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(2022)ThesisThis study was conducted to increase our understanding of residents’ place attachment within residential outdoor environments in urban China. There were three aims for this study: to investigate how residents develop place attachment within residential outdoor environments through their experiences of these settings; to examine the role of the physical environment in residents’ place attachment within residential outdoor environments; and to identify the relationship between the Chinese socio-cultural context and place attachment, adding the evidence in the Chinese context to the existing literature on place attachment that mainly focuses on the Western context. Place attachment as an affective bond between people and place has a positive impact on people’s health and well-being. Residential areas are important places in people’s everyday life and there is a large body of research on residential attachment. Residential outdoor environments have been proven to play a role in residential place attachment, but the mechanics of place attachment within residential outdoor environments are not known. This study investigates residents’ experience of the outdoor environments to which they are attached to identify the significant physical characteristics and social dimensions that may contribute to place attachment. Residential neighbourhoods in urban China have witnessed great change over the last forty years due to rapid urbanisation and currently there are two typical residential models in urban China: one, mid-rise apartment blocks with unrestricted street patterns built before 2000; the other, high-rise towers in gated communities built in the past 20 years. Residential outdoor environments are traditionally designed to provide opportunities for physical activities and social interaction, but aestheticization of outdoor environments has become a major selling point and an important indicator for evaluating the quality of newly built settlements in China. This dilemma has put great pressure on landscape urban design to provide quality residential outdoor environments. This study used a comparative case study of the two residential models in Qingdao, China, and three methods were used: semi-structured interviews with 20 adult residents for each case, 40 in total; a questionnaire with the participants involved in the interviews; and participant observation of outdoor environments. Theories of place attachment, social ecological perspective, and urban open space studies provide the conceptual framework for this study. The findings reveal that place attachment within residential outdoor environments can be rooted in social ties and can also stem from the physical attributes of the environment. For the former, residents can ascribe attachment to the place through lengthy person-environment interaction or because of environmental beauty and distinctiveness. For the latter, residents can be attached to the place that symbolises their social group or where they have important personal memories. The findings also identify the key attributes of the physical environment that contribute to place attachment. The relationship between the Chinese socio-cultural context and place attachment is also identified in terms of the physical characteristics as well as social dimensions. This study makes theoretical contributions to place attachment theory. It throws light on the understanding of the role and functions of the physical environment in place attachment and increases our understanding of how place attachment manifests in the Chinese context. It also provides design recommendations for landscape architects and planners to create and construct supportive residential outdoor environments in urban China, which has practical implications.
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(2022)ThesisAchieving whole life cycle net-zero carbon buildings requires decision-making on reducing building carbon emissions at each stage during the entire building lifecycle in an integrated way. However, most existing research has focused on embodied and operational carbon assessment separately, without considering carbon emissions occurred across all building stages. There is a lack of integration of the key decision variables throughout the whole lifecycle building process to support decision-making in achieving whole life cycle net-zero carbon buildings. Building information modelling (BIM) provides an object-based representation of a building which facilitates exchange and interoperability of building information across multiple disciplines. Most BIM applications are focused on design and construction stages. There is a lack of entities, properties, and relationships in the current Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) schema required to support whole life net-zero carbon buildings. Digital Twin (DT) is a virtual representation of building assets, processes, and systems. It can facilitate the construction and operation of buildings by simulating real-time building conditions. Integrating information acquired by DT with BIM has considerable potential to enable whole life cycle net-zero carbon assessment. Therefore, a framework integrating BIM and DT is needed to provide ontology-based computational representation to incorporate all key decision variables throughout the entire building process to support decision-making on net-zero carbon buildings. To fill the gap, this research develops a novel framework that integrates BIM and DT to tackle challenges in supporting net-zero carbon buildings over the whole building lifecycle. Firstly, through a systematic literature review, all key decision variables affecting net-zero carbon outcomes of buildings at each key building stage, throughout the whole building lifecycle, are identified. Then, a mapping process between identified variables and the existing IFC schema is conducted to define these variables using current IFC entities, properties, and relationships. Finally, through utilising the ontology-based representation method, the novel framework is developed by proposing an extension to the current IFC schema and integrating data from the DT to encourage well-informed decision-making on whole life cycle net-zero carbon buildings. The framework has the potential to pave the way for further research on an automated system to support well-informed decision-making on whole life cycle net-zero carbon buildings.
