scholarly journals We shape our buildings, but do they then shape us? A longitudinal analysis of pedestrian flows and development activity in Melbourne

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257534
Author(s):  
Andres Sevtsuk ◽  
Rounaq Basu ◽  
Bahij Chancey
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Pedestrian Flow ◽  
Development Activity ◽  
Flow Models ◽  
Urban Quality Of Life ◽  
Traffic Impact ◽  
The City

Cities are increasingly promoting walkability to tackle climate change, improve urban quality of life, and address socioeconomic inequities that auto-oriented development tends to exacerbate, prompting a need for predictive pedestrian flow models. This paper implements a novel network-based pedestrian flow model at a property-level resolution in the City of Melbourne. Data on Melbourne’s urban form, land-uses, amenities, and pedestrian walkways as well as weather conditions are used to predict pedestrian flows between different land-use pairs, which are subsequently calibrated against hourly observed pedestrian counts from automated sensors. Calibration allows the model extrapolate pedestrian flows on all streets throughout the city center based on reliable baseline observations, and to forecast how new development projects will change existing pedestrian flows. Longitudinal data availability also allows us to validate how accurate such predictions are by comparing model results to actual pedestrian counts observed in following years. Updating the built-environment data annually, we (1) test the accuracy of different calibration techniques for predicting foot-traffic on the city’s streets in subsequent years; (2) assess how changes in the built environment affect changes in foot-traffic; (3) analyze which pedestrian origin-destination flows explain observed foot-traffic during three peak weekday periods; and (4) assess the stability of model predictions over time. We find that annual changes in the built environment have a significant and measurable impact on the spatial distribution of Melbourne’s pedestrian flows. We hope this novel framework can be used by planners to implement “pedestrian impact assessments” for newly planned developments, which can complement traditional vehicular “traffic impact assessments”.

scholarly journals Obsolescence of urban morphology in Villena (Spain). Spatial analysis of the urban fabric in the ISUD/EDUSI candidature.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Miguel García Martín ◽  
Fernando Navarro Carmona ◽  
Eduardo José Solaz Fuster ◽  
Víctor Muñoz Macián ◽  
María Amparo Sebastià Esteve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Urban Fabric ◽  
Development Fund ◽  
The City

The Integrated Sustainable Urban Development strategy (English acronym ISUD, Spanish acronym EDUSI) is an urban planning tool that the municipalities with more than 20.000 inhabitants in Spain need to be funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the 2014-2020 period. The city of Villena is located south- east Spain, inland the province of Alicante. The Villena municipality developed this tool in order to have a holistic and integrated vision of the situation of the city from the urban, social, economic and environmental points of view. As a part of the analysis performed to develop this strategy, a spatial analysis of the urban fabric of Villena was carried out. This study employed concepts from the typomorphological schools of Italy, England and France (Moudon, 1994) as well as from the research on relation between density and urban form (Churchman, 1999, Berghauser & Pont, 2009, Steadman, 2014). The data and cartography of the Spanish Cadaster, processed with SIG software, allowed the study. The spatial analysis included different variables of the built environment, including building height and age; plots size; open space ratios, Not-built plots; type of built-plots according to height and built surface; and compactness of the fabrics. The results of this analysis showed a relationship between the morphological variables and the problems identified in the citizen participation meetings carried out for the elaboration of the ISUD. The identified aspects of urban morphology obsolescence allowed proposing strategies of action to update the built environment to current demands. References (100 words) Berghauser Pont, M., & Haupt, P. (2009). Space, density and urban form. TU delft. Retrieved from http://repository.tudelft.nl/view/ir/uuid%253A0e8cdd4d-80d0-4c4c-97dc-dbb9e5eee7c2/ Churchman, A. (1999). Disentangling the concept of density. Journal of Planning Literature, 13(4), 389–411. Moudon, A. V. (1994). Getting to know the built landscape: typomorphology. In K. A. Franck & L. H. Schneekloth (Eds.), Ordering space: types in architecture and design (pp. 289–311). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. Steadman, P. (2014). Density and built form: integrating “Spacemate” with the work of Martin and March. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 41(2), 341–358.

