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Awareness of the potential threat posed by drought necessitates the implementation of appropriate procedures to enable effective and systematic actions aimed at mitigating, or at least partially limiting, the impacts of drought events. This paper seeks to analyze the spatial and temporal changes of atmospheric drought in the period 1961–2020 and assesses drought hazards in southwest Bulgaria, which is a region susceptible to periodic water shortages. In this study, the standardized precipitation evaporation index (SPEI), accounting for both precipitation and temperature changes, was used to analyze drought characteristics. The analysis reveals significant temporal changes and spatial differences in drought patterns across southwest Bulgaria. The northeastern part of the region, including the Sofia district, exhibits the lowest risk of drought, while the central part of the region shows a tendency toward moderate and occasional low drought events. Some stations, particularly in the southern part of the region, consistently experienced more severe drought conditions (Blagoevgrad and Sandanski), as indicated by negative SPEI values in different time scales (3, 6, and 12 months). Results indicate an increased frequency of droughts during 1990–2020 compared to 1961–1990, which was driven by climate change and human activities. Across all stations and in both SPEI time scales, the period from the early to mid-1990s was characterized by significant droughts. The study of drought hazards using short-term and long-term SPEI analysis reveals different levels of drought risk and increased hazard from the northern to southern parts of the study area. The share of areas with a high drought hazard exceeds 40% of the territory in the areas with a transitional and continental-Mediterranean climate. Based on the results, the paper highlights the need to integrate drought risk assessments with regional planning to improve agricultural resilience and water resource management in response to anticipated droughts, especially in drought-prone areas such as southwest Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural routes are a composite set of heritage sites that refer to historical routes of human communication. As key products of cultural tourism, they provide visitors with rich cultural experiences across regions. We systematically review reports and studies related to the tourism development of 38 cultural route cases worldwide, with a special focus on their distribution, typology, planning patterns, and tools for cultural tourism. We summarized eight tools and found some differences in how often these eight tools are used by the different types of routes and different planning patterns for route tourism. This study also developed an evaluation system based on the conservation principles of cultural routes to determine how different tourism tools affect the conservation and development of historical regions. Although tourism decision-makers have made numerous efforts to protect and develop cultural routes, there are still many problems and challenges in the process of tourism development along cultural routes. We conclude the paper by making recommendations for decision-makers and researchers concerning future route tourism planning and study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to show the potential value of using the constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology in the Urban and Regional Planning discipline. This is done by reflecting on the application of the CGT fundamentals defined by Kathy Charmaz, applied in a doctoral thesis in Urban and Regional Planning. The substantive area of research in which the thesis took place was the practical training experience of planners in becoming professionally registered. The thesis collected primary data through interviews with 14 planners who have undergone the process of practical training to record, document, and analyse their experiences as a prerequisite and requirement of professional registration. The use of the CGT methodology provides valuable insight into the registration process of planners in South Africa and encourages doctoral candidates to use CGT methodology with the aim of generating new knowledge and theory in the built environment. This paper recommends that CGT methodology should be encouraged, particularly when contributing to fields that are under-researched, limited, or non-existent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to systematically review the economic complexity literature to advance the knowledge on its contribution to building regional competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, we did a systematic review of 111 relevant papers. In this regard, we did a thematic analysis on all the collected papers, which led to a two-level processed approach. In the first level, the contributions of the reviewed articles have been classified into three main streams. In the second level, the findings under each contribution category are analyzed and explained. This approach led to a thematic network demonstrating economic complexity and the dynamics of regional competitiveness and a set of managerial and policy implications. We followed a multiple processed approach for the systematic review of 95 papers that reveals considerable contributions in three categories, including measurement techniques, criticisms and exploratory studies. Findings: Despite some critiques and the undertaken evolution in measurement techniques of complexity, economic complexity has become a well-known method mainly for regions' competitiveness dynamics. Our review demonstrates a nested network of economic complexity dynamics that drives policy advice concerning countries' status in their development path. The provided set of policies includes guidelines for underdeveloped and developing countries and general policy implications, applicable for all regional contexts for building competitiveness dynamics. Originality/value: This research contributes to the literature on competitiveness from the window of economic complexity. The study allows a deep understanding of regions' productive structure role in their development and competitiveness. A set of policies for building regional competitiveness is provided concerning the study's findings. The literature gaps are identified, and future research ideas are provided for using economic complexity methodologically and logically to boost regional competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to show the potential value of using the constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology in the Urban and Regional Planning discipline. This is done by reflecting on the application of the CGT fundamentals defined by Kathy Charmaz, applied in a doctoral thesis in Urban and Regional Planning. The substantive area of research in which the thesis took place was the practical training experience of planners in becoming professionally registered. The thesis collected primary data through interviews with 14 planners who have undergone the process of practical training to record, document, and analyse their experiences as a prerequisite and requirement of professional registration. The use of the CGT methodology provides valuable insight into the registration process of planners in South Africa and encourages doctoral candidates to use CGT methodology with the aim of generating new knowledge and theory in the built environment. This paper recommends that CGT methodology should be encouraged, particularly when contributing to fields that are under-researched, limited, or nonexistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metropolitan regions result from spatial rescaling processes and region formations and are considered as "soft spaces of governance", referring to international debates on the "new regionalism". This paper addresses the criticism that the focus on competitive metropolitan regions distracts from the need for action on classic spatial planning issues. For this, the paper examines and discusses the institutional integration of regional planning in the German metropolitan regions and the activities of regional growth management as well as the regulatory intensity of regional plans based on a group comparison of metropolitan regions. As a result, the thesis of an institutionally fragmented regulatory growth management by regional planning can only be confirmed for a few metropolitan regions, where no relevant institutions and instruments are implemented in the core area. Regarding the "soft" instruments of growth management, the situation is very different. Here, the action potential is not yet fully utilized, even in metropolitan regions with strong institutional cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the management of settlement growth in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg from the perspective of informality. Luxembourg is subject to high demographic and economic growth pressures across all parts of the country (capital, old-industrialized South, rural North), which strongly challenges the current planning system. At the same time, there is no formal regional planning, apart from approaches of intermunicipal cooperation, which are mainly voluntary in nature. Drawing on empirical case studies in two high-growth municipalities (Junglinster, Schuttrange), the paper outlines planning decisions in the institutional triangle between municipality, state and private institutions. Informality serves