Sprawl

Può la densità essere lo strumento analitico di interpretazione dei fenomeni urbani e contemporaneamente un parametro progettuale di prefigurazione dello spazio architettonico? La densità nelle sue diverse accezioni e unità di misura, costituisce un nodo di grande rilevanza per l'interpretazione dei fenomeni urbani e degli spazi architettonici. Incoraggia una riconciliazione dello sguardo quantitativo con quello mirato alla lettura qualitativa, riavvicina discipline disgraziatamente disgiunte nell'attuale pratica, suggerisce mezzi e stili di vita che sono alla base del nostro habitat. Ciò che infatti ha da sempre caratterizzato la città non è solo la sua dimensione ed il numero degli abitanti, ma un secondo fattore fondamentale: la densità appunto, o meglio un valore di densità minimo in grado di produrre divisione del lavoro, varietà di funzioni e attività, complessità della struttura sociale. L'architettura progetta distanze oltrechè volumi, la densità ne è quindi un parametro centrale; l'urbanistica e la progettazione urbana, utilizzando il calcolo della densità come livello minimo di pianificazione, dovranno tendere a configurare in futuro le città, influenzandone gli aspetti non solo numerici, ma anche tipologici, morfologici e spaziali. Riscattato dalla computistica, il fattore densità, si trasforma allora in una variabile urbana in grado di definire la forma attuale della città, divenendone strumento di misurazione e di progetto.

Swaziland, as a small country, is experiencing both urban and rural sprawl. Analysis into the demographic make-up shows that change is happening in the way that people live, with negative impacts as a result. The greatest impact of sprawl are evident in water resource availability as well as land availability. Fortunately, solvency is still possible to enhanced planning methods and decentralization. Adoption of these two suggestions would go a long way in dealing with the apparent impacts in this small country.

The core intent of this study was to find out how effectively the urban growth boundary prevents the typical  urban sprawl  from  happening in a  given area. In trying to substantiate a method  for analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness this study aimed to  quantitatively represent how the Portland Metro Area might  have developed if the Urban Growth  Boundary was not implemented. Through the use of advanced computer modeling of the publicly available historic and current population and Geographic Information System (GIS) data the analyses were instrumental in providing satisfactory answers to a series of questions regarding the effectiveness of an urban growth boundary. The findings indicated that, without the urban growth boundary, the urban land area could have sprawled into more than 130,000 acres, which could have included more than 97,000 acres of agricultural and grazelands, 19,000 acres of open lands, and 13,000 acres of forests and natural ecosystems  could have been adversely impacted in the process from 2000 to 2010. The urban sprawl could have added more than 450 miles of roads, infrastructure, and other services to the urban fabric of the region.

This study deals with the use of satellite TM multi-temporal data coupled with statistical analyses to quantitatively estimate urban expansion and soil consumption for small towns in southern Italy. The investigated area is close to Bari and was selected because highly representative for Italian urban areas. To cope with the fact that small changes have to be captured and extracted from TM multi-temporal data sets, we adopted the use of spectral indices to emphasize occurring changes, and geospatial data analysis for revealing spatial patterns.
Analyses have been carried out using global and local spatial autocorrelation applied to multi-date NASA Landsat images acquired in 1999 and 2009 and available free of charge. Moreover, in this paper each step of data processing has been carried out using free or open source software tools, such as, operating system (Linux Ubuntu), GIS software (GRASS GIS and Quantum GIS) and software for statistical analysis of data (R).
This aspect is very important, since it puts no limits and allows everybody to carry out spatial analyses on remote sensing data. This approach can be very useful for assessing and mapping land cover change and soil degradation even for small urbanized areas as in the case of Italy, where recently an increasing number of devastating flash floods have been recorded. These events have been mainly linked to urban expansion and soil consumption and have caused loss of human lives along with enormous damages to urban settlements, bridges, roads, agriculture activities, etc. In these cases, remote sensing can provide reliable operational low cost tools for assessing, quantifying and mapping risk areas.

Some commentators believe that smart growth and property rights are at loggerheads - and to be sure, these theories do lead to differing positions on a few issues (most notably urban growth boundaries and similar anti-sprawl regulations). But as to a wide variety of issues, smart growth advocates and property rights theorists can find common ground. Both groups can support eliminating zoning regulations that mandate automobile-dependent, sprawling development, such as single-use zoning, minimum parking requirements and minimum lot size requirements.

Many conservatives believe that (1) sprawl is merely the result of the free market at work; (2) even if sprawl has negative effects, it cannot be limited without implementation of the liberal/environmentalist agenda of larger and more intrusive government; therefore, (3) conservatives should do nothing to fight sprawl. This article rejects all three propositions. Specifically, I argue that: (1) sprawl is in large part a result of runaway statism rather than the free market; (2) sprawl threatens conservative values such as consumer choice, the work ethic, and social stability, and (3) free-market, anti-spending solutions can limit sprawl and revitalize cities.

Given the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) of the United Nations, there is an outcry for resilient infrastructure, inclusiveness, sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation to create cities in accordance to the visionary goal set by the UN. In regard to the goal, achieving it is not a simplistic motive as various factors need to be encompassed when attempting to implement the goals concerned thereof.

This goal is rather interlinked with others to an extent (SDG Report, 2015:48). Consequently, one goal affects the other. As such, critical planning and execution is vital when implementing goal 9 over a regional area as there are multiple factors that could impede the success. Subsequently, such factors that could result equate to uneven and socioeconomic development.

Such factors cannot be changed over a short period of time given South Africa’s history of Apartheid planning. However, through modern planning, the production of concepts such as New Urbanism, Smart Growth and Smart Cities are aimed at addressing such issues (Raparthi, 2015).

