Search Results (36)

Derelict asbestos mine sites in South Africa pose a considerable risk to human, environmental and socio-economic health. Comprehensive mineralogical and geochemical datasets for the existing hazardous geological materials still exposed in Southern African derelict asbestos mines remain largely non-existent, as very little published and up-to-date literature is available. In this study, three representative types of asbestos mineral fibres from derelict asbestos mines in Southern Africa, namely chrysotile from Havelock mine, amosite from Penge mine and crocidolite from Prieska mine, are characterized mineralogically and geochemically to critically evaluate actual hazards in rural and asbestos-fibre-contaminated regions. The samples were examined using polarising light microscopy, X-ray fluorescence (major and trace elemental analysis), X-ray diffraction (including Rietveld refinement), specific surface area analysis and bio-durability testing. Data are discussed in view of their potential toxicities on both human health and the environment in the context of developing countries. Finally, information on the mineralogical and geochemical status of asbestos mine waste and its importance as baseline data for rehabilitation considerations is also evaluated. Full article

Within the scientific debate on urban regeneration, this paper intends to question possible planning techniques to address the implementation of widespread regeneration interventions in obsolete residential areas within medium-sized European cities, with particular attention to constructing a cognitive framework to locate redevelopment interventions. The widespread urban regeneration approach has yet to be sufficiently explored in the scientific literature, which focuses much more on replacing large derelict areas, though it seems particularly relevant for research and urban practice. This paper aims to illustrate a methodological framework for defining obsolete and degraded areas (at the block scale) suitable for redevelopment. Various criteria are considered, e.g., land use, buildings’ dating, state of preservation, population density, public spaces, and facility provision, and degree of accessibility. The methodological framework is then tested in the medium-sized Italian city of Parma. Data set parameters and threshold values to quantify the previously introduced criteria and perform GIS-based statistical and spatial analysis. The results show 96 areas potentially in need of regeneration, providing an opportunity to reflect on the criteria of suitability and priority for transformation and the framework of past and future planning scenarios. Full article

This article explores how a holistic combination of three components, society, art, and architecture, can contribute to the successful revitalisation of derelict buildings and, at the same time, improve the well-being of the users of reclaimed spaces. The author uses a case study of a playground designed by the artist Iza Rutkowska in cooperation with children in a specific location at the Intermediae Matadero centre in Madrid. The centre is located in a revitalised warehouse in the complex of former municipal slaughterhouses, built at the beginning of the 20th century. The analysis of Iza Rutkowska’s work is conducted against the background of broader analyses of the elements of the triad and the conditions required for them to enter into dialogue with each other. Their synergic combination is one of the factors that can have a positive impact on the regeneration of even such alien spaces as former industrial buildings. The users’ creative activities fill space with new meanings and turn it into a place perceived as good. At the same time, the effects go beyond the walls of the redeveloped buildings, positively influencing the well-being of the users and creating social relationships. Full article

Cities are currently responsible for an important part of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, justifying the need to develop measures to help them become more sustainable. One of those measures can be to address under-utilized assets in cities, such as derelict buildings with high potential for rehabilitation, and the establishment of new residence hubs within cities. Consequently, this work establishes a novel framework for evaluating the impact of rehabilitating these buildings in an urban area in Lisbon, considering the energy consumption associated with the usage of the dwelling as well as the impact on mobility, since it was considered that these buildings will be occupied by people who currently work nearby but live in the outskirts of Lisbon, favouring an urban planning of proximity between home and work. To this extent, a methodology was developed for selecting the buildings to be analysed and the commuting movements to be replaced. Then, buildings were simulated in an urban building energy modelling (UBEM) tool, considering three rehabilitation scenarios, and the required primary energy, CO₂ emissions, and costs were calculated. Regarding mobility, three new scenarios were compared with the current scenario. The results obtained confirm the high potential savings from the rehabilitation of derelict buildings and in the best-case scenario—corresponding to the rehabilitation considering envelope insulation, the installation of efficient windows, and the adoption of a heat pump together with a mobility standard targeting 15 min cities—reductions of 76% in primary energy and 84% in CO₂ emissions were achieved. Full article

