Assessing the Sustainability of Underground Space Usage——A Toolkit for Testing Possible Urban Futures

A description of the future as it might be without forecasts, predictions and trend analysis can be referred to as a 'future scenario'. An abundance of scenarios literature exists in which numerous pictures have been painted of changed future worlds. However, upon closer inspection it becomes apparent that virtually all of this literature refers to changes occurring above ground, ignoring the inevitable consequences (or opportunities) for sustainable use of underground space, not least in densely populated urban areas, some of which may be underlain by complex geological conditions. This paper reports on the development (to date) of an 'Urban Futures' (UF) toolkit for sub-surface environments (including infrastructure and utilities) which, through use of 'key' questions 'sustainable' indicators and a 'contextual' narrative, allows for better definition and measured performance of underground space in the UK, both today and in the future. The toolkit explores possible uses for underground space within 4 plausible and well-cited future scenarios (i.e. New Sustainability Paradigm, Fortress World, Market Forces and Policy Reform). This forms part of a much larger generic toolkit which the UF research team are developing for exploring possible future scenarios over a range of UK urban regeneration case study areas.

Urbanization and Its Impacts to Food Systems and Environmental Sustainability in Urban Space: Evidence from Urban Agriculture Livelihoods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Urbanisation is the key factor underpinning and catalysing changes in food systems, environmental quality, climate change and agriculture livelihoods in the overall urban ecosystem setting and its sustainability. The paper explores Dar es Salaam, a rapidly expanding city in Sub-Saharan Africa, and shows that urban agriculture provides urban ecosystem services and contributes to environmental sustainability. The interconnections of environmental justice, urban ecosystem services and climate change and variability found eminent feature that influence land governance, productivity and aesthetic value of the city. The study reaffirms the pivotal role urban agriculture which plays to enhance community health services and access to resources, with important implications on urban environmental sustainability and redistributive spatial land use planning policies and practices. The process of urbanisation, forms of urban agriculture and government strategies for enhanced urban food systems in the city economy have been highlighted. Equally, the process triggers the transformation of settlements from rural in character to modernity with an augmented land use conflicts. The results suggests that with increasing population, a clear spatial land use planning and management strategy is required to overcome the challenges and enhanced food systems and urban environmental sustainability in rapidly urbanizing cities like Dar es Salaam in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Touristic Sustainability in Rural and Natural Spaces

This article aims to give the reader an overview of the development of nature tourism and its importance for the sustainability of rural and natural areas involving special protection. Once you have seen the end of mass tourism, tourism demand is much more heterogeneous and attends a difference of purposes for which such demand is diversified, representing a particularly important tourism and leisure activities that take place now in natural areas, thus giving rise to different types of leisure and tourism, such as Rural tourism, Ecotourism, Agrotourism, Nature and Adventures tourism, Sports tourism in natural areas, etc. What is important for the sustainability of these areas, that are subject to this type of tourism is getting some positive impacts maintaining sustainability and combating the negative impact, that such activities may have on certain protected areas or special conservation. From this point of view, we believe it is important to develop responsible tourism and committed to environmental conservation and for that the local population must be trained in order to achieve development of the territory without the activities that are the fruit of these typologies tourism and leisure pose a danger. Also, the tourist population must be more aware about what constitutes such practices of leisure and tourism for conservation of the environment and, at the same time, the development of the most depressed areas.

Effects of long-term organic fertilization on soil microbiologic characteristics,yield and sustainable production of winter wheat