Due to circumstances, it has often been disconcerting regarding the application of such ideologies mentioned above. This is primarily because they are regularly applied at a micro-scale rather than at the macro-scale. This often neglects issues such as irregularities in the landscape since they
are concentrating on a single focal point to say.

Given the preface, this essay firstly makes an argument for the continuation of regional development in relation to goal 9 of the SDG. Doing this, it takes into consideration the factors hindering the continuation of the goal in Gauteng.

Furthermore, it breaks down the goal into components in relation to supporting the continuation of the development. The area of focus is the Gauteng province, South Africa. Secondly, this essay applies the modern concepts (New Urbanism, Smart Growth, and Smart Cities) of planning at a broader framework of regional development to address spatial and socioeconomic inequalities in South Africa. As conclusion, a summary of the contents of this essay is assigned.

This is an introductory study of the Maltese Soundscape and is part of an even bigger project. It introduces a soundscape diced with traditional sounds which still echo in the present and mutate and conflict with the modern sounds that are becoming part of the Maltese Sound field. This paper shows the study that has taken place, the results that have been obtained so far and the patterns in the soundscape that are beginning to form. From this initial analysis a number of possible solutions to noise problems have been presented. Further in depth investigations will be carried out and reported.

Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, feature prominently in the medium-term plan Indonesia 2014-2019 of the Indonesian government: as large cities, as priority location
for a new town, as future growth center, and mainly as (the only) metropolitan area in Indonesian Borneo. It explains the prospects of a doubled population by 2030 (from 652.000 inhabitants in 2010 to 1.27 million in 2030). Simultaneously Banjarmasin is undergoing a dramatic transformation, shifting its waterbased origins towards road-based transport.

Today both mentioned partners renew their focus towards ‘Advocating Urban Planning for City Leaders’, revising their guidelines towards a more integrated comprehensive planning across sectors. The focus of UN-Habitat on urban planning is framed against the very rapid and often uncontrolled urbanization, looking for more sustainable, empowering and inclusive ways to guide this expected massive urban growth or urban sprawl.The studio starts from ‘the assumption that even growth of the Asian kind can be canalized in sink with natural processes of the dynamic landscape and in relation to the legacy of the city/region. (…) A productive interplay between water structures and urban structures can once again become a fundamental identity for the city and its
environs.’

Methodology: A strip of 25 x 80 km along the territory of Banjarbakula was chosen to frame the fieldwork. The strip spans from the Barito River, over Banjarmasin (-0,16 m), Martapura and Banjarbaru, to the Rian Kanan Dam in the mountains ( 200 m above sea level).

The studio starts from ‘the assumption that even growth of the Asian kind can be canalized in sink with natural processes of the dynamic landscape and in relation to the legacy of the city/region. (…) A productive interplay between water structures and urban structures can once again become a fundamental identity for the city and its environs.

Sprawling development can affect species composition by increasing the rate of invasion by non-native species, and decreasing the persistence of native species. This paper briefly reviews the scientific literature on the impacts of sprawl on biological diversity, with specific emphasis on the influence of sprawl on non-native species richness. We then explore the relationship between sprawl and biodiversity using a

This article seeks to guide would-be teachers of a course on sprawl by showing how the author taught the seminar on “The Law of Sprawl” at Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Law. Specifically, the article asserts that a seminar on sprawl belongs in law school curricula as well as planning school curricula, because a wide variety of legal rules contribute to sprawl. The article then goes on to discuss those legal rules and how the author addressed them in his course. For example, the article discusses land use regulations that encourage automobile-dependent development, as well as state and federal highway, housing and education policies that favored suburbs over cities. As to each issue, the seminar addressed not only sprawl-producing government policies, but case law that upheld (or, in some cases, challenged) those policies.

The most stringent anti-sprawl measure adopted by any American state is Oregon's urban growth boundary (UGB) program. Urban growth boundaries are lines on maps within which high-density development is encouraged, and beyond which such development is generally forbidden. Outside the boundary, rural industries (such as logging) and open space are promoted. This Article focuses on three issues: whether UGBs are constitutional under recent Supreme Court case law, (2) whether the UGB has in fact saved Portland (Oregon's largest city) from the social problems caused by sprawl, and (3) whether the side effects of UGBs make them a cure worse than the disease of sprawl. The article addresses issues (2) and (3) by comparing Portland to three metro areas of comparable size and regional growth rates: Seattle, Denver, and Salt Lake City. The article concludes that: (1) Oregon's UGB presents no constitutional problem, (2) the UGB has promoted infill development within the city of Port...

In response to the rapid urban sprawling due to the fast rate of urbanization, there is an increasing need for focused research with a view to develop remediation strategies and methodologies for the effective and sustainable environmental planning in Federal Capital City (FCC), Abuja. This paper specifically focuses on an integrated approach of Remote Sensing (RS) data, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) techniques, and ground data collected by the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) receiver in facilitating urban planning. Data set from Landsat TM, Landsat ETM and Nigeriasat-1 satellite data for 1987, 2001 and 2006, respectively, revealed that the annual rate of urban sprawl was 10.6 km2over a 19-year period (1987 and 2006). In view of the ecological and environmental challenges that accompany such rapid sprawl development, the study recommends measures that would reduce the otherwise rapid rate of urban sprawl in the FCC and to ensure sustainable urbanization.   Key words...

Contrary to the popular notion that the advancing frontier of urban development has been swallowing and destroying natural ecosystems we present evidence that the sprawl of cities creates ample open space in peri-urban areas. Traditional view of city–nature dichotomy and clear spatial separation should be substituted by a vision that reflects the complex spatial dynamics of city–rural–natural fabric with extended areas of overlap among them. We present a survey of the relevant research concerning urban and ...