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Public participation in urban planning is a contested issue in China. In this article, we look at the endogenous mechanism of institutional change, by analyzing the roles and motivations of “third-party” planning professionals in two contrasting cases: a government-led and a citizen-led participatory practice. Findings show that planners were advocates of citizen participation in heritage preservation in both cases and acted as “mediators” in the first and “activists” in the second, yet remained within the mainstream planning structure. Their motivation to serve the rights of the citizens was clear, but subordinate to the drive to conform to the professional norms of authenticity in preservation in both cases. In contrast to both the Global North where more agonistic approaches question inclusive planning and the Global South where insurgent planning finds space to maneuver, Chinese urban planning seems to proceed by taking small steps within narrow margins when it comes to citizen engagement.

Chinese cities, especially large cities, are in urgent need of urban redevelopment but social conflicts in redevelopment processes have threatened social stability. Public participation has been stipulated in national policies to alleviate these conflicts and the responsibility to implement these policies has been delegated to local governments. Therefore, the features of public participation may differ between Chinese cities. Yet, a systematic investigation of this possible heterogeneity is lacking. This article adapts 11 features of governance to build a framework to compare public participation in urban redevelopment in Beijing and Guangzhou. Findings show that the two cities are similar in five features (policy instruments, policy integration, initiators, position of stakeholders, policy level at which citizens operate) but differ in six (policy goals, policy–science interface, power base of citizens, model of representation, rules of interaction and mechanisms of social interaction), making citizens in urban redevelopment in Guangzhou more powerful than their counterparts in Beijing. The observed shift towards urban micro-redevelopment might further strengthen the power of citizens in urban redevelopment in Beijing, but might weaken their power base in Guangzhou. The findings highlight the importance of local context and policy dynamics in the study of public participation in urban redevelopment in China.

Heparin and heparan sulfate (Hp/HS) are linear complex glycosaminoglycans which are involved in diverse biological processes. The structural complexity brings difficulties in separation, making the study of structure-function relationships challenging. Here we present a separation method for Hp/HS oligosaccharide fractionation with cross-compatible solvent and conditions, combining size exclusion chromatography (SEC), ion-pair reversed phase chromatography (IPRP), and hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) as three orthogonal separation methods that do not require desalting or extensive sample handling. With this method, the final eluent is suitable for structure-function relationship studies, including tandem mass spectrometry and microarray printing. Our data indicate that high resolution is achieved on both IPRP and HILIC for Hp/HS isomers. In addition, the fractions co-eluted in IPRP could be further separated by HILIC, with both separation dimensions capable of resolving some isomeric oligosaccharides. We demonstrate this method using both unpurified reaction products from isomeric synthetic hexasaccharides and an octasaccharide fraction from enoxaparin, identifying isomers resolved by this multi-dimensional separation method. We demonstrate both structural analysis by MS, as well as functional analysis by microarray printing and screening using a prototypical Hp/HS binding protein: basic-fibroblast growth factor (FGF2). Collectively, this method provides a strategy for efficient Hp/HS structure-function characterization.

Public participation in urban planning has become a legal requirement in China since the 2008 Urban and Rural Planning Law prescribed to collect the opinions of the public in preparing plans. The way in which this participation is organized is left to local governments and current practices are still in a stage of experimentation. Drawing on Western experience various participatory tools have been explored, including in some instances Web-based planning support systems (PSS). The current literature has identified several potentials and shortcomings in the performance of PSS that define their usefulness. However, these have been identified in the context of democratic societies and communicative planning paradigms. To what extent do these potentials and shortcomings also pertain to the emerging practice in China? This paper aims to widen the understanding of the usefulness of Web-based PSS when these are applied in a Chinese context. To do so, the paper first presents a conceptual framework that divides usefulness into utility and usability, and thereafter, it analyzes the “East Lake greenway planning project” in Wuhan. The results show that the Wuhan PSS provides new functionalities in eliciting ideas from independent citizens in the early stage of the planning process. In terms of usability, the system meets many of the criteria, but requires a high level of computer experience and domain knowledge restricting its use to “professional citizens”. From the point of view of western planners this would seriously limit the usefulness as a participatory tool, but it is legitimate in China. Given the low level of computer literacy, limited access to the internet and a lacking tradition of public involvement in state affairs, it is nevertheless clear that there is a need to improve Web-based PSS and combine them with other participatory methods, both online and offline, to facilitate the participation of a diverse group of target users.

