Karina Pallagst

Land Use Beyond Control

Abstract: Resource-efficient growth, which is characterized as integrated land use and trans-portation development, is cost effective and stimulates growth while reducing environmental impact. Integrating transportation, land use and coordination among numerous existing local government bodies is critical for implementing such a model. Although the role of governance is crucial for attaining inter-sector and inter-municipal solutions, it remains challenging for governments to address such issues because policies are traditionally specialized by sectors and municipal power is limited by juris-diction. Despite attempts to manage growth in South Asia, the prevalent trend is characterized as dramatic because of the excessive outward expansion at the cost of productive agricultural land and growth associated with a lack of infrastructure. Taking Delhi and its neighboring tehsils (subsection of a district) as an example, the research presented in this paper uses remote sensing imagery (RS) and GIS-based vector analysis to model the relationship between municipal jurisdictions, public transport and urban growth. The investigations identify increased growth outside municipal jurisdictions and a lack of regional integration through pub-lic transport. The findings suggest a weak empowerment of governing bodies, which conse-quently directs the growth into transition zones, and fragmented governance as the reasons for the failure to achieve the integrated growth of land use and transport, thus creating a sprawling land-use pattern.

Desenvolvimento econômico ambientalmente sustentável baseado em Bioeconomia

This study aims to review, analyze, and systematize the knowledge created on bio-economy to develop a conceptual and theoretical framework based on the transdisciplinary study of biology and socioeconomy to be used in further research. It begins from the questioning of the benefits that bio-economy has compared to the neoclassical economy. The methods employed are critical analytic, descriptive, deductive-inductive, and it suggests holistic and transdisciplinary approaches. As a result, the core of the study presents the principles under which this new scientific paradigm in sustainable development can continue creating more scientific knowledge to be used in the formulation and implementation of strategic choices for the bioproduction, bio-distribution, and bio-consumption processes.

Urban Green Spaces as a Component of an Ecosystem

This paper aims to the review the existing literature on some important features of urban green spaces such as the components, functions, services, community involvement, initiatives and actions from an ecosystem perspective. The analysis begins from the assumption that urban green spaces are ecosystems of vital importance in enhancing the quality of life in an urban environment and supplying ecosystem services such as biodiversity and climate regulation. Thus, the urban green space is an important component of an ecosystem in any community development. Meeting the needs of users is related with the functions and services that urban green spaces provide to communities. Community involvement, engagement and development require mechanisms to ensure meeting the needs and aspirations of local users in the community. The methods employed in this analysis are the literature and documents review, and analysis of existing data on uses and users. As conclusions, the paper suggests environmental, economic and social initiatives for local authorities and communities that can be applied to all represented and involved stakeholders.

Karina Pallagst — Substitute industries – panacea or false hope for shrinking cities?

Introduction to the context of shrinking cities In many countries all over the world, cities and regions have undergone structural transformation, such as in old industrialised “rust belts” or in peripheral rural areas. Many of these “shrinking cities” have to face the challenges of longterm demographic and economic change. In Germany, for example, changing demographics with declining birth rates and the effects of the German reunification have been triggers of shrinkage. In the US, shrinkage has been caused by post-industrial transformation ( Pallagst 2008). What are the options for these cities? Many cities have tried to combat shrinkage and have thus developed a variety of policies and strategies. An interesting fact is that the way shrinkage is perceived and accepted largely influences the choice of planning approaches in shrinking cities. In an earlier publication, Pallagst et al. (2017) identified a close association between the perception or awareness of shrinkage and the strategies that are applied to deal with decline: The types of strategies are “decline as a vicious circle”, “expansive strategy”, “maintenance” or “planning for decline”. Substitute industries as a strategy are intertwined with both the “expansive strategy” and the “maintenance strategy”. Cities have gone through a stage of downsizing and in this respect their experience has been that the type of industry that fuelled growth in the past (such as mining, manufacturing or steel industries) will not have the potential to be revived in an era of globalisation and post-industrialisation. Instead, many cities have come to the conclusion that they must “diversify or perish” when it comes to revitalising their economic basis. However, the various substitute industries are not alike, and as urban settings are complex, there is no single industry or economic sector that would be a potential fit for all cities, although many cities have tried revitalisation along comparable schemes. The most popular substitute industries that have been tested out and applied include tourism, logistics, culture, eds and meds, high tech, as well as more sustainable approaches in the last decade such as green infrastructure. Of these types of industries, Gnad, Ebert and Kunz mann (2016) have investigated the branches of culture and creativity, for instance. Karina Pallagst is Professor for International Planning Systems at Kaiserslautern University’s Faculty of Spatial and Environmental Planning. She previously worked as programme coordinator at UC Berkeley’s Institute of Urban and Regional Development (IURD). Prior to this, she was a senior research specialist at the Institute of Ecological and Regional Development, Dresden. Her research focuses on international comparative urban development, shrinking cities, urban growth, border studies, planning cultures and planning theory. Of course, not every city can be the next tourism hub or high-tech centre. It depends very much on the locale, the people (residents, political leaders and planners), the mode of governance and many other factors. The urban context is intertwined in a complex and unpredictable place-based setting that makes it hard to predict what might work and what may not. In addition, a certain momentum may be necessary to boost a specific strategy in order to gain ground and be successful. In an investigation of the path dependencies of planning strategies, Sorensen (2016: 25 f) calls these events “critical junctures”.

Greening the shrinking city—policies and planning approaches in the USA with the example of Flint, Michigan

Abstract For many years, shrinking cities in the USA used to be a taboo, not fitting in the pattern of growth and progress anticipated by community leaders. Nevertheless, shrinking in terms of economic decline and population loss is an enduring phenomenon for many post-industrial US cities. One negative effect of shrinkage is extended portions of vacant land with blighted and deteriorating buildings. Some US shrinking cities recently started actively dealing with vacated portions of land, seeing these areas as new assets on the way to more sustainable and livable cities. The paper will present greening or green infrastructure development from the point of view of the US planning debate, focusing on two forms of greening: rightsizing and urban agriculture. Moreover, recent greening efforts will be highlighted with the example Flint, Michigan, anchored in a debate of paradigmatic shifts and sustainable development.