Areas Of Large Cities Research Articles

Assessment of Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) Using SatelliteDerived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Land Surface Temperature (LST) in Three Metropolitan Cities of Nepal

Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) are urban areas that are relatively warmer than nearby rural areas due to the presence of infrastructures, such as buildings, roads, and associated development. This study explored the UHIs in Nepal's three largest metropolitan cities, i.e., Pokhara, Bharatpur, and Nepalgunj. Using freely available data, we explored LST dynamics between 2000 and 2019 and how changes in NDVI affect LST and their relationship with UHI. We used the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 8-day product (MOD11A2) to evaluate LST and the MODIS-derived NDVI 16-day product (MOD13Q1) to quantify land surface characteristics. Using a simple linear regression technique, we explored the relationship between LST and NDVI. The results indicated that LSTs for the urban areas are consistently greater than LSTs for the nearby rural areas, and an inverse relation between LST and NDVI was obtained. The results from Pokhara and Bharatpur showed that increasing LST resulting from declining NDVI is responsible for UHIs. However, the results from Nepalgunj suggested that factors other than NDVI are responsible for variation in LST. These results indicate a need for systematic mapping, planning, and managing open and green areas in large cities. This research also highlights the scope of applying UHI conceptual models to rapidly developing urban areas in different locations of Nepal for better planning and management of open spaces.

Influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the chemical composition of shallow groundwater in the city of Wrocław, south-west Poland

Seen in the light of increasing anthropogenic impacts on the environment and a growing demand for potable water, pollution of groundwater is a very important issue, especially in large city areas. The present research includes analyses of the chemical composition at 109 measuring points in the Wrocław area, and of the spatial distribution of groundwater components with regard to land use, geological structure and hydrogeological conditions. Based on spatial analyses, it has been noted that changes depend mainly on land use and the kind of activity carried out in close proximity of water intake. Shallow groundwater in Wrocław is characterised by a great variability of main components. Factor analysis has made it possible to distinguish these components and determine the degree of their influence on the chemical composition of shallow groundwater in the entire study area. The current research demonstrates the high sensitivity of aquifers to pollution and emphasises the role of human activity in levels of groundwater pollution in urban areas.

Features of recreation land use and settlement of suburban areas of large cities

The article highlights theoretical and practical issues of agricultural land use in Ukraine and examines foreign experience. An in-depth scientific analysis of international and domestic literature has been carried out. On this basis the main patterns and trends of land use development, the main factors and consequences of suburbanization, the basics of developing the Concept of state regional policy, the world experience of land lease and the stages of land relations reform in Ukraine have been identified. The main factors influencing suburbanization and the use of suburban territories are considered. The necessity of delimiting suburban areas and developing a project of inter-farm land use, which should take into account the peculiarities of geographical location and socio-economic consequences, environmental factor, is noted. The analysis of statistical data on the use of land areas of Ukraine is carried out. Tasks have been identified, the implementation of which will contribute to the development of socio-economic conditions of settlements in the suburban area. It is indicated the need to conduct land use taking into account environmental requirements, compliance with the rules of environmental protection, land resources. The use of land resources of different countries is investigated. The analysis of the efficiency of land use and methods of farming in developed countries is carried out. Aspects of agricultural production support are considered: The regulatory mechanism in different countries is characterized by a variety of financial and economic instruments that change in accordance with the political and economic situation. The state policy of Ukraine regarding land use and the main provisions of agribusiness support are investigated. The necessity of developing methodological provisions for the implementation of land ownership rights is noted. It is pointed out the importance of ensuring the equivalence of exchange at all stages of the movement of the created value from the field to the final consumer.

Solar energy at the peri-urban frontier: An energy justice study of urban peripheries from Burkina Faso and South Africa

Most of the global population that lack access to electricity services live in sub-Saharan Africa. Peri-urban areas of large African cities, often characterized by the presence of informal settlements, exist in a kind of ‘scalar limbo,’ unable to benefit from either access to the city grid or from programs aimed at the electrification of rural areas. In addition, in those areas where lack of electricity access is common, energy poverty combined with proximity to the grid leads to a greater likelihood of illegal energy supply arrangements. In this fieldwork-based study, conducted through population surveys and interviews in the peripheries of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and Cape Town, South Africa, we employ a hybrid theoretical framework, based on work in urban political ecology and energy justice, to analyze the situation of electricity access in the two areas. We find that the planned scale, scope, and technological design of solar energy projects in peripheral areas are crucial in determining whether and how a project will be beneficial for local communities. This study provides guidance beyond academia to national and international policymakers and executives of renewable energy companies, as well as tools for a more in-depth assessment of energy justice issues.

The Association Between Living Area in Childhood and Respiratory Disease Mortality in Adulthood.