The current paper examines the legitimacy dilemmas that rise from local governments&rsquo, direct policy instruments and market interventions. It takes the case of public land management strategies. The paper argues that current societal challenges&mdash, such as energy transition, climate change and inclusive urban innovation&mdash, require planning practices to be more effective. Direct government instruments such as direct market interventions have proven to significantly reduce the implementation gap of planning practice. Looking at significant urban challenges, municipalities worldwide could be urged to apply such direct government instruments on a larger scale in the future. However, although direct government intervention in markets can be very effective, it is also controversial in terms of legitimacy. It explicitly and inevitably introduces financial incentives to the organization of government. Balancing these incentives against spatial planning interests unavoidably causes dilemmas. Based on eight Dutch case studies, this paper develops a framework to systematically spell out the legitimacy dilemmas that stem from public market intervention. It facilitates an explicit discussion on varying instrumental rationalities and improving the legitimacy of public action.

This paper compares the inherent notions of justice in four different approaches to flood risk management in Europe. As protection against flood risks becomes increasingly difficult, dilemmas of justice emerge: some benefits from flood protection measures whereas others loose. Decisions on whom to protect differentiate between upstream and downstream or left and right side of a river. This raises a central but barely discussed conflict: what (or rather who) should be protected against inundations? This question deals in essence with justice. Justice concerns questions over fairness in the allocation of resources, capital and wealth across different members of society. There are different and contradicting concepts of justice, which differ in interpretations of fair resource allocation and distributions. ‘What’s the right thing to protect’ is thus a question of concepts of justice. This contribution is not an attempt to answer this fundamental question, but it offers a debate on how different concepts of justice provide different answers. These answers will then be related to flood risk management approaches in England, the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria.

Most scientific attention in port studies centers on deep-sea ports, in particular container ports. In our paper, in contrast, we focus our attention on the characteristics of inland waterway ports in a European context. This is an overlooked part in the scientific literature on inland port development, which is up to now mainly concerned with US-based understandings of inland ports. We try to broaden the application of the inland port concept by explaining the development of inland ports in terms of inland waterway bounded cargo throughput. Based on a large-scale quantitative dataset of inland port development in Dutch municipalities we perform various statistical analyses to arrive at a more detailed understanding of the question: What are the characteristics of European inland waterway ports and what transport and economic factors influence cargo throughput on the municipal level? The results in particular highlight the importance of the presence of a container terminal, the diversity in types of goods which are being handled by the inland port and the accessibility of the inland port relative to the regional motorway network as important factors in explaining the size and growth of inland ports. Interestingly, the popular claim in policy of ‘investments in inland port development leading to employment growth’ cannot be confirmed.

A healthy residential environment, especially for older adults, has emerged as an important issue on political and planning agenda in China. This paper aims to investigate the direct and indirect impact of residential environment on the health of older adults in Shanghai, taking into account health-related behaviours, subjective well-being and socio-demographic factors in one comprehensive conceptual model. Our results show that the residential environment is associated with older adults' health directly, and also indirectly through a series of significant behavioural (physical and social activities) and perceptual (subjective well-being) factors. After combining the direct and indirect association, the results show that good housing and neighbourhood quality and a safe social environment contribute to better subjective, physical and mental health conditions of older adults. In addition, access to cultural facilities is positively related to older adults' mental and physical health and subjective well-being, while a higher proportion of older adults in a neighbourhood appears to promote physical and social activities but not health.

In many European countries, a paradigm shift from technically oriented flood protection to a holistic approach of flood risk management is taking place. In Germany, this approach is currently being implemented after several amendments of the Federal Water Act. The paradigm shift is also reflected in the theoretical structure of the legal stipulations. While the former regulations of flood protection were predominantly conditions-based, linked with clear preconditions and legal consequences, the legal implementation of the flood risk management approach is accompanied by an increase of goal-oriented, performance-based regulations. This contribution discusses the interrelationship between the two legislative approaches and the specific challenges for the administration. Flood risk management, as a policy field, requires the law to provide robustness but also flexibility. It is concluded that the German way could accidentally provide a viable answer to this dilemma. The conclusions drawn for the flood risk management in Germany might be applicable also to other policy fields and even outside Germany.

Contains fulltext : 150337.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Based on a case study of the Stadshaven port redevelopment in Rotterdam, this paper explores whether existing spatial planning mechanisms and processes can be used to facilitate local-level investment in climate-resilient public infrastructure and/or whether new processes and mechanisms are required to encourage investment in climate adaptation. The study reveals several key findings. First, a lack of conventional funding sources or formalised regulatory framework allowed room for experimentation with existing mechanisms and flexible strategies. Second, project planners are currently ambivalent towards introducing new mechanisms as a means to overcome implementation challenges. The case provides evidence about the role of the governance process, not simply as a means of system coordination that exists in isolation from institutional norms and values, but rather as a space for innovation, which can contribute towards reducing the financial gap associated with climate adaptation. 10 april 2014

