Urban architecture, design, development and planning
M. Jahanbani; E. Lashkari
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Irregular and unplanned development of cities has led to some difficulties with the natural environment and human well-being reflected in the inappropriate spatial structure. Perception of physical-spatial pattern leads to the invention of appropriate policies to equitable ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Irregular and unplanned development of cities has led to some difficulties with the natural environment and human well-being reflected in the inappropriate spatial structure. Perception of physical-spatial pattern leads to the invention of appropriate policies to equitable distribution of services in urban areas and achievement of balanced development. This study aims to analyze the physical-spatial pattern of the Mashhad City from 1986 to 2016 conducted based on GIS data of the census blocks of Mashhad.METHODS: The current study was performed using descriptive-analytical method. In order to achieve that, spatial statistics tools including Moran coefficient, hotspots and directional distribution (standard deviational ellipse) have been used on ArcGIS PRO 2.5 software as well as Holdren model. Population is one of the prominent variables affecting growth and physical-spatial development of the city, therefore, the population has been considered as an indicator in this research.FINDINGS: The obtained values of the Moran Index (1986=0.13, 1996=0.14, 2006=0.15, and 2016=0.15) represented that the population pattern of the city was clustered, compact and continuous. Likewise, Hotspots revealed high population density in the continuous area from east to northwest in addition to the neighborhoods around the Vakil Abad highway. Standard deviational ellipse of the population illustrated that the population distribution was heading to the northwest. Applying Holdren model and data analysis showed that Mashhad experienced the horizontal and sprawl growth.CONCLUSION: Obtaining balanced future development and avoiding unplanned encroachment of the city boundary are integral issues. As a result, the current and legal city limit must be maintained and inner development and compact pattern must be implemented.
Information and communications technology in Urban Management
M. Mirzapour; S. Tootian; G.R. Memarzadeh; G.R. Hashemzadeh Khorasgani
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Open governance is considered an important tool to solve complicated issues in countries, increase efficiency, and build public trust based on indicators like information transparency and public participation using Information and Communication Technologies. Therefore, considering ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Open governance is considered an important tool to solve complicated issues in countries, increase efficiency, and build public trust based on indicators like information transparency and public participation using Information and Communication Technologies. Therefore, considering that no research with this title has been conducted in Iran, this research was studied in the municipalities of Tehran Province, Iran, with the aim of identifying the factors that constitute open governance in Iran's public institutions.METHODS: The present study is mixed-method research. In the qualitative part, interviews and theme analysis were used, while the quantitative part used a descriptive method. The study population in the qualitative section consisted of university experts and specialists who were knowledgeable about the subject of the study. Purposive sampling was used, and after conducting 20 interviews, theoretical saturation was achieved. This study was conducted in the first half of 2023. The study population in the quantitative section consisted of all senior managers of municipalities in Tehran Province, estimated to be around 440 individuals. Using the Cochran formula, 205 individuals were selected as the sample. Data was collected using both library and field methods. A 23-item questionnaire with a Likert scale was constructed, and validity and reliability were checked in all sections. SPSS-24 software was used for the descriptive part, and Smart PLS 3 software was used for analysis, including Pearson's correlation test, one-sample t-test, and structural equation modeling.FINDINGS: The findings indicated that the dimensions of open data, open service and open process were found for the establishment of open cooperation. By performing the first-order factor analysis, the factor loadings between the indicators and dimensions of the model were in a favorable condition. On the other hand, in the second-order factor analysis, the factors open data, open service, and open process were determined at 0.964, 0.968, and 0.955, respectively, which were considered significant according to Student’s t-test.CONCLUSION: Three key factors are needed to establish open governance. The open process includes policy changes, approval of necessary regulations, modification of organizational structures and activities. Providing open service, including systems and platforms that allow greater participation of civil society and other urban actors. Open data includes publishing public data, reporting on the performance of managers and public institutions in established platforms.
Information and communications technology in Urban Management
A. Mohd Ali; S. Manogaran; K. Selvarajan; N.I Tajuddin; M.R Mohd Johan; U. Munikrishnan
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: One of the "15 Guiding Principles" designed to achieve the 2030 aim highlights the importance of giving priority to exploration in the digital economy as a crucial element in defining the future economy. Consumers’ interest in using social media and e-commerce platforms ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: One of the "15 Guiding Principles" designed to achieve the 2030 aim highlights the importance of giving priority to exploration in the digital economy as a crucial element in defining the future economy. Consumers’ interest in using social media and e-commerce platforms for their shopping activities is rising in this day of modern technology. However, based on a study conducted by the Small Medium Enterprise Corporation indicated that a substantial majority of Small and medium enterprise entrepreneurs, acknowledge the importance of incorporating digital technology into their fundamental business operations. Nevertheless, there is a noticeable discrepancy between the level of awareness regarding these technologies and their actual adoption. Therefore, the research objectives are to determine the relationship between perceived convenience, E-promotion, brand awareness, and personalization toward consumers’ purchase intention.METHODS: Data was collected from a wide range of individuals in urban areas using probability sampling methods. This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the various factors that can impact individuals' intentions. A sample size of 385 participants from the e-commerce sector in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Therefore, stratified sampling is employed by considering pertinent characteristics such as location, age, and intention to use e-commerce. The analyses were conducted using SmartPLS software to measure the influence of digital marketing on consumers' purchase intention.FINDINGS: The variables of E-Promotion (β=6.601, p<0.05), Brand awareness (β=3.975, p<0.05), and Personalization (β=4.152, p<0.05) had a statistically significant impact on Customer Purchase Intention. Nevertheless, the variable of Perceived Convenience does not have a significant impact on Purchase Intention (β=1.646, p<0.05). Consequently, e-promotion was deemed the most influential component, followed by personalization in second place, and brand awareness in third place.CONCLUSION: The findings are expected to assist businesses in identifying the factors that influence the purchase intentions of urban consumers on an e-commerce platform. These encompass micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which serve as the foundation of Malaysia's economic development. The process of digitalization is anticipated to enhance opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to grow and flourish. The potential of digitalization to enhance integration across economic sectors and promote cost effectiveness through a collaborative economy is evident. This aligns with the goals stated in the My Digital Economic Blueprint, which is scheduled to be implemented until 2030.
