Mathematical Programing Modeling for Optimal Urban Structure Focusing on Combination of Hubs and Axes

Central and Eastern European countries were subjugated to the Soviet Union in the second half of the 20th century. In this new political environment, defined as the period of dependency, the concept of space gained a new denotation as a space of dependence, in both social and physical terms. The political changes that took place after 1989 enabled these spaces to be emancipated. In this work, we aim to delineate the complex relationship between architecture and politics from the perspective of spaces of dependence and their emancipation. Through a case study of two squares, plac Żołnierza Polskiego (the Square of the Polish Soldier) and plac Solidarności (Solidarity Square) in Szczecin, we gained insights into the processes and strategies that promoted their evolution into spaces of emancipation within architectural and urban narratives. Szczecin’s space of dependence was created by an authoritarian state that had a monopoly on defining architecture and urban planning in the country and the state as a whole. In a process orchestrated by economic factors, as well as the scale of architectural and urban degradation, the squares under discussion have transitioned from spaces of dependency to spaces of emancipation. As a result, an architectural-urban structure characterized by new cultural and identity values has been created.

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Assessment of Visual Values as a Tool Supporting the Design Decisions of the Cultural Park Protection Plan. The Case of Kazimierz and Stradom in Kraków

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13136990 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 6990

Author(s):

Urszula Forczek-Brataniec

Keyword(s):

Cultural Landscape ◽

Visual Analysis ◽

Visual Assessment ◽

Original Method ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Urban Structure ◽

Landscape Values ◽

Development And Management ◽

Further Development ◽

Spatial Identity

Krakow is a city of high landscape values, which has found confirmation in the entry onto the UNESCO heritage list. Its cultural landscape requires protection and clarification within the context of intensive tourist use and a rapid pace of urban spatial development. For preservation protection and restoration of landscape values, the city authorities undertook work on the creation of a Cultural Park in the Stradom and Kazimierz districts, providing a comprehensive, sustainable, and multidisciplinary approach to natural, cultural and visual values of the urban structure. The article presents the application of the method of research on visual values in order to protect individual scenic resources of the historical urban structure. It is one of the analytical studies of a comprehensive protection plan project. This project defines the scope, framework and methods of development and management of a Cultural Park. The task of the visual analysis was to identify, characterize and evaluate the visual resources. It created a visual framework for further development of the historical district while preserving its local spatial identity. The studies resulted in a division into zones according to their nature and intensity of activities as well as outlining protection zones and intervention zones adjusted to individual characteristics of those places. An original method combining achievements of the method of landscape and visual assessment (LVIA) as well as achievements of the Krakow School of Landscape Architecture (KSLA) in terms of cultural landscape assessment was used for the research. The applied method provided guidelines to support sustainable project decisions regarding further development of the district for the preservation of local spatial identity. Its universal character creates possibilities for its application into the plans of other Krakow districts and is intended to be applicable to both urban and rural structures.

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Wearable Sensors for Human Environmental Exposure in Urban Settings

Current Pollution Reports ◽

10.1007/s40726-021-00186-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Carolin Helbig ◽

Maximilian Ueberham ◽

Anna Maria Becker ◽

Heike Marquart ◽

Uwe Schlink

Keyword(s):

Acoustic Noise ◽

Wearable Sensors ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Urban Structure ◽

Protective Behavior ◽

Urban Settings ◽

Current Trends ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

Smart Technologies ◽

Study Designs

AbstractGlobal population growth, urbanization, and climate change worsen the immediate environment of many individuals. Elevated concentrations of air pollutants, higher levels of acoustic noise, and more heat days, as well as increasingly complex mixtures of pollutants pose health risks for urban inhabitants. There is a growing awareness of the need to record personal environmental conditions (“the human exposome”) and to study options and implications of adaptive and protective behavior of individuals. The vast progress in smart technologies created wearable sensors that record environmental as well as spatio-temporal data while accompanying a person. Wearable sensing has two aspects: firstly, the exposure of an individual is recorded, and secondly, individuals act as explorers of the urban area. A literature review was undertaken using scientific literature databases with the objective to illustrate the state-of-the-art of person-based environmental sensing in urban settings. We give an overview of the study designs, highlight and compare limitations as well as results, and present the results of a keyword analysis. We identify current trends in the field, suggest possible future advancements, and lay out take-home messages for the readers. There is a trend towards studies that involve various environmental parameters and it is becoming increasingly important to identify and quantify the influence of various conditions (e.g., weather, urban structure, travel mode) on people’s exposure.

