Strategic urban planning : industrial area development in the Netherlands, to direct or to interact?

The first element in this research question is 'interaction'. It addresses the interaction in the planning process between the planning team stakeholders and between the planning team and non-planning team stakeholders

Applying the lessons of strategic urban planning learned in the developing world to the Netherlands: a case study of three industrial area development projects

Worldwide there is an increasing interest in strategic urban planning. Strategic urban planning is a way of urban planning that is based on strategic planning principles common in the business sector. The need for strategic urban planning is recognized and acknowledged in developing countries, but barely in European countries. This article explains the reasons for this lack of recognition by comparing the possibilities for strategic urban planning in developing countries to a European country: the Netherlands. The major similarity found is that current institutional characteristics in both developed and developing countries still limit the possibilities for strategic urban planning. Institutional change is a prerequisite for successful strategic urban planning, but very difficult to attain as indicated in various cases in developing countries too. The major difference is related to the cultural aspect of urban planning. In the Netherlands, and in many other European countries too, it is broadly accepted and considered legitimate that governments have a chief coordinating role. It is common that they develop for the stakeholders instead of with the stakeholders. This differs from developing countries where stakeholder participation and joint development are considered crucial to develop sustainable planning solutions. Based on these findings the conclusion is that strategic urban planning has its limitations. As a method, it has much potential, but planners and academics must carefully tailor the method to the specific context where it will be applied

Challenge-Based Learning In Courses: The Implementation Continuum

Given the increasing criticality and complexity of societal challenges, higher education institutions are urged to equip students with the ability to develop sustainable solutions for \u27wicked\u27 problems. Consequently, the Challenge-based Learning (CBL) framework has attracted considerable interest in higher engineering education. However, transforming existing course curricula to CBL is a challenging endeavour since it requires careful and paced execution for maintaining the quality, synergy, and flow of existing education. Therefore, this paper proposes a perspective on CBL implementation that exemplifies a gradual transition towards educational CBL innovation while reflecting on the alignment, consistency, and coherence educators aspire to when designing courses. Accordingly, we introduce a CBL implementation continuum as a conceptual model, which connects CBL elements to Van den Akker’s Spider Web for curriculum design and describes a continuum of Mild, Moderate, and Intense CBL levels per Spider Web component. Moreover, the paper describes an online CBL implementation tool, which helps educators thoughtfully evaluate the current level of CBL in their courses and provides practical recommendations for a transition towards higher levels of CBL intensity

Level of sub-contracting design responsibilities in design and construct civil engineering bridge projects

Purpose – In the construction industry, an under researched area of study is how main contractor (MC) sub-contract design responsibilities to sub-contractor (SC). This lack of knowledge is particularly serious in the context of delivery methods such as design and construct where design responsibilities are pushed down thesupply chain. In this study, it is aimed to explore which level of design responsibility MCs sub-contract to SCs, for what reasons, and what the impact of sub-contracting decisions is on projects.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative in-depth multiple case study was conducted. Six sub-contracting cases were examined in two civil engineering projects. In each project, the MCs sub-contracted pre-fabricated beams, reinforcement and railing to SCs. Data collection included document analysis and interviews. A within-case and cross-case analysis was conducted to examine emerging empirical patterns. These patterns were used to elaborate theory and develop propositions.Findings – MCs sub-contracted design responsibilities to SCs as suggested by literature. However, despite that sub-contracting was in keeping with literature, several problems were reported in the cases where MCs involved SCs no earlier than in the construction stage. This is not to be expected according to theory.Originality/value – This study adds value to the sub-contracting field as it provides new insights in relationships between the level of design responsibilities sub-contracted and the impact of that on projects. The study also revealed new factors such as building information modelling (BIM) interoperability that should getmore attention in sub-contracting

The documentation of design decisions in engineering projects:A study in infrastructure development

In most design projects, the documentation of design decisions is considered important. Among others, documentation of design decisions contributes to the traceability of decisions that shape a project’s development process, helps deal with changes in the project and prevents the recurrence of old discussions. Yet, little attention is given to documenting design decisions in civil engineering literature. In this study, a theoretical framework for the key elements of this documentation process was developed. Four road infrastructure projects were studied and compared to this framework by means of pattern matching. This method compares theoretical and empirical patterns and determines whether they match or do not match. The findings demonstrate that accessibility of documentation for all involved project parties and division of documentation tasks are in accordance with literature. However, the documentation of design decisions and their rationale is not done as completely as is recommended in theory. Literature states that the documentation of interrelations and context of decisions should be described thoroughly, but that is barely done in practice. In addition, the findings show that neither immediate documentation, nor periodical monitoring of documentation is applied. Based on these findings, this research proposes a strategy for improving the documentation of design decisions.</p

The documentation of design decisions in engineering projects: A study in infrastructure development

In most design projects, the documentation of design decisions is considered important. Among others, documentation of design decisions contributes to the traceability of decisions that shape a project’s development process, helps deal with changes in the project and prevents the recurrence of old discussions. Yet, little attention is given to documenting design decisions in civil engineering literature. In this study, a theoretical framework for the key elements of this documentation process was developed. Four road infrastructure projects were studied and compared to this framework by means of pattern matching. This method compares theoretical and empirical patterns and determines whether they match or do not match. The findings demonstrate that accessibility of documentation for all involved project parties and division of documentation tasks are in accordance with literature. However, the documentation of design decisions and their rationale is not done as completely as is recommended in theory. Literature states that the documentation of interrelations and context of decisions should be described thoroughly, but that is barely done in practice. In addition, the findings show that neither immediate documentation, nor periodical monitoring of documentation is applied. Based on these findings, this research proposes a strategy for improving the documentation of design decisions