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Multi-faceted stresses of social, environmental, and economic nature are increasingly challenging the existence and sustainability of our societies. Cities in particular are disproportionately threatened by global issues such as climate change, urbanization, population growth, air pollution, etc. In addition, urban space is often too limited to effectively develop sustainable, nature-based solutions while accommodating growing populations. This research aims to provide new methodologies by proposing lightweight green bridges in inner-city areas as an effective land value capture mechanism. Geometry analysis was performed using geospatial and remote sensing data to provide geometrically feasible locations of green bridges. A multi-criteria decision analysis was applied to identify suitable locations for green bridges investigating Central European urban centers with a focus on German cities as representative examples. A cost-benefit analysis was performed to assess the economic feasibility using a case study. The results of the geometry analysis identified 3249 locations that were geometrically feasible to implement a green bridge in German cities. The sample locations from the geometry analysis were proved to be validated for their implementation potential. Multi-criteria decision analysis was used to select 287 sites that fall under the highest suitable class based on several criteria. The cost-benefit analysis of the case study showed that the market value of the property alone can easily outweigh the capital and maintenance costs of a green bridge, while the indirect (monetary) benefits of the green space continue to increase the overall value of the green bridge property including its neighborhood over time. Hence, we strongly recommend light green bridges as financially sustainable and nature-based solutions in cities worldwide.
Cities around the world are facing the implications of a changing climate as an increasingly pressing issue. The negative effects of climate change are already being felt today. Therefore, adaptation to these changes is a mission that every city must master. Leading practices worldwide demonstrate various urban efforts on climate change adaptation (CCA) which are already underway. Above all, the integration of climate data, remote sensing, and in situ data is key to a successful and measurable adaptation strategy. Furthermore, these data can act as a timely decision support tool for municipalities to develop an adaptation strategy, decide which actions to prioritize, and gain the necessary buy-in from local policymakers. The implementation of agile data workflows can facilitate the integration of climate data into climate-resilient urban planning. Due to local specificities, (supra)national, regional, and municipal policies and (by) laws, as well as geographic and related climatic differences worldwide, there is no single path to climate-resilient urban planning. Agile data workflows can support interdepartmental collaboration and, therefore, need to be integrated into existing management processes and government structures. Agile management, which has its origins in software development, can be a way to break down traditional management practices, such as static waterfall models and sluggish stage-gate processes, and enable an increased level of flexibility and agility required when urgent. This paper presents the findings of an empirical case study conducted in cooperation with the City of Constance in southern Germany, which is pursuing a transdisciplinary and trans-sectoral co-development approach to make management processes more agile in the context of climate change adaptation. The aim is to present a possible way of integrating climate data into CCA planning by changing the management approach and implementing a toolbox for low-threshold access to climate data. The city administration, in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Constance, the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), and the University of Stuttgart, developed a co-creative and participatory project, CoKLIMAx, with the objective of integrating climate data into administrative processes in the form of a toolbox. One key element of CoKLIMAx is the involvement of the population, the city administration, and political decision-makers through targeted communication and regular feedback loops among all involved departments and stakeholder groups. Based on the results of a survey of 72 administrative staff members and a literature review on agile management in municipalities and city administrations, recommendations on a workflow and communication structure for cross-departmental strategies for resilient urban planning in the City of Constance were developed.
A physics lab-setup has been developed for engineering students in their first year at university. The so-called LabTeamCoaching helps to improve general lab skills, such as preparing an experiment, writing a documentation, using graphs and drawing conclusions. By using a flipped classroom approach, students get better involved than in our former physics labs when we applied classical methods. This approach will be described and an overview of our 10 years of experience using this method will be given.
This report summarises up-to-date social science evidence on climate communication for effective public engagement. It presents ten key principles that may inform communication activities. At the heart of them is the following insight: People do not form their attitudes or take action as a result primarily of weighing up expert information and making rational cost-benefit calculations. Instead, climate communication has to connect with people at the level of values and emotions.
Two aspects seem to be of special importance: First, climate communication needs to focus more on effectively speaking to people who have up to now not been properly addressed by climate communications, but who are vitally important to build broad public engagement. Second, climate communication has to support a shift from concern to agency, where high levels of climate risk perception turn into pro-climate individual and collective action.