We investigated the soil microbiologic characteristics, and the yield and sustainable production of winter wheat, by conducting a long-term fertilization experiment. A single application of N, P and K （NPK） fertilizer was taken as the control （CK） and three organic fertilization treatments were used： NPK fertilizer＋pig manure （T1）, NPK fertilizer＋straw return （T2）, NPK fertilizer＋pig manure＋straw return （T3）. The results showed that all three organic fertilization treatments （T1, T2 and T3） significantly increased both soil total N （STN） and soil organic carbon （SOC） from 2008 onwards. In 2016, the SOC content and soil C/N ratios for T1, T2 and T3 were significantly higher than those for CK. The three organic fertilization treatments increased soil microbial activity. In 2016, the activity of urease （sucrase） and the soil respiration rate （SRS） for T1, T2 and T3 were significantly higher than those under CK. The organic fertilization treatments also increased the content of soil microbial biomass carbon （SMBC） and microbial biomass nitrogen （SMBN）, the SMBC/SMBN ratio and the microbial quotient （qMB）. The yield for T1, T2 and T3 was significantly higher than that of CK, respectively. Over the nine years of the investigation, the average yield increased by 9.9, 13.2 and 17.4% for T1, T2 and T3, respectively, compared to the initial yield for each treatment, whereas the average yield of CK over the same period was reduced by 6.5%. T1, T2, and T3 lowered the coefficient of variation （CV） of wheat yield and increased the sustainable yield index （SYI）. Wheat grain yield was significantly positively correlated with each of the soil microbial properties （P〈0.01）. These results showed that the long-term application of combined organic and chemical fertilizers can stabilize crop yield and make it more sustainable by improving the properties of the soil.

Urban Green Spaces and an Integrative Approach to Sustainable Environment

This paper explains the benefits and challenges of urban green spaces based on the critical discussion of study results from different studies in different cities. The important roles played by green spaces are social, economic, cultural and environmental aspects of sustainable development. Urban green spaces can be a comprehensive tool for long term protection of environmental sustainability through improving the quality of life and air quality, increasing property value due to their amenity and aesthetic characteristics, and reducing the energy costs of cooling buildings. Urban green spaces also can provide ecosystem services in which the recreation and relaxation facilities are especially available to urban dwellers and tourists too. To confirm the multiple roles played by green spaces, certain level of qualitative improvements and distribution of green spaces within the urban area should be considered and incorporated effectively into the environmental sustainability agenda. To do this, an integrated approach regarding the planning, monitoring, designing and maintaining of urban green spaces is required for improving the environmental sustainability in cities in different countries.

Long-term outcome of chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained virological response to peginterferon plus ribavirin

AIM: To assess the clinical, biochemical and virological long-term outcome in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients with a sustained virological response (SVR) after peginterferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin combination therapy. METHODS: One hundred and fifty three patients with a SVR after treatment with PEG-IFN plus ribavirin were included in a 5-year follow-up study in a single Spanish center, based on standard clinical practice. Clinical anamnesis, biochemical analysis, hepatitis C virus RNA and alpha-fetoprotein measurement, ultrasonography and transient elastography were performed annually. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period of the 153 patients was 76 ± 13 mo after they obtained a SVR. Five patients (3.26%) presented with cirrhosis before treatment and 116 (75.8%) had genotype 1. No patient showed evidence of hepatic decompensation. One patient (0.65%) developed a hepatocellular carcinoma at month 30 after achieving SVR. There were no virological relapses during this follow-up period. Persistently elevated alanine aminotransferase was found in only one patient (0.65%). At the end of the 5-year follow-up, the mean value of transient elastography was 7 ± 4.3 kPa (F1). There were no deaths and no other tumors. CONCLUSION: The long-term outcome of 153 CHC patients with SVR to PEG-IFN plus ribavirin was good. No evidence of a virological relapse was seen. One patient (0.65%) developed a hepatocellular carcinoma.

Long-term outcomes of chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained virological response at 6 months after the end of treatment

AIM: To assess the clinical, biochemical, and virological outcome during long-term follow-up of chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained virological response following effective antiviral therapy.METHODS: This study was a retrospective cohort study including 171 sustained responders defi ned as HCV RNA PCR negative at 6 mo after the end of effective antiviral treatment (SVR-6). Clinical signs and symptoms, bio- chemical hepatic parameters, ultrasonography and HCV RNA PCR were followed.RESULTS: Mean follow-up period was 35.38 ± 22.2 mo after the end of treatment. Twenty-seven (15.8%) responders had evidence of cirrhosis before treatment. Forty-eight (28.1%), 107 (62.6%) and 6 (3.5%) patients were genotype 1, 3, and 6 respectively, while 10 patients (5.8%) were unclassifi ed. There were no virological and biochemical relapses during the period of follow-up. None of the patients showed evidence of hepatic decom- pensation. However, there were 3 patients (1.8%) de- veloping hepatocellular carcinoma at 14, 18, 29 mo after treatment discontinuation, two of whom had evidence of cirrhosis prior to therapy.CONCLUSION: The study shows that during a follow- up interval for about 3 years in 171 chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained viral response after effective antiviral treatment there were no evident signs of either biochemical or clinical relapse of liver disease in all but three patients who developed hepatocellular carcinoma.