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Urban structure, commuting burden, and employment status of labour forces in an Australian city

Journal of Transport Geography ◽

10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2021.103072 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 93 ◽

pp. 103072

Author(s):

Tiebei Li ◽

Jago Dodson ◽

Xavier Goldie

Keyword(s):

Employment Status ◽

Urban Structure ◽

Australian City

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Mental Health and the City in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13147533 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 7533

Author(s):

Jakub Bil ◽

Bartłomiej Buława ◽

Jakub Świerzawski

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Spatial Structure ◽

Urban Sprawl ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Interpersonal Relations ◽

Urban Structure ◽

Spatial Effects ◽

Development Goals ◽

The City

The article describes the risks for the mental health and wellbeing of urban-dwellers in relation to changes in the spatial structure of a city that could be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A year of lockdown has changed the way of life in the city and negated its principal function as a place of various meetings and social interactions. The danger of long-term isolation and being cut-off from an urban lifestyle is not only a challenge facing individuals, but it also creates threats on various collective levels. Hindered interpersonal relations, stress, and the fear of another person lower the quality of life and may contribute to the development of mental diseases. Out of fear against coronavirus, part of the society has sought safety by moving out of the densely populated city centres. The dangerous results of these phenomena are shown by research based on the newest literature regarding the influence of COVID-19 and the lockdown on mental health, urban planning, and the long-term spatial effects of the pandemic such as the urban sprawl. The breakdown of the spatial structure, the loosening of the urban tissue, and urban sprawl are going to increase anthropopressure, inhibit access to mental health treatment, and will even further contribute to the isolation of part of the society. In addition, research has shown that urban structure loosening as a kind of distancing is not an effective method in the fight against the SARS-COV pandemic. Creating dense and effective cities through the appropriate management of development during and after the pandemic may be a key element that will facilitate the prevention of mental health deterioration and wellbeing. It is also the only possibility to achieve the selected Sustainable Development Goals, which as of today are under threat.

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Urban structure in transition: evidence from Poland, 1983–2011

Regional Studies ◽

10.1080/00343404.2021.1878125 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Bartosz Bartosiewicz ◽

Szymon Marcinczak

Keyword(s):

Urban Structure

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Community Preferences for Urban Systems Transformation in Australia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13094749 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 4749

Author(s):

Milo Costanza-van den Belt ◽

Tayanah O’Donnell ◽

Robert Webb ◽

Eleanor Robson ◽

Robert Costanza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Online Survey ◽

Shared Vision ◽

Urban Systems ◽

Urban Structure ◽

Sustainable Cities ◽

Community Needs ◽

National Workshop ◽

Systems Transformation

Civil society engagement is important for enabling urban systems transformations that meet community needs. The development of Future Earth Australia’s Sustainable Cities and Regions: A 10-Year Strategy for Urban Systems was underpinned by cross-sectoral workshops in 7 Australian urban areas and interviews with key stakeholders to create a shared vision of both current and desired future urban structure and policy. We then created an online survey to gauge broader community feedback on the vision which emerged from these workshops and interviews, to compare their outcomes with the views of community members who could be directly impacted by urban decision-making. The survey consisted of 35 questions, which were shaped by the issues emerging from the workshops and interviews. The sample was self-selected, and the 641 respondents represented a cross-section of individuals interested in sustainable cities. Our survey results supported and expanded on the major conclusions of FEA’s National workshop and interview processes, including the need to develop transparent and responsive decision-making processes, limit waste and pollution and develop effective housing and transport alternatives with mixed-use neighborhoods and adequate green space.

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