Assessment of the spatial configuration pattern in Tiruchirappalli city for energy studies through generative urban prototype models: A case for warm and humid climate

Urban heat islands (UHIs) are among important urban development issues in environmental and ecological climate changes. In this context, the urban spatial configuration is one of the factors that play a significant role in the formation of UHIs. This study investigates how urban spatial configuration affects land surface temperature (LST) and formation of UHI in Mashhad urban area, located in the northeast of Iran. The objectives of this study include (i) building quantitative relationships between LST and spatial configuration properties and (ii) representing the impacts of urban morphology on LST and climate changes. The methodology of this study is based on the space syntax and image processing theories and techniques. With respect to these two objectives, we (1) extracted the surface temperature (LST) by Landsat 7 ETM+ sensor image dated June 27, 2014, by ENVI 4.7 software, (2) provided an axial map of Mashhad city in Auto Cad 2007 environment, (3) analyzed spatial configuration by UCL Depthmap 10, and (4) employed transect model and gradient analysis and measured the measured the Pearson correlation coefficients and linear regression between LST and spatial configuration. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the two variables was found as R = − 0.394, which demonstrates that the LST is negatively correlated with integration. The results showed that land surfaces with high temperature are spatially segregated from the whole urban configuration and the integrated urban space has less temperature than other spaces.

As the urban development continues, different parts of a city can grow or decay by varying degrees due to natural deterioration or changes in governmental policies. City is the center for business, culture, and social activities; is the place that reflects geography, commerce, society, and culture context; is a complex whole that is woven by “people,” “activity,” and “space” “People” in the “space” can process “activities,” therefore, activities and space can influence each other. In this research, we aim to obtain insights on urban morphology by analyzing the changes in urban spaces’ “activity” patterns. We aim to explore the relationship between urban spatial configuration and functionality. Space syntax methodology is applied to investigate the urban spatial structure concurrently with the analytic hierarchy process method for evaluating experts’ survey responses to attain urban functionality index. Subsequently, the analytical data are compared and categorized to reveal the city districts’ spatial characteristics and their correlation. This research has proven that the analysis findings are consistent with the actual urban conditions, and thus affirms our analytical framework of having a creditable comprehension of the advantage and disadvantage of urban spatial integrations and its functionality. Therefore, our research methodology can be applied as an efficient preliminary evaluation tool for conceiving the merits of city districts. Based on the findings of our research, authorities will be able to discuss the urban development agendas in greater detail with higher efficiency.

The importance of easy wayfinding in complex urban settings has been recognized in spatial planning. Empirical measurement and explicit representation of wayfinding, however, have been limited in deciding spatial configurations. Our study proposed and tested an approach to improving wayfinding by incorporating spatial analysis of urban forms in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Great Bay Area in China. Wayfinding was measured by an indicator of intelligibility using spatial design network analysis. Urban spatial configurations were quantified using landscape metrics to describe the spatial layouts of local climate zones (LCZs) as standardized urban forms. The statistical analysis demonstrated the significant associations between urban spatial configurations and wayfinding. These findings suggested, to improve wayfinding, 1) dispersing LCZ 1 (compact high-rise) and LCZ 2 (compact mid-rise) and 2) agglomerating LCZ 3 (compact low-rise), LCZ 5 (open mid-rise), LCZ 6 (open low-rise), and LCZ 9 (sparsely built). To our knowledge, this study is the first to incorporate the LCZ classification system into the wayfinding field, clearly providing empirically-supported solutions for dispersing and agglomerating spatial configurations. Our findings also provide insights for human-centered spatial planning by spatial co-development at local, urban, and regional levels.