Objective: No studies have examined the association between characteristics of urban areas and future respiratory disease mortality. We examined whether the type of living area during childhood was associated with all-cause and respiratory disease mortality in adulthood. Methods: A total of 81,413 Japanese participants aged 40–79 years old completed a lifestyle questionnaire including the type of childhood living areas. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to calculate the multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause and respiratory disease mortality. Results: Living in large city areas in childhood was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality [HR = 1.05 (95% CI, 1.01–1.10)], but not with respiratory disease mortality [HR = 1.04 (95% CI, 0.92–1.18)] compared to rural and remote areas. The excess risk of all-cause and respiratory disease mortality was primarily found in industrial areas among men; the respective multivariable HRs were 1.28 (95% CI, 1.00–1.64) and 1.90 (95% CI: 1.10–3.29). Conclusion: Eliminating childhood health hazards associated with living in industrial areas suggested to reduce the risk of mortality from respiratory diseases in adulthood.

Identification and evolution of territorial space from the perspective of composite functions

At present, China is in a stage of unbalanced and insufficient development, in which territorial space with distinctive dominant functions, regional coordination, and reasonable layout, is an important guarantee for the healthy and sustainable development of the national economy and society. However, under the Chinese territorial spatial planning system, the spatio-temporal evolution of spatial multi-functionality has not received much attention, especially in urban agglomerations, which restricts the optimization of territorial space development and protection patterns. Therefore, analysis of the quality, structure and spatio-temporal evolution process of territorial space functions (TSFs). Based on the construction of a theoretical framework of territorial space composite functions, revised night-time light index, agricultural production index, and habitat quality were used to respectively characterize the quality of urban-agricultural-ecological space. Additionally, a coupling coordination degree model and spatial overlay analysis were used to measure the composite level of TSFs, to describe their spatio-temporal evolution characteristics comprehensively, and to summarize the composite mode of TSFs in urban agglomerations. The results demonstrate that from 2000 to 2020, the TSFs center of gravity in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was in Beijing and Langfang, and the development direction of urban and agricultural space was opposite to that of ecological space. The TSFs composite level demonstrated an overall upward trend, and the level of coupling coordination degree was characterized by a circling spatial evolution from low to high and back to low, along the edge towns, to suburban areas of large cities, to central urban areas of large cities. Overall, urban development and agricultural production functions were strengthened while ecological maintenance function was weakened. The spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of the 27 TSFs composite types were portrayed, indicating that the TSFs had conflicting performance for their scale and composite features for their function, and that the territorial space composite function (TSCF) mainly appeared in suburban areas under the influence of multiple factors. The findings demonstrate a new approach to diagnose TSCF and analyze its spatio-temporal evolution, which can provide a reference for the planning and management of territorial space in urban agglomerations.

Spatiotemporal Pattern Analysis of Land Use Functions in Contiguous Coastal Cities Based on Long-Term Time Series Remote Sensing Data: A Case Study of Bohai Sea Region, China

The long-term accumulated remote sensing data and the emerging cloud-based geospatial processing platform Google Earth Engine (GEE) enable the mining of the spatiotemporal pattern of land-use (LU) functional changes in the contiguous area of large coastal cities. This study proposes a spatiotemporal pattern mining technique for land use function in a large area, which consists of two parts: (1) long-term time series land cover mapping based on the random forest (RF) classification algorithm in the GEE platform and a pixel-by-pixel temporal consistency correction, and (2) spatiotemporal pattern mining based on the constructed spatial temporal cubes (STCs). Specifically, for each LU functional series, we constructed the STC and applied change point detection, time series clustering, and emerging hot spot analysis to mine the spatiotemporal change patterns of LU functions. The study shows that (1) the construction land in the Bohai Sea region from 1990 to 2020 expanded significantly, with the development intensity increasing from 2.08% to 9.77%, having formed a contiguous area of large cities; at the same time, the arable land area decreased significantly, from 57.94% to 47.83%; (2) the emerged construction land experienced three periods: fluctuation, rise, and decline, with 2004 and 2014 being the change points during the period; and (3), the spatial and temporal pattern of the expansion of construction land shows a spatial gradient change in the scale and rate of expansion along the central cities and major axes. This study demonstrates the potential of using long-term time series remote sensing data towards cognizing the generation mechanisms of contiguous coastal big cities.

