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On account of sustainable municipal solid waste (MSW) management, the determination of appropriate positions for MSW multi-directional landfill sites includes thought of geomorphological, topographical, hydrological, monetary and environmental parameters. Deciding these regions in a manner that limits ecological contamination and well-being dangers is a significant multi-criteria decision-making issue in the controls of land executives. A landfill site choice procedure has been completed utilizing three pure weighting techniques (rank sum, rank reciprocal and rank-order centroid) coordinated with geographical information system instruments. The outcomes demonstrate that 32,045 km2 (87.4%) of the total area is inadmissible for landfill sites. This study compares the results of three subjective weighting methods at a large-scale regional planning scenario. The exhibited methodology helps chiefs in deciding safe areas for MSW landfill sites. The results show that in the early period of the spatial planning, simplified pure methods can be adequate. In this case, using more complicated methods will not definitely deduce different findings. However, when regional planning requires identifying the spatial scope of the favored specific sites, considering the intersection area proposed by three methods will be ideal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we employ what we term as 'the ethical dimension in political market orientation (PMO)' framework to underline how an integration of information from relevant stakeholder groups can inform the formulation of market-oriented, yet ethical policies. Against the backdrop of India's Look East Policy (LEP), we undertake a critical analysis of historic economic data from 1980 to 2014 in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, often termed as the Seven Sisters because of their interdependence. Our analysis of the data, using time-series methods, reveals that policy changes ensuing from the economic reforms of 1990s and the initiation of the LEP in 1991 have resulted in regional income convergence in North-Eastern India. A key contribution of our work emanates from the fact that we determine two structural breaks endogenously from long time-series data, thereby identifying three distinct policy regimes, rather than specifying exogenous breaks based on historic and theoretical conjectures. Overall, our work offers both conceptual insights into processes that enable ethical and inclusive policy making, as well as empirical evidence emerging from stochastic convergence of incomes per capita for the Seven Sister states in the North-Eastern region in India, to illustrate how regional economic inequality can be reduced through targeted market-oriented policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reflects on a transdisciplinary complex adaptive systems (T-CAS) approach to the development of a school health research network (SHRN) in Wales for a national culture of prevention for health improvement in schools. A T-CAS approach focuses on key stages and activities within a continuous network cycle to facilitate systems level change. The theory highlights the importance of establishing transdisciplinary strategic partnerships to identify and develop opportunities for system reorientation. Investment in and the linking of resources develops the capacity for key social agents to take advantage of disruption points in the re-orientated system, and engagement activities develop the network to facilitate new social interactions and opportunities for transdisciplinary activities. A focus on transdisciplinary action research to co-produce interventions, generate research evidence and inform policy and practice is shown to play an important part in developing new normative processes that act to self-regulate the emerging system. Finally, the provision of reciprocal network benefits provides critical feedback loops that stabilise the emerging adaptive system and promote the network cycle. SHRN is shown to have embedded itself in the system by securing sustainability funding from health and education, a key role in national and regional planning and recruiting every eligible school to the network. It has begun to reorient the system to one of evidence generation (56 research studies co-produced) and opportunities for data-led practice at multiple levels. Further capacity development will be required to capitalise on these. The advantages of a complex systems approach to address barriers to change and the transferability of a T-CAS network approach across settings and cultures are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation of extreme hydrological events are necessary for planning and designing hydrological structures. In this study, we examine and project two hydrological extremes of drought and wet conditions over the north and eastern regions of the country. A statistical procedure of the Reconnaissance Drought Index at the annual time scale was used to combine the monthly rainfall and temperature data for the assessment of extreme drought and wet events. These hydrological extreme events were combined with Index-Drought Procedure using L-moments to obtain study results. Homogenous regions were satisfied for both the extremes based on statistical measures. Two statistical tools were used to select suitable probability distributions in the form of Generalized Pareto and Pearson Type-III distributions to discuss drought risk and wet conditions in the regions. Secondly, regional projections of drought risk and wet conditions were performed based on regional quantiles at different interarrival periods which show greater chances of the wet condition in region one while drought risk in region two. Lastly, at-site projections were carried out for all the included sites for both extremes at various interarrival periods using the suitable probability distributions. Both at-site and regional projections show greater similarity at lower while uncertainty at higher interarrival periods. As droughts and wets cover, a large area, therefore, regional results are more functional and better for regional planning and development programs. These statistical projections will help planners of water resources management and hydrological extremes in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's high-speed railway (HSR) network is the largest planned network operating globally. Compared to other HSR networks, it has a unique and complicated structure. Multiple studies explored the supply side network structure of HSR services through train frequency data. However, due to data collection difficulties, there is limited research that studies the evolving characteristics of HSR development by using passenger flow data on the demand side network. This paper explores the evolving characteristics of the HSR network in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), one of the most developed megaregions of China. HSR passenger flow data from the timeframe of 2014 to 2018 are used to examine the evolution of topological structure, hierarchical structure, and the spatial structure of the HSR network. Results indicate that the topological structure of the HSR network has been relatively stable, and has a roughly normal distribution. Although it is a relatively stable HSR network, a hierarchical structure exists, and there is a certain degree of variability among the third-tier cities. Based on the weighted degree centrality, and structural holes of passenger flow network in the YRD, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Hefei, were identified. Correspondingly, four network communities were formed, and they varied across the evolutionary characteristics over the study period. The study proposes that in the planning of the HSR network, more focus should be given to connections between sub-regional nodes, in addition to connecting the core nodes. Additional relevant planning strategies are proposed based on the conclusions reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of diffuse pollution of water bodies in the formation of water quality in them is characterized. Some features of diffuse pollution, which are of importance for managing the process of their reduction, are identified. The main lines of the activity for managing the reduction of diffuse pollution are determined and characterized, including basin programming, regional planning, ecological direction of sectoral improvement, governmental stimulation. The problem of incorporation of measures for reducing diffuse pollution in the River Basin Management Plan and the application of Water Quality Objectives for regulating diffuse pollution is considered. Proposals are given for improvement the application of the principle of best available technologies for reducing diffuse pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines marine planning in Scotland and the extent to which it constrains or enables change towards adaptive governance. An in-depth case study of the partnership-based regional marine planning process is presented, based on interviews and documentary analysis. Drawing on adaptive governance theory, analysis focussed on key themes of: (1) local governance and integration across scales; (2) participation and collaboration; (3) learning, innovation and adaptability; and (4) self-organization. Results present regional marine planning as an interface between hierarchical and collaborative governance based on empowerment of regional actors and an attempt to enable coexistence of 'top-down' arrangements with experimentation at smaller scales. In