scholarly journals Land-use change and quality of life in residential neighbourhoods: Evidence from Tehran, Iran

GeoScape ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-119
Author(s):  
Navid Forouhar ◽  
Amir Forouhar ◽  
Mahnoosh Hasankhani

Abstract Land-use planning generally aims to manage the development of urban areas to address the needs of the communities. In this regard, the multiple and often competing environmental, economic and social conflicts complicate the process of land-use planning. Commercial development in residential neighbourhoods is a common type of land-use conflict that can dramatically exacerbate these potential conflicts. Over the recent decades, many affluent neighbourhoods of Tehran Metropolis (the capital of Iran) have been confronted with an unbridled development of commercial activities within the residential areas. This paper seeks to understand the process of land-use change and its impacts on the residents’ quality of life in an affluent neighbourhood of Tehran Metropolis (Gisha Neighbourhood) by adopting a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of impact assessment including semi-structured interview, purposeful field survey, and traffic survey. The results yield that incompatible land-use policies of the Tehran Comprehensive Plan and structural defects in the land-use change regulations led to an unbridled process of commercialisation which intensified non-local activities with city/regional service coverage along the main streets of Gisha Neighbourhood. The analysis demonstrates that despite improving the accessibility of residents to urban facilities and reducing their travel time/cost, the process of land-use changes in Gisha Neighbourhood declined the residents’ quality of life by its considerable negative effects on socio-cultural structures, landuse patterns, traffic flow, and human health in the residential areas of the neighbourhood.

Author(s):  
Marlon Boarnet ◽  
Randall C. Crane

There has been a boom in American rail transit construction in the past two decades. That new investment has prompted the question of what planners can do to support rail transit. One popular answer has been transit-oriented development (TOD), increasingly described as a comprehensive strategy for rail-based land-use planning throughout an urban area. This is most clearly illustrated by Bernick and Cervero’s (1997) description of how such projects can link together to create “transit metropolises” where rail is a viable transportation option for many of the region’s residents. In addition, TOD provides an opportunity to examine the regulatory issues discussed in chapter 6, both because it is an explicit attempt to use urban design as transportation policy and because the intergovernmental issues are especially stark in relation to these developments. Having discussed how travelers behave in the first part of this book, we now ask what we know about how cities behave. Stated in general form, the question is rather broad. It concerns the process by which cities and other land-use authorities decide where to put streets, how to structure the local hierarchy of streets, when to develop more or less densely, how to position employment centers relative to residential areas, and so on. Still, the feasibility of land-use plans with transportation goals depends critically on how such authorities behave. Any discussion of the effectiveness of these strategies must address both how communities plan for transportation and how travelers respond to those plans. The primary transportation goal of TOD generally, as currently practiced, is to coordinate land-use policies to support rail transit. In particular, focusing both residential and commercial development near rail transit stations is aimed at increasing rail ridership (e.g., Bernick, 1990; Bernick and Hall, 1990; Calthorpe, 1993; Cervero, 1993; Bernick and Cervero, 1997). Some evidence suggests that residents near rail transit stations are two to five times more likely to commute by rail when compared with persons living elsewhere in the same urban area (Pushkarev and Zupan, 1977; Bernick and Carroll, 1991; Cervero, 1994d).


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhagawat Rimal ◽  
Sean Sloan ◽  
Hamidreza Keshtkar ◽  
Roshan Sharma ◽  
Sushila Rijal ◽  
...  

Globally, urbanization is increasing at an unprecedented rate at the cost of agricultural and forested lands in peri-urban areas fringing larger cities. Such land-cover change generally entails negative implications for societal and environmental sustainability, particularly in South Asia, where high demographic growth and poor land-use planning combine. Analyzing historical land-use change and predicting the future trends concerning urban expansion may support more effective land-use planning and sustainable outcomes. For Nepal’s Tarai region—a populous area experiencing land-use change due to urbanization and other factors—we draw on Landsat satellite imagery to analyze historical land-use change focusing on urban expansion during 1989–2016 and predict urban expansion by 2026 and 2036 using artificial neural network (ANN) and Markov chain (MC) spatial models based on historical trends. Urban cover quadrupled since 1989, expanding by 256 km2 (460%), largely as small scattered settlements. This expansion was almost entirely at the expense of agricultural conversion (249 km2). After 2016, urban expansion is predicted to increase linearly by a further 199 km2 by 2026 and by another 165 km2 by 2036, almost all at the expense of agricultural cover. Such unplanned loss of prime agricultural lands in Nepal’s fertile Tarai region is of serious concern for food-insecure countries like Nepal.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Camelia Sabina Botezan ◽  
Andrei Radovici ◽  
Iulia Ajtai