Transformation of the Rural Settlement Network in the Carpathian Region of Ukraine (1989–2020)

Abstract The article describes research on the Transformation of the Rural Settlement Network in the Carpathian Region of Ukraine in recent decades. The study area covers the Carpathian region of Ukraine, which has the highest share of rural population in the country. The 1989–2020 period was chosen. Quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis of statistical indicators, deductive and inductive methods, and cartographic method were used. The demographic crisis and economic problems of Ukraine did not stop the most important demographic and settlement processes that began in rural settlements of the Carpathian region during the Soviet period. These processes acquired the special features associated with political transition. Depopulation was greatest in the most urbanized Lviv Oblast, especially in the plains, in peripheral villages, where a critical level of negative demographic change had previously been achieved. However, the disappeared villages are few. Population growth in villages in suburban areas of large cities has not stopped. In sparsely urbanized areas, mostly in Transcarpathia and Precarpathia, a large group of villages that have also not been depopulated has emerged. Their development was facilitated by the availability of recreational and forest resources, border location, state support for mountain villages, and some local factors. The real situation in rural Ukraine is partly obscured by imperfect official statistics. In particular, it is difficult to establish population losses due to labor migration abroad.

TRENDS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT OF COASTAL TERRITORIES OF LARGE CITIES

Modern tendencies in architectural and landscape design of coastal territories of large and significant cities of the world are considered. The functional zoning of coastal areas of large cities in historical development is analyzed. The basic principles of revitalization of coastal areas in the formation of new watersheds are outlined. The directions of the planning organization of building of coastal territories of cities are established. For each city located near water bodies, the connection with them determined the historical development of the city, structure and architectural appearance, cultural traditions and way of life, typology and status of urban spaces. Today the problems of ecology, quality of the urban environment, optimization of infrastructure, balanced development of territories come to the fore. The study of the functional and planning structure of the coast of major cities of the world has identified the main urban features of coastal development. On the examples of implemented design solutions, an analysis of the volumetric and functional solution of the studied territories was carried out. Traced modern architectural trends, the latest trends in the world of innovative building technologies used in the reconstruction, revitalization and construction of embankments. As the analysis of world practice shows, today the urban type of coastal territories as a whole dominates. This is due to the loss in the process of urban development of the natural properties of the landscape in its natural state, and the need to take into account a number of factors of the architectural environment. Some facilities are places of mass use and their uneven placement in the coastal area is the cause of seasonal traffic and pedestrian traffic. Some principles are formed at the conclusion.

Magnet mobility myths: exploring geographical mobility amongst people experiencing, or at-risk of, homelessness in Australia

It is often assumed that people experiencing homelessness gravitate to large cities and central city areas because of the concentration of homelessness services — a so-called magnet or honeypot effect. Yet little is actually known about how people experiencing homelessness move across space over time. This article explores this geography by comparing the mobility of those experiencing homelessness, those ‘at-risk’, and those renting privately in Australia, between waves in two Australian panel surveys: Journeys Home and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA). Results suggest that while people experiencing homelessness are more likely to move than the other two groups, they more similarly short distances and appear more likely to move for reasons such as relationship breakdown, eviction and to escape violence. While some evidence of movement to areas with particular characteristics (sorting) was detected amongst those at-risk and those renting privately, this was not the case for those experiencing homelessness. Results do not support the contention that people experiencing homelessness gravitate to central urban areas well-resourced with homelessness services over time. The findings challenge assumptions about magnet effects and homelessness and have important implications for the provision and delivery of homelessness services in Australia and beyond.

Non-catalytic and catalytic pyrolysis of citrus waste (orange peel)

ABSTRACT The development of industries requires energy sources. Therefore, the requirement for alternative renewal energy sources increases. They are solar, wind, wave, geothermal, and biomass. For the generation of energy from these sources, we apply thermochemical and biochemical methods. Amidst all the thermochemical origins, pyrolysis is advancing attention due to its ability to produce solid, liquid, and gaseous products. This article represents the non-catalytic and catalytic pyrolysis (573 -1173K) experiments conducted in a semi-batch reactor and TGA set up for citrus wastes (orange peel) collected from the local fruit juice seller outlet. The effect of catalysts observed and concluded that the presence of catalysts increases the yield of pyro-oil (30.79 wt.%→ 49.45 wt.%) with ZnO nanocatalyst to be the best performing catalyst. Reaction kinetics were also determined using isothermal and non-isothermal methods. The pH values of the pyro-oil investigated and observed that citrus waste pyro-oil is acidic, but the presence of catalyst makes it basic. The GC analysis of the pyro-gas infers that the gas contains CO and H2, which can be used as an energy source and feedstock for the Fischer–Tropsch process. Therefore, the utility of this type of pyrolyser is done in municipal areas of large cities.

