Planning and construction of Xiong’an New Area(city of over 5 million people):Contributions of China’s geologists and urban geology

China established Xiong’an New Area in Hebei Province in 2017,which is planned to accommodate about 5 million people,aiming to relieve Beijing City of the functions non-essential to its role as China’s capital and to expedite the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.From 2017 to 2021,the China Geological Survey(CGS)took the lead in multi-factor urban geological surveys involving space,resources,environments,and disasters according to the general requirements of“global vision,international standards,distinctive Chinese features,and future-oriented goals”in Xiong’an New Area,identifying the engineering geologic conditions and geologic environmental challenges of this area.The achievements also include a 3D engineering geological structure model for the whole area,along with“one city proper and five clusters”,insights into the ecology and the background endowment of natural resources like land,geothermal resources,groundwater,and wetland of the area before engineering construction,a comprehensive monitoring network of resources and environments in the area,and the“Transparent Xiong’an”geological information platform that is open,shared,dynamically updated,and three-dimensionally visualized.China’s geologists and urban geology have played a significant role in the urban planning and construction of Xiong’an New Area,providing whole-process geological solutions for urban planning,construction,operation and management.The future urban construction of Xiong’an New Area will necessitate the theoretical and technical support of earth system science(ESS)from various aspects,and the purpose is to enhance the resilience of the new type of city and to provide support for the green,low-carbon,and sustainable development of this area.

Function Evolution and Landscape Planning Strategy of Inland Rivers in Beilun Port City of Ningbo

In the history, the main roles of inland rivers in Beilun Port City of Ningbo were desalination,blocking tides, shipping, and flood control. Nowadays, with the continuous spread and deepening ofurbanization, the ecological environment of river courses has been destroyed. In the past, remediationmeasures based on engineering and technology played a certain role, but can not “cure the root cause”. Itshould respect the historical evolution process of river courses, and highlight the ecological service functionand leisure tourism value of river courses from the coordination perspective of urban and rural ecologicalenvironment, economic industries, society and culture in the planning ideas of ecology, production, andlife integration. Four aspects of the measures are as below: protecting and repairing the ecological matrixof river courses;building green space system and maintaining flood control functions through the waternetwork;protecting cultural heritage along the rivers;developing waterfront leisure tourism scenic area.

Combing and Discussion of Modern Urban Planning Ideas

Since the emergence of utopian socialism and other modern urban planning ideas,as well as the proposing of“garden cities”by Howard,modern urban planning theory has experienced a variety of planning ideas,and these ideas play a great role in guiding urban construction and planning.In this century,cities have ushered in many industrial revolutions,and urban life,economy,and ecology have changed greatly.Planning scholars in various countries are actively looking for“medicine”to save cities in the“sick”.In this paper,modern urban planning ideas were sorted out,and how to learn from the current territorial spatial planning that is being compiled around the country was thought about.

Preliminary Analysis of Sea Use Planning Strategies in Coastal Cities:A Case Study of Binhai New Area in Tianjin City

Through investigating current sea use in coastal cities of China,and exploring foreign and domestic researches on sea use,this paper took Binhai New Area of Tianjin City for example to analyze major problems of its sea use in ecological security,planar form,land use layout,specialized planning,management and regulatory mechanism,then proposed strategies from 4 perspectives,namely ecological conservation and restoration,optimization of planning planar form,optimization of planning land use layout,and planning management,in order to provide references and instructions for the sea use planning of Chinese coastal cities.

Green Space System Planning in Shuangcheng City and Creation of the City's Characteristics

Characteristic urban construction has already become a trend of modern social development,in this context,components of characteristic urban green spaces,and ways of demonstrating features of urban green space system were analyzed.Shuangcheng City in Heilongjiang Province was taken for example to analyze planning objectives and principles of characteristic urban green space system.Moreover,the green space layout of "A Hundred Years Old Castle,A Hundred of Enterprises and A Hundred of Gardens" was introduced.It was proposed that green space system planning suited to the development features and ecological conditions of the city should be developed from the perspective of greater regional environment,historical and cultural deposits,urban development pattern and lifestyle of the locals,so as to create urban green space system with regional features.

