Exploring Visitor Perceptions towards Urban Park Design and Levels of Enclosure: A Case Study from the UAE

Abstract As cities transition towards urbanization and sustainability, designing attractive green spaces and urban parks is an important issue to planners and urban designers. One factor believed to have some impact on a park’s attractiveness is level of enclosure. Despite the importance of such a factor in identifying types of park visitors and frequency of visits, a limited amount of research has attempted to statistically model impacts of level enclosure on a park’s attractiveness. To address this gap, this article explores impacts of multiple physical characteristics, including levels of enclosure, on park attractiveness and user behavior. Activities in two parks in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) were studied using field observations, photography, interviews, and statistical analysis. Field observations were utilized to model people’s attitude while using parks. Logistic regression was employed to the field observations to investigate associations between different factors and park attractiveness. Results indicated levels of enclosure had a direct influence on park users. Gender, age, and ethnicity were also found statistically significant determinates of park visitor attitudes and park choice. Traces of territorial behaviors and social conflicts were also observed.

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Magnetotelluric Data Analysis using 2D inversion: A Case Study from Al-Mubazzarah Geothermal Area (AMGA), Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates

Heliyon ◽

10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07440 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e07440

Author(s):

Hakim Saibi ◽

Sadieh Khosravi ◽

Biruk Abera Cherkose ◽

Maxim Smirnov ◽

Yosef Kebede ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Geothermal Area ◽

Magnetotelluric Data ◽

2D Inversion ◽

Al Ain

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Detection of subsurface karstic features using electrical resistivity tomography, case study, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

10.1190/iceg2015-038 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Tanzeel Ur Rehman Sabir* ◽

Mahmoud K. Harb ◽

Emad Sharif ◽

Mohd. J. Ahmed

Keyword(s):

Electrical Resistivity ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Electrical Resistivity Tomography ◽

Resistivity Tomography ◽

Al Ain ◽

Karstic Features

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Development of a Composite Sustainability Index for Roadway Intersection Design Alternatives in the UAE

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12208696 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (20) ◽

pp. 8696

Author(s):

Maryam J. Al-Kaabi ◽

Munjed A. Maraqa ◽

Yasser S. Hawas

Keyword(s):

United Arab Emirates ◽

Transportation Systems ◽

Traffic Volume ◽

Road User ◽

User Perspective ◽

Sustainability Index ◽

Design Alternatives ◽

Al Ain ◽

Roadway Intersections

Many studies have been carried out to evaluate the sustainability of transportation systems, but little attention has been given for the design of roadway intersections. This study aimed to establish a framework and develop a tool to assess the sustainability of roadway intersections from a road-user perspective. Sustainability indicators at the strategic level were extracted from the literature and were utilized with relative weights to develop economic, environmental, and social indices that would be combined into a composite sustainability index (CSI) tool. The tool was applied to four case studies of intersections in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. For each case study, the sustainability of fifteen design alternatives was evaluated for different scenarios of traffic volume and operational speed. Dimensional indices and the overall CSI were determined using the Multi-Criteria Decision Making method. Results indicated that traffic volume had a significant impact on intersection sustainability ranking, while the effect of operational speed was insignificant. Moreover, weight assignment had an effect on determining the most sustainable design alternative, where the best alternatives of the dimension with the major weight would most likely be the most sustainable. The developed tool would assist decision-makers in other cities to assess intersection projects that correspond to their regional goals.

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Water Space Classification for Rainwater Circulation in Residential Complexes and Reservoir Park Design - With Case Study on Youngho Urban Park at Hyoja Residential Complex, Jeonju City

Journal of the Urban Design Institute of Korea Urban Design ◽

10.38195/judik.2020.04.21.2.99 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 99-116

Author(s):

Juwon Jo ◽

Myungwoo Lee

Keyword(s):

Urban Park ◽

Park Design ◽

Water Space

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Multi-Criteria, Co-Evolutionary Charging Behavior: An Agent-Based Simulation of Urban Electromobility

World Electric Vehicle Journal ◽

10.3390/wevj12010018 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 18

Author(s):

