XVIII International Coal Preparation Congress

Changes in economic and market conditions of mineral raw materials in recent years have greatly increased demands on the ef fi ciency of mining production. This is certainly true of the coal industry. World coal consumption is growing faster than other types of fuel and in the past year it exceeded 7.6 billion tons. Coal extraction and processing technology are continuously evolving, becoming more economical and environmentally friendly. “ Clean coal ” technology is becoming increasingly popular. Coal chemistry, production of new materials and pharmacology are now added to the traditional use areas — power industry and metallurgy. The leading role in the development of new areas of coal use belongs to preparation technology and advanced coal processing. Hi-tech modern technology and the increasing interna- tional demand for its effectiveness and ef fi ciency put completely new goals for the University. Our main task is to develop a new generation of workforce capacity and research in line with global trends in the development of science and technology to address critical industry issues. Today Russia, like the rest of the world faces rapid and profound changes affecting all spheres of life. The de fi ning feature of modern era has been a rapid development of high technology, intellectual capital being its main asset and resource. The dynamics of scienti fi c and technological development requires acti- vation of University research activities. The University must be a generator of ideas to meet the needs of the economy and national development. Due to the high intellectual potential, University expert mission becomes more and more called for and is capable of providing professional assessment and building science-based predictions in various fi elds. Coal industry, as well as the whole fuel and energy sector of the global economy is growing fast. Global multinational energy companies are less likely to be under state in fl uence and will soon become the main mechanism for the rapid spread of technologies based on new knowledge. Mineral resources will have an even greater impact on the stability of the economies of many countries. Current progress in the technology of coal-based gas synthesis is not just a change in the traditional energy markets, but the emergence of new products of direct consumption, obtained from coal, such as synthetic fuels, chemicals and agrochemical products. All this requires a revision of the value of coal in the modern world economy