Effective Instructions in Design Process of Urban Public Spaces to Promote Sustainable Development

Public spaces in cities have long been the basis used for the expression of cultural values and social relations. Cultural and social systems have an old two-sided relation. This means that the establishment and continuity of social relationships strengthen the values and norms;on the other hand, culture determines the conditions and the formation of social relationships. Therefore, to create a bonding connection between people and the city, urban public spaces are the focal points which still need to be noticed more effectively by designers and managers. There are components which help the designers design more efficient urban public spaces and, as a consequence, there will be more vitality in cities. In today conditions, sustainability issues, as the solutions of having better future conditions, can considerably affect these components and give the society the opportunity of having more capable public spaces. Sum of studies in the field of sustainability and the subsequent sustainable public spaces researches mainly express three components of environment, economy and society, among which environment section is more significant than two others, so that the importance of climatic design components has been tangibly noted in public space designing. The aim of this paper is reviewing urban public spaces and sustainability notions and, as the result, reaching to some instructions for designing sustainable urban public spaces which have important impacts on these types of places. By doing this, not only the possibility of getting closer to the identity of cities, but also the necessary ground for the strong presence of sustainable urban public spaces in cities, are provided. The research method is descriptive-analytic and library research method is used for data collecting.

Effects of long-term sustained naltrexone release on the optic center in opioid-dependent patients Case-control study in four provinces of China

Very little is known about visual functional recovery following long-term naltrexone administration in opioid-dependent patients. In the present study, a portable event-related potential （ERP） working system was utilized to collect and record ERP in opioid-dependent patients and normal controls in visual half-field testing. In addition, the influence of long-term sustained naltrexone release on the visual nervous system was observed in opioid-dependent patients. Results revealed a significant main group effect in reaction time to visual signal stimulations. The reaction time of normal controls was shortest, but longest in opioid-dependent patients. The reaction time of long-term sustained naltrexone release group and compulsory detoxification group was similar to normal controls. A significant main group effect was also observed in P100 latency, and P100 latency in normal controls and the compulsory detoxification group was significantly decreased compared with the opioid-dependent patients. P100 amplitude at the Oz-electrode resulted in a significant main group effect. In particular, normal controls exhibited significant differences compared with long-term sustained release naltrexone and compulsory detoxification groups. These findings demonstrated that long-term sustained naltrexone release effectively ameliorated optic center function and improved visual sensitivity and reactions in opioid-dependent patients.

Sustainable Design in Space Structures

The sustainable design approach presented in this paper supports an increased commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation, and results in an optimal balance of cost, environmental, societal, and human benefits while meeting the mission and function of the intended space structure. The aim of this paper is to develop the guidelines that could be applied in the design of a space structure in order to achieve the optimal overall lifetime performance of the space structure. Space structures are more than inanimate hunks of metal, glass and fabric. Every space structure that we design as structural engineers is like a child - a child that is conceived with a passionate vision of its form, structure and purpose; nurtured through the schematic design phase and the development of construction documents; and cared for during the labor pains of plan check corrections, requests for information, shop drawing review, and construction observation. Like children, our space structures mature, perform necessary functions during their lives, and eventually, grow old and die. The design of a sustainable space structure is a much more challenging and cross-disciplinary process than in the past and therefore it is necessary that the space structure is viewed as an integrated system and that all members of the design team work in a fully integrated fashion.

