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Open Access
25 years after transformation: changes in spatial distribution of production activities in the case study of Wroclaw, Poland
(AESOP, 2015) Barski, Jan; Barski, Jacek
In the post-industrial, free-market economy, the ability of spatial planning to truly influence the location choices of business owners is limited, while the vast majority of means of production are in non-public hands. On top of that, coordinating spatial policies and decisions between administrative entities is a major challenge in numerous places in Europe. This paper offers a convenient case study of a medium-sized European city (Wroclaw, Poland) and an analysis of the spatial management complication which has observable consequences for the spatial structure and economic functioning of the city. The paper examines the situation through the lens of production and manufacturing activities (with a cautious approach to the term industry). The case is analysed in two inseparable ways: spatial and economic; parallel to that, the discussion is developed on the issue of the interconnection of policymaking in the metropolitan area (the city vs its surrounding rural communes). the changes in employment in subsequent sectors of the metropolitan area in the 25 years since the political transformation of Poland while keeping an eye on the physical, spatial changes of the aforementioned metropolitan area. The secondary output of the paper is outlining the suburbanisation processes of large Polish cities, however as seen not from the most frequently presented perspectives (such as housing or transportation), but from a more economy- and spatial responsibility-focused one.
Open Access
A case for reconsidering the inclusive urban design debate
(AESOP, 2015) Ilie, Elisabeta G.
Mainstream theory and practice of inclusive urban design focus predominantly on the free access and use of the built environment. This becomes problematic when set against the homonymous theory which argues for places for all, under what appears to be a holistic, yet vague definition of ‘inclusivity’. Moreover, a design focus on physical accessibility leaves unaddressed questions on users who are to benefit from inclusive design practices, to what extent and how that is to be achieved. The present paper argues that in order to legitimately discuss issues of inclusivity in an urban design context, the discipline needs to consider not only urban design process and outcome, but also mechanisms behind exclusion/ inclusion processes and how these are embedded in everyday urban practices, artefacts and spaces. This can only be attained by re-considering and re-phrasing the very concept of inclusive urban design. Building on a critique of the purpose and the function of the discipline, the paper challenges in-place notions of inclusive urban design and explores its limitations against taken-for-granted notions of everyday urban reality. This is done by drawing on sociological theories of socio-cultural production of space/place and of the body in space, with the aim to outline a more comprehensive and, potentially, more effective understanding of inclusive urban design.
Open Access
A closer look into how land-use, social networks and ict influence location choice of social activities
(AESOP, 2017) Baburajan, Vishnu; de Abreu e Silva, João António
Technology now enables individuals to travel more flexibly, thanks to ICT and the numerous social networks. The choice of location for social activities has become very flexible, sometimes allowing changes to a previous decision on the move. In addition to this, the characteristics of the residential and university location also play a vital role in the choice of location for social activities. It would be quite exciting to uncover the behavioral patterns associated with these decisions. Hence, this study pursues the following objectives: 1. to analyze the influence of ICT, social networks and land-use characteristics of the residence and university in choice of location for social travel. 2. To analyze the similarities and dissimilarities in the choice of activities pursued during weekdays and weekends. Students from the two different campuses of Instituto Superior Técnico were presented with an online questionnaire, intended to collect information about the use of ICT and social networks, in addition to the travel characteristics and socio-demographics. Emphasis was made in capturing the characteristics of social networks and ICT usage. Information on the land-use characteristics was later obtained from secondary sources. Factor analysis was initially carried out to extract factors related to use of ICT and social networks, which were to be later used in the model for choice of location. The alternatives considered for location choice include: location within 800 m from the residence, location within 800 m from the university, locations away from home and university and evenly spread locations. The analysis was performed separately for travel during weekdays and weekends, to understand the differences and similarities in behavior during these different time periods. A multinomial logit model was estimated to model this choice. This adds to the literature, the understanding of influence of use of ICT, social networks and land-use characteristics, in the context of social travel.