Urban growth triggers massive changes in land use cover, exacerbating extreme natural and technological events. In order for land use planning to be efficient, it requires the integration of comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessment. This paper aims to create a bridge between the existing vulnerability theories and their implementation in land use planning policies and proposes an innovative approach to determine whether the changes in the territorial dynamics of cities draw considerable changes in communities’ social vulnerability. The methodology identifies and selects three case studies from the Urban Atlas inventory, representative of the dynamics of large Romanian cities, taking into consideration the following hazards: earthquakes, floods, and technological hazards. Vulnerability was then assessed by assigning each land use class a specific vulnerability level. The methodology involved assessing the level of vulnerability specific to the situation in 2018 compared to 2006. The results showed that major changes in land use are related to the transition of areas with a low level of vulnerability to areas with a higher level of vulnerability as a result of the urban areas expansion to the detriment of natural and agricultural areas. This is generally translated into a higher degree of vulnerability due to an increased density of artificial elements and of population in the residential areas. The findings of the study of territorial dynamics in the proximity of large industrial operators did not reveal a tendency that differed from the general trend. Although many territorial changes have been observed in the period 2006–2018, it is necessary to extend the analysis, with the issue of the new versions of the Urban Atlas, to confirm the identified trends and to express the up-to-date situation.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Heechul Kim ◽  
Sungjo Hong

Since urban areas with high air pollution are known to have higher mortality rates compared to areas with less air pollution, accurately understanding and predicting the distribution of particulate matter (PM) in cities is important for urban planning policies that seek to emphasize the health of citizens. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between PM and land use in metropolitan cities in South Korea using the land-use regression model. We use daily data from the air quality monitoring stations (AQMS) in seven cities in South Korea for the year 2018. For analysis, K-means clustering is employed to identify the land-use pattern surrounding the AQMSs and two log-lin regression models are used to investigate the effects of each land-use type on PM. The findings show a statistically significant difference in PM concentration and variability in the business, commercial, industrial, mixed, and high-density residential areas compared to parks and green areas, and that PM concentration and variability were less in mixed areas than in single land use, thus verifying the effectiveness of a mixed land-use planning strategy. Moreover, microclimatic, seasonal, and regional factors affect PM concentration and variability. Finally, to minimize exposure to PM, various policies such as mixed land use need to be established and implemented differently, depending on the season and time.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (28) ◽  
pp. 482
Author(s):  
Catalina Margarita Verdugo Bernal ◽  
Ángela Paulina Rivera Riera ◽  
Otto Fernando Balseca Sampedro ◽  
Edwin Fernando Viteri Nuñez ◽  
Jaime Robert Guevara Layedra ◽  
...  

An economic development and land use planning proposal for Alausí County, Chimborazo was created as part of this research. The research started with an analysis of the current situation in the productive area of the county. With the help of participative workshops, it was possible to identify principal problems and opportunities; these topics helped in the definition of development strategies. Alausí is a rural area with 76% employment. Most are engaged in farming activities on sandy loam soils with slopes ranging from 15 to 45 degrees. Despite the ruggedness, 39% of the area is appropriate for farming activities, in which the principal products are barley, corn, potato, and fresh milk. Access to technology is a principal barrier to economic growth and profitability in production. It is recommended that the municipality of Alausí implement various projects identified by this research in order to capitalize on the productive area of the county and to improve quality of life.


2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulio Senes ◽  
Natalia Fumagalli ◽  
Paolo Stefano Ferrario ◽  
Daniele Gariboldi ◽  
Roberto Rovelli

