scholarly journals Anthropogenic Transformation and the Possibility of Renaturalising Small Rivers and Their Valleys in Cities – Łódź and Lviv Examples

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Kobojek

Rivers used to serve important functions in the development of cities, and river valleys are a part of the urban space. Regardless of several centuries of anthropogenic influences large rivers and their valleys have remained the dominant elements of the cityscape. In the case of small rivers and valleys the situation has been different. The expansion of urban infrastructure often led to an elimination of rivers and their valleys from the developed area. In many cases rivers were directed down straightened concrete ditches and sometimes the locations of their channels were changed altogether. In the city centre, rivers were locked in underground channels, i.e. they vanished from the cityscape. Urban floods, so annoying for the inhabitants, usually occur within river sections which have been utilized intensively and covered with impermeable surface. Even though a river was hidden in underground interceptor pipes, a valley dip remains still accumulating rainfall. The aim of this article is to present the extent of transformation of small rivers and valleys within two large cities located on watersheds: Łódź and Lviv, and the contemporary utilization and the possibility of renaturalising them.

Urban History ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
JENS TOFTGAARD

ABSTRACTThe traditional open-air markets on the central squares of Danish cities were thriving in the middle of the nineteenth century. However, the markets were soon challenged by new urban ideals of the city centre as a place for shopping and capital investment. At the same time, urban reformers made efforts to improve the market trade to meet modern standards. The rivalling interests struggled over the question of modernization or relocation of the central square markets and ultimately the definition and use of the central urban space. In particular, this article will examine the struggle over the construction of a fish market hall in Odense as it serves to reveal the different conceptions of the central urban space that affected the fate of the street markets.


Author(s):  
Silnyk O ◽  

The central part of Lviv was formed over several centuries and in several stages. Favourable demographic, economic and political prerequisites in the XIX-XX centuries positively influenced the quantitative and qualitative state of urban homes. Demolition of defensive walls, the formation of a new citywide centre, measures to improve the central part of the city, regulate the street network, and increase the population are the main factors that underlie the planning and development of the city. The city was actively built up. Most of the houses were profitable. These are buildings that brought profit to their owners through rented premises and commercial parterre floors. The modern architecture of Lviv is developing under the influence of tourist infrastructure and the ordinary household needs of Lviv residents. The urban space of the central part of modern Lviv needs to be regularly updated to perform functions that are dictated by time. It is also important to preserve the existing historical centre that attracts tourists, represents the historical value and pride of the country. Professional implementation of projects requires a detailed study and analysis of the existing architecture. Since the second half of the XIX century, the development of houses parallel to the main roads of the city became popular. Dense buildings spread in concentric circles from the city centre and gradually replaced low-rise buildings in the peripheral part of the city. During this period, housing construction is carried out on a large scale. These are mostly two- or three-story houses, often with a courtyard. The size and configuration of the houses were dictated by technical capabilities, existing buildings and streets. The sites often had a complex shape, the development was carried out already in the conditions of reconstruction, which significantly complicated the solution of new projects. The houses had rectangular forms of plans, the dimensions of which averaged 400 m2 until the end of the XIX century. During the twentieth century, slightly larger plots – 570 m2 – were already allocated for construction. The built-up area on the plots ranged from 30 to 87 per cent. The density of buildings was dictated by both economic and practical factors that are relevant even today. The houses were distinguished by interesting planning solutions with a thorough set of architectural details both in the exterior and in the interior. The range of rooms includes dining rooms, offices, boudoirs, bathrooms, corridors and storerooms. During the nineteenth century, in the decisions of facades dominated Italian neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque; in the twentieth century – secession. The style solution was based on the choice of details that were prototypes of classical architectural images. The architecture of Lviv of the XIX-XX centuries represents a wide range of artistic interpretations. The study of houses built during this period reveals both their development and the transformation of spatial planning, compositional and stylistic solutions. The necessary formative periods of historicism opened up new angles for the development of subsequent stylistic trends in the following years. The experience of architects, which is connected with the historical past of Lviv, testifies to the significant importance and place of the architecture of the XIX-XX centuries for the further development and development of the city.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 34-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiit Remm

‘Text’ has been a frequent notion in analytical conceptualizations of landscape and the city. It is mostly found in analyses of textual representations or suggestions concerning a metaphor of “reading” an (urban) landscape. In the Tartu- Moscow School of Semiotics the idea of the text of St. Petersburg has also been applied in analysing particular cities as organizing topics in literature and in culture more widely, but it has not happened to an equal degree in studies of actual urban spaces. The understanding of text as a semiotic system and mechanism is, however, more promising than revealed by these conceptions. Some potential can be made apparent by relating this textual paradigm to a more pragmatic understanding of the city and its planning. My project in this paper is to uncover an analytical framework focusing on the concepts of ‘text’, ‘textualization’ and ‘texting’ in studying the planning of urban environment. The paper observes the case of the urban planning process of the Tartu city centre in Estonia during 2010–2016, and is particularly concerned with the roles that urban nature has acquired in the process of this “textualization” of the local environment, societal ideals, practices and possible others.


