Planning and designing for social sustainability in urban areas

Vanligt förekommande i planprogram är målet att skapa social hållbarhet. Definitionen av begreppet är bred och ofta utan konkreta strategier. Tolkningsutrymmet skapar problem, som i sin tur kan göra att begreppets inverkan urholkas. Den här uppsatsen fokuserar på hur social hållbarhet uppnås genom den fysiska planeringen men också genom den mänskliga påverkningsfaktorn. Strategier för fysisk miljö pekar bland annat på vikten av mötesplatser, stråk, jämn fördelning av funktioner och institutioner samt överbyggande av barriärer. Resultatet i uppsatsen visar också att social hållbarhet till stor del är beroende av människors delaktighet och engagemang. I planprocesser praktiseras detta ofta i form av medborgardeltagande, med bland annat dialoger och workshops. Uppsatsen har studerat problem med metoden och diskuterar hur representativ den är för medborgarnas önskemål och vad som egentligen är syftet med medborgardeltagande. Många gånger kommer bara några få individer till tals i dialogerna, i uppsatsen diskuteras om syftet snarare är att politiker och tjänstemän vill stärka sin relation till medborgarna. Ett alternativ till medborgardeltagande är ideellt arbete, en verksamhet som med andra medel och på andra sätt kan stärka den sociala sammanhållning i ett område. Resultatet påverkas av huruvida initiativet kommer från boende i området och att de som engagerar sig får uppmuntran och stöd från kommunen. Uppsatsen undersöker också hur politiska målsättningar och planerarens personliga värderingar påverkar beslut om framtida fysiska förändringar. För att kunna skapa social hållbarhet genom fysiska miljöer förutsätter det att medborgare är inkluderade i processen, från början till slut. Det krävs ett samförstående mellan planerarens visioner och medborgarnas önskemål, tydligt är i alla fall att ingen part kan agera utan den andre.Today many planning briefs sets out the ambition to achieve social sustainability. Due to the terms wide definition and the lack of concrete strategies its impact risk to reduce. This study explores how social sustainability can be created through urban planning, but also through human affect. Important factors within physical design are such as meeting points, paths, dissolved barriers and even access to various institutions. This study also concludes the importance of including and engaging citizens in order to achieve social sustainability. In today’s planning process civic engagement is often carried out in the form of work shops or dialogues. The study discuss the method, whether it can be said to represent requests of the general citizen or what else civic engagement really aims for. Often only a few citizens are heard at meetings and work shops, which leads to the discussion if public participation rather works as a campaign for politicians and officials. A different way to include and engage citizens is volunteering projects. Such projects are structured differently but still increase social cohesion in an area. The outcome of volunteering projects is depending on local involvement and support from the municipality. The study also focuses on how decision-making for future physical changes are affected by the impact of political goals and the planners personal values. If social sustainability is to be created by physical design it constitutes citizen participation, from beginning to the very end. The outcome is depending on the understanding between the planners visions and the citizen's requests. It is clear that neither of the two can act alone

Designing for gender equality : analysis and design for Sibbarps outdoor activity area

