Browsing by Subject "Urban planning"
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(2020)Urban areas account for 70% of worldwide energy-related CO2 emissions and play a significant role in the global carbon budget. With the enhanced consumption of fossil fuel and the dramatic change in land use related to urbanization, control and mitigation of CO2 emissions in the urban area is becoming a major concern for urban dwellers and city managers. It is of great importance and demand to estimate the local CO2 emissions in urban areas to assess the effectiveness of mitigation regulation. Surface Urban Energy and Water Balance Scheme (SUEWS) incorporated with a CO2 exchange module provides an advanced method to model total urban CO2 flux and quantify the different local-scale emission sectors involving transportation, human metabolism, buildings and vegetation. Using appropriate input data such as detailed site information and meteorological condition, it can simulate the local or neighbourhood scale CO2 emissions in a specific period, or even under a future scenario. In this study, the SUEWS model is implemented in an urban region, Jätkäsaari, which is an extension of Helsinki city centre, to simulate anthropogenic and biogenic CO2 emissions in the past and future. The construction of this district started in 2009 and was planned to be completed in 2030. Therefore, this region is a good case to investigate the impacts of urban planning on urban CO2 emissions. Based on the urban surface information, meteorological data, and abundant emission parameters, a simulation in this 1650 × 1400 m area with the spatial resolution of 50 × 50 m and the time resolution of an hour was conducted with the aim to get information on the total annual CO2 emissions, and the temporal and spatial variability of CO2 fluxes from different sources and sink in 2008 and 2030. The positive CO2 fluxes indicate the CO2 sources, while the negative indicate the CO2 sinks. In both of the previous and future case, the spatial variation of net CO2 fluxes in Jätkäsaari is dominated by the distribution of traffic and human activities. From April to September, the vegetation acts as the CO2 sink with negative net ecosystem exchange. In 2008, the modelled cumulative CO2 flux is 3.0 kt CO2 year-1, consisting of 1.9 kt CO2 year-1 from metabolism, 1.9 kt CO2 year-1 from traffic, 0.5 kt CO2 year-1 from soil and vegetation respiration, as well as -1.3 kt CO2 year-1 from photosynthesis. In 2030, the total annual CO2 emissions increase to 11.1 kt CO2 year-1 because of the rising traffic volume and amount of inhabitants. Road traffic became the dominant CO2 sources, accounting for 53% of the total emissions. For the diurnal variation, in 2008, the study area remains the CO2 sources with the exception of summertime morning when the net CO2 flux is negative, while in 2030, the net CO2 flux is positive in the whole day.
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(2022)This master’s thesis examines the practices and meanings of yard work, and considers how they can potentially affect the biodiversity of detached house gardens. The dissertation examines the practical activities of yard owners, the attitudes related to yard work, the criteria of a good yard and the relationship that the owners have with nature. The topic of the dissertation is topical due to the global biodiversity loss crisis, which is expected to affect the economy, food production and human health in the future. The topic of my thesis is not widely researched in Finland. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide more information on the level of biodiversity of private yards and, in particular, on the human choices that potentially affect the biodiversity of the yards. The research question of the dissertation is: How do the practices and meanings of yard work potentially affect the biodiversity of private gardens? The master's thesis is an interdisciplinary study that utilizes the concepts of ecology and sociology. The theory of the dissertation is strongly related to the theory of biodiversity and biodiversity conservation work. The dissertation deals with human activities from the point of view of practice and everyday life theory framework. The data of the dissertation has been collected via an online survey. The target group of the questionnaire was the owners of detached houses living in the great eastern subdivision of Helsinki. The questions in the survey are based on the theory of biodiversity conservation work and practices, as well as everyday life. The questionnaire contained quantitative and qualitative questions. Quantitative questions provided information on the green structure of the yards and the measures taken in the yard to support biodiversity. Qualitative questions provided information on the experiences and attitudes towards yard work and the choices made there. The data of the dissertation has been analyzed by the methods of content analysis. Five aspects emerged from the analysis of the data that could potentially affect the biodiversity of the yards of detached houses: the agency of yard work, yard owners relationship with yard work, the yard owners relationship with nature, and the human-oriented ways of yard work. Based on the analysis, it can be stated that the biodiversity of yards is affected by the intensity of yard work, the awareness that yard owners have about biodiversity, the aesthetic values of yard owners and human-oriented choices made in the yard. The results of the dissertation can be considered from the perspectives of urban and landscape planning, as cities are thought to play an important role in solving the loss of biodiversity. The yards of detached houses in the eastern district are connected and an important part of the larger green areas of the city of Helsinki, and researchers emphasize that work to protect and support biodiversity must be done where people already live. The perspectives of my dissertation can be utilized in urban planning when one wants to know what kind of human practices and values affect the biodiversity of yards.
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