A <em>community garden</em> (CG) can generally be defined as a piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people that grow their produce on shared lots that have been divided into smaller plots. Some gardens are grown collectively, are divided into different plots for individual and family use; CGs are usually located in urban or peri-urban areas. As a growing portion of the urban open space network, CGs are contributing to land preservation, access to open space, and sustainable re-use of vacant land. They promote healthy communities and provide food security for many. In this context, the object of the study are the <em>municipal community gardens</em> (MCGs), a specific typology of CGs provided for land-use planning legislation and practice as an <em>urban service</em> with social function, made available to the community by the municipalities and assigned to be cultivated to citizens (usually seniors/retired people). In particular, the study aimed: i) to evaluate the presence of MCGs in the <em>città metropolitana di Milano</em> (the former province of Milano); and ii) to define criteria for new MCGs settlement, using existing geo-database and geographical information system to make it replicable in other settings. For the first topic the 133 municipalities of the former province of Milano (excluded the city of Milano) were analysed. Only 59 municipalities had presence of MCGs. The average area per capita of MCGs is 0.68 sq.m/inhab. (if we exclude Rodano, an outlier with 35 sq.m/inhab.). An overlay with land use map has permitted to define the relationships between the MCGs and their surrounding territory. The major part of MCGs are included in urban or suburban areas. For the second goal, the land area to be allocated for new MCGs was assessed for each municipality, comparing area of existing MCGs and a <em>minimum required area</em> (calculated on the basis of the inhabitants number). Finally a method was proposed to locate the new MCGs areas. Criteria used to identify suitable areas for new MCGs were: proximity to the road network inside residential areas, suitable land use, not high land capability. In this way it has been defined for each municipality the number of MCGs to be realized and their area, and located the potentially suitable sites. Choosing between the identified suitable areas, the new MCGs were homogeneously located on the territory of each municipality in order to ensure adequate coverage of residential areas; the degree of coverage has been verified through a <em>service area</em> analysis. The proposed method seems to be useful for the MCGs settlement at metropolitan/provincial level.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Ahmed Abunazel ◽  
Yasmin Hammad ◽  
Mohamed Abd AlAziz ◽  
Essam Gouda ◽  
Wagdy Anis

Quality of life is a concept that has been discussed recently in various studies, as a response to many problems facing the compacted cities, all over the world as well as in Egypt.The purpose of this paper is to concentrate mainly on the concept of urban quality of life, it has a multi-dimensional and complex issue, the framework of this study is to find the (missing available urban quality of life indicators) in compacted cities.Although, there were design concepts of sustainable urban form in (High-density residential areas) with mixed land uses, which have a high degree of social interaction, this paper also aims to facilitate the participation of urban authorities in process of measuring, and analyzing the urban quality of life with providing an extra element for design concepts of a sustainable urban area such as greening & renewable energy.The study is beneficial for who interested in the field of sustainable development, and it gives indicators such as (GDP) (gross domestic product) which help the Simi sustainable areas to be a more efficient with urban quality of life indicators.GDP is highly useful for measuring marketing production and providing an indicative snapshot of an economy at a given time, this research uses the descriptive analytical and statistical approach to identify a quality of life indicators through study the Interrelationships environmental, social, economic and physical elements applying on compacted Egyptian cities.Finally, to raise the value of benefit from the resources and sustainable development within the compacted residential areas to get the required indicators of quality of urban life and managed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-296
Author(s):  
Jee-Seon Yi

Purpose: As the world population ages, it becomes increasingly important to understand how various factors interact to contribute to older adults’ quality of life. This study aimed to identify the determinants that influence quality of life among women aged 75 years and above.Methods: The data were generated from the Korea National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES Ⅷ Year 1, 2019). This secondary analysis included 417 women aged 75 or older. The data were analyzed using several survey variables (socio-economic status, health habits, EuroQol-5D, etc.). The analyses were conducted using a general linear regression based on a complex sample design, and a decision tree analysis.Results: There were significant differences in the socio-economic status, health status and habits between participants who live in urban areas and those in rural areas. Data analysis determined that participants in rural areas had a significantly better quality of life (p=.034) than those in urban areas. The complex characteristics differed between residents in the different areas.Conclusion: This study indicates that the area in which older women live is an essential factor in accounting for health disparities, providing evidence for developing strategies to improve quality of life considering residential area.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 331-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Yu ◽  
Yinchao Lyu ◽  
Chun Chen ◽  
Charles L. Choguill

AbstractLand use change is the most prominent feature of Chinese urbanisation. In China, the expansion of land consumed for urban development is inevitable given the rapid increases in the urban economy and urban population, but also in meeting the population’s increasing demand for better quality of life. This paper is based on a research study of Wujiang district in Suzhou, which is considered representative of many of the rapid urbanisation areas within the nation. The objective is to develop an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of land use change and how this change contributes to environmental deterioration, as assessed by changes in the ecosystem service value (ESV). In this study, ESV is defined as the environmental products and functions provided for human well-being. Based on local planning documents, Landsat TM remote-sensing images and field surveys, the research analyses the cost to the environment when traditional land uses are transformed into urbanisation. The research demonstrates that conversion to urban land use which ignores the limit and capacity of the environment can generate significant environmental costs, as assessed by ESV, which in turn, can lead to a deterioration of quality of life for inhabitants, the exact opposite of the original intention. The research demonstrates that by mapping the spatial distribution of ecological service values, ESV can be used as a guide to urban sustainable development.


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