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(2022)ThesisIn recent decades, natural hazards have had significant destructive impacts on human lives, the global economy, the built environment, and the functions and services provided by infrastructure. As a result, post-disaster recovery projects for impacted infrastructure have attracted particular attention to ensure necessary services in disaster-stricken areas. Construction companies play a significant role in recovery projects by providing resources, logistics and expertise. However, due to the complexity and dynamic nature of recovery projects, contractors have experienced diverse challenges. These conditions pose numerous threats to performance and undermine the resilience of companies involved in recovery projects, resulting in their failure to complete recovery projects. One possible means of improving contractor performance and organisational resilience is lean construction practices. Lean construction tools have been widely and successfully implemented in construction projects to improve performance, but the literature lacks consensus on their capability in disaster recovery projects. There is also a dearth of agreement on lean construction capability to improve organisational resilience. Finally, there is a lack of empirical research on the interrelationship between the implementation of lean practices, contractor performance and organisational resilience. Construction companies have played a significant role in infrastructure recovery projects following earthquakes in Christchurch and Kaikoura, New Zealand. However, the environment in which these companies operate significantly challenges their performance and organisational resilience. The thesis investigates the implementation of lean construction practices to improve organisational resilience and contractor performance in the presence of lean barriers stemming from post-disaster reconstruction projects. A conceptual framework incorporating six hypotheses is developed to empirically examine the impact of lean construction on contractor performance and organisational resilience in the presence of lean barriers in infrastructure recovery projects. Data was gathered through an online questionnaire survey distributed to construction companies involved in infrastructure recovery projects following earthquakes in Christchurch and Kaikoura in New Zealand. In total, 57 responses were received (response rate, 57%), and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test the hypothesised interrelationships in the structural models. The results suggest that implementing lean practices, such as just-in-time, total quality management and visual management, positively correlates with contractor performance and organisational resilience in recovery projects. It was also found that the greater the organisational resilience, the greater the contractors’ performance. Another finding is that organisational resilience has a mediating impact on the relationship between implementation of lean construction and improvement of contractor performance. The moderation analysis of lean barriers revealed that financial barriers negatively influence the implementation of lean practices on contractor performance. Finally, the results indicate that lean practices are more efficient in long-term recovery projects than short-term projects. The results can be used to assist construction companies and organisations involved in recovery projects to find practical ways to improve contractor performance and organisational resilience and invest their efforts and resources more efficiently to implement lean practices in infrastructure recovery projects.
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(2023)ThesisThis thesis interprets the significance of Jørn Utzon’s Sydney Opera House through the framework of the public realm, as understood after the Second World War. In the 1950s, the Opera House was considered a monument for its potential to enrich civic life. This was perceived through the theories of New Monumentality and CIAM, which built upon Sigfried Giedion’s premise of the monument as a symbol – a form that had no apparent significance yet would seize directly upon the senses. Drawing on the Romantic idea of the imagination, Giedion celebrated the power of the symbol to rouse the emotions of the people, with hopes of stimulating their engagement in public life. These endeavours reflected democratic ideals of the post-war period, with a conception of the public realm as a space for both individuality and commonality. The impact of this was felt in architectural circles in 1951, when the eighth CIAM Congress titled ‘The Heart of the City’ adopted the Greek concept of the polis in its planning of new civic centres. Parallels are drawn between the ideas of this congress and those of Hannah Arendt, a contemporary of Utzon and Giedion, who saw the public realm as the space for distinctiveness to appear within the existing conditions of a shared world. By situating the Sydney Opera House within this broader historical narrative, one can comprehend its power as a monument to capture the concerns of its time, while meeting needs that have persisted from antiquity until this present moment.
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(2023)ThesisDigital technologies could improve the efficiency and productivity of prefabrication construction. However, existing research in this area was halted at the academic research level, and construction practitioners may not have received many direct benefits. Successful technology adoption in construction should start with the industry’s practical needs, with consideration of the acceptance level of specific technologies by the construction practitioners, followed by implementing appropriate technologies to address the practical issues. Therefore, this research uses a two-stage research design to identify and implement a selected technology to address a practical issue in prefabrication construction. In the first stage, a systematic literature review and empirical industry investigation were carried out to gain an in-depth understanding of the current status of the technology adoption in prefabrication construction, and the problems faced by the construction practitioners. Based on the findings, a specific technology, laser scanning, was identified to improve the efficiency of installation quality check of prefabricated wall panels. The second stage addressed the issues related to how laser scanning can be effectively implemented in the quality check practice. A streamlined data collection, data processing and quality check process was proposed. The research focused on selecting existing point cloud data processing methods, developing quality check algorithms, and verifying the proposed process by using simulated data. A range of experiments was carried out to determine the most appropriate parameters for point cloud data processing for various types of wall panels, which enabled a streamlined process for effective practical implementation. Point cloud data was then collected on a real construction project in China, and the proposed method was validated. This research proposes and validates an effective laser scanning method to improve the efficiency of installation quality check of prefabrication wall panels, and has significant practical value, but its major contribution goes beyond this. The research proposes and demonstrates an interdisciplinary approach, which combines empirical industry investigation with the technological method, to be used to address practical issues in the construction industry’s daily practice. This approach enables the successful adoption and practical implementation of digital technologies in prefabrication construction and can be extended to many other technology applications.