this system, national government provides legal legitimacy, economic incentives and policy oversight, while the partnerships support collaboration and innovation at the regional level, based on strong leadership and participation. Contrasting experience of partnership-working is evident between the large and complex region of the Clyde and the island region of Shetland, where devolved powers and a more cohesive and community-based stakeholder group better facilitate adaptive governance. Overall findings of the study show the tensions of institutionalizing adaptive governance and provide insights into how marine planning contributes to governance of marine systems. Firstly, vertical integration between central and decentralized authority in multi-level marine planning arrangements is challenged by an unclear balance of power and accountability between national government and regional marine planning partnerships. Secondly, the interaction between marine planning and existing policy, planning and management emerged as critical, because marine plans may only operate as an instrument to 'guide' management and prevailing, limited adaptive capacity in broader management structures constrains adaptive outcomes. Lastly, adaptive governance requires incremental and rapid response to change, but limited financial and technical resources constrain the depth and scale of reflection and ability to act. Understanding the contribution of marine planning requires clarification of the interaction between marine planning and other management (the extent to which it can influence decision-making in other domains) and, in addressing governance deficiencies, attention is also required on the adaptive capacity of existing and emerging legislative frameworks which govern decision-making and management of activities at sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood risk in urban areas around the world is increasing due to socio-economic development and climate change. Urban climate adaptation measures are beneficial over the longer term, particularly in coastal areas, yet the upfront costs of such measures are significant. Moreover, public actors responsible for adaptation to flood risk face constrained budgets. A promising strategy for overcoming these constraints and enabling greater adaptation investment is land reclamation that includes adaptation, i.e. flood risk reduction. Land reclamation in high-value urban areas can generate substantial revenues through the sale or lease of new land, or taxes on increased economic activities, thus offsetting public adaptation investments. This paper explores the potential of land reclamation for leveraging public adaptation investments and associated distributional issues, by analysing 3 urban land reclamation and adaptation projects in Germany, the Netherlands and the Maldives. We find that all projects have leveraging potential, and leveraging in projects primarily aimed at land creation is particularly high. Further, due to low adaptation costs needed to protect revenue streams in such projects, these investments appear to be 'low-regret'. Regarding distributional aspects, high project costs and limited public budgets for adaptation constrain public actors' ability to ensure equitable outcomes through planning instruments, for example, social housing. Further, in implementation, competition for project benefits can lead to further inequalities. We conclude that urban land reclamation presents a significant opportunity to leverage public adaptation investments under certain conditions. We further outline future research needs including to extend land-based financing theory from related urban infrastructure sectors to inform the design of equitable governance arrangements and to better understand the role of such urban land reclamation projects in regional or national development pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamentally new integrated approach to the state activity on the adaptation to changing environmental conditions, namely, the territorial planning of land use is proposed by the example of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation being the most vulnerable region to climate change. Adaptation measures for natural ecosystems are scientifically grounded for the Arctic region: the prevention of permafrost surface cover disturbances, the minimization of other types of anthropogenic impact and pollution, the maintenance and increase in surface albedo in winter. The examples of development of a dual indicator system are given: for monitoring the implementation of measures and adaptation efficiency (the quantitative markers of climate-caused damage). The analysis of all indicators in the adaptation efficiency monitoring system, as well as the projections of indicators for 5–10 years ahead help to make reasoned management decisions to correct the applied adaptation measures. The practical application of the results includes the use of the developed approaches in the sectoral and regional plans and at the second stage of the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acceptance sampling plans are a cross-functional quality control instrument for benchmarking compliant standards of incoming as well as outgoing lots. The multiple dependent state (MDS) plan has been proposed and proven to advantage the conventional single sampling plan (SSP). However, the MDS plan presents a contradictory situation: Its performance depreciates as the number of previously considered lots increases. This outcome implies that the greater the number of cumulative lot-sentencing results one intends to include is, the greater the sample size is required for inspection, where a loosened criterion for quality acceptance levels, unfavorably, is introduced as well. Therefore, we proposed a modified MDS plan that depends on the loss-based capability index to accommodate an adjustable mechanism, namely, the adjustable multiple dependent state (AMDS) sampling plan. The AMDS plan allows encompassing not only a greater number of preceding lots in the lot disposition decision but also reducing the sample size required for the inspection and raising the lot-sentencing quality standards to stimulate the supplier attaining with persistently reliable submissions for a long-term supplier-consumer relationship. In comparison to the plans' performance, our proposed AMDS plans demonstrate superior cost-effectiveness, discriminatory powers, and average run lengths than those of the SSP and MDS sampling plans. Furthermore, we tabulated the plan parameters under numerous conditions and delivered a real industry case to demonstrate its applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topper et al.[3] interpret it as a hemichordate-like echinoderm bridging the gap between these two morphologically disparate sister phyla, with important implications for understanding the origin and early evolution of echinoderms. This configuration differs from anything previously reported in echinoderms, including Cambrian forms with paired feeding appendages like I Ubaghsicystis i and I Dibrachicystis i , as well as the two-armed Ordovician echinoderm I Pleurocystites i . We infer shorter parsimony trees than those given in the main text of their paper and our strict consensus does not unambiguously place I Yanjiahella i with either echinoderms or hemichordates (Fig. If Topper et al.[3] are correct in interpreting I Yanjiahella i as the most plesiomorphic stem echinoderm, then this would be a highly significant discovery for echinoderm paleobiology. [Extracted from the article]

Land use/land cover (LULC) changes impact the structure and functioning of ecosystems, which consequently influences the provisioning of a range of ecosystem services (ES). There is a growing consensus regarding the merit of integrating the evaluation of ES into regional policy planning. The Yangtze River is the world's third longest and supports more than 6% of its population. However, assessing the potential impacts of different resource management policies upon ES is complicated in the Yangtze basin. To remedy this, here we designed a scenario analysis-based approach that used remotely sensed data and GIS (geographic information system) to analyze the relationships between ES (i.e., water flow regulation, water purification) and policies envisioned to improve human welfare in the Chongqing municipality, in the upper reaches of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) in the Yangtze basin. This watershed area has high population density and suffers from severe flood hazard and critical pollution issues. The GEOMOD modeling technique was used to predict LULC changes according to policy planning alternatives, producing scenarios by 2050 for the TGRA watershed. The GIS-based ES model (InVEST model) was developed as a tool to inform the decision-making process with the intention of aligning conservation measures with economic development. We examine policy effectiveness by comparing three scenarios for 2050: scenario-1 maintains the current policy, with no considerations of ES; scenario-2 integrates ES into policy planning; and scenario-3 integrates ES into policy planning considering the needs of local people. Our scenario-based LULC change analysis showed that the land with large increases in water flow regulation (i.e., values ≤–3000 × 103 m3 km-2) were scattered over the entire study area, while phosphorus reduction (i.e., values ≤ –30 kg km-2) were located mainly along rivers in all scenarios. Scenario-2 and scenario-3 are based on policies aiming at enhancing ES provisioning; for these, the projected ecological risks of