In a time where many Asian metropolises experience an expansive development new urbanconditions are created and the already existing disappears or being replaced. Asian cities develop ata pace that is unprecedented in our history and which, through a western perspective can seemharsh. By focusing on an urban complex in Chengdu, capital of the southwestern province ofSichuan China, the study asks; is it possible to see this rapid urbanization from another perspective?The study examines the local and global dimensions of Raffels City, and how concepts such asnostalgia and authenticity, related to the city, can be understood in an urbanization that is so markedby massive demolitions. The study shows that these concepts can be expressed in several ways, andthat an awareness of them does not necessarily control the view of the city..

An Internet application, VEDAIR, for estimation of air quality in regions with small-scale combustion of bio fuel has been developed by Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute with financing from Swedish Energy Agency and Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The model contains user interface and a coupled model concept where concentrations of atmospheric pollutions are calculated for regional, urban and local contributions. In this report the model is described and a first study of air quality considering PM10 (particles with a diameter less than 10 µm) in two Swedish municipalities, Vänersborg and Gnosjö, is introduced.According to the result, there are areas with poor air quality even in smaller Swedish municipalities, mostly due to high emission from buildings with older wood heating furnace without hydraulic accumulator.In Vänersborg three areas were analysed in VEDAIR for the year 2003: Vargön, Mariedal and the downtown district. In the whole municipality the upper evaluation threshold for PM10, which is defined as 14 µg/m3 for annual average, was exceeded due to background contribution of particles. In all areas, however, the concentrations of PM10 were less than the environmental quality norms.

Spectacular buildings and categorized districts are becoming more common elements in cities. In many cases, they are the result of city branding, which means choosing a city image and dealing with it like a brand to profile and compete against other cities. This essay study what impact on and roll in urban planning the trend might have. The first part relies on literary studies and describes what has been written about city branding. The globalization, the experience economy, urban management, urbanization and the theory of the creative class are pointed out as driving forces of the popularity and the spread of city branding.

This work consists of a survey and risk classification of eleven metal industries including foundries, finishers and engineering industries in two industrial areas in Mora. The study follows a method called MIFO (Method of Surveying Contaminated Sites) composed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. In the method assessments of the degree of hazard posed by the pollutants, the level of pollution, the conditions of dispersal, sensitivity and the degree to which the area is worthy to protect are made for each contaminated site (object). The assessment classify the objects into four risk classes in which risk class 1 denotes a very large risk, 2 large risk, 3 moderate risk and risk class 4 little risk. The work of surveying using MIFO is divided into two phases.

Effects of fishery closure on perch was detected as female perch was on average 5 cm longer in closed areas compared to non-closed areas. This could be a result of larger individuals surviving as an effect of reduced fishing. No effect was detected on the reproduction rate of YOY (young of the year) perch.A zooplankton survey revealed less amounts of the most important plankton groups for YOY perch in areas with failed reproduction, though the difference was statistically insignificant.The distribution of YOY perch and YOY/adult stickleback differed completely in this study with no area where the two species are both present. It is sketchy to draw any conclusions from this data but it remains a field for further investigation.The reproduction problem is concentrated to the outer parts of the archipelago which confirms previous studies of the geographic extension..

The objective of this study was to uncover what aspects of urban plazas and parks that are most important for users? evaluations of places? aesthetics and microclimate (the characteristic climate for a limited space). This was done by investigating people?s general ideas of plazas and parks (the prototypical concepts) and compare these with place users? descriptions of four specific places. Interviews with two groups (31 and 24 persons respectively) were carried out in order to collect this information.

Urban farming can be viewed in several contexts. The first part of this work brings up the beneficial effects of farming on our physical and mental health, knowledge as well as on social life in cities. The introduction of gardening in schools can contribute to an increased awareness on both agricultural practices and importance as well as ecological processes. It can also be used in teaching of other subjects. Farming can also contribute to improving the household economy, and the economy on a municipal or national level.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between urban transformation and the occupation movement in Sweden, aiming to identify the movement's characteristics and comprehend its changes over time. By analyzing qualitative material collected from occupants active within a span from the 1980 to the present, we examine how the occupation movement has evolved. We investigate the motivations behind the movement, the lifestyle of occupants, and their potential gains to get a better understanding of the culture. We explore the prefigurative politics of the resistance where occupant activists create alternative lifestyles aligned with their desired future, bypassing the wait for broader societal changes. Finally we inquire the current possibilities of creating and defending meaningful urban spaces and social scenes..

