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An anion exchange method was employed to determine phytate content of industrial crude and degummed soybean oil and soybean oil purchased at retail. The phytate content of crude oil ranged from 48.9–339.4 ppm and degummed oil ranged from 3.9–50.9 ppm phytate. Degumming removed from 16.1–97.1% of the phytate. Retail oil did not contain detectable amounts of phytate. Peroxide values were measured to test the effect of added phytate on the stability of oil exposed to heat, light and copper. In these tests phytate did not affect oil stability.

Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2022; Aachen : RWTH Aachen University 1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen (2022). doi:10.18154/RWTH-2022-10459 = Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2022, Almost all future growth in the world's population will take place in urban areas, so that by 2050 about 68% of the world's population and 88.4% of the population in high-income countries will live in cities (UN, 2019). At the same time, global food production, including pre- and post-production, is responsible for approximately 21 - 37 % of net anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating global surface temperature rise (IPCC, 2021). Therefore, our current food systems need to be made more sustainable and at least partially embedded in urban space. The concepts of the circular city offer a suitable framework for this. One resource-efficient technology that can play a role in this is aquaponics, the production of fish and plants, which saves water, nutrients and energy through the synergistic coupling of a recirculating aquaculture system with hydroponics. The aim of this dissertation is to make a theoretical contribution to the transformation of the food system in this context by evaluating the potential of aquaponics for urban regions and thus to contribute to the promotion of sustainable urban development, thereby gaining knowledge on the research fields of aquaponics, circular cities and urban and regional planning. Moving the production of freshwater fish, lettuce and tomatoes through aquaponics to a city like Berlin could significantly reduce the environmental impact. Yet self-sufficiency does not necessarily mean sustainability. For one thing, the physical, economic and organisational parameters change with the size of a plant, and so does the environmental impact per unit of production. For another, energy sources from the circular economy must be included in order to make the shift in production sustainable. For this work, existing conflicting definitions of aquaponics were discussed and a revised taxon of "aquaponics" was presented based on a sound and justified definition. Additional new terms are proposed: trans-aquaponics and aquaponics farming (as a generic term for aquaponics and trans-aquaponics) as well as coupling type and coupling degree. Terms are also proposed for the circular economy and circular city in order to better conceptualise these research areas, including the generic term entity for the nodes of the circular network. Here, spatial identifiers were specified and considerations were made about the system boundary of the circular city. In order to be able to represent the elements of a circular economy network topology in a uniform way, an information model for nature-based solutions and connecting resource flows was developed. Ecological, socio-economic, cultural and political factors that determine aquaponics farming in a city region were presented from a systems analysis perspective. In this work, it was determined that the 3.77 million inhabitants in Berlin will require 21 kilotonnes (kt) of freshwater fish and fish products, 108 kt of fresh tomatoes (also for tomato products) and 27 kt of lettuce on the demand side in 2020. To meet this demand, on the supply side, about 370 intra-urban (0.6 ha) or 16 peri-urban (14 ha) aquaponics facilities are required, each with a total area of 224 hectares. A sufficiently large number of buildings have been identified that are suitable in terms of size, function and geometry to accommodate intra-urban aquaponics facilities. A reduction in negative environmental impacts was found in all LCA impact categories investigated for vegetable production (supply side) in optimised rooftop aquaponics. In terms of water consumption, aquaponics production would save about two million m³ of water compared to the status quo. On the demand side, a change in dietary habits towards an increased share of freshwater fish is discussed. It has been shown that larger-scale aquaponics application can reduce the ecological footprint of cities like Berlin and increase their resilience in terms of food security. Significant causal chains were identified for a relocation of production to Berlin with regard to the food - water - energy nexus. The strain on the natural water balance would decrease in Almería (Spain), but increase in Berlin. There is a lot of competition for use both on the ground and on the roofs in Berlin and thus a high pressure on the limited available space, which would increase through the implementation of aquaponics. The spatial impact of the facilities is mediated by their structures: building-integrated facilities in the intra-urban space and large, free-standing halls in the peri-urban space. Weighty reasons have been compiled that speak for aquaponics in an urban context, including: • The use of energy resources of the circular city. • The zero net land use of building-integrated aquaponics. • Low impact on transport. On the other hand, there are arguments against it, such as low economies of scale, which lead to reduced revenues, and intensive utilisation pressure, which is associated with higher costs. After weighing up the advantages and disadvantages, it seems sensible to consider further locations in the city's hinterland. The aim is to use peri-urban areas without giving up the benefits of aquaponics in intra-urban areas. Options are: • Sustainable energy supply, which could be achieved in the cold season through decentralised solutions and grid-based long-term energy storage. • Use of brownfield sites or existing land potential in commercial and industrial areas, excluding valuable soils or habitats. • The inclusion of logistics centres