Open Access
A collaborative learning approach to promote positive interdependence in a “Planning Sustainable Cities” course
(AESOP, 2019) Martinez, Javier
Following the scholarship of teaching and learning, this study is contextualized in a “Planning Sustainable Cities” course. It presents a collaborative learning approach to promote positive interdependence. Under certain conditions, collaborative learning approaches can promote among students each other’s efforts to learn, resulting in positive interdependence (cooperation). However, cooperation is not always facilitated, and it might be challenged when students have diverse backgrounds. This study incorporated elements of mixed-methods and design-based research approaches. Pre and post-intervention surveys were conducted with 23 international students as well as in-depth interviews and focus group discussions on the type and level of collaboration, and student’s view of cooperative learning. Based on the results of the descriptive phase and the literature, we addressed two key issues during the design phase: improving group dynamics and facilitating collaboration in the Learning Management System (LMS). No outside enemy interdependence was observed (negative interdependence with another group). Means interdependence is the most predominant characteristic of positive interdependence present in group work and positively perceived by the students. In the collaborative learning approach that was designed, both a group dynamics workshop (analogue/in class) and group pages in the LMS seem to help in improving means interdependence.
Open Access
A Comparative Analysis Analysis of Urban Temperature (Air/Surface) and Heat Island Intensity Using S·Dot and Landsat8 in Seoul of South Korea
(AESOP, 2022) Lee, Jae-Jun; Kim, Dae-Hye; Woong-Kyoo, Bae
More than half of the world's population lives in cities, and according to the United Nations, about 70% of the world's population will live in urban areas by 2050, given the current trajectory of urban growth. (United Nations, 2010) The growth of these cities causes climate change and aggravates abnormal weather phenomena such as heatwaves. This heatwave phenomenon causes the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon, which is one of the phenomena that occurs with the progress of urbanization, which refers to a phenomenon in which the air and surface temperature in the downtown area are higher than in the surrounding areas. (JA Voogt TR Oke, 2003) The UHI phenomenon worsens the urban environment, such as heatwaves and tropical nights, and threatens the life and health of urban residents. As a result, about 50% of the population is concentrated in the metropolitan area, which is about 10% of the national land area, and various urban problems such as an imbalance in national land development and the UHI phenomenon are occurring mainly in the metropolitan area. As a result, the average outdoor temperature was 13.5℃ in the 2019s, 1.1℃ higher than in the 1960s, and it is a continuous increase. It affects the climate change and the natural environment of downtown areas, impairs the quality of the urban environment, and threatens the health of urban residents. If the city's temperature continues to rise and climate change and destruction of the natural environment intensify, the quality of the urban environment may be compromised, which will endanger the health and life of city residents. Accordingly, from 2020, through the Smart Seoul Urban Data Sensor (S·DoT) construction project, the city of Seoul is building an industrial ecosystem using policies and city data to solve urban problems and improve citizens’ lives. Therefore, this study aims to present the possibility of using urban data sensors (S·DoT) by examining the temperature of Seoul and the surface temperature data of LANDSAT8, calculating and comparing the thermal island intensity of the air temperature and the surface temperature.
Open Access
A Comparative Analysis of Local Climate Change Adaptation Plans for Natural Disaster Risk Reduction in South Korea
(AESOP, 2019) Yoon, Dong Keun; Cho, Seong Yun; Choi, Yeon Woo; Jang, Jung Woo
As abnormal weather phenomena due to climate change globally continues, the frequency of natural disasters and human and economic losses from floods, typhoon, heatwaves and heavy snow are constantly increasing in South Korea. For the last ten years (2008~2017), the total disaster damage cost was expected to be about $3 billion in South Korea. In response, South Korea established climate change adaptation plans based on the Low Carbon and Green Growth Act enacted in 2010. Local governments adopted detailed implementation strategies to mitigate and adapt climate change based on water management, energy, health and natural disaster management since 2011. This study compared 218 local climate change adaptation plans regarding natural disaster reduction strategies. Using content analysis, this study evaluated natural disaster reduction strategies based on natural disaster types and the stage of disaster management. Moreover, this study examined the regional differences in priorities of natural disaster risk reduction strategies to implement through spatial analysis. The result of the analysis shows that the local climate change adaptation plans are mainly focused on the improvement and reinforcement of physical structures to prevent damage from typhoon and heavy rain in South Korea. This study is expected to provide keys and knowledge for basic local governments to establish the next climate change adaptation implementation plan.
