40 research outputs found
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Assets of Water Mills in Hungary
Watercourses have been a great energy resource for thousands of years (Lewis 1997). Technical inventions have changed the role of water as an energy resource. The landscape preserved the former usage of watercourses as we can still find water mills.
In this research, we show the presence of water mills in Hungary. The main goal of the research is to show the possibilities to use water as an energy resource based on historical knowledge and the new technical improvements. We show which landscape characteristics make a place suitable for water mills. However, it is important that water mills change the landscape. We also answer the question how these elements can fit into greenways. There are examples of new functions like residential buildings, exhibition halls or community spaces. This helps to start to use water energy in a sustainable way and to give new functions for the old watermills.
Firstly, we review the types of water mills and the technical improvement in Hungary (Kádár 2010). Secondly, we summarize the history of water mills in Hungary (Kádár 2010). The main part of our research is to map the water mills in the country. As a resource, we used TÉKA (Land Value CT) to find existing watermills. Water has been used as energy source for long time in Hungary. Both streams and rivers have been used, geographical conditions determine the possibilities. With new inventions, these old wind mills can be important elements in the landscape again.
In our research, we mapped the water mills in Hungary. Historically, water was used as an energy resource much more in this country. Streams, rivers could provide a great opportunity to use renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. Water can be used as an energy resource that is more efficient, with new technical improvements. These developments provide a great opportunity to reuse these historical elements again and incorporate them into greenways
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In search for urban landscape development tools: Street View Imagery (SVI) Analysis
Streets hold up to 90% of public space in densely built urban areas, they are ubiquitous and thus hold considerable spatial potential to fulfill various functions. This paper presents a comparative study on main streets, squares, or spaces on a micro scale within Budapest and compared to similar European streets.
A goal to transform streets into sufficient public spaces for a growing number of people are investigated along with how residents view those spaces from their own point of view. A motive and evidence for its importance is focused on how half of the world’s population is now covered by Street View Imagery (SVI), which provides a valuable large-scale source of urban data, often replacing field visits with virtual audits and it can be a vital resource to help us design and understand how we could perceive our landscape and urban spaces especially.
The questions of this paper are the following: Could we use street images and analysis for urban and landscape development? Are our perspectives and what we see from images efficient tools to develop our surroundings? Is Google Street View Imagery (GSVI) an effective tool to analyse, categorize and compare our public spaces and streets in relation to landscape and urban developments?
Finally, this paper will take a look at how GSVI works, its positives and negatives, then use previous literature and studies to apply a practical analysis using GSVI. A figure with an assessment method to see how we could use GSVI and image editing programs to end up with quantitative results that could be used for landscape development and comparative analysis within our streets and public spaces. The importance and historical use of GSVI is evident in research and literature, the questions lie in how and what methods could make it of good assistance and use in our profession and its applications.
Key words: Landscape assessment; Street greenery; Google Street View Imagery (GSVI); Visual quality, public participatio
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The Role of the Greenways in the Harmonization of Urban-Rural Relation in Hungary
The decrease in the population of villages and the growth of cities is a global phenomenon, also present in Hungary. In inner peripheries, regions that most often lack cities, the ageing of the population and the emptying of the villages has begun. These regions are uniquely affected by regional development and rural development in terms of both economics and demographics. A significant step in creating cohesion between the advanced urban areas and the declining rural areas is the improvement of infrastructure (Csatári). We believe that greenways, as parts of the networks of infrastructure and green infrastructure, may play a significant role in the connection of urban and rural areas, and so in the revitalization of the villages.
The explicit aim of the regional greenways created in Hungary is to become the engine of local economic and community development through encouraging the locals. This engine is fed by both local resources and the visitors to the greenways. If these visitors are from more developed urban areas, a connection can be realized between the urban and rural population, making the greenways a tool for the improvement of these relations. In our research, we attempted to appraise the truth in this assumption
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Visibility Assessment of the Perenye Windpark near the Kőszegi Mountain in Hungary
The visibility assessment of the Perenye Windpark was commissioned in 2009 by the West Transdanubian Authority for Environmental Protection. The plans of the windpark contained 11 turbines situated in an arable area near the small village of Perenye, south of the scenic Kőszegi Mountain and the Írottkő Nature Park. The height of the planned turbines was 179 meters (160 meters tower plus 19 meters rotor height). Ten of them were planned to have 2 MW energy output and one, which was offered by the investors to the local government, 850 kW.