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(2023)ThesisClimate change and rapid urbanisation have confronted cities with water management challenges. Stormwater has been acknowledged as a major concern because of its mismanagement. It has also been underestimated as a resource in climate change actions and policies. There has not been adequate research on a holistic framework incorporating the main enablers and challenges of stormwater management projects in diverse contexts. This thesis presents qualitative and quantitative research underpinning a novel water sensitive city (WSC) framework. Survey responses (388) and interviews (104) drew data from around the world. These data included extensive and detailed perceptions of built environment professionals about stormwater management. The quantitative analysis was conducted using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modelling (SEM). The qualitative analysis involved thematic and content analysis. It was found that, according to expert knowledge, both environmental factors and project implementation have a significant influence on transition to a WSC. Within a water sensitive urban design (WSUD) project, project design and project management and maintenance have indirect influence on WSC performance through project implementation. At present, the built environment is insufficiently prepared for climate change adaptation through stormwater management. The great variety of stakeholders, inadequate financial planning, limited interdisciplinary communication, insufficient knowledge and awareness, and a lack of integrated evaluation tools are the main challenges which countries are struggling with in their attempts to implement climate change adaptation. Developing an integrated financial mechanism, allocating budgets, clear evaluation criteria, integrating climate change adaptation in policy and planning, and developing collaboration between all sectors are the main enablers. The research suggest that policymakers, designers, developers and regulators should incorporate a range of environmental, social, policy and governance, and economic determinants through all stages of WSUD projects to promote liveable and water-resilient cities. This research looked at WSUD projects from around the world and found that the role of each of the WSC factors can vary to suit local conditions. The outcome of this study is an evidence-based analysis and a framework for policy makers to help them achieve sustainable development goals through sensitive management of urban stormwater.
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(2023)ThesisThis thesis explores and conceptualises the urban phenomenon of meanwhile use as a distinctive state of and model for permanent temporariness in the contemporary global city. Meanwhile use is a relatively new term used to describe the temporary occupation of unused buildings or sites awaiting redevelopment for non-residential, residential, or live-work purposes. Drawing particularly from in-depth interviews with diverse stakeholders working in Newcastle, Australia and London, UK, this thesis both defines the phenomenon and explores its important drivers, benefits, and challenges. It identifies three key forms of meanwhile use: as a form of property tenure, community infrastructure and spatial construct. It also situates stakeholder insights within broader historical, urban, and cultural discourses. While different forms of meanwhile use are specific to the local conditions in which they emerge, they are also indicative of wider global shifts in property tenure and workplace insecurity. Taking its key drivers and forms into consideration, the thesis develops a conceptualisation of meanwhile use as an urban paradox involving a perpetual state of temporality. It will be argued that meanwhile use is a distinctive form of twenty-first century urbanism that redefines how people create, occupy, and possess spaces they do not legally own.
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(2023)ThesisHistorically and traditionally, outdoor transitional spaces like verandas and courtyards had been integral parts of the Sri Lankan house, reflecting the traditional concept of ‘living around the house’. Other than being climatically responsive, these spaces played a vital social role in supporting living patterns, social structure, and socio-cultural norms. Throughout history, house form changed with colonial impacts and other influences affecting the lifestyle and introducing new spaces. Due to urbanization and growing demand for housing, the contemporary urban house today faces many challenges including limited plot sizes and creating privacy in densely built neighbourhoods. Although outdoor transitional spaces are actively integrated into contemporary urban houses in Sri Lanka to address above challenges, a lack of understanding about the role played by these spaces could make them redundant and an unnecessary burden on the house. Sri Lankan traditional and pre-independence houses have been studied by architectural historians and courtyard as a climate controlling element has been investigated by other researchers. However, the outdoor transitional spaces of contemporary urban houses and their socio-cultural relevance remain unexplored. Therefore, this research aims to answer the following main research question: what is the role of outdoor transitional spaces in contemporary urban houses of Sri Lanka? Using mixed methods of historical evaluation, graphical analysis of plan forms using space syntax, case studies and fieldwork including spatial ethnography and user interviews, this research explores the connections between spatial structure, movement patterns and use of space to decipher a meaning to the role of outdoor transitional spaces of contemporary urban houses in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Research outcomes revealed that the strong socio-spatial role of outdoor transitional spaces in traditional houses is diluted in contemporary urban houses, by changing their role to extended living spaces or garden spaces for spatial enhancement. The previously multifunctional role is now taken over by a single function, limiting their useability. The research found that some spatial patterns of outdoor transitional spaces reflecting inherent cultural practices are carried on through time, and if incorporated in a sensitive way, create a positive contribution to the socio-spatial needs as well as generate neighbourhood contacts.