Open Access
A comparative product analysis of online and face-to-face basic design education
(AESOP, 2023) Eren, Şirin Gülcen; Uluç Keçik, Aynur; Ala, Ebru
The first year of education in the city and regional planning discipline focuses on one on one and face to face basic design education, primarily conducted through planning studios I II. Assignments are given to freshmen to enhance their urban planning and design knowledge, perspectives, design thinking, creative thinking, and design judgments. The COVID 19 Pandemic and the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes occurred successively, resulting in a significant shift towards online university education. Course instructors and administrations had to amend education methodologies, materials, and course contents accordingly. The aims and objectives of design courses were fulfilled through various digitalized learning systems and programs. However, the quality of the design products declined during this period. Therefore, this study aims to compare the basic design outputs of students in the online courses of 2020 2021 and the face-to-face courses of 2022 2023 fall term planning studios at Süleyman Demirel University in Isparta, Turkey. The purpose is to determine the effectiveness of different education methodologies in basic design education and assess the outcomes in terms of quality and performance. Assignments from both online and face to face courses will be compared to evaluate the impacts of online education on students' learning and creativity. This research is exploratory in nature and employs a comparative analysis of two fall term final assignments (The Shell Project), assessing their level of meeting 16 design requirements. The evaluation of the study was conducted based on the grades of the submission, final grades, and course success grades and averages. The research presented shows an increase in the design quality of assignments in face-to-face education. This improvement is attributed to enhancements in meeting course requirements, the interactive nature of the courses, and changes in implementation processes. Additionally, there was a higher level of interaction with students, and their processes. Additionally, there was a higher level of interaction with students, and their efforts to learn and actively participate in the course were accelerated. The outcomes of efforts to learn and actively participate in the course were accelerated. The outcomes of this research are expected to provide valuable insights for lecturers and academic staff this research are expected to provide valuable insights for lecturers and academic staff involved in first involved in first--year planning studios. It will assist them in the development of course year planning studios. It will assist them in the development of course curricula, methodologies, and the preparation and delivery of design education for curricula, methodologies, and the preparation and delivery of design education for teaching the visual language teaching the visual language. Keywords: City planning, Basic Design education, Online education, Face-City planning, Basic Design education, Online education, Face-to-face education, Covid education, Covid-19.
Open Access
A comparative study of the European and Japanese definitions of shrinking cities as applied to Japan
(AESOP, 2015) Uemura, Tetsuji
Population decline and industrial decline are obvious phenomena not only in Europe but also in Japan. Issues related to population and industrial decline have been actively discussed, and academic knowledge and analysis based on international comparative studies are expected to develop countermeasures to the most critical situations. The definition of shrinking city that is applied, however, is not necessarily the same, and such a fundamental element of the discussion has not been fully examined so far. This study, therefore, aims at comparing the different definitions of “shrinking cities” used in Japan and Europe and developing the best way to provide a reliable basis for future discussion on shrinking cities’ topics. The results of this comparative study suggest that COST Action’s definition allows an analysis of Japanese cities to include the so-called “depopulated area issue” because the Japanese population in municipalities is rather bigger than the population in European municipalities, and Japanese cities may have lower figures for population density distribution and artificial land use within their territory. In conclusion, Japanese sampled cities based on the Japanese definition are not necessarily suitable for the basis of a comparison study. This is because some Japanese “cities” do not satisfy objective criteria such as population size because the “city” has never been downgraded having once been upgraded to “city”. Rather, the European definition of “city” better reflects the elements of the city, so that Japan should also follow the European definition of “city” for future discussions on shrinking cities.