The main reason for the visibility assessment was the need to forecast the changes the windpark will most probably induce in the well-appreciated Transdanubian scenery. According to the Environmental Authority’s demand the visibility assessment had to contain a study of the main viewpoints of the area from which the windpark might appear to observers. These viewpoints were defined by the Environmental Authority itself and consisted of the traces of the two major roads running beside the site and a well-known look-out point of the Kőszegi Mountain called Szent Vid Chapel. The settlement areas of the nearby villages were not included in the Authority’s request for assessment and were therefore not considered in detail. As a consequence of the visibility assessment the possible ways of minimizing the visual effects of the windpark through landscape planning methods had to be considered, and recommendations had to be given for new roadside plantings as well as for the ideal coloring of the turbines. As a result of the work the Authority accepted the plans of the windpark on the condition that all assessment driven recommendations are realized by the investor
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Greenway Planning in the 11th District of Budapest
District 11 is one of the most dynamically developing parts of Budapest, its population reached 150,000 people in 2018. The widest variety of land use is present in its 30 km2 of area, including apartment buildings from the early 20th century on the banks of Danube, villas on the Gellért Hill, panel buildings in the outskirts, industrial areas, family houses, and semi-natural areas. In addition to the developments affecting residential areas (Kasza, 2007), numerous investments have been started in the last few years that will have an effect on the entire capital: the tallest building in the city is under construction at the Kopaszi-gát (Kopaszi-Dam) and a so-called ’super hospital’ is planned in the district near Budaörs (www.ujbuda.hu).
The local government of the district has plans to create a greenway (Fabos, 2004), to satisfy the locals’ need for recreation by joining the remaining semi-natural areas. Landscape architecture master’s students from Szent István University are involved in the planning process. Our job was to select the route for it and to create development recommendations for hubs along the way. The planned greenway will be accessible to pedestrians as well as by bicycle (Bicycle roads, rules). It will lead from Kamaraerdő in the north (in the neighbouring District 12) to Normafa, two popular places on the Buda side of the capital for hiking and relaxation. Students completed the planning projects in groups.
The planning had to accomodate special requirements at each location:
1. Kamaraerdő: recreational developments, expanding existing elements
2. Bitterwater: recreational development while preserving the protection
3. Madárhegy (Birdhill): development of the green infrastructure network taking into account the new functions (parking, tree planting on the streets, potential future public transportation)
4. Rupp-hegy (Rupp Hill): recreational development while preserving the protection
5. Normafa: creating the link to the areas in District 11, expanding the green infrastructure network between it and the district’s border
Two variants were created of the plans for both areas, which we presented to the local government and local population at a forum in May 2017. The local government of the district plans to use the materials created by the students as part of a tender for financing the greenway
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Opportunities for the development of greenways in Hungary, based on the example of the BudaVidék Greenway
In spring 2007 the BudaVidék (‘Buda region’) Greenway programme was launched by the BudaVidék Greenway Alliance, which is a civil alliance formed through the coming together of associations involved in landscape, environmental protection and community development activities in the Zsámbék Basin. The main goal of the Alliance\u27s work is the designation of a network of routes – also suitable for cyclists – linking the twelve settlements in the Zsámbék Basin. This civil collaboration has set itself the target of organising joint greenway tours, supporting educational initiatives in environmental matters related to the greenway, and encouraging locally produced goods and local service providers.
In order to provide specialist support for the programme, in autumn 2008 the BudaVidék Greenway Alliance entered into a collaborative undertaking with the Department of Landscape Planning and Regional Development at the Corvinus University of Budapest. The aim of the work carried out under the Department\u27s direction was, with the aid of final-year students, to identify landscape design tasks linked to greenway development, then collaboratively to develop landscape design analysis, evaluation and proposals within the borders of seven settlements. The Department\u27s work continued the following academic year, with the development of landscape design assignments for the remaining five settlements.
This productive specialist collaboration can provide the basis for establishing the landscape design of Hungarian greenways through further research assignments. For this it is equally necessary to carry out evaluation of currently designated greenways in Hungary and the analysis of case studies on greenways outside Hungary. It is essential for the continued existence of already designated greenways and the creation of new ones that greenways be incorporated into regional planning, and later that a legal and technical regulatory system for greenways be developed
Sustainable development goals in ecovillages
In 2015 the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs ) were ratified by 195 countries. To be achieved by 2030, the goals aim to transform our world by leaving no one behind. In 2017 the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) investigated how 30 ecovillages from 5 continents already contributed to the UN SDGs. The results were presented on the 2018 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). Based on the GEN research outcomes, we examined 17 international Ecovillages. We aimed to understand how ecovillages relate to the UN SDG framework. The research was done with Ecovillages Around the World subject students. Before the analysis, students became acquainted with the SDGs’ targets and their implications in different communities. The research methods were web-content analysis and self-assessment from the ecovillages’ representatives, and the results were compared. The research proved that studied ecovillages already contribute to most SDGs; still, most do not know or intend to use the SDG framework. The results indicate a communication gap between the global political community and local ecovillages. Both global and local efforts aim to support sustainable development, but there could be vast differences in the interpretation of sustainability. Therefore, there is a significant need to establish communication channels and platforms to support the partnership between stakeholder groups working for sustainability at different levels