As a consequence of climate change and urbanization, many cities will have to deal with more flooding and extreme heat stress. This paper presents a framework to maximize the effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for flood risk reduction and thermal comfort enhancement. The framework involves an assessment of hazards with the use of models and field measurements. It also detects suitable implementation sites for NBS and quantifies their effectiveness for thermal comfort enhancement and flood risk reduction. The framework was applied in a densely urbanized study area, for which different small-scale urban NBS and their potential locations for implementation were assessed. The overall results show that the most effective performance in terms of flood mitigation and thermal comfort enhancement is likely achieved by applying a range of different measures at different locations. Therefore, the work presented here shows the potential of the framework to achieve an effective combination of measures and their locations, which was demonstrated on the case of the Sukhumvit area in Bangkok (Thailand). This can be particularly suitable for assessing and planning flood mitigation measures in combination with heat stress reduction.
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Hoe zorg je in Amsterdam voor een aantrekkelijk en gevarieerd winkelgebied waar zowel bewoners, bezoekers en ondernemers zich thuis voelen? Hoe komen deze verschillende belanghebbenden tot een goed functionerend, gezamenlijk beheer van winkelgebieden als een gemeenschappelijke bron met verschillende functies? Wat vraagt dit van de gemeente, hoe is haar rol daarin veranderd en hoe zien we dit terug in beleid? Actuele vragen, die al geruime tijd de gemoederen in Amsterdam flink bezighouden, en die we beantwoorden in het rapport 'De Winkelstraat als wereld’.Dit rapport is uitkomst van het vierjarig praktijkonderzoek Toekomstbestendig Evenwicht: Balanceren tussen divergerende belangen (RAAK-PRO). In dit rapport geven we antwoord op de hoofdvraag: welke interventies, processen en structuren faciliteren 'urban commoning', om te komen tot een meer gebalanceerde ontwikkeling van stedelijke consumptieruimten? Urban commoning is een gedeelde praktijk waarbij belanghebbende rondom een gemeenschappelijke bron samen regels en afspraken ontwikkelen om zo'n plek duurzaam te benutten.
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As a consequence of climate change and urbanization, many cities will have to deal with more flooding and extreme heat stress. This paper presents a framework to maximize the effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for flood risk reduction and thermal comfort enhancement. The framework involves an assessment of hazards with the use of models and field measurements. It also detects suitable implementation sites for NBS and quantifies their effectiveness for thermal comfort enhancement and flood risk reduction. The framework was applied in a densely urbanized study area, for which different small-scale urban NBS and their potential locations for implementation were assessed. The overall results show that the most effective performance in terms of flood mitigation and thermal comfort enhancement is likely achieved by applying a range of different measures at different locations. Therefore, the work presented here shows the potential of the framework to achieve an effective combination of measures and their locations, which was demonstrated on the case of the Sukhumvit area in Bangkok (Thailand). This can be particularly suitable for assessing and planning flood mitigation measures in combination with heat stress reduction.
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As urban environments increasingly adopt automated technologies for municipal enforcement, this paper interrogates the erosion of human judgment, discretion, and interaction in public space governance. Drawing on participatory design workshops within the “Human Values for Smarter Cities” project, the authors explore how automation—exemplified by license plate scan cars—amplifies efficiency while marginalizing ambiguity, context, and citizen voice. Through grounded case studies, the essay reveals how automation can produce unintended injustices by failing to accommodate lived realities and interpretative nuance. The paper proposes speculative redesigns aimed at reintroducing “human inefficiency” into automated systems, advocating for real-time interaction, interpretability, and civic negotiation. Situating their critique within broader debates on trust, control, and the human scale, the authors argue for a shift from technocratic solutionism toward relational urban technologies. Ultimately, the work contributes to civic technology discourse by outlining design principles that foreground empathy, discretion, and participatory governance in the age of the smart city.
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The Integrated Recovery Scale IRS was developed by Dutch National Expertise board for Routine Outcome Monitoring. Recovery is multi dimensional: 1. Symptomatic recovery 2. Physical health, 3. Societal recovery 4. Existential: personal recovery. The validation process and first outcomes of the instrument are described.