Open Access
A contrastive study on strategic value of public space plan in urban development from the perspective of space production
(AESOP, 2017) Geng, Jia; Chen, Bowen; Wang, Meijie
Public space is one of the most important elements to realize the concept of resilient city. Not only could it provide emergency shelters when disasters, it also could provide a flexible and sustainable development for industries as a macroscopic spatial strategy. The value of public space has been rising gradually with calls for human-centered environment, after its concession for economic development in decades. Because it could beautify environment and promote social communication. What’s more, it has a tendency from its own ecological, social and aesthetic value to strategic one as a catalyst in urban development. Urban catalyst, means that a particular element has a positive influence on the external or internal conditions of the existing ones and causes a “chain reaction”, promoting continuous urban development as arrangement (Atton W.& Logan D., 1994). There is no doubts that public space has a great potential to be a catalyst in urban development.
Open Access
A Critical evaluation of the latest regional planning efforts in Turkey
(AESOP, 2016) Dedekorkut-Howes, Aysin; Kaya, Nursen; Howes, Michael
There are a series of problems and issues planners face that are best dealt with at a regional scale such as air quality, water quality, habitat protection, transportation planning, urban sprawl (land use and growth management), economic development and social equity (Wheeler, 2000). However, regional planning is easier said than done. Planning usually occurs within administrative boundaries but economic development and environmental systems transcend these. Most of the time political boundaries do not reflect an economically, ecologically and socially functional region (Calthorpe and Fulton, 2001). When the region is ill-defined planning may not achieve its goals. Planning powers and authority are usually fragmented among competing local governments and agencies with different missions. The new millennium saw the first systematic regional planning efforts in Turkey to guide development. While there have been regional plans since 1960s these have been ad hoc, on a needs basis. The purpose of the earlier plans was to bring some order into the development taking place outside municipal boundaries due to the rapid population growth. However, these plans were not well defined by law at the time resulting in unceasing arguments over the function, content, scale, quality, legal basis of the plans as well as the responsibility and authority to make them (Tekinbaş, 2001).
Open Access
A design proposal for Place Anatole France
(AESOP, 2014) Khawaja, Hadeel
During my studies in Polytech Tours for the Master Programme Planning and Sustainability, we were asked to deliver a conceptual design proposal of developing Place Anatole France- Tours. The project was supervised by Prof. Laura Verdelli under the unit of Heritage and Sustainable development. Each group - made up of four students - had worked on a different proposal, with altered approaches to analyse the project components. This article is devoted to briefly explaining how we understood the project and what is the suggested proposal for developing Place Anatole France. Our concept design proposal suggests: unifying the space and creating interactive nodes within the site boundary would add a new experience to Place Anatole France. The group members are: Abinaya Rajavelu (India), Manasvini Hariharan (India), Alice Frantz Schneider (Brazil) and myself Hadeel Khawaja (Jordan). The design proposal was divided into three main phases: –– Phase ‘A’ focused on understanding the project through thorough site analysis and divided into three divisions: 1) its urban fabric, 2) studying the previous proposals already made by the municipality/developers for the site area and 3) notes of the site users. –– Phase ‘B’ focused on coming up with observations influenced by the site analysis. –– Phase ‘C’ is the concept design proposal. Starting with Phase (A), the urban fabric had examined four components; the thoroughfares, the landscape and streetscape, the building types around the site, and the open public spaces.