De senaste åren har allt fler börjat intressera sig för jämställdhetsfrågor inom stadsplanering och medborgardialoger. Något som fått särskild uppmärksamhet i Malmö är bristen på jämställda aktivitetsytor, där killar och tjejer på lika villkor kan engagera sig i fysisk aktivitet. Som komplement till de processer som ofta syftar till att inkludera brukare och uppmuntra engagerade grupper att använda platserna strävar den här uppsatsen efter att undersöka de rumsliga sammanhangen och dess kopplingar till den mänskliga kroppens existens i den offentliga miljön. Målet är att utröna riktlinjer för gestaltningen och den fysiska utformningen av rummet, på ett sätt som kan främja ett jämställt användande. Arbetet utgår ifrån en skejtramp på strandområdet Sibbarp i Malmö. Gatukontoret planerar att göra en utvecklingsplan för hur Sibbarps ska förändras och bevaras i framtiden och som en del i det arbetet ska skejtrampen byggas ut med klätternät och utegym. För att möjliggöra att platsen används på ett jämställt sätt undersöker uppsatsen vilka fysiska förutsättningar som platsen kräver. Genom kulturgeografi och genusvetenskap ges en introduktion till hur plats och rum är kopplat till kroppen, dess agerande och bakomliggande sociala strukturer. Den byggda miljön relaterar hela tiden till människors erfarenheter och könsroller och vice versa. Till följd av hur det sociala könet, genus, skapas får män och kvinnor olika förutsättningar och möjligheter att tillgodogöra sig staden och många gånger är det kvinnor som missgynnas. I uppsatsen ges exempel på hur kvinnor begränsas att röra sig fritt på grund av rädsla för överfall, hur tjejer i mindre utsträckning är fysiskt aktiva till följd av att de inte uppfostrats att ta sig an det offentliga rummet, hur större delen av bidragspengarna går till sporter som främst utövas av killar och hur de traditionellt kvinnliga områdena, som social reproduktion och hemmiljö, negligeras i planeringen. Med kunskap och förståelse för hur de sociala strukturerna även påverkar den fysiska miljön studeras den förändringskaft som ligger i performativitet och performativt stadsliv. Det innebär att genus och könsroller skapas i vårt agerande men planering och gestaltning kan bidra till uppluckrandet av förtryckande könsroller genom att möjliggöra för ett annat agerande i den byggda miljön. Litteraturstudier, platsanalyser, workshops och diskussioner med Gatukontoret resulterar i ett gestaltningsförslag baserat på ett flertal gestaltningsprinciper som uppenbarats under litteraturstudien. Till stor del bygger förslaget på att bredda användandet av platsen, både sett till fysiska men även sociala aktiviteter. Det innebär att ge plats för sådana aktiviteter som främst attraherar tjejer, som ett komplement till den mansdominerade skejtytan. Det innebär också att skapa neutrala miljöer, utan något tydligt kön eller genus. I den rumsliga fördelnigen läggs flera nivåer av interaktion och exponering till, för att ge användarna möjlighet att vara både synliga och anonyma.In the last few years both professionals and students have become increasingly interested in discussing gender equality within urban planning and public participation. Special attention has been given to the lack of public spaces suited for physical activities for both genders. Processes and strategies within this field often aims to include different user groups in the planning process and to encourage discriminated groups to use the public space. As a compliment to these studies, this essay aims to investigate the spatial context and its linkage to the human body and its existence in the public spaces. The goal is to discover guidelines for designing physical spaces, in this case a site named Sibbarp, in a way that enhances a gender equal usage. The work starts with a skate ramp situated on the beach of Sibbarp in Malmö. Gatukontoret (the Department of City Planning) is making a development plan for the areas future and possible developments and as a part of that process the skate ramp will eventually be expanded with a net for climbing and an outdoor gym. This essay will explore how the spatial design can be done so that it encourages the space to be used in a more gender equal way. A literature study in the fields of cultural geography and gender studies will give an introduction to how public spaces and social structures are affecting the body and its actions. The built environment constantly relates to people’s experiences and gender and vice versa. Based on the social construction of gender norms, men and women have different possibilities to use public spaces and the activities it offers. Most often it is women who disadvantages from this. In this essay examples are given of how the fear of assault limits women’s mobility in the public space, how girl’s upbringing make them less likely to use facilities in the public spaces, how budgets are distributed to sport activities with mostly male participants, and how the traditionally female activities, like nursing and home based care, is neglected in city planning. With awareness and understanding of how social structures affects the physical environment studies of performativity and performative city life are used to formulate a power of change. In other words gender is produced by the way we act and renewed city planning can help encourage an active life with changes in oppressing gender norms. Literature studies, space analysis, workshops and discussions with Gatukontoret (the Department of City Planning) results in a design proposal based on several principles manifested during the literature study. Mainly, the proposal suggests widening the given activities in the space, including both physical and social activities. This means making enough space for activities typically dominated by females in addition to the skate park. This also means creating neutral environments with no suggestion of sex or gender. By adding multiple levels of interactions and exposure in the spatial space we give the users the possibility to use the space, both visible and anonymous

