Keynote Lecture – The Interplay of Multiple Hazards and Urban Development: The context of Istanbul

Tomorrow’s Cities is the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Urban Disaster Risk Hub – an interdisciplinary research hub with the aim to catalyse a transition from crisis management to multi-hazard risk-informed and inclusive planning in four cities in low-and-middle income countries. Istanbul in Turkey is one of the four cities investigated. It is one of the largest urban agglomerations in Europe where more than 15 million people reside in more than 1 million buildings. Considering that the population was 4.75 million in 1980, Istanbul’s urban sprawl was inevitable. Due to an imbalance between the population growth and housing supply, Istanbul’s urbanization was shaped by illegal construction processes producing the gecekondus in almost every part of the city (Gencer and Mentese, 2016). Unplanned urban expansion was so rapid that the urban master plan of 1980, which set the limits and strategies for urban development, became completely invalid by 1989 (Tapan, 1998). This situation led to the development of a new urban master plan in 1994 that included geoscientific analysis, and which highlighted the possibility of losses due to an earthquake on the segments of the North Anatolian Fault in the Marmara Sea. Uncontrolled and unplanned development continued in Istanbul until 1999 when two major earthquakes hit the region causing at least 18.000 deaths and $16 billion economic loss. These events changed the authorities’ perspective to earthquake risk and its mitigation. As a result, the 1998 earthquake resistant design code (published one year before the 1999 earthquakes) was widely embraced and implemented. Furthermore, several urban transformation projects have taken place in the last 20 years for reducing disaster risk. These have had varied success, with research to date showing that areas selected for urban transformation were often chosen on the basis of land value rather than hazard risk, and that a pro-poor approach is missing. Despite these efforts, Istanbul’s earthquake risk remains high. Furthermore, recent urban development plans are seeing the city expand into undeveloped lands to the west, increasing exposure to new hazards, namely flash flooding and landslides. The combined impact of these hazards is not evenly distributed, and the associated risks are heightened by poor infrastructural resilience and social vulnerabilities. Therefore, it is crucial to integrate different types of hazards and risks into the urban development context for future scenarios, so that a physically and socio-economically safer development that prioritizes the wellbeing of local communities can be facilitated. This presentation summarises the research conducted in Istanbul over the first 18 months of the Tomorrow’s Cities Project by a consortium of Turkish and UK researchers. This research spans the better characterisation of earthquake and landslide hazards, development of analysis methods for predicting the response of case study buildings to multiple hazards and a Bayesian network based approach for assessing road infrastructure resilience under multiple hazard scenarios. Furthermore, plans for building a Resilient Urban Development Decision Support Environment (RUD-DSE) for communicating the relevance of this research on future urban planning is described

Multi‐hazard interrelationships and risk scenarios in urban areas: a case of Nairobi and Istanbul

This paper introduces a methodology for characterizing the breadth of natural hazard types, hazard interrelationships, and risk scenarios in Global South urban areas, focusing on Nairobi, Kenya, and Istanbul, Türkiye. Our approach involves (a) a comprehensive characterization of multi-hazards and their interrelationships in an urban setting, (b) collaborative development of relevant multi-hazard scenarios with local disaster risk reduction (DRR) stakeholders, and (c) analysis of the potential for integrating these scenarios into urban DRR efforts. Using a critical review of 135 sources (academic and gray literature, databases, online, and social media), we identify 19 natural hazard types that might influence Nairobi and 23 in Istanbul. We further identified in Nairobi 88 and Istanbul 105 hazard interrelationship pairs (e.g., an earthquake triggering landslides) out of a possible 576 interrelationships. These findings are cataloged in an extensive database, which informs the creation of multi-hazard risk scenario exemplars for each city. These exemplars are refined through stakeholder engagement, involving four workshops (47 participants) and nine semi-structured interviews with local DRR stakeholders. Despite the identified benefits, this engagement reveals a significant gap in integrating multi-hazards into current urban policy and practice. Governance challenges are highlighted as a key barrier, but opportunities for better integration are also identified, including evolving policies and growing awareness among urban actors. Our approach, particularly relevant in data-scarce urban areas of low- and middle-income countries, provides a framework for exploring multi-hazard issues in various urban contexts

