A comparison of greenhouse gas emissions in the residential sector of major Canadian cities

One of the most significant sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada is the buildings sector, with over 30% of national energy end-use occurring in buildings. Energy use must be addressed to reduce emissions from the buildings sector, as nearly 70% of all Canada’s energy used in the residential sector comes from fossil sources. An analysis of GHG emissions from the existing residential building stock for the year 2010 has been conducted for six Canadian cities with different climates and development histories: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax. Variation across these cities is seen in their 2010 GHG emissions, due to climate, characteristics of the building stock, and energy conversion technologies, with Halifax having the highest per capita emissions at 5.55 tCO2e/capita and Montreal having the lowest at 0.32 tCO2e/capita. The importance of the provincial electricity grid’s carbon intensity is emphasized, along with era of construction, occupancy, floor area, and climate. Approaches to achieving deep emissions reductions include innovative retrofit financing and city level residential energy conservation by-laws; each region should seek location-appropriate measures to reduce energy demand within its residential housing stock, as well as associated GHG emissions

PARALLEL LEARNING METHODS: STANDARD CURRICULUM VERSUS INTENSIVE COURSES

Due to the rapid change in technology and emergence of new theories and their professional applications, there is a rise in demand for relying more on compact and intensive courses with shorter durations and more direct applications, rather than the traditional courses with their long periods of time, which might vary from 14 to 16 weeks of study. Although they are already in existence, this paper aims to demonstrate the need to use more compact courses within the architecture curriculum, particularly simulating tools that either measure the current performance of a design or forecast its degree of success in order to cope with environmental needs (indoor and outdoor), accessibility, visual needs, technological variations and other related issues. The paper investigates the end users’ (students and instructors) point of view, by using a questionnaire as a tool. Furthermore, the paper investigates the results of the compact courses on the students’ performance in their design projects

Critical success factors of international development projects in the education sector in Egypt: Community Schools as a case study

The purpose of this study is to identify the critical success factors of development projects funded by international development partners in Egypt in the education sector. In quest of achieving this objective, the research applies a qualitative approach through a case study methodology that aims to explore the critical success factors in the community schools project implemented in Egypt by UNICEF and USAID throughout the project life cycle. Through the detailed analysis of the case study findings, in addition to secondary sources, fifteen critical success factors are revealed during the course of the project. The findings are grouped to critical success factors that facilitate project success and factors that hinder project success. Critical success factors are categorized into: 1) Internal factors that are within the direct control of the project management, among which: proper needs assessment and clear understanding of the project context, effective consultation with all stakeholders, monitoring and evaluation.; 2) External factors that are beyond the project management control; among which: availability of data, community participation, political will; 3) Factors that require mutual cooperation between two or more parties; among which: partnership with key stakeholders, working closely with the government, ensuring government’s capacity for sustainability. The study concludes that these critical success factors not only affect project success in achieving the anticipated objectives, but also the sustainability of the project. Based on the lessons learned from the case study, recommendations for future projects are driven with a view to guide policy makers, international donors, implementing agencies and development partners to better project management practices that boost project success. These recommendations include government-led initiatives to development projects, resource mobilization plan, monitoring and evaluation processes and securing adequate resources for project sustainability

HAS AN URBAN ‘NEW NORMAL’ BECOME NECESSARY FOLLOWING THE CORONA PANDEMIC?

After the global corona pandemic that spread throughout the globe, new terms appeared that demonstrate what is called the ‘new normal,’ that will affect the current lifestyle behavior starting from the various indoor spaces and methods of seating, to the outdoor urban spaces and means of moving from one space to another. This ‘new normal’ is governed by the ‘social’ or currently the term is moving more toward ‘physical’ distancing and hygiene behaviors that should be followed. This paper raises a new argument regarding the impact of this new pandemic: there is no long term for the ‘new normal’, and the procedures related to spatial organization and social distancing will vanish after a very short period of time when spatial behavior reverts to its ‘old typical normal’ ways of living. The paper’s hypothesis is based on an analysis of previous pandemic situations that countries and the globe have faced and their impact on outdoor urban social behavior, in addition to understanding the role of density in spreading or containing the virus. As an assumption, two parameters prevent the emergence of a long-term ‘new normal’ particularly with regard to open outdoor spaces. The reader might assume that the economic factor is the driving force, which is not the case, as discussed in the paper. The first factor is bottom-up, based on individual and collective group cultural and daily behavior as the main driving force. Monitoring cities that have started to return to their normal condition and observing people’s gathering spaces, especially outdoor spaces, shows that people are using the spaces as usual, with minor social or physical distancing. In countries that are enforcing a partial lockdown, still people are gathering and using the spaces as they used to previously. The second factor is a top-bottom, economic-related factor of the general conditions. Counties cannot afford a series of long, full lockdowns, especially developing ones. They cannot afford to force airlines, restaurants, entertainment facilities and other related economic facilities to work at 30-40% of their capacity. The facilities would not survive economically, and nor could they afford huge re-designs. The only affordable method is to change people’s personal hygiene behaviors when using the spaces, which might be temporary if a vaccine is discovered. This method suits, psychologically and economically, the individual, the economy, and the government, although it might not be the most effective path. As a result, after a few months, I argue that, gradually, the ‘old normal’ will return, as it is the most affordable solution for everyone. This corona pandemic is not the first and will not be the last health problem to arise. However, it is not strong enough to change the above two factors: cultural and economic behaviors. As a result, this paper suggests that there will be no ‘new normal’ and that the urban open spaces will be used as the ‘old normal,’ just as they were prior to covid-19