面向治理现代化的公共服务理论思考:内涵、要求与路径

公共服务作为保障国家和社会良好运行的物质载体,逐渐成为现代国家治理的合法性基础。面对人民群众需求层次提升的现实要求和推进治理现代化的时代使命,公共服务被赋予新的内涵和要求。而这种变化的具体要求和表现以及由此对公共服务供给方式带来的挑战,并没有在当前的研究中得到充分讨论。新时期公共服务现代化的要求在于实现服务配置的公平正义、服务供给的可持续性和服务供需的有效匹配。因此,有必要基于公共服务在内容体系、供给侧和需求侧的变化,结合公共服务供给的基本过程,构建理解治理现代化下公共服务发展要求的分析框架,重新思考公共服务的供给方式,提出公共服务的空间路径、财政路径和技术路径。一是科学配置有限的资源,优化空间功能与设施布局,重构公共服务的空间结构和空间秩序,以空间资源配置回应空间正义。二是明晰政府、市场和社会等主体的责权关系和角色,完善层级政府间的财政制度设计,以财政治理促进可持续发展。三是通过打造数字化的公共服务场景,利用数字技术优化公共服务需求识别和反馈机制,以技术赋能实现供需有效匹配。

城市更新的参与式治理:从物质空间到社会空间

从全生命周期关注城市更新已引起政策和实践的重视,但现有研究多关注城市更新的空间建设和实现阶段,对于城市更新空间的后续维护和使用阶段却相对较少关注。通过对上海社区层面的微更新、街区层面的生活圈建设、城市层面的滨江滨河空间贯通等三个层次案例的分析发现,城市更新是否带来期待的社会效果不仅取决于物质空间建设,还取决于是否通过参与式治理形成了有序的社会空间。物质空间的建设可在短时间内完成,但有序社会空间的形成需要较长时间的磨合和探索。从城市更新到美好生活需要重视物质空间供给后引发的社会空间问题,以参与式治理推动城市更新的可持续发展。

横琴科技园区的空间组织特征研究

在我国实施创新驱动发展战略的背景下,科技创新能力成为城市发展的核心竞争力,而科技园区作为城市创新活动集聚的新形态,已成为城市规划与建设的重要内容。因此,探讨横琴科技园区的空间组织,有利于揭示其创新生态的特征及驱动因素,可为科技园区的生态建设和可持续发展提供参考。文章以横琴科技园区的“横琴科学城、横琴国际科技创新中心、粤澳合作中医药科技产业园、横琴科技城”为样本案例,以主成分分析法对原始数据进行选取,结合耦合度模型对数据进行标准化处理,并通过空间统计学的方法从实证角度分析了对横琴科技园区的空间布局的特征、类型占比及驱动因素进行探讨。结果表明:1)不同类型科技园区在空间分布和组合上具备不同的偏好与特征,相对来说横琴科技园区中以配套设施为主的园区组织较为紧凑,以技术服务为主园区较为开放、注重资源共享;2)具有功能复合化特征,提高土地混合利用效率。横琴科技园区具有3种及以上功能,其中生产类空间与生活类空间的比值约为3.5∶1.2;3)横琴科技园区的空间形态社区化,与城市互动明显,多维且多样。4)注重空间的盈利性、商业性,市场活动、新区政策是驱动横琴科技园区可持续发展的主要影响因素。

外空安全与环境治理:进展、挑战与机遇

随着人类航天活动的迅猛发展,外空环境日益复杂无序,外空安全的威胁显著上升,外层空间长期可持续性面临严重挑战。本文全面介绍了外空安全面临的最新态势,系统分析了空间碎片数量逐年增多、低轨大规模星座迅猛部署、新型航天活动快速喷发、外空资源争夺日趋激烈、外空军事化愈演愈烈等对外空安全和外空长期可持续的冲击。本文指出,从外空命运共同体、国家空间资产安全、航天强国建设出发,外空环境治理是大势所趋和唯一出路,孕育着航天技术创新、产业革命、法规建制等重大机遇。基于国情提出了我国对策和发展建议。

