Sustainability of the city and its ecological footprint

There are some agreed sustainability indicators, even some agreed target values regarding a sustainable city, but they still have to be underpinned by empirical evidence. The common starting point of definitions is generally the destructive impact of the city on its regional and global environment which can be observed in form of the depletion of natural resources and the pollution of soil, water and air. A sustainable city is therefore generally regarded to be the one that is compact and preserves land, has mixed use to increase access and reduce need to travel, is socially and economically balanced, uses clean and renewable energy and recycles all its waste. However, the sustainable city cannot exist as a self-sufficient unit, in ignorance of relationship with its hinterland. The ecological footprint which is the amount of land required to produce resources to sustain our quality of life is a yardstick for measuring the ecological bottom line of sustainability. With a sustainable city target to relieve pressure on the countryside, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of calculating city’s ecological footprint and see how it relates to the target global average. Although problem of reducing ecological footprints primarily concerns the wealthiest countries, it has to be fully acknowledged in the less economically developed part of the world, while recognizing that cities themselves provide many potential solutions

Residential Preferences Meeting Sustainable Urban Goals - An Analysis of the Variability of Urban and Suburban Preferences

Current planning policy in the UK, following the EU recommendations and sustainable development path, suggests a return to a more compact and less land consumptive urban pattern that places greater emphasis on higher densities, mixed uses, quality shared space and facilities, and public transport. Despite all the promotion of urban living, in reality people most commonly remain conservative in their residential choices and tend to prefer the type of living which offers them certain amenities and values they either cannot find or cannot afford within compact cities. Within the context of Glasgow, which has a steadily declining urban population, the research was focused on sustainability of neighbourhoods rather than on compact city as a sustainable solution. The assumption of this thesis was that sustainability of urban/suburban neighbourhoods is strongly related to their attraction to residents. The aim of the research was to determine the underlying factors that influence residents in their choice of preferred neighbourhood of either urban or suburban type and to point out which (if any) of dimensions of urban/suburban preferences appear to be changeable. The empirical study involved a comprehensive questionnaire survey, which was conducted on the sample of 246 residents in the two comparable neighbourhoods in terms of high preference: the West End of Glasgow and Bearsden (Glasgow’s suburban neighbourhood). The findings suggest that although there is a strong attachment to the residential neighbourhood in both case study areas, suburban residents in general place higher disfavour towards any residential mobility. The main contribution regards the development of a model for prediction of resident’s total neighbourhood satisfaction, which may serve as an indicator of what people require from a sustainable residential environment.Supervisors/ mentori: Prof. Michael Corcoran and Dr Hildebrand Frey.U julu 2004. godine, odlukom Arhitektonskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu, br.01-964/2-6, dr Jasni Petrić je nostrifikovana diploma stečena u Velikoj Britaniji i izjednačena sa diplomom naučnog stepena doktora tehničkih nauka u oblasti arhitekture i urbanizma

Urban and Suburban Preferences Decomposed for a Sustainable Synthesis

From a sustainable point of view, city living has a number of advantages over suburban living. In contrast to the normative ways of thinking that support the view that urban areas are sustainable and suburban are not, residential preference of people who are able to exercise their choice may demonstrate greater affiliation with suburban rather than with urban areas. This paper analyses the components of residential preferences (attachment, social and environmental context, physical planning issues, and residential mobility) in the two neighbourhoods of urban and suburban type, which are both attractive for the inhabitants. For the purposes of this analysis, the questionnaire survey was conducted on a sample of 246 residents in the West End of Glasgow and Bearsden. Eight hypotheses were developed and used to assess what aspects of residential preference may be linked to an acceptance of sustainable urban concept. Through a comparison between the same components of residential preference in each neighbourhood, it is possible to substantiate which components are the weakest ones in the suburban neighbourhood and thus the ones that may encourage return to a city. Conversely, the findings on urban neighbourhood’s strongest components of residential preference indicate this neighbourhood’s ability to retain its present population, and therefore support sustainable way of practising residential choice.Editors: Prof. Charles O. Egbu; Michael K. L. Ton