Open Access
A different perspective on architectural design: bottom-up participative experiences
(AESOP, 2013) Cimadomo, Guido
The weight of the financial and real estate components in the present crisis, and their impact on millions of people give a renewed importance to the right to housing and the wider right to the city. The paper of architects in planning the city is also changing due to new social relations and the empowerment of citizens, and we have not to forget that scarcity is a great impulse for social and technical innovation, among them architecture. Henry Lefebvre’s “The right to the city” (Lefebvre 1968), can be considered the starting point for the understanding and reconnaissance of the right to urban life, transformed and renewed (Paquot 2012). At the present moment, the idea is growing that to change the life would be necessary to change the city, and the same concept of “right to the city” should be filled with new contents. The right to the city can be related with the right to freedom, to the individualization of sociability, the right to habitat and to live. The right to the work and to the appropriation, the right for inhabitants to meet, and also the right to reject be quitted from urban space by a social and economic organization moving to segregation and discrimination. It has been developing for almost 40 years, with a renewed interest at the beginning of this century, evolving to the more contemporary “right to configure the city”.
Open Access
A European perspective of Inter-Municipal cooperation: The institutionalisation of the metropolis (2005 - 2015)
(AESOP, 2016) Dornelles Hosannah, Luciana
In today’s inter-connected world, governments rarely possess the full capability to solve their individual policy areas (Nelles, 2010), municipal borders are often ‘fictitious’ within larger metropolitan territories and all communities are confronted with the increasing scale and complexity of social processes, which result in increasing number of externalities to local policies. The necessity to think beyond municipal boundaries when dealing with key challenges and opportunities has led several European governments to consider exploring inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) as possible institutional solutions. In European context, national governments and the European Union have increased their focus on IMC for regional and metropolitan governance in the past ten years. This is illustrated by several recent institutional reports on the subject (Ahrend, Gamper, & Schumann, 2014; EUROCITIES, 2011; Göddecke-Stellmann et al., 2011; Griesel & van de Waart, 2011; Meijers, Hoogerbrugge, & Hollander, 2012; Tasan-Kok & Vranken, 2011). Academic literature has not, however, kept up with this policy shift, having far fewer academic Europe-wide comparative studies produced in the same period of time (Feiock, 2007; Hulst & Van Montfort, 2007; Otgaar, 2008). This gap between institutional interest and academic productions is important to acknowledge, as it essentially signifies a contemporary political trend in European metropolitan governance that is undergoing fewer academic methodical analysis than would be expected.
Open Access
A heuristic framework for exploring uncertainties in transport planning
(AESOP, 2017) Navarro-Ligero, Miguel L.; Soria-Lara, Julio A.; Valenzuela-Montes, Luis Miguel
In recent decades, the effectiveness of positivistic approaches in transport planning has been growly contested by academics and practitioners (Innes and Booher, 2010). The idea of planning for a single model of reality is becoming obsolete when considering the fast and radical changes that society is experiencing at present and in the near future (e.g. ICT advances, environmental concerns, social inequalities, changes in mobility behaviour, etc.) (Batty et al., 2012; Lyons and Davidson, 2016; Marsden et al., 2014). The discussed crisis of the rational-planning model has generated a great deal of interest in those rationalities pursuing “alternative realities” of planning, rooted in critical realism, constructivism and pragmatism (Khisty and Arslan, 2005). However, practitioners and policy-makers are still comfortable with the idea of planning as “enlightening the future”, also reinforced by traditional planning cultures, legal frameworks, and political institutions (Lyons and Davidson, 2016). Placed in a crossroad of approaches, motivations and perspectives, the issue of unveiling uncertainty has been gaining relevance among transport-planning researchers (Martens and van Weelden, 2014). Attempts at understanding uncertainty have mostly been made from a decision-making perspective, especially from the transport-modelling field (van der Pas et al., 2010; Walker et al., 2003). However, those approaches face what is known as the “uncertainty paradox”: the recognition of higher levels of uncertainty goes hand in hand with the expectations of positivistic science and knowledge to tackle them (van Asselt and Vos, 2006). Moreover, despite multiple dimensions of uncertainty having been explored in literature (Brown, 2004), they seldom encompass the plurality of perspectives (and also languages) involved in transport planning. At this point, previous systematization and conceptualization efforts need to converge into common overarching frames, which are flexible enough to embrace this plurality of uncertainty dimensions.