Lennart Adenaw ◽

Markus Lienkamp

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

City Planning ◽

User Behavior ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Simulation Framework ◽

Agent Based Simulation ◽

Agent Based ◽

Charging Station ◽

Spatio Temporal

In order to electrify the transport sector, scores of charging stations are needed to incentivize people to buy electric vehicles. In urban areas with a high charging demand and little space, decision-makers are in need of planning tools that enable them to efficiently allocate financial and organizational resources to the promotion of electromobility. As with many other city planning tasks, simulations foster successful decision-making. This article presents a novel agent-based simulation framework for urban electromobility aimed at the analysis of charging station utilization and user behavior. The approach presented here employs a novel co-evolutionary learning model for adaptive charging behavior. The simulation framework is tested and verified by means of a case study conducted in the city of Munich. The case study shows that the presented approach realistically reproduces charging behavior and spatio-temporal charger utilization.

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Unemployment in the Affective Economy: Exploring the Affective Governing of Young Unemployed People in the Danish Welfare State

Zeitschrift für Sozialreform ◽

10.1515/zsr-2020-0015 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 66 (3) ◽

pp. 335-361

Author(s):

Sabina Pultz

Keyword(s):

Welfare State ◽

Complex Relationship ◽

Field Observations ◽

Unemployed People ◽

Political Implications ◽

Governmentality Studies ◽

The Right ◽

The Unemployed ◽

The Ideal

Abstract This case study investigates the affective governing of young unemployed people, and it concludes that getting money in the Danish welfare state comes with an “affective price”. In the quest for a job, unemployed people have been increasingly responsibilized in order to live up to the ideal of the active jobseeker. Consequently, when faced with unemployment, they are encouraged to work harder on themselves and their motivation. Based on an interview study with young unemployed people (N=39) and field observations made at employment fund agencies in Denmark (2014–15), I explore how young unemployed people are governed by and through their emotions. By supplementing governmentality studies (Foucault et al. 1988, 2010) with the concept of “affective economy” from Ahmed (2014), I discuss how young unemployed people who receive money from the Danish state are placed in a situation of debt. The paper unfolds how this debt becomes visible as the unemployed people often describe feeling under suspicion for not doing enough, for not being motivated enough. Through an abundance of (pro) activity, they have to prove the suspicion of being lazy wrong, and through managing themselves as active jobseekers, they earn the right to get money from the state. Here motivation, passion and empowerment are key currencies. I discuss the intricate interplay between monetary and affective currencies as well as political implications in the context of the Danish welfare. The article contributes by making visible the importance of taking affective matters into account when investigating the complex relationship between politics and psychology.

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Practical Functioning of a Sustainable Urban Complex with a Park—The Case Study of Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13095071 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 5071

Author(s):

Beata Makowska

Keyword(s):

Urban Space ◽

Public Spaces ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Cultural Center ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Green Spaces ◽

Urban Complex

Intensive urban development has created a shortage of urban green areas. The need to economically plan and use urban green spaces has fueled the redefinition of public spaces and parks so as to provide the residents with both recreation and relaxation facilities, as well as a forum for contact with culture. This paper discusses the case of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in the Kallithea district on the outskirts of Athens, near the Mediterranean Sea. It fills a gap in the research on the aspects of the practical functioning of such facilities. The methodology used in the research included an analysis of the literature, the SNFCC’s reports, and an in situ survey. The cultural center hosts a number of events aimed at promoting Greece’s natural and cultural heritage. The paper includes a detailed analysis of the events organized by the SNFCC in the period 2017–2020 and their immense impact on residents. The aim of the study is to show that the creation of the SNFCC with the park areas has functioned as a factor contributing to the improvement of the quality of urban space and the quality of life of the city’s inhabitants. The paper’s conclusions indicate that the sustainable SNFCC project, which fulfils the urban ecology criteria, has been very well received by the visitors—citizens and tourists alike. A program-centered innovation introduced by the SN Park has added great value to their lives. The project contributes to economic and cultural growth, as well as the protection and promotion of heritage.

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