On the international level, heritage is considered an essential element for the sustainable development of a country. In South Asian countries such as Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, historic cities struggle to preserve their built heritage, due to rapid urbanisation and changing contemporary urban and architectural requirements. This contribution elaborates on the effects of urbanisation, and city development on the protected heritage of Karachi, Pakistan. The city developed in the 19th century from a mud-fortified small town along the Lyari river to become one of the busiest ports of the Indian subcontinent under British rule. Karachi has now become a metropolitan city with more than sixteen million inhabitants. Due to the accelerated rate of urbanisation and trade activities, Karachi has become Pakistan’s economic capital, resulting in the oblivion of its historical sites. Most of the city’s historic sites are in a state of dereliction, from over- or under-programming, or even under the threat of demolition. The paper focuses on the present condition of a British-era protected-heritage site through a literature review and fieldwork (mapping, drawing, archival research, interviews, photographic surveys, etc.), carried out during 2019 and 2020. The first author conducted site visits to photograph buildings and interview their users to gather feedback on how they perceive the current state of these buildings. The data were analysed to investigate how many buildings from Karachi’s British era with protected status have been demolished or are at risk of demolition. At the heart of the article is the Saddar Bazar Quarter in Karachi and its historical, social, cultural, and economic importance in the city from the British period until the present. The analysis will lead the discussion on what potential these sites/buildings hold, and how to make their preservation possible and withstand the uncurbed urbanisation and the threat of land development. Through discussion, we will focus on the social, cultural and economic aspects which the area and the buildings from the British period hold, and which can be useful in the future for the continuation of the Saddar Bazaar Quarter (SBQ), the historic urban landscape (HUL) and the heritage buildings. Full article

The interdependence of biological and cultural diversity is exemplified by the new conservation paradigm of biocultural heritage. We seek to clarify obsolescent notions of nature, whereby cultural construction and identity markers of mountain communities need to reflect localized, situated, and nuanced understanding about mountainscapes as they are developed, maintained, managed, and contested in spatiality and historicity. Using the nexus of socioecological theory, we question whether a convergent approach could bridge montological knowledge systems of either different equatorial and temperate latitudes, western and eastern longitudes, hills and snow-capped mountain altitudes, or hegemonic and indigenous historicity. Using extensive literature research, intensive reflection, field observation, and critical discourse analysis, we grapple with the Nagoya Protocol of the Convention of Biological Diversity (COP 10, 2010) to elucidate the benefit sharing and linkages of biocultural diversity in tropical and temperate mountain frameworks. The result is a trend of consilience for effective conservation of mountain socioecological systems that reaffirms the transdisciplinary transgression of local knowledge and scientific input to implement the effective strategy of biocultural heritage conservation after the UN Decade of Biological Diversity. By emphasizing regeneration of derelict mountain landscapes, invigorated by empowered local communities, promoted by the Aspen Declaration, the UN Decade of Ecological Restoration, and the UN International Year of Mountain Sustainable Development, montological work on sustainable, regenerative development for 2030 can be expected. Full article

Utilizing culture as a tool for the regeneration of industrial brownfields represents a fairly new trend in post-socialist Europe. This topic has garnered some academic attention; however, studies primarily originate from EU member states, whereas the examples from non-EU cities remains largely unexplored. In addition, the literature dealing with the temporary creative use of derelict industrial sites in post-socialist cities is scarce. The case study-based paper contributes to filling these voids by investigating the creativity-driven informal activation of the Kineska Quarter in Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia and the European Capital of Culture for 2022, and its planned transformation into a creative district. The research aims are to examine the capacity of temporary uses to act as a hard infrastructure of the culture-led regeneration, identify the policy framework that shaped the project and highlight its shortcomings, detect potential sustainability issues, and examine how soft factors affect the use of hard infrastructure. The findings suggest that the redevelopment of a creative brownfield based on the simulation of bottom-up decision-making and hastily developed and blurry regeneration policies lead to uncertainty about its sustainability. They also suggest that post-socialist cities lacking experience in this field necessitate a context-perceptive, socially responsible, and locale-conscious approach to the (then sustainable) culture-led regeneration of spontaneously activated brownfields sites, which requires meaningful and not just pro forma involvement of non-institutional actors in the policy- and decision-making process. Full article