Capacity Building for the Integration of Climate Adaptation into Urban Planning Processes: The Dutch Experience

The institutions of the Dutch (urban) planning system face four challenging characteristics of climate adaptation measures. These measures are uncertain in their effects, in competition with other interests, multifaceted, and inherently complex. Capacity building is a key issue for the implementation of climate adaptation measures in urban planning processes, which aim to achieve Climate-Proof Cities (CPC). For successful capacity building, it is important to define the relevant stakeholders and tailor the adaptation strategies first to (the position of) these stakeholders and next to the specific urban conditions and issues. In addition, scientific insights and tools can be of assistance, and the use of climate maps can help to create a common language. Such common understanding of climate problems can lead to “goal entwinement” between actors, which can support the implementation of climate adaptation strategies in urban planning. Awareness, recognition and urgency are the most important components of this common understanding, which may differ for each stage in every urban planning process. In order to overcome the pragmatism that rules in day-to-day urban planning processes, multi-level arrangements between different tiers of government must be employed to improve the penetration of climate adaptation measures. After all, it still remains a soft interest in a hard process.

Thoughts and Strategies of Sponge City Construction Planning: A Case Study of Pingxiang, Jiangxi Province

At present and for a long time in the future, urbanization in China will maintain a rapid development speed. After the rainstorm, the phenomenon of “sea views” is common. The direct reason is that the urban drainage system and the ground drainage system cannot afford the large flow of water in a short period of time, but the most fundamental reason is that the artificial construction environment changes the water storage and drainage function of the ground under the natural state. “Sponge city construction” came into being. This paper mainly analyzes and studies the sponge city construction in Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province, and uses the method of field investigation and literature data to clarify the ideas of the sponge city construction in Pingxiang City and summarize the successful experience, which can provide a reference for the subsequent “sponge city development” ideas.

Vulnerability of Large City and Its Implication in Urban Planning: A Perspective of Intra-urban Structure

Vulnerability is a new field and analytical tool in the study of urban safety. Analysis and assessment of vulnerability provide a new basis for urban planning. This study constructed a quantitative index system for assessing vulnerability, based on the city′s sensitivity and emergency response capacity. City size, density, and spatial form influence a city′s sensitivity to crises and risks, to which vulnerability is positively related. Levels of socio-economic development, infrastructures, and emergency management contribute to a city′s emergency response capacity, with which vulnerability is inversely associated. Vulnerability of 19 large Chinese cities was assessed. Harbin and Shenzhen demonstrated the highest and lowest vulnerability among 19 cities, while Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou ranked the 5th, the 9th and the 12th. Spatially, northern cities tended to be more vulnerable than southern cities. And the differences in vulnerability among cities were explored based on cities′ physical geography conditions, level of socioeconomic development, infrastructures, regional status, history of disaster, history of urban planning and development, government policies, etc.

Research on the Model of General Landscape Planning of City Road System

This paper analyses the overall landscape framework of city road system in ancient and modern China, using the ideal state terrain model which was fi rst recorded by the construction system of the Zhou Dynasty, and summarizes the ideal model of overall landscape framework of city road system, based on Chinese psychological needs of landscape, and conducts the applied research taking Nanchong in Sichuan, China for example.

Color Planning and Design of Main Urban Districts of Xuzhou City

Through investigating colors of Xuzhou City, combining with color planning practices in domestic and foreign cities, current colors and characteristics of main urban districts of Xuzhou City were analyzed, overall orientation and design concept of city color were explored, the overall framework of regional building colors and the zoning planning were proposed, to give new concepts for the future city color planning and design.