here not only to compensate for a lack of planning control, but also to deal with the country's complex legal framework conditions. The vital interests of landowners come into play informally as well: since parts of the country's wealth emerge from the valorization of property, speculative interests are immanent, and thus block development processes. In this context, the paper addresses elements of a regional growth management that could close the gap that exists between state planning and municipal autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many metropolitan regions face concerns over sprawling development, increased costs of maintaining infrastructure, and loss of green space and farmland. Some metropolitan regions have intentionally created spatial policies to govern development patterns and manage growth within their region. This paper compares the spatial policies applied in three case studies: the Puget Sound region (Washington State, USA), Metro Vancouver region (British Columbia, Canada) and Stuttgart region (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). While all three regions share a vision that can broadly be summarised as transit-connected communities, each metropolitan planning organisation leverages a variety of spatial policies. Based on the unique planning cultures, various governmental actors take on different roles at the local, county, regional and state levels. This paper categorises and compares the multi-level responsibilities for defining, mapping, and implementing spatial policies. With this focus, the paper provides an international comparative perspective on approaches, context, and contents of multi-level growth management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing integrated energy station (IES) planning does not consider the lifecycle of the energy conversion equipment and the growth modes of various loads at the same time, which will inevitably affect the economics of the IES planning. This paper proposes a planning and design of regional IESs that takes the load growth mode into account, aiming at the lowest total cost of regional IESs in the planning lifecycle. Based on the operation mode about of the IES coupled with the three-networks involving the natural gas network (NGN), power distribution network (PDN) and transportation network (TN), the selection and capacity configuration of the equipment in the IES are optimized. The solution process of staged planning for IESs is proposed based on load calculation, power distribution and economic checking computations. The optimization calculation is carried out by reasonably dividing the time interval and setting the calculation criteria for the power distribution module. Finally, four MW-level IESs coupled with IEEE 33-node PDN, 20-node NGN and 12-node TN are simulated on the basis of MATLAB. The results show that the equipment investment and operation costs of the regional IESs can be decreased by about 7.1%, and the accumulated waste of various equipment capacity is decreased by nearly 16.51 MW, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed model and strategy. Furthermore, the results show that it is more practical and economical to consider the equipment lifecycle and load growth mode for the medium and long-term planning of IESs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While scholars acknowledge the important role played by regulators in managing ride hailing and its impacts on cities, few studies have explored the implications for developing ride hailing regulations at different levels of governance. This paper examines regulatory approaches to ride hailing in Canada's three largest metropolitan regions: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Though united by a national border, these three regions are subject to unique governance approaches, histories, and trajectories. Although ground transportation in Canada usually falls within local or municipal authority, only Toronto, amongst these three city‐regions, treats the regulation of ground transportation as a local responsibility. In both Montreal and Vancouver, which are subject to different regulatory and governance structures, ride hailing is primarily regulated at the provincial level. As a more detailed examination reveals, we can further distinguish the three metropolitan areas based on the extent of intraregional coordination and regional mobility. By introducing these two concepts, the paper explores both the intended and unintended regional impacts of ride hailing regulations. These findings are relevant not only to ride hailing, but also to broader questions about governing both regional mobility and the platform economy. Key Messages: This research examines how government authority for ground transportation in Canada's three largest metropolitan regions impacts the regulation of ride hailing.Distinctions regarding the level of government responsible for regulating ride hailing persist when comparing the Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver city‐regions.While provincial government regulatory authority can positively influence regional transportation planning and policy, municipal‐led approaches to ride hailing enable place‐based responsiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past two decades, the Mekong region has seen an increase in infrastructure projects aimed at improving transportation and connectivity between China and neighboring countries. These projects feature border control points, customs checkpoints, and security forces, leading to state control over cross-border trade mobility. Logistical power has gradually penetrated the social life in border trading, selectively facilitating certain groups while excluding others. Despite the overarching influence of state control, local traders still assert their agency in shaping cross-border trade practices. However, the transport and border control infrastructures hindered small-scale trading during the global pandemic and filtered out less economically important goods from cross-border mobility. This paper highlights the dynamic relationship between state control and various actors in cross-border trade in the Mekong region. It calls for an inclusive strategy in developing border infrastructure, aiming to ensure equitable benefit distribution and actively integrate the voices and experiences of those most impacted by these changes into the planning and execution of regional projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a contribution to the debate on deregulation of spatial planning and lean regional plans, this paper presents the first long-term study for Germany analysing the regulatory intensity of all regional plans legally valid in 2017 on the topics of settlement and open space development over time. As a final result, the assumption of a general deregulation and streamlining of regional plans cannot be confirmed. In contrast, changes in the legal basis, such as the priority of inner over outer urban development, have led to a continuous increase in the regulatory intensity over time, particularly in the case of positive growth management policies with an active role of regional planning. At the same time, there is evidence of streamlining tendencies in some states, which can partly be interpreted as deregulation tendencies. To date, however, they are merely an expression of state-specific ways of shaping regional planning and not a sign of an accelerated deregulation competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale, often polarizing changes in the population structure characterized by migration, have a crucial influence on the current development of settlements in Germany. Although state and regional planning tries to manage related demands for residential areas, competition for potential migration gains on themunicipal level often leads to an unregulated development of residential areas within the region. This paper therefore seeks to develop an approach for an inter-municipally coordinated planning of residential areas, which takes into account demographic developments, in order to reduce the overall land consumption. In a first step, the residential land requirements that can be derived from expected small-scale population movements are presented in the form of different scenarios for specific municipalities. In a second step, a screening approach is used to identify those municipalities that appear to be suitable for accommodating additional residential development land requirements on the basis of their amenities and accessibility. In a third step, the identified residential land requirements are assigned to test areas with the help of various indicators. The approach is illustrated using the example of the Halle-Leipzig region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, based on the analysis of the existing bibliography, as well as the result of the appreciation of a low-density and remote case studies located in the Azores Archipelago, seeks to identify a theoretical nexus regarding rural and creative tourism and regional sustainable development in the post-COVID-19 scenario. In this regard, the authors applied analytical descriptive and inductive deductive methods. Contextually, the study aims not only to understand the subject in more prominent detail but also to clarify new tendencies, approaches, and potential guidelines that allow the actors implicated to design and drive sustainable regional development in the long term. The remote and low-density territories are the most appealing