Urban architecture, design, development and planning
P. Shehu; L.S. Rikko; M.B. Azi
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recently, Jos Metropolis, Nigeria is witnessing a strong trend toward urban growth and expansion. This phenomenon has impacted Land Use/Land Cover and efficient management of land. This paper evaluated urban growth and changes in Land Use /Land Cover and examined the land use ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recently, Jos Metropolis, Nigeria is witnessing a strong trend toward urban growth and expansion. This phenomenon has impacted Land Use/Land Cover and efficient management of land. This paper evaluated urban growth and changes in Land Use /Land Cover and examined the land use efficiency of the metropolis. Land Use and Land Cover changes were established from 1999 to 2022; Land consumption rate and population growth rate were determined, and computation of the SDG 11.3.1 framework was done to examine the efficiency of land use.METHODS: Data were collected through official documents, the use of remote sensing, and, geographic information systems. Satellite imageries used to determine the classes and changes in Land Use/Land Cover changes were Landsat 5 TM (1999), Landsat 7 ETM+ (2004, 2009, and 2014), and Landsat 8 ETM+ (2018 and 2022). Global positioning system was used for ground-truthing, IDRISI Taiga software was used for image classification, and ArcGIS was used for map visualization. Four classes of Land Use and Land Cover were identified: Built-up, Meadows, Mountain/Vegetation, and Water bodies.FINDINGS: Results revealed that built-up area increased consistently from 3494.007 hectares in 1999 to 16995.360 ha in 2022 leading to a substantial reduction in other land use and land cover. The study confirmed a burgeoning population growth from 780,000 in 1999 to 1,563,193 in 2022. This growth had a significant impact on urban land use management, consuming a large proportion of land from 3494.007 hectares to 16995.36 hectares in 1999 and 2022 respectively. Results revealed a high land consumption rate of 0.0962 and 0.0884 during 2018-2022 and 1999-2004. A high population growth rate (0.0414) was recorded during 2018-2022. These dynamics intensified the rate of land acquisition for urban development. The average value of the SDG 11.3.1 framework was 2.3 which is higher than 1, indicating that urban expansion is moving away from land use efficiency.CONCLUSION: The paper recommended the establishment of a Growth Management Monitoring system by the state government for effective and efficient management of land resources through a spatial plan for the metropolis. This study has provided insight into the dynamics of Jos metropolitan LULC and land use efficiency management which could be useful to policymakers, urban planners, and researchers in initiating sustainable urban development strategies and inclusive structure for its planning and management.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
A. Bouba Oumarou; H.X. Li
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Global Warming is expected to induce grave effects around the world. It is predicted that many communities, mostly in the third world, experience numerous consequences because of climate change. Therefore, effective action is needed and universities play a huge role in addressing ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Global Warming is expected to induce grave effects around the world. It is predicted that many communities, mostly in the third world, experience numerous consequences because of climate change. Therefore, effective action is needed and universities play a huge role in addressing Global Warming issues and their impacts through research and innovations. Hence, assessing the extent to which African university students understand climate change and its impacts shows the extent of hope in mitigating the climate related risks. This Case study assesses how deep is the knowledge of young educated Africans on Global Warming causes and risks, how committed they are on fighting the issue and applying solutions.METHODS: A hypothesis testing and descriptive statistics models were employed to analyze a qualified data set collected through an online interview survey among young educated Africans taken from a sample of oversea students in Chinese state universities. After a consistency study, Out of 250 questionnaires received, 224 were useful data, and Cronbach’s alpha was 0.75. Participants were taken from 34 different African nationalities. All analyses were conducted using SPSS24.FINDINGS: The results have shown that 39% of the students are very familiar with the topic, and 33% consider it as a known issue and the participants mostly rely on social media to get information about Global Warming. Two hypotheses were tested at 95% level of confidence; the critical statistic was 41.3 against a 51.2 calculated chi square for H01: Young educated Africans don’t have significant knowledge on Global Warming causes. Similarly, a critical value of 36.4 was compared to a calculated chi-square of 40.6 for H02: Young educated Africans don’t have significant knowledge on Global Warming risks. Hence, both hypotheses were rejected. Consequently, it was deduced that young Africans students do have general knowledge on GW risks and causes, even if some deep aspects are still unclear for some. It was revealed that most of the students (81%) are ready to take actions against climate change, and some have even started to do so; besides, they mostly believe that the solutions should come from every human being at any age or background. Using these results, recommendations were given to different stakeholders. CONCLUSION: In Africa, where education about climate change is generally low, the findings in this study may provide all stakeholders with crucial information for better understanding of Global Warming risks and effective response plans. This study has shown that Young educated Africans report a general sense that global warming can negatively impact people’s lives, but relatively few are willing to personally get involved in the response. Therefore, there is need for practical climate change health and safety education leading to improve behaviors among the most remote communities.
