An On-line Glossary as a way to foster the construction of a common culture among urban experts, stakeholders and decision-makers

Negotiation and public participation are a key aspect of present urban development projects. Argumentation support tools, based on the Toulmin logic, have often been presented as a way to increase the accountability of the debates between the different urban actors. It should still be assumed that any collaborative decision making requires some common culture to make the dialogue possible and constructive. Such a common understanding of basic terms, references and methods is often missing in present-day urban disputes, especially when complex issues like cultural heritage are at stake. The present paper discusses the relevancy of Web Glossaries as a way to build up such a common culture among urban experts, stakeholders and decision-makers.Audienc

Pupils, teachers & palmtop computers

This paper presents a snapshot of the IT skills of staff and Year 8 students in a secondary school prior to their receiving personal palmtop computers and after a short acquaintance with them. Previously, most staff made relatively little use of the knowledge they had of ‘content-free’ computer applications in their school work, whereas students had little knowledge of such applications. Access to the palmtop, however, increased the staff's use of such applications in their work, particularly for administration (e.g. class registers and assessment scores). A minority of staff remained unconvinced about the potential of the computer and many were dissatisfied with the amount and quality of INSET in the use of the palmtop and in IT in general. The students learned about the main content-free applications relatively quickly and used them frequently. The report highlights the need for adequate and careful training so that teachers become aware of the range of uses and possible benefits of IT

Nouveauté dans des méthodes de calcul, dans des caractéristiques de base des maisons peu coûteuses afin de réduire la consommation d'énergie pour le chauffage - programme de lien - coordination et conséquences pour la conception architecturale (synthèse)

A previous research work developed within the frame of the first European R-D Energy Programme has led to the production of a manual design method mainly oriented to the design of low cost, low energy houses. From the beginning, we know that this method remains uncompleted but its lacunas became particulary obvious and combersome when trying to apply it to the real design of 25 houses on a real ground. Therefore we devoted some research efforts to improve the manual method specially in calculation methods. These efforts do not intend to be definite answers to the difficult points we put in light. Some are a first proposal for solving specific problems like intergrating dynamic-thermal behaviour in the design of buildings. Others are particular issues of a continuous work developed in the Building Physics Laboratory for years like equivalent degree-day methods. The last group contents more specific points like shading factor calculation. Some has already been introduced in the new issue of the design methodology. Others have been used during the design of the houses but they need more work to become practical tools that can be introduced in the methodology. And some are kept for further development. In appearance, the present book is just the gathering of disjoined chapters, but the work is not as incoherent as it seems. All the methods have at least one thing in common: the desing orientation of their use.Un travail précédent de recherches développé dans l'armature du premier programme européen d'énergie de R-D a mené à la production d'une méthode de conception manuelle principalement orientée à la conception du coût bas, maisons de basse énergie. Du commencement, nous savons que cette méthode demeure inachevée mais ses lacunes sont devenues évidentes et combersome particulary en essayant de s'appliquer l'à la vraie conception de 25 maisons sur une vraie terre. Par conséquent nous avons consacré quelques efforts de recherches d'améliorer la méthode manuelle particulièrement dans des méthodes de calcul. Ces efforts ne prévoient pas pour être des réponses précises aux points difficiles que nous mettons dans la lumière. Certains sont une première proposition pour résoudre des problèmes spécifiques comme intergrating le comportement dynamique-thermique dans la conception des bâtiments. D'autres sont les issues particulières d'un travail continu développé dans le laboratoire de physique de bâtiment pendant des années comme des méthodes équivalentes de degré-jour. Le groupe de bout contente des points plus spécifiques comme le calcul de facteur d'ombrage. Une partie a été déjà présentée dans la nouvelle question de la méthodologie de conception. D'autres ont été employés pendant la conception des maisons mais elles ont besoin de plus de travail pour devenir des outils pratiques qui peuvent être présentés dans la méthodologie. Et certains sont gardés pour le développement ultérieur. Dans l'aspect, le livre actuel est juste le rassemblement des chapitres séparés, mais le travail n'est pas aussi incohérent qu'il semble. Toutes les méthodes ont au moins une chose en commun : l'orientation desing de leur utilisation

Environmental site layout planning: solar access, microclimate and passive cooling in urban areas

POLI