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Designing the peri-urban zone for people and production: A case study from Waitaha | Canterbury
No full textAotearoa New Zealand is experiencing unprecedented competition in land use priorities within the peri-urban zone – land fragmentation, the loss of productive soil, disconnected communities and local food supply chains, unsustainable greenfield sprawl and reverse sensitivity. New Zealanders, now an urban majority with 85% of us living in urbanised settlements, have become spatially disconnected from the landscapes that sustain us, particularly with regard to the agricultural and food landscapes that we all rely on. This research argues that the peri-urban zone, in its spatial proximity and function, holds a critical place in the long-term sustainability of our cities and urban communities. Its regulating ecosystem services ‘invisibly’ supporting their form and function through the local provisioning of food, stormwater management and watershed protection, environmental cooling, biodiversity refuge and habitat, as well as recreational and aesthetic opportunities. Governments, Councils, Planners and Urban Designers have long recognised the need to limit city expansion, predominately from an ‘urban’ perspective where successful cities are seen to have high levels of accessibility, connectivity, density, and diversity, achieved primarily through compact urban form. This report primarily responds to issues of peri-urban land use pressure in relation to food production and housing – two key functions of the peri-urban zone in Aotearoa New Zealand, and asks the question ‘how can landscapes for both people and production prosper within peri-urban Aotearoa’? This research emphasises the core role that accessible, local food production has on holistic urban resilience, as well as the protection and enhancement of that peri-urban land to provide essential ecosystem services to the receiving urban environment further enhancing urban sustainability.
Based on issues and aspirations reported by peri-urban residents, growers and farmers, five land use design concepts are developed, providing for both housing and food production, and opportunities for the reconnection of New Zealanders with whenua and food are explored. Re-designing peri-urban land use patterns to integrate housing with productive land uses has the potential to re-connect New Zealanders with the whenua while mitigating reverse-sensitivity issues associated with the current rural – urban dichotomy approach to planning
Bank capital and risk relationship during COVID-19: A cross-country evidence
No full textPurpose - This study aims to examine the relationship between bank capital and bank risk during COVID-19.
Design/methodology/approach - The study covers 20 countries during the period from Q4:2018 to Q4:2020, using different measurements of risk with consideration for the interrelationship between bank risk and bank capital and the impact of COVID-19.
Findings - The findings show that higher bank capital mitigates bank market risk and default risk; banks incur higher market risk during the COVID-19 period, and these risks are greater if banks have higher capital levels; and low-capitalized banks reduce risks more than well-capitalized banks, and moderately low-capitalized banks behave the most prudentially. These results are robust to different capital measures and model settings.
Practical implications - The research results are important in proving the motivation and practicality of capital regulation as well as the impact of COVID-19 as an exogenous shock to the bank’s operations. Originality/value - To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the relationship between bank capital and bank risk. In addition, while most of the studies on this nexus are based on the US data and the conclusions are inclusive; our results provide empirical cross-country evidences on the relationship between bank capital and bank risk
Factors affecting farmers' adoption of and willingness to pay for biodegradable mulch films in China
Get PDFThe technology of biodegradable mulch films (BDMs) is an environmentally-friendly substitute for polyethylene (PE) mulches in agricultural production. Given the technology is new to the market, it is not easy for farmers to adopt it. Additionally, farmers’ decision on BDMs adoption is a multiple-stage process. To understand the decision process, this paper employs a double hurdle model to explore the factors affecting farmers’ adoption and willingness to pay for BDMs using the sample data from China. The results show farmers follow a two-stage decision-making process, farmers have to overcome the first hurdle, i.e., adoption or non-adoption, and then decide how much they are willing to pay for BDMs. The role of technology-specific characteristics is more important than adopter-specific characteristics in the adoption of BDMs. Understanding the impact of factors on farmers’ decision-making process can assist policymakers in designing programs, specifically tackling difficulties confronting farmers at different stages of decision-making
Examining cultural differences in Airbnb naming convention and user reception: An eye-tracking study
No full textListing titles significantly impact consumer behaviors on shared-economy platforms (e.g. Airbnb). Due to limited research on the length, informativeness, and creativity of titles in this context, this research investigates consumers’ responses and perceptions towards various types of listing titles by exploring their cognitive processes and conscious preferences. In a three-phase study design, this research analyzed Airbnb listing titles in China and America, conducted eye-tracking experiments, and collected surveys to evaluate the effects of title length and informativeness. The results revealed cultural differences in titles, but similar behaviors among Chinese and English-speaking consumers. Cultural assumptions, processing, and informativeness were discussed
Household income and tourism expenditure: An unconditional quantile regression approach
Get PDFAlthough a growing number of studies have investigated the nexus between income and tourism demand, little is known about the heterogeneous income elasticity of tourism expenditure. This study fills this gap by analysing the 2018 China Family Panel Studies household survey data using an unconditional quantile regression model. The findings show that tourism expenditure is income inelastic regardless of the tourism expenditure quantile. Specifically, a 1% increase in per capita household income increases per capita tourism expenditure by 0.514–0.637%. In addition, household income affects tourism expenditure heterogeneously; the effects are larger for households at the higher tourism expenditure quantiles. Furthermore, the income elasticity of tourism expenditure is larger in relatively affluent and advanced regions – it is greater in urban areas relative to rural areas and in the eastern region of China relative to its western region
Recommendations for reducing environmental impact of pest mammal monitoring in New Zealand
No full textThe introduction of pest mammals and plastic pollution are two significant contributors to biodiversity loss in New Zealand (NZ). My research aims to minimise both these issues by offering a solution to pest mammal monitoring that is more environmentally friendly.
