Adaptive re-use is helping to change the way we think about how we can remake urban spaces

Facing increasing population pressures, many US urban centers are turning to novel methods, such as adaptive re-use, in order to encourage more intense land use. Sébastien Darchen writes that while adaptive re-use is often employed as a regeneration tactic by developers, it can also be a way in which local entrepreneurs can engage in non-traditional place-making. As pressure increases for residential ..

Urban regeneration: An Australian case study insights for cities under growth pressure

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review sustainable planning literature and investigate a major development in an Australian regional city, looking for broad sustainable insights to improve urban growth management. Design/methodology/approach: First, the authors sketched the backdrop to Ipswich and looked for the drivers propelling its rapid growth. They then generated a sustainability framework from the urban regeneration literature. In the empirical phase, they analysed a major development - the Icon project. They evaluated three of five regeneration domains using secondary sources, site observations and interviews with stakeholders and experts. Findings: First, each city's situation is unique, so the authors proffer no simplistic development formula. Internally, cities, including Ipswich, are spatially fragmented. Second, urban regeneration extends temporally and spatially beyond the project site boundaries or deadlines. Diminished property-driven regeneration neglects the social dimensions to sustainable housing or relegates it to an afterthought, but community participation is insufficient. Government needs to seed or drive (directly or via incentives) substantive social transformation. Projects supported with credible community social development are less risky, but, in competing for investment funds, local government can rush approve unsuitable projects. Research limitations/implications: The analysis focused on the planning and urban design aspects of the project. Only limited demographic, economic and social analyses were conducted, and the study would also benefit from interviews with a broader sample of experts. Practical implications: Sustainable urban regeneration needs to consider not only the unique mix of regional growth drivers and constraints, but also specific local precinct characteristics. Intelligently configured community consultation should inform but not dilute design leadership. Originality/value: This work investigates appropriate urban responses to growth pressure for sustainable outcomes in fast-growing regional cities

Cetylpyridinium removal using phosphate-assisted electrocoagulation, electroreduction and adsorption on electrogenerated sorbents

International audienceCetylpyridinium (CP+) is a cationic surfactant that can be found in various effluents and known due its toxicity against aquatic organisms. The removal of this compound was investigated in water solutions by electrocoagulation, phosphate-assisted electrocoagulation and adsorption on electrogenerated adsorbents. Electrocoagulations were carried out with aluminum electrodes in CP+ synthetic solutions. After 2 h of electrolysis in 0.1 M NaCl solutions, CP+ was mainly removed by electroreduction at calculated rates of 0.024 and 0.0416 μmol/C corresponding to abatements of 28 and 24% for starting concentrations of CP+ at 0.5 mM and 1.0 mM, respectively. The voltammetric study on steel or graphite electrodes confirmed a possible electroreduction of CP+ which may explain its removal during electrolysis. The change of the cathode from aluminum to carbon or steel did not change notably the removal efficiency of electrolysis in 0.1 M NaCl solution. However, after 2 h of electrolysis in 0.1 M NaCl in the presence of 0.1 M phosphate buffer, CP+ was mainly removed by adsorption on electrogenerated aluminum phosphate with rates of 0.0694 and 0.138 μmol/C corresponding to abatements of 80% for 0.5 or 1 mM CP+ solutions. The key role of phosphate ions was proved by adsorption experiments. The electro-synthesized alumina adsorbed CP+ with a removal capacity of 10.2 mg/g. But on electro-synthesized and chemical-synthesized aluminum phosphate the removal capacities were 94.2 and 165.3 mg/g, respectivel

Activated carbon from grass - A green alternative catalyst support for water electrolysis

International audienceGrass blades (turf grass) have been selected as a cheap biomass source of producing activated carbon for supporting Pt particles for utilizing as electrocatalyst for H2 generation through electrolysis of water. Activation is done using ZnCl2 followed by thermal processing at 250 °C. 1% Pt was supported over the grass derived activated biomass carbon (G-ABC) powder to result in Pt@G-ABC. After physical characterization, Pt@G-ABC sample has been tested for its catalytic activity in 1 M sulfuric acid solution for H2 gas generation through Linear Sweep & Cyclic Voltammetry. Cost factor involved in the production of G-ABC has also been compared with the traditional commercially available carbon support. The studies suggest that grass may be considered not only as a potential alternative source for producing carbon supported catalyst for H2 generation but also highlight the production of low-cost carbon for further applications like electrode materials, adsorbent for color, odor and hazardous pollutants