Inland ports have been put forward as crucial linkages for efficient global freight transport and corridor development. However, the present understanding of inland ports appears to be limited to network-based views with a maritime port focus (Outside-In), in which inland ports play second fiddle. We argue that inland ports as independent structures (Inside-Out) deserve equal consideration and that in addition to the transport dimension, the spatial, economic and institutional dimensions of inland ports are vital and should not be neglected. The goal of this paper is to apply the concept of port–city challenges to inland ports. The results of an institutional analysis of Dutch case study evidence show that challenges facing inland ports and cities take many forms but that all share a commonality in the trade-offs between positive and negative externalities. We observe different governance strategies in coping with these trade-offs and find that a proactive stance towards zoning contributes to efficiently accommodating mutually exclusive dimensions of inland port development.

Many Chinese cities are in a transition from industrial to post-industrial urban economies. In this process of urban restructuring, land use becomes polycentric and fragmented. More sophisticated models are needed to estimate the amenity effects of this complex residential environment. This article assesses the relative housing price effects of neighborhood characteristics and accessibility in Nanjing, China. This is achieved with a hedonic price model that incorporates detailed spatial measures, geographical contingency, and a modified version of Alonso’s (1964) general theory of land rent. A crucial finding is that the effect of job accessibility on house price varies depending upon the specific sector of employment. Accessibility to jobs in the public and private service sectors has strong positive effects. However, housing proximity to heavy industries has a spatially nonlinear effect: negative in close proximity, but positive at a larger distance. Second, when we control for job accessibility, access to public transport has an added positive effect. Finally, neighborhood “quality” (defined in terms of nearby amenities) is also relevant, but far less than access to service employment. This research shows that Nanjing’s housing prices are affected by different residential characteristics than those with dominant price effects in Western cities.

The built-heritage stewardship movement has become visible in China’s urban redevelopment, but theoretical and empirical research on the movement’s strategies in an authoritarian context is lacking. To systematically understand these strategies in the Internet Age, this article first develops a theoretical framework, then analyzes the context in which the movement operates, and thereafter examines the movement's strategies in the Bell-Drum Towers controversy in Beijing. Castells contends that the construction of meaning is a decisive source of both power and counter-power and that symbolic construction depends on the frames created and diffused in multimedia communication. The theoretical framework therefore consists of a detailed conceptualization of framing processes. The context analysis shows that the built-heritage stewardship movement can benefit from official policies and plans and from the proliferation of new media, despite the censorship of the Internet, the limitations in the judicial system, the repressive practice of law enforcement, and the annual inspections of civil society organizations by civil affairs authorities. The empirical study shows that the preservationists managed to effectively influence decision-makers through combining online and offline efforts, such as mobilizing the general public online to shape public debates, mobilizing higher-level governments to employ political pressure, and directly disempowering local decision-makers online. Framing analysis not only uncovers the strategies of social movements but also identifies which elements determine the success of socialized communication as a counter-power of urban redevelopment in China. The Internet provides channels for frames diffusion, and thus offers preservationists a space to counter power in an authoritarian context where real-world activities and traditional media are tightly controlled by the government.

Worldwide, High-Speed Railway (HSR) networks have been developed intensely over the last few decades, such as Tokyo-Osaka, the first HSR corridor in Japan, the TGV in France and the ICE in Germany. HSR has also experienced exponential growth in China so that currently China’s HSR networks are the largest in the world. Meanwhile, China’s spatial development has experienced rapid urbanization. In general, the appearance of HSR tends to reduce passenger travel cost in time and to extend the interacting economic and social relationships of cities on a larger spatial scale. Therefore, as one of the new high-speed transportation linkages in urban networks, HSR could strongly interact with other components of urban networks (nodes, links, flows) for different functional activities. Three dimensions of these interacting relationships can be identified: the configuration of urban networks (city nodes and links) in HSR networks, HSR’s interacting relationships with other high-speed transportation linkages in urban networks, and intra-city travel of HSR passengers flows to/from HSR stations in urban networks. It is a very typical situation that China’s HSR networks have been developed in parallel with a fast urbanization process, especially with the consideration of future integration with Euro-Asian urban networks through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Due to differences in economic, cultural, political and institutional situations, the interacting relationships between HSR and urban networks in China may differ from the cases in other HSR countries. Therefore, knowledge on the consequences of the interaction between HSR and urban networks in China is urgently needed. The relevant answers to the three interactions between HSR and urban networks are pertinent to the development of HSR networks in China and other HSR countries that plan to develop HSR networks on a large scale. In this research, an empirical analysis is conducted to demonstrate the interacting relationships between HSR and the relevant components of urban networks in the context of China. The datasets used in this dissertation include three main resources: aggregated HSR origin/destination (O/D) flow data, aggregated air O/D flow data, and disaggregated HSR passenger survey data. With the application of network analysis and regression models (multiple linear model, panel model and multinomial logit model), the goal of this research is first to understand the relationships between HSR networks, airline networks and Chinese urban networks at macro level, and second, to understand the impact of HSR stations on intra-city mode choices at micro level.