water pollution are significantly reduced (39.97% and 37.58%, respectively). Total net changes of the investigated ES under scenario-2 or scenario-3 were almost double that occurring under scenario-1. Although scenario-2 and scenario-3 showed a near-equal total net change, water purification under scenario-2 was the greatest relative to forest expansion. However, scenario-3 offered the best future environmental development scenario, as it accounted for the demand and supply characteristics of water yield and purification in different regions. The water purification service made the greatest contribution to positive and negative effects (26%–47% and -7%, respectively) on ES provisioning. Linking water purification service to policy planning would effectively improve the overall ES. These scenario forecasting results will help the Three Gorges Dam to gain more ecological benefits via improvements to water flow regulation and the effective alleviation of degraded water quality in heavily populated regions in the Yangtze basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The transition of the energy system to renewable energy depends on how successfully the national objectives can be implemented at the lower planning levels. Germany pursues an incentive-oriented policy that is not spatially targeted and lets regional and local stakeholders determine where and how renewable energies are used. A core question is how to achieve the national goals, in a federal system that allows freedom of planning for the local communities. The aim of this paper is to show the discrepancies between the current expansion of wind energy and the necessary expansion that is derived from a scientific analysis. Methods: The study examined the policy objectives for the expansion of wind energy, based on a literature analysis. In a second step, the regulatory competences and spatial planning at the various levels and their influence on the expansion were explored. In a third step, the current procedure was compared with scientific scenarios of the energy system in 2050 and concretized using the example of the Hannover Region. Results: The theoretical and empirical analysis shows that people at regional level underestimate their responsibility for contributing to energy transition. The expansion targets for wind energy in the Hannover Region projected in the scientific scenario are above the minimum demand that the local authorities have assumed. The same applies to the state of Lower Saxony, which underestimates its own wind energy potential and thus its necessary contribution to achieving the national targets. Conclusions: We propose a nationwide coordinated strategy for the successful implementation of the energy transition. With the methodology described, regional targets can be determined and the responsibility of the region and the local actors can be clarified. With the help of spatial planning and public participation, the energy transition can be achieved with this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Spatial conservation prioritization (SCP) has most often been applied to the design of reserve network expansion. In addition to occurrences of species and habitats inside protected area candidate sites, one may also be interested about network-level connectivity considerations. Objectives: We applied SCP to the identification of ecological networks to inform the development of a new regional plan for the region of Uusimaa (South-Finland, including the Finnish capital district). Methods: Input data were 59 high-quality layers of biotope and species distribution data. We identified ecological networks based on a combination of a Zonation balanced priority ranking map and a weighted range size rarity map, to account for both relative and absolute conservation values in the process. We also identified ecological corridors between protected areas and other ecologically high-priority areas using the corridor retention method of Zonation. Furthermore, we identified candidate sites for habitat restoration. Results: We found seven large ecological networks (132–1201 km2) which stand out from their surrounding landscape in terms of ecological value and have clear connectivity bottlenecks between them. Highest restoration needs were found between large high-priority sites that are connected via remnant habitat fragments in comparatively highly modified areas. Conclusions: Land conversion should be avoided in areas of highest ecological priorities and network-level connectivity. Restoration should be considered for connectivity bottlenecks. Methods described here can be applied in any location where relevant spatial data are available. The present results are actively used by the regional council and municipalities in the region of Uusimaa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advocates the need for transformative planning practices to cope with contemporary crises of climate change and intensifying economic inequality that regions, city-regions, and cities are increasingly confronted with. In-depth examination of planning processes is useful to grasp some crucial promises and problems of transformative planning and open up new possibilities for practice. Accordingly, the paper includes an investigation into the Territory-Landscape plan-making process developed in the Apulia region, Italy. This explicitly and intentionally aimed at promoting a radical discontinuity in regional planning culture and practice by changing the well-established relationship between territory-landscape protection and spatial planning. The process revealed that 'landscape' could function as a constructive picklock for proposing an alternative to the development-as-growth model firmly entrenched in the region, and envisioning desirable futures focused on the concept of 'local self-sustainable development'. This implies subverting the hegemony of the 'economic' that has reduced dwellers to consumers, and the territory to a mere physical support for any kind of land transformation and urban development which exclude dwellers participation. Using the lens of transformative theory and building on an interpretive research approach that included also direct experience, the paper provides insights on changes in vision and concepts, discourses and practices, approach and instruments experienced in such a planning process. In conclusion, it reflects on lessons learned, and highlights some difficulties and contradictions with which the way towards transformative planning is paved for researchers engaged in turning their ideas into significant achievements in the real world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) could change travel patterns of the population significantly and with the rapid improvements in AV technology, transportation planners should address AV impacts in regional plans and project evaluations for the mid-term and long-term horizons (10–15 years and beyond). There are multiple travel model components from demand generation to network assignments that need to be modified, updated, or added to fully capture the potential impacts of AVs on regional travel patterns. This paper describes how the features of AVs were incorporated in the regional Activity-Based travel demand Model developed for Columbus, OH, metropolitan region. The model modifications included multiple adjustments to the travel demand sub-models, network assignments, as well as an addition of a new sub-model for vehicle routing and parking that addresses such new phenomenon as empty AV relocation trips. Due to many factors of uncertainty associated with AVs, a scenario-based approach was adopted for evaluation of the potential impacts of AVs on the travel patterns. The emphasis of the scenario analysis was on multiple dimensions of travel behavior in addition to such aggregate regional measures as VMT, etc. The paper presents an analysis of potential impacts of AVs on accessibility measures, activity participation, tour formation, and mode choice. The scenario analysis applied to the Columbus region showed overall logical potential impacts of AVs with many insights useful for transportation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shoreline change is an important morphological feature used to identify impacts on coastal processes caused by coastal infrastructure or natural conditions (e.g., storms or sea level rise), providing insightful information for coastal and shoreline management. While shoreline measurements are not always available, remote sensing data can provide shoreline position in scarce data areas, as well as in large and inaccessible regions. Nevertheless, few studies have used multi-temporal remote sensing data to study gradual changes for time frames of less than 10 years due to the low spatial resolution for detecting small changes. In this study, we explore the use of image data fusion from the Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre - 5 (SPOT-5), taking into account the accuracy of shoreline mapping to detect changes in both disturbed and undisturbed coasts during 10 years in the northwestern Yucatan coast. Our results show that using image data fusion in SPOT-5 images is a feasible method to detect shoreline change trends in a relatively short time frame. Based on the proposed method, we were able to identify the factors leading to shoreline trends. This methodology proves useful for shoreline management and is appropriate for the planning of future developments in areas for which data are scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the flow of spatial knowledge in different locations and territorial scales, focusing