O. Klaas, M. Kreienmeyer and E. Stein
This paper presents the development of a parallel finiteelement algorithm for a MIMD parallel computer. Theelements are distributed, onto the processors, in such a waythat…
Abstract
This paper presents the development of a parallel finite element algorithm for a MIMD parallel computer. The elements are distributed, onto the processors, in such a way that neighbouring elements are placed onto neighbouring processors. This guarantees a good load‐balancing even in physically non‐linear computations. The distribution of the columns of the global system of equations is done by an election algorithm. For solving the global system of equations we use a parallel preconditioned conjugate gradient solver. Tests were done with an elastoplastic material model for proving the efficiency of assembling and solving the system of equations.
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De-Graft Owusu-Manu, Caleb Debrah, Eric Oduro-Ofori, David John Edwards and Prince Antwi-Afari
The advances in green city growth are widely discussed in extant literature. The benefits of green cities to urban development in recent discussions of sustainability and…
Abstract
Purpose
The advances in green city growth are widely discussed in extant literature. The benefits of green cities to urban development in recent discussions of sustainability and sustainable development are well documented and cannot be overemphasised. Although a growing study on green building development in developing countries has been advanced in literature, there is a paucity of studies that explore green cities in developing countries. Moreover, evidence of studies that have focussed on green cities development in Ghana is lacking. Because of this identified knowledge gap, the purpose of this study is to establish the indicators/attributes for measuring the level of greenness of cities in developing countries.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the indicators/attributes for measuring the level of greenness of cities in developing countries. This study has adopted the pragmatism as its undergirding research philosophy and the deductive research approach. In terms of methodological choice, quantitative research strategy was used to collect data from experts in sustainable urban development. The primary data retrieved from this study was analysed using descriptive statistics, relative importance index and one-sample t-test. The reliability and validity of this study were measured with the Cronbach’s alpha test.
Findings
This study established eight indicators for measuring green city development: air quality, water, sanitation, land use, health and safety, transportation, energy and building and construction. It was discovered that the development of green cities should enhance air quality, improve water production and supply, improve management in sanitation, promote mixed and integrative land use, maintain the health and safety of city dwellers, reduce the demand for transportation and formalise public transport, adopt renewable and efficient energy technologies and promote sustainable construction and green buildings. These indicators are key to policymaking and implementation of green cities development.
Research limitations/implications
This study focusses primarily on Ghana; however, the findings of this study do not limit the generalisability, as it can be used as an example for other developing countries.
Practical implications
Theoretically, this study adopted quantitative indicators that are reproducible in another geographical context. This study contributively adds to the discourse on sustainability, especially in Ghana, and can be a source of reference to motivate others to conduct further research in related areas. The outcomes of this study will help the local government, policymakers, city stakeholders and industry expertise to gain insights of the overall indicators that underpin green city development.
Originality/value
This paper attempts to posit in literature the foremost appraisal of green city indicators adaptive in Ghana, which could motivate other developing countries to develop their own green cities.
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Caleb Debrah and De-Graft Owusu-Manu
The purpose of this study is to develop a framework to guide green cities development in developing countries. The study adapted and validated indicators that can be adopted, to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop a framework to guide green cities development in developing countries. The study adapted and validated indicators that can be adopted, to predict, estimate, depict and measure green city development in developing countries. In using a covariance-based structural equation model (CBSEM), the study developed a framework for green cities development in developing countries using Kumasi city (Ghana) as a case study.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the proposed framework, a quantitative methodology was used, in which, data was collected using research questionnaires that targeted a sample of 200 green city experts. In total, 154 useable questionnaires were retrieved, representing a response rate of 77%. The confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were adopted in a CBSEM.
Findings
The indices reported were indicative that the model/framework is a good fit for the data. This points to the direction that the model for measuring green city development was statistically significant and acceptable. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis revealed a robust fit of the indices, as they met the standardised cut-off points and as such the model fits the data.
Practical implications
This novel research is one of the few studies investigating green cities development in Ghana which could serve as a lesson for other developing countries. The proposed green city framework will serve as a guide to stakeholders in identifying the key indicators/factors that are critical to green city development in developing countries, especially Ghanaian cities.
Originality/value
This study proposed a green city framework to guide the development of green cities based on the local context of Ghana.
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Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the…
Abstract
Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the theoretical as well as practical points of view. The range of applications of FEMs in this area is wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore aims to give the reader an encyclopaedic view on the subject. The bibliography at the end of the paper contains 2,025 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the analysis of beams, columns, rods, bars, cables, discs, blades, shafts, membranes, plates and shells that were published in 1992‐1995.
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Presents a review on implementing finite element methods on supercomputers, workstations and PCs and gives main trends in hardware and software developments. An appendix included…
Abstract
Presents a review on implementing finite element methods on supercomputers, workstations and PCs and gives main trends in hardware and software developments. An appendix included at the end of the paper presents a bibliography on the subjects retrospectively to 1985 and approximately 1,100 references are listed.