This paper evaluates the extent to which the introduction of four new regional planning and land policy instruments in the Netherlands improves the delivery of regional planning objectives. On the basis of case-study research, we identify why and to what extent the Dutch regional authorities—the provinces—have adopted these new instruments and assess whether or not the instruments offer opportunities for improving the delivery of regional planning objectives. The study shows that regional policies and plans are often implemented without consideration of their consequences for national or local planning objectives. As a result, the instruments may not address current policy delivery needs, and may even compound local policy failures. We conclude that the use of such instruments should be accompanied by a more thorough discussion of regional planning tasks and objectives, and a debate on the role of regional authorities within the multilevel governance setting. Keywords: land policy, planning objectives delivery, regional planning, regional-based land development instruments, the Netherlands

Transport corridors are viewed as a promising way forward in European Union (EU) transport policy, assumed to contribute positively to regional economic development. However, the validity of this assumption is not evident. The aim of this paper is to empirically test whether agglomeration economies in European transport corridor regions are positively related to indicators of regional economic development compared to regions outside the scope of corridors. The results build on the notion that the type of agglomeration economy in combination with the structure of the economy matters for prospects of structural economic growth in different regions. In this way, the analysis not only contributes to enhancing the empirical scrutiny of the corridor concept in EU transport policy, but also provides new insights into how corridors contribute to regional economic growth. We find only limited evidence for a corridor effect across European regions on productivity and employment growth externalities. Instead, we find a large degree of spatial heterogeneity interacting with corridors—a heterogeneity that has been little recognized in EU policies. We suggest that recent attention to place-based development strategies may accord well with the kinds of agglomeration effects related to corridor development observed in this study.

New media have accelerated China’s social transition by distributing information, restructuring ways of communication, and changing social relationships and public values. They have also facilitated the development of new types of collaborative planning that are characterized by a broad range of agents, new forms of communication, and new roles for planners. These new types of collaborative approaches promote social interaction, public participation, and the collaboration between various actors. By reviewing theoretical and empirical studies, this article first presents a conceptual framework for assessing collaborative planning in the new media age. The framework comprises three components: the diversity of agents, the nature of communication, and the roles of planners. A case study of the Dafo Temple controversy is used to illustrate the framework’s application. After comparing traditional with new forms of collaborative planning, ways to achieve effective consensus building in collaborative planning in the new media age are suggested.

The objective of this article is to show how Dutch municipalities use scientific literature about sustainable development in their spatial planning policies and processes. The approach to this research is twofold. First, we conducted a literature review that summarized the most important discourses in the international and Dutch literature. Secondly, we interviewed Dutch municipalities and asked them how they interpret and define sustainable (spatial) development, how they keep up with the quick developments surrounding sustainability and how they approach sustainable development in their own planning practices. Results show that many municipalities claimed to interpret sustainable development in a broad manner and claim to use a sufficient amount of scientific literature, but their planning practices suggest otherwise. We conclude that the trichotomy ‘international scientific literature – national professional literature - planning practice’ is not self-evident within Dutch sustainable (spatial) development.