Planning cities for the post-carbon age : a metabolic analysis of the urban form

[Resumen] El siglo veinte ha sido la edad de las ciudades, en la cual han experimentado la mayor expansión de su historia. La concentración de personas y actividades ha permitido un avance tecnológico sin precedentes, una larga etapa de prosperidad económica y el desarrollo de la actividad cultural. Cada día, miles de personas emigran desde sus hogares rurales en busca de las oportunidades que ofrece la metrópolis. Sin embargo, el triunfo de la ciudad ha sido a costa de la degradación de otros parajes, externos a ella, ya que absorben recursos desde distancias cada vez más lejanas. Las ciudades han crecido como sistemas voraces, basadas en el consumismo, por lo que requieren un suministro constante de materiales, agua, alimentos y energía para sostener su actividad y economía. Como tema central de investigación, las ciudades han sido estudiadas desde casi todas las perspectivas posibles. Algunas investigaciones previas han propuesto una analogía ecológica para medir los flujos del sistema urbano, lo que supone entender la ciudad como un ecosistema con un metabolismo característico. Este sería un primer paso para discernir las variables espaciales que influyen en el consumo urbano de recursos externos. Sin embargo, estos estudios todavía no han podido establecer de forma inequívoca la conexión entre la estructura física de la ciudad y su comportamiento ambiental. La abstracción de los postulados teóricos y las interferencias de múltiples factores en el análisis empírico han limitado el número de certezas en la ciencia urbana. El objetivo de esta tesis es explorar los vínculos entre forma urbana y los patrones de demanda de energía, mediante la combinación de la capacidad de exploración de modelos teóricos con el pragmatismo derivado del estudio de casos reales. Para ello, se ha elaborado un modelo de evaluación energética a escala urbana, tratando de responder a la carencia de instrumentos específicos que permitan integrar análisis y el diseño. Esta aplicación se prueba y aplica en diferentes escenarios derivados de los casos de estudios. Las experiencias de regeneración en los Docklands de Londres y el Poblenou de Barcelona proporcionan un marco real para entender la lógica de las transformaciones morfológicas en las ciudades existentes, introduciendo nuevas variables y aspectos, aunque manteniendo el foco principal de la investigación en la relación entre energía y forma urbana.[Resumo] O século vinte foi a era das cidades, na cal experimentaron a maior expansión da súa historia. A concentración de persoas e actividades permitiu un avance tecnolóxico sen precedentes, unha longa etapa de prosperidade económica e o desenvolvemento da actividade cultural. Cada día, miles de persoas emigran dende os seus fogares rurais, en busca das oportunidades que ofrece a metrópole. Non obstante, o triunfo da cidade produciuse a custa da degradación ambiental doutros paraxes, externos a ela, xa que absorben recursos dende distancias cada vez máis afastadas. As cidades creceron como sistemas voraces, baseadas no consumismo, e requiren un fluxo constante de bens, auga, alimentos e enerxía para soster as súas actividades e a súa economía. Como tema central de investigación, as cidades foron analizadas dende case todas as perspectivas posibles. Algunhas investigacións previas propuxeron unha analoxía ecolóxica para medir os fluxos do sistema urbano, o que supuso entender a cidade coma un ecosistema cun metabolismo característico. Este sería un primeiro paso para discernir as variables espaciais que inflúen no consumo urbano de recursos. Non obstante, estes intentos de establecer unha conexión entre o comportamento das cidades e a súa estrutura física non son aínda concluíntes. A abstracción dos postulados teóricos e as interferencias de múltiples factores na análise empírica limitaron o número de certezas na ciencia urbana. O obxectivo desta tese é explorar os vínculos entre a forma urbana e os patróns de demanda de enerxía mediante a combinación da capacidade de exploración dos modelos teóricos coas aprendizaxes derivadas do estudio de casos reais. Elabórase un modelo de análise enerxético urbano para responder á carencia de instrumentos específicos de planificación que permitan integrar a análise e o deseño. Esta aplicación próbase e aplícase en diferentes escenarios de forma urbana derivados dos casos de estudos. As experiencias de rexeneración nos Docklands de Londres e o Poblenou de Barcelona proporcionan un marco real para entender a lóxica das transformacións morfolóxicas nas cidades existentes, introducindo novas variables e aspectos máis amplos, ainda que mantendo o foco principal da investigación na relación entre enerxía e forma urbana.[Abstract] The 20th century has been the age of cities, as they have experienced their greatest expansion over history. The concentration of people and activities has enabled unprecedented technological advance, economic prosperity and the enhancement of culture. Thousands of people move every day from their rural homes, looking for the opportunities provided in the metropolis. However, the triumph of the city has been achieved at the expense of external environments, as they draw to themselves resources from further and further distances. Cities have grown as voracious systems, highly based on consumerism thus requiring massive flows of goods, water, food and energy to sustain their activities. As a central field of research, cities have been studied from all possible perspectives. Previous investigations have proposed an ecological analogy to measure the flows of the urban system, understanding the city as an ecosystem with a characteristic metabolism. It was meant as a first step to discern the spatial variables that influence urban consumption patterns. Nevertheless, these attempts to establish a connection between the performance of cities and their physical structure have been inconclusive so far. The abstraction of theoretical postulates and the interferences of multiple factors in empirical observations have limited the number of certainties in current urban science. The aim of this thesis is to explore the links between the urban form and energy demand patterns by combining the exploratory capacity of theoretical models with the learning outcomes from real case studies. As new planning instruments are needed to integrate analysis into design, an urban energy mode and tool has been worked out. The application was then tested and applied on alternative urban form scenarios, derived from the case studies. The regeneration experiences in London Docklands and Barcelona Poblenou provide a framework to understand the logic of morphological transformations in existing cities, introducing further variables and broader issues while keeping the control on the primary focus of the investigation: the relation between energy and urban form

