1,720,958 research outputs found
Integrating land value capture into infrastructure investment planning in South Africa: case study of South African local government
A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Building to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, 2022South Africa continues to experience fiscal constraints and economic contraction as a major hindrance to deliver infrastructure projects. Because the process is disintegrated, the aim of this research is to recommend a set of guidelines using planning gain and investment theories on ways to guide the implementation of land value capture financing to fund infrastructure development by the South African local government. The study was conducted using the qualitative approach where a threestep sequential research design was followed. Firstly, the study utilised document analysis using secondary data where the aim was to investigate the problems and challenges that deter the effective use of Land Value Capture (LVC) in South Africa, as well as to investigate concrete proposals and legislative amendments that are required to circumvent the current limitations that exist and emerge from the application of LVC. Secondly, the study relied on semi-structured interviews to follow up on the findings of the first step. Finally, the study was conducted using the method of triangulation, using two data tools, to help draw guidelines on how LVC can be used in an effective manner in South Africa. The relevance of this study lies on the premise that there is a dire need for the South African government to expedite infrastructure development that were once curtailed by apartheid systems in order to anchor the imperatives of inclusive cities as the economy grows and urbanisation ensues.PC(2023
Balancing urban regeneration to prevent displacement: a conceptual strategy for inclusivity in South Africa
A paper presented at the Proceedings of the AfRES 2024 Conference Proceedings 10 – 13 September, Livingstone, ZambiaThe regeneration of urban areas and neighbourhoods plays a crucial role in mitigating urban decay and enhancing socio-economic conditions. However, conventional urban renewal initiatives often inadvertently perpetuate geographies of exclusion, chiefly through gentrification and displacement. This paper is aimed at devising effective urban regeneration strategies that prioritise social inclusivity while mitigating the negative impacts of gentrification and displacement of poor people. The study employed a literature and theoretical review approach, utilising published articles and documents to assess the impact of urban regeneration programs on poor communities. The outcomes include the identification of shortcomings in current urban regeneration strategies and the need to formulate more equitable approaches. This study's significance lies in its contribution to expanding knowledge on urban redevelopment, particularly in the developing world of the global south. Furthermore, it will inform policy development aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) of the United Nations, thus facilitating much-needed advancements in urban development policies.PM202
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
We provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
The 'Massive, Little' Houses: 'Prefabs', A Solution for Informal Settlement Housing Crisis in South Africa! A Scoping Review
Correspondence: P. Simbanegavi, School of Construction Economics and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] most continents, Africa still grapples with urban informality, where housing shortages affect most people living in substandard conditions. Prefabricated housing (PH) presents an alternative option that provides a quicker and cheaper housing supply, although it currently lags behind demand. This paper examines whether 1) informal settlements can be upgraded using prefabricated/modular houses, 2) these housing types are desirable to occupants, and 3) alternative houses should receive as much emphasis and policy support as possible, particularly considering the challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a comprehensive literature survey utilising a scoping review methodology, the paper indicates that stakeholders such as developers, financiers, and occupants of prefabricated housing increasingly embrace PH despite its challenges. The literature unanimously agrees that substantial efforts are required to catalyse more investment in PH regarding further research, education, supply chain improvements, and enhanced communication and collaboration among industry stakeholders. Additionally, numerous research gaps need addressing, including in-depth examinations of PH's contextual feasibility and performance across different geographical areas. The paper recommends that South African governments adopt PH as an alternative housing solution, as it is faster and cheaper, thereby aiding in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 11.We extend our gratitude to Andrew Cappelli for the sabbatical grant awarded in 2023, which significantly supported this research.MR Weaic
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
We conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
We have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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