Alternatives of Strategic Environmental Assessment for Road Traffic Development Planning——Case of Changchun City,China

On analyzing the achievement of the goal in the modern urban road traffic development planning,the alternative of Strategic Environmental Assessment for urban traffic planning should include the basic scheme,the extended scheme and the environmental protection scheme. This study from different perspectives designed the alternatives for Changchun's county-level road and urban road system planning,and used the method of System Dynamics to simulate,optimize and analyze those alternatives. Thereafter,some methods including the correlation function method were used to comprehensively assess and rank those alternatives for recommending two best alternatives with the consideration to the indicators,such as the total emission amount of CO,the total emission amount of nitrogen oxides,the noise value,the road construction cost,the fossil oil consumption and the traffic capacity. The result showed that the study would provide substantial supports for decision-makers to make more scientific decisions and promote the sustainable urban traffic in Changchun City.

Changing Concepts of City and Urban Planning Practices in Guangzhou(1949–2010): An Approach to Sustainable Urban Development

By focusing on Guangzhou, this paper examines how different concepts of city in terms of urban-rural relationships are shaped in transforming China since 1949, and explores how they influence the way in which urban planning are practiced. In the pre-reform era, the city was defined as a productive space under the system of urban-rural segregation established for securing rapid industrialization. Urban planning was thus only concerned with the development of urban areas. In the 1980 s and 1990 s after the reform, institutional change and economic transformation mobilized the urban-rural linkages. The development of suburban areas was then considered by urban planning, but this consideration was a passive response to urban problems such as population explosion and water resources protection. Since the new millennium, the agenda for sustainable development and problems of uneven urban-rural development have called for the development of urban-rural integration. In this context, the city is conceptualized as a complex of mountain, city, river, farmland and sea, reconstructing the ideology of urban-rural division in defining urban development. Urban planning has therefore sought in an active way to develop a sustainable city embracing rural and natural elements, and to balance economic growth and environmental protection. It is argued that developing the concept of city as a complex of urban and rural elements contributes to the urban planning for sustainable urban development, while this conceptualization relies on the recognition of the integrated urban-rural relationship.

Influence of Social Life on Islamic City＇s Planning and Arabic House＇s Design

The originating point of this study on the social life of the Arab world and its influence on architecture and city planning lays in the simple observation of true facts of daily life which are characteristic to the Arabic Society. So the author analyses

The Planning Management Experience and Enlightenment of the Cityscape Inheritance of the Ancient City of Yangzhou

China is currently facing the problem of large-scale destruction of the overall cityscape brought about by the rapid development of the city. The optimization of urban stocks and the improvement of urban quality have become the necessary paths for major cities to improve their urban soft power and obtain secondary economic growth. At present, most cities in China are still in the exploratory period of the protection of the cityscape, facing the dilemma of various ways but poor effects. Since the 1990 s, Yangzhou has begun to protect and inherit the cityscape, accumulating systematic protection methods and retaining the complete cityscape. This paper analyzed the characteristic cityscape of the ancient city of Yangzhou, sorted out its strategic methods in the planning management, and summarized the local experience in the inheritance of the characteristic cityscape, in order to provide a reference for China's future cityscape protection work.

Planning of Small Cities and Towns in Northwest China Based on New Urbanization Concepts

Construction and development of small cities and towns is signifi cant for promoting economic and social development,and solving issues concerning "agriculture,rural areas and peasants". In view of the rapid development of small cities and towns,confl icts and problems in the planning and construction of the small cities and towns in northwest China have emerged and brought negative infl uence on their healthy and sustainable development. On the basis of analyzing scientifi c connotations and construction needs of new urbanization,development of northwest China,and reviews on planning of small cities and towns in this region,planning paths against the background of new urbanization were explored.

Ecological Planning of Resource-based City——A Case Study of Huaibei City,Anhui Province

Ecological planning plays an important role in the construction of cities. Huaibei is a typical coal resource-based city, the abundant coal resources lay a solid foundation for its economic development. Coal mining has induced a series of social problems, and affected the regional social and economic development. Ecological planning of Huaibei City concentrates on ecological restoration of coal mining subsidence, and applies circular economy to develop eco-agriculture, eco-tourism and eco-industry, which will contribute considerably to the economic transformation of the city. Analytic Hierarchy Process and mathematical statistical model were applied to calculate sustainable development indexes of Huaibei from 2002 to 2010. By evaluating the indexes, it was found that Huaibei City has a low sustainable development level, and 3 imbalanced subsystems as the major obstacle. The authors proposed countermeasures according to specific conditions of the city.