The role and development perspectives of small towns in Central Serbia

The link between urban centers and the countryside, including movement of people, goods, capital and other social exchanges, play an important role in processes of rural and urban change of a country. Major demographic and spatial changes have been typical for Serbia in the second half of the 20th century, caused by a dynamic primary urbanization process, i.e. by intense migration trends between rural areas and towns (cities). A special attention in this paper is given to the small urban centers in Serbia (small towns with population of less than 20,000) as the first magnet in proximate contact with the rural surroundings, and the one that therefore could have the greatest influence on organization structure and development prospects of the rural areas. In addition to being difficult to substantiate criteria for urban classification, small towns themselves do not represent a homogeneous group of settlements, and this makes it even harder to put up generalizations that would fit to all the settlements of this kind either within our country or cross-borders. However, here are identified certain common features for the small towns in Central Serbia and their development perspective is analyzed in relation to medium towns and cities of the same territory in consideration. Finally, this paper discusses the importance of policies for small town development in light of a real risk that the process of globalisation may lead to the justification of a new concentration of activities in the large cities, increasing the already significant regional differences in living conditions and economic development

Regional disproportion encapsulated - Case studies of Južno pomoravlje and Timočka krajina regions of Serbia

Present discourses consider regionalisation as an inevitable strategic action in guiding development processes that have the spatial implications. In Serbia, where regional disproportions have been growing larger during the last two decades, some of the major issues that brought to the relative lagging back of the country in comparison to its surroundings can be summed up as: extremely uneven regional development which exceeds the ratio 1: 10 between its most and least developed regions; weak territorial cohesion; insufficiently used, underused or wrongly used territorial capital; and the issue of competitiveness. In the paper we especially focus on the most lagging back regions in Serbia, i.e. Južno pomoravlje - in the south, and Timočka krajina - in the east part of the country. Juzno pomoravlje is featured by territorial fragmentation (intra-regional differences) and insufficient integration in Serbia as a whole, as well as by unfavourable socio-economic conditions which get worse in the period of transition. Timočka krajina is a region with prolonged economic stagnation, which is, above all, manifested in the constant depopulation and emptying-out of its settlements, especially in the mountain, remote, and border parts of the region. Both regions have recently been prioritised in elaboration by the Regional spatial plans, and some of the findings will be presented her

Regional disproportion encapsulated - Case studies of Južno pomoravlje and Timočka krajina regions of Serbia

Present discourses consider regionalisation as an inevitable strategic action in guiding development processes that have the spatial implications. In Serbia, where regional disproportions have been growing larger during the last two decades, some of the major issues that brought to the relative lagging back of the country in comparison to its surroundings can be summed up as: extremely uneven regional development which exceeds the ratio 1: 10 between its most and least developed regions; weak territorial cohesion; insufficiently used, underused or wrongly used territorial capital; and the issue of competitiveness. In the paper we especially focus on the most lagging back regions in Serbia, i.e. Južno pomoravlje - in the south, and Timočka krajina - in the east part of the country. Juzno pomoravlje is featured by territorial fragmentation (intra-regional differences) and insufficient integration in Serbia as a whole, as well as by unfavourable socio-economic conditions which get worse in the period of transition. Timočka krajina is a region with prolonged economic stagnation, which is, above all, manifested in the constant depopulation and emptying-out of its settlements, especially in the mountain, remote, and border parts of the region. Both regions have recently been prioritised in elaboration by the Regional spatial plans, and some of the findings will be presented her

Rezidencijalne preferencije ka gradskim i prigradskim područjima i povezanost sa njihovim demografskim karakteristikama

Urban sprawl is, among all, also the result of voluntary or induced resettlement of population from the inner city to urban periphery, or by in-migration to peripheral parts of cities where the origin of migrants is in other settlements. The focus of this paper is on the influence that residential preferences have on suburbanization, with the emphasis on analysis of the residential choice and certain population groups' tendencies to prioritise living in suburbs or the inner-city living. Theoretical considerations which are set in this paper initiate with residential preference components and the hypothesis of change in dominant motives for residential choice throughout family and individual's lifecycle. Then, the demographic data have been analysed according to the latest Census results in the two pilot-areas of urban and suburban type in Belgrade. Additional research on residential preferences are founded on preparation of specific questionnaire which would enable application of more powerful statistical techniques, especially a wider use of measuring scales for the variables deriving from the questionnaire, and formulation of a model for prediction of different population groups' residential preferences in urban and suburban settings.Nekontrolisano širenje gradova je, između ostalog, posledica voljnog ili podstaknutog preseljavanja stanovništva iz užeg gradskog jezgra na periferiju, odnosno doseljavanja iz drugih naselja u periferne delove grada. S obzirom na njihov uticaj na suburbanizaciju, u ovom radu je težište na rezidencijalnim preferencijama i analizi izbora područja stanovanja i tendencija određenih grupa stanovništva ka prioritizaciji življenja u predgrađu, odnosno življenja u gradu. Izložena teorijska razmatranja polaze od komponenti rezidencijalnih preferencija i teze o promenama preovlađujućih motiva za izbor prebivališta porodice i pojedinca tokom životnog ciklusa. Potom su analizirani podaci o stanovništvu na osnovu najnovijeg popisa u dva pilot-područja urbanog i suburbanog tipa u Beogradu. Dalja istraživanja rezidencijalnih preferencija počivaju na formiranju zasebnog upitnika koji će omogućiti primenu naprednijih tehnika statističke analize, a naročito veću upotrebu mernih skala koje mogu poslužiti za formiranje modela predviđanja rezidencijalnih preferencija kod različitih grupa stanovništva u gradskim i prigradskim sredinama

