Social sustainability of compact neighbourhoods: Evidence from London and Berlin

This article revisits social sustainability of compact urban neighbourhoods based on first-hand evidence from four case studies in London and Berlin. It suggests a working definition for socially sustainable neighbourhoods, develops a tripartite integrative evaluation framework for measuring social sustainability of urban neighbourhoods, and applies it to four case studies in London and Berlin. Findings of this research are in line with some dominant arguments made in favour of social sustainability of compact urban form, but challenges some others. Research findings suggest that compact urban form is not an urban orthodoxy, but has multiple and contrasting social meanings and perceptions in different contexts and places

People’s right to the city has been eroded by mega-event evictions in Rio de Janiero

Brazil has been preparing furiously for the upcoming World Cup and 2016 Olympics. While these developments are thought to represent the country’s growing economy and rising middle class, such “progress” has come at the expense of Brazil’s poorest citizens. Sue Brownill, Ramin Keivani, and Erick Omena de Melo look at the forced evictions in Vila Autódromo to make way for Olympic venues, in spite of the residents’ legal title to their site, arguing that it is representative of global trends of market and state forces eroding people’s right to the city

Critical reflections on the theory and practice of social sustainability in the built environment : a meta-analysis

This article presents a critical reflection on the theory and practice of social sustainability in the built environment, identifies areas of agreement and disagreement, explores theoretical and conceptual gaps and challenges, and suggests practical implications for future research and urban policy. It argues that despite revisionist approaches which challenge the tripartite structure of sustainable development, social dimension of sustainability remains an essential valid pillar. Utilising a qualitative meta-analysis methodology for undertaking critical analysis of previous research and publications on the topic, key themes of theory and practice of social sustainability are identified and critically examined. Accordingly 10 key formative characteristics of social sustainability and their research and policy implications are introduced. The article concludes with institutional observations for policy makers to achieve greater success in addressing largely underestimated dimensions of social sustainability in urban settings

The triad of social sustainability: Defining and measuring social sustainability of urban neighbourhoods

Despite recent advances in social sustainability discourse, there is a dearth of working definitions and evaluation frameworks regarding measuring social sustainability of neighbourhoods for research, practice, and policy purposes. Building on the qualitative metaanalysis of relevant resources, this paper proposes the triad of social sustainability consisting of three pillars of neighbourhood, neighbouring, and neighbours, as a conceptual framework for understanding and measuring social sustainability of neighbourhoods. It introduces relevant indicators for each pillar, suggests advanced techniques for measuring them, and incorporates them into an integrated framework. At the end, significant research and policy implications of the proposed framework are discussed

Study the sources of mercury vapor in atmosphere as a threatening factor for human health and bio-filtering methods for removal of toxic pollution

A global atmospheric transport model is used to calculate mercury concentrations in the atmosphere. In this study, a comprehensive analysis was made to describe the environmental behavior and pollution status of mercury (Hg). The most important aim in this study is to show mercury pollution sources and to introduce some new technologies for removing this dangerous material from air. In this paper, some bio technologies such as bio filtering method and bio adsorbent such as leaves of trees was introduced. The capacity and application of biotrickling filters for the removal of mercury vapor from simulated flue gases was expressed. It was resulted from paper that the most prominent source of mercury is the east of Asia and the southeast of Asia. The lowest source is concerned Australia. In this investigation it was found that activated carbon can be one of the best tools for removal of mercury vapor. The adsorbent uniquely combines a chelating ligand with an ionizing surface nano-layer on a mesoporous substrate was the other consequences of this study which can be as a suitable adsorbent for omitting this pollutant from atmosphere

Urban sustainability indicators re-visited: Lessons from property-led urban development in China

This paper proposes a bespoke urban sustainability indicator framework in the context of China's prevalent property-led urban development. Emphasising local characteristics and incorporating underlying institutions, it advocates a more nuanced, holistic and dynamic approach when addressing sustainability issues. Selection of indicators were based on extensive literature reviews and tested through an international expert survey comprising both China-based and overseas-based experts. The two groups of experts have shown divergent views, with the former prioritizing economic and institutional aspects over environmental and social factors. It also provides transferable policy insights to developing countries more generally, given many similarities in broader development challenges. Discussion on recent literature and urban development reinforces the applicability of these tailor-made indicators to not only monitoring but also explaining and predicting urban changes. We argue it is necessary to recognize the centrality of property-led urban development in urban sustainable development, and the need for examining the complex relations between the property sector and urban sustainability via inclusion of institutional analysis and a multi-method approach combining quantitative and qualitative evaluations