on the outskirts of the city can reduce intra-urban transport advantages. The results of this study show that Berlin can be self-sufficient in terms of aquaponic products. Taking realistic boundary conditions into account, a scenario was developed that envisages not only intra- but also peri-urban locations. The concepts of the productive city can offer opportunities for the implementation of urban aquaponics. The recommendations to policy makers are: • In the context of urban agriculture, aquaponics and trans-aquaponics should be a topic of Berlin's strategies and planning, with the aim of using circular economy resources in the city and making food production visible to citizens. • In the city-region, only aquaponics with integration of sustainable energy sources should be promoted. • Intra-urban space is prioritised. • Brownfield sites should be prioritised over unused commercial/industrial sites in the surrounding areas. • Freshwater fish should be preferred over meat in animal protein production. This should be taken into account in subsidies and propagated in public nutrition campaigns. • Simplification of the complex legal framework is needed. These political recommendations should be reflected in the planned Berlin Sustainability Strategy 2030. The range of methods developed in this work can also be applied to other urban regions, taking into account the concrete framework conditions., Published by RWTH Aachen University, Aachen

Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2021; Aachen : RWTH Aachen University 1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen, Diagramme (2021). = Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2021, The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential for citizen participation as a mechanism for management of Green Infrastructure (GI) within NW and Europe through evaluation of case studies on the ground in contrasting geographical regions, but with a particular emphasis on the Aachen City Region, Städteregion Aachen. In recent years there has been a growing awareness of the concept of Green Infrastructure (GI) approaches which aim to deliver integrated environmental services and sustainable development benefits across a broad range of ecological, social and economic themes. Significantly, the multi-functionality of landscapes is considered to be a key attribute of GI, with areas expected to simultaneously provide diverse functions such as biodiversity, food production, soil conservation, water & climate regulation, recreation & tourism, wellbeing and cultural services. This contrasts markedly with previous sectorial approaches to landscape management which tended to focus upon single issues such as nature protection, food production or recreation. The growing acknowledgement of the requirement for an integrated approach to GI in Europe is reflected within the EU legislative and policymaking processes. Significant drivers for this, have included global climate change, biodiversity loss and sustainable development policies at national, European and global scale. Parallel to the EU prioritisation of strategic approaches to GI, is the growing shift towards so-called “mosaic” forms of governance; participatory approaches which involve diverse stakeholders - including local citizens groups, statutory authorities and mentoring organisations - working in partnership, often at a local level. Significantly, the European Commission recognises the benefits of such processes and stresses the social outcomes that these can deliver, noting that, “implementing GI features in urban areas creates a greater sense of community, strengthens the link with voluntary actions undertaken by civil society, and helps combat social exclusion and isolation. They benefit the individual and the community physically, psychologically, emotionally and socio-economically”. The Aachen City Region was selected as suitable study area for this purpose given its prominent position at the “heart of Europe”, on the border of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, its range of geographical zones, habitat types and its diverse patterns of population distribution. For the purposes of comparison and for providing additional insights, additional case study examples from Scotland were also incorporated into the study at a later stage. Scotland has a strong tradition of community greenspace management, volunteering and citizen engagement within the natural resources sector. In contrast to Germany, Scotland has actively pursued high level legislation and mainstreaming of governmental polices which aim to promote and facilitate direct participation in GI and land management by local citizens’ groups. This makes it a valuable example for the purposes of contrasting and comparison. At a practical level, the Study aimed to identify and define the extent of GI network in the Aachen City Region and then to research and collate examples of citizen participation within the Study Region through desk based research, insider expert knowledge and evidence from the field. These processes resulted in the selection and identification of detailed case studies. These were aligned along a transect which represented rural, peri-urban and urban areas of the Städteregion Aachen. Interviews with local residents and stakeholder groups were undertaken within each of the case study areas. Through use of a comparison Framework and SWOT analysis of the selected case studies, key positive and negative learning points were identified from each location. Similarly, a lesser number of case studies were identified from Central Scotland for comparison purposes, using existing officially documented examples of citizen participation. A similar process of detailed evaluation was then also undertaken for each of the identified Scottish case study examples. Through these processes a series of policy guidelines were formulated and grouped under 14 key headings. These aimed at improving support structures available to local citizens groups from statutory authorities and mentoring bodies through proposing a series of practical reforms to policy, funding streams and delivery structures. These also included a number of keystone measures; in particular the creation and development of a strategic GI partnership structure for the Städteregion Aachen to enhance the interface and thematic links between top-down policy driven approaches and bottom-up citizen led actions. Consideration was made as to the practicality of implementing these measures through stakeholder dialogue. Obtaining such stakeholder feedback became more difficult in the later stages of the research due to the impacts of the Corona Pandemic. Final conclusions consider more generally at a more conceptual level, the drivers of change needed to facilitate the processes of bottom up, citizen led participation through bringing about institutional change within statutory bodies and mentoring organisations and their associated interactions with local citizens’ groups. The practical extent to which such approaches might be applied and promulgated across borders to deliver multifunctional GI outcomes is given consideration given the extent of local cultural, administrative and fiscal influences., Published by RWTH Aachen University, Aachen