In arid regions, starchy agricultural products such as wheat and rice provide essential carbohydrates, minerals, fibers and vitamins. However, drought, desiccation, high salinity, potentially toxic metals and hydrocarbon accumulation are among the most notable stresses affecting soil quality and cereal production in arid environments. Certain soil bacteria, referred to as Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR), colonize the plant root environment, providing beneficial advantages for both soil and plants. Beyond their ability to improve plant growth under non-stressed conditions, PGPR can establish symbiotic and non-symbiotic interactions with plants growing under stress conditions, participating in soil bioremediation, stress alleviation and plant growth restoration. Moreover, the PGPR ability to fix nitrogen, to solubilize insoluble forms of nutrients and to produce other metabolites such as siderophores, phytohormones, antibiotics and hydrolytic enzymes makes them ecofriendly alternatives to the excessive use of unsuitable and cost-effective chemicals in agriculture. The most remarkable PGPR belong to the genera Arthrobacter, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, etc. Therefore, high cereal production in arid environments can be ensured using PGPR. Herein, the potential role of such bacteria in promoting wheat and rice production under both normal and derelict soils is reviewed and highlighted. Full article

The geochemical data from surface soils are often neglected or questioned when prospecting for ore deposits within active mining districts due to the “background noise” produced by anthropogenic pollution derived from mining activity. Large datasets on a national and international scale offer interesting possibilities to discover prospective zones. In the present work, data from the Geochemical Atlas of Castilla–La Mancha were treated in an area with an intense history of mining Hg, Pb, Zn, and Sb: the Almadén and Guadalmez synclines and the Alcudia Valley. The sampling grid was densified to adapt it to the scale of the main geological formations, and a cluster analysis was carried out to establish the relationships between the variables and a factor analysis to distinguish between geogenic and metallogenic factors. The results showed very high concentrations of some elements of prospective interest in local background areas: Hg (51 mg kg⁻¹), Pb (1190 mg kg⁻¹), and Sb (45 mg kg⁻¹), with high variation coefficients. Cluster analysis unveiled a relationship between most of the local ore-forming metals (As, Sb, Hg, Pb, and Ag) with a clear correlation between Hg and organic matter, suggesting a notable contribution of Hg in soil. The factor analysis highlighted five factors, three geogenic and two ore-forming elements. Despite Hg being the main candidate to form a separate factor, its aerial deposition and a large number of outliers in the Almadén syncline contributed to integrating the element into a geogenic factor. Instead, factors F4 (Pb and Zn) and F5 (As and Sb) delimited the prospective areas in both synclines far from the known and the exploited mines. Some of these areas coincided with discovered mineralized zones, specifically in the area SE of a derelict Sb mine, confirming the usefulness of these datasets and statistical tools in areas with recent mining activity. Full article

At 15:48 on 24 July 2021, a fire accident occurred in Changchun City, Jilin Province, China, resulting in 15 deaths and 25 injuries. After the accident happened, Jilin Province comprehensively organised an emergency rescue, saving more than 100 trapped people. Given the dangers posed by these events, it is recommended that we must strengthen our risk awareness. Combined with the general background and scene of the fire, in this study, we analysed the causes of the accident and described the on-site rescue actions. The direct cause of the accident was an arc fault, and the indirect cause was the dereliction of duty in the laying and installation of the circuit and the subsequent fire supervision. From our case analysis of electrical fires in public buildings, we found that electrical failure, human factors (illegal operation), ageing and short circuits of wires, poor contact of wires, and ignition of other combustibles by electrical appliances are the main factors causing electrical fire accidents in public buildings. To avoid serious fire accidents caused by arc faults, we proposed suggestions to reduce or prevent electric fire accidents caused by arc faults. Full article

Plastics in marine environments undergo molecular degradation via biocatalytic and photocatalytic mechanisms. Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) damages marine and coastal environments as well as plant and animal species. This article reviews ghost fishing, ecological damage from marine plastics, recommended recycling practices and alternative usages of derelict fishing gear. Material mixing techniques are proposed to counteract the effect of biocatalytic and photocatalytic biodegradation within the context of plastic fish net recycling. There is a need for a new and rapid “multidimensional molecular characterization” technology to quantify, at a batch level, the extent of photocatalytic or biocatalytic degradation experienced on each recovered fishing net, comprising molecular weight alteration, chemical functional group polydispersity and contaminant presence. Rapid multidimensional molecular characterization enables optimized conventional material mixing of recovered fishing nets. In this way, economically attractive social return schemes can be introduced for used fishing nets, providing an economic incentive for fishers to return conventional fishing nets for recycling. Full article