城市地下空间环境优化与改造研究

随着城市空间日趋紧张,开发利用地下空间已成为缓解表层压力的一种方式。然而,在实际操作中,如何优化地下环境、提升其使用价值和舒适度,成为了一个值得探讨的问题。本文旨在通过分析城市地下空间的环境构成要素及设计原则,探索改善和提升地下空间环境的途径。文章通过考察现有的成功案例,细致讨论了植物景观、山水景观、公共艺术、空间围合以及灯光设计等要素对地下空间环境质量的影响。同时,评估了安全性、舒适性、艺术性、人性化及和谐性等设计原则在实践中的应用效果。通过这一过程,文章揭示了地下空间环境优化的多维策略,旨在为地下空间的有效利用和环境改善提供实践参考。

面向城市更新财政可持续的空间生产逻辑与实践

财政可持续是实现城市更新长期持续健康发展的重要保障。面对城市更新与财政可持续之间的现实矛盾,空间生产理论能解析财政推动城市空间再造和价值提升的内在逻辑,促进制度建设和空间生产实践的协调统一。从空间生产理论出发,构建“制度空间重构—多元主体行为选择—社会空间重构”的空间生产逻辑框架,提出未来城市更新财政可持续的五大基本逻辑和四大基本准则。最后以北京劲松模式为例,实证分析本逻辑框架的适用性,并提出相应的政策建议,以期为城市高质量发展背景下城市更新财政可持续提供决策参考。

山地城市老旧社区公共空间老年人社交活动特征与可持续更新思路:基于社会网络分析

在人民城市理念背景下,针对山地城市人口老龄化趋势与老旧社区公共空间适老化更新的现实困境,需要更加长期、动态、准确地理解社区老人的社交需求与活动特征,进而结合地方自然、经济和人文特征,提出长效的可持续更新思路。运用社会网络理论和方法,选取山地城市老旧社区特征显著且老龄化严重的重庆市渝中区凉亭子社区为研究区域,以居住在该社区的老年人为研究对象,通过长期实地观察、访谈和对调研数据的分析,厘清各类社群关系下老年人的活动空间分布及活动类型特征,剖析老年社群—社交空间—社交活动的整体关系,进而明确社区公共空间适老化更新的问题与目标,提出因地制宜的可持续社区更新思路。对于突破山地城市老旧社区适老化更新的社区资产认知、持续改善和提升社区公共空间品质、整体构建和谐的社区社群关系具有参考意义。

可持续场地倡议(SITES)评价体系在中国城市绿地建设中的研究进展及适用性讨论

建设可持续的城市绿地是风景园林行业实现可持续发展的重要途径。然而,中国目前缺乏指导可持续景观建设的标准体系。可持续场地倡议(SITES)体系的提出和引入为国内相关研究提供了新的切入点。以SITES评价体系为研究对象,概述其起源、主要内容等,明确其在城市绿地项目建设中的应用价值,全面总结了SITES评价体系在国内研究与应用方面的进展,同时深入探讨了其在中国城市绿地建设中的适用性和局限性。SITES在关注“场地”尺度、覆盖全生命周期、设置“门槛”条件以及全球统一标准等方面展现了较强的适用性,然而,在实际应用于中国城市绿地项目时存在一定的局限性,包括SITES标准与国内标准规范的不匹配,分值权重的失衡,缺乏政府相关福利政策支持和推广受限制等问题。

德国国土空间用途管制机制经验与启示

德国作为空间规划思想的重要萌发地,其用途管制制度一直是世界各国学习的榜样。文章在梳理德国国土空间用途管制制度体系的框架结构,分析用途管制制度在总量控制与计划管理、空间准入与实施许可、规划监测与预警机制等环节运行机制的基础上,总结德国在立法、立项、资金支持、空间监测、可持续发展与气候保护等领域的国土空间用途管制经验,希望能为我国国土空间用途管制制度的完善提供可借鉴的建议。

Construction of Economic Urban Green Spaces with a Case Study of Shijiazhuang City

The accelerating urbanization has brought various problems in environment, land, fund and so on. With the guidance of market economy, economic urban green spaces have become the optimal choice in urban landscaping of China, which can not only improve urban landscapes, ecological environment, satisfy higher spiritual and cultural demands of people, but also create considerable economic benefits, and enhance the coordinated development of economy, society and environment. With Shijiazhuang City as an example, the approaches of constructing economic urban green spaces fit for Shijiazhuang City were analyzed in this study, to provide references for the construction of economic urban green spaces in other cities.