A Case Study Investigation on Purchasing Green Transport and Logistics Services

In the context of green supply chain management, green purchasing has received increased attention over the past decade and the strategic importance of introducing green aspects into purchasing practices has been recognised. Despite this growing importance, little has been written in relation to purchasing green transport and logistics services. Considering the strong environmental impact associated with transport and logistics activities, much remains to be learned concerning buyer’s practices when sourcing more sustainable services from third party logistics companies (3PLs). The aim of this paper is to explore practices of buying green transport and logistics services in three different European countries (Italy, Ireland and Sweden) using a multiple case study research approach. The paper analyses how general environmental company ambitions and environmental purchasing practices are reflected when green transport and logistics services are purchased. The results of the paper indicate that while the case companies show a relatively high concern of green issues at company level, a lower importance is attributed to green issues at the purchasing function level. When green concerns in purchasing transport and logistics services are analysed the level of importance decrease dramatically. It emerges a conflicting attitude among the overall company level and the purchasing of transport and logistics services. This suggests that there is the potential for improvements especially in the area of green collaboration in buyer and supplier relationships

Purchasing Green Transport and Logistics Services: Implications for Small Business

Considering its strong environmental impact, logistics plays a critical role in green supply chain management. It provides strategic links in the supply chain and is an essential function in the delivery of green products to the consumer. There is a general consensus on the fact that more environmentally sustainable companies may be achieved only if transport and logistics activities also become greener. To achieve this objective, buyer companies need to incorporate green considerations in the purchasing of transport and logistics services. This appears particularly challenging for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) because of their traditional lack of managerial, organisational and financial resources that often result in failure to adopt an environmental perspective. In the extant literature, green purchasing has received increased attention over the past decade and the strategic importance of introducing green aspects into purchasing practices has been recognised. However, little has been written in relation to purchasing green transport and logistics services. The aim of this paper is to explore practices in the buying of green transport and logistics services and to derive implications for small buyer companies. The paper analyses how general environmental company ambitions and environmental purchasing practices are reflected when green transport and logistics services are purchased in three different European countries (Italy, Ireland and Sweden) using a multiple case study research approach. The results of the paper indicate that while the case companies show a relatively high concern for green issues at corporate level, a lower importance is attributed to green issues at the purchasing function level. When green concerns in the purchasing of transport and logistics services are analysed the level of importance decreases further. Thus, a conflicting attitude is evident between the overall corporate level and the purchasing of transport and logistics services specifically. This suggests that there is potential for improvement especially in the area of green collaboration in buyer and supplier relationships. Considerato il loro rilevante impatto ambientale, le attività logistiche e di trasporto rivestono un ruolo critico per aumentare la sostenibilità ambientale della supply chain. Infatti, il successo delle politiche di sostenibilità delle imprese industriali dipende in misura crescente dall’utilizzo di servizi di trasporto e logistica a basso impatto ambientale. Ciò significa che le imprese che acquistano servizi logistici devono porre una attenzione sempre maggiore alla sostenibilità ambientale di tali servizi. Ciò risulta particolarmente problematico per le piccole e medie imprese (PMI) a causa della loro tradizionale scarsità di risorse manageriali, organizzative e finanziarie che si riflette nella sottovalutazione della variabile ambientale. Nonostante il problema della sostenibilità ambientale degli approvvigionamenti ha ricevuto una attenzione crescente sia dal punto di vista scientifico che della pratica aziendale, pochi sono gli studi che hanno riguardato l’acquisto di servizi logistici e di trasporto sostenibili soprattutto con riferimento alle piccole imprese. Scopo di questo lavoro è di esplorare l’importanza della sostenibilità ambientale nella gestione della funzione approvvigionamenti e nell’acquisto di servizi logistici e di trasporto per identificare quali sono le implicazioni più rilevanti per le imprese acquirenti di piccola dimensione. A tal fine sono stati analizzati e confrontati sei casi aziendali in tre diversi paesi europei (Italia, Irlanda e Svezia). I risultati indicano che nonostante sia emerso un livello di consapevolezza ambientale relativamente elevato per l’impresa nel suo complesso, minore importanza è attribuita alla sostenibilità ambientale della funzione acquisti. Con specifico riferimento all’acquisto di servizi di trasporto e logistica il ruolo e l’importanza attribuita alla sostenibilità ambientale diminuisce ulteriormente. I risultati evidenziano l’esistenza di un atteggiamento incoerente tra il ruolo attribuito alla sostenibilità a livello dell’impresa nel suo complesso, alle attività di approvvigionamento in generale e all’acquisto di servizi di trasporto e logistica in particolare. Ciò suggerisce che una potenziale area di miglioramento su cui il management delle piccole imprese può intervenire riguarda la collaborazione con fornitori di servizi logistici e di trasporto con i quali dovrebbero essere condivise iniziative, progetti e investimenti in sostenibilità