Housing quality and lost (public) space in Croatia

IN ENGLISH: In the post-socialist period and within the current social transition context, urban and rural Croatia has, just like other transition countries, experienced many changes in the social structure and space. One example is the housing quality which is a replica of the situation in the Croatian society and has also undergone some major changes. Socially oriented housing construction co-financed by the state and the cities is in an unfavourable position compared to private housing construction. In the last twenty years the amount of the social housing construction has been only a minor part of the total contruction work in the country. For instance, out of nine newly planned residential housing developments in Zagreb, the capital city, only three have been completed and the work on the rest of them has stopped and is unlikely to continue. Private construction work prevails especially on the edge of the city and is characterised by high density housing. This type of housing construction doesn't benefit the majority of citizens in search of accommodation (price per square meter is too high, low-quality building). There is also a big problem of the community facilities (primary and secondary infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, playgrounds, green areas, sidewalks, public transport etc.). The existing globalisation-transition circumstances of the Croatian society corroborate the fact which experts of various profiles often point out: ignoring the process of (urban) planning will irreparably damage the space. The city transformation shows the absence of comprehensive urban planning which results in an ever increasing number of random buildings which do not fit in the surroundings. This leads up to yet another important issue – the shrinking and, in some cases, disappearance of public space which becomes the “lost space“. In recent years there has been a lot of building in the city core and on the edge which does not quite fit in the existing urban structure, image or the skyline of the city. The current situation in the process of planning can be characterized as a conflict and imbalance between the powerful actors (mostly political and economic) and less powerful actors (mostly professional and civil). The actors who have the political power and influence and the ones who possess the capital are forming an “alliance” between two important layers of the social structure. The lack of civil and professional actors, “lost spatial actors”, and therefore of civic aggregation is also present and that is also the cause of public space “disappearance” and undermined process of public participation. --------------- IN CROATIAN: U postsocijalističkom razdoblju i trenutnom tranzicijskom kontekstu urbana i ruralna Hrvatska su, kao i ostale tranzicijske zemlje, doživjele mnoge promjene u društvenoj strukturi i samom prostoru. Na primjeru kvalitete stanovanja kao replike stanja u hrvatskom društvu mogu se vidjeti značajne promjene. Društveno usmjerena stambena izgradnja sufinancirana od strane države i gradova je stoga rjeđa i u nepovoljnijoj je situaciji prema privatnoj stanogradnji. Zadnjih dvadeset godina udjel socijalne stambene gradnje je zanemariv u ukupnoj izgradnji na razini zemlje. Primjerice, od devet planiranih stambenih naselja izgrađenih po modelu POS-a u Zagrebu samo su tri i završena. Na ostalima je proces gradnje zastao i ne čini se da će se privesti kraju. Privatna je gradnje prisutnija, posebno na rubovima grada, a obilježava je visoka gustoća gradnje. Ovakav tip gradnje ne odgovara većini stanovnika koji su u procesu potražnje stambene nekretnine (visoka cijena kvadratnog metra, a slaba kvaliteta gradnje). Postoji također i problem nedostatne opremljenosti susjedstva (primarna i sekundarna infrastruktura, škole, vrtići, igrališta, zelene površine, pješačke staze, javni transport itd.). Navedene globalizacijsko-tranzicijske okolnosti hrvatskog društva potvrđuju ono što eksperti različitih profila ističu, a to je da će ignoriranje procesa (urbanog) planiranja nepovratno uništiti prostor gradova. Ovakve transformacije pokazuju nedostatak sustavnog urbanog planiranja što rezultira sve većim brojem zgrada koje se ne uklapaju u neposrednu okolinu. To nadalje dovodi do drugog važnog aspekta – smanjivanja i u nekim slučajevima, nestanka javnog prostora koji postaje „izgubljeni prostor“. Posljednjih je godina izgrađen velik broj zgrada, i u središtu i na rubovima grada, koje se ne uklapaju u postojeću urbanu strukturu, izgled ili vizuru grada. Ovakvu situaciju obilježavaju sukob i neravnoteža između moćnijih društvenih aktera (većinom političkih i ekonomskih) i onih manje moćnih (većinom profesionalnih i civilnih). Politički i ekonomski akteri se često povezuju u „savez“ dvaju najjačih u društvenoj strukturi. S druge strane nedostatak utjecaja civilnih i profesionalnih aktera kao „izgubljenih prostornih aktera“ dovodi do „nestanka“ javnih prostora te smanjenja važnosti procesa participacije (sudjelovanja javnosti)

Proceedings of the 23rd International Congress of Byzantine Studies : Round Tables

Following the 23rd International Congress of Byzantine Studies, the Organizing Committee decided to produce an online publication of Proceedings from the Round Tables. According to the official title of the congress, Byzantium - a World of Changes, AIEB together with the Organizing Committee, have decided to implement some changes to the concept of the Round Tables. The aim of these changes were to encourage discussion at the Round Tables by presenting preliminary papers at the website in advance. The idea was to introduce the topic and papers of the individual Round Tables that would be discussed, first between the participants, and then with the public present. Therefore, the conveners of the Round Tables were asked to create Round Tables with no more than 10 participants. They collected the papers, which were to be no longer than 18,000 characters in one of the official languages of the Congress and without footnotes or endnotes. Conveners provided a general statement on the goal of each roundtable and on the content of the papers. The present volume contains papers from 49 Round Tables carefully selected to cover a wide range of topics, developed over the last five years since the previous Congress. The topics show diversity within fields and subfields, ranging from history to art history, archeology, philosophy, literature, hagiography, and sigillography. The Round Tables displayed current advances in research, scholarly debates, as well as new methodologies and concerns germane to all aspects of international Byzantine studies. The papers presented in this volume were last sent to the congress organizers in the second week of August 2016 and represent the material that was on hand at that time and had been posted on the official website; no post-congress revisions have occurred. We present this volume in hope that it will be an initial step for further development of Round Tables into collections of articles and thematic books compiled and published following the Congress, in collaboration with other interested institutions and editors. With this volume, the organizers signal their appreciation of the efforts of more than 1600 participants who contributed, both to the Round Tables and to the Congress in general