Human capital in urban management
M. Amjadian; N. Mirsepasi; M.. Kameli
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The use of job turnover as a strategic management approach has become crucial in the progression of human capital and in enhancing the effectiveness and output of organizations. This has been widely recognized through scientific studies. With the significance of this matter ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The use of job turnover as a strategic management approach has become crucial in the progression of human capital and in enhancing the effectiveness and output of organizations. This has been widely recognized through scientific studies. With the significance of this matter in mind, the objective of this study is to investigate how the departure of employees from their jobs impacts the efficiency of the Ministry of Education in Iran.METHODS: The present study was conducted via a survey methodology. The statistical population comprising all individuals employed by the Ministry of Education encompassed a total of 1500 employees. The size of the sample was ascertained utilizing Morgan's table of 306 individuals and cluster sampling. Furthermore, to ensure the sufficiency of the sample, Bartlett's test was employed. The research data was acquired through a comprehensive analysis of the relevant research literature and a researcher-designed questionnaire consisting of 74 items rated on a Likert scale. The validation of the questionnaire was verified by esteemed scholars and experts with a minimum of 5 years of experience in the fields of management and academic research, whereas the reliability of the data was ensured by conducting a test to confirm the construct reliability. A series of measures were obtained, with a minimum measure value of 0. 7, and a variance of each construct exceeding 0. The statistical data was subjected to analysis by means of the employment of SPSS version 28 and Lisrel version 11 software applications.FINDINGS: The present study's findings demonstrate significant correlations between various aspects of the job turnover process and organizational productivity. Specifically, the analysis showed strong positive associations between job turnover at the individual (r = 0. 71), intra-organizational (r = 0. 82), and extra-organizational (r = 0. 65) levels and the dimensions of efficiency (r = 0. 84) and effectiveness (r = 0. 89) of the organization. There exists a noteworthy correlation with the Iran’s Ministry of Education.COONCLUSION: The current study indicates that the job turnover phenomenon, as it pertains to individual, intra-organizational, and extra-organizational levels, exerts an impact on the productivity, efficiency, and overall organizational effectiveness of the Ministry of Education. Moreover, the simultaneous occurrence of job turnover in all three dimensions enhances its effectiveness.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
S. Maroofi; M. Valibeigi; A. Shaneh
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In cities with a hot and harsh climate, defining space and territory in a sustainable and environmentally manner in urban management and human capital is critical. Cultural values and climatic adaptation played a prominent role in the neighborhood's basic elements. The main ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In cities with a hot and harsh climate, defining space and territory in a sustainable and environmentally manner in urban management and human capital is critical. Cultural values and climatic adaptation played a prominent role in the neighborhood's basic elements. The main objective of the research is to identify and clarify the semantic foundations of neighborhood design in desert cities of Iran, which will be used in future improvement and rehabilitation plans. METHODS: Naeen City, which has a particularly integrated neighborhood design structure, was chosen as the case study to support this concept. The grounded theory has been used to conduct this qualitative research and neighborhood design as a text has been considered in five physical, social, environmental, functional and aesthetic categories and identified in detail 73 themes as first level open coding. These themes were interpreted under each of the three classes of social, scientific, and aesthetic. Then as the second level open coding, 29 topics are identified in 5 categories. Finally, 10 core themes have been recognized as the Sustainable Semantic foundations of the traditional neighborhoods in the desert cities of Iran after integrating and reflecting on the collected themes.FINDINGS: The results showed that in the category of physical structure, a focal point and hierarchy in neighborhoods; in the category of social structure, social capital and human and religious values; in the category of functional structure, functional stability and climate adaption; in the category of aesthetic structure, physical and visual identity are the most important factors in the neighborhood design in desert cities of Iran.CONCLUSION: The findings revealed that the neighborhood in traditional Iranian cities was formed by the connectivity of physical and social elements and components, and it was the community of these neighborhoods that gave meaning to the Iranian city. Cities and neighborhoods are defined in perfect agreement with their surroundings. Neighborhoods, unlike residential units, do not require physical boundaries, and the services that people require are supplied with an emphasis on ease of access. Both as a municipal center and as an informal arena for public gatherings, the neighborhood center has been highlighted and exploited. The concentration is on common public areas that have given neighborhoods a sense of life.
Urban and municipalities management
M.S Khan; I.J. Mousumi; M.H. Jaman; M.M. Billah
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Reducing the salinity intrusion from sea water, a closure dam has been constructed on Little Feni River at Musapur Union in 2016. The objective of this research was to assess the soil quality based on the variables, i.e., PH, total organic carbon, total organic matter, total ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Reducing the salinity intrusion from sea water, a closure dam has been constructed on Little Feni River at Musapur Union in 2016. The objective of this research was to assess the soil quality based on the variables, i.e., PH, total organic carbon, total organic matter, total nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, electrical conductivity, salinity and total dissolved solids, respectively.METHODS: A total of 21 soil samples were collected from 7 sampling stations with 10-15cm depth. The PH, total organic carbon, total organic matter, total nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, electrical conductivity, salinity and total dissolved solids were measured with pH meter, titration, Van Bemmelen factor, spectrophotometer, conductivity meter and salinity meter, respectively. Data were analyzed by statistical package for the social sciences, maps were produced by Arc GIS software and cluster analysis was done by Ward method, respectively.FINDINGS: The mean concentrations of PH, total organic carbon, total organic matter, total nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, electrical conductivity, salinity and total dissolved solids were 8.1±0.169, 0.506±0.278%, 0.873±0.465%, 0.044±0.023%, 21.599±8.312ppm, 0.462±0.47ppm, 2.024±526.76dS/m, 2.024±2.382ppt and 222.448±259.927ppm, respectively. The study result revealed that the ranges of these soil parameters were 7.19-8.5, 0.27-1.07%, 0.50-1.82%, 0.02-0.09%, 9.45-32.19ppm, 0.25-1.53ppm, 123.23-1625dS/m, 0.64-7.37ppt and 63.57-802.33ppm, respectively. Strong positive correlation observed between total organic matter and total organic carbon (r=0.999), total nitrogen and total organic matter (r=0.998), potassium and electrical conductivity (r=0.991), salinity and potassium (r=0.994), potassium and total dissolved solids (r=0.989). Likewise, phosphorous was positively correlated with potassium (r=0.444), electrical conductivity (r=0.476) and salinity (r=0.467) with significance level of p ≤ 0.05. The variance test elicited that F value of PH, total organic carbon, total organic matter, total nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, electrical conductivity, salinity and total dissolved solids were 25.505 (p<0.000), 18.011 (p<0.001), 14.013 (p<0.003), 23.478 (p<0.000), 29.393 (p<0.000), 17.924 (p<0.001), 9.502 (p<0.009) and 4.944 (p<0.046), respectively. The spatial distribution showed the reducing pattern of concentrations from outside to inside area of the closure dam. The cluster analysis showed the same sources of origin for pH, total organic carbon, total organic matter, total nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous and salinity (NaCl) which might be the possible cause of anthropogenic activities, i.e., use of chemical pesticide/fertilizer for agricultural cultivable land.CONCLUSION: It is concluded that inside soil was more fertile rather than outside soil after the construction of closure dam. Lastly, the rate of crop production will be increased and soil should be more productive in the study area.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
K. Vanisri; P.C. Padhy