2018 ◽  
Vol 239 ◽  
pp. 04009
Author(s):  
R.B. Bryukhov ◽  
K.E. Kovalenko

Urbanization continues. There is an outflow of population from small cities and towns to large ones. According to some estimates, 60% of the world's population will live in cities by 2060 (now 50%). The middle class is growing, and there are more and more people who buy cars. Consequently, the load on urban infrastructure and roads is increasing. The high number of traffic jams leads to negative consequences: the delay in the delivery of goods, the late arrival of people to work, etc. On the other hand, despite the best efforts of manufacturers, transport continues to pollute the atmosphere. Technologies continue to develop rapidly, new business models, rules of doing business in transport and ways to use it are emerging. Recently, there has been the emergence of such innovations as car sharing (the use of cars that are freely available in the city), various types of taxis that can be called up using a mobile phone, and improved urban public transport. In addition, the most current urban trends are the development of pedestrian areas in large cities, non-motorised transport, and bicycles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 36-48
Author(s):  
Michał Adam Kwiatkowski ◽  
Grzegorz Pawlikowski

Polityka parkingowa należy do ważniejszych wyzwań w rozwoju współczesnych miast w zakresie transportu. Jednym z narzędzi kształtowania tego zjawiska w miastach jest wprowadzanie stref płatnego parkowania, które mają zwiększać rotację pojazdów oraz zachęcać do korzystania z innych środków transportu w codziennych dojazdach. Jest to szczególnie ważne w kontekście centrów miast. Wdrażanie stref płatnego parkowania stanowi często stosowane rozwiązanie w dużych miastach, rzadziej w średnich i małych. Celem tego badania jest analiza sposobu docierania mieszkańców średniego miasta – Tczewa – do centrum (Starego Miasta) oraz ocena możliwości wprowadzenia strefy płatnego parkowania. Badanie przeprowadzono metodą ankiety, posługując się techniką PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview), w którym zebrano 375 odpowiedzi. W przeprowadzonym badaniu ankietowym wykazano, że istnieje duży poziom akceptacji społecznej dla możliwości wprowadzenia strefy płatnego parkowania w analizowanym przypadku. W badaniu wykazano ponadto, że znaczną większość użytkowników centrum stanowią osoby docierające tam pieszo. Potwierdzono także, że mieszkańcy są skłonni nie tylko zapłacić za parkowanie w centrum miasta, ale także przejść pewien dystans pieszo od miejsca postojowego do celu podróży. Niniejsza praca może mieć charakter aplikacyjny i stanowić wskazówkę dla innych miast o podobnej wielkości i strukturze, które zamierzają wprowadzić strefę płatnego parkowania lub innego rodzaju ograniczenia ruchu samochodów. Mobility in the centre of a medium-sized city in the perspective of the prospective introduction of a paid parking zone – a case study of Tczew Parking policy is one of the more important challenges in the development of modern cities in terms of transport. One of the tools for shaping this policy in cities is the introduction of paid parking zones, which are intended to increase vehicle turnover and encourage the use of other means of transport for everyday commuting. This is particularly important in the context of city centres. The introduction of paid parking zones is a common solution in large cities, less so in medium-sized and small ones. The aim of this study is to analyse how residents of a medium-sized city – Tczew – travel to the centre (Old Town) and to assess the possibility of introducing a paid parking zone. The study was carried out through a survey, using the PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview) technique, with 375 responses collected. It showed that there is a high level of public acceptance for the possible introduction of a paid parking zone in the case under consideration. The study also yielded that the vast majority of users of the centre are people who get there on foot. It was also confirmed that residents are not only willing to pay for parking in the city centre, but also to walk a certain distance from their parking space to their destination. This work can be applied as a guide to other cities of similar size and structure that intend to introduce paid parking zones or other types of car traffic restrictions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 19-23
Author(s):  
I.V. Manyshev ◽  
◽  
A.A. Trunov ◽  

Urban studies has occupied and continues to occupy a special place in the system of sociological knowledge. G. Simmel, F. Tennis and E. Durkheim paid great attention to the problem of the genesis and evolution of large and small cities, the devel- opment of urbanization processes, various aspects of integration, mobilization and social activism within a single urban space. Classics of European sociological thought laid a powerful theoretical and methodological foundation for the scientific study of the institute of public relations in the social space of European cities of the late XIX – first half of the XX centuries. Their fun- damental differences between the countryside and the city, the specifics of private and public life in small and large cities, the antagonism between community and society, organic and mechanical solidarity, the progress of civilization and the parallel growth of social deviations allow a more adequate approach to the study of the institute of public relations, but in re- lation to modern realities, which are characterized by the processes of digitalization and globalization, the rapid develop- ment of high technologies, new opportunities for social interaction, which become available not only for the elite, but also for ordinary citizens. Without effective public relations, it is difficult to imagine the activities of city authorities and services, trade firms, corporations, police, educational and cultural institutions. We consider public relations as a universal socio-cultural mechanism that allows us to establish and maintain effective public communications between management entities and segments of the urban social environment that are important for their activities (individuals and social groups) in the mode of dialogue and search for joint solutions to current problems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 1821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ge Lou ◽  
Qiuxiao Chen ◽  
Kang He ◽  
Yue Zhou ◽  
Zhou Shi

