Environmental deterioration in rapid urbanisation: evidence from assessment of ecosystem service values in Wujiang, Suzhou

Land use change is the most prominent feature of Chinese urbanisation. In China, the expansion of land consumed for urban development is inevitable given the rapid increases in the urban economy and urban population, but also in meeting the population’s increasing demand for better quality of life. This paper is based on a research study of Wujiang district in Suzhou, which is considered representative of many of the rapid urbanisation areas within the nation. The objective is to develop an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of land use change and how this change contributes to environmental deterioration, as assessed by changes in the ecosystem service value (ESV). In this study, ESV is defined as the environmental products and functions provided for human well-being. Based on local planning documents, Landsat TM remote-sensing images and field surveys, the research analyses the cost to the environment when traditional land uses are transformed into urbanisation. The research demonstrates that conversion to urban land use which ignores the limit and capacity of the environment can generate significant environmental costs, as assessed by ESV, which in turn, can lead to a deterioration of quality of life for inhabitants, the exact opposite of the original intention. The research demonstrates that by mapping the spatial distribution of ecological service values, ESV can be used as a guide to urban sustainable development

Analysis of the elderly’s preferences for choosing medical service facilities from the perspective of accessibility: A case study of tertiary general hospitals in Hefei, China

The accessibility of medical service facilities is a vital influence on elderly people choosing medical treatment. Encouraging residents to seek nearby medical treatment can facilitate the rational layout and diversion of urban medical facilities and reduce health resource waste. However, due to accessibility factors, elderly people may not choose the nearest hospital. In order to investigate such factors, we conducted a questionnaire survey among the elderly from 10 tertiary general hospitals in Hefei, China. On the basis of the origin-destination (OD) cost matrix analysis and statistical analysis of 830 valid questionnaires, this paper analyzed the elders’ selection rules when choosing medical facilities and the factors considered when making a choice. The study found that although 85% of elderly participants valued a short distance to tertiary hospitals, only 31% of them attended the closest hospitals in reality, which correlated with regularity according to their education level, travel activity status, and place of residence. The elderly highlighted road congestion, convenience of public transport stations, and number of transfers as critical in determining whether they sought nearby medical treatment. According to the results, effective ways to encourage the elderly to attend their nearest hospital, from the perspective of accessibility, include easing road congestion, improving the layout of public transport stations, and optimizing urban public transport routes. In particular, when planning future medical facilities, attention should be paid to the elderly with primary school education or below, who cannot travel independently, and those who live far from the city center

Co-evolution of technology and rural society: The blossoming of taobao villages in the information era, China

Over the last decade, more than 3000 villages (known as Taobao villages) in China have achieved significant economic growth due to e-commerce. The changes in these villages represents a new development path that is distinct from that of the traditional Chinese villages. This paper examines this growth experience, arguing that the ‘blossoming’ of the Taobao villages is essentially the result of the interaction and co-evolution of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and China's rural society. This study will be based on case studies of three Taobao villages. As ICT and e-commerce are embedded in rural society, the potential of existing organizations and skills in the countryside can be fully explored through synergy. This research finds that with the accessibility of China's huge online market for rural products, the traditional weak rural economic organizations in Taobao villages are gradually evolving into strong economic organizations, which have greatly enhanced their capacity to adapt to the flexible demands of the online economy. It is found in the research that the co-evolution of ICT and rural society are still in the development stage, which can have broad and profound impacts on the future transformation of rural China

[Book review] Sunset lives: British retirement migration tothe Mediterranean

Review of "Sunset Lives: British Retirement Migration to the Mediterranean" by RUSSELL KING, TONY WARNES and ALLAN WILLIAMS (Eds), Oxford: Oxford International Publications Ltd., 2000

Urban problems and patterns of change: The analysis of a downgraded industrial area in Turin

As it is well known, in Western countries cities are experiencing negative effects due to decentralization and deindustrialization, that have brought economic crisis and urban decline. In order to contrast such decline, urban regeneration is getting more and more important in the current political agenda. In fact, urban regeneration means not only building-restoration operations, but also programs aiming at eliminating social decline, increasing the quality of life of the inhabitants, supporting the valorization of cultural resources, protecting the environmental system, bringing economic development, and so on. Urban regeneration looks at urban areas as complex and dynamic systems, in which different processes (physical, social, environmental and economic) drive the transition and the generation of important changes. This paper aims to reflect on urban problems and regeneration operations, focusing in particular on the role of evaluation tools for supporting decision-making in this context. Starting from the analysis of a real case study related to a critical area in the city of Turin, the article will propose different evaluation tools able to produce a complete picture of the problem and to define possible long-term visions for the requalification of the site