Re-frame, re-plave, re-site: three strategies for future housing environments

The paper states the need to rethink the planning approach that deals with housing developments of the future city. Considerations regarding the scale of the project, its role in a wider temporal context and the identity of the site where new extensions will be located,are necessary considerations in the field of urbanism. Between 2008 and 2009 Catalonia became a research field of exceptional interest in this series of reflections. During this short period of time a huge effort in planning and managingpolicies for housing development was done. AS AS a result of itthree major key Plans where undertaken by public administration. CSA CSA CSA rquitectes, the planning office of which the author of the article is a founding partner, was the only invited firm to actively participate in all three processes. Through the description of CSA CSA CSA rquitectes’ proposalsthe article argues the need to take in special consideration the concepts of scale, time and identity when planning new housing areas

Cities' Identity Through Architecture and Art

Intended to be a guide for academics, scholars, and interested leaders, this book was designed to critically assess issues related to architectural identity, the city as a scene, the city as an organism, the city as a subject, and the planning or rather approaching of one. A pressing issue for many researchers in the field, the book discusses the negative repercussions resulting from globalization. Studies have indicated that globalization, despite all the positive effects, has resulted in a loss of identity within a city. As a city develops over time, its identity is evolving as well and may even be lost due to rapid and constant changes it is subjected to. Discussed as well are examples and tendencies in dealing with urban identities as well as the transformation of cities and urban cultures mentioned in terms of form, identity, and art. This book is a combination of innovative research submitted to a conference on Cities’ Identity Through Architecture and Arts (CITAA) whereas scholars from all over the world gather in one venue to discuss cultural, historical, and economic issues of the city. Thus, the book offers a collective and global solution that is applicable on a universal level. The research presented in this book was conducted by authors, or rather participants of the conference from, three different continents of the world and organized by IEREK. It was a distinct opportunity for them to share their thoughts with leading scholars and professionals in the field of Architecture, Arts, and Planning. The research and materials in this book are directed at those who are actively engaged in the decision-making processes and to a heterogeneous audience who has an interest to critically examine all the new literature available in the field. A special word of thanks should be made to the editors of this book and to all the authors and co-authors of the chapters who collectively provided the academic community with unique and increasingly valuable literature

JAVIER MONCLÚS, CARLOS LABARTA, CARMEN DÍEZ (eds.) - Urban Regeneration. Propuestas de regeneración urbana para Balsas de Ebro Viejo (2015)

JAVIER MONCLÚS, CARLOS LABARTA, CARMEN DÍEZ (eds.) Regeneración Urbana (II). Propuestas para el polígono Balsas de Ebro Viejo, Zaragoza / Urban Regeneration (II). Proposals for Balsas de Ebro Viejo, Zaragoza  Prensas de la Universidad, Universidad de Zaragoza, 2015, p. 221. Cubierta blanda. Bilingüe inglés-españo

Urban Regeneration. Propuestas de regeneración urbana para Balsas de Ebro Viejo (2015)

JAVIER MONCLÚS, CARLOS LABARTA, CARMEN DÍEZ (eds.) Regeneración Urbana (II). Propuestas para el polígono Balsas de Ebro Viejo, Zarago-za / Urban Regeneration (II). Proposals for Balsas de Ebro Viejo, Zaragoza Prensas de la Universidad, Universidad de Zaragoza, 2015, p. 221. Cubierta blanda. Bilingüe inglés-españo

Urban and Transit Planning. A Culmination of Selected Research Papers from IEREK Conferences on Urban Planning, Architecture and Green Urbanism, Italy and Netherlands (2017)

A volume of five parts, this book is a culmination of selected research papers from the second version of the international conferences on Urban Planning & Architectural Design for sustainable Development (UPADSD) and Urban Transit and Sustainable Networks (UTSN) of 2017 in Palermo and the first of the Resilient and Responsible Architecture and Urbanism Conference (RRAU) of 2018 in the Netherlands. This book, not only discusses environmental challenges of the world today, but also informs the reader of the new technologies, tools, and approaches used today for successful planning and development as well as new and upcoming ones. Chapters of this book provide in-depth debates on fields of environmental planning and management, transportation planning, renewable energy generation and sustainable urban land use. It addresses long-term issues as well as short-term issues of land use and transportation in different parts of the world in hopes of improving the quality of life. Topics within this book include: (1) Sustainability and the Built Environment (2) Urban and Environmental Planning (3) Sustainable Urban Land Use and Transportation (4) Energy Efficient Urban Areas & Renewable Energy Generation (5) Quality of Life & Environmental Management Systems. This book is a useful source for academics, researchers and practitioners seeking pioneering research in the field

Comparative analysis of the efficiency of air source heat pumps in different climatic areas of Iran

To address the problems caused by fossil energy usage it is important to make a transition to renewable sources of energy, in particular in the residential area. Heating systems such as air source heat pumps that gather heat energy from the ambient air are useful alternatives. However, whether or not such technical solutions are actually used depends on individual decisions. In the current paper the economic aspect for heating is analysed for different regions of Iran and for different pricing strategies for electricity and gas. This is done based on numerical simulations over a year based on temperature data, for domestic heating based on a heat pump in comparison to gas-based heatin

New opportunities for Public-Private Partnerships in the Groningen Earthquake Zone

Ever since, the recognition of the causality between earthquakes in the Northern part of the Netherlands, more specific the Region Groningen, gas production and the ensuing damage to houses and buildings in that area, society faces big challenges in policy-making. Not in the least because the above-mentioned damage to houses caused by earthquakes make inhabitants feel unsafe in their own houses. Unfortunately, the region has to deal with a lack of jobs and a great number of unemployed and disabled people as well. In order to create new opportunities for the region, local authorities have developed measures in favour of repairing damaged houses as well as measures on the economic perspective of the region, more particularly employment opportunities. One of the measures is the use of tenders for the damage repair, which contain mandatory social conditions. The aim of these conditions is, on the one hand, to improve the chances of local enterprises to get tenders awarded and, on the other hand, to improve the creation of new jobs for inhabitants in the region. The question is whether this policy will be effective. Projects of the research group Legal Aspects of the Labour Market show that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) create job openings, but are not able to get them fulfilled. Lack of cooperation by local authorities seems to be the cause of this failure. SMEs are aiming to partnerships with the local authorities in which they have more self-control and self-regulation in order to fulfil their vacancies. This requires a new way of governance of the local authorities. New forms of public–private partner-ships are needed. The question we address is which type of public–private partnerships can contribute to creating better opportunities for economic and employment growth in the Groningen earthquake zone