on the geographies of regional planning and its transplantation in the work of two Israeli planners, Arie and Ursula Oelsner. We argue that too often, researchers focus on the movement of spatial knowledge from Western countries to developing countries. We shed light on alternative ways in which this traffic follows different models, that are related to specific political and national constellations. Based on historical study and a thick description of two projects in Israel and Africa planned by these two Israeli planners, we show that spatial knowledge is not only the generator of discourse and of the professional community partaking in it, but also traverses space, crossing national borders and geographies. This dynamic, we suggest, has a politics of its own, as part of its movement and development within the global space, particularly in the movement between first and third worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IPCC has predicted that the Amazon rainforest will suffer strong consequences from a changing climate in the near future. The Amazon countries still have limited national policies on how to adapt and have failed to cooperate to promote adaptation plans at the regional level. Most studies have focused on adaptation policies at a local or national level, but overlook how these interact with the necessary regional cooperation required in transboundary ecosystems. This article assesses regional and national plans for climate adaptation in Amazonia, asking whether these provide a basis for regional adaptation policies. Have countries addressed climate adaptation in their NDCs and are there any synergies between countries? Are the Amazon countries currently implementing adaptation policies through the regional framework Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, and if so how? The analysis is then contrasted with the regional adaptation policies promoted in Central America, a region that faces similar challenges. The analysis finds that regional adaptation governance in the Amazon region is still incipient, and requires a holistic view that integrates a multi-stakeholder approach to climate adaptation. This article makes a vital contribution to the impact and contribution of Amazonia to climate governance, which is still poorly understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the urbanization and economic growth, planning of regional sustainable development has become one of the major challenges in the world. The key indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP), electricity and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission (GHG) are considered in sustainable development planning. This paper determines number of required workforce in different sectors of each province in Iran considering targets/goals for sustainable development indicators in the 2030 macroeconomic and regional planning. First, the relative goals are designed for GDP, electricity, energy and GHG emission and then, two weighted goal programming models are applied to allocate the optimal workforce among four sectors: agriculture, industry, services and transportation. The first model minimizes recruitment of new workforce and allows current workforce exchange among the four sectors in each province in order to achieve the goals, while the second model indicates equitable distribution of new workforce recruitment in different sectors within each province. In both models, the workforce changes have been investigated based on achieving the desirable growth rates of GDP, GHG, electricity and energy consumption as planned by the government. Based on the results of this paper, policy makers can manage workforce and the government can make optimized decisions to macroeconomic and regional planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of research, it is unclear under which circumstances travel is most onerous. While studies have found that some individuals derive positive utility from aspects of commuting, others have shown that traffic congestion can entail important time, monetary, and mental stress costs. Moreover, responses to traffic congestion-related stressors differs by individual characteristics. In response, this research captures how exposure to traffic congestion events, the duration of this exposure, and individual trait susceptibility to congestion affect the utility of commuting. Working through the lens of individual satisfaction with the duration of their commute, we show that not every minute of travel is valued the same by car commuters in Canadian cities. Results suggest a complex relationship between travel time, congestion, and individual predisposition to congestion-related stress. While improvements in travel time matter for increasing commute satisfaction, it is reductions in travel in congested conditions that matter most, particularly among those susceptible to congestion-related stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interest in bicycling and its determining factors is growing within the public health, transportation and geography communities. Ownership is one factor affecting bicycle usage, but work is still ongoing to not only quantify its effects but also to understand patterns in its growth and influence. In recent work, we mined and discovered patterns in global bicycle ownership that showed the existence of four characteristic country groups and their trends. Building on these results, we show in this paper that the ownership dataset can be modeled as a network. First, we observe mixing tendencies that indicate neighboring countries are more likely to be in the same ownership group and we map the likelihoods for cross-group mixings. Further, we define the strength of connections between countries by their proximity in ownership levels. We then determine the weighted degree assortative coefficient for the network and for each group relative to the network. We find that while the weighted degree assortativity of the ownership network is statistically insignificant, the highest and lowest ownership groups exhibit disassortative behavior with respect to the entire network. The second and third ranked groups, however, are strongly assortative. Our model serves as a step toward further work in studying the relationship between proximity and bicycle ownership among nations and unearthing possible patterns of influence. Considering further developments, this work can inform policy-relevant recommendations toward regional planning. This effort also contributes to expanding research in assortativity analyses, especially in weighted networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research that projects biophysical changes under climate change is more advanced than research that projects socio-economic changes. There is a need in adaptation planning for informed socio-economic projections as well as analysis of how these changes may exacerbate or reduce vulnerability. Our focus in this paper is on the delivery of time-sensitive socio-economic information that can better support anticipatory adaptation planning approaches. Using a ‘multiple lines of evidence’ approach based on Australian Bureau of Statistics’ data (2010/2011), we examine the socio-economic vulnerability of the grazing sector located on Australia’s east coast. We profile the east coast grazing sector through an overview of the composition of its workforce and the value of grazing commodities produced. We then assess the potential vulnerability of the grazing sector using spatial snapshots of five factors known to shape socio-economic vulnerability in New South Wales and Queensland: (1) reliance on agriculture, (2) geographic remoteness, (3) socio-economic disadvantage, (4) economic diversity and (5) age. Our assessment of the east coast grazing sector reveals six subregions characterised by high potential socio-economic vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. We find high percentages of labour forces employed in agriculture, geographic remoteness and age (high percentages of owner/managers and employees in younger age groups) to be drivers of vulnerability. Finally, we evaluate the ways in which these vulnerabilities may be exacerbated or reduced in light of emerging environmental, economic and social trends. This approach complements demographic projection methods to deliver time-sensitive socio-economic information to support anticipatory adaptation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional planning primarily aims at reducing the disparity in socio-economic status of the people, and the wide gulf between urban and rural life. A planning region or an area comprises of many complex structures and behavioural phenomena which more or less change with time due to some external forces acting upon or the internal forces acting within the regional system. While planning for the development of a region, the well-known phenomena and structures within the regional system can be considered. Further, the sustainable economic development of a region can only be achieved by ensuring the optimum utilization of resources. This requires plausible policy planning guidelines and feasible development plan, for which thorough grassroots level investigation is essential. In this present investigation, an attempt has been made to evolve a set of plausible policy guideline and recommendations for the sustainable economic development of Patna region, by considering it as a system, and considering the important control parameters of its subsystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Italy, the first law that puts landscape and historical buildings under public