The aim of the "Green forest management plans" is to help forest owners to reach the environmental goal of the forestry act. But are they able to do that? Is it possible to plan preservation of species on single estates? How do single-estate-plans differ from a landscape analysis and how can the landscape approach be used in operative planning? This work was initiated to give an answer to these questions. This study was made in a landscape of 4200 ha in Östergötland county, south-eastern Sweden. A lanscape analysis was made and then compared to the Green forest management plans in the same area. The nature conservation areas (areas that were set aside to be managed with environmenatl goals) differed quite a lot between the two alternatives.

Singelhushållen dominerar bostadsutbudet. Men varför måste vi bo ensamma bara för att vi inte har en partner? Både unga och äldre är idag positivit inställda till ett kollektivt boende. Stora lägenheter finns att tillgå på marknaden, problemet är att de inte är utformade för ett kollektivt boende utan snarare för en kärnfamilj. Jag har försökt utforma lägenheter som riktar sig till människor som vill bo tillsammans men som nödvändigtvis inte är släkt.

The purpose with this essay is to examine and create an understanding for what meaning graffiti and street art has for those who practice it. Furthermore, the practice of graffiti and street art is seen in relation to how urban space is produced. Five semi-structured interviews and one group interview has been made to answer the questions "What meaning does graffiti and street art has for those who practice it? Can it be seen as a way to construct identity?" "How do the artists relate to existing ideals about public space?" and "Does the artists see graffiti and street art as a resistance against the normative representation of the city, in that case, how?" The theoretical framework consists of Mitchell's ideas about public space, Tonkiss' definition of social order, Lefebvre's spatial triad, de Certeau's concept of strategy and tactics, the concept of appropriation and Castell's theory about collective identity. The results showed that the practice of graffiti and street art can be understood as a more complex practice than earlier research has shown.

The numbers of natural disasters caused by extreme weather are increasing through out the world. A large majority of the research concerning the climate shows that this is a trend that can be expected to continue. At the same time the urbanisation is increasing more than ever and for the first time in history more than fifty percent of the population lives in a city. How we build these cities will have a crucial importance for our adaption to the new climate. In Sweden, our capacity for an adaption are high because of our economic situation as well as our rather well built society.

Strid i urban miljö är mycket komplex och utmärks av en föränderlig miljö och med en motståndare som kan uppträda i alla dimensioner. Antalet operationer i denna miljö bedöms öka i framtiden. Motståndaren har utvecklat sin taktik som ett svar på den teknik och stridsteknik som vi använder. För att utbilda och öva används reglementen som beskriver en fiktiv motståndare och det förutsätts att denne är relevant och uppför sig på ett adekvat sätt. Uppsatsens syfte är att pröva om den beskrivning av motståndarens taktiska uppträdande i urban miljö som finns i våra reglementen och anvisningar är rimlig.

The aim of this study was to measure the castration coverage and the attitudes among people towards castration in an area in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, where a castration program has been running for a few years. Another aim was to review the literature to examine the link between castration coverage and rabies prevalence. Two areas (Area 25 and Area 23) in Lilongwe were studied through standardized household interviews. In Area 25, a non-governmental organization had been castrating dogs weekly to twice weekly for free for 3 years. In Area 23, no official organization had done castrations, and this area therefore acted as a control in the study.

Syftet med arbetet är att studera UPA (urban and peri-urban agriculture), samt relaterade strategier för en alternativ livsmedelsproduktion. Arbetet strävar efter att samla kunskaper och koppla samman frågor kring dagens livsmedelssystem, hur våra städer är uppbyggda, och den alltjämt högaktuella klimatfrågan. Arbetet omfattar diskussioner kring stadsbyggande, transporter och mobilitet, avfallshantering, och en mer lokaliserad livsmedelsproduktion. Målet är att skapa ett kunskapsunderlag för framtida integrerad stadsplanering och gestaltning. De förslag och lösningar som förs fram är tänkta att passa i en svensk kontext. Planering och stadsbyggnad berörs på många sätt av beroendet av fossil energi.