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Steden en wijken staan ook de komende jaren voor belangrijke opgaven op onder andere het gebied van armoede, duurzaamheid, veiligheid, welzijn en zorg. Deze complexe en taaie vraagstukken kunnen veelal niet door één of twee partijen van bovenaf worden opgelost. Ze vragen om een nieuwe aanpak met een grotere rol van de direct betrokkenen. Op steeds meer plekken in Nederland zien we dan ook dat groepen van diverse personen en organisaties met elkaar werken aan creatieve oplossingen voor vraagstukken op individueel, buurt- of wijkniveau. Zij bundelen hun krachten in nieuwe samenwerkingsverbanden om zo lokaal het verschil te maken. Deze samenwerkingsverbanden zorgen ten opzichte van het verleden voor verschuivende rollen, taken en (machts)verhoudingen. Er ontstaat een nieuw speelveld met deels nieuwe spelers en spelregels. Hoe je dit samenspel tussen burgers, ondernemers, maatschappelijke instellingen en gemeenten precies vorm moet geven, wordt nu uitgeprobeerd en ontdekt. Hoe verhouden bijvoorbeeld de burger en de professional zich tot elkaar? Welke complexe afhankelijkheden zijn er tussen de andere partijen? Heeft iedereen een gelijkwaardige stem? Tegen welke knelpunten lopen deze samenwerkingen op? Wat zijn belangrijke leerpunten en hoe kunnen we het leren over en binnen deze plekken optimaliseren? In dit boek gaan we aan de hand van tien casestudies en vijf interviews op zoek naar de antwoorden op deze vragen. Naast de grote verscheidenheid laten de voorbeelden ook zien dat de partijen op deze plekken in volle overtuiging gezamenlijk aan iets ‘nieuws’ bouwen ondanks hun verschillende achtergronden, belangen, denk- en werkwijzen. Daarmee zijn het voor ons plekken van hoop en verandering.
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This article aims to supplement the three “golden rules” of rewilding – or three Cs – the Cores, Carnivores, and Corridors – by a fourth C – Compassion, in discussing the case of Oostvaardeplassen in The Netherlands. The cores refer to large, strictly protected ecologically intact areas, carnivores refer to natural predators, and corridors connect passages for fauna movements. We propose a fourth requirement: Compassion. This fourth C would ensure that any active (re)introduction must be in the interests of the individual animals involved. This article briefly explains the history of the Oostvaardeplassen project and leads into a discussion of the scientific (biological requirements of the species, area, and species fit, etc. ) and ethical (animal welfare, ecocentrism, etc.) constraints and opportunities for rewilding. All four Cs, we argue, are absent from Oostvaardeplassen, which can be considered an example of how rewilding should not be undertaken. Against this background, we propose an alternative way forward. https://www.ecos.org.uk/ecos-406-the-golden-rules-of-rewilding-examining-the-case-of-oostvaardersplassen/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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As people age, physiological changes affect their thermal perception, sensitivity and regulation. The ability to respond effectively to temperature fluctuations is compromised with physiological ageing, upsetting the homeostatic balance of health in some. As a result, older people can become vulnerable at extremes of thermal conditions in their environment. With population ageing worldwide, it is an imperative that there is a better understanding of older people’s thermal needs and preferences so that their comfort and wellbeing in their living environment can be optimised and healthy ageing achieved. However, the complex changes affecting the physiological layers of the individual during the ageing process, although largely inevitable, cannot be considered linear. They can happen in different stages, speeds and intensities throughout the ageing process, resulting in an older population with a great level of heterogeneity and risk. Therefore, predicting older people’s thermal requirements in an accurate way requires an in-depth investigation of their individual intrinsic differences. This paper discusses an exploratory study that collected data from 71 participants, aged 65 or above, from 57 households in South Australia, over a period of 9 months in 2019. The paper includes a preliminary evaluation of the effects of individual intrinsic characteristics such as sex, body composition, frailty and other factors, on thermal comfort. It is expected that understanding older people’s thermal comfort from the lens of these diversity-causing parameters could lead to the development of individualised thermal comfort models that fully capture the heterogeneity observed and respond directly to older people’s needs in an effective way. (article starts at page 13)
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