Chinese cities nowadays face profound restructuring and transformations, manifested in the urban built environment by booming redevelopment projects. Property-led urban redevelopment might cause large-scale displacement of low-income residents, generating unintended place- and people-based consequences. Despite the magnitude of these displacement processes, there is a general lack of insight into the patterns, dynamics, and mechanisms of this urban phenomenon in China. The main aim of this research is therefore to identify the mechanisms and selective socio-economic consequences of redevelopment-induced displacement. A particular interest lies in the redevelopment of urban villages, a type of informal settlements in urban China that mainly accommodates low-income rural migrants. Through in-depth empirical studies in Shenzhen, this research finds that varied forms of displacement have manifested themselves as a result of urban redevelopment. First, demolition of old residential buildings directly displaces large populations of low-income residents, leading to serious impacts on these social groups. Second, urban redevelopment poses spill-over effects on the housing prices in adjacent urban areas, with indirect displacement as a main consequence. By mapping the location of relocation after displacement, we find that displaced migrants tend to attach to their original neighbourhoods and move only short distances, since imperative economic, spatial, and social resources are all affiliated to the original neighbourhoods. This research also unravels considerable heterogeneity that exists in the displaced population in Chinese cities, which can result in diverse behaviors and associated consequences of redevelopment. Based on this finding, this research calls for further theoretical delineation of the heterogeneity of the displaced population, in which socio-economic and institutional characteristics that are individually embedded need to be considered so as to develop a more robust and nuanced theory of residential displacement. In addition, this research develops a theoretical view on displacement as a redistributive process of urban resources. Specifically, it shows that residential displacement tends to redistribute the real income of those displaced, defined as access to urban resources in economic (market exchange), social (reciprocity), and institutional (redistribution) spheres. Through this critical theoretical lens, the inherent redistributive nature of the displacement process is more evidently and fully revealed, which can also be applied in other contexts. Situating within the Chinese context, this research outlines two policy implications. On the one hand, the absorptive capacity of the urban system for displaced migrants needs to be improved. Granting displaced low-income migrants access to public low-rent housing is a possible solution. In the long run, migrants’ tenancy rights need to be recognized, so that they can be considered for compensation for their relocation. On the other hand, this research calls for the integration of people-based elements into currently predominant place-centred policies. These elements address economic, spatial and social dimensions of inclusion, of which the recognition and empowerment of migrants are of great importance. Overall, this research calls for an integrated planning strategy, in which place-based initiatives need to be complemented by locally responsive people-based approaches.

This paper ended an initial period of wide enthusiasm in attempting to realise the potential of computer innovations to revolutionise urban planning (Harris, 1960). It was an era when both the planning and the computer domains were strongly influenced by strong positivist ideas about the nature of scientific progress. Planning was mainly a comprehensive�rational, linear but also cyclical process in which experts examined all possible (or politically defined) problems and relevant solutions, which in turn would lead to optimal decisions (Faludi, 1973). Even then this was extensively questioned in academic research that emphasised the limits of human cognitive capacity: that is, information processing (Simon, 1969).

Contains fulltext : 162961.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Urban physical public infrastructure is a frontline defense mechanism to manage and mitigate climate-related impacts. Market instruments are often cited as possible means to spread risk and reduce financial burdens on the public sector. The authors argue that existing research tends to focus on the technical issues of instruments and neglects considering institutional dynamics that may enable or constrain local market-based financing mechanisms. In this article, three core dilemmas (values uncertainty, planning horizon, and indirect benefits) are used to analyze the responses of practitioners to a possible financing instrument. The findings indicate that the practitioner’s responses to tax increment financing were largely shaped by the adaptation dilemmas and not the characteristics of the instrument per se. By mapping the dilemmas onto whether they would recommend it, participants imposed a financial barrier on climate adaptation investments. The authors conclude that a key imperative in the design of policy instruments is to pay attention to the congruency of informal institutions at the ‘street level’ in order to be in-step with the current sociopolitical conditions. The findings also point to four key attributes that a local market-based instrument would need to be aligned and responsive to the Dutch planning and development context.

In response to the extreme flood events of recent decades, the European Union has released the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC), which requires the creation of flood risk management plans. These plans do not yet exist in practice, as water management agencies have until 2015 to put them into action. This contribution will discuss two questions regarding the European flood risk management plan: First, how is the new instrument integrated into the various member states, particularly with respect to the scenario approach? Second, how prepared are the institutions for the collaborative planning paradigm of the flood risk management plan, particularly with respect to the river basin districts approach? Citing examples from France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Great Britain, this paper offers both a pessimistic and an optimistic perspective on the implementation of the new flood risk management instrument.

Inland ports are becoming more important in enhancing hinterland accessibility of deep-sea ports. Their increasing size and number can however also pose a threat to quality of life in adjacent urban regions, for spatial conflicts between port and urban functions may arise. Therefore, inland port governance strategies are needed. The aim of this paper is to reflect on the findings of an international comparison of municipal governance strategies for inland port development in four different countries along the Rhine–Alpine Corridor. Our findings reflect the difficult position of inland ports relative to urban functions within a densely populated corridor. Sufficient capacity is needed to prevent the occurrence of bottlenecks on links and in nodes, which could limit flows on other parts of the corridor. Increasing inland port capacity should however also be aligned with policy measures in urban regions, to avoid the overlapping of inland port and urban functions which could lead to mutually exclusive land-uses. This poses challenges in terms of inland port governance. We observe that cases in which the port and urban administrations open up the policy process to relevant private stakeholders and the civil society, integrated governance strategies for inland port development are more likely to emerge.