The worldwide development of multi-center structures in large cities is a prevailing development trend. In recent years, China’s large cities developed from a predominantly mono-centric to a multi-center urban space structure. However, the definition and identification city centers is complex. Both nighttime light data and point of interest (POI) data are important data sources for urban spatial structure research, but there are few integrated applications for these two kinds of data. In this study, visible infrared imaging radiometer suite (NPP-VIIRS) nighttime imagery and POI data were combined to identify the city centers in Hangzhou, China. First, the optimal parameters of multi-resolution segmentation were determined by experiments. The POI density was then calculated with the segmentation results as the statistical unit. High–high clustering units were then defined as the main centers by calculating the Anselin Local Moran’s I, and a geographically weighted regression model was used to identify the subcenters according to the square root of the POI density and the distances between the units and the city center. Finally, a comparison experiment was conducted between the proposed method and the relative cut-off_threshold method, and the experiment results were compared with the evaluation report of the master plan. The results showed that the optimal segmentation parameters combination was 0.1 shape and 0.5 compactness factors. Two main city centers and ten subcenters were detected. Comparison with the evaluation report of the master plan indicated that the combination of nighttime light data and POI data could identify the urban centers accurately. Combined with the characteristics of the two kinds of data, the spatial structure of the city could be characterized properly. This study provided a new perspective for the study of the spatial structure of polycentric cities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 200 ◽  
pp. 07002
Author(s):  
Dyah Widiyastuti ◽  
Bagus Mudiantoro ◽  
Lilik Andriyani

Urban green space (UGS) is essential for the city to ensure sustainability. The provision of adequate USG, however, is challenging over time, particularly at the city centre area. This study aims to offer a possible framework to identify UGS and assess the potential share from the vacant land into green space using descriptive analysis of remote sensing and secondary data. A case study is applied to assess the UGS and potential area in Yogyakarta City. The result shows that the built-up area in Yogyakarta City is covered around 85% of the total while the UGS remains halved within less than a decade. In addition, the field visit shows a potential UGS on 16.00 ha from the private vacant land. The application of the framework provides a tool for the city council in maintaining and monitoring the land cover, including identifying the UGS throughout the city. Imposing the regulation on vacant land might encourage the private sector involvement and offers less effort to the city council in providing UGS.


Adeptus ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Wróbel-Bardzik

A “green city” – attractions, animals and modernity: The establishment of the Warsaw Zoological Garden in independent PolandThe article describes the history of establishing the Warsaw Zoological Garden in independent Poland after the First World War, a watershed period when it was possible to implement modern designs not only in the broader, national context, but also in the local and urban environment. Intensive discussions on the form of modernity attempted to find its version which would combine European and local inspiration. To some extent, the establishment of a modern zoo also defined the place of animals in the urban space. While some species were excluded from the city centre, others were put in the sphere of leisure time. „Zielone miasto” atrakcji, zwierzęta i nowoczesność. Powstanie warszawskiego ogrodu zoologicznego w odrodzonej PolsceArtykuł dotyczy założenia warszawskiego ogrodu zoologicznego po odzyskaniu przez Polskę niepodległości. Był to moment przełomowy, pozwalający na wprowadzenie istotnych zmian modernizacyjnych zarówno w kontekście narodowym, jak i lokalnym, miejskim. Toczyły się wówczas dyskusje na temat wizji nowoczesności, poszukiwano takiej jej wersji, która łączyłaby trendy europejskie i lokalne inspiracje. Założenie ogrodu zoologicznego jako nowoczesnej instytucji określało w pewnym stopniu także miejsce zwierząt w przestrzeni miejskiej. Zauważalne były wówczas procesy rugowania niektórych gatunków zwierząt z miasta czy sytuowania innych w obrębie kultury czasu wolnego.


2005 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-16
Author(s):  
Marcelo Kehdi Gomes Rodrigues ◽  
Adelcke Rossetto Netto

Celso Garcia, 787, one of the many derelict buildings in the centre of São Paulo, was converted into housing for 84 low-income families. Members of the ULC popular housing movement occupied the vacant former bank branch and, with technical support from the Integra Interdisciplinary Work Cooperative, converted the building into affordable apartments. The project works toward the reversal of the process of exodus from the city centre, proposing housing alternatives in central areas that have lost part of their population in the last several years yet remain rich in urban infrastructure.


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