The Impact of 3PL’s Green Initiatives on the Purchasing of Transport and Logistics Services: an Exploratory Study

There is a lack of research investigating the interaction and reciprocal influences between the buyer perspective and the supplier of transport and logistics services. Studies on the buyer perspective analyse the selection criteria to buy 3PL services, while research focused on green 3PL services examine initiatives undertaken by these companies to provide more environmentally sustainable services. The objective of this paper is to fill this void through an explorative case study analysis on the environmental attitude of 3PL companies in order to derive relevant implications for buyer’s behaviour. The results provide useful guidelines to buyers for understanding awareness, initiatives as well as drivers and barriers affecting 3PLs’ sustainability initiatives

Purchasing green transport and logistics services:implications from the environmental sustainability attitude of 3PLs

Environmental sustainability is an area of increasing importance for third party logistics (3PL) companies. As the design and implementation of services requires interaction between buyer and 3PL, the 3PLs are in a critical position to support the efforts towards greening operations of different supply chain participants. However the literature in this field reflects a gap between the perspectives of buyers and 3PLs. This chapter attempts to fill this void through an explorative case study analysis on the environmental attitude of 3PLs in order to derive implications for buyers’ behavior. The results indicate that the buyer’s role is critical in different ways in the development of green initiatives among 3PLs. An increased orientation towards longer-term contracts and joint development would likely enhance the level of green initiatives. Indirectly, the buyer has the opportunity to influence its 3PLs through interaction with employees on different levels in the company, including top management

Purchasing green transport and logistics services:implications from the environmental sustainability attitude of 3PLs

Environmental sustainability is an area of increasing importance for third party logistics (3PL) companies. As the design and implementation of services requires interaction between buyer and 3PL, the 3PLs are in a critical position to support the efforts towards greening operations of different supply chain participants. However the literature in this field reflects a gap between the perspectives of buyers and 3PLs. This chapter attempts to fill this void through an explorative case study analysis on the environmental attitude of 3PLs in order to derive implications for buyers’ behavior. The results indicate that the buyer’s role is critical in different ways in the development of green initiatives among 3PLs. An increased orientation towards longer-term contracts and joint development would likely enhance the level of green initiatives. Indirectly, the buyer has the opportunity to influence its 3PLs through interaction with employees on different levels in the company, including top management

The adoption of green initiatives in logistics service providers – a strategic perspective

Logistics service providers (LSPs) have started to transform their operations and strategy to be more effective from a green perspective. One concern that is of particular interest of LSPs is how to create organisational green awareness and translate this into practice in their operations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the roles of green strategic commitment and organisation in LSPs’ adoption of green initiatives. The data for this study were collected through a questionnaire survey, investigating a sample of LSPs operating in the Swedish, Finnish and Italian markets. From the literature analysis, a set of testable hypotheses was developed. The results indicate that there are relationships between the nature, as well as the scope, of functional involvement and the green strategic priority. The results further suggest that the inclusion of environmental consideration in the overall business strategy is positively related to the involvement and coordination of multiple functions as well as existence of a separate environmental function

Gut bacteria at 6 months of age are associated with immune cell status in 1-year-old children

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