Planning for Density in a Driverless World

Automobile-centered, low-density development was the defining feature of population growth in the United States for decades. This development pattern displaced wildlife, destroyed habitat, and contributed to a national loss of biodiversity. It also meant, eventually, that commutes and air quality worsened, a sense of local character was lost in many places, and the negative consequences of sprawl impacted an increasing percentage of the population. Those impacts led to something of a shift in the national attitude toward sprawl. More people than ever are fluent in concepts of “smart growth,” “new urbanism,” and “green building,” and with these tools and others, municipalities across the country are working to redevelop a central core, rethink failing transit systems, and promote pockets of density. Changing technology may disrupt this trend. Self-driving vehicles are expected to be widespread within the next several decades. Those vehicles will likely reduce congestion, air pollution, and deaths, and free up huge amounts of productive time in the car. These benefits may also eliminate much of the conventional motivation and rationale behind sprawl reduction. As the time-cost of driving falls, driverless cars have the potential to incentivize human development of land that, by virtue of its distance from settled metropolitan areas, had been previously untouched. From the broader ecological perspective, each human surge into undeveloped land results in habitat destruction and fragmentation, and additional loss of biological diversity. New automobile technology may therefore usher in better air quality, increased safety, and a significant threat to ecosystem health. Our urban and suburban environments have been molded for centuries to the needs of various forms of transportation. The same result appears likely to occur in response to autonomous vehicles, if proactive steps are not taken to address their likely impacts. Currently, little planning is being done to prepare for driverless technology. Actors at multiple levels, however, have tools at their disposal to help ensure that new technology does not come at the expense of the nation’s remaining natural habitats. This Article advocates for a shift in paradigm from policies that are merely anti-car to those that are pro-density, and provides suggestions for both cities and suburban areas for how harness the positive aspects of driverless cars while trying to stem the negative. Planning for density regardless of technology will help to ensure that, for the world of the future, there is actually a world

Leadership Curriculum Evaluation: Final Report DFE- RR639

Evaluation report of the National College for Teaching and Leadership's Leadership Curriculum commissioned by Department for Education (2013-2016

Single European skies: functional airspace blocks - delays and responses

This article considers the ‘Functional Airspace Blocks’ (FAB’s) – which are part of the European initiative for a Single European Sky (SES). The primary objective of the transport policy has been to complete the internal market for transport and facilitate the free movement of persons, good and services. Yet the significance of the transport policy to the wider objectives of the EU is often overlooked. Whilst deregulation of the air transport sector in the EU has created the world's largest and most successful example of regional market integration and liberalization in air transport – the industry remains hampered by disjointed skies, which standard to compromise safety and impact upon economic development. And, whilst the FAB should have been completed – ‘by’ December 2012 - it is still not a reality. The research identifies the aims and advantages of a common European airspace and reviews the delays and consequences of implementation, specifically commenting on the use of the infringement process (or non-use) against Member States regarding the implementation of the FAB’s

Shared Prosperity, Stronger Regions: An Agenda for Rebuilding America's Older Core Cities

Explores opportunities for community collaborations to promote economic development and neighborhood revitalization, and offers strategies for public/private investment. Includes case studies in Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh

Validation of Two-Fluid Simulations of a Pseudo-Two-Dimensional Bubble Column with Uniform and Nonuniform Aeration

The multiphase flow simulated in this work corresponds to the pseudo-2D bubble-column experiments at Delft University of Technology (Harteveld et al. Can. J. Chem. Eng. 2003, 81, 389-394). As in the work of Monahan and Fox (AIChE J. 2007, 53, 9-18), the complete set of interphase force models includes drag, added-mass, lift, rotation, and strain. The simulation results are presented in the form of comparisons with the experimental data for the time-averaged gas holdup and the instantaneous and time-averaged air and liquid velocity fields. Overall, the qualitative and quantitative comparisons between experiments and simulations are satisfactory for both uniform and nonuniform aeration. In particular, the model predicts the flow patterns observed in the experiments, but in some cases at slightly different values of the amount of aeration. In the latter cases, it is shown that changing the model parameters does not improve the agreement with experiments. However, changing the liquid-velocity boundary condition from zero stress to zero slip leads to a small improvement

BREXIT: A bolt from the blue! – Red sky in the morning?

After membership in the EU lasting more than forty years, the United Kingdom held a referendum in June 2016 to decide whether to remain in the EU or to leave. While the result was close, the majority of the voting population opted to leave. This paper reflects upon the possible consequences to U.K. airlines and the traveling public in order to consider whether, after the exit, there will be “red skies at night” after the initial “red skies in the morning” – warning, which undoubtedly is the current indicator level. In considering the possible rationale and reasoning for the decision, the research considers crucial related aspects such as sovereignty and governance – linked to nationality and borders – issues that have undeniably affected aviation development. This paper explores the relationship of the EU and UK and the advancement of air transport in the EU, of which the UK has been a significant part – questioning what is next for the UK after Brexit. Consideration is given to low cost carrier development in the UK and the metamorphosis of British Airways during the aviation policy development and liberalization process in the EU, both internally and externally. Whilst considerable uncertainty exists – for the UK and, indeed, the EU – the underlying concern remains for the impending risk to aviation advancement as a result of Brexit. Time cannot be turned back, but the future of aviation may see regression rather than progressio

Changing the Tide: An Internet/Video Exercise and Low Fat Diet Intervention with Middle School Students

The rising tide of obesity erodes the health of youths and many times results in adult obesity. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effectiveness of an eight-session health promotion/transtheoretical model Internet/video-delivered intervention to increase physical activity and reduce dietary fat among low-income, culturally diverse, seventh-grade students. Those who completed more than half the sessions increased exercise, t(103) = −1.99, p = .05, and decreased the percentage of dietary fat, t(87) = 2.73, p = .008. Responses to the intervention by stage of change, race, and income are examined