destination for this new tourism dynamics. Also, the paper shows that it is possible to establish that in this ultra-peripheral territory, the tourism sector was already presuming relevance in 2019, benefiting from a large sample of entrepreneurs and actors in the tourism sector in the Portuguese Autonomous Region of the Azores. Some potential implications may include the following: (i) Increased economic benefits: Creative tourism can bring in additional revenue for local businesses and organizations and individual artists and craftspeople; (ii) Preservation of cultural heritage: Creative tourism can help to support and preserve traditional cultural practices and crafts, which can be an essential aspect of island communities’ identity; (iii) Job creation: Creative tourism can create new job opportunities for locals, such as tour guides, workshop instructors, and artists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the planning effects of modern agricultural tourism bases, this paper combines ecological agriculture to carry out regional planning innovations for agricultural tourism bases based on the analysis of traditional rural cultural tourism. Moreover, this paper analyses the current situation of regional planning of agricultural tourism base in China through comparative analysis, summarises its existing problems and divides the functional areas based on the current regional planning needs of agricultural tourism base. In addition, this paper combines the needs of rural cultural dissemination and agricultural ecological economic theory to make recommendations for regional planning of agricultural tourism bases. In terms of theoretical implementation, this paper analyses planning through case analysis and evaluates planning effects. Through the analysis of the agricultural tourism base planning, it is found that the rural culture needs to be combined with the agricultural investment of the agricultural tourism base. Finally, from the research results, it can be seen that the regional planning of modern agricultural tourism base based on rural culture has certain feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial planning is a public policy that aims to improve the quality of life of citizens through the development of a territorial model in the geographical space to act. Four decades after the approval of the first Statute of Autonomy of the Valencian Community, it is possible to carry out a critical analysis of the public policies in spatial planning developed in this period. In these decades, regulations, guiding principles, procedures and work methods in spatial planning have changed, with a definitive commitment to sustainability since the beginning of this century. All this in relation to the proposals of the European Spatial Planning Strategy and the European Landscape Convention, as basic documents of territorial planning in this geographical space. The balance of spatial planning in the C. Valenciana offers lights and shadows that must be taken as lessons for the future practice of territorial planning. The geographical discipline has played an important role in the process of implementing territorial policies in the Valencian region, participating in the elaboration of plans on a regional or subregional scale, incorporating tools, working methods and proposals in the search for a territorial balance, difficult to achieve in an area with little culture of the territory. Finally, the paper presents a series of proposals for future spatial planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric and literature review to describe the origin and content of research on corporate sustainability reporting in Latin America published in journals indexed in the SCOPUS, WoS, SCIELO, and REDIB databases on corporate sustainability reporting in Latin America and to contribute to its theoretical development and promote the performance and disclosure of sustainability in the region. Methodology: The comprehensive bibliometric and literature review used a quantitative and qualitative approach, with a descriptive scope through a content analysis of the papers' origin and nature according to the established qualitative categories. Originality/Relevance: The research contributes to increasing the body of literature on sustainability reporting research in Latin America and proposes a regional planning research to improve performance and sustainability reports with the stakeholders in the organizations of the region's countries. Results: The results of the analysis of 75 publications in 40 journals show an increase until the 2018 period. Most of the publications were by Brazilian and Colombian authors and journals. The largest number of studies corresponds to descriptive quantitative research based on content analysis of reports prepared according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Studies mainly consider institutional and legitimacy theories. There is also an absence of studies that consider stakeholder theory, address contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and deal with environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting in the Latin American context. Social contributions: A pending research agenda is presented on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability reporting in Latin American organizations as a contribution to the sustainable development in Latin America. Therefore, a regional plan of research is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany and Switzerland, land use and urban sprawl there has been a central topic of public debate for several years. Cantonal structure plans in Switzerland as well as state and regional plans in Germany contain binding regulations for managing settlement development. Studies that examine the implementation of these regulations are lacking. This paper analyses the implementation of selected instruments of supra-local spatial planning for managing settlement development in Germany and Switzerland using the Policy Arrangement Approach. The case study covers the regions Oberland (Bavaria), Südlicher Oberrhein (Baden-Württemberg) and the cantons of Zurich and St. Gallen. The results show that actors implement spatial-planning instruments in situative negotiation processes in which they exploremargins and alternatives. Central to these processes is a regional specific overlapping of (i) interlinkings of formal and informal instruments, (ii) the interplay between local autonomy, supra-local control and superordinate context factors, and (iii) the overlapping of supra-local and regional discourses. The results show that the Policy Arrangement Approach helps to better understand how spatial planning works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, most countries in the Global North have developed and implemented urban growth management programs and policies aimed at mitigating the impacts of urban sprawl and achieving a more compact urban form. However, there is substantial disagreement about their effects and effectiveness. In this paper, we systematically review the extensive international literature on growth management to better understand a) the current state of the practice of urban growth management, and b) the determinants of its successful implementation. In contrast to previously available literature syntheses, which focus heavily on North American research, we also consider studies based in Europe and some Asian and Oceanic countries. From this literature, we identify several key factors for successful growth management implementation: a multilevel governance approach, intersectoral policy coordination, a regionally adapted mix of policy instruments, balancing development needs with preservation goals, and the ability to develop positive narratives around growth management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to increasing density-dependent competitions in land use, it is difficult to plan new industrial areas, especially for factories and businesses with a need for large-scaled sites. Economic interest groups demand to plan new industrial areas to keep the region in a competitive position. At the same time, many citizens and local politicians are concerned about new specific land use areas for industries. To locate suitable industrial sites in the catchment area of municipalities with land shortage and a high demand for space and to involve regional stakeholders into the planning process, new regional planning tools are required. The case study about the "Regionale Kooperationsstandorte" planning tool in this paper shows which additional values and challenges the recipients of the plan expect from the new planning approach. Apparently, the new regional planning tool is generally accepted by most of the stakeholders in the Ruhr Metropolis. But specific regulations and particular sites are highly controversial, due to diverging interests of different stakeholders and municipalities or due to changing circumstances, so that it is not possible to reach a consensus on all issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen energy leads us in an important direction in the development of clean energy, and the comprehensive utilization of hydrogen energy is crucial for the low-carbon transformation of the power sector. In this paper, the demand for hydrogen energy in various fields is predicted based on the support vector regression algorithm, which can be converted into an equivalent electrical load when it is all produced from water electrolysis. Then, the investment costs of power generators