Greening the Greyfields: Unlocking the Redevelopment Potential of the Middle Suburbs in Australian Cities

Pressures for urban redevelopment are intensifying in all large cities. A new logic for urban development is required---green urbanism---that provides a spatial framework for directing population and investment inwards to brownfields and greyfields precincts, rather than outwards to the greenfields. This represents both a major opportunity and a major challenge for city planners in pluralist liberal democracies. However, plans for more compact forms of urban redevelopment are stalling in the face of community resistance. A new paradigm and spatial planning platform is required that will support timely multi-level and multi-actor stakeholder engagement, resulting in the emergence of consensus plans for precinct-level urban regeneration capable of more rapid implementation. Using Melbourne, Australia as a case study, this paper addresses two of the urban intervention challenges---where and how---via the application of a 21st century planning tool ENVISION created for this purpose

Agglomeration economies in Australian cities : productivity benefits of increasing urban density and accessibility

Agglomeration economies are a subject that has been gaining a significant amount of interest in the realms of policy and urban planning. The term refers to the externalities that arise out of the interactions of firms and employees, which are made possible by spatial proximity. Although empirical studies measuring the impacts of agglomeration economies on firm and employment productivity have been conducted for a number of nations around the world, no such study has yet has been conducted for Australia or Australian cities. The research embodied in this thesis seeks to measure the magnitude by which employment productivity in a range of industries in Australian cities is influenced by agglomeration and offers a method for these estimations that is suitable given the types of data collected and made available nationally. Furthermore, analyses are conducted on a wider range of industries than reported by existing works on the subject.Analyses are carried out primarily on Sydney and Melbourne; however, one analysis incorporates all eight capital cities. The rationale behind conducting analyses on two cities is to allow comparisons to be made, thus providing a means for validating the city-specific results and contributing to an understanding of whether elasticity estimates can be generalized within the nation. Topics such as the relative importance of urbanization versus localization economies are addressed as well as the issue of endogeneity. Current state-of-the-art practices in incorporating the benefits of agglomeration economies in transport project appraisal in Australia are reviewed. Additionally, the outcomes of the empirical analyses are drawn on in a discussion of the relevance of agglomeration economies for sustainability and urban planning.The findings show industry-specific employment productivities do benefit significantly from agglomeration and at magnitudes comparable to international studies. The devised econometric model proves effective at estimating agglomeration impacts and can be replicated for other Australian cities and regions – a suggested alternative to generalizing industry-specific elasticities as evidence exists that they are likely to differ for at least some industries. The evidence of agglomeration economies working in Australian cities becomes a powerful companion rationale for considering density and quality public transport services which are frequently at the centre of urban sustainability strategies

Framework for land value capture from investments in transit in car-dependent cities

Many car-dependent cities have major transit projects stuck in financial and economic assessment due to inadequate links between land use, transport, and funding. This has left most urban transport networks underfunded and requiring significant government support. During this widening transit funding gap, there has been an international increase in demand on transit systems, which is in part a response to the global peak in car use per capita. This paper demonstrates to transit proponents and practitioners how to facilitate infrastructure projects by optimizing induced and activated land-use change. A five-step framework for assessment is proposed that includes assessing the regional and local legislation and regulations to determine what alternative funding opportunities are available, undertaking accessibility beneficiary analysis, analyzing the project-induced land value uplift, developing an alternative funding strategy to implement integrated land-use and transport planning mechanisms, and preparing a procurement and delivery strategy. The proposed assessment framework enables transit business cases to extend project funding for integrated transit and land-use projects, especially in car-dependent cities. This is demonstrated through a case study of Perth, Western Australia

Review of public health and productivity benefits from different urban transport and related land use options in Australia

The relationship between public health, urban forms and transportation options in Australia is examined through a review aimed at determining possible health indicators to be used in assessing future land use and transportation scenarios. The health benefits, and subsequent economic benefits of walkable, transit orientated urban forms are well established and are measurable. Important health indicators include vehicle miles travelled, access to public transport, access to green areas, transportation related air pollution levels, transportation related noise levels, density and mixed land use. A comparison between a high walkability urban environment and a low walkability urban environment identifies various infrastructure, transportation greenhouse gas emissions and health costs. From this it is determined that infrastructure and transport costs dominate, health costs are relatively small and that health-related productivity gains associated with highly walkable urban areas are substantial. This review provides heath and economic rationale for developing urban forms geared towards active travel

A Co-design Prototyping Approach for Buiding a Precinct Planning Tool

As the world is becoming increasingly urbanized there is a need for more sustainability-oriented planning of our cities. Policy and decision-makers are interested in the use of evidenced based approaches and tools that will support collaborative planning. There are a number of tools in the domain of spatial planning and decision support systems that have been built over the last few decades but the uptake and use of these tools is somewhat limited. In the context of Australia there is significant urban growth occurring across the major cities and a need to provision planners and developers with precinct planning tools to assist in managing infill and the densification of the existing urban fabric in a carbon constrained economy. In this paper we describe the development of a new precinct planning tool known as the Envision Scenario Planner (ESP), which is being applied initially in two cities, Melbourne and Perth to assist in the urban design and planning of Greyfield sites. To set the scene in this paper we firstly provide a brief review of the existing state of play of visualization and modelling tools available to urban planners in Australia. The focus on the paper will be to introduce an iterative co-design prototyping approach for developing a best practice precinct planning support tool (ESP) from an earlier tool known as ENVISION. The first step of the approach is an exposure workshop with experts to refine the proposed tool workflow and its functionality. Subsequent iterations of the prototype are then exposed to larger audiences for validation and testing. In this paper we will describe the process and the preliminary findings in implementing the first phase of this iterative co-design prototype approach