Dissertation, RWTH Aachen University, 2021; Aachen : RWTH Aachen University 1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen (2021). = Dissertation, RWTH Aachen University, 2021, Urban agricultural heritage is a new research topic that has much potential, and as such, needs to be explored in-depth. It has had a direct bearing on the formation, development and distribution of cities, and therefore, the long history of urban agriculture development is worth investigating. In the past, suppliers around a city offered food, such as fruits and dairy products, every day to urbanites. Over the centuries, due to the development of modern science and technical applications, urbanites now have the opportunity to buy food from around the world daily. It is clear that traditional agriculture industries in or around cities are losing their status and original functions. Nowadays, plenty of historical sites may exist in agricultural areas, either nearby or within the city. Occasionally, traditional agriculture is protected as a cultural heritage, which is a specific approach to agricultural conservation. Numerous potential urban agricultural heritage sites are embedded in urban or peri-urban areas, particularly in China. However, these places are largely neglected or have been reconstructed and exploited haphazardly; the main reason for this neglect lies in the lack of concern from the public and relevant researchers. This research emphasises the concept and preservation strategies of urban agricultural heritage. It attaches importance to protecting and using innovation with existing urban agricultural heritage sites so that specific agricultural traditions can be inherited by future generations and, at the same time, culture homogenisation in the process of urban development can be avoided. First, this study introduces the current types and characteristics of urban agricultural heritage. It offers the concept of urban agricultural heritage from manifestation, ecological, social, and economic dimensions. Second, through three international best practices in China (the Xuanhua urban grape garden in Zhangjiakou Province), Germany (urban gardening in Bamberg), and Italy (traditional farmsteads in the Metropolitan City of Milan), the research summarises the current status of urban agricultural heritage preservation and management approaches. After the comparison of preservation strategies in different countries, this study formulates the criteria and procedure for the detection of urban agricultural heritage sites. Finally, Hangzhou in China is used as a practice site. An overall preservation and development strategy for urban agricultural heritage has been proposed, which formulates the development goals for different districts of the city. Then, based on the detection procedure mentioned above, it goes further to explore a potential urban agricultural heritage site – the Xiaolin ginger growing area. Several suggestions have been proposed, which may contribute to urban agricultural heritage preservation and regional development in the future., Published by RWTH Aachen University, Aachen

Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2019; Aachen 1 Online-Ressource (XII, 273 Seiten) : Illustrationen, Diagramme (2019). = Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2019, Open spaces in urban areas are of eminent significance for the people living there as they do not just offer the possibility to stay out in nature but also provide different possibilities for outdoor pursuits. Especially public open spaces can be used as a means of recreation, movement and communication. By their existence and beyond, by their use, they have the potential to contribute to a health promoting city (development). The positive effects on the health of the urban population are currently being re-focused on science, politics and planning. In addition the development from a pathogenic to an increasingly salutogenic attribution of meaning can be recognized. Being health-promoting structures in towns, great importance is attached in particular to natural elements and open spaces that are green and rich in vegetation. The availability of open spaces is, however, not granted to all town people and also the development of new open spaces is often not possible due to a lack of resources. As a consequence, given urban structures should be used at best and also the potential of vegetation-free and unused or inaccessible spaces should not be neglected for a health-promoting open space utilization. Thus, the paper at hand goes beyond the consideration of vegetation-rich spaces, comparing the health-enhancing effects of divergent types of open spaces. So, in fact, the aim of this study is to identify open space specific (feel-good) factors, which can be taken into account in urban and open space planning processes in order to ensure that the urban population uses public open spaces in a health-promoting way and appropriates them. The focus is on the identification of factors that influence the use, perception and appropriation of urban open spaces as well as the psychological well-being of open space users, in particular the current well-being during open space use. The core of this multistage research study is a fieldwork survey of 216 town people in seven heterogenic, urban open spaces carried out with the help of a standardized face-to-face interrogation. Besides