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Green human resource management contributes to developing an eco-friendly culture by influencing employee green behavior. This study intends to examine the role of green human resource management on voluntary and innovative work eco-friendly behavior using the mediating effect ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Green human resource management contributes to developing an eco-friendly culture by influencing employee green behavior. This study intends to examine the role of green human resource management on voluntary and innovative work eco-friendly behavior using the mediating effect of environmental knowledge. This study examined the direct relationship between Green human resource management practices (recruitment, training and development, compensation, performance appraisal, and employee involvement) and green employee behavior (voluntary and green innovative work behavior). This addresses the growing environmental challenges and the need for sustainable business practices. In order to promote environmentally conscious behavior at work, employers can benefit from the study''s implications.METHODS: This study evaluated how environmental knowledge mediates the connection between the green human resource management practices and environmental behavior. Data was drawn from 15 firms in the Indian service sector. To analyze a quantified data set collected through a survey method using structured questionnaire and sent to all respondents through Google forms online survey by using simple random sampling technique. All analyses were conducted using "Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling.FINDINGS: The analysis showed that green human resource management practices positively affect employee green behavior. Specifically, the results indicate that green recruitment, compensation, and employee involvement were positively related to one dimension of employee green behavior (green innovative work behavior). Green Performance appraisal was also found to affect green voluntary behavior positively. The path coefficients were positive, when the model’s path coefficients (β) and t-statistics were used to evaluate the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, t- value should greater than 1.96 and p value should be greater than 0.05, in this study the following hypotheses are statistically significant (H1c: β=0.392, P
Sustainable urban infrastructure
Kh. Eshtiaghi; M. Aliyannezhadi; A.H. Najafian
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Given the spread of environmental pollution, the development of strategies and changes in lifestyle to reduce urban environmental pollution is of great importance. One of the existing solutions is to develop and promote the use of electric vehicles. An electric vehicle is a ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Given the spread of environmental pollution, the development of strategies and changes in lifestyle to reduce urban environmental pollution is of great importance. One of the existing solutions is to develop and promote the use of electric vehicles. An electric vehicle is a car that uses a battery pack to store the electrical energy that powers the motor. EV batteries are charged by plugging the vehicle in to an electric power source. These days, electric vehicles are considered as one of the most modern innovations in the car business. However, the use of these vehicles has not been particularly widespread in third world countries, and this may be due to several reasons. Despite the high level of air pollution in Iran, People and the government still do not accept electric vehicles as an important way to reduce air pollution, and electric vehicles are rarely seen on the streets. The main factors that can affect the reception of electric vehicles by the Iranian people are economic, technical, access, laws, marketing, and personal. METHODS: The factors extracted from literature and identified factors were prioritized using the analytic network process technique. After data gathering with help of questionnaire which its relaiablity and validity was confirmed through inconsistency index and content validity ratio consecutively, the data analysis was performed using SuperDecision software. FINDING: The results showed that Economic with 23%, Technical with 17.8%, Accessibility with 16.4%, laws with 15.3%, marketing with 15.1% and personal with 12.2% had the most significant effect in acceptance of the Iranian people of electric vehicles. CONCLUSION:The results showed that economic factors had the most significant effect in comparison with other criteria. depreciation time, producer company, fuel subsidy, availability of repair shop, car and importance to the environment were the most significant factor in each criteria.
Urban architecture, design, development and planning
S. Arefpour; M.R. Anvari; Gh.R. Miri
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Vandalism or intentional destruction of public property and belongings is one of the social hazards that always leads to huge jeopardy and damage to municipal facades, furniture, municipal spaces and distorts the beauty of the city. In this regard, the present study investigated ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Vandalism or intentional destruction of public property and belongings is one of the social hazards that always leads to huge jeopardy and damage to municipal facades, furniture, municipal spaces and distorts the beauty of the city. In this regard, the present study investigated vandalism and its impacts on urban beauty in the city of Chenaran.METHODS: The research methodology applied in this study was mixed (qualitative-quantitative). At the outset, the qualitative section was conducted in a semi-structured interview with 16 people who were graduates of geography, urban planning and sociology in 4 focus groups of 4 people. Following that, by applying the information of this section, the main examples and cases of vandalism (destructive vandalism and written vandalism), various types of vandalism (recreational, property, ideological and vindictive vandalism), the effects of urban beauty vandalism (destruction of facades, destruction of furniture and destruction of urban spaces) as well as factors affecting vandalism (individual and social) were identified. Analyzes were performed in NVIVO 7 software. Then, by using the findings of the qualitative section and theoretical studies, a questionnaire (Based on the Likert scale) was prepared and distributed among the sample size of the quantitative section (382 citizens of Chenaran). Questionnaire analysis was performed with Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis model in SPSS software.FINDINGS: The findings demonstrated that factors like socio-economic status, degree of socialization, feelings of injustice and discrimination, association with vandals and individual factors are influential in vandalism. The results of regression analysis also illustrated that 63% of the alterations in vandalism are as a result of the relationship between a linear combination of independent variables and the remaining 37% or "Coefficient of Non-Determination" is as a consequence of other factors which were not considered in this study. Feelings of injustice and discrimination (0.168) and association and communication (0.161) have a direct impact, but the socio-economic status (-0.166), the degree of socialization (-0.154) and individual factors (-0.145) have the opposite effect.CONCLUSION: Vandalism affects the beauty of the city in several ways, including feelings of abuse and discrimination with a value of 0.168 and then meetings and communication with a value of 0.161 in which factors such as alteration of people's notions, reconstruction and fixing damaged equipment and the participation of citizens are crucial.
Human capital in urban management
H. Xiao; H.L. Vasudevan
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Services in China have recently emerged as the leading contributor to economic growth and job creation. It employs low-skilled workers in China's service sectors, such as tourism and retail. In terms of value-added, the service sector is the largest sector of the global economy ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Services in China have recently emerged as the leading contributor to economic growth and job creation. It employs low-skilled workers in China's service sectors, such as tourism and retail. In terms of value-added, the service sector is the largest sector of the global economy and is crucial in more advanced economies. Businesses in this sector are concentrating on what is becoming known as the knowledge economy, or the ability to outperform competitors by understanding what target customers want and need and operating to meet those wants and needs quickly and cheaply. Almost all industries within the sector use new technology to boost production, increase speed and efficiency, and reduce the number of employees required to operate. It reduces costs while increasing revenue streams. However, when compared to Western economies, China's service sector lags. The services sector's Gross Domestic Product and employment share are small. Services trade accounts for a small portion of China's economic growth. China's new services are still in their infancy. This research aims to determine how Yukl’s leadership style impacts Chinese service organizations' performance. Due to ineffective management in guiding the staff, China is currently experiencing low performance in the firm's finance or marketing, which has resulted in low performance in the operating activities and lower productivity, which has a direct impact on the company's performance in the service industry.METHODS: The research is carried out quantitatively, using questionnaire surveys to obtain data on the determinants of the company's success. Total of 384 respondents were selected to give responses to the study. The technique is used in this study is probability sampling, with systematic method.FINDINGS: The findings showed that the hypotheses were influenced significantly and recommend to all industries because it successfully highlighted that the dimensions of Yukl’s leadership style such as transactional and transformational leadership will affect firm performance especially in the Chinese service sector about the right of leadership. The dependent and independent variables, as well as the two dimensions r2, are all 0.553, indicating that the model has good goodness of fit. This variable is responsible for 55.3 percent of China's service industry. It indicates that the model reasonably well fits the data. As a result, the results show that the model employed in this study is both relevant and acceptable.CONCLUSION: These findings may provide policymakers with critical information by implementing the Management by Objective policy in China's service sector due to underperformance in the firm's finance or marketing due to ineffective management in guiding the staff, which leads to underperformance in the operating activities and lower productivity, which directly influences the company performance in China's service industry. Company performance is significant because it indicates the company's ability to generate high profits, high product quality, market share, and better financial results over time.