Despite NZ’s reputation as a ‘clean, green’ country – we have trouble managing waste, leading to challenges in the fight against climate change. We have already banned plastic bags, and are expanding the ban to include all single-use plastics - targeting items that commonly end up in landfills and pollute soil, waterways and the ocean. It is estimated that more than 2 billion single-use plastics will be removed from our landfills yearly. By phasing out unnecessary and problematic plastics, we will reduce landfill, improve recycling systems and encourage reusable or environmentally responsible alternatives.
While the NZ government focuses on removing single-use plastic from many large sectors, such as hospitality, smaller less-recognised sectors, such as conservation and biodiversity, are often overlooked. Instead of waiting until the spotlight turns to the single-use plastic used in pest monitoring and control, we should begin phasing out single-use plastic ourselves. Currently, the most commonly used pest mammal monitoring options are plastic. New biodegradable, environmentally friendly pest mammal monitoring equipment options can be designed and compared with traditional plastic options to determine if they can become the new industry standard. I will also be investigating potential by-products from other larger sectors that could potentially be used to create sustainable monitoring equipment. Complementary research is being done to develop biodegradable traps and long-life biodegradable lures; however, more effort is required for monitoring equipment.
Throughout this study, I will conduct fieldwork that looks at encounter and interaction rates of plastic and
biodegradable detection devices – with both free-ranging and captive animals. Current research suggests that biodegradable options have a slightly higher interaction rate than plastic options. This fieldwork will take place at several field sites around New Zealand to ensure biodegradable materials work in all terrains and conditions. Biodegradable materials will be also compared to their plastic alternatives in terms of how well they withstand environmental conditions and how easy animal identifications are on each material (bite marks, footprints etc.). These preliminary results will then be shared at the conference. I will also be taking into account what is valuable to a range of different stakeholders and working alongside different groups, businesses and individuals to ensure all products meet required standards in terms of disposal, durability and cost-effectiveness. Different materials (e.g wood-core pulps, cardboard, natural pulp fibres) will be investigated to find alternatives to the current equipment used in pest mammal monitoring in
New Zealand. Recommendations will also be put forward on how they can be utilised to reduce our reliance on plastic in the pest control industry
Shoot flammability patterns among plant species of the wildland–urban interface in the fire-prone Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area
Get PDFBackground: Mitigation of wildfires at the wildland–urban interface (WUI) will be enhanced by understanding the flammability of plants growing in this zone.
Aims: We aimed to: (1) compare shoot flammability among wildland native, and both urban native and urban exotic ornamental plants; (2) quantify relationships between shoot traits and flammability; and (3) establish flammability scores to distinguish low- from high-flammability species.
Methods: Flammability and traits of field-collected shoots were measured and relationships quantified in 44 species from the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Australia.
Key results: In our study area, urban exotic plants were less flammable than wildland and urban native plants. Slow-igniting shoots had high fuel moisture and bulk density; short-burning shoots had low bulk density and volume; shoots recording low maximum temperatures had high fuel moisture, low bulk density and volume; and shoots with low biomass consumed in flames had high fuel moisture and low volume. Our novel flammability scores distinguished low-flammability (e.g. Lophostemon confertus) from high-flammability native species (e.g. Callistemon citrinus).
