cancerous spread of slum has been a rampant problem in urban areas worldwide. The acute shortage of housing facilities compels the poor to live in slums. Proper rehabilitation is considered as a very essential remedial measure to provide better living environment to slum peoples. This study is an ...
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The cancerous spread of slum has been a rampant problem in urban areas worldwide. The acute shortage of housing facilities compels the poor to live in slums. Proper rehabilitation is considered as a very essential remedial measure to provide better living environment to slum peoples. This study is an essential attempt to gauge the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program, which studies the changes in socio-economic and health condition of rehabilitated slum dwellers since they got rehabilitated. In order to do so, a household survey was carried comprising 240 households in two rehabilitated sites in the city of Kolkata (ward no. 107 and 114) during the month of July, 2014. The results conforms a strand of a belief that in-situ rehabilitation or rehabilitation within short distance is more effective. A rehabilitation too far away area disrupts the existing social, economic and political ties of neighborhoods. Measures have also been proposed to overcome such problems and to make the slum dwellers an integral part of urban society.