| Vol. - No. | Vol.5 - No.2 |
|---|---|
| Date | Jun., 2016 |
| Title | Editor's Note |
| Contents |
This volume is the second IJHRB 'Architecture and Urban Planning' special issue under the topic of Sustainable Vertical Urbanism. In recent years, the CTBUH has paid special attention to the other 'half' of its mission – the Urban Habitat, pushing forward a series of research funding opportunities, award recognitions, and student competitions that focus on the relationship between tall buildings, sustainability, and the surrounding urban fabric. Generally speaking, sustainability is realized as the balancing point between overlapping economic, environmental, and social dimensions. In this volume, we collect eight papers that address each of these critical topics. The first part focuses on the environmental dimension, which includes four papers. In the beginning, a research team – formed by some of the world's most successful structural engineering firms and players in the tall building industry and spearheaded by Dr. Dario Trabucco – shares the findings of a two-year-long research project conducted by the CTBUH on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of tall building structural systems. Next, Prof. Feng YANG provides an overview of integrated approaches to urban design for a sustainable high-rise urban future; and Prof. Leiqin XU and Prof. Yu ZHUANG introduce their latest research with Ph.D. students about pedestrian distribution in high-rise commercial complexes and synergic effects in metro station areas through two captivating research papers. The second part focuses on the social dimension and includes two papers. Jeanne Gang, the founder and principal of Studio Gang Architects, presents her thoughts for creating more socially connective tall buildings. Meanwhile, Mr. John Britton, principal of Woods Bagot, and his colleague contribute their explorations on integrating modern workplace models into the high-rise typology. The third part focuses on the economic dimension, which also includes two papers. Professor Jason Barr from Rutgers University shares his latest research discussing the economics of skyscraper construction in Manhattan since 1990. Finally, Dr. Le SUN summarizes research on the effects of high-rise commercial towers on land values in Shanghai during the 1920s. In the end, I would like to express my appreciation to all the authors of this issue for sharing their thoughts and latest achievements. I would also like to thank the Chief Editors of IJHRB, especially Prof. Sang Dae Kim and Prof. Guoqiang Li, as well as CTBUH again for giving us a second chance to co-edit a volume of IJHRB on behalf of CAUP, Tongji University. Dr. Zhendong Wang Editor-in-chief of IJHRB CTBUH China Office Associate Director in Academic Affairs Associate Professor of Tongji University |