and hydrogen energy equipment are forecast considering uncertainty. Furthermore, a planning model is established with the forecast data, initial installed capacity and targets for carbon emission reduction as inputs, and the installed capacity as well as share of various power supply and annual carbon emissions as outputs. Taking Gansu Province of China as an example, the changes of power supply structure and carbon emissions under different scenarios are analysed. It can be found that hydrogen production through water electrolysis powered by renewable energy can reduce carbon emissions but will increase the demand for renewable energy generators. Appropriate planning of hydrogen storage can reduce the overall investment cost and promote a low carbon transition of the power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and its member countries are potentially vulnerable to external disturbances, including environmental, economic, and social shocks. Regional policy emphasizes interventions to ensure long-term growth and development in the face of potential disturbance. Current emphasis is placed on mitigating the impact of climate change, including the creation of the SADC Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. However, the need for long-term adaptation and associated policy is evident to reduce regional vulnerabilities. Research is an important source of evidence to support policymaking, with specific importance to institutions in developing regions such as the SADC and during times of global change and disruption. SADC development policy related to resilience outcomes ought to be informed by research. This paper investigates the extent to which existing research supports regional resilience policymaking. Objectives include investigating available research on resilience in the SADC, identifying potential limitations, and delineating areas of future research to be considered by researchers that contribute to knowledge and evidence creation. A bibliometric review and selective content review of existing research were utilized. Relevant publications for the aforesaid analysis were delineated using the source concepts "resilience", "adaptation", "adaptability", and "Southern African Development Community" (or "SADC"). Using the SCOPUS database, bibliometric data of 65 publications were imported into the VOSviewer application (v.1.6.17). Keyword occurrences and network and overlay visualizations were applied to identify the research themes underlying current research. The findings, which were supported by the selective content review, indicate that existing research focuses primarily on environmental and social disturbances, while the applicable regional planning scale and development policy are considered to a limited extent. Areas of future research ought to create evidence that is thematically relevant to policy areas and applicable to policy interventions, which necessitates increased research on economic disturbances, a broadening of existing themes to the appropriate regional planning scale, and consideration of explicit regional development objectives and policy. Transdisciplinarity ought to be central to future research on the diverse disturbances facing the region, while researchers ought to leverage knowledge-creation opportunities catalyzed by SDG implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional shift‐share analysis and its existing spatial versions fail to detect the simple effects related to the underlying spillovers derived from the neighbourhood and regional contexts. This paper presents a formulation of the spatial shift‐share that incorporates novel effects and classifies the regions in a multi‐contextual framework (national, neighbourhood and regional). The use of different benchmarks is valuable since the performance of some regional sectors can be diagnosed with a national focus, while for others, it may be necessary to resort to neighbourhood and regional characteristics. Thus, the technique facilitates the formulation of strategies to improve the regional economic planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional foresight is one of the regional planning approaches that increase the ability to deal with uncertainty and changes. This study aims to provide an overview of regional foresight studies and domain map to evaluate their merits and defects and direct future studies in this field. For this purpose, 111 papers related to regional foresight were identified at the "Web of Science" in the period 2000 to 2019 and used as the basis for further analysis. These papers have been reviewed in various aspects. In addition, the domain map of regional foresight and its intellectual bases was drawn based on co-citation analysis of these papers and their 4194 references. The domain map includes five main clusters of research areas or intellectual bases for regional foresight: normative forecasting, participation, foresight in policy and strategy, innovation systems, and multi-level governance. Finally, the merits and defects of regional foresight studies are evaluated based on research results and some suggestions are provided for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contains the methodology and main results related to the update and extension of the widest interregional input–output tables for the entire EU27, UK and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. This work continues the outstanding effort developed in the past years regarding the estimation and analysis of different multiregional input–output (MRIO) databases at the country level (world input–output database, EXIOBASE, ICIO, FIGARO, etc.) and the MRIO tables developed for the European Union (EU) at the NUTS2 level. The main contribution consists of updating and extending the current EUREGIO collection to obtain a EUREGIO table for 2017, which will be referred (NUTS‐2 Rev.2016) for all the EU27 + UK + EFTA countries and will be embedded in the new FIGARO multicountry 2017. Such effort was developed in the context of the ESPON‐IRIE project. This article summarises the methodology used and compares the results obtained with the ones of the main benchmarks, providing an analysis of the national and regional participation in the global value chains (GVCs). The main results suggest that, on average, 65% of value added is embodied in the goods and services sold to the same NUTS‐2 region, 16% is embodied in the ones sold to regions in the same country and the remaining 20% is exported (to other countries). Exploring the heterogeneity within these figures can also be seen that the variety is higher across regions than across sectors. Our analysis suggests that, to a large extent, the heterogeneous participation of EU27 + UK + EFTA regions in the GVCs is explained by their sectoral structure more than by the regional idiosyncratic characteristics. Such results open the floor for the correct design of industrial policies, embedded in the smart specialisation paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In regional land-use planning, many different demands for often-limited land resources must be weighed against each other. Analysis of the benefits of different land-use types is of great significance in land-use design. However, a good evaluation methodology does not exist. To facilitate a comparative analysis of land-use benefits, this paper presents an evaluation system consisting of four steps: (1) Connotation dissection to determine the land-use benefits, (2) construction of a land-use benefit classification system to summarize a limited number of land-use benefit types by an inductive method, (3) land-use benefit valuation, which includes a biophysical model, direct and indirect market valuations, and The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity value conversion method, and (4) case analysis of the evaluation results according to local conditions. Empirical results from a case study of Mentougou District, Beijing, China, show that (i) the evaluation results of land-use benefit groups provides information on each land-use type and the spatial distribution of land-use benefits in Mentougou District, (ii) the topography of Mentougou District has an important influence on economic and ecological land-use benefits, and (iii) there is a synergistic effect of economic and social land-use benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in the proportion of new energy resources being generated in the power system, it is necessary to plan the capacity configuration of the power supply side through the coordination of power generation, grid, load, and energy storage, to create a relatively controllable power generation output and ensure the safe and stable operation of the power system is a key problem that needs to be solved at present. Therefore, combined with national and regional policies and resource constraints in China, this paper firstly determines the requirements and boundary conditions of various power supply planning in the regional power system and proposes a "generation-grid-load-energy storage" coordination mode. Secondly, establish a regional power system coordination planning model considering the proportion of new energy consumption and low-carbon cost. Finally, in three scenarios with a high, medium, and low proportion of new energy resources, the new installed capacity configuration of regional power supply is optimized to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model and provides reference for regional power supply planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building contour extraction from high-resolution remote sensing images is a basic task for the reasonable planning of regional construction. Recently, building segmentation methods based on the U-Net network have become popular as they largely improve the segmentation accuracy by applying 'skip connection' to combine high-level and low-level feature information more effectively. Meanwhile, researchers have demonstrated that introducing an attention mechanism into U-Net can enhance local feature expression and improve the performance of building extraction in remote sensing images. In this paper, we intend to explore the effectiveness of the primeval attention gate module and propose the novel Attention Gate Module (AG) based on adjusting the position of 'Resampler' in an attention gate to Sigmoid function for a building extraction task, and a novel Attention Gates U network (AGs-Unet) is further proposed based on AG, which can automatically learn different forms of building structures in high-resolution remote sensing images and realize efficient extraction of building contour. AGs-Unet integrates attention gates with a single U-Net network, in which a series of attention gate modules are added into the 'skip connection' for suppressing the irrelevant and noisy feature responses in the input image to highlight the dominant features of the buildings in the image. AGs-Unet improves the feature selection of the attention map to enhance the ability of feature learning, as well as paying attention to the feature information of small-scale buildings. We conducted the experiments on the WHU building dataset and the INRIA Aerial Image Labeling dataset, in which the proposed AGs-Unet model is compared with several classic models (such as FCN8s, SegNet, U-Net, and DANet) and two state-of-the-art models (such as PISANet, and ARC-Net). The extraction accuracy of each model is evaluated by using three evaluation indexes, namely, overall accuracy, precision, and intersection over union. Experimental results show that the proposed AGs-Unet model can improve the quality of building extraction from high-resolution remote sensing images effectively in terms of prediction performance and result accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Cycling is a climate-friendly means of transport that enables people to reduce their use of motorized transport and makes human settlements more inclusive and resilient. In Italy, the development of cycling has recently been boosted by the approval of Law no. 2/2018, which makes it compulsory for all Italian regions to draw up a regional cycling mobility plan. Objective: To meet this regulatory provision, the Region of Sardinia approved the Regional Plan for Cycling Mobility in December 2018. Drawn up by the Sardinian Regional Transport Agency and the transportation research group of the University of Cagliari, the plan aims to lay out a regional cycle network to promote the use of the bicycle as a means of transport for both every day and tourist–recreational needs. One of the main objectives of the plan is to make the inland areas of the island more accessible, as the development of such areas tends to have been neglected compared to the coastal areas linked to seaside tourism. Hence, the plan intends to contribute to the increase of tourist flows into rural areas, which can be a strategic segment of local development. Results: By analysing the methodology adopted to lay out Sardinia's regional cycle network, the aim of the current paper is to show how the planning of an integrated cycle network in an island context can improve sustainable mobility and accessibility in the rural areas through which it passes. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that many rural settlements along the routes of the planned cycle network are sufficiently near each other for people to travel between them by bicycle. Conclusions: Therefore, the cycling infrastructure could prompt a sustainable increase in the accessibility and connectivity of inland areas and stimulate the formation of clusters of small, interconnected towns and villages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global water resources are decreasing and the demand for it is constantly increasing, the problem of proper water management is becoming more pressing. Poland is one of the largest producers of vegetables in Europe, including carrots, with significant exports. However its freshwater resources are relatively small. The paper presents the results of research on the water footprint (WF) life cycle assessment (LCA) in conventional and organic carrot production. The methodology of calculating WF was used in accordance with PN-EN ISO 14046. It was found, e.g., that WF for organic production of carrot (WF = 1.9 m3 ha−1) is over five times lower, as compared to conventional production (WF = 10.4 m3 ha−1). In the case of conventional production, the fertilization process (67.0–67.7%) has the greatest impact on the shaping of WF in the individual impact categories, i.e. Human Health, Ecosystem Quality and resources. In organic production, the WF-shaping factor is carrot harvesting (41.9–43.1%). The research can be used to develop pro-ecological carrot production technologies, as well as to shape sustainable development plans in agricultural areas. It can also be used to outline policy directions regarding foreign trade in water-consuming agricultural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional collaboration and the division of economic zones have been widely discussed for sustainable development. This paper aims at building a framework for analyzing the provincial division of economic zone (DEZ) via considering spatial interaction among regions based on the improved gravity model and clustering approaches. The proposed framework of province DEZ is applied in the case study of Hunan Province, China. The results reveal that Chenzhou city in the south of Hunan Province is always excluded from the DEZ due to its larger external gravity from other cities in neighboring provinces. It also shows that the city components of economic zones (EZs) have experienced a fluctuation at a higher degree from 2002 to 2006 to 2009 while it reached to a stable phase in 2013. Furthermore, cross-provincial regional integration and the highway construction have a significant impact on the change of city components of EZ. The findings are of great potential in regional planning that should be incorporated to the toolkit of regional policy and sustainable development for local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geothermal energy can be an attractive source of renewable energy in many respects. The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of geothermal energy in the West Pomeranian Region of Poland. The article presents the key principles of geothermal energy development, its role, functions and perspectives in fostering renewable energy usage in the region in question. Strengths, weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats of using geothermal energy are analysed based on the literature review. A regional geothermal energy development model is proposed. The study is based on statistical data. The results of the conducted study show that geothermal energy can be an important source of regional energy supply in the West Pomeranian Region. However, advantages and shortcomings should be taken into account when deciding on the promotion of geothermal energy in the selected region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of the consistency of spatial plans should be a part of the planning process composed of three stages: plan preparation, implementation, and monitoring. Evaluation types affecting each of these stages are known as "ex-ante", "on-going", and "ex-post" evaluation, respectively. The inefficiencies in the stage of "ex-ante evaluation" has become an important issue in recent urban and regional planning studies. Given this knowledge, in this paper, an analytical method for this stage is proposed by examining the literature and national legislation. The method is based on consistency tests with qualitative criteria some of which also include quantitative data. The main output of the study is the "Guide for Evaluation of Spatial Plans (GESP)" that was prepared in this context. It starts with the formulation of consistency tests of the GESP that were constructed in two main categories based on "internal" and "external" consistencies, where the latter is divided into two as "horizontal" and "vertical". Afterwards, implementation of the systematic framework of the GESP is explained with reference to legislative grounds for the administrations and their authorities in plan making-approving in different jurisdictions and scales in Turkey and this framework is exemplified for a given set of different type and scale plans. In this context, the illustration involves the upper-scale plans that cover the City of Trabzon and some of the lower-scale plans for the settlements from within this city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the role of agency is widely acknowledged in socio-technical transition research, there remains a research gap on agency in transitions and a call for studies using an actor-centred approach to transition studies. In response to this call, this paper addresses the role of actors and, particularly, organisations in transitions. It examines the role of organisational change in socio-technical sustainability transitions and, more