Assessment of the Magnitude and Associated Factors of Unmet Need for Family Planning among Women of Reproductive Age Group with Disabilities in Bahir Dar City, Amhara Region, North West Ethiopia

The study was conducted to assess the magnitude and associated factors of unmet need for family planning among women of reproductive age group with disabilities who are members of disabled associations in Bahir Dar town. Institution based cross-sectional study was carried out. A total of 337 women of reproductive age group with disabilities were included in the study with simple random sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interview, coded, cleaned and entered by Epi info 2002 and analyzed with SPSS version 16 computer software. Logistic regression was used to assess possible associations. The magnitude of unmet need for family planning among women with disabilities was 24.3%. Women with disabilities in the age group of 25-29 had 80% less likely to have unmet need than women above 35 years old. Women with disability who have no education were 11 times more likely to have unmet need than those who have secondary education. Women who desire to have more than 3 children have more likely to have unmet need than those who need to have 1-2 children. Unmet need for family planning among women with disabilities was high in Bahir Dar town. Age, Educational status and desired number of children were found to have statistically significant association with unmet need for family planning. Hence, it is important to encourage people with disabilities to attained formal education and the associations should provide short term trainings in accordance with their age group.

Obstacles Facing Developing Countries in Power System Planning

The problem of power system planning, due to its complexity and dimensionality, is one of the most challenging problems facing the electric power industry in developing as well as developed countries. In planning phase, two of the most important decision-making parameters are the reliability and costs. The latter includes both system investment costs and outages costs. In this paper, these parameters are described and the interrelation between them is evaluated. Some previous approaches and developed techniques will he applied to a particular planning problem in a developing country and some aspects having a significant impact on the decision making process in the planning phase will be considered.

Urban Planning and Inadequacies of Implementation:The Case of the City of Larissa,Greece

Urban planning in Greece is identified by two characteristics:the domination of the legislative/legal level on the policy-making one,and the“implementation gap”between laws and plans,and related implementations.In fact,the most frequent reason for the implementation gap is the inability of local administration to compensate landowners.An additional reason for the non-implementation of Urban Plans is that if the expropriation/compensation is delayed for more than a legally specified period,the landowner can ask the lifting of the expropriation.Larissa faces such difficulties.Due to lack of money for expropriations,its¾years-old Urban Plan has been implemented only by 77%.In the city,there are nearly 120 of cases to be expropriated/compensated,and the total amount needed is estimated to 150 million Euros.Obviously,the municipality is impossible to afford this amount,and the Urban Plan is in serious risk of not being implemented.In that context,the paper suggests a re-examination and a re-classification of the prescribed spaces based on three critical factors:the“urban importance”of each“prescribed space”,the economic affordability of financing its expropriation,and the legal characteristics of property rights.

KSUTraffic: A Microscopic Traffic Simulator for Traffic Planning in Smart Cities

Simulation is a powerful tool for improving,evaluating and analyzing the performance of new and existing systems.Traffic simulators provide tools for studying transportation systems in smart cities as they describe the evolution of traffic to the highest level of detail.There are many types of traffic simulators that allow simulating traffic in modern cities.The most popular traffic simulation approach is the microscopic traffic simulation because of its ability to model traffic in a realistic manner.In many cities of Saudi Arabia,traffic management represents a major challenge as a result of expansion in traffic demands and increasing number of incidents.Unfortunately,employing simulation to provide effective traffic management for local scenarios in Saudi Arabia is limited to a number of commercial products in both public and private sectors.Commercial simulators are usually expensive,closed source and inflexible as they allow limited functionalities.In this project,we developed a local traffic simulator“KSUtraffic”for traffic modeling,planning and analysis with respect to different traffic control strategies and considerations.We modeled information specified by GIS and real traffic data.Furthermore,we designed experiments that manipulate simulation parameters and the underlying area.KSUTraffic visualizes traffic and provides statistical results on the simulated traffic which would help to improve traffic management and efficiency.