Households (HH) have been traditionally described as the main environments where people are at risk of dengue and other arbovirus infections. Mounting entomological evidence suggests a larger role for environments other than HH. Recently, an agent- based model (ABM) estimated that over half of infections occur in non-household (NH) environments such as workplaces, markets, and recreational sites. However, the influence of human and vector mobility and urban spatial configurations on the effects of NH on dengue transmission remains understudied. To address this gap, we expanded an ABM calibrated with field data from Kenya to examine movement of people and vectors under different spatial configurations of buildings. We assessed the number of people traveling between HH and NH and the distances traveled, in three urban configurations: NH distributed randomly (scattered), concentrated in a single center, or clustered in multiple centers. Across simulations, the number of people moving was the most influential variable, with higher movement between HH and NH increasing case numbers. The number of cases was also higher when NH were scattered. Intriguingly, the distance people traveled from HH to NH had little effect on dengue burden but influenced the spatial clustering of cases. These findings underscore the role of NH as major spreaders of infections between HH and NH environments, and the importance of human movement in driving dengue dynamics.

How does green coverage ratio and spaciousness affect self-reported performance and mood?

Urban spatial configuration and socio-economic residential differentiation: The case of Tel Aviv

The purpose of this study is to make clear the relation between Land Use Zoning Regulations and Green Coverage Ratio in Japanese urbanized city. It is probable that Land Use Zoning Regulations has an influence on Green Coverage Ratio for its restrictions to building form and use. However, this relation is not clear. For creating and protecting green area in urbanized city, it is important to consider the influence brought by land use zones. The study area was selected in Sakai City, Osaka, Japan. Green Coverage Ratios of past 3 terms in the study area were estimated by satellite remote sensing data (LANDSAT5-TM data), and its changes were analyzed statistically using GIS. The results of this study show that there are some tendencies of Estimated Green Coverage Ratio′s change in each land use zones. And this means the possibility to take control of Green Coverage Ratio in urbanized city and give supports to the establishment of the green area-related laws by Land Use Zoning Regulations.

Introduction: Many studies have discussed crime and the feeling of insecurity in the public space. These studies produce diverse findings from various variables and different objects. However, the urban spatial configuration is still left unexplored in the study of insecurity from crime in the public space. The purpose of this study is to discuss the position of urban spatial configuration elements on the feeling of insecurity from crime in the public space evidenced by international literature.Methods: This study uses a systematic review method by evaluating studies published between 1970 and 2021.Results and Discussion: The results of this study state that studies on crime and feeling of insecurity in public spaces in urban planning and urban design context mainly evaluated the design features (crime prevention through environmental design) and Socio-demographics at micro–meso scale in the built environment. In contrast, urban spatial configuration variable or macro scale still underexplored. Studies have shown that issues will occur if policy-making and planning in urban areas ignore individual perceptions of feeling insecure regarding crime at macro scale. The findings of this study become a research gap for further studies. This study suggests that more researchers should evaluate the feelings of insecurity from crime in public spaces on a macro scale, namely the urban spatial configuration dimension, including city size, development type, the distribution pattern of population and job, degree of clustering, and landscape connectivity.

Avifauna in urban matrix may be influenced by forests and farmlands surrounded by the matrix. How does the matrix in the city center with few forests and farmlands work for birds? The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of the green coverage ratio in the matrix of the city center on the birds appearing in small urban parks. We selected 29 urban parks ( area : 2561.21±371.97 ㎡ ) in the center of the Osaka City as study sites. Each site was visited three times for bird surveys in each of breeding and wintering seasons. Using the satellite images taken by Sentinel-2, we calculated the green coverage ratio around 29 urban parks. Moreover, we clarified the relationship between the appearing birds and the green coverage ratio in the matrix based on the hierarchical Bayesian model. As a result, the presence of large habitat patch in the urban matrix affected the appearance probability of some species. Furthermore, the result also showed that the green coverage ratio in the matrix during the wintering season influenced the probability of appearance of Hypsipetes amaurotis and Turdus pallidus which have features about eating fruits.