specifically, how transition initiatives may trigger and support these changes in organisations and systems. For this purpose, the paper draws on literature from both transition studies and organisational change management (OCM) to build a multi-scale, integrative theoretical heuristic. This addresses drivers and barriers for organisational change as an integral part of transition processes, connecting the micro level of the individual, the meso level of the organisation and the macro level of the broader system in which the organisation is located. With the goal of illustrating the links between OCM and transition studies, this paper empirically examines the impact of Region 2050 , a large, multi-organisation transition initiative in Sweden, in terms of creating change within the organisations involved. The main focus is on how the organisations acquire the new knowledge and capabilities required for improving regional planning for sustainability. The empirical study identifies leverage points at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels, which may be used in order to change strategic planning processes. Three different theoretical concepts from transition studies and OCM that could help to foster long-term planning are also identified: (1) the macro-level of institutional plurality and its connection to the meso- (organisational) level; (2) collaboration as a key success factor on the organisational level; and (3) at the micro-level, the roles of individuals as change agents and boundary spanners. Overall, the case highlights the merits of the OCM literature for transition studies and their emphasis on understanding interacting processes operating at multiple scales. • Organisational change as part of socio-technical transitions is under researched. • This study shows the use of organisational change management (OCM) literature for transitions. • A sustainability transitions initiative is examined from an OCM perspective for illustration. • An integrative, multi-scale theoretical framework is proposed. • The framework connects individual, organisational and system levels of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to discuss and analyze the region called Matopiba in the regional planning and development extent, and socio-spatial transformations, highlighting the new dynamics in the urban economy from Bom Jesus and Uruçuí, two cities of Piauí agribusiness, new urban and population processes by the expansion and consolidation of technified agriculture. The methodology for the elaboration of this paper was based on the record's reading of works and production of data sheets, as well as the search for data and information in public institutions, such as the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia Estatística (IBGE), through the 2000 and 2010 Demographic Censuses, in addition IBGE Cidades website, and also research activities in the field and discussion in a research group. In this background, Matopiba was considered as a result of other regions, where the State'sacts it has a fundamental role in the construction of this region, privileging large hegemonic agents, such as wide transnational and national companies linked to agribusiness. The cerrados piauienses, which have been occupied most intensively since the first decade of the 21st century, are one of the examples in which we can bring to discussion is the socio-spatial changes taking place in Matopiba, with changes and socio-spatial transformations, as well as changes in local and regional scale at economic relations of the spatial area presented and in your urban characteristics, especially Bom Jesus and Uruçuí cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhou, L.; Bao, X.; Yu, J.; Zhang, Y., and Feng, R., 2019. Recent initiatives and developments in the ecological utilization of marine resources (EUMR) in China. In: Guido-Aldana, P.A. and Mulahasan, S. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources and Exploration. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 93, pp. 443–449. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Since the 1990's, China's marine management has undergone a series of developments. It has progressed from lawlessness to the rule of law, from blind development to a rational planning and from over-exploitation to ecological use of marine resources. Based on the ecological conditions and the characteristics of the marine utilization in China, this paper describes the concept of the "ecological utilization of marine resources (EUMR)" and its development, connotation and foundation. Furthermore, it presents the new regulations on China's regional infrastructural planning for marine utilization, protection and utilization of the coastline, marine ecological red line, and others. Lastly, this paper proposes some suggestions on the implementation of the EUMR from four aspects, namely, the ecological development, ecological protection, resource conservation and remediation. Adhering to the EUMR has become the new principle of marine management in China, and this principle provides a direction for solving the problems regarding the excessive consumption of the marine resources and deteriorating ecological environment. Furthermore, it can act as a healthy base of marine management experiences for other coastal countries to study and follow them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some European regions are experiencing unprecedented impacts due to climate change. The islands of the Outermost Regions are also being affected by this phenomenon. When these islands have a higher level of functional complexity, climate change increases the difficulty of defining their urban and regional planning tools. A comparative analysis of the characteristics of these islands (comparing land use and demographic density) and a review of the efficacy of planning tools for incorporating climate change adaptation has been developed in order to understand the transformations produced in the regulatory frameworks. Through the case studies of Gran Canaria (Spain) and Reunion Island (France), which show high levels of urban and peri-urban land use pressure, the paper focuses on analysing the degree of mainstreaming adaptation strategies, as key elements for land use planning in a context of climate change. Results show a dysfunction between adaptation needs and the incorporation of the climatic issue in land use management. Insular planning tools do not generally consider climate change adaptation and excessive top-down management is observed in the decision-making process. This paper contributes new case studies to the literature, comparing two non-sovereign European islands, and reviews the regulatory framework on adaptation in insular contexts related to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990's, China's marine management has undergone a series of developments. It has progressed from lawlessness to the rule of law, from blind development to a rational planning and from over-exploitation to ecological use of marine resources. Based on the ecological conditions and the characteristics of the marine utilization in China, this paper describes the concept of the "ecological utilization of marine resources (EUMR)" and its development, connotation and foundation. Furthermore, it presents the new regulations on China's regional infrastructural planning for marine utilization, protection and utilization of the coastline, marine ecological red line, and others. Lastly, this paper proposes some suggestions on the implementation of the EUMR from four aspects, namely, the ecological development, ecological protection, resource conservation and remediation. Adhering to the EUMR has become the new principle of marine management in China, and this principle provides a direction for solving the problems regarding the excessive consumption of the marine resources and deteriorating ecological environment. Furthermore, it can act as a healthy base of marine management experiences for other coastal countries to study and follow them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proper delimitation of planning regions is a critical issue in the success of regional plans, and it constitutes a rich domain of research. In this paper, it is argued that planning regions should be based on functional regions– if the main intention is to increase the driving power of the people behind the planning process. Within this context, the aims of this paper are twofold: (1) to develop an algorithm (FRGIS) for the delimitation of planning regions on the bases of functional regions, and to implement it by using the scripting facilities available in Free and Open Source Software for Geographic Information Systems (GIS); and (2) to delimit the planning regions in Turkey by using FRGIS and the script developed for this purpose, by employing the commuting flows occurring between districts in the case country (Turkey) in 2010. The results show that FRGIS is successful in terms of the formation of spatially-balanced regions having higher levels of self-containment compared to those of existing regions. Nevertheless, it is also evident from this study that a combination of the nomothetic and ideographic methods of science is inevitable if functional regions are to be employed as planning regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial gross primary production (GPP) changes due to impervious surfaces significantly impact ecosystem services in watersheds. Understanding the asymmetric response of vegetation GPP to impervious surface