4582 research outputs found
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Visitors' and stakeholders perception of urban wildlife in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
No full textPlanning, development and maintenance of urban green space is among the key elements of sustainable urban development. Acknowledging and participating in the conservation and enhancement of the urban green space can improve the environment and provide huge benefits to city dwellers. The aim of this paper is to investigate the stakeholders’ and visitors’ understanding of their responsibility and responsiveness towards urban green spaces in Kuala Lumpur. Stakeholders and people understanding and responsibilities were investigated using interview method. Visitors to various urban parks in Kuala Lumpur and representatives of the National Landscape Department (JLN) and the City Hall of Kuala Lumpur (CHKL) were interviewed to capture the view of stakeholders and visitors. The study found that most visitors are concerned with the quality of the physical development and social necessities as their preferences for ‘sustainable city’. The survey also indicates that the government should initiate enhancement of urban green space and promote awareness of conservation through gazettes and information campaign to preserve urban green space. Thus, stakeholders such as NGOs, developers, professionals should play their role in realizing the visions of local authorities and the nation. Research demonstrated that there is need to have high awareness towards environmental attitude which could be enhanced to encourage preservation and conservation of nature and their associated benefits.
Innovations in tender procurement
No full textIn Australia.;manytendenI1g codes prescribe the tendering process, including the requirementfor ethical practices which refer to fatrnessfb allparties<atidfatttreatment of<'aIltenderersby the owner. All the government codes cited do encourage innovations Or alternative proposals. to achieve competitive advantage, efficiency. and/or value for money. Even with the provisions for alternative tenders in tenpering codes,wha.t aretlle most appropri~~e procedure for fairly evaluating conforming tenders and alternative tenders? Theaimo~~ this paper is to ,explore how the c()ntr~ct":"awarding bodies should consider alternative tenders without at risk of litigation from the injure9 parties.•Based,on liter~turereview, it was found that as aresult of recent legal cases in tendering,'models have been developed to sugge~t~' tr~nsparent process that would,not susceptible to legal challenges
Climate migration and change of uban land uses in Bangladesh
No full textUrban land dynamics have always been influenced by rural-urban migration. Internal migration processes are induced by economic pull, social push or environmental degradation. Over the fast few decades a variety of climatic hazards have introduced a new form of migration called climate migration or displacement. Migration of climate displaced communities can have a direct impact on the livelihood of those migrants and the land-use dynamics of their destination. The low-lying delta region of Bangladesh is highly prone to natural disasters and such climatic actions change the population dynamics and distribution. In the last few decades frequent floods l cyclones, drought and river erosion have exerted dramatic impacts on coastal settlements and livelihoods. In 1991, 137,000 people were killed when cyclone and storm surge swept over the coastal zones. Most recently cyclone SIDR hit the south coastal region leaving 4234 people dead and destroyed 564,000 homes resulting in 885,280 people becoming homeless. Every year low-lying coastal areas are affected by, on average, six tropical cyclones accompanied by 5 to 8m high tidal surge killing thousands of people and causing extensive damage to houses and infrastructure and millions become homeless and displaced from their land. Those displaced communities are forced to migrate to other places and in most cases to the nearest urban areas to seek an alternative livelihood. They often settle at the urban fringe, on vacant lands beside rail lines and highways and squat around the city, thus changing the rand use dynamics of the city. This paper reports on an empirical survey of migrants and land use change to demonstrate how climate migration and displacement influences urban landuse change in Bangladesh
Mapping mountain bike trails and associated features
No full textGovernments have identified that more information is required With regards to the man~gementof mountain bike trails such as trail location, sustainability and liability. Up to date and accurate maps could aid this need, but currently mapping ofsuch features is limited. To improve this situation, the research ideh,tified a multitude of_mapping technologies t,hat could be used ranging from Real Time Kinetic Global Positioning Systems (GPS)with centimetre accuracy, to navigational GPS used in recreational activities such as bushwalking with accuracies in the region of 5':-10 m. The research in this paper ,explored mapping te~hnology options and, through the use of a case study mountain bike park'in South Australia, determined'from these the most suitable for employment in mapping mountain bike trails and associated features such as such as signage, anchor points and obstacles
Investigating the vehicle ownership in an mid-sized Asian city : a case study in Khon Kaen city, Thailand
No full textThis paper provides a preliminary analysis ofthe nature of vehicle ownership in mid-sized cities of Thailand using Khon Kaen City as the principal study area. Potentially important factors are examined using an econometric method based on the Khon Kaen Daily Travel Survey 2007 (KKDTS07) database. Models of car and motorcycle ownerships in the study area are presented. Some differences and similarities between the characteristics of car and motorcycle ownership were found. Recommendations are given for further research leading to a more comprehensive understanding of car and motorcycle ownership in mid-sized cities in Thailand and in Southeast Asia
An expert panel assessment of comprehensive medication reviews for clients of community mental health teams
No full textBackground Few studies have investigated strategies to identify and resolve drug-related problems among clients of community mental health teams (CMHTs). Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical impact and appropriateness of comprehensive medication reviews for clients of CMHTs. Methods Trained pharmacists conducted interviews (30–45 min each) with clients of CMHTs to identify actual and potential drug-related problems. The pharmacists prepared medication review reports that detailed their findings and recommendations to optimize drug therapy. An expert panel comprising a psychiatrist, general medical practitioner, mental health pharmacist and medication review pharmacist evaluated reviews for 48 clients of 5 CMHTs. Panelists independently assessed review findings, review recommendations, likelihood of recommendation implementation and the overall expected clinical impact. Results Two hundred and nine medication review findings and 208 medication review recommendations were evaluated. Panelists agreed with 76% of findings and considered that 81% of recommendations were appropriate. Collectively, 69% of recommendations were considered likely to be implemented. Thirty-seven (77%) reviews were deemed potentially to have a positive clinical impact. The agreement between panelists was statistically significant (P < 0.01) for the assessment of the findings, recommendations and likelihood of recommendation implementation. Conclusions Pharmacists’ findings and recommendations to optimize drug therapy were considered appropriate and likely to result in improved clinical outcomes. Comprehensive medication reviews may be a valuable strategy to identify and resolve drug-related problems among clients of CMHTs.