Conclusions and implications: Low-flammability plantings at the WUI should preferably use native species given potential ecological impacts of exotics. We suggest that future work should seek to identify broader suites of low-flammability native species
Abiotic reduction of nitrate to ammonium by iron (oxy)(hydr)oxides and its stable isotope (δ¹⁵N, δ¹⁸O) dynamics
No full textIn this study, the kinetics and stable isotopic fractionation of nitrate (NO₃‾) reduction in Fe(II)/Fe(III) homogeneous/heterogeneous systems were investigated at circumneutral pH (i.e., pH 6.5 to 7.5) and ambient temperature (24 °C). Of the suite of iron (oxy)(hydr)oxides examined, NO₃‾ reduction by Fe(II) was only significant in the presence of layered double hydroxide green rust (GR) minerals. Comparison of type 1 and type 2 GRs demonstrated that type 1 (GR(Cl‾)) had the fastest NO₃‾ reducing ability, with an Fe(II)-normalized pseudo first-order kinetic rate constant of kobs (NO₃‾) = 16.2 × 10¹ M‾¹ d‾¹. Anion concentrations (SO₄²− or Cl‾) and the ratio of [Fe(II)] to [Fe(III)] also influenced reduction kinetics. Ammonium (NH₄⁺) was the predominant reaction end-product (>50%) with the remaining reduced N species concluded to be comprised of N₂(g) as other intermediates (nitrite (NO₂‾), nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) were not detected during NO₃‾ reduction. Apparent nitrogen (δ¹⁵N-NO₃‾) isotopic fractionation (¹⁵ε) for GR(Cl‾) and GR(SO₄²−) were were calculated to be 12.9 (CI: 8.2, 16)‰ and 37.9 (CI: 34, 41)‰, respectively. Similarly, oxygen (δ¹⁸O-NO₃‾) isotopic fractionation (¹⁸ε) differed between GR(Cl‾) and GR(SO₄²−): 4.53 (CI: 2.5, 5.8)‰ and 14.4 (CI: 12, 16)‰. However, the ratio of ¹⁸ε:¹⁵ε for both minerals could be fitted to a linear regression of slope 0.369 (CI: 0.361, 0.377). These findings reaffirm the importance of GR minerals to NO₃‾ reduction, especially in iron-rich systems hosting dynamic redox oscillations, including hyporheic zones, estuarine sediments and groundwater aquifers. These results also demonstrate that N and O stable isotope kinetic fractionation analyses as well as the ratio of ¹⁸ε:¹⁵ε can provide a means to distinguish between this abiotic anoxic reaction from anaerobic bacterial NO₃‾ reduction processes
Are social movements achieving the right to adequate housing in Lagos, Nigeria?
No full textThe right to adequate housing is central to urban struggles and has become important in contemporary urban governance and development discourse, especially in many African cities where rapid urban (re)development predisposes the poor to constant threats of forced eviction. It is generally believed that social movements can enable the collective actions of deprived and marginalized communities in claiming the right to the city. Housing is one of the most prominent areas where right to the city struggles manifest, being the gateway to many other basic needs and urban life. This chapter is underpinned by two questions: How are marginalized and deprived communities navigating the governance space in claiming their right to adequate housing? To what extent is their collective action resulting in access to adequate housing? In answering these questions, we draw on literature, policy documents, interviews with civil society and policy actors, and insights from the collective actions of the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation. The combined concepts of social movements, right to the city and adequate housing, located within the broader governance discourse, provide the conceptual and theoretical underpinning for the empirical analysis. This chapter engages with the literature of governance, social movements and the right to the city, and the centrality of adequate housing to the struggles of the urban poor. It then presents the development and governance contexts in Lagos that structure everyday life and struggles of the urban poor communities for adequate housing. We then illustrate the different tactics the Federation deploys in claiming the right to the city, and the extent to which their collective actions deliver the central objectives of the right to adequate housing. The concluding section highlights the need for co-operation and synergy among the different actors within the governance as well as the need to address the prevailing fractured power relations in order to make progress towards achieving the right to adequate housing for the urban poor
Automatically identifying sickness behavior in grazing lambs with an acceleration sensor
Get PDFAcute disease of grazing animals can lead to alterations in behavioral patterns. Relatively recent advances in accelerometer technology have resulted in commercial products, which can be used to remotely detect changes in animals’ behavior, the pattern and extent of which may provide an indicator of disease challenge and animal health status. The objective of this study was to determine if changes in behavior during use of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge model can be detected using ear-mounted accelerometers in grazing lambs. LPS infusion elevated rectal temperatures from 39.31 °C to 39.95 °C, indicating successful establishment of an acute fever response for comparison with groups (p < 0.001). For each of the five recorded behaviors, time spent eating, ruminating, not active, active, and highly active, the accelerometers were able to detect an effect of LPS challenge. Compared with the control, there were significant effects of LPS infusion by hour interaction on durations of eating (−6.71 min/h, p < 0.001), inactive behavior (+16.00 min/h, p < 0.001), active behavior (−8.39 min/h, p < 0.001), and highly active behavior (−2.90 min/h, p < 0.001) with a trend for rumination time (−1.41 min/h, p = 0.075) in lambs after a single LPS infusion. Results suggest that current sensors have the capability to correctly identify behaviors of grazing lambs, raising the possibility of detecting changes in animals’ health status