Sustainable Development Report: Blockchain, the Web3 & the SDGs

This is an output paper of the applied research that was conducted between July 2018 - October 2019 funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and conducted by the Research Institute for Cryptoeconomics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and RCE Vienna (Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development).Series: Working Paper Series / Institute for Cryptoeconomics / Interdisciplinary Researc

Sustainable Development Report: Blockchain, the Web3 & the SDGs

This is an output paper of the applied research that was conducted between July 2018 - October 2019 funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and conducted by the Research Institute for Cryptoeconomics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and RCE Vienna (Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development).Series: Working Paper Series / Institute for Cryptoeconomics / Interdisciplinary Researc

Participatory online environmental education at the Open University UK

The role of education in helping our societies put sustainability into practice is crucial. The motivation, awareness and empowerment, necessary for citizens to understand the concept and take part in its operationalisation, ought to emerge from environmental education, since we might encounter some difficulty when trying to teach, or impose these notions in a theoretical way. In developing environmental courses, we therefore ought to progressively replace pedagogical approaches based on (relatively 'authoritarian') transfers of information with more interactive and collaborative learning processes: citizens' participation can start with the creation of communities of learners. This paper describes the construction of two web courses: a first level teaching module on environmental systems and a third level interdisciplinary environmental course, both developed at the Open University, specialised in distance and open learning. The themes of the course include participatory processes in decision-making, the perception and representation of environmental systems, alternative leadership, biodiversity, climate change and integrated water management, environmental action and governance. The concepts focused on include sustainability, complexity, uncertainty, globalisation and 'systemic problem solving'. In both courses, the overall pedagogical process is based on the notion of environmental governance. This means that the web has been chosen as a learning platform, because - it provides various types of up to date information as well as archives, - it allows various types of users to communicate between different countries, and also - it encourages collaborative and interactive learning. This paper describes the experience of the author in creating web environmental courses at the Open University. Components of the courses such as interactive activities are discussed, as well as the pedagogical focus progressively shifted towards more participatory processes of learning

Seismic and solar performance of historical city. Urban form-based multicriteria analysis

The understanding of the global performance of a historical city is a complex balance of several specific issues and requires a multi-disciplinary approach to face with actual urban phenomena and challenges, such as the seismic risk and energy efficiency, that are strongly influenced by urban form. This paper focuses on the potential of urban metrics and typological indicators for describing the seismic vulnerability and the solar radiation availability of distinct urban textures, and the correlation between the two aspects. Comparative analysis at fabric scale was conducted on the historical centre of Rieti (Latium, Italy), to underline the main seismic and solar indicators. In the last decade, we witnessed the spreading of urban scale assessment and analysis tools, but seldom using an integrated approach to face the complexity of the historical city. Relying on morpho-typological indicators, the proposed method characterizes the fabrics in terms of seismic vulnerability and solar availability through a multicriteria analysis. The analysis reveals substantial differences between fabrics using three groups of indicators: Plan, Space and Analysis-oriented. Each group describes different features of the urban fabrics that affect seismic and solar performance and suggests improvement strategies. The purpose is to support policymaker and designer in the urban renovation process

Urban agriculture as an integral part of urban growth management strategies and the implications on urban form policy: the case of Auckland NZ

Urban agriculture potential is examined in three suburbs of increasing density in Auckland, NZ. A review of the relationship between urban indicators (net density and housing patterns) and potential solar energy available at ground level is done. Since soils are generally fertile and water readily available solar access to ground level becomes an indicator of productivity. Using the subtraction method and satellite photography from Auckland council GIS viewer, potentially productive land is estimated in three residential blocks-Mt Eden, Sandrigham and New Lynn. Based on the results the food energy potential of each site is determined. Preliminary results indicate that low density New Lynn has the highest potential for sustainability with surplus food energy. Medium density Sandrigham could meet 50 per cent of its vegetable dietary requirement while high density Mt Eden is unsustainable in UA. Recommendations are suggested as to how UA maybe integrated in urban growth strategies

Facing the growing problem of the electric power consumption in Egyptian residential building using building performance simulation program

Egypt has been experiencing recurrent power cuts especially at the summer, with the problem being made worse by the extra demands placed on the electrical grid by the advent of the holy month of Ramadan. Electricity shortages are now a problem in Cairo, Alexandria, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, and Nubia, as well as in the Nile Delta governorates of Beheira and Qalioubiya. The aim of this study is to develop a model for the Egyptian residential building using Building Performance Simulation Program and make sensitivity analysis on some variables effecting the electric power consumption in order to help faceting the growing problem in Egypt. The model was created using the IES-VE 2012 (Integrated Environmental Solution ). The simulation model was verified against the survey data for the Egyptian apartment and same model simulated using energy Plus simulation tool. The results of the program describing different situations for energy using profile for the air conditions, lighting and equipments in respect to building layout and construction climate and pattern of use. This model can be used in the future to help in reducing the electric power consumption in the residential building