expansion is essential for regional development planning and ecosystem management. However, the asymmetric response of vegetation GPP to the impacts of impervious surface expansion is unknown in different watersheds. This paper selected the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins as case studies. We characterized the overall change in GPP based on changes in impervious surface ratio (ISR), determined impervious surface expansion's direct and indirect impacts on GPP in the two watersheds, and further analyzed the asymmetric response of the compensatory effects of indirect influences on the impervious surface expansion in different watersheds. The results showed that: (1) The vegetation GPP decreased with increasing ISR in the Yangtze River Basin, while that in the Yellow River Basin first increased and then reduced. (2) The direct impacts of increased ISR reduced vegetation GPP, while the indirect impacts both had a growth-compensating effect. Growth compensation stabilized at approximately 0.40 and 0.30 in the Yellow and Yangtze River Basins. (3) When the ISR was 0.34–0.56, the growth compensation could offset the reduction of GPP due to direct impact and ensure that the background vegetation GPP was not damaged in the Yellow River Basin. In contrast, the background vegetation GPP was inevitably impaired with increased ISR in the Yangtze River Basin. Therefore, this study suggests that the ISR should be ensured to be between 0.34 and 0.56 to maximize the impervious surface of the Yellow River Basin without compromising the background vegetation GPP. While pursuing impervious surface expansion in the Yangtze River Basin, other programs should be sought to compensate for the loss to GPP. [Display omitted] • Vegetation GPP decreases with an increase in the impervious surface ratio. • Indirect impacts in different watersheds have growth compensation effects. • Growth compensation can offset the reduction in GPP caused by direct impacts in the Yellow River Basin. • Background vegetation GPP inevitably impairs as impervious surfaces increase in the Yangtze River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning for a bus-based regional evacuation is essential for emergency preparedness, especially for hurricane or flood prone urban environments with large numbers of transit-dependent or transit-captive populations. This paper develops an optimization-based decision-support model for pedestrian-bus evacuation planning under bus fleet, pedestrian and bus routes, and network constraints. Aiming to minimize the evacuation duration time, an optimization model is proposed to determine the optimal pickup nodes for evacuees to assemble using existing pedestrian routes, and to allocate available bus fleet via bus routes and urban road network to transport the assembled evacuees between the pickup nodes and designated public shelters. The numerical examples with two scenarios based on the Sioux Falls street network from North Dakota (United States) demonstrates that this model can be used to optimize the evacuation duration time, the location of pickup nodes and bus assignment simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, which is positioned in the interface of economic geography and institutional economics, studies the spatial aspect of institutions and its relevance for regional economic development in the Greater Pearl River Delta ( GPRD). The GPRD consists of Hong Kong ( HK) on the one hand, providing an advanced institutional system, and the Pearl River Delta ( PRD) in China on the other hand, with its evolving institutional setting. Despite or even because of the 'one country, two systems' situation, firms in the GPRD have become established suppliers in the electronics value chain. The paper takes up the challenge of operationalizing and empirically studying the relations of HK firms and PRD producers adapted to regionally specific institutional pattern and demand for flexibility in production using a quantitative approach based in a survey of HK electronic firms and a logit model explaining the relations between HK firms and PRD producers. The analysis reveals that in the course of time, HK firms have used different entry modes as a response to the maturity the institutional setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decomposition analysis provides a potentially powerful means for analyzing community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data. However, this form of analysis is typically conducted at larger geographical scales (i.e., national and state/provincial levels), which leaves questions around how to apply this methodology to local and regional contexts. This study explores the application of decomposition methodology to community data in order to elucidate how this form of analysis can be employed to inform local/regional planning and climate policy. The research involved developing decomposition models that focus on two particularly areas important for local climate action - transportation and residential energy. Each model consisted of five factors - population, population distribution, travel (transportation) or energy customer accounts (residential) intensity, vehicle (transportation) or home energy (residential) type, and emissions intensity. Using data from the BC Community Energy Emissions Inventory, the study examined effects of the different factors on emissions changes occurring between 2007 and 2012 in the Metro Vancouver Regional District (British Columbia, Canada). Results from the transportation analysis indicated that population growth and people's choices in vehicle type had the effect of increasing emissions in the MVRD, whereas travel and emissions intensity factors had mitigating effects. The residential energy analysis indicated that only population effects led to emissions-increases in the MVRD, whereas the other factors had mitigating effects. Community-scale analyses also were conducted to identify municipalities where emissions-increasing effects were experienced more dramatically, for example, travel intensity effects in smaller communities (e.g., White Rock), energy accounts intensity effects in Vancouver, and emissions intensity effects in the District of North Vancouver. The study demonstrated how decomposition analysis can provide regional and local governments with valuable insight on what is contributing to GHG emissions and where progress is being made, which in turn can help these governments focus climate policy and planning efforts to achieve progress toward mitigation. The paper begins with an introduction on the use of decomposition methodology in energy and GHG emissions studies, and its potential value for analyzing local emissions data. The next sections discuss the analytical approach designed for and employed in this study, as well as describing the data used for this research. The paper then presents the results of the analysis performed on the MVRD. Finally, it concludes with a discussion on the implications of the results of this study for regional and local policy and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has been issued in the framework of the SHERPA project under the Grant Agreement No 287246 with the GSA (European GNSS Agency). This document contains the main technical activities conducted by PANSA in the frame of project's WP2000. The objectives of WP2000 are: To work towards the implementation of a LPV procedure at each of the scenarios; To develop EGNOS National Implementation Plans, To develop and EGNOS Regional Implementation Plan, To summarise EGNOS expected benefits in a single airport. Specifically, the objectives of this document are technical activities conducted towards the implementation of a LPV procedure in scenario: procedure design, safety assessment, business case, EGNOS service provision requirements. The first step shall be to describe the operational environment at the scenario including the level of ATS provided, CNS equipment, the airport ground equipment, airspace and any procedures in place. The purpose of the operational description is to define the CONOPS specific to the airport. The Final FHA of LPV approaches is based on the Operational Model of LPV approaches in the ECAC Area, which clearly defined nominal operations prior to analyse degraded cases. For each operational action (performed by either system, human operator or jointly in the successive phases of flight), relevant failure modes were identified. Each failure mode was then analysed in turn in terms of examples of causes (to check its validity), operational consequences and mitigations, hazards, rough risk comparison against ILS operations, and when pertinent, recommendations in terms of risk reducing measures to be considered. Safety Case Activities drawn up as part of the SHERPA project was accepted by GSA, EUROCONTROL. At present an algorithm of acting while designing and executing procedures constitutes final approaches according to GNSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study is to establish scientific rational for the use of the foresight methodology in the strategic planning of rural development. The scientific novelty of the study is determined by the development of an algorithm for strategic planning of rural development based on the foresight methodology and by the formation of a set of practical recommendations for the use of foresight tools at the municipal level of management in rural areas. The paper states that modern foresight methodology is quite flexible and multifaceted. It can be widely