A Practical Guide to the New European Bauhaus Self-assessment Method and Tool

This handbook provides a complete guide to the New European Bauhaus (NEB) self-assessment method, designed to promote the three NEB dimensions, namely sustainability, beauty, and inclusiveness, in the built environment of Europe and beyond. The handbook comes together with an online tool allowing to evaluate the performance of projects and support their improvement. The online tool is seen as the basis to establish a dialogue between all involved stakeholders, and the grounds for defining minimum performance levels within the NEB framework. Advanced targets and indices are proposed to help professionals assess all aspects of the three NEB dimensions in buildings and living spaces, promote sustainable economic and financial activities, overcome local constraints, and improve the quality of life of the European citizens, indoors and outdoors, through a built environment designed to be affordable, aesthetically appealing, healthy, comfortable, and accessible for everyone, also addressing safety, functionality under hazards, adaptation to new functions. Acknowledging the complexity of a comprehensive evaluation, and understanding the variability of metrics associated with the three NEB dimensions across different project types, scales, and geographical regions, the self-assessment method is structured hierarchically to provide feedback with three interconnected assessment levels: indicator, key performance indicator, and dimension. Specifically, the method defines three spatial scales, i.e. building, neighbourhood, and urban, and delineates two project types, i.e. newbuild and renovation. Supporting the self-assessment process, the online tool aims to facilitate the user and simplify the evaluation process while upholding the method integrity and effectiveness. This handbook offers a thorough guidance on the New European Bauhaus self-assessment method and its underlying principles. It covers assessment targets, indicators, key performance indicators, evaluation methods, and measurement units. Additionally, the handbook includes illustrative examples, empowering the interested users with the knowledge necessary to perform the evaluation effectively. The handbook primarily targets professionals engaged in both the delivery phase (design, construction, and commissioning) and the operational phase (operations and maintenance). Project managers, architects, engineers, and consultants are anticipated to play an active role in gathering and generating the information needed for the self-assessment. However, various stakeholders throughout the entire building lifecycle and supply chains are also expected to participate, benefit from, and be influenced by the assessment, including product manufacturers, main and specialist contractors, policymakers, building users and the local community members directly impacted by the project outcomes. The method is not intended to foster competition or reward high-scoring projects; rather, its purpose is to drive continuous improvement in the built environment quality and align projects with the NEB objectives. Whereas users are expected to aim at the highest performance in the self-assessment, the decision of focusing more on some performance indicators rather than others is finally left each user. To emphasise the significance of a balanced performance across all three dimensions of projects, the possibility of obtaining a global performance combining the three NEB dimension scores was intentionally excluded

Interdisciplinarity in practice: reflections from early-career researchers developing a risk-informed decision support environment for Tomorrow's cities

The concept of disaster risk is cross-disciplinary by nature and reducing disaster risk has become of interest for various disciplines. Yet, moving from a collection of multiple disciplinary perspectives to integrated interdisciplinary disaster risk approaches remains a fundamental challenge. This paper reflects on the experience of a group of early-career researchers spanning physical scientists, engineers and social scientists from different organisations across the global North and global South who came together to lead the refinement, operationalisation and testing of a risk-informed decision support environment for Tomorrow's Cities (TCDSE). Drawing on the notions of subjects and boundary objects, members of the group reflect on their individual and collective journey of transgressing disciplinary boundaries across three case studies between June–December 2021: operationalisation process of the TCDSE; development of a virtual urban testbed as a demonstration case for the implementation of the TCDSE; and consolidation of frequently asked questions about the TCDSE for communication purposes. The paper argues that (1) the production of boundary objects in interdisciplinary research nurtures relations of reciprocal recognition and the emergence of interdisciplinary subjects; (2) the intrinsic characteristics of boundary objects define the norms of engagement between disciplinary subjects and constrain the expression of interdisciplinary contradictions; and (3) affects and operations of power explain the contingent settlement of interdisciplinary disagreements and the emergence of new knowledge. Activating the interdisciplinary capacities of early-career researchers across disciplines and geographies is a fundamental step towards transforming siloed research practices to reduce disaster risk