China achieved great economic success during the market transition, but is now facing increasing social problems and challenges, such as institutional inequality and population ageing. A consequence of this institutional inequality due to the Hukou system is the emerging segregation in cities between locals and migrants. This segregation is growing during last decades and exerts negative implications on the well-being distribution between locals and migrants including their older subcategories. This paper focuses on the residential segregation between local and migrant elderly people and its implications on their access to geographical resources and on their well-being in central Shanghai over the period 2000–2010. Access to geographical services and resources for the elderly is employed as the proxy for their well-being measurement. This paper concludes that the forthgoing housing market reform over the last decade has intensified the differentiations of housing price and new housing distribution, especially those of high-priced commercial housing, resulting in a slightly strengthened residential segregation between local and migrant elderly people. As a consequence, this segregation continues to produce inequality in the well-being distribution between these two elderly groups. However, this paper also shows that the inequality gap has been slightly narrowed due to the greater well-being improvement of migrant elderly.

Migration in China is traditionally dominated by unskilled rural-urban migrants that find their way into the city through urban villages, dormitories or informal housing. However, a remarkable increase in the number of skilled migrants has been witnessed with the economic restructuring. Reforms in the labour and housing market have shifted the spatial arrangement of opportunities, consequently changing migrants' access to the cities. Using 2000 Population Census and employing spatial regression models, this study shows skilled migrants to have better access to the city in the sense that their residences locate in the areas with more professional jobs and better houses. It is their advantages in the labour market that determines their favoured access to the public sector housing, resulting in better residential locations. Female skilled migrants are less likely than males to settle in areas with a large proportion of urban village housing or shared accommodation. These findings reveal the heterogeneity among migrants and the concomitant differences in spatial behaviour.

China’s rapid urbanisation has created a special form of urban built environment known as ‘village in the city’ (ViC). Various governance approaches have been applied to redevelop ViCs, which are prevalent in big cities. However, owing to the specific conditions of ViCs and the diverse contexts of urban development within and across cities, those approaches remain largely case-specific and are hampered by a lack of guiding principles. This article presents a framework on modes of governance to understand the choice of and the differences between modes of governance as well as their positive and negative consequences for the regeneration of ViCs. Case studies of various types of ViC regeneration practices in Guangzhou and Shenzhen are used to illustrate the framework’s application. The article concludes that new modes of governance that are interactive, inclusive and collaborative are called for to achieve the sustainable regeneration of ViCs.

EU policy and projects have an increasing influence on policymaking for climate adaptation. This is especially evident in the development of new climate adaptation policies in transnational city networks. Until now, climate adaptation literature has paid little attention to the influence that these EU networks have on the adaptive capacity in cities. This paper uses two Dutch cities as an empirical base to evaluate the influence of two EU climate adaptation projects on both the experience of local public officials and the adaptive capacity in the respective cities. The main conclusion is that EU climate adaptation projects do not automatically lead to an increased adaptive capacity in the cities involved. This is due to the political opportunistic use of EU funding, which hampers the implementation of climate adaptation policies. Furthermore, these EU projects draw attention away from local network building focused on the development and implementation of climate adaptation policies. These factors have a negative cumulative impact on the performance of these transnational policy networks at the adaptive capacity level in the cities involved. Therefore, in order to strengthen the adaptive capacity in today’s European cities, a context-specific, integrative approach in urban planning is needed at all spatial levels. Hence, policy entrepreneurs should aim to create linkage between the issues in the transnational city network and the concerns in local politics and local networks., Tema. Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment, Vol 8, N° 1 (2015): Cities, Energy and Climate Change

Mainstreaming climate adaptation requires the inclusion of climate adaptation in the policies of various policy domains such as water management and spatial planning. This paper investigates the organizational values present in several municipal policy departments in order to explore their willingness to act upon climate adaptation and the implications for mainstreaming. Q methodology, supplemented by interviews and focus groups, applied in three major Dutch municipalities – Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam – reveals three value patterns: (1) start today; (2) not for us to lead; and (3) shared responsibility. These different value patterns indicate that there is a general agreement on the problem, impacts and solutions, but disagreement on the time frame for action and the allocation of resources. Although all three value patterns are present within departments in each municipality, different value patterns prevail in each municipality. Additionally, the analysis shows barriers as well as opportunities for mainstreaming. A lack of political commitment and leadership, and unsupportive organizational structures, create barriers. In spite of this, there is willingness to act and strategic framing is applied to gain acceptance for the mainstreaming of climate adaptation.

Urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction emphasizes strategies, safety, memorials and institutional arrangements. It is closely related to earthquake recovery plans. This article reviews general studies on urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction, before focussing on the case of Weizhou Town in Wenchuan County, which in 2008 was severely damaged by a magnitude-8 earthquake. Unique institutional arrangements, however, led to a rapid recovery and reconstruction process. The urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction in Weizhou Town was an integrated approach that promoted both long-term and short-term developments and combined the creation of public space with the provision of public facilities. It created four interwoven systems, namely a safety system, a memorial system, a tourism system and a network of open spaces. This study shows that the urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction in Weizhou Town greatly improved the safety and vibrancy of the town, whereas the top–down approach and the rapid reconstruction process resulted in new problems.