control was implemented in 1922. While this represents a significant achievement for those times, for that law landscape essentially has an historical and aesthetic connotation, without any explicit reference to the components of flora, fauna and geology. Today, many protection policies and initiatives are still biased by the lack of reference to the intrinsic value that biodiversity and ecosystem services have for the maintenance of traditional landscapes, as well as for the survival of the human species. The priority accorded to historical and aesthetic values can lead to a lack of attention to the complex relationship binding the natural environment, agriculture and urban processes. Hence, there is a need in Italy for an increased awareness of the functional role exerted by agriculture as a link between ecosystems and 'techno' systems. The complex and polysemic concept of landscape plays a crucial role in designing new strategies for the rural territories, their economies and their cultures. Moving towards a shared and integrated strategy for multifunctional agriculture involves a substantial revision of the general objectives of growth and development, combining conservation and innovation. In this respect, the full integration of the Strategic Environmental Assessment in regional planning processes is one possible method for building a framework in which policies to promote the development, protection and enhancement of landscapes can work in an integrated way. These observations lead to some final conclusions on the network logic which should drive the integration process of planning and evaluation, along with some reflections on the Italian programme for inland areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relocation of 400,000 Beijing municipal employees to Tongzhou promises to reduce congestion and pollution in the city center. Further, the relocation could facilitate economic cooperation and integration of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei megaregion. Together, these initiatives can help make Beijing and Northern China more resilient, though critical issues of the connectivity of Tongzhou to the rest of Beijing and the megaregion need to be addressed. This paper focuses on two questions related to the success of these efforts: (1) How many additional commuters can be expected to use the existing subway stations in Tongzhou as a result of the relocation; and (2) How can Tongzhou be better connected to the megaregion's high-speed rail network and a major airport. To answer the first question, a GIS-based model was used to analyze subway ridership data to estimate changes in rush hour commuters at Tongzhou's subway stations under three scenarios. The results estimate substantial increases in commuters unless large proportions of the workers move their residences to Tongzhou. To answer the second question, a Moving Platform Infrastructure Network (MPIN) was conceptualized as an innovative alternative to provide needed access to high-speed rail and a major airport. The resulting MPIN provides fast and environmentally sensitive connections, while potentially reducing congestion at the Beijing South railway station. In addition, the MPIN concept could be used in other parts of the megaregion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have analysed active and passive earth observation data for identifying the different geomorphic sub-provinces associated with coastal and fluvial geomorphic processes in the south-western part of Bengal Basin. For this purpose, variations in the spectral response of these sub-provinces in IRS P6 LISS III data are enhanced using principal component (PC) and independent component (IC) methods to spatially delineate the geomorphic sub-provinces and associated Quaternary sediments. It has been observed that the false colour composite derived using IC (first, second and third ICs) are effective in enhancing fluvial sub-provinces, while IC band 4, band 3 and band 2 are suitable to delineate coastal sub-provinces. On the other hand, PC composite derived using band 4, band 3 and band 1 are suitable to delineate different Quaternary sediments deposited within the spatial extent of geomorphic sub-provinces. Fused image enhanced products of IRS (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite) LISS III band and ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) PALSAR (Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar) polarisation bands are used to supplement and complement the variations observed for each geomorphic province in optical data as radar interactions are sensitive to variation in moisture and surface cover. Although there is a strong synergy between the spatial extent of geomorphic sub-provinces and the Quaternary units in terms of spatial disposition, different Quaternary units are also found within the same geomorphic province. Therefore, we have segmented each geomorphic sub-provinces based on the spatial extent of the different Quaternary deposits to identify few geoenvironmental (termed here as geomorpho-environmental) zones. In this regard, eleven zones are identified. Each zone has been characterised based on geomorphic stability, potentiality for agriculture practice, scope for urban development and reclamation. These geoenvironmental zones may provide important input to planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conditions for successful common-pool resources management institutions have been systematized by Elinor Ostrom as a set of 'design principles for robust governance'. The comparison of two attempts to developing a local informal managing institution for shrimp trawling, 30 years apart (the late 1970s and 2010 attempts), and in the same community (therefore, the same socioecological system-SES) in Southern Brazil, provides a convenient ground to test the hypothesis that the degree of success of each attempt is related to the degree of adherence to Ostrom's principles. Moreover, the comparison allows investigating how conditions and changes in the SES affect management institutions. Our institutional analysis showed that the 1970s attempt followed a local rule that best fitted almost all principles, which may explain its relative success and longer-lasting activity. However, changes such as the emergence of new technologies and increased fishing activity gradually led to an erosion of the local rule. A low level of group cohesion, regional socioeconomic changes, increased fishing effort, and lack of legal provisions for fishers to develop local managing institutions were the main factors that led to institutional failure in the two evaluated attempts. Additionally, the lack of ability to adapt to changing conditions weakened the continuity of the management regime. Although Brazil has created new fishery co-management policies, strategies to enable institutions at local levels are urgently needed for improved performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount of information required to adapt to climate change is vast: downscaled climate projections, information on environmental impact, sectoral performance, external drivers, regional strategies, policies and practices. It can be argued that most of this information is accessible at the community/regional level, and thus, the important challenges to adaptation are not information gaps, but constraints created by fragmented planning decisions and a sector-by-sector basis for financial and human resource allocations. To strategically address this through adaptation planning, we developed and tested a place-based decision-making framework that creates an integrated platform for considering regional and global sectoral drivers in Eastern Ontario, Canada. Using available socioeconomic and biophysical information from regional authorities, alternative future scenarios were used to describe the range of socioeconomic futures and their vulnerabilities to climate change. We found that: (1) integration of diverse sets of available data (rather than narrowly focused sectoral assessments) helped identify shared common objectives (maximizing the long-term environmental, economic, social well-being within the region), (2) a high degree of congruence existed as the key drivers of change, irrespective of sector, (3) exploring the future scenarios highlighted shared regional priorities and helped identify adaptation priorities requiring more integrated regional planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts of order and disorder applied to urban and territorial issues involve complex definitions. Why do cities, in spite of the effort made to give them order, even though from time to time this order has been codified in different ways, end up being untidy? In the context in which the two concepts will be used in this paper it is not possible to imagine them as alternatives, but they are taken as dialectically constituting territorial reality. 