Purpose
In order to combat climate change and safeguard a liveable future we need fundamental and rapid social change. Climate communication can play an important role to nurture the public engagement needed for this change, and higher education for sustainability can learn from climate communication.
Approach
The scientific evidence base on climate communication for effective public engagement is summarised into ten key principles, including ‘basing communication on people’s values’, ‘conscious use of framing’, and ‘turning concern into action’. Based on the author’s perspective and experience in the university context, implications are explored for sustainability in higher education.
Findings
The article provides suggestions for teaching (e.g. complement information with consistent behaviour by the lecturer, integrate local stories, and provide students with basic skills to communicate climate effectively), for research (e.g. make teaching for effective engagement the subject of applied research), for universities’ third mission to contribute to sustainable development
in the society (e.g. provide climate communication trainings to empower local stakeholders), andgreening the campus (develop a proper engagement infrastructure, e.g. by a university storytelling exchange on climate action).
Originality
The article provides an up-to-date overview of climate communication research, which is in itself original. This evidence base holds interesting learnings for institutions of higher education, and the link between climate communication and universities has so far not been explored comprehensively.
With the increasing challenges of the 21st century, such as a rapidly growing population, increasing hunger and the destruction of the environment, the demand for sustainable and future-oriented ways of living is growing. To meet this demand, a residential district named Maun Science Park is being built in Botswana to develop a resilient society. In addition to the application of modern technology to optimise the use of resources, the environmentally friendly construction of the buildings is another goal of the project. This thesis investigates the prefabrication of rammed earth in terms of implementation and profitability for the Maun Science Park.
For this purpose, the specific properties, handling, as well as the application of the building material in prefabrication are first discussed.
This is followed by an investigation of how the work processes of prefabrication can be implemented in the Maun Science Park. Based on this, a profitability test is carried out using a break-even and sensitivity analysis.
The analyses showed that the investment in prefabrication is not profitable within the assumed production volume, which is due to the high fixed costs. These are primarily generated by the two main cost drivers, consisting of the new construction of the production hall and the rental of heavy construction equipment.
Lastly, recommendations for action were formulated that provide for a cost reduction in both the two main cost drivers as well as for other decisive factors.
CO2 compensation measures, in particular the compensation of flights, are becoming more and more popular. Carbon offsetting is defined as measures financed by donations that save greenhouse gases previously emitted elsewhere through climate protection projects.
CO2 abatement costs are often low in developing countries. This is why most offset projects are implemented there. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the holiday resort and the project country are in any way related to each other.
By linking carbon offset projects with the destination country, the tourist is able to get an impression of the co-financed project. In case such projects are realized in cooperation with the hotel, the hotel operator obtains a new tourist attraction and can demonstrate its efforts to climate protection in a PR-effective way.
Climate protection in Seychelles through tourism: the advantages of a small-sized destination
(2020)
CO2 abatement costs are often low in developing countries. This is why most carbon offset projects are being implemented there. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the holiday resort and the project country are in any way related to each other. Linking compensation projects with the destination country could increase the willingness of air travellers to finance voluntary CO2 compensation measures.
This paper describes how a possible combination of CO2 compensation projects in the Seychelles could affect the voluntary carbon offset behaviour of Seychelles tourists. On the one hand, the issue of whether the voluntary willingness of Seychelles travellers to compensate can be increased is examined; on the other hand, whether tourists would be willing to visit a co-financed project in the Seychelles.
As a result, the willingness of tourists to offset air-travel carbon emissions can be increased. Important factors for this are e.g. that all persons have adequate information and that the carbon offset providers display a high degree of transparency. In addition, a broad interest in visiting the projects in the Seychelles during the holiday was expressed. An important condition for this is the spatial vicinity to the project. Due to its small size, the Seychelles are an ideal location for fulfilling this premise.
Electricity generation from renewable energies often fluctuates due to weather and other natural effects. The instrument of control energy (balancing energy) can compensate for these fluctuations and thus guarantee the system and supply security of the electricity grid. Luxury hotels on tourist islands could react to fluctuations in electricity generation and provide balancing energy. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the electricity consumption of luxury hotels to assess their potential as a source for providing control energy.