Contains fulltext : 170732.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Although planning support systems (PSS) have now undergone more than two decades of research and development, this is not reflected in their practical application. In this paper we argue that one of the reasons for this is that too much emphasis is put on the instrument rather than the usage and planning context. A better understanding of the relationship between planning practice and PSS is needed in order to improve the role of the latter. We argue that communicative and analytic approaches to planning should be combined. A key to this is a more careful conceptualization of the concepts of knowledge and planning support. Therefore, we have developed a conceptual framework in which the characteristics and evaluation of knowledge and the role of planning support are central. Combined with the notion of storytelling, we believe that this results in a perspective for PSS that has potential for future applications. We conclude the paper with recommendations for future research.

Studies in the Planning Support Systems (PSS) debate are increasingly paying attention to the support function of PSS. This involves among other things studying the usefulness of PSS to practitioners. This paper adds another dimension to this evolving debate by arguing that planning tasks should receive more attention. Although planning tasks are central in several PSS definitions, they have hardly received explicit attention in empirical studies. In an aim to fill this void we conducted an empirical study based on the perspective of task-technology fit. The latter consists of a combination (‘fit’) of analytical and communicative support capabilities (‘technologies’), and three types of planning tasks: exploration, selection and negotiation. Next, we selected four case studies in the Netherlands, in which the same PSS was applied, which consists of a combination of the CommunityViz software and a touch-enabled MapTable. The cases differed in the planning tasks that were central during the workshop, resulting in different kinds of usefulness attributed to the PSS. For instance, in one case with a selection task the communicative support capabilities contributed to the transparency of the process, whereas in another the analytic support capabilities of the PSS improved the task of negotiation because of the iterative feedback it provided. The paper concludes with the observation that the concept of task-technology fit has potential be applied in different contexts and with different types of PSS.

The aim of the paper is to assess the institutional (mis)fit of tax increment financing for the Dutch spatial planning financial toolkit. By applying an institutionally oriented assessment framework, we analyse the interconnectivity of Dutch municipal finance and spatial planning structures and practices. Empirical findings from the case study highlight several insights: 1) the application of tax increment financing (TIF) would be more constrained by socio-political than technical dimensions; 2) such an instrument may not achieve the policy goal of shifting financial risk away from local government given the corporatist characteristics of Dutch planning culture; and 3) despite apparent institutional space to consider alternative instruments, enduring norms tend to be resistant to change.

The sustainable city concept is often criticized for being unaffordable for the majority. To cater for various socioeconomic groups, it is essential that planners consider both affordability and sustainability. We provide planners with a methodology for estimating green housing potential for various socioeconomic groups in Nanjing, China, with reference to their green housing preferences and budgets. Results indicate that under the current situation the lower-middle class can barely afford a green apartment. If the metro network is extended, the green housing opportunities for the lower-middle class will increase in the central districts if they trade housing size for location. If heavy industries are relocated, green housing opportunities for the upper-middle class will increase in the central districts, but the lower-middle and middle classes will be pushed to the suburbs. Results also show that development of greenfields will provide more options for each socioeconomic group than redevelopment of brownfields. Keywords: Planning support methodology, housing affordability, sustainability, green housing opportunity, socioeconomic groups

Despite all international, national and local initiatives to mitigate climate change, a certain degree of climate change is unavoidable. Urban environments in particular seem vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. How can cities, which are dynamic systems where most people live and work, prepare for such changes in climate? In the Netherlands, the Climate Proof Cities (CPC) research program (2010-2014) was established, aimed at: "strengthening the adaptive capacity and reducing the vulnerability of the urban system against climate change and to develop strategies and policy instruments for adapting our cities and buildings". The program has contributed to the knowledge on assessing vulnerability of cities, on adaptation options and their effectiveness, and on governance of adaptation. Important features are the role of green infrastructures in combination with available water, improved building designs and collaboration between urban planners and water managers. Nonetheless, in spite of this effort and many other national and international efforts, research in these fields is still in its infancy, and much remains to be done. The broad scope of the CPC research program incited the establishment of this Special Issue. In addition, also papers from other researchers have been added to this Special Issue, in an attempt to provide a valuable - albeit inexhaustive - view on the challenges and achievements in adaptation of cities to climate change.