'Order' and 'disorder' oppose each other but do not clash with each other. In the hectic organisation of urban and territorial reality one stimulates the other and each, in opposing, determines change. The inclination towards order (or tendency towards order) tends, on the one hand, to 'repair' the disorder but, on the other, brings out the conditions for disorder to show itself again and materialise with its problems but with the vitality implicit in change. Change brings disorder but public commitment through institutions cannot but aspire to recover a level of order, hopefully, more advanced. Order and disorder are closely linked with each other, one producing the other in a circular process. The urban, precisely because of its constituent construction (social, productive and economic variability; clash between powers and options of models of society) cannot be stable, but the continuous recovery of 'order' responds not only to functional needs, but also to ethical options: we should not consider all urban 'order' as positive, compared with negative disorder; there are experiences of oppressive and coercive urban order. It is always disorder that determines better levels and quality of order. Though it may be the dynamic factor of every urban condition, we must remember that it always requires new order from which to start out again. Disorder, however it is identified, constitutes a permanent fact, inherent in the urban condition; it is neither the result of wrong planning (sometimes also this), nor of a perverse will, but rather of the dynamic mechanisms of the city itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When decarbonizing a state-wide energy system by introducing a growing share of renewable energies, underground energy storage can help to deal with fluctuating electric grid feed-in from renewables like wind power. Since besides energy storage other subsurface usages can claim or effect possible scarce suited underground spaces and interact with other usages at the surface, subsurface spatial planning is a growing field of interest for state authorities and in science now. Combining two-dimensional surface geodata on concerned fields like regional planning and energy infrastructure with three-dimensional geological data into one coherent data model could therefore support spatial planners in identifying and locating underground entities suited for energy storage. In this paper, a volumetric grid-based concept to integrate two- and three-dimensional geodata into one coherent data framework is implemented, including available data sets on geology, energy infrastructure and existing spatial plans. Missing spatial data on regional electric energy production and heat energy demand are derived from available primary data. Upon this data basis, a self-developed open source-based 3D webGIS prototype is utilized to identify and visualize potential underground spaces for a compressed air energy storage use case scenario at the example of the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein in North Germany. A first basic and a subsequently extended query via the 3D webGIS on the developed data model provide spatial information on search domains for potential energy storage sites in salt rock structures that could be integrated into emerging subsurface spatial planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing unsustainable natural resource use in agricultural landscapes is a complex social-ecological challenge that cannot be addressed through traditional reductionist science. More holistic and inclusive (or transdisciplinary) processes are needed. This paper describes a transdisciplinary project for natural resource management planning in two regions (Eyre Peninsula and South Australian Murray-Darling Basin) of southern Australia. With regional staff, we reviewed previous planning to gain an understanding of the processes used and to identify possible improvement in plan development and its operation. We then used an envisioning process to develop a value-rich narrative of regional aspirations to assist stakeholder engagement and inform the development of a land use management option assessment tool called the landscape futures analysis tool (LFAT). Finally, we undertook an assessment of the effectiveness of the process through semi-structured stakeholder interviews. The planning process review highlighted the opinion that the regional plans were not well informed by available science, that they lacked flexibility, and were only intermittently used after publication. The envisioning process identified shared values-generally described as a trust, language that is easily understood, wise use of resources, collaboration and inclusiveness. LFAT was designed to bring the best available science together in a form that would have use in planning, during community consultation and in assessing regional management operations. The LFAT provided spatially detailed but simple models of agricultural yields and incomes, plant biodiversity, weed distribution, and carbon sequestration associated with future combinations of climate, commodity and carbon prices, and costs of production. Stakeholders were impressed by the presentation and demonstration results of the software. While there was anecdotal evidence that the project provided learning opportunities and increased understanding of potential land use change associated with management options under global change, the direct evidence of influence in the updated regional plan was limited. This project had elements required for success in transdisciplinary research, but penetration seems limited. Contributing factors appear to be a complexity of climate effects with economic uncertainty, lack of having the project embedded in the plan revision process, limited continuity and capacity of end users and limited after project support and promotion. Strategies are required to minimise the controlling influence that these limitations can have. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are approximately one million existing electrically heated homes in the Northwest. The Northwest region of the USA as defined for this project includes the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana. Within this area, there are a range of climate zones. The region also includes a wide range of electric markets, from rural to large urban areas. Ductless heat pumps (DHPs) have the potential to save several hundred average megawatts in this market and reduce the carbon intensity of target homes by more than 30 %. To leverage this large potential resource for the region, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) used a holistic approach to design, implement, and evaluate the Northwest DHP Pilot Project. NEEA worked with contractors, manufacturers, distributors, and utilities to generate demand for DHPs, build a thriving and sustainable network to meet that demand, and ultimately transform the DHP market. NEEA designed the DHP Pilot Project evaluation to conduct an integrated assessment of DHP technical performance and market acceptance. The evaluation included five 'tiers' of DHP research: (1) market acceptance, including interviews with manufacturers, distributors, utilities, program implementation staff, and nearly 300 participants; (2) lab testing of two DHPs; (3) field monitoring of 95 participating homes; (4) billing analysis of the pilot population (3899 sites); and (5) cost-effectiveness analysis of the DHP measure. By taking a '360 degree' perspective, the evaluators were able to make granular distinctions between performance-based and behavior-based determinants of energy savings. This paper discusses the tools used to influence DHP market perception and to overcome skeptics of this technology. The paper also assesses the evaluation approach, including the pros and cons of assessing a technology and program design from multiple angles in order to identify reliable savings and the potential for future programs. The paper summarizes extensive primary research and case studies. As such, the paper focuses solely on the direct experience and findings from the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating crop suitability is usually based on traditional land approaches in many countries, using only agro-ecological zoning and soil data. However, land use is also controlled by socio-economic and other biophysical factors. It is actually unknown how coffee suitability is influenced by such socio-economic and biophysical factors. Therefore, here, we studied all known factors that influence coffee production in Rwanda using an inventory of small holder coffee fields, including at least 200 coffee trees. We identified 29 potential factors, including demography, and environmental factors such as climate, soil and topography. These factors were reduced to 17 variables explaining 86 % of the total dataset variability, by factor analysis. The dataset was subsequently stratified into ten agro-ecological zones, yielding regional models that explain regional variability of coffee field density up to 54 %. Regional models show that 60 % of the actual coffee farms are located in suitable locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moral issues in urban planning involving technology, residents, marginalized groups, ecosystems, and future generations are complex cases, requiring solutions that go beyond the limits of contemporary moral theory. Aside from typical planning problems, there is incongruence between moral theory and some of the subjects that require moral assessment, such as urban infrastructure. Despite this incongruence, there is not a need to develop another moral theory. Instead, a supplemental measure that is compatible with existing moral positions will suffice. My primary goal in this paper is to explain the need for this supplemental measure, describe what one looks like, and show how it works with existing moral systems. The secondary goal is to show that creating a supplemental measure that provides congruency between moral systems that are designed to assess human action and non-human subjects advances the study of moral theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, South Africa has a single national piece of legislation, the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 2013, that creates an overarching framework for