Open Access
A knowledge-driven approach to urban transformations: densification strategy of the central parts of Bergen, Norway
(AESOP, 2019) Roald, Hans Jacob; Elric de Koning, Remco
The municipality of Bergen has launched a radical strategy for densification. A total of 50 percent of the need for new housing should be covered within Bergen's central parts. Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and it is known for its intimate relations between a beautiful west coast landscape and, from a Norwegian perspective, a dense urban structure. Much is at stake when introducing a radical program for densification. A report has been prepared that records the area's character and identifies and analyses potential transformation areas. With assistance from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and consulting firm Asplan Viak, GIS is used as a tool for obtaining operational information and analysis models. The work has been financed by the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation. Information is provided about what characterises and distinguishes Bergen's central parts. A new analytic GIS-based tool is developed for measuring the spatial attributes that constitute an area's attractiveness. This tool combines the Space-Syntax and Spacescape methods. Eleven major transformation areas are identified and issues such as ownership, possible obstacles to implementation and overall potential for development are analysed. A step-bystep implementation is proposed and recommendations are made which address critical obstacles.
Open Access
A ladder of urban resilience: towards a paradigm of evolutionary resilience to support communities facing chronic crises
(AESOP, 2023) Esposito, Dario
This paper explores the concept of urban resilience in the context of complex socio technical ecosystems within cities. Its objective is to move beyond the functional schematization of capacities along successive implementation phases. Instead, it proposes an integrated framework for a comprehensive approach to urban resilience that considers the interaction between i) appropriate qualities based on the specific problem characteristics, ii) processes across different system domains forming a city, and iii) the involvement of agents in decision making and action implementation. Through an analysis of the challenges posed by chronic crises and structural disorders, the article underscores the need for a paradigm shift in governance to support communities grappling with the impossibility of contradictory adaptation choices. This is essential to ascend the ladder of city resilience through adaptive strategies, inclusive decision making, and the co generation of innovation, including the application of information and communication technology for this purpose. Keywords: Urban Resilience, Evolutionary Resilience, Participatory Design, System Thinking, Complex Socio Technical Eco System
Open Access
A land capacity analysis method using GIS tools, as exemplified by the city of Warsaw, Poland
(AESOP, 2017) Jachimowicz, Anna; Małgorzata Solarek, Krystyna
The generation of forecasts regarding the further physical development of urbanised areas is a key part of spatial planning, and indeed integrated planning as conceived more broadly. A key role in the process is played by land capacity analysis, which permits both an assessment of the current state of utilisation and management of an area and the possibilities for development – by transformation or augmentation or else the de novo designation of land for building; along with indications as to how that land may be used. Further upgrading of methods by which to analyse land capacity can thus be seen as a priority where the improvement of planning methodology is concerned. According to Kotarbiński [1973], a method is a planner’s way of pursuing a complex task that entails a defined selection and juxtaposition or configuration of component activities that seek to bring about a single, identified objective, while at the same time being suitable for multiple (repeat) use. However, the methodological issues actually representing such a key aspect in effective urban planning (here conceived of as an inherent feature of the process by which development is managed) are only taken up very rarely in Poland, and if they are – this is mostly as some kind of side issue. It is now evermore typical to see authors [like Markowski 2010] espousing the idea that post-1990 Poland has experienced regress (“gone backwards”) when it comes to urban-planning methodology. In this, it is also worth recalling how the output from Polish urban-planning thought is seen to include many examples of applied methods that have now passed into history. To be included among these is the threshold analysis method after Stanisław Malisz1, as well as the ”Warsaw Optimisation” method2 after Kolipiński [2016].