different types of green areas (green spaces), the survey has its focus on water-rich areas (blue spaces) as well as a sealed open space (grey space). On the basis of a descriptive-statistic evaluation two further surveys follow. In them, 92 users and non-users of a problematic open space as well as 158 users of a novel type of open space will be asked about their patterns of perception, use and appropriation. This study broadens the actual state of research by proving on an empirical basis that not only green or blue but also grey open spaces do have a positive influence on a health-promoting urban development. Thus, it is shown that open spaces can be used and perceived in a versatile way, and that, regardless of the type of open space, their use is associated with increased positive well-being. Moreover, it indicates factors which affect behavioral pattern, perception as well as wellbeing of town people using certain open spaces. Next to personal aspects and factors that are independent from open spaces, those factors which are specific to open spaces also play a certain role within this context. In addition to that, this research work stresses that new types of open spaces are used by the urban population in their free time. This should encourage city planners and researchers to think about new types of urban open spaces as these are needed in order to face current social and economical challenges with regard to city planning. Furthermore, the paper at hand makes clear that different disciplines call for a quantitatively and qualitatively good supply of open spaces in the city in order to improve the living conditions there. The qualities of specific open spaces as well as the area-wide provision of different types of open spaces ensure the success of public open spaces as health promoting structure in the city., Published by Aachen

Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2019; Aachen 1 Online-Ressource (207 Seiten) : Illustrationen, Diagramme (2019). = Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2019, In the future, an increasing number of regions will be characterized by fundamental change. Large-scale trends such as climate change, resource scarcity, digitization, economic limitations and financial crises are becoming increasingly influential, thus resulting in transformations. The Ruhr area, for example, has demonstrated, following on from the decline of the mining industry, that such transformations can result in crises within regions. These include negative consequences of economic, social and ecological dimensions to which society must respond to with complex and respectively costly repair solutions. Alternatively, transformative sciences, such as geography/landscape research and regional development planning operate through rather more proactive approaches. These have potential interrelationships with new discourses regarding the approach to, and the process of design e.g. the possibilities of "Regional Design". Might a synthesis of knowledge potentially mobilize and unleash new potential? This is the starting point for this dissertation. The aim is to describe a transdisciplinary concept for action on a regional scale, which is termed as "Proactive Transformation". How can changes to the system be addressed through the co-operation of diverse stakeholders in proactive rather than reactive ways? How can a reorganization phase be initiated at an early stage in the process? The associated possibilities for designers to be involved from the beginning of the process are investigated in particular detail. The first chapter examines large-scale trends and identifies general requirements for a Proactive Transformation. The second chapter develops the basics for action through a critical review of the development of two regions in Germany. Based upon these findings, the third chapter develops a new model for strategic development ("Regional Strategic Design"). In parallel, the building blocks of this model have been tested within a real experimental situation involving stakeholders at a regional level. The fourth chapter documents this process and its results. The Rhenish Mining Area (germ.: Rheinisches Revier) in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia has served as a case study region. Strategic categories with an emphasis upon particular themes were developed (i.e. Regional Power Plant, Circular Building Economy, Agro business Region, Lakes and Open Space System), urban design and landscape architectural prototypes were conceptualized and initial steps towards implementation were made. The evaluation of the real experimental results reflects the perceived role of designers during the process. The dissertation ends with conclusions about the concept of Proactive Transformation and a consideration of the future possibilities for Regional Strategic Design., Published by Aachen

In the course of the last two decades, landscape architectural practice has created numerous parks in which agricultural or silvicultural production is integrated as an important land-use or even a central as-pect of the design concept. Until now, this phenomenon has not been investigated on a broad empirical basis. Neither has it been analysed in relation to the development of landscape architecture as a disci-pline and the park as one of its most prominent objects.The present study fills this research gap. It explores and describes this new kind of park under the name of the Productive Park. Part of the investigation is to outline the role of Productive Parks in the history of European landscape architecture based on literature search. Subsequently, the recent practice of Pro-ductive Parks is analysed on the basis of 16 case studies. The analysis focusses on four research ques-tions: The extent to which contemporary practice aligns with the historical tradition of Productive Parks; the comparison of the analysed parks in consideration of the few existing theoretical approaches to the question of how park and production may integrate; the definition of the Productive Park as a new type of park as well as the creation of a spatial typology based on empirical research; and finally, the exploration of models of action applicable to the creation and maintenance of Productive Parks.Especially the two latter research questions are sustained