Ralph P. Hall

Framework for Sustainability Assessment by Transportation Agencies

The application of the concept of sustainability by transportation agencies is often limited by agencies’ understanding of what sustainability means and how it can be integrated into the regular functions of the agencies. This paper presents a flexible approach and framework that can equip transportation agencies with the tools required to understand what sustainability means and incorporate sustainability into the organizational culture. This approach and method can also help agencies lay the groundwork for the use of performance measures so the agencies can progress toward sustainability goals and outcomes. The framework development process was an extension of findings from literature review, case studies, and interviews conducted as part of ongoing research under the NCHRP project Sustainability Performance Measures for State Departments of Transportation and Other Transportation Agencies. The proposed framework can be applied or adapted for use in a range of transportation agencies, including state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations. A key feature of this framework is that it moves away from the traditional sustainable transportation perspective and instead promotes the consideration of transportation from a holistic sustainable development perspective. The framework defines broadly applicable transportation goals that can be broken down into a menu of objectives and performance measures to cover various transportation contexts. The framework is also designed to direct an agencys strategic planning toward the practical implementation of sustainability through performance measurement.

The human right to water: The importance of domestic and productive water rights

Abstract The United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights engenders important state commitments to respect, fulfill, and protect a broad range of socio-economic rights. In 2010, a milestone was reached when the UN General Assembly recognized the human right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation. However, water plays an important role in realizing other human rights such as the right to food and livelihoods, and in realizing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. These broader water-related rights have been recognized but have not yet been operationalized. This paper unravels these broader water-related rights in a more holistic interpretation of existing international human rights law. By focusing on an emerging approach to water services provision—known as ‘domestic-plus’ services—the paper argues how this approach operationalizes a comprehensive range of socio-economic rights in rural and peri-urban areas. Domestic-plus services provide water for domestic and productive uses around homesteads, which challenges the widespread practice in the public sector of planning and designing water infrastructure for a single-use. Evidence is presented to show that people in rural communities are already using their water supplies planned for domestic uses to support a wide range of productive activities. Domestic-plus services recognize and plan for these multiple-uses, while respecting the priority for clean and safe drinking water. The paper concludes that domestic-plus services operationalize the obligation to progressively fulfill a comprehensive range of indivisible socio-economic rights in rural and peri-urban areas.

Sustainable Transportation: Indicators, Frameworks, and Performance Management

This textbook provides an introduction to the concept of sustainability in the context of transportation planning, management, and decision-making. The book is divided into two parts. In the first part, indicators and frameworks for measuring sustainable development in the transportation sector are developed. In the second, the authors analyze actual planning and decision-making in transportation agencies in a variety of governance settings. This analysis of real-world case studies demonstrates the benefits and limitations of current approaches to sustainable development in transportation. The book concludes with a discussion on how to make sustainability count in transportation decision-making and practice.

The Indian perspective of smart cities

Cities have been the engines of economic growth since the industrial revolution. While effective at catalyzing prosperity, city development has not always been “smart” sacrificing human health, for instance, for greater productivity. Smart cities are now emerging. Leading smart cities such as Stockholm, Barcelona, New York, Vienna, and Toronto have incorporated efficiency into buildings, infrastructure, and social spaces using technological advancements, increasing the livability, workability, and sustainability of these places. Inspired by these smart city developments, India is planning to build 100 smart cities in various parts of the country. This research presents insight into how smart cities are likely to evolve in India, by studying the priority areas considered in planning smart cities. It presents both the citizen and city official perspectives of smart cities. The results indicate that citizens value living, followed by mobility, environment, governance, and economy, whereas the city officials prioritize living, followed by environment, economy, mobility, and governance. This research further evaluated the titles of planned smart city projects to determine how many of them can be categorized as smart. The analysis also revealed how city size influences the priorities of citizens and city officials, indicating that the notion of a smart city in India may be context specific.

Pit Latrine Fecal Sludge Resistance Using a Dynamic Cone Penetrometer in Low Income Areas in Mzuzu City, Malawi

Pit latrines can provide improved household sanitation, but without effective and inexpensive emptying options, they are often abandoned once full and may pose a public health threat. Emptying techniques can be difficult, as the sludge contents of each pit latrine are different. The design of effective emptying techniques (e.g., pumps) is limited by a lack of data characterizing typical in situ latrine sludge resistance. This investigation aimed to better understand the community education and technical engineering needs necessary to improve pit latrine management. In low income areas within Mzuzu city, Malawi, 300 pit latrines from three distinct areas were assessed using a dynamic cone penetrometer to quantify fecal sludge strength, and household members were surveyed to determine their knowledge of desludging procedures and practices likely to impact fecal sludge characteristics. The results demonstrate that there is a significant difference in sludge strength between lined and unlined pits within a defined area, though sludge hardened with depth, regardless of the pit type or region. There was only limited association between cone penetration depth and household survey data. To promote the adoption of pit emptying, it is recommended that households be provided with information that supports pit emptying, such as latrine construction designs, local pit emptying options, and cost. This study indicates that the use of a penetrometer test in the field prior to pit latrine emptying may facilitate the selection of appropriate pit emptying technology.

Planning for Transportation

Transportation is fundamental to the development of society. It provides opportunities to interact with others, moves the goods we need, and supports a vibrant economy. This chapter introduces the demand for transportation and explores key trends and growth forecasts. These underline the on-going importance of transportation to social progress and the significant challenge that lies ahead in planning transportation in the face of growing population, rising incomes, and technological change.

Japan’s “Eco-Model City” Program

This case focuses on the Eco-Model City (EMC) program created by the Japanese Government in 2008. The EMC program was created to demonstrate how cities could radically transform themselves towards a low carbon future. The program uses a range of indicators and other evaluation tools to monitor a city’s progress and performance, which are discussed throughout the case study.

‘My Neighbour Drinks Clean Water, While I Continue To Suffer’: An Analysis of the Intra-Community Impacts of a Rural Water Supply Project in Mozambique

ABSTRACT Rural water planners assume the positive impacts of community water projects are spread evenly across the population. We test this assumption by looking at the distribution of benefits within communities that received handpumps in rural Mozambique. Using survey and qualitative data we analyse the characteristics of those groups who benefited from the handpumps and also explore household decision-making processes. Handpump use was determined by distance, availability of other sources, perceptions of water quality, political affiliation, and wealth. We argue that the handpumps reinforced existing social divisions related to income and political affiliation and created new geographic divisions within communities.

High-Speed Rail in England

This case study refers to the ex-ante assessment of the case for the development of a High Speed Rail network in England for domestic travel connecting London and cities to the north of England. The proposal, at an estimated cost of around US

European Union Transport White Paper

24 bn is the second largest investment decision in the English transport system for many decades. Although the cost of the scheme is distinctive, the decision is being taken within the same framework which governs all major transport infrastructure investments in the UK. The scheme is so large and significant to the UK it has led to the development of a bespoke sustainability appraisal, the design and application of which are fundamental to the themes of this book. The chapter explores the relationship between the politics of major infrastructure decisions and the purpose and scope of influence of sustainability assessments.