Urban architecture, design, development and planning
S. Sharifkazemi; M. Ghalambor dezfuli
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urban space is like a living thing that affects the behavior of participants and is also influenced by their behavior, whether it affects the body or the meaning of the space. The importance of this issue has laid the foundation of environmental psychology, so that it has attracted ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urban space is like a living thing that affects the behavior of participants and is also influenced by their behavior, whether it affects the body or the meaning of the space. The importance of this issue has laid the foundation of environmental psychology, so that it has attracted the attention of designers and urban planners to the application of the basic components of this branch of psychology in the design of urban spaces and public open environments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of environment and behavior synomorph on the type of activity of users. The case study was Enghelab Street as an urban space has a historical background and a trans-regional functional scale was located in center of Tehran is suitable for examining patterns of environmental psychology, types of activities and their behaviors, as well as suggestions from field studies conducted.METHODS: This research is a descriptive-analytical research based on the basic-applied purpose. In data collection, quantitative-qualitative method was performed using exploratory studies and questionnaire analysis with SPSS software and analysis (version 22.0).FINDINGS: The growing number of participants respectively, make use of this space for compulsory, social, and optional activities. According to the required activities such as roundtrip time from work, most periods are between 7 to 11 a.m. after 6 to 9 p.m. The results obtained from the implementation of the Kruskal-Wallis test on the data show that the use of sample space for doing purpose compulsory, optional, and social activities is of equal importance in the sense that designing urban space following behavior and need is equally important among the users of space who choose with different purposes of social, optional, and compulsory activities. In more detail, the differences in the indicators were in the intimacy component (Sig: 0.024).CONCLUSION: These findings may provide that it is not important in what propose person use the place, the quality of urban place should be presented in the design of all public spaces of the city.
K. Goyal; A. Nigam; N. Goyal
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Employee engagement has emerged as a critical factor for organizations seeking to enhance productivity, foster employee well-being, and gain a competitive advantage. Human resource management practices are vital to driving employee engagement. Therefore, based on the social ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Employee engagement has emerged as a critical factor for organizations seeking to enhance productivity, foster employee well-being, and gain a competitive advantage. Human resource management practices are vital to driving employee engagement. Therefore, based on the social exchange theory, the current study explores the interaction between human resource management practices and employee engagement. and evaluates the level of engagement (i.e., High, medium, low) of employees. Also, finds an association between engagement levels and the age group of employees.METHODS: The study administered the standardized questionnaire to employees (n= 187) working in information technology companies. A purposive random sampling research design was adopted for data collection. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to ensure the validity of the adapted questionnaire, then simple linear regression was run in AMOS v24 software for finding the variance between human resource management practices and employee engagement. Further, chi-square and analysis of variance tests were also used in SPSS v22.FINDINGS: Human Resource Management practices such as recruiting and selection, continuous training and development opportunities, competitive rewards, career advancement, and employee involvement together explained 33 percent variance based on the coefficient of determination (R2) value, where (Beta= 0.57, p
Human capital in urban management
M. Pourehtesham
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Most economists believe that the lack of investment in manpower is the cause of low economic growth in developing countries, and as long as these countries do not use their knowledge to improve their professional skills, the return on labor and capital will remain at a low ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Most economists believe that the lack of investment in manpower is the cause of low economic growth in developing countries, and as long as these countries do not use their knowledge to improve their professional skills, the return on labor and capital will remain at a low level. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of human capital on the relationship between technological advances and economic growth in Southwest Asia within 2000 and 2018. For this purpose, the growth of internet economy in the world and the development of education for strengthening the human capital and its effect on the world economic growth were studied.METHODS: The technological advances were assessed using two Components of the number of… internet users …and the number of mobile subscribers. The scope of this research is from 2000 to 2018.The Generalized Movement Method and the EViews 10.0 software were used to test the research hypothesis through model.FINDINGS: The first model showed that the significant effect of human capital on the relationship between internet and economic growth. In this model, the internet coefficient was equal to 0.357, implying that the economic growth in the studied countries would increase at a rate of 0.0357 units with the increase of the internet coefficient by one unit. Moreover, the human capital coefficient was equal to 0.0618, implying that the economic growth in the intended countries would be improve by 0.06 units with the increase of the human capital coefficient by one unit. The second model revealed the significant relationship between mobile phones and economic growth in the countries with a higher human capital involving the educated employed people. This was consistent with the results of self-correlation of fixed effects.CONCLUSION: According to the results, it was concluded that human capital would moderate the relationship between internet and economic growth. Moreover, it was confirmed that the effect of education on the relationship between mobile phones and economic growth was significant.