The Chinese government promotes green construction as part of the strategy to reduce energy consumption. In practice, green construction can be impeded because various stakeholders valuate green attributes in different ways. This paper uses the analytic hierarchy process to analyse the extent to which developers and planners understand the valuation of green apartment attributes by residents in Nanjing. Results show that buyers of green apartments rank green attributes lower than safety and accessibility, and rank healthy construction materials and comfort much higher than thermal isolation or reduced energy costs. Green developers tend to focus on aspects that define their margin, such as green attributes and locational benefits and overlook the social needs, which are not addressed in building codes and not under their control. They have better understanding of green residents' priorities with health issues; planners are more familiar with the social needs of residents and lack green marketing knowledge.

With the maturing of market-oriented reforms over the last two decades, economic restructuring and labor mobility have accelerated, resulting in a remarkable increase in the number of skilled migrants to Chinese cities. Skilled migrants not only differ from traditional rural-to-urban migrants in terms of recruitment in the labor market, but also in their access to housing. Consequently, their distribution over residential areas in the city differs too. Yet economic structure, spatial structure, housing provision and migration policy vary substantially from one city to another, which might result in different patterns in different cities. Taking Shanghai and Nanjing as two case studies, this paper investigates the driving forces underlying the residential distribution of skilled migrants versus all migrants and the total population at the sub-district level, using inter-provincial migration data from the 2000 Population Census. Our results show that skilled migrants have better access to the cities compared with all migrants and even compared with urban natives, as they concentrate in the sub-districts with more professional jobs and a larger share of both work unit housing and commercial housing in both Shanghai and Nanjing. Shanghai seems more advanced in the process of housing commercialization, as indicated by the stronger impact of market segments on the concentration of skilled migrants. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Faced with the challenge of developing sustainable cities, the Chinese government sets green construction as part of the national strategy to reduce energy consumption. However, the consumer market has shown limited response to such policies. To upscale green building, it is crucial to understand the market demands for green apartments. This article employs a conjoint model to estimate the willingness to pay for green dwellings versus accessibility to metros and jobs and neighbourhood quality by different socio-economic groups in Nanjing, China. Results show that the socio-economic status of homebuyers determines their willingness to pay for green attributes. Only the rich are prepared to pay for green apartments to improve their living comfort. To all, the notion of health is appealing as consumers are willing to pay for an unpolluted environment and for non-toxic construction materials used in buildings in good locations.

Policy instruments are the building blocks of land use policies. Instrumentation of policies relates to values. Compulsory purchase is a direct government instrument that may be an effective way to implement policies of biodiversity conservation and the allocation of land for recreational use. It is, however, in many contexts, politically controversial. The Netherlands' Government has endorsed policies that involve compulsory purchase in up to 10% of land purchases. This paper reviews if this 10%-ceiling can structure relationships between landowners and government agencies in such a way that it relieves constraints imposed by land availability for biodiversity conservation and the provision of recreational areas. The analysis consists of (1) the background of this 10%-ceiling, (2) the actual procedures of compulsory purchase, by analysis of Royal Decrees, (3) the actual compulsory purchases, and (4) the indirect instrumental effects of the use of this instrument. The paper concludes that the 10%-ceiling does not lift the constraints of land availability, but does influence the relationship between stakeholders, the implementation of biodiversity objectives, and land policy strategies. Nevertheless, compulsory purchase may provide possibilities to acquire land necessary for a consolidated natural area.

A society that intensifies and expands the use of land and water in urban areas needs to rethink the relation between spatial planning and water management. The traditional strategy to manage land and water under different governance regimes no longer suits the rapidly changing environmental constraints and social construction of the two key elements in urban development. The dynamics of urban development and changing environmental constraints cause an urgent need for innovative concepts in the overlapping field of land and water governance.1 The claim for more space for rivers for flood retention (Hartmann, 2011) and environmental protection (Moss & Monstadt, 2008), the fragmentation of the drinking water sector (Moss, 2009), or unsolved upstream– downstream relations (Scherer, 1990) are illustrative of these dynamics. Therewith, increasingly, water management steps into the governance arena of spatial planning, and spatial planning needs to reconsider its notions of water issues. Particularly in urban regions, engineering and technical solutions of water management reach their boundaries; new frontiers for the common governance of land and water emerge (Figure 1). Although agriculture remains important for land and water governance (Calder, 2005), and it is the biggest consumer of water and occupies large areas of land, this special issue focuses on the urban realm because in the tense relation between water and land, the need for innovative approaches is more urgent. Urban regions are intensively used by many different stakeholders with competing interests, so that frictions between socio-economic dynamics and environmental constraints of land and water are more complex and more intense. Hence, the challenges of finding creative and path-breaking solutions in those areas are most pressing.