Implementing healthy planning and active living initiatives: a virtuous cycle

Factors including internal local government functioning, collaboration and the use of co-benefits have been noted to assist in the uptake of healthy planning policies and projects by local governments. However, less commonly noted is a possible reverse relationship: that implementation of healthy planning projects can contribute positively to organisational functioning and collaboration, and can result in a range of co-benefits that then can be used to support projects. Such a concept is explored in this paper, with a focus at the local government level in Australia. Findings from surveys with local government practitioners and in-depth interviews with healthy planning and community health advocates are presented. The findings indicate four key areas through which the implementation of healthy planning policies and projects and active living initiatives demonstrates a ‘virtuous cycle’. These areas include (1) project ‘wind-up’, or circumstances in which implementation and/or health outcomes exceed initial expectations; (2) improved partnerships that can create opportunities for future initiatives; (3) improved internal organisational functioning; and (4) greater project sustainability. The paper concludes by exploring some possible repercussions of these emerging findings, which indicate that beneficial settings to healthy planning considerations can be a result of as well as a contributor to healthy planning and active living initiative implementation. In turn, this presents another potential co-benefit of project uptake and implementation to those commonly identified

Genetic predictors of development risk of combined caries and chronic catarrhal gingivitis course in children

The purpose of this work was to determine the role of the genetic component in the development of the combined course of caries and gingivitis in children. Materials and methods: The study involved 49 schoolchildren aged 7–15 years. Dental examination was carried out according to the generally accepted method. The children were divided according to the carious process activity into two groups: 0–4 (compensated caries-comparison group) and 5–8 (subcompensated caries – main group). Chronic generalized catarrhal gingivitis (СGCG) was detected in these groups with frequency: 8 (29.62 %) of 27 patients and 15 (68.18 %) of 22 patients, respectively. Biochemical analysis of the oral fluid parameters, which included an assessment of calcium, phosphorus content, the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, was carried out for children. Molecular genetic research was based on the genomic DNA isolation from the buccal epithelium. To determine the polymorphic variants of GSTT1, GSTM1 genes the method of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used and for the IL-1β (C3953T, rs1143634) and MMP13 (A77G, rs2252070) gene s– PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Results. The development chance of caries in children was associated with the GSTM1 gene deletion polymorphism in combination with the 3953CT polymorphic variant in the IL-1β gene. It was shown, that the development of caries was associated with СGCG, and this combined dental pathology was more reliably detected in patients with 3953СT and 3953TT genotypes in the IL-1β gene. Significantly increased index of malonic dialdehyde and decreased catalase activity in the presence of 3953СT and 3953TT polymorphic variants in the IL-1β gene are determined. Conclusions. Genetic predictors of increased development chance of combined dental pathology – subcompensated caries and СGCG, pathogenetically combined with increased activity and intensity of periodontal tissue damage among children, were revealed

The Geography of Solar Photovoltaics (PV) and a New Low Carbon Urban Transition Theory

This paper examines the early phases of a 21st century energy transition that involves distributed generation technologies employing low or zero carbon emission power sources and their take-up within Australia, with particular reference to the major cities and solar photovoltaics (PV). This transition is occurring in a nation with significant path dependency to overcome in relation to fossil fuel use. Tracking the diffusion of solar PV technology within Australia over the past decade provides a basis for assessing those factors underpinning its exponential growth and its associated geography of diffusion. Positive evidence that there are pathways for cities to decarbonise is apparent but there appear to be different pathways for different city forms with lower density suburban are as showing the biggest take-up of household-based energy technologies. This suggests a model for the low carbon urban transition involving combinations of simple technological changes and harder structural changes, depending upon which parts of the urban fabric are in focus. This is being called a New Low Carbon Urban Transition Theory

МОНІТОРИНГ ІННОВАЦІЙНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЗА НАПРЯМОМ «СТОМАТОЛОГІЯ» У СФЕРІ ОХОРОНИ ЗДОРОВ᾽Я УКРАЇНИ ЗА 2009–2014 РОКИ

Purpose: monitoring of the innovative providing in the stomatology field in Ukraine health care for 2011–2014.Materials and methods. There was performed a retrospective analysis for 349 innovations, 148 informative letters, 34 methodical recommendations. During work the method of expert evaluations, the statistical methods, the method of system analysis, the method of structural and logical analysis were used.Results. Research showed that the greatest number innovations on pressing questions of stomatology disease treatment are presented for period 2011-2014. The insufficient innovative providing of practical health protection on pressing questions of stomatology disease prognostication, stomatology disease diagnostics and stomatology disease prevention.Conclusions. For the improvement of quality of health care in medical and preventive establishments, increase of population health level to scientific establishments it is necessary to spare more attention to developments on questions prognostication, diagnostics and prophylaxis of stomatology diseases.Мета: моніторинг інноваційного забезпечення за напрямом «Стоматологія» у сфері охорони здоров᾽я України за 2009–2014 роки.Матеріали і методи. Проведено ретроспективний аналіз 349 нововведень, 148 інформаційних листів, 34 методичних рекомендацій. Під час виконання роботи використано методи експертної оцінки, статистичного, системного та структурно-логічного аналізу.Результати. За період 2011–2014 рр. найбільша кількість інновацій була присвячена новим способам лікування захворювань порожнини рота. Визначено недостатнє інноваційне забезпечення практичної охорони здоров᾽я з актуальних питань прогнозування, діагностики та профілактики захворювань ротової порожнини.Висновки. Для покращення якості медичної допомоги в лікувально-профілактичних закладах, підвищення рівня здоров᾽я населення науковим установам необхідно більше уваги приділяти розробкам з питань прогнозування, діагностики та профілактики захворювань ротової порожнини