The population conundrums and some implications for urban development in Serbia

Population development may reveal either a potential or constraint on functional labour markets and spatial development of the territory in concern. The first results of the 2011 Census in Serbia depict a rather bleak demographic situation, which is only the continuation of population trends from the late 20th and beginning of the 21st century, substantially fuelled by dynamic political and socioeconomic processes featuring Serbia in the past few decades. The focus is on demographic changes in relation to three correlated aspects: 1) intensive ageing process; 2) depopulation and negative natural growth; and 3) migratory movements - population exodus. This paper addresses in particular the spatial consequences and institutional aspects of recent demographic changes and their reflection on urban areas in Serbia. In the past, population movements from rural to urban areas used to colour much of the migratory balance map of the country, however this situation changed due to exhaustion of the ‘traditional’ demographic reservoirs. Still, urban primacy of the capital city Belgrade has been even intensified with the recent demographic movements, or more precisely, a tissue of the two largest cities in relative proximity - Belgrade and Novi Sad is hypertrophied in a demographic sense. Other urban settlements in Serbia, especially the smaller towns, which are numerous but demographically shrinking, have not been empowered enough to substantiate better links with smaller and larger settlements within urban-rural interface, and their role has been challenged in that respect. Demographic changes, which affect urban growth or decline, are largely to do with border effects, economic and social gaps, educational opportunities, and search of certain ‘urban lifestyles’. The latter is particularly stressed regarding the process of ‘second demographic transition’ which encompassed Serbia and is manifested by changes in the family domain, viz. partnership and parenthood, as well as by plurality of lifestyles, namely for the younger and middle-age generations (20-34 years - dominantly the people in reproductive age) who are able to exercise their residential choices towards bigger urban centres. Finally, this paper addresses the demographic determinants of languishing population growth in Serbia coupled with highly uneven territorial distributions of population and level of development, which in the last decade marks the ratio of 10:1 (measured by GDP/inh.) between the most developed and the least developed regions in Serbia

Residential Preferences Meeting Sustainable Urban Goals - An Analysis of the Variability of Urban and Suburban Preferences

Current planning policy in the UK, following the EU recommendations and sustainable development path, suggests a return to a more compact and less land consumptive urban pattern that places greater emphasis on higher densities, mixed uses, quality shared space and facilities, and public transport. Despite all the promotion of urban living, in reality people most commonly remain conservative in their residential choices and tend to prefer the type of living which offers them certain amenities and values they either cannot find or cannot afford within compact cities. Within the context of Glasgow, which has a steadily declining urban population, the research was focused on sustainability of neighbourhoods rather than on compact city as a sustainable solution. The assumption of this thesis was that sustainability of urban/suburban neighbourhoods is strongly related to their attraction to residents. The aim of the research was to determine the underlying factors that influence residents in their choice of preferred neighbourhood of either urban or suburban type and to point out which (if any) of dimensions of urban/suburban preferences appear to be changeable. The empirical study involved a comprehensive questionnaire survey, which was conducted on the sample of 246 residents in the two comparable neighbourhoods in terms of high preference: the West End of Glasgow and Bearsden (Glasgow’s suburban neighbourhood). The findings suggest that although there is a strong attachment to the residential neighbourhood in both case study areas, suburban residents in general place higher disfavour towards any residential mobility. The main contribution regards the development of a model for prediction of resident’s total neighbourhood satisfaction, which may serve as an indicator of what people require from a sustainable residential environment.Supervisors/ mentori: Prof. Michael Corcoran and Dr Hildebrand Frey.U julu 2004. godine, odlukom Arhitektonskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu, br.01-964/2-6, dr Jasni Petrić je nostrifikovana diploma stečena u Velikoj Britaniji i izjednačena sa diplomom naučnog stepena doktora tehničkih nauka u oblasti arhitekture i urbanizma