Previous studies support the direct relationship between outdoor physical activity and natural spaces in cities. The Active City and Nature concept explores the relationship between urban, green and active environments; it aims to demonstrate the scientific evidence for the need for action to be taken to increase participation in active living and sport, leading to healthier cities and communities. Our research seeks to analyse the city’s natural spaces as scenarios to encourage physical activity and sport, through a combined study of qualitative research techniques: the use of a digital webGIS platform, collaborative maps made by citizens, and surveys conducted with citizens and the local government. This methodology has been tested in the city of Malaga, the European City of Sport 2020. The study of the city’s main sport areas, the waterfront and natural green spaces provided data on the types of physical activity taking place in each of these areas and the physical activity needs of citizens. This research argues that it is important to know the criteria of local communities for physical activity and/or sport in natural environments, as well as the main demands expressed. This will provide valuable information to design and manage natural public spaces as a means of promoting physical activity and healthy habits.
This article analyses the case of Dubai’s smart city from a public policy perspective and demonstrates how critical it is to rely on the use of the public-private partnership (PPP) model. Effective use of this model can guarantee the building of a smart city that could potentially fulfill the vision of the political leadership in Dubai and serve as a catalyst and blueprint for other Gulf states that wish to follow Dubai’s example. This article argues that Dubai’s smart city project enjoys significant political support and has ambitious plans for sustainable growth, and that the government has invested heavily in developing the necessary institutional, legal/regulatory, and supervisory frameworks that are essential foundations for the success of any PPP project. The article also points to some important insights that the Dubai government can learn from the international experience with the delivery of smart cities through PPPs.
The paper examines the motivations, financing, expansion and challenges of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI was initially designed to address China’s overcapacity and promote economic growth in both China and in countries along the “Belt” and “Road” through infrastructure investment and industrial capacity cooperation. It took into account China’s strategic transition in its opening-up policy and foreign policy to pay more attention to the neighboring countries in Southeast Asia and Central and West Asia when facing greater strategic pressure from the United States in East Asia and the Pacific region. More themes have been added to the initiative’s original framework since its inception in 2013, including the vision of the BRI as China’s major solution to improve international economic cooperation and practice to build a “community of shared future for mankind”, and the idea of the Green Silk Road and the Digital Silk Road. Chinese state-owned enterprises and policy and commercial banks have dominated investment and financing for BRI projects, which explains the root of the problems and risks facing the initiative, such as unsustainable debt, non-transparency, corruption and low economic efficiency. Measures taken by China to tackle these problems, for example, mitigating the debt distress and improving debt sustainability, are unlikely to make a big difference anytime soon due to the tenacity of China’s long-held state-driven investment model.
Nowadays, our life needs more and more electricity, and our lives cannot be without electricity, which requires our power to develop more quickly. Power plants are undoubtedly the place where electricity is produced. And now most of the power plant or chemical energy can be converted into heat, and then through the heat to do power production. The boiler is the main part of the power plant. Boiler unit consists of boiler body equipment and auxiliary equipment. The main body of the boiler consists of 'pot' (soft drinks system) and 'furnace' (combustion system). Baotou thermal power plant is mainly burning gas. The gas and air are at a certain rate into the furnace burning. This can greatly reduce the pollution of the environment, but also the full use of fuel. The soda system is mainly carried out in the drum. The heat generated by the combustion system heats the water in the drum, producing steam and then pushing the steam turbine into mechanical energy and finally into electrical energy. This has a high demand for water level, water composition, and the temperature of the steam produced in the drum. The water level should have upper and lower bounds, keeping it within a certain range. Water level is too high, will affect the steam drum soda separation effect, so that the steam drum exports of saturated steam with water increased, causing damage to the turbine, will cause serious explosion. And the water level is too low, it will affect the natural circulation of the normal, serious will make the individual water pipe to form a free water, resulting in flow stagnation, resulting in local metal wall overheating and burst pipe. Water in the heating at the same time will form a lot of scale, if not the chemical treatment of water will be in the formation of scale in the drum, cleaning more difficult, so the damage to the drum. The pressure of the drum is also an important control variable, and pressure control is highly correlated with liquid level control. It is necessary to ensure the integrity of the equipment, but also to ensure safety, followed by ensuring that the process of normal operation of the drum water. This time, the design is mainly for the unit steam temperature control system design. Steam temperature is one of the important indicators of boiler operation quality. It is too high and too low will significantly affect the power plant safety and economy. If the temperature of the steam is low, it will cause the power plant to increase the heat consumption and increase the axial thrust of the turbine to cause the thrust bearing to overload, but also cause the steam turbine to increase the final steam humidity, thus reducing the efficiency of the turbine, aggravating the erosion of the blade. On the contrary, the steam temperature is too high will make the super-heater wall metal strength decreased, and even burn the high temperature of the super-heater, the steam pipe and steam turbine high-pressure part will be damaged, seriously affecting safety. The boiler temperature control system mainly includes the adjustment of the superheated steam and the reheat steam temperature. The superheated steam temperature is the highest temperature in the boiler soda system. The stability of the steam temperature is very important for the safe and economical operation of the unit. Therefore, in the boiler operation, must ensure that the steam temperature in the vicinity of the specified value, and the temperature of the super-heater tube wall does not exceed the allowable working temperature.
Leisure education has an impact not only on individuals but also on the environment and society. The present study aimed to explore and describe experts’ knowledge and experience about leisure education to develop leadership among youth with physical disabilities. The present study used a qualitative research approach through an exploratory design to answer the research question. Five participants were purposefully recruited and selected based on their expertise in the topic of interest. Participants’ expertise ranged from leisure, recreation, youth and leadership. The participants had experience working in higher education institutions, and community projects, held doctorate qualifications, and have over ten years in this field. Data was collected online using Google Meet software using semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. Data was analyzed using a thematic analysis framework and guidelines. The findings of this study suggest that youth with physical disabilities can develop personal capacity through leisure education programmes. Leisure education programmes can be meaningful to youth with physical disabilities and have a developmental impact, including leadership. Youth with physical disabilities’ capacities and abilities should be nurtured and protected to allow growth and independence. The implications are that leisure education programmes for leadership development must be intentional to achieve the intended outcome.
The size effect on the free vibration and bending of a curved FG micro/nanobeam is studied in this paper. Using the Hamilton principle the differential equations and boundary conditions is derived for a nonlocal Euler-Bernoulli curved micro/nanobeam. The material properties vary through radius direction. Using the Navier approach an analytical solution for simply supported boundary conditions is obtained where the power index law of FGM, the curved micro/nanobeam opening angle, the effect of aspect ratio and nonlocal parameter on natural frequencies and the radial and tangential displacements were analyzed. It is concluded that increasing the curved micro/nanobeam opening angle results in decreasing and increasing the frequencies and displacements, respectively. To validate the natural frequencies of curved nanobeam, when the radius of it approaches to infinity, is compared with a straight FG nanobeam and showed a good agreement.
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