Due to changing precipitation patterns induced by climate change, urban planners are confronted with new challenges to effectively mitigate rainfall runoff. An important knowledge gap that needs to be addressed before tackling these challenges is how and to which extent street/drainage grid density and spatial land use configuration influence the amount of runoff. Therefore, a virtual experiment was conducted to assess the influence of grid density and spatial land use configuration on the functional runoff connectivity (Fc), which is a measure of the easiness by which water flows through the landscape. Through the use of a design of experiments approach in combination with the SCS—Curve Number runoff model, a wide variety of neutral landscape models with a fixed percentage of pervious- and impervious cover were generated that maximized the variance of Fc. Correlations between landscape metrics and neutral landscape models were calculated. Our results indicated that, out of the 17 landscape metrics tested, the average impervious cluster area, the number of impervious clusters, the standard deviation of the cluster size, two proximity indexes and the effective impervious area were strongly correlated with Fc throughout all grid scenarios. The relationship between Fc on the one hand and the average impervious cluster area and the effective impervious area on the other hand, was modelled. The average impervious cluster area models showed a relationship with Fc that closely approximated a logarithmic function (R2: 0.49–0.73), while the effective impervious area models were found to have a linear relationship with Fc (R2: 0.63–0.99). A dense grid was shown to cause a strong increase in Fc, demonstrating the effectiveness of an urban grid in channeling and removing runoff. Our results further indicate that fine-grained landscapes with a lot of small impervious clusters are preferred over course-grained landscapes when the goal is to reduce Fc. In highly urbanized landscapes, where the percentage of impervious area is high, small changes in landscape pattern could significantly reduce Fc. By using a downward hydrological modeling approach this research aims to bring more clarity to the underlying variables influencing Fc, rather than trying to generate realistic prediction values.

The global phenomenon of climate change has urged countries to take action and measures toward a more sustainable and green approach. Malaysia is one of the countries that is now slowly making its steps towards more sustainable development with a greener approach. Encouraging active transportation and providing a sufficient pedestrian environment can help reduce dependency on vehicles, further improving the environment in a sustainable manner. This research intends to study pedestrian behaviour in two different cities, Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur, focusing on a smaller context of streets. The objectives of this study are, firstly, to study the correlation between urban spatial configuration and pedestrian behaviour. Secondly, to study the relationship between physical attributes of street space and pedestrian behaviour. Thirdly, to propose recommendations that encourage foot mobility in the research area. This research employed a mixed-method approach. The quantitative data is presented using the global (Rn) and local integration (R3) values using axial line analysis, whereas the qualitative data is used to collect Social variables represented as Necessary, Optional and Resultant (N, O, R) for pedestrian behaviour and Social-Physical variables represented as Street Element, Building Element and Landuse Element (SE, BE, LE) for physical environment. The results are then presented using descriptive analysis and behavioural mapping from direct observation based on these variables. The main findings of this research paper conclude three main findings. First, the analysis of spatial configuration using the axial lines map showed that the R3 value is higher for Kasturi Walk, predicting it as a highly accessible street to pedestrians. Second, the spatial configuration and pedestrians do have a highly significant correlation with a p-value of 0.003. Third, SE, BE, and LE are the main factors that drive the behaviour of static and dynamic pedestrian activities. As a conclusion, this study uncovered the factors influencing pedestrian behaviour in Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur. It is fundamental that further research needs to be done with a larger sample size with more streets to establish a stronger understanding and importance of this study. This study is useful for local authorities and policymakers to improve placemaking strategies and urban design as well as establish more pedestrianised streets.