Open Access
A long view on the European Urban Summer School in Madrid in 2013
(AESOP, 2013) Ryser, Judith
Taking a long view from inception of the European Urban Summer Schools, EUSS in Madrid marked a natural progression along a steep learning curve. Initiated through AESOP - with Izabela Mironowicz as the creative driving force - EUSS took off in 2010 with very high goals. In Wroclaw Poland, nine projects on ‘Urban change’ were tackling the city as a whole, conceptually transforming specific districts and making fine grain urban design proposals. A state-of-the-art publication supported by UN Habitat put EUSS on the global professional map. The theme of ‘Urban change’ ran through all the subsequent summer schools. They all focused on concrete sites while relating to time- and location-specific, often complex planning issues. They addressed ‘quality of space – quality of life’ in Lisbon, ‘times of scarcity – reclaiming the possibility of making’ in London, and ‘strategies for the post-speculative city’ in Madrid. Each EUSS took place in a large city, often a capital. Each had selected sites as a challenge to current planning wisdom which stretched the imagination of the participant young professionals. They delivered, in the very short time available, also in Madrid. A purpose of the EUSS publication series is to document these very rich and original contributions to pressing urban issues by young professionals from all over the world. Madrid after the property market collapse was a great opportunity for young professionals to think about alternative urban futures while making concrete proposals for the given sites within realistic constraints. They came up with innovative ideas for acity unknown to most of them. The three adjacent sites, starting from the heart of Madrid and reaching the southeast fringe with progressively increasing scales confronted the participants with a large range of issues. They benefited from well balanced formal contributions from academics as well as practitioners and were tutored by academics with both practical experience and local knowledge.
Open Access
A Manifesto
(SoftGrid in association with AESOP and IFHP, 2014) Maci, Giulia; Blust, Seppe de; Kustermans, Clenn
We must re-evaluate traditional concepts of planning. As planners and human beings we are used to growth. Growth seems (or seemed) to be natural, because there is coherence with our own lives: you are born, you grow, you sustain, you shrink, you die. But in urban terms today de-growth or shrinking does not necessarily mean decline or dying. We need to accept the fact that cities cannot and will not grow like they used to do. Moreover, in times of scarcity and shrinkage we can (at last!) focus on the parts that already exist. We must react to rapid urban transformation. It seems necessary to go beyond theories and try practical actions to address concrete urban issues. It is time to get out our laid-backed offices and to leave our desks, digital aerial maps and other tools. Monitoring and evaluating real daily life are fundamental in our job to learn from the experiences and to readjust theories and strategies. An urban planner experiences local struggles personally. In East Germany, for example, a vast amount of cities is shrinking. Instead of trying to find ideas for new growth in the East, there is rather a need to fulfil local needs. And instead of building new suburban neighbourhoods (market-based thinking) and breaking down high-rise areas, planners could focus on reshaping the high-rise areas into positive and well-used places by new concepts. Enter the area, experience it melancholically and do something with it.
Open Access
A mixed methods approach to measuring neighbourhood social capital: a case study in south east Queensland, Australia
(AESOP, 2015) Osborne, Caroline; Baldwin, Claudia; Thomsen, Dana
This paper investigates how a mixed-methods approach to measuring social capital urban planning contexts to enhance best practice outcomes. Literature in the d capital, health, participation, resilience and sustainable development suggest capital at the neighbourhood scale can increase community cohesion, trust, recip capacity, civic participation and resilience. Exploring how bonding, bridging capital is expressed in a middle class coastal community on the Sunshine Coa Queensland, Australia, a mixed methods approach to measuring social capital benefits of qualitative methods in particular provided an in-depth and understanding of social capital at the neighbourhood unit of analysis. Further fluid construct, where growth in one dimension of social capital, such as bon contribute to growth in bridging social capital, and vice versa. The authors social capital is often invoked in an urban planning context to identify sociothe social capital construct and its comprehensive measurement holds far greater planners and developers when applied to urban planning best practice in neighbourhood.