Urban architecture, design, development and planning
S. Sareen; M. Haque
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Peri-urban land development is crucial to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal of equitable and sustainable urban areas. Fair land, infrastructure, and resource management improves land management services and reduces social and economic inequities. However, the peri-urban ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Peri-urban land development is crucial to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal of equitable and sustainable urban areas. Fair land, infrastructure, and resource management improves land management services and reduces social and economic inequities. However, the peri-urban land management system has contributed to unequal rapid urbanisation in neighbouring regions. This study examines the complex relationships between peri-urban land development barriers in India. The goal is to understand how these barriers induce unequal urbanization transcending the city, resulting in uncontrolled growth, urban sprawl, and inadequate services in peri-urban areas. The main goal is to improve decision-making and promote fair peri-urban growth in Indian cities using a multi-criteria decision-making tool. This application gives experts a new perspective on peri-urban issues.METHODOLOGY: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted from 122 planners and academicians from north Indian cities using snowball sampling techniques. The study collects expert perspectives to create a causal map, using DEMATEL ISM method, classifying these barriers as "determinants or causes," "dependent barriers," "independent barriers," and "effects," presenting a new perspective on peri-urban development complexity. that depicts these roadblocks and highlights the most significant drivers impeding peri-urban land development.FINDINGS: Findings revealed four interdependent challenges as the leading ‘causes’ on the basis of DEMATEL Weight; Imprecise spatial policies with 0.10119, undemarcated land boundaries with 0.10082, weak institutions with 0.10003, and absence of planning regulations with 0.09945 weight. Within these barriers, addressing the governance capability and spatial policies would have a beneficial cascading effect on catering to other challenges. Findings have valuable insights for policymakers, aiding in the formulation and prioritization of effective policies and resource allocation.CONCLUSION: This study extensive analysis of causal linkages among Indian city peri-urban land development challenges. Beyond identifying barriers, it explains their causes, interdependencies, and hierarchical links. This study's holistic approach to peri-urban development issues and inventive barrier categorization and prioritisation make it distinctive.
Human capital in urban management
M. Alizadeh; M. baoosh; A. Rahimy
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Management experts believe that in order to achieve competitive advantage, Human resource management is the most important factor, because human capital according to characteristics such as: scarcity, value creation, irreplaceability and imitation, it is different from other ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Management experts believe that in order to achieve competitive advantage, Human resource management is the most important factor, because human capital according to characteristics such as: scarcity, value creation, irreplaceability and imitation, it is different from other organizational assets. Due to the importance of human resource management, this study seeks to describe the 100-year historical trend of human resource management in the world, Iran and Municipality of Tehran.METHOD: In this research, the philosophy of interpretive research, inductive research approach, historical research strategy are selected and the method of data collection is library and field with document review tools and semi-structured interviews. The historical sources studied in this research include: theoretical literature of human resources, laws and regulations of human resources in different periods of the municipality, employment regulations, strategic documents and human resources and five-year development plans of Tehran. For this purpose, non-random and purposeful sampling was performed from the research community, which includes senior managers of human resources of Municipality of Tehran, who have been in charge since 1987. In this way, 10 people were interviewed. Data analysis was performed by qualitative content analysis.FINDINGS: Human resource management in the world can be divided into 10 periods: before the Industrial Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the emergence of modern companies, scientific management, social welfare movement, industrial psychology, World War I. After World War II, industrial relations divided the emergence of the field of human resource management, strategic focus on human resource management and human resource management in the era of cloud and mobile technology. The study of the historical trend of human resource management in Iran has been influenced by the employment laws of the country in 1922, 1966 and 2007 and according to it, the country is witnessing a change in human resource management from traditional (administrative and recruitment) to specialized and professional (strategic). Human resource management in Municipality of Tehran in the framework of the mission, development programs and development documents of human resources in the direction of playing administrative (recruitment, selection, promotion) and executive roles (training, development, empowerment, succession) has taken many steps and with simultaneous focus on inside and outside the organization, has moved towards urban Human resource management.CONCLUSION: The results of the research provide important information about the historical course of Human resource management in three levels of the world, Iran and Municipality of Tehran, and by studying it, the gap between human resource management activities and measures are achieved.
Urban and municipalities management
S. Watundu; B. Kalinda Mkenda; N. Mwelu
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The demand for travel is increasing along with the development of the urban city. Since its establishment in 1890, the same situation has been replicated in Uganda, particularly in Kampala, the capital city. The city has grown tremendously, and this has spilled over to neighboring ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The demand for travel is increasing along with the development of the urban city. Since its establishment in 1890, the same situation has been replicated in Uganda, particularly in Kampala, the capital city. The city has grown tremendously, and this has spilled over to neighboring towns. Road transport carries 99 percent of the traffic in Kampala Capital City, causing massive congestion on city roads. Increased traffic could result from residents of the city or visitors from other parts of the country. Thus, understanding societal travel behaviours of city dwellers is necessary for better planning and policy guidance. This study examines the socio-demographic determinants of urban household demand for road travel in Kampala City. METHODS: Data from the Kampala Capital City Authority’s transport and household travel habits survey were used in this study. A sampling plan developed by the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Transport Master Plan Project was followed. Households were drawn from parishes stratified by residential typology using a simple random sampling method. Based on the social economic groupings, a proportional sample of 1906 households was drawn. Data on household characteristics, personal attributes of the household head and travel habits data were obtained. Given the observed over dispersion, a Negative Binomial Regression was estimated.FINDINGS: The results show that household daily demand for travel increase with the size, age, and education level of the head. Compared to households with 1-3 members, results indicate a significant increase in the difference between the logs of the daily trips taken by 0.329 and 0.587 for households with 4-6 and above 6 members, respectively; the older the household head, the higher the difference between the logs of expected number of trips, compared to households with heads aged 15-24 years, those whose heads are aged 25-34, 35-44, 45-54 and above 54 years, the difference of the logs of the expected number of trips taken increases significantly by 0.0769, 0.149, 0.163 and 0.212 trips, respectively; household heads working in the private sector reduces the difference in the logs of daily travel by 0.0659 trips when compared to the public sector; the more educated the household head, the more trips taken daily. Households with a private car make fewer trips than those without.CONCLUSION: Sensitization programmes for reducing unnecessary and avoidable travel and family size are required. Uptake of distribution and or redistribution polices for development activities and investments to other urban centers and regions.