applied at different hierarchical levels of management. In our research, we consistently analyzed foresight projects and programs used in the rural management and development forecasting. The use of a systematic approach in combination with foresight technologies allows developing strategic plans for the rural areas development from the perspective of improvement of their economic and social component. The research presents the foresight algorithm of the rural development strategic planning and its implementation mechanism at the municipal level. The main components of the foresight testing procedure of the rural areas economic development were determined on the example of such a classic agricultural region of the Russian Federation as the Republic of Bashkortostan. The results of a comprehensive foresight analysis of alternative scenarios of the rural development have been formed. We summarized that the foresight technologies should be used as a system tool for the formation and implementation of the strategy of the sustainable rural areas development. The main results of the study include summarizing the experience of foresight studies on the rural areas development; design of an algorithm of strategic planning of the rural areas development based on the foresight methodology; the formation of alternative scenarios of the rural areas development at the regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the production of territory in two port cities dedicated to the export of agro-industrial products: San Lorenzo and Puerto General San Martín, located on the northern coast of the metropolitan area of Rosario, Province of Santa Fe. It examines the differential struggles of social actors for the appropriation and use of the territory, which result in interventions that benefit global corporate actors and facilitate the free circulation of capital. The research was based on a qualitative-quantitative methodology that made it possible to understand and analyze the different strategies used by the social actors involved, as well as the interactions among the global, national, and local scales. Results highlight the numerous affectations to local territories and the tendency to unequal distribution of urban services and externalities, due to priority granted to port and agro-industrial activities, which generates multiple situations of spatial injustice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metropolitan areas have become the battleground for human rights, particularly the "right to the city". The New Urban Agenda (NUA) recognises this principle as an ideal way to build a city for all. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) present a sustainable (also urban) development model with multiple economic, social and environmental aspects. How does the metropolitan institutional framework influence the implementation of the SDGs? Do the necessary resources and competencies exist to meet the ideal expressed in the NUA? Using examples from all continents, the paper examines the extent to which actions and objectives aimed at sustainable urban development take a metropolitan approach and how institutional variables (i. e. metropolitan governance, fragmentation, degree of decentralisation and local autonomy, and role of the state) enhance or jeopardise these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 1. To propose a quasi-quantum model, which can reasonably divide and guide the planning period to reduce uncertainty. • 2. To propose an evaluation model, which can analyze the uncertainty potential energy function before and after the planning to assist the quasi quantum model, so as to reasonably divide the planning cycle. • 3. To propose a three-layer planning framework, including planning cycle division, stochastic planning, and rolling planning. With the rapid development in social informatization, more and more factors, such as regional economy, technological development, and people's living needs, will affect the supply–demand relationship of regional integrated energy systems (RIES), which involve multiple energy forms. These factors turn the supply–demand relationship of an energy system into a nonlinear and time-varying chaotic system. This makes it difficult to predict and balance these relationships, which poses a huge challenge to the prediction, planning, operation, etc. Existing conventional methods attempt to quantify the prediction bias caused by various external environmental factors of energy systems and to weaken the uncertainty caused by multiple energy loads through random programming. However, uncertainty factors increase with the development of an energy system, thereby inreasing the requirements of such uncertainty quantification methods. Furthermore, in conventional methods, the prediction or planning decisions are often made by an observer while neglecting the impact of the observer's decision-making behavior on prediction and planning. Therefore, this paper proposes a three-layer planning framework for to solve the above problems. This architecture includes quasi-quantum uncertainty periodic evaluation, stochastic planning based on information gap decision theory, and rolling planning based on model predictive control. First, we establish a quasi-quantum model of multi-energy system prediction error based on the quasi-quantum wave function model to qualitatively analyze prediction errors affected by uncertainty before and after planning. Simultaneously, combined with the evaluation model of the quasi-quantum potential energy function, a quasi-quantum uncertainty period evaluation model is proposed. Based on the minimum equivalent planning entropy, the planning cycle of multistage rolling planning is divided to minimize uncertainty. Second, the information gap decision theory is used to quantify the influence range of source and load uncertainty in the planning process and the multistage planning cycle is randomly planned. Then, the model predictive control method is used to control the actual error, and the planning strategy is changed in time to reduce the planning deviation caused by the prediction error. Finally, adopting a Beichen demonstration area in Tianjin, China, as a case study, the effectiveness of the proposed method in uncertainty analysis and long-term planning improvement is verified. The three-layer planning framework can improve the adaptability of the regional integrated energy system in the long-term planning process, and can timely adjust the planning scheme to cope with the impact of unpredictable uncertainties in the planning process. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presented the results of a study carried out of the tendencies and changes in the regional aspect of the production of grapes and wine in Bulgaria in the years after the accession to the EU. The dynamics in absolute and relative values of the indicators gross output of grapes, area of harvested vineyards with wine grape varieties, average yields, production of wine grapes and wine by statistical regions was examined. The characteristic of the changes that occurred in the regional plan during the period 2007-2020 was based on the values of the coefficient of structural changes. The levels of the indicator were higher during the first period of application of the CAP in the country (2007-2013), which was mainly due to the contraction of production in the northern regions. In the second period (2014-2020), the impact of financial mechanisms slowed down the negative trends, but they have not been overcoming. Grape and wine production is mainly concentrated in the Southeast and South Central regions. During the next program period, it is necessary to expand and target the set of measures and mechanisms applicable within the Common Agricultural Policy to achieve synergy between economic, social and environmental results in a regional plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Till date, Nigeria can not boast of a specific, well-formulated, clear regional development policy framework despite several urban planning, development and governance initiatives including passage of regulations at both federal and state government levels that have been undertaken since independence by successive post-colonial governments. Most of the country's claims of regional development are products of other policies, and intentions, which do not have any bearing on, deliberate regional planning policies. Policy and decision-making on development planning often do not incorporate the implications of the ways in which we use land and the consequences for different places (economic planning). The neglect of place, in particular, the way that different policies combine to affect places in different ways (regional planning), has contributed to a range of negative economic, social and environmental outcomes. This paper relies mainly on the secondary data and literature exploration to demonstrate that the little role accorded to spatial planning, especially, regional planning, in the development efforts is largely responsible for the underdevelopment, imbalance, and inequalities in the country, as well as poverty of the citizens. The conclusion of the paper is that regional planning should be an integral part and complementary to economic planning in the national development planning of the country. For regional planning to aid in the development of the country and promote the well-being of the citizens, appropriate recommendations have been included in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]