Rethinking Architecture and Urban Form in the Context of Power Discourse: Case Study Nicosia, North Cyprus

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 1227-1246
Author(s):  
Abdulsalam I. Shema
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Deductive Reasoning ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
The City

This study investigates the symbolic attributes of power relations within the built environment of the walled city of Nicosia and contributes to the interpretation of generated meaning. The fundamental aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive explanation and description of how power as a socially constructed phenomenon aids in defining the language of the city and architecture. Studies of the built environment in relation to power discourse are a continuous process, and due to the subjectivity of interpretations, this study adopted the epistemological stance of constructivism. Based on deductive reasoning, this study hypothesises that power aids in defining the language and imageability of the city, and the results have verified the propositions. The case study of this research was diachronically analysed and focused on the socially-constructed symbolic meaning generation, within the framework of interpretivism. In order to analyse the city, a conceptual approach was developed. Two main approaches that support the research hypothesis were established: the language of the city; and imageability of the city. The imageability of the city was based on the five elements of the city, published in 1960. However, due to the context of this research, three of the elements that fully supported the research aim and objectives were selected, namely, landmark, district and path. The two main conceptual approaches were tied to power relations within the built environment based on the theoretical frameworks of: Markus; Dovey; and Njoh. In conclusion, the walled city of Nicosia exhibits symbols of ‘power over’ such as segregation, seduction, manipulation, and authority. The results have verified the proposition that power aids in defining the language and imageability of a city, thereby transforming the city and its inhabitants.

Modernism, Space and the City

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Thacker
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Joseph Conrad ◽  
Jean Rhys ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Cultural Institutions ◽  
European Cities ◽  
Blaise Cendrars ◽  
Stephen Spender ◽  
Christopher Isherwood ◽  
The City

This innovative book examines the development of modernism in four European cities: London, Paris, Berlin, and Vienna. Focusing upon how literary and cultural outsiders represented various spaces in these cities, it draws upon contemporary theories of affect, mood, and literary geography to offer an original account of the geographical emotions of modernism. It considers three broad features of urban modernism: the built environment of the particular cities, such as cafés or transport systems; the cultural institutions of publishing that underpinned the development of modernism in these locations; and the complex perceptions of writers and artists who were outsiders to the four cities. Particular attention is thus given to the transnational qualities of modernism by examining figures whose view of the cities considered is that of migrants, exiles, or strangers. The writers and artists discussed include Mulk Raj Anand, Gwendolyn Bennett, Bryher, Blaise Cendrars, Joseph Conrad, T. S. Eliot, Christopher Isherwood, Hope Mirlees, Noami Mitchison, Jean Rhys, Sam Selon, and Stephen Spender.

The Search for Order in Municipal Administration: Herman A. Metz and the New York City Experience, 1898–1909

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-74
Author(s):  
Ryan P. McDonough ◽  
Paul J. Miranti ◽  
Michael P. Schoderbek
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
York City ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
The Public ◽  
Operational Activities ◽  
The City

ABSTRACT This paper examines the administrative and accounting reforms coordinated by Herman A. Metz around the turn of the 20th century in New York City. Reform efforts were motivated by deficiencies in administering New York City's finances, including a lack of internal control over monetary resources and operational activities, and opaque financial reports. The activities of Comptroller Metz, who collaborated with institutions such as the New York Bureau of Municipal Research, were paramount in initiating and implementing the administrative and accounting reforms in the city, which contributed to reform efforts across the country. Metz promoted the adoption of functional cost classifications for city departments, developed flowcharts for improved transaction processing, strengthened internal controls, and published the 1909 Manual of Accounting and Business Procedure of the City of New York, which laid the groundwork for transparent financial reports capable of providing vital information about the city's activities and subsidiary units. JEL Classifications: H72, M41, N91. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text.

scholarly journals Simulating the effects of redesigned street-scale built environments on access/egress pedestrian flows to metro stations

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanan Liu ◽  
Dujuan Yang ◽  
Harry J. P. Timmermans ◽  
Bauke de Vries
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Route Choice ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Destination Choice ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Renewal Processes ◽  
City Center ◽  
Metro Station ◽  
Route Choice Behavior ◽  
The City

AbstractIn urban renewal processes, metro line systems are widely used to accommodate the massive traffic needs and stimulate the redevelopment of the local area. The route choice of pedestrians, emanating from or going to the metro stations, is influenced by the street-scale built environment. Many renewal processes involve the improvement of the street-level built environment and thus influence pedestrian flows. To assess the effects of urban design on pedestrian flows, this article presents the results of a simulation model of pedestrian route choice behavior around Yingkoudao metro station in the city center of Tianjin, China. Simulated pedestrian flows based on 4 scenarios of changes in street-scale built environment characteristics are compared. Results indicate that the main streets are disproportionally more affected than smaller streets. The promotion of an intensified land use mix does not lead to a high increase in the number of pedestrians who choose the involved route when traveling from/to the metro station, assuming fixed destination choice.