Human capital in urban management
D. Singhal; H.A Salunkhe
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An employee's satisfaction and performance are linked to the company's work discipline, personal factors, and organizational culture. This paper studies these three factors in the context of Information Technology companies and their connection to employee satisfaction. Job ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An employee's satisfaction and performance are linked to the company's work discipline, personal factors, and organizational culture. This paper studies these three factors in the context of Information Technology companies and their connection to employee satisfaction. Job satisfaction is a significant issue in Information Technology Companies, leading to increased labour turnover in Information Technology Companies. The study highlights the relevance of Information Technology companies to understanding the reasons behind their employees' satisfaction. Until now, little is known concerning the variants of job satisfaction among Information Technology employees, enriching the understanding in this particular professional area. The study was conducted to assess the job satisfaction needs of the employees in major Information Technology companies. The study helps to know the preferences and problems of the employees.METHODS: In this study, data was collected from employees from various Information Technology companies to uncover the factors that impact the satisfaction of employees. Considering the study's goal and the literature review, the technique was analytical and interpretive. Due to large populations random sampling method is convenient for the study. The study's objectives were achieved explicitly via the questionnaire's design. To test the proposed hypotheses, all data were processed using the Structural Equation Modelling, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures.FINDINGS: Information Technology companies need their employees to feel satisfied to achieve the overall objectives and remain loyal to the company to achieve company success. From the responses, we learned that 31% of the respondents were satisfied with their employer about the various allowances and benefits they receive. Also, we knew that around 50% of the respondents were happy with their choice of the company because of its future commitments. 102 of the respondents highly disagreed that they were satisfied with the attitude and nature of their employees. Also, 22.26% of the male respondents have said they are only sometimes motivated to go to work. The limitation of this study was that the collected data was only of the general employees of the Indian Information Technology companies and not to specific departments of those companies. Also, no categories of companies were defined as per turnover.CONCLUSION: By recognizing the importance of job satisfaction, managers can create an environment that motivates and engages employees, leading to better performance, increased productivity, and reduced employee turnover.
Urban health, safety and environment (HSE)
S.S. Ahmadi Dehrashid; H.R. Jafari; A. Amjadi
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Road traffic noise is a matter of challenge for both people and policymakers. For instance, the price of lands/houses which are close to road traffic noise is reduced. The key objective of this study is to propose a conceptual model to illustrate details of a road traffic noise ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Road traffic noise is a matter of challenge for both people and policymakers. For instance, the price of lands/houses which are close to road traffic noise is reduced. The key objective of this study is to propose a conceptual model to illustrate details of a road traffic noise model, along with its policy and societal relevance. The second objective is to consider the honking of horns in such a conceptual model, as honking is a remarkable traffic noise factor, however, it has been neglected in some noise abatement policies. METHODS: By the use of previously proposed traffic noise models, some attempts were made to figure out how the models were applicable in minimizing road noise and how they would be helpful for environmentalists in conducting Environmental Impact Assessment. The proposed models were used to design a conceptual model explaining how policymakers and people in the urban areas may implement the traffic noise models. FINDINGS: 5 groups of policymakers including roadway engineers, acoustical engineers, acoustic specialists, expert witnesses, and traffic engineers; and 5 groups in the society comprising drivers, people, health practitioners, property owners, and ecosystem may benefit from the traffic noise models. Finally, a conceptual model entailing 3 actors of a traffic noise model (meteorological, traffic, and infrastructure factors) and its 2 outputs i.e. equivalent and maximum noise levels were obtained. CONCLUSION: Given the conceptual model derived from the road traffic noise models, one is capable of understanding their policy and societal relevance. It is recommended dynamic road noise maps of urban areas be obtained using the models during various times of day and night so that number of inhabitants in different noise spectrums of the map to be specified. Such a noise map is beneficial for both people and policymakers.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
Y.A. Petrova
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To date, much of the research has addressed the question of how sustainability can be achieved through innovative environmental projects proposed by concepts and theories in the field of sustainable development. This case study reflects the new formation of ecologically valid ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To date, much of the research has addressed the question of how sustainability can be achieved through innovative environmental projects proposed by concepts and theories in the field of sustainable development. This case study reflects the new formation of ecologically valid guidelines. Ecological intelligence caused by the impact of the environmental changes and the related risks. Modern developments and implementation of innovations support the achievement of the sustainable development goals. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of youth value orientation and ecological intelligence towards innovations in the realization of the sustainable development goals, development, and implementation of innovations depending on the differentiations of priorities of these goals.METHODS: The methodology of this study presents the thematic overviews on the subject, related to the study conducted, statistics data and the qualitative research on the online questionnaire designed to collect data. The respondents' answers showed awareness of the problems facing the inhabitants of planet Earth today, and the importance of introducing innovations to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.FINDINGS: The information obtained in the survey on the differentiation according to the priority of the SDGs for the development and implementation of innovations showed that solutions to the problems of environmental sustainability are considered a priority by one in four of the respondents participating in the survey (82.9%). At the same time, in the implementation of the SDGs that focus on achieving environmental sustainability, the fight against change is considered more important. The fact that none of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals has a priority score of 0 indicates that innovation and implementation are needed to achieve each goal.CONCLUSION: Without ecological intelligence and value orientations on the importance of innovative developments, it is impossible to understand the consequences of human impact on the environment and the importance of developing and implementing innovations for the continuation of life on planet Earth. That's the point why over one-third of respondents consider additional environmental knowledge to be significant, regardless of future profession. The study may interest philosophers, sociologists, psychologists and anyone concerned with the stability of planet Earth.
Information and communications technology in Urban Management
H. Sofyani
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Several investigations were previously conducted on the crucial role of Accounting Information System in enhancing organizational performance and accountability. However, there is a limited amount of knowledge regarding the factors that influence the quality of Accounting information ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Several investigations were previously conducted on the crucial role of Accounting Information System in enhancing organizational performance and accountability. However, there is a limited amount of knowledge regarding the factors that influence the quality of Accounting information system, especially when considering their application in local government settings in developing countries. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the factors determining Accounting information system quality in local government of Indonesia, including availability and functions of network, hardware, and software. The mediating role of accounting competency was also explored using resource orchestration theory.METHODS: This study adopted a questionnaire survey method and conducted statistical hypothesis testing using Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) method. The data were obtained from local government organization staff in Yogyakarta Special Region, selected based on involvement in using software.FINDINGS: The results showed that availability and functions of network and software, as well as accounting competency, were positively correlated with Accounting information system quality, with p-values of 0.000, 0.023, and 0.000, respectively. Meanwhile, availability and functions of hardware did not show a significant correlation, as evidenced by p-value of 0.375. Accounting competency significantly mediated the relationship between availability and functions of network, software, and Accounting information system quality, with p-values of 0.032 and 0.001, respectively. Moreover, Adj. R2 was 0.467 (medium level), and the SRMR value assessed the model fit at 0.079 (good model fit).CONCLUSION: This study contributed a novel framework related to the determinants of improving Accounting information system quality in local government setting and addressed the debate surrounding the role of accounting competency in the system development. Moreover, there were emphases on the significant mediating role of accounting competency as a prerequisite for other determinants (availability and functions of network, hardware, and software) to promote better Accounting information system quality.