HISTORICAL EDGE ASSESSMENT: SPATIAL COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

This paper develops a quantitative analysis method that is capable of examining the urban edges of historic cities with reference to their spatial configuration. This aim provides the opportunity for assessing the current situation of historic urban edges. Accordingly, this assessment will help in developing appropriate regeneration plans for the site. Second, it enhances the process of comparison with other cases, in order to inherit those successful interventions that might fit according to base similarities, such as the spatial configuration, architectural characteristics, or other features, in addition, searching for any repetitive patterns. Assessing the current situation requires the evaluation of the interrelationship between both the historic and modern edge fabrics, measuring their spatial accessibility and connectivity. Four Arab cities are used as experimental comparative case studies, they are as follows: Cairo, Damascus, Alexandria and Tripoli (Lebanon)

Gross direct and embodied carbon sinks for urban inventories

Cities and urban regions are undertaking efforts to quantify greenhouse (GHG) emissions from their jurisdictional boundaries. Although inventorying methodologies are beginning to standardize for GHG sources, carbon sequestration is generally not quantified. This article describes the methodology and quantification of gross urban carbon sinks. Sinks are categorized into direct and embodied sinks. Direct sinks generally incorporate natural process, such as humification in soils and photosynthetic biomass growth (in urban trees, perennial crops, and regional forests). Embodied sinks include activities associated with consumptive behavior that result in the import and/or storage of carbon, such as landfilling of waste, concrete construction, and utilization of durable wood products. Using methodologies based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2006 guidelines (for direct sinks) and peer-reviewed literature (for embodied sinks), carbon sequestration for 2005 is calculated for the Greater Toronto Area. Direct sinks are found to be 317 kilotons of carbon (kt C), and are dominated by regional forest biomass. Embodied sinks are calculated to be 234 kt C based on one year's consumption, though a complete life cycle accounting of emissions would likely transform this sum from a carbon sink to a source. There is considerable uncertainty associated with the methodologies used, which could be addressed with city-specific stock-change measurements. Further options for enhancing carbon sink capacity within urban environments are explored, such as urban biomass growth and carbon capture and storage

Reducing GHGs from UK Households ‐ An Examination of Local Authority‐Level Data

As the threat of irreversible climate change has increased over time, the UK has focused on reducing its carbon emission levels. International treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol have informed national targets, directing the UK in reducing its climate impact. In order to achieve this an understanding of the factors that affect carbon emission reductions is vital. Identifying what dictates the success of UK local authorities in reducing their carbon emissions addresses this problem. The research uses secondary data regarding local authorities’ carbon emissions and regression analyses to explore the key factors affecting domestic emission levels over time. The research goes into further detail than existing literature through exploring sources of emissions across different sectors and analysing emissions reductions specifically between 2005-2016. Substantial and relatively consistent domestic emissions reductions were achieved in this time frame, exceeding the reductions provided by decarbonisation of the electricity grid. Standard deviations of 3% were observed in this sector, compared with 12% from Industrial & Commercial emissions. While population density demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with domestic GHG reductions, gross disposable household income was not found to be significant; however, it is a relevant indicator of total emissions levels in 2016. Through identifying these factors, suggestions to local government are made such as the implementation of region-specific strategies, tailoring these to the exact characteristics of a local authority. Furthermore, consideration of population density in conjunction with domestic and urban planning will allow for future emissions reductions to occur across the UK

Thermal Performance of Vacuum Insulated Window Shutter Systems

Windows are a major area of heat loss in buildings losing up to 10 times more energy compared to other building elements. Thermal shutters are used to improve the energy performance of windows in both hot and cold climatic conditions. The performance of thermal shutters however greatly depends on the thermal insulation and construction detailing, specifically cold-bridging, through the shutter, as well as between the shutter and window frames. This study evaluates the effects of cold-bridging, trickle ventilation and the size of the air cavity, between the vacuum insulated shutter and the window, on the performance of window thermal shutters. Thermal simulations are conducted in VOLTRA (Thermal analysis software) to assess the conditions. The results indicate that although thermal shutters reduce heat-loss through windows, their performance could be significantly affected by cold-bridging by up to 90%. The additional thermal resistance due to the air cavity and the ventilation through the trickle vent appeared to be much less significant compared to the effects of thermal bridging

Participation in domestic energy retrofit programmes: key spatio-temporal drivers

The Canadian government created the EcoENEGY Retrofit for Homes programme (2007–12) to improve residential energy efficiency and reduce emissions produced through energy use. The uptake of retrofits varied both spatially and temporally. This research examines spatio-temporal patterns of retrofit adoption to understand the drivers behind participation in the grant programme and assess how future grant-based programmes might improve the uptake of efficiency measures. Temporal analysis demonstrated continued growth of programme participation over its original period of availability, and this accelerated once the programme was extended for an additional year after its original closure date. However, some spatial correlations weakened, which may be attributable to changes in programme design during the extension period. Seasonal variation was also observed, with spikes in retrofit activity occurring in winter. A regression analysis for conversion rates in Ontario and British Columbia displayed significant positive correlations for high shelter costs (>30% of household income) and households occupied by usual residents (regular occupants). Population density, median property value (only in Ontario) and units that were recently occupied demonstrated negative correlations. Spatial variation at both the city and neighbourhood levels suggests a greater degree of programme customisation is required to ensure uniform building stock improvement