Evaluating Pillar Industry's Transformation Capability: A Case Study of Two Chinese Steel-Based Cities.

Many steel-based cities in China were established between the 1950s and 1960s. After more than half a century of development and boom, these cities are starting to decline and industrial transformation is urgently needed. This paper focuses on evaluating the transformation capability of resource-based cities building an evaluation model. Using Text Mining and the Document Explorer technique as a way of extracting text features, the 200 most frequently used words are derived from 100 publications related to steel- and other resource-based cities. The Expert Evaluation Method (EEM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques are then applied to select 53 indicators, determine their weights and establish an index system for evaluating the transformation capability of the pillar industry of China's steel-based cities. Using real data and expert reviews, the improved Fuzzy Relation Matrix (FRM) method is applied to two case studies in China, namely Panzhihua and Daye, and the evaluation model is developed using Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE). The cities' abilities to carry out industrial transformation are evaluated with concerns expressed for the case of Daye. The findings have policy implications for the potential and required industrial transformation in the two selected cities and other resource-based towns

Three pillars of sustainability: in search of conceptual origins

The three-pillar conception of (social, economic and environmental) sustainability, commonly represented by three intersecting circles with overall sustainability at the centre, has become ubiquitous. With a view of identifying the genesis and theoretical foundations of this conception, this paper reviews and discusses relevant historical sustainability literature. From this we find that there is no single point of origin of this three-pillar conception, but rather a gradual emergence from various critiques in the early academic literature of the economic status quo from both social and ecological perspectives on the one hand, and the quest to reconcile economic growth as a solution to social and ecological problems on the part of the United Nations on the other. The popular three circles diagram appears to have been first presented by Barbier (Environ Conserv 14:101, doi: 10.1017/s0376892900011449, 1987), albeit purposed towards developing nations with foci which differ from modern interpretations. The conceptualisation of three pillars seems to predate this, however. Nowhere have we found a theoretically rigorous description of the three pillars. This is thought to be in part due to the nature of the sustainability discourse arising from broadly different schools of thought historically. The absence of such a theoretically solid conception frustrates approaches towards a theoretically rigorous operationalisation of ‘sustainability’

Does free trade promote environmental technology transfer?

Environmental technology transfer, Free trade, Tariff protection, D43, F13, L13, Q56,

The Use of Indicators to Assess Urban Regeneration Performance for Climate-Friendly Urban Development: The Case of Yokohama Minato Mirai 21

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges in the twenty-first century. Immediate actions are required to slow down climate change and address its impacts on human life and settlements. Cities can play crucial roles in this respect, as they not just contribute to causes of climate change but also are under severe threat from its impacts. Urban regeneration projects can provide opportunities to make cities more climate-friendly and less vulnerable. However, the potential role of urban regeneration in tackling climate change is not sufficiently recognized. In many cities, integration between urban regeneration projects and climate policy is still weak. Besides, limited methods exist to evaluate the performance of urban regeneration projects for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Considering these challenges, this chapter is intended to elaborate on use of indicators to assess the progress achieved in urban regeneration projects toward climate-friendly urban development. The chapter presents the findings of a research on the case of Minato Mirai 21 Project in Yokohama, which is a prominent waterfront redevelopment over brownfield sites. The project has converted former shipyards and railroad yards into mixed-use and high-density urban quarter with a working and resident population of 70,000 people at present. A set of 34 indicators grouped under six performance categories is developed and applied to MM21 project. Research findings not only indicate the extent of achievements in MM21 project toward climate-friendly urban development but also highlight the strengths and weaknesses in using indicators for assessing urban regeneration performance

Neighborhood Sustainability Assessment: The Case of Casal Bertone Neighborhood in Rome

The role of cities in sustainable development is increasingly prominent so much so that they have been defined as “the cornerstone of a battle to defend the planet”. Moreover, since the raising number of people living within a city will reach the figure of 5 billion by 2030, cities should prepare themselves through developing efficient planning and best practices. In this light, a large number of environmental assessment tools and frameworks have been developed to moving towards sustainability the cities. More recently the focus has been moved on neighborhoods and districts interpreted as the building blocks of cities and as the more adequate level for trigger and enhance citizens participation. The identification of the neighborhood as a basic planning unit results in various theories and models aiming to create better and more livable urban environment. The increasing awareness of the inadequacy of a develop- ment model based on a unlimited growth is pushing towards the concept of sustainable development and on the importance of the local level. In this framework, aim of the paper is to present an assessment framework developed in coherence with the CAT-MED urban model and tested in the Casal Bertone neighborhood in Rome