Design Strategies for the Sustainable Improvement of Urban Social Assistance Buildings

Transformation and innovation of assistance model promote the transition of urban social assistance building to multi-functional building. This paper, on the basis of analyzing complexity and peculiarity of urban social assistance building, as well as researches and practices of sustainable improvement of domestic architecture, proposed environmental, social and economic objectives of the sustainable improvement of urban social assistance building, and elaborated design strategies from the perspectives of site selection and its impact on environment, application, evaluation and utilization of ecological technologies, reform of old buildings, flexible internal layout of building and combination of routine use and disaster use design, so as to improve social benefits and social assessment of assistance buildings sustainably, and to balance humanistic concerns and social resource input.

Comparative Geospatial Planning Model for “Location Specific” Intervention and Continuous Improvement Strategy

Sustainable development can only be achieved by conscious planning and implementation of action plans. Decision making requires a careful selection of the right conceptual framework and models for planning and implementation processes. Planning process models dictate in very clear terms what must be done and how it is done to achieve a successful completion of a process of activity [1]. Since about 80% of data used to support decisions are geographically related [3], it is necessary to put Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the core of the planning and implementation model. There exists a great disparity in a heterogeneous world. The locational disparity in achieving sustainable development, therefore, necessitates a planning model that is “location specific” i.e. identifies areas (locations) requiring intervention and areas (locations) requiring continuous improvement strategies. This was achieved in this study by reviewing Bell’s Information System Strategic Planning Model and Kaufman’s Strategic Planning Model, and the designing of new model to overcome the limitation of existing models. Practical application of the new model was carried out in education planning and administration in order to achieve the global goals for sustainable development 4 (quality education). Finding shows that the Comparative Geospatial Planning Model for “Location Specific” Intervention and Continuous Improvement Strategy is useful to support the achievement of sustainable development goals in multidisciplinary, multi-sector applicable instances.

Anaerobic treatment of source-separated domestic bio-wastes with an improved upflow solid reactor at a short HRT

Anaerobic treatment is the core technology for resource and energy recovery from source-separated domestic bio-wastes. The higher efficiency of an improved upflow solid reactor（IUSR） designed in this study was demonstrated in the treatment of concentrated black water and kitchen waste. The highest methane production of 48 L/person/day was achieved at the hydraulic retention time（HRT） of 7 days, while the other measures of performance at the HRT of 8.3 days were better than at the HRT of 7 or 10 days, achieving a methane production of 43 L/person/day, removal of total chemical oxygen demand（TCOD）of 89%, removal of soluble chemical oxygen demand（SCOD） of 92%, and conversion of chemical oxygen demand（COD） to methane of 71%. It is not recommended to decrease HRT lower than 7 days due to the instability of the initial period. The concentrations of volatile fatty acids（VFAs） in the IUSR were less than 10 mg/L, indicating that the anaerobic process was stable. Sludge bed development showed that sludge bed with high microbial activity was formed in the bottom and that the precipitation zone of effluents formed should preferably occupy 30% of the height of the IUSR. The effluents of the IUSR could be used for irrigation in agriculture in combination with a settling tank accompanied by disinfection to remove solids and pathogens.