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Emmanuel Doe Dzramado, Richard Ohene Asiedu, De-Graft Owusu-Manu, David J. Edwards, Michael Adesi and Alex Acheampong
This paper explored the socioeconomic factors affecting green cities development. Extant literature have highlighted green cities as a major path towards sustainability in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explored the socioeconomic factors affecting green cities development. Extant literature have highlighted green cities as a major path towards sustainability in the construction industry but very little is known on the socioeconomic aspect of green cities and its bid in promoting sustainability in the construction industry; hence, the premise of this study which highlights the socioeconomic factors affecting green cities development in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the socioeconomic factors affecting green cities. A quantitative research strategy was adopted to collect primary data from respondents who have the requisite understanding and knowledge in green cities using questionnaires. The data gathered was then analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis viz principal component analysis.
Findings
The socioeconomic factors affecting green city development comprised: Green support mechanisms (i.e. innovation and technology, green city planning (urban planning), stakeholder engagement, awareness, city planning (transportation) and environmental regulations); green inhibitors (i.e. population, culture, housing and policy implementation); green market and finance (i.e. digital finance, green market mechanism, green investment finance, risks and uncertainties, income levels of clients). It was evident that socioeconomic factors are significant to the development of green cities in Ghana and hence policy makers and various stakeholders should prioritize socioeconomic factors in the bid to achieve sustainability through green cities in the construction industry.
Originality/value
This paper presents a foremost and comprehensive study on the socioeconomic factors affecting green cities in Ghana. The study results showed that even though the path to sustainability in green cities has pivoted mainly on environmental factors, socioeconomic factors are also significant to green city development, hence, policy makers and the construction industry should keenly consider the socioeconomic factors affecting green city development in the bid towards sustainability for cities.
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The boundary element method (BEM) and the finite element method (FEM) may be computationally expensive if complex problems are to be solved; thus there is the need of implementing…
Abstract
The boundary element method (BEM) and the finite element method (FEM) may be computationally expensive if complex problems are to be solved; thus there is the need of implementing them on fast computer architectures, especially parallel computers. Because these methods are complementary to each other, the coupling of FEM and BEM is widely used. In this paper, the coupling of displacement‐based FEM and collocation BEM and its implementation on a distributed memory system (Parsytec MultiCluster2) is described. The parallelization is performed by data partitioning which leads to a very high efficiency. As model problems, we assume linear elasticity for the boundary element method and elastoplasticity for the finite element method. The efficiency of our implementation is shown by various test examples. By numerical examples we show that a multiplicative Schwarz method for coupling BEM with FEM is very well suited for parallel implementation.
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Ridwan Adetunji Raji, Bahtiar Mohamad and Sumera Memon
The fundamental mission of every green city is to harmonize urban living with environmental preservation. However, a critical challenge arises when the residents of such cities do…
Abstract
Purpose
The fundamental mission of every green city is to harmonize urban living with environmental preservation. However, a critical challenge arises when the residents of such cities do not share the same level of environmental consciousness, potentially eroding the integrity of the green city’s brand identity. Hence, this study aims to explore the factors influencing residents’ identification with green city branding and assesses how this identification subsequently affects their green citizenship behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of 1,217 residents from 15 green cities across six countries was conducted and analyzed using SPSS 28.0 for descriptive statistics and PLS-SEM for measurement and structural model analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that green city-self connection, green city distinctiveness and environmental benefits significantly impact GCRI, which, in turn, significantly influences green city protection, loyalty and advocacy behaviors. However, green city social and economic benefits did not affect resident identification.
Practical implications
The results of this study provide valuable managerial insights for city brand managers, green city developers and governmental representatives. The study underscores the importance of considering residents as crucial internal stakeholders in the creation of a green city identity that effectively promotes sustainable urban living and an eco-friendly culture.
Originality/value
This study provides theoretical insights into the relationship between green identification and residents’ willingness and commitment to act as ambassadors and promote their city’s green values.
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Caleb Debrah, De-Graft Owusu-Manu, Ernest Kissi, Eric Oduro-Ofori and David John Edwards
Of late, cities across the globe are taking pragmatic steps towards addressing environmental, social and economic problems in the debate on sustainable development. Even so…
Abstract
Purpose
Of late, cities across the globe are taking pragmatic steps towards addressing environmental, social and economic problems in the debate on sustainable development. Even so, little attention has been paid to studies focused on developing countries. The aim of this study is to examine the barriers to green cities development in developing countries.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive literature review was conducted to examine the barriers to green cities development. In terms of methodological choice, a quantitative research strategy was used to collect data from professionals who have lines of influence on the greening of our cities and sustainable urban development.
Findings
The barriers to green city development identified were lack of awareness of the benefits of a green city, environmental degradation, insufficient policy implementation efforts, excessive generation of solid waste and poor wastewater collection and treatment. It was indicative from the study findings that taking the right sustainable steps in urban development and a paradigm shift towards the pillars of sustainability, Ghanaian cities, especially Kumasi, have a great proclivity of regaining its longstanding status being “Garden City”.
Practical implications
The outcome of this study provides stakeholders in city development an insight into the barriers that inhibit the development of green cities. In practice, this study contributively proposes that the concept of green cities should be incorporated in the education and training of stakeholders to improve the level of awareness.
Originality/value
This paper presents the foremost comprehensive study appraising green city development in Ghana.
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Gives a bibliographical review of the error estimates and adaptive finite element methods from the theoretical as well as the application point of view. The bibliography at the…
Abstract
Gives a bibliographical review of the error estimates and adaptive finite element methods from the theoretical as well as the application point of view. The bibliography at the end contains 2,177 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the subjects that were published in 1990‐2000.