Green protocol: Catalyst-free synthesis of 2-substituted benzimidazoles under ultrasound irradiation

The synthesis of 2-substituted benzimidazoles from the reaction of o-phenylenediamine and an imino ester hydrochloride with ultrasound irradiation is reported. The procedure has an eco-friendly and simple workup with good yield in a short time. © 2018 Science Reviews 2000 Ltd. All rights reserved

Efficient synthesis of 2-[(3,4-dichlorophenyl)methyl]-1h-benzimidazole derivatives, and their ?-glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant activities

In this work, some new 2-[(3,4-dichlorophenyl)methyl]-1H-benzimidazole derivatives containing different five-membered heterocycles like 1,3,4-oxadiazole, 1,3,4-triazole, and 1,3,4-thiadiazole moieties were designed and efficiently synthesized starting from 2-[(3,4-dichlorophenyl) methyl]-1H-benzimidazole. The products were screened for their in vitro antioxidant and ?-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Among the synthesized compounds, some of them showed efficient ?-glucosidase inhibition with IC50 values ranging between 16.05 ± 0.94 and 77.02 ± 1.12 µg/mL when they were compared with the standard ?-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose having IC50 value 12.04 ± 0.68 µg/mL. The antioxidant activity of all products was screened by using various in vitro antioxidant assays, including CUPric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assays. Also, the radical scavenging activities of the products were assayed by using the ABTS method. © 2020 Bentham Science Publishers.Recep Tayyip Erdogan Üniversitesi: 2014.102.02.02This work was supported by Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Scientific Research Project Unit (RTEUBAP) under the project number of 2014.102.02.02. The authors thank all theoclalguees inethrpoject unit foretirhuspports

A new green protocol for the synthesis of 2-substituted perimidines from hydrazones under catalyst- and solvent-free conditions

A new green protocol was developed for the synthesis of 2-substituted perimidines. The protocol involves a reaction of ethoxy carbonylhydrazone with 1,8-diaminonaphthalene under solvent- and catalyst-free conditions. Simple workup procedure, economical and environmentally benign are the most advantages of the present method. © 2018 Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Union of Chemists in Bulgaria

Microwave-assisted synthesis of some new benzylidenamino compounds and potentiometric determination of their pKa

A growing body of literature has shown the effectiveness of using microwaves in chemical reactions. The aim of this study is to demonstrate a rapid and highly efficient synthesis of some new benzylidenamino compounds (4a-f) via microwave heating using a monomode microwave. Compounds 4a-f were potentiometrically titrated with tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH) in four nonaqueous solvents (isopropyl alcohol, ferf-butyl alcohol, acetonitrile and N,N-dimethyl formamide). Also half-neutralization potential values and the corresponding pKa values were determined in all cases

Microwave-assisted synthesis of novel 2,4-dihydro-5-[4-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl]-3h-1,2,4-triazol-3-ones and potentiometric determination of their pKa in nonaqueous solvents

The novel 4-amino- or 4-aryl-substituted 2,4-dihydro-5-[(4-trifluoromethyl) phenyl]-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-ones 3a-3g were synthesized by reaction of N-(ethoxycarbonyl)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzenehydrazonic acid ethyl ester (2) and primary amines or hydrazine by microwave irradiation. Compounds 3a-3g were potentiometrically titrated with tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (Bu 4NOH) in four nonaqueous solvents, i.e., iPrOH, tBuOH, MeCN, and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Also half-neutralization potential values and the corresponding pKa values were determined in all cases. © 2010 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich, Switzerland

Rapid and efficient microwave-assisted synthesis of some new triazol-3-one derivatives

A growing body of literature has shown the effectiveness of using microwaves in chemical reactions. The aim of this study is to demonstrate a rapid and highly efficient synthesis of some new triazol-3-ones via microwave heating using a monomode microwave. Compared with the thermal process, the microwave heating induces a dramatic reduction of the reaction time and improvement of the yields. In this study, rapid N-benzylation and N-acetylation of triazol-3-ones were achieved by microwave irradiation method for the first time. The newly synthesized compounds showed moderate antimicrobial activity against the standard bacterial and fungal organisms tested. © 2013 HeteroCorporation