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(2023)ThesisIn recent times cities have increasingly promoted bicycling as part of their strategy to develop a more sustainable transportation system. To increase the number of bike riders, more bicycling infrastructure should be developed in urban areas. The infrastructure should provide a safe and comfortable environment for bicycling. To this end, bicycling should be prioritised within a city's urban and transportation planning. However, in many cities, bicycling gets little attention in urban plans and strategies. One barrier to enhanced bicycling, in many cities around the world, is the organisational complexity, under several tiers of government, of planning and implementing bicycling infrastructure. Such is the case in Australia, where local and state government departments have often distinct policies and strategies for planning bicycling infrastructure that cause problems in project coordination. In addition, decisions about where to prioritise investment in bicycling infrastructure need to be supported with valid and comprehensive evidence. Planning Support Systems (PSS) are geo-information tools that have been created to provide this evidence and support specific urban planning tasks such as bicycling planning. However, improving city bicycling isn't solely reliant on data-driven techniques and new technologies; it also demands planners' adoption of these methods while working collaboratively with other stakeholders. The emerging field of Planning Support Science highlights the significance of research-practice collaboration to achieve shared goals and provide valuable support to those in the field. Geo-design is an approach that enables such collaboration using geo-information tools to support the planning process in a collaborative environment. The geo-design framework enhances the planning approach by providing key stakeholders with data-driven tools ranging from sketch planning to advanced simulation and impact assessment. With these tools, geo-design can be applied to collaboratively construct and evaluate multiple future bike infrastructure scenarios. Therefore, the overarching research question of this study is: ‘How can a geo-design framework facilitate planning for bicycling, and what data-driven methods and tools effectively support such a framework?’. A geo-design framework was developed and evaluated using an experiential case study approach in the Greater Sydney region, specifically focusing on Penrith City (Western Sydney). The main contributions of this research lie in its investigation of the current state of using data-driven approaches to support bicycle planning, and its development, implementation and iterative testing of geo-design incorporating a data-driven support tool based on Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) techniques. The research involved expert participants (transport planners and engineers, urban designers, and academics) from across Sydney, including people from both State and Local Government Authorities and other key stakeholders in bicycling planning. The findings of this research provide a novel framework for planners that can guide collaborative planning for better bicycling infrastructure. In addition, the application of data-driven tools, such as ABM for simulation of bicyclists behaviours, augments the evidence base and improves decision-making. Overall, this study has shown that the proposed geo-design framework and developed data-driven tools can improve planning for bicycling by facilitating collaboration among decision-makers and stakeholders.
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(2023)ThesisThe global food system faces significant challenges in terms of achieving food and nutrition security, and sustainability. There continue to be many social, economic, and environmental externalities and violations (such as land degradation, water pollution, smallholder livelihood challenges, health and safety threats from the overuse of pesticides, food fraud and food safety challenges, among others) that increasingly challenge the current global food system. How food systems are governed is important in reversing current adverse trends and in achieving long term sustainability. The role of private non-state1 modes of governance as drivers of change in the structure and function of food systems is also widely recognized. While the phenomenon of private governance of food systems is widely studied in the Global North, little is known and understood about the phenomenon in certain regions of the Global South, particularly in Sub-Sahara Africa. The aim of this thesis is to critically examine the role of non-state governance actors in food system change, and especially how they contribute to achieving food systems sustainability in Global South contexts. The thesis deploys a qualitative case study approach to deepen understandings of emerging non-state modes of food systems governance in the Global South from a city-region perspective, and how such governance arrangements promote or hinder sustainability in its dimensions of governance, social, economic, and environmental outcomes. A non-state food governance arrangement in Ghana that utilizes certification as a governance mechanism is used as a case study, and its sustainability outcomes assessed by using the Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FAO) SAFA (Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems) Framework. The study finds that by involving several food system actors in its governing board, the arrangement has achieved legitimacy as a food governance institution. Furthermore, while the arrangement largely succeeds in promoting economic and social sustainability, significant improvements are needed in its contribution to the governance and environmental dimensions of sustainability. This study contributes to current knowledge and understanding of the role of governance in orchestrating food system change in the context of developing countries. The study generates empirical governance lessons for potential transfer into other geographic regions confronting food system challenges. The study further contributes to the discourse about the shift from ‘government’ to ‘governance’, it highlights the adoption of sustainable [agricultural] practices and supports the formulation of more inclusive food system governance policies in developing countries. Finally, it provides evidence on how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are being pursued in Global South contexts.