This study examined the use of an artificial soil substrate in a mine waste reclamation area and its effect on plant metabolic functions. Research was conducted by determining the relationship between the plants’ biochemical features and the properties of plant growth medium derived from post-flotation coal waste, sewage sludge, crushed stone and fly ash on the surface of the mine waste disposal area. Trees and shrubs were established on the material and allowed to grow for eight years. The study determined that the applied plants and the naturally occurring Taraxacum officinale were suitable for physio-biochemical assessment, identification of derelict areas and reclamation purposes. An evaluation of a soil substrate applied to post-mining areas indicated that it was beneficial for plant growth since it activated the metabolic functions of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees. The study showed that soil substrate can be targeted to improve plant stress tolerance to potentially toxic elements (PTEs). These data suggest the potential for growth and slower susceptible response to Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. It is possible that the constructed soil-substitute substrate (biosolid material) would be an effective reclamation treatment in areas where natural soil materials are polluted by PTEs. This observation may reflect a more efficient use of soil substrate released from the cycling of organic biogene pools, in accordance with the circular economy approach. In further studies related to land reclamation using sewage sludge amendments, it would be necessary to extend the research to other stress factors, such as salinity or water deficiency. Full article

This paper addresses socio-ecological, community-led resilience as the ability of the urban system to progress and adapt. This is based on the socio-cultural, self-organized case study of CanFugarolas in Mataró (Barcelona), for the recovery of a derelict industrial building and given the lack of attention to resilience emerging from grassroots. Facing rigidities (stagnation) observed under the provisions of urban regeneration policies (regulatory realm), evidenced in the proliferation of urban voids (infrastructural arena), the social subsystem stands as the enabler of urban progression. Under the heuristics of the Adaptive Cycle and Panarchy, the study embraces Fath’s model to analyze the transition along, and the interactions between, the adaptive cycles at each urban subsystem. The mixed method approach reveals the ability of the community to navigate all stages and overcome successive ailments, despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles (traps) at the physical support (built stock) and the regulatory arena (urban planning). Further, cross-scale, social-centered interactions (panarchy) are also traced, becoming the “sink” and the “trigger” of the urban dynamics. The community, in the form of an actor-network, becomes the catalyst (through Remember/Revolt) of urban resilience at the city scale. At a managerial level, this evidences its temporal and spatial complementarity to top-down urban regeneration policies. Full article

Urban forests are not only woodlands or groups of trees, but also individual trees, street trees, trees in parks, trees in derelict corners, and gardens. All of which are located in urban and peri-urban areas and diversify the landscape and provide a wide range of social benefits. Sensory gardens play a specific therapeutic and preventive role. Designing such gardens as a recreational infrastructure element can successfully enrich urban forests. Following the principles of universal design may provide enjoyment for all city-dwellers, with special attention given to the needs of individuals with disabilities. We studied 15 gardens and one sensory path located in various regions in Poland. The inventory was carried out on the basis of the features considered important in spatial orientation by blind and partially sighted people. The results showed that the solutions used were only partly adequate for the needs of selected users. We found neither tactile walking surface indicators (e.g., communication lines and terrain), spatial models, nor applications in mobile devices. However, these could be useful for all visitors. We confirmed that although problems with the use of forest tourist space are dependent on the type of disability, by implementing the idea of universal design for all elements of recreational infrastructure, forests may be accessible for all users. Full article

Although a growing body of literature examines the post-socialist European context of urban regeneration, studies on the demolition-based approaches are relatively scarce. Moreover, the regeneration policies of cities in non-EU Balkan countries with a distinctive transitional path remain largely unexplored. The paper contributes to filling these voids by investigating a specific demolition-based urban regeneration strategy named permanent reconstruction, which has been launched in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second largest city, and applied to low-density neighborhoods with a derelict housing stock, being seen as a tool for achieving sustainable urban development. The specific research aims are to explain the origin of this strategy; analyze the institutional and planning framework, mechanisms, and dynamics of the regeneration process through a case study; and assess its outcomes based on a mixed methodology. The main research objective is to identify the issues of a post-socialist entrepreneurial urban governance, primarily deriving from Serbia’s distorted transition, which hampered the development of a strategic, integrated, and locale-conscious approach. The findings suggest that Novi Sad and other Serbian cities necessitate socially responsible and context-perceptive regeneration that would produce sustainable regeneration projects. The authors propose the means for redefining them, emphasizing the responsibilities of the public sector and the significance of involving the local community in the planning and decision-making process. Full article