Recent Ipswich CBD revitalisation - backdrop and reflections

In this paper we investigate the first stages of one of the largest regional regeneration projects in Australia. Although small by Asian standards, the Icon Project is an office and retail project, leased to the state government which is slated to catalyse revitalisation of Ipswich’s CBD. Ipswich Queensland is rapidly-growing city about 40 kilometres from Brisbane on the Bremer River. Once, due to its navigable access and surface coal, it was a candidate for Queensland’s state capital. But, as traditional industries folded in the 1970s, Ipswich declined economically and socially. The burning of Reids Department Store in 1985, the ill-considered Kern development, suburban retail leakage and a recession accelerated CBD decline. Recently, despite the GFC and floods, the rapid expansion of hydrocarbon prospecting in its western hinterland has lifted confidence in Ipswich’s future. Here, we sketch the backdrop to Ipswich’s growth and reflect on conflicts in planning between short-term economic goals and broader sustainable development

Synapsin Is a Novel Rab3 Effector Protein on Small Synaptic Vesicles

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Electro-coagulation coupled Electro-floatation process: Feasible choice in Doxycycline removal from Pharmaceutical effluents

Article CC-BYInternational audienceElectrochemical treatment involving a coupled coagulation and floatation was performed in the removal of Doxycycline Hyclate (DCH) from aqueous solutions. All the experiments were carried out in an electrochemical reactor of 1.5 L which contained aluminium electrodes as cathode and anode. The removal of doxycycline hyclate (DCH) species by EC/EF was determined as a function of electrolysis time, pH, current intensity, flow rate and DCH concentration. From the observed results, it was corroborated that the DCH removal through the EC/EF process was excellent. The effective contribution from initial pH (7.03) and current intensity (5.39 mA cm-2) was very much remarkable and well apparent from flocs of good buoyancy. The removal of DCH was inversely proportional to spacing between electrodes (SBE) and circulating flow rate in the presence of the supporting NaCl electrolyte of 1 g L-1. It was also highly promoted by the addition of NaCl in comparison to NaNO3 and KCl to the electrolytic system. The compliance of four kinetic models was verified with DCH removal system. The free energy values from DKR model suggested the nature of bonding by chemical forces. Characterization by FTIR, SEM and XRD interpreted the assignments of various functional groups, surface morphology and crystalline incorporated amorphous nature, respectively of electro – generated flocs. The current efficiency and specific electrical energy consumption at optimized conditions of the EC/EF system were calculate

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The shifting spaces of creativity in Hong Kong

This paper focuses on the development of Hong Kong's cultural economy and its translation into urban space. On the one hand it focuses on recent economic development and planning strategies to develop a post-colonial identity based on the international cachet of attracting creative industries. On the other hand, it considers the development of grassroots initiatives that herald the potential articulation of Hong Kong as a culturally dense global city. These grassroots initiatives are analyzed from the perspective of their problematic relationship with urban space, and how urban planning both supports and hinders cultural development. The paper argues that top-down planning is in large part catalytic, yet at the same time can run counter to the development of genuine artistic expression. It stresses the importance of ‘middleground’ actors in facilitating the development of spaces for artistic creation, particularly in their productive interlocking with different forms of artistic expression and public policy initiatives. The middleground can be conceived of as a relational space produced by various processes, actors and structures operating at different scales between institutional actors and the interests of ‘underground’ creativity. The article concludes by problematizing the role of middleground actors and underlines the value of ‘unpacking’ the middleground in order to account for the contested and negotiated processes it embodies. Renewed attention to these processes will contribute to enhancing the development of sites of artistic expression in Hong Kong and other emergent contemporary contexts

The Role of Rab3a in Secretory Vesicle Docking Requires Association/Dissociation of Guanidine Phosphates and Munc18-1

Rab3a is a small GTPase that binds selectively to secretory vesicles and switches between active, GTP-bound and inactive, GDP-bound conformations. In yeast, Rab and SM-genes interact genetically to promote vesicle targeting/fusion. We tested different Rab3a conformations and genetic interactions with the SM-gene munc18-1 on the docking function of Rab3a in mammalian chromaffin cells. We expressed Rab3a mutants locked in the GTP- or GDP-bound form in wild-type and munc18-1 null mutant cells and analyzed secretory vesicle distribution. We confirmed that wild-type Rab3a promotes vesicle docking in wild-type cells. Unexpectedly, both GTP- and GDP-locked Rab3a mutants did not promote docking. Furthermore, wild-type Rab3a did not promote docking in munc18-1 null cells and GTP- and GDP-Rab3a both decreased the amount of docked vesicles. The results show that GTP- and GDP-locked conformations do not support a Munc18-1 dependent role of Rab3a in docking. This suggests that nucleotide cycling is required to support docking and that this action of Rab3a is upstream of Munc18-1