1,721,133 research outputs found
Dealing with the complexity, uncertainties and risk of mega-projects: redundancy, resilience and adaptivity
No full textProjects can be defined in two ways: the ‘temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more products’ and the ‘product such as a piece of transport infrastructure which is the result of the process of preparation and implementation’ (Murray, 2009, p. 3).Thus, a project can be defined as a process and as a product. In both definitions the ultimate goal of a project is to create value for the stakeholders, with the content of the term ‘value’ being different for the various stakeholders(Achterkamp and Vos, 2008). When we talk about mega-projects first of all we have the products in mind. When we talk about project management we think of the temporary organization and the process
Synergy in polycentric urban regions: Complementarity, organising capacity and critical mass
No full textThis thesis focuses on relationships between cities in Polycentric Urban Regions (PURs), which are regions containing proximate but distinct cities that are rather similar in size. A classic example is the Randstad. The extent to which there are synergies between cities in PURs is explored. The author develops theories on synergy in PURs and clarifies related concepts such as complementarity, regional organising capacity and critical mass. In doing so, several widespread assumptions with respect to PURs are questioned and empirically assessed, often for the first time. Do cities constituting a PUR increasingly complement each other? Does a PUR provide a similar critical mass for supporting amenities as a monocentric city region? Does a network model of spatial organisation describe the spatial-functional structure of PURs more accurately than a central place model? The thesis draws on empirical evidence from PURs in north-west Europe, particularly the Randstad. It appears that in the Randstad the main cities complement each other much more in term of economic profile than in the RheinRuhr area, and slightly more than in the "Flemish Diamond" (Brussels-Antwerp-Ghent-Leuven). There is also more regional organising capacity in this region, which can be explained on the basis of several spatial-functional, cultural and political factors. However, the extent to which cities in PURs complement each other is diminishing rapidly. Moreover, it was found that the support base or critical mass in a network of cities is less than in a single, monocentric city region. The more polycentric, the less (in quantity and quality) cultural, leisure and sports amenities there are. It appears that there is much potential for synergy left unused in PURs.OT
Environmental impacts during the operational phase of residential buildings
No full textTo date, the focus in the field of sustainable building has been on new building design. However, existing residential buildings inflict great environmental burden through three causes: continuous energy consumption, regular building maintenance and replacements. This publication analyses and compares these three causes of environmental burden and shows that material resources needed for replacements generally have a limited potential to reduce environmental impact. Reducing energy consumption for climate control and electrical appliances is much more effective. According to the author, sustainable measures should be tested for shifts in the kind of environmental impact caused due to the use of alternative types of energy resources and altered material quantities. The sustainability of the electricity supply is essential to decrease the total environmental impact of the residential building stock.Sustainable and Healthy HousingOTB Research Institut
Kwaliteitsbeleid voor de Nederlandse woningvoorraad: Historie, methodiek, toepassingen, beleidsopties
No full text
- …