Urban planning indicators, morphology and climate indicators: A case study for a north-south transect of Beijing, China

In the context of global climate change and rapid urbanization, integrating urban blue-green infrastructure into the built environment is essential for mitigating the urban heat island effect and enhancing climate resilience. Focusing on urban riparian corridors as vital natural cooling systems, this study aims to: (1) quantify their cooling performance in terms of intensity and distance; (2) identify the key landscape drivers and their relative importance; (3) uncover nonlinear relationships and determine ecological thresholds for optimal thermal regulation; and (4) translate these findings into science-based guidelines for climate-adaptive design and sustainable management. Taking 27 representative riparian green spaces in Zhengzhou, China (average area: 17,539 m2, range: 10,027–42,690 m2) as a case study, nine key factors characterizing vegetation structure and composition, corridor morphology, and blue-green spatial pattern were used as predictors in a Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) model to analyze their contributions and marginal-effect thresholds. Results show that these corridors provide substantial cooling, with an average intensity of 5.43 °C extending over 215.56 m. Canopy Density, 3D Green Volume per Unit Area, and Green Cover Ratio emerged as the three core drivers, jointly explaining >86% of the cooling performance. The key innovation lies in identifying explicit, design-oriented ecological thresholds—for example, cooling efficacy stabilizes when Green Cover Ratio reaches ~77%, Canopy Density attains 0.7, and the Blue-Green Space Width Ratio approaches 1:1. These thresholds can be directly translated into performance benchmarks for sustainable urban planning and landscape engineering, providing evidence-based parameters for optimizing vegetation structure and spatial configuration. This study demonstrates that applying quantified ecological thresholds can transform riparian corridors into efficient climate-resilient infrastructure, thereby synergistically improving thermal comfort, enhancing ecosystem services, and promoting sustainable land use in urban environments.

The described study aims to find correlations between urban spatial configurations and human emotions. To this end, the authors measured people's emotions while they walk along a path in an urban area using an instrument that measures skin conductance and skin temperature. The corresponding locations of the test persons were measured recorded by using a GPS-tracker (n=13). The results are interpreted and categorized as measures for positive and negative emotional arousal. To evaluate the technical and methodological process. The test results offer initial evidence that certain spaces or spatial sequences do cause positive or negative emotional arousal while others are relatively neutral. To achieve the goal of the study, the outcome was used as a basis for the study of testing correlations between people's emotional responses and urban spatial configurations represented by Isovist properties of the urban form. By using their model the authors can explain negative emotional arousal for certain places, but they couldn't find a model to predict emotional responses for individual spatial configurations.

Yusheng Gu, Lian Tang, Wowo DingSchool of Architecture & Urban Planning, Nanjing University, No.22 Hankou Rd, Jiangsu 210093, P.R.ChinaE-mail: guyushengnju@163.com, tanglian@nju.edu.cn, dww@nju.edu.cnTel: +86 13951786797; +86 25 8359 7205Key words: Spatial Configuration, Building Pattern, Plot Pattern, Plot Boundary Line The geometric characteristics of modern cities have been difficult to describe that is important for urban design, which deserve to be further interpreted. Taking advantage of Conzen’s methodology, the building is tightly related with its plot, which means the certain building pattern can be described by examining the generation of the building arrangement within the plot. Simultaneously, the building pattern is highly affected by the plot pattern it is located. In view of these, plot patterns together with land property and site coding could be taken as the clue for understanding both building patterns and urban spatial configuration. 35 commercial blocks in Nanjing downtown areas are chosen as research samples. Firstly, the internal structure of the blocks will be studied by analyzing the patterns, functions and land utilities of its plots. Focusing on the site coding and regulation, the building arrangement could be clarified and mapped. The results will identify the urban spatial patterns in downtown of Nanjing by mapping the characteristics of plot size, shape, properties and boundary lines. Therefore, the method on describing urban spatial configuration in modern cities could be developed. References(70 words) Conzen, M.R.G.(1960) “Alnwick, Northumberland: A Study in Town Plan Analysis" , Institute of British Geographers. Conzen, Michael P. (2004) Thinking about urban form : papers on urban morphology, Peter Lang Publishing. Dongxue Wang(2016) The relationship between the space of block and the plot boundary-based on a general survey in Nanjing, Master's thesis of Nanjing University. Jingjing Jiang(2015)Commercial plots and building patterns analysis-based on a general survey in Nanjing, Master's thesis of Nanjing University.