scholarly journals AnANN Model Trained on Regional Data in the Prediction of Particular Weather Conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 4757
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Bączkiewicz ◽  
Jarosław Wątróbski ◽  
Wojciech Sałabun ◽  
Joanna Kołodziejczyk
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Pressure ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
The World ◽  
The City

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have proven to be a powerful tool for solving a wide variety of real-life problems. The possibility of using them for forecasting phenomena occurring in nature, especially weather indicators, has been widely discussed. However, the various areas of the world differ in terms of their difficulty and ability in preparing accurate weather forecasts. Poland lies in a zone with a moderate transition climate, which is characterized by seasonality and the inflow of many types of air masses from different directions, which, combined with the compound terrain, causes climate variability and makes it difficult to accurately predict the weather. For this reason, it is necessary to adapt the model to the prediction of weather conditions and verify its effectiveness on real data. The principal aim of this study is to present the use of a regressive model based on a unidirectional multilayer neural network, also called a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), to predict selected weather indicators for the city of Szczecin in Poland. The forecast of the model we implemented was effective in determining the daily parameters at 96% compliance with the actual measurements for the prediction of the minimum and maximum temperature for the next day and 83.27% for the prediction of atmospheric pressure.

scholarly journals Disaster Management in Smart Cities

Smart Cities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 819-839
Author(s):  
Luís B. Elvas ◽  
Bruno Miguel Mataloto ◽  
Ana Lúcia Martins ◽  
João C. Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Management ◽  
Smart City ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Critical Infrastructures ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Data Driven Approach ◽  
New Research ◽  
The City

The smart city concept, in which data from different systems are available, contains a multitude of critical infrastructures. This data availability opens new research opportunities in the study of the interdependency between those critical infrastructures and cascading effects solutions and focuses on the smart city as a network of critical infrastructures. This paper proposes an integrated resilience system linking interconnected critical infrastructures in a smart city to improve disaster resilience. A data-driven approach is considered, using artificial intelligence and methods to minimize cascading effects and the destruction of failing critical infrastructures and their components (at a city level). The proposed approach allows rapid recovery of infrastructures’ service performance levels after disasters while keeping the coverage of the assessment of risks, prevention, detection, response, and mitigation of consequences. The proposed approach has the originality and the practical implication of providing a decision support system that handles the infrastructures that will support the city disaster management system—make the city prepare, adapt, absorb, respond, and recover from disasters by taking advantage of the interconnections between its various critical infrastructures to increase the overall resilience capacity. The city of Lisbon (Portugal) is used as a case to show the practical application of the approach.

scholarly journals The Contribution of Urban Morphology to the Formation of the Microclimate in Compact Urban Cores: A Study in the City Center of Thessaloniki

Urban Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Georgios-Rafail Kouklis ◽  
Athena Yiannakou
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
City Center ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
Microclimatic Conditions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of urban morphology to the formation of microclimatic conditions prevailing within urban outdoor spaces. We studied the compact form of a city and examined, at a detailed, street plan level, elements related to air temperature, urban ventilation, and the individual’s thermal comfort. All elements examined are directly affected by both the urban form and the availability of open and green spaces. The field study took place in a typical compact urban fabric of an old city center, the city center of Thessaloniki, where we investigated the relationship between urban morphology and microclimate. Urban morphology was gauged by examining the detailed street plan, along with the local building patterns. We used a simulation method based on the ENVI-met© software. The findings of the field study highlight the fact that the street layout, the urban canyon, and the open and green spaces in a compact urban form contribute decisively both to the creation of the microclimatic conditions and to the influence of the bioclimatic parameters.

Parkour, Masculinity, and the City

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L. Kidder
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Young Men ◽  
Gender Identities ◽  
The People ◽  
Ethnographic Data ◽  
Performance Of Gender ◽  
Spatial Appropriation ◽  
The City ◽  
A Performance

Parkour is a new, and increasingly popular, sport in which individuals athletically and artistically negotiate obstacles found in the urban environment. In this article, I position parkour as a performance of masculinity involving spatial appropriation. Through ethnographic data I show how young men involved in the sport use the city (both the built environment and the people within it) as a structural resource for the construction and maintenance of gender identities. The focus of my research highlights the performance of gender as a spatialized process.

Skyscrapers: The City and the Megacity

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 267-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Parker
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Short Note ◽  
Global South ◽  
Global Power ◽  
The City

This short note considers the migration of the skyscraper from New York and Chicago to Asia and its absence in the emerging megacities of the Global South. Following 9/11, many commentators assumed that the skyscraper was finished, but this was clearly not the case, with super-tall construction now accelerating. However, the distributions of contemporary skyscrapers show us that there are shifts in global power and also in urban form.

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