spatial planning, policy and land use management for the entire country, including rural and informal settlements. Spatial plans linked to zoning schemes are at the heart of this planning system. However, zoning as a land use management tool has been intensely criticised as being exclusionary and socially, economically and environmentally unsustainable. Given that the purpose of the new legislation is to create equitable and sustainable development, this paper questions whether zoning is indeed the most suitable land use management tool in South Africa. The paper briefly outlines the requirements of the new act and then evaluates the usefulness of various forms of land use management such as land use zoning, performance zoning, form-based control and discretionary systems in the South African context. Drawing on the strengths of some of the alternative land use management systems, proposals are made for a more suitable land use management system for South Africa that could have applicability in other countries with a similar colonial history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective integration across policy domains and between spatial scales is indispensable in dealing with the inherently complex process of policy formulation and implementation at all levels. In this paper, we examine the key features of Ghana's spatial planning system focusing on the mechanisms and challenges of policy integration in practice. We show that a combination of path dependence and recent reforms has inevitably created two distinctly separate planning systems: an established Development Planning System and a newly instituted Spatial Planning System. Under the established notion of the 'spatial' being distinctively separate from the 'socio-economic' in planning, these two systems deploy separate institutional and legal arrangements as well as policy instruments to accomplish the task of planning. Within this context, mechanisms to ensure effective policy integration were found to be weak and ineffective. Moreover, the absence of a tradition of strategic regional planning and a culture of strategic partnerships among local authorities, the lack of appropriate institutional arrangements and sustainable sources of finance and duplicitous institutional functions were the key barriers to effective integration within the new concept of hierarchical spatial planning. We argue that a new paradigm of integrated planning under a unified planning system is urgently needed as a pre-condition for effective multi-level policy integration. We suggest that some forms of institutional restructuring would be necessary to establish a tradition of integrated planning. Finally, we recommend the use of legally binding mechanisms to institutionalize and enforce a culture of strategic alliance among local governments in cross-cutting matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical planning is influenced by a number of variables. The key among these in the Ghanaian context is the system of land governance. This paper attempts to examine the extent to which the decentralised planning system of Ghana is capable of addressing the challenges facing mid-sized cities, particularly under the reformed land governance system. This is important because physical planning in Ghana is organised under a system whereby land is governed and/or owned by authorities other than the state apparatus. Two key questions are the basis for this enquiry-how is physical planning in Ghana conceived and actually executed? What are the characteristics of the reformed land governance system of Ghana and how have these affected decentralised physical planning and spatial governance? A case study approach which enables a detailed and holistic analysis of the phenomenon was used to investigate physical planning practice in a selected mid-sized city in Ghana. The study establishes that physical planning in Ghana is not driven by long-term sustainable development visions; there is the absence of planning concepts, principles and norms; and there is no clear land use regulator. The study recommends that the local government bodies in Ghana take up their responsibility as land use regulators by improving the capacity of their physical planning departments to deliver on their mandate. It is also recommended that physical planning be conducted in a participatory manner within the framework of the National Development Planning (Systems) Act 1994 (Act 480). It is argued that this will imply a move away from 'zoning and rezoning' to strategic spatial planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Although there is a need to develop a spatially explicit methodological approach that addresses the social importance of cultural ecosystem services for regional planning, few studies have analysed the spatial distribution on the cultural ecosystem services based on social perceptions. Objective: The main objective of this study was to identify cultural ecosystem service hot-spots, and factors that characterize such hot-spots and define the spatial associations between cultural ecosystem services in Southern Patagonia (Argentina). Methods: The study was carried out in Southern Patagonia (243.9 thousand km) located between 46° and 55° SL with the Andes mountains on the western fringe and the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern fringe of the study area. The study region has a range of different vegetation types (grasslands, shrub-lands, peat-lands and forests) though the cold arid steppe is the main vegetation type. We used geo-tagged digital images that local people and visitors posted in the Panoramio web platform to identify hot-spots of four cultural ecosystem services (aesthetic value, existence value, recreation and local identity) and relate these hot-spots with social and biophysical landscape features. Results: Aesthetic value was the main cultural service tagged by people, followed by the existence value for biodiversity conservation, followed by local identity and then recreational activity. The spatial distribution of these cultural ecosystem services are associated with different social and biophysical characteristics, such as the presence of water bodies, vegetation types, marine and terrestrial fauna, protected areas, urbanization, accessibility and tourism offer. The most important factors are the presence of water in Santa Cruz and tourism offer in Tierra del Fuego. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that this methodology is useful for assessing cultural ecosystem services at the regional scale, especially in areas with low data availability and field accessibility, such as Southern Patagonia. We also identify new research challenges that can be addressed in cultural ecosystem services research through the use of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the province of Québec in Canada, in accordance with the Land Use Planning and Development Act of 1987, every regional county municipality must maintain in force, at all times, an RCM plan applicable to its whole territory. An RCM plan must, regarding the territory of a regional county municipality, determine the general aims of land development policy for the region and identify the public policies on land use of the territory for the different parts of it. Along with the baseline information and the interlinking of the environmental components of the territory, one of the most significant operations involved in planning is the identification of best scenarios or options that involve, very early in the process, conceptualization and formalization of the system under study. However, in accordance with the systemic nature of this problem, several methodological questions have to be addressed before entering the procedure. Among these, how does one gather intelligence on a complex geographical system in an integrated and systematic approach? How can we formalize environmental, social and political interactions and feedback running within these complex systems? How can we point out the fundamental challenges of these interactions? For the specialist in regional planning, these questions can be difficult to manage in an operational context, mainly because of efficiency reasons. The main objectives of this contribution are to show the relevance of an adapted soft system methodology to gather intelligence on the overall functioning and structure of a geographical system at the subregional level scale. The case study is part of a wider academic research project. Thus, the participative process, very particular to Checkland's SSM, has been partially simulated for the purpose of our demonstration, as we postulated that the stakeholders shared the same views about the problem. In that, we saw the SSM as an adaptable methodology, and with the problems experienced individually by regional planners, we add some of our ideas to the method as we adapted it to this particular context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study combines statistical methods and a Markov model to analyze interregional differences in land use in Beijing since 2003 and to predict land use changes for 2015 and 2019. First, the paper proposes a new concept, land use flow, which counts the change in area from the beginning to the end of the period of interest, to analyze changing land use patterns using statistical records from 2003 to 2011. Second, based on land use data between 2003, 2007 and 2011, this paper applied a Markov model to the prediction of Beijing land use in 2015 and 2019. The results show that: (1) the area of arable land decreased significantly across all of Beijing, with the greatest