H. Raghfar; A. Taklif; S. Shahhosseini; A. Ghasemi; A. Faridzad
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The long-term nature and capitalization of projects as well as the risks of the country's economic environment have made the provision of proper infrastructure as a permanent problem for national and local governments. Governments prefer to outsource the development and exploitation ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The long-term nature and capitalization of projects as well as the risks of the country's economic environment have made the provision of proper infrastructure as a permanent problem for national and local governments. Governments prefer to outsource the development and exploitation of capital assets to the private sector due to several reasons. In this matter, government institutions, due to their weaknesses in both technology and financing, are willing to create some optimal policy frameworks to utilize financial instruments to encourage private sector participation, as well as increase the share of revenues from the urban projects.The aim of this paper is to use the auction theory to improve the current mechanisms of public asset allocation. METHODS: This paper investigated the legal framework to design an allocation mechanism for the public assets using a qualitative approach. This qualitative method is based on the case study. This paper works on a series of library studies in order to analyze and familiarize with the problems, shortcomings, and inadequacies in the allocation of public assets exploitation plans in the Municipality of Tehran. FINDINGS: The obtained results indicate that the current rule can be improved in terms of choosing the process holding model, bidding criteria, and focusing on sharing future revenues in order to strengthen both the optimality and efficiency of outputs CONCLUSION: This paper proposed the bidding mechanisms that can be employed based on the current rules. After determining the qualifications of the contractors, a two-step model can be utilized to provide the set of assets. The mechanism of holding bidding was provided based on the results of previous researches as well as the features of the current rule in the form of two stages of price detection and the First Price Sealed Bid Auction mechanism.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
J. Figueroa Jiménez1; N. Guerrero Del Castillo; J. C. Musa Wasil; K. Malave-Llamas; C. Morales Agrinzoni
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the state of Florida there are more than 2.5 million acres of fresh water available; rivers, streams, springs, artificial canals, wetlands, and lakes. Polk and Osceola Counties are under a class III classification, which means that are considered recreational waters, ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the state of Florida there are more than 2.5 million acres of fresh water available; rivers, streams, springs, artificial canals, wetlands, and lakes. Polk and Osceola Counties are under a class III classification, which means that are considered recreational waters, and people can carry out fishing and/or swimming activities within the facility. Some of the problems these lakes face is eutrophication due to pollutants such as phosphorous, nitrogen, and growth of cyanobacteria, impacting directly the quality and public health. The aim of this analysis is evaluating the effect of the presence of Total phosphorus and Total nitrogen in the water quality, and an indirect analysis of cyanobacteria by the evaluation of Secchi Disk and Chlorophyll-a analysis, in order to identify statistically differences between two counties in Florida state, to contribute with a possible improvements and ecological buffer plan to be used to reduce pollution in the lakes of the state of Florida.METHODS: Based on this premise, it is intended to analyze secondary data on the quality of the water in the lakes of Polk and Osceola counties by evaluating the trophic status in each lake, and statistically evaluated using ANOVA, histograms and pareto analysis.FINDINGS: Results obtained determined that lakes from Osceola County are more contaminated that lakes from Polk County since it has three lakes in eutrophic status vs two lakes in eutrophic conditions at Polk County (from 52-69 for Osceola County and 42-59 for Polk County). Similar pattern is observed when evaluating histograms and pareto plots for each parameter between the counties. ANOVA test showed that F>F critical and p-value<α, demonstrating that there is difference between both counties.CONCLUSION: After the analysis was completed, it is recommended an evaluation by zone and improve water quality. It has been demonstrated that there is a need of new alternatives for the conservation and preservation of lakes in the state of Florida. Buffer zones are an alternative that can be very beneficial to conservation of lakes functioning also as a natural home for the flora and fauna. For the zone studied, it is recommended the use of Riparian buffers. These systems are known to improve and maintain water quality; at the same time protecting and improving fish and wildlife habitat.
Sustainable urban infrastructure
Z. Noorzadeh; M. Malekian
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Environmental sustainability is an important program of the United Nations to achieve sustainable urban development. It is important to understand the complicated relationship between the urban ecosystem and the natural environment to solve the environmental problems of cities. ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Environmental sustainability is an important program of the United Nations to achieve sustainable urban development. It is important to understand the complicated relationship between the urban ecosystem and the natural environment to solve the environmental problems of cities. Owing to its ecological origin, the establishment of ecological parks plays an essential role in sustainable urban development as it aims to support the spiritual needs of citizens, advocate the life of other species, and minimize the manipulation of nature. This study aims to identify and prioritize important ecological, physical, economic, and social criteria in the eco-park of north-central Iran. Due to its topographic features and specific climate, it provides different habitats for wildlife and has ability to protect biodiversity in the urban ecosystem.METHODS: There are currently intentions for biodiversity compensation in urban planning due to public opinion and species extinction problems. However, scarce studies are available to reinforce this fundamental concept in urban management. This study aimed to determine and prioritize Alborz eco-park components in north-central Iran. In this research, the indicators were selected by fuzzy Delphi, using multivariate decision-making, entropy technique, and TOPSIS. FINDINGS: Based on the TOPSIS method, among environmental-ecological criteria, the highest rank belonged to the ex situ conservation of animals in the urban climate and biodiversity enhancement (relative closeness to ideal solution = 0.621). Eco-park establishment along the Chalus road and Hemmat superhighway was the design and physical criterion with the highest score (relative closeness to ideal solution = 0.696). From the socio-economic view, increasing the understanding of human-nature unity was the highly scored criterion (relative closeness to ideal solution = 0.767).CONCLUSION: The eco-Park is not only about conservation but also about large-scale restoration of nature. The implementation of this new generation of parks in response to local environmental concerns regarding location, physical aspects, design, and wildlife conservation will help transition to sustainable urban development. The north-central eco-park of Iran can be used as a model for the development of sustainable urban ecosystems.