Study of the health threatening mercury effective parameters for its removal from the aqueous solutions by using activated carbons

A serious environmental threat from heavy metal ion pollution, especially mercury, has generated a great deal of attention in recent years. Mercury is one of the priority pollutant listed by USEPA as it can easily pass the blood-brain barrier and affect the fetal brain. High concentration of Hg (II) causes impairment of pulmonary function and kidney, chest pain and dyspnoea. Consequently, removal of mercury in water and wastewater assumes importance. In this review paper, we have evaluated the efforts which have been done for controlling the mercury emissions from aqueous solutions. According to the EPA agency, the tolerance limit for Hg (II) for discharge into inland surface water is 10 mu g/l and for drinking water is 1 mu g/l. Mercury (Hg) is one of the heavy metals of concern and has been found in the waste waters coming from manufacturing industry, and natural sources. Among several types of technology for removing of Hg in water (chemical precipitation, reverse osmosis, ion-exchange, etc.), adsorption is one of most frequently used. It is a complex process involving physical, chemical, and electrical interactions at sorbent surfaces. Therefore, in this study will investigate effective parameters such as pH, initial concentration and surface characteristic. Hafshejani MK, Khandani F, Heidarpour R, Sedighpour A, Fuladvand H, Shokuhifard R, Arad A. Study of the health threatening mercury effective parameters for its removal from the aqueous solutions by using activated carbons. Life Sci J 2012;9(4):1789-1791] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 27

The Economic Benefits of Sustainable PFI Project: A case study of Newport Southern Distributor Road

The purpose of this paper is to examine the sustainability performance of an individual highway Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme in the UK, mainly to scrutinize its economic benefits at three levels: project, local and national. The fieldwork was undertaken through a detailed and specific set of semi-structured interviews in the case study of Newport Southern Distributor Road (SDR). Five main drivers for the sustainability approach are identified and the transferability is analysed. Research finds that the Newport PFI case demonstrates whole life cost savings for both the client and the contractor. The social-economic contribution of the PFI project is critical to the local urban regeneration programs and sustainable community development. Furthermore, effectively applying the government`s financial incentives and advanced technology could efficiently reduce the capital cost without negative impact on the project`s quality and time. The sustainability aspects of this project could be extracted and transferred to other highway projects, in particular through the PFI procurement system

Sustainability performance measurement framework for PFI projects in the UK

Purpose – The relationship between sustainable development and private finance initiative (PFI) procurement systems is clarified, and the current debate on the effectiveness of PFI in the UK and the benefits of PFI to deliver sustainable construction is reviewed. The study develops a sustainability assessment framework encompassing environmental, economic, social and technical aspects through the life cycle of the procurement process. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive literature review develops a conceptual sustainability performance indicators framework. A national questionnaire survey measures existing PFI projects’ sustainability performance level. Findings – The study provides empirical insights about key performance indicators of sustainable PFI project development and a benchmarking for existing PFI project performance measurement. It suggests that successful sustainable PFI projects should integrate technical aspects into the traditional three dimensions sustainability model and achieve a balance between social and economic performance. Research limitations/implications – Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack in-depth analysis of individual projects. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the framework further. Practical implications – The sustainability indicator framework proposed in this paper is readily applicable in PFI projects, as well as other types of PPP projects. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study how the sustainability performance levels achieved could be effectively measured within PFI/PPP projects; while contributing to the debate on benchmarking and measuring sustainability performance in constructio

Introduction [Corporate social responsibility and urban development: lessons from the South]

In 2003, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) launched an initiative called ‘Building Solidarity’ as part of its urban agenda. The objective was to stimulate private construction companies to support the upgrading of urban low-income settlements in developing countries via corporate social responsibility (CSR). While a few initial attempts were made to link some companies and low-income settlements on an individual basis, it was felt that ‘Building Solidarity’ could only reach scale with the involvement of international organisations representing the relevant stakeholders. Therefore, UNV approached SDI (Slum/Shacks Dwellers International), representing low-income communities, and a construction industry association