decrease, 6,953 ha, occurring in Tongzhou. The amount of urban land increased significantly, particularly in eastern and southern Beijing, in areas such as Chaoyang, Tongzhou and Daxing. The amount of land use for orchards fluctuated depending on the distance from the city center; (2) Haidian experienced the greatest change in its ratio of land use flow to urban land (100 %), while Tongzhou had the greatest reduction in arable land (−67.6 %); (3) the annual rate of land use change for Beijing as a whole was 0.89 %. Fangshan had the highest rate of annual conversion to grassland (13.2 %), while the Daxing District had the highest rate of change to urban land (5.1 %). Shijingshan experienced the greatest rate of annual change to other uses due to its small base (135.38 %); and (4) the predictions suggest that urban land is increasing and arable land is decreasing in the 14 districts and counties of Beijing. Several conclusions can be drawn from these results. First, the concept of land use flow is useful for analyzing land use change and simplifies previous methods that were based on descriptions of the change orientation. Moreover, an understanding of the sub-flow of land use is improved by the linkage between land use change and the Markov model. Second, the predictions of land use in 2015 and 2019 suggest problems of urban sprawl and diminishing arable land in the patterns of land use that exist in Beijing and that will continue in the future. In terms of sustainability and Beijing's goal of being a world city, the findings can help local authorities better understand and address a complex urban master plan, and develop improved land use management strategies that can better balance urban expansion and ecological conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of regional vulnerability to climate change has become an important issue in climate change adaptation. In order to aid decision making in terms of prioritising adaptation action or allocating resources for adaptation measures, both scholars and policy makers emphasise the need for comprehensive and spatially explicit vulnerability studies. Adaptive capacity is not only an important part of vulnerability assessments, it also underlies and enables the governing of adaptation activities, thus making it an issue relevant to policy. Hence, the assessment of adaptive capacity gives decision makers on international, national and regional level important information to develop adaptation policy. Drawing on current vulnerability and adaptive capacity studies, the objective of this paper is to present a framework that structures adaptive capacity assessments based on science-policy interaction, discussing the objectives of the assessment, the methodology and the use of results. The framework is applied to two examples: a pan-European assessment of adaptive capacity and an assessment of the adaptive capacity of the tourism sector in the European Alps, both on the regional level. The main findings show how decisions related to methodology can influence the use of results in decision making. In conclusion, this paper contributes to the literature by arguing that more attention needs to be paid to assessment design in order to better support the mobilisation of adaptive capacity for adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Last decade's surge in commodity prices has now abated, but some of its effects on the mining industry may well be longer-lasting. The combination of booming consumer demand and continued depletion of mineral deposits in established producing nations expanded investor attention to the developing world. Projects grew bigger to capture economies of scale and compensate for rising capital costs, and the industry's pipeline soon filled with some of the largest projects ever proposed. Expectations of social and economic gain in mineral-rich nations also increased dramatically, fuelling a surge of resource nationalism worldwide. As a new tier of developers courted governments to access mineral resources, a sense of choice became entrenched. Individual mining corporations came under pressure to demonstrate that their ever-larger investments delivered commensurate economic benefits to host countries. In an attempt to balance the need to attend to local hegemony in policy making with a growing interest in economic development outcomes, some large mining corporations have started to develop innovative responses-illustrated in this paper with the case of Simandou and its promotion of a Southern Guinea Growth Corridor. The authors contend that a company's ability to address and manage development matters will become an increasingly important dimension of competitive advantage in the mining industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of urban and regional plans have been developed with the advancement of urbanization and regional integration, among which the delineation of sphere of urban influence and improvement of integration between the city and its hinterland have become vital important for guiding practices. In terms of delineating sphere of urban influence, existing studies have been focused on static study by using single year data or single method, resulting in a lack of time-series longitudinal analysis or comprehensive analysis based on multiple methods. This study emphasizes on comparing two methods from both the theoretical and empirical perspective. Both gravity model and improved field model are applied to the selected study area for measurements and comparison, to explore their strengths and weaknesses. A research framework for comprehensive analysis on delineating sphere of urban influence is proposed. In the end, the differences of delineating methods are illustrated and the feasibility of comprehensive analysis is discussed. Recommendations are provided for selecting appropriate methods for delineating sphere of urban influence or developing regional hierarchy system plans and urban spatial structure schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and use of the conceptual framework of ecosystem services (ES) has been very successful in supporting the broad diffusion and application of ES within science and policy communities. However, most of the currently proposed interpretations of the framework neither correlate to environmental planning nor to decision-making contexts at the local and regional scale, which is a potential reason for the slow adoption and practice of the ES conceptual framework. This paper proposes a practice-oriented ES evaluation (PRESET) model specifically adapted to the requirements of local and regional planning and decision-making contexts, and discusses its potential benefits and implications for practice. Through the usage of PRESET we suggest making a distinction between 'offered ES', 'utilized ES', 'human input', and 'ES benefits' as relevant information for decision-making. Furthermore, we consider it important to link these decision-support categories to different value dimensions relevant in planning and management practice. PRESET provides guidance to inject the ES concept into planning, but needs to be implemented together with concrete assessment methods, indicators and data. The planning strategic benefits of using PRESET include its reference to existing legislative objectives, avoiding the risk that monetized ES values might dominate decision-making, clarification of human contributions, and easier identification of land use conflicts and synergies. Examples are given for offered and utilized ES, as well as for respective evaluation approaches and instruments of implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While political and scientific interests in ecosystem services (ES) information increases, actual implementation in planning still remains limited. We investigated how landscape and regional planners in Germany already use environmental information, and explored their perceptions concerning an integration of additional information on ES in their work. Four themes are addressed: (1) existing decision-making contexts, (2) current use of environmental information, (3) perceived options for integrating ES information, and (4) useful ES information formats. The research method consists of semi-structured interviews and a web-based survey with German landscape and regional planners. Results are disaggregated between landscape and regional planners, as well as planners with and without prior knowledge of the ES concept. Our results illustrate that a broad range of environmental information is already used that could be associated with ES, but the two most frequently consulted data, species and habitats, relate more to biodiversity. Stronger integrating ES information in planning was generally perceived as useful. However, implementation would often require a mandate from higher-ranking policy levels and the provision of appropriate resources. Project-oriented planning, public information and regional development were seen as promising application contexts. Contrary to our expectations, planners with prior knowledge of the ES concept did not evaluate the usefulness of ES information significantly more optimistic. No single optimal ES information format (ordinal, cardinal, economic valuation) emerged, but context-specific combinations were proposed. The results present valuable guidance for studies and assessments that aim at addressing the ES information needs and requirements of decision makers, and planners in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses importance of higher education on social and economic development, knowledge transfer and regional development.