by two different dimensions of the term “park”, which can be traced back to the radicals “parricus” (enclosure) and “parcere” (save, treat with care). As a noun, parricus describes the spatial character and the physical elements of a park. The verb parcere de-scribes the actions when dealing with commons that need to be protected and developed. The comple-mentarity of these two dimensions structures the research. Finally, in the conclusions, both aspects are combined in complex design strategies. Three models of Productive Parks are described. They are meant to be a guideline and and provide inspiration for future teaching and practice in landscape architecture.From the historical view, the productive use of nature is the origin of the park. In the course of several centuries and spanning different stylistic periods, parks served as a laboratory and model for innovation in agriculture and forestry. From the 19th century onwards, the importance of this role has gradually de-creased and the park has been transformed into the urban park, a protected space for recreation oriented towards social and societal development. In recent years, the interest in production in parks is regrowing. It connects innovative models of agricultural production with new forms of common work and production.The 16 parks analysed here by means of literature research, plan analysis and site visits give evidence of the new importance of production in parks. Based on their main components (productive land, access network, space-defining plantations, equipment elements), these parks can be classified in different types of spatial structure. The connection between production in the park and other physical elements can be sorted according to the types of integration also presented in the comparative analysis of the case-study parks. The types of spatial structure and of integration can be read as a catalogue of possible design solutions for Productive Parks.Co-Production has been identified as the most important approach for the creation and maintenance of Productive parks as common good. In the parks that were analysed, co-production can be found on different levels, starting from joint production and rising to co-design and actual co-production and finally community co-production as the highest level. The study clarifies the roles of stakeholders on the different levels of co-production.The results presented here add considerable new knowledge to the state of research. Based on empirical research, the analysis demonstrates how biological production can become a special quality in hybrid park types. This leads to the identification of three principal models of Productive Parks, which them-selves encompass complex design strategies: the Productive urban Park, agrarian urban landscapes as Productive Parks and Productive post-industrial Parks. With regards to landscape architecture in general, the forms of co-production tested in Productive parks can lead to a new understanding of parks as a place and instrument of common action. The landscape architectural design serves as a tool that coordi-nates the co-production of public space.

Urban waterside locations - researched in the big cities of Bonn, Cologne, Leverkusen, Neuss, Düsseldorf, Krefeld and Duisburg - are regionally significant and functionally important urban spaces as well as landscapes which shape the spine of the Rhine section in North-Rhine-Westphalia in a regional scale. Whereas the big cities consistently deal with the functions and design of urban waterside locations in context of urban master plans as well as individual projects, there aren´t any planning authority or planning instruments so far focusing exclusively on functions and design of urban waterside locations in context of the cultural landscape “Rheinschiene”. The research emanates from two theses: 1_Based on the historical urban development, individual imprints of urban waterside locations in the researched big cities influence the as a priority pursued municipal planning goals and transformations of urban waterside locations.2_As a result of the industrialization the researched river section is being seen from the view of higher administrative levels as a connected economic region with the river Rhine as a transportation link. Municipal unique features take a back seat. (Sectoral) Planning on a higher administrative level derives in many ways from the sum of local development goals, not least because those plans evolve from existing relationships and dependencies (concerning economic and transport, nature and landscape) mapped and converted into spatial-functional concepts (Trans-European networks, metropolitan area, cultural landscape). Nevertheless, planning conflicts arise from the different perspectives in particular as regards:• the quality of the heterogeneous types of use, • the sustainability of the transport systems, • the resilience of risk areas, • the qualities of a cultural landscape vs. a constantly transformed urban landscape,• local and regional competitions and synergies.Against the background of a large number of congruent local development interests, unresolved contradictions between local and higher-level plans, resulting challenges and tasks for the future and not least in view of subspaces whose urban spatial and functional integration cannot satisfy, there is a regional need for action. As a result of the research the following components of regional cooperation for a sustainable transformation of urban waterside locations are recommended: • an agreement of the Rhine residents between Bonn and Duisburg on a Rhine Charter "Rheinschiene", • the implementation of a “Regionale Rheinschiene", focusing on the cultural landscape "Rheinschiene", • the creation of a regional master plan "urban waterside locations" • a legally binding safeguard of regional planning expertise for the transformation of urban waterside locations.Perspectively to aim is a regional planning expertise for both the cultural landscape "Rheinschiene" and for the economic area "Rheinland/Rhein-schiene". Looking at the early, regional planning approaches in the Rhineland and the already practiced by Regional Cooperations regional planning based on municipal initiative and interests seems to play an important role for a successful transformation of urban waterside locations.