Creation of an innovative robot with a gripper for moving plant microshoots from the in vitro transport tank to the working tank with soil ground at the stage of their adaptation in soil ground during microclonal reproduction

The industrial development of cities is the main cause of the destruction and degradation of natural resources around the world. Urbanization negatively affects the species composition of plants, the atmosphere and soil cover of areas of populated areas of large cities of the World. Tree plantations are the main mechanism for stabilizing the ecological situation in large cities and arid territories of the countries of the World. In this regard, in order to obtain a large number of genetically identical plants using their micropropagation, it is necessary to automate the main stages of this technological process. The result of the study is the creation of an adaptive phalanx gripper of a robotic complex for automating the technological process of handling operations. That will have a positive effect on solving the urgent problem of planting greenery in large cities and areas of arid territories not only in the Republic of Kazakhstan, but also in other countries of the World and represents a fundamentally new approach to solving the environmental problems of the Earth. The article substantiates various options for structural-kinematic schemes of the robot gripper, taking into account the stochastic conditions of its interaction with the overloaded object. Mathematical methods have been created for the selection and justification of the geometric, structural-kinematic and dynamic parameters of grippers for overloading plant microshoots and their computer 3D models. Software has been developed for modeling the functioning of a remotely controlled physical prototype of a mobile robot with an adaptive gripper for reloading microshoots from a transport tank to a cargo tank.

Study on disaster prevention system in key areas of urban forest park with multi-factor coupling-- Chengdu Longquan Mountain as an example

Urban forest parks are major ecological sites in the suburban areas of large cities with good forest vegetation and forest ecological environment, providing people with recreation, tourism, fitness and other suburban activities, and are an important component of the urban landscape system. The spatial density and development intensity of people, facilities and places in the park are higher than those in general forest areas, and the risk of forest disasters is high. To effectively prevent the occurrence of forest disasters and ensure the safety of touring, this paper takes Chengdu Longquan Mountain Forest Park as an example, and divides the key areas of the forest park into high risk areas, medium risk areas and low risk areas through coupled analysis of forest fire risk factors, forest pest risk factors and geological disaster risk factors, and builds a system of prevention, prevention, resistance and rescue for different risk levels. The system is a combination of prevention, resistance and rescue, with points leading to lines, and lines leading to surfaces, forming a disaster prevention system that combines “points, lines and surfaces”, with human, physical, technical and institutional prevention complementing each other, providing a model for reducing the risk of disasters and ensuring the health and safety of forest parks.

Immigrants' spatial concentration: Region or locality attractiveness?

AbstractThe spatial concentration of immigrants across and within European countries is highly heterogeneous, tending to reinforce the internal spatial disparities within EU Member States and regions. Although European regional data show that the highest levels of foreign‐born population concentration correspond to those NUTS2 regions that contain a large city or metropolitan area, there are other place‐based determinants that might explain their attractiveness to immigrants. Using a comprehensive database at NUTS2 (regional) and LAU2 (local) levels for three large European countries in terms of immigrant population (Italy, Spain, and France), comparable results show how the relevance of these determinants depends on the country under analysis and the spatial unit chosen. This provides challenges for the design of a common future European policy addressing the unresolved demographic issues. Understanding the main regional and local factors of attraction to foreign‐born population within countries is crucial to explain the present spatial concentration patterns and anticipate future migration flows, especially in a context where immigrants are the fastest‐growing population group in those European countries. Nevertheless, there might be a trade‐off between the foreign‐born population alleviating the territorial ageing and depopulation issues and the search for spatial justice.

A study on the characteristics of landscape management by area management organization in the core area of large cities

A study on the characteristics of landscape management by area management organization in the core area of large cities

민간공원특례사업의 추진에 따른 사업특성에 관한 연구†

This study was conducted to examine and analyze local governments, park status, project characteristics, and the implementation in detail for private park special projects across the country as a means of responding to the sunsetting of urban parks. As a result of the analysis, first, the private park special project, was found to be mainly implemented in cities with a population of more than 100,000, so there was a limit to the application on military installations or in local small cities. Therefore, rather than applying the special system collectively, it was judged that institutional flexibility, considering the characteristics and size of local government, was needed. Second, the current special projects by the park creation donation collection method shows monotonous development centered on apartment houses, so it is necessary to diversify the development by introducing a park preservation method that purchases and donates park sites. Third, it was found that the area standard needs to be eased to less than 50,000㎡ to include parks with high utilization and good accessibility in urban areas of large cities, as the type and area of parks are limited. Fourth, most special projects are mountain parks, which are feared to damage the natural terrain and skyline, so separate ordinances should be established and applied, and development approaches should be made to allow nature and parks to coexist with the setting of detailed building guidelines for each type of facility. The guidelines should include, first, after the nationwide private park special projects are completed, standards for appropriate returns for similar projects should be established, institutional standards such as the recovery of excess profits should be established, and environmental reviews should be conducted. Second, it was found that local governments should institutionalize the composition of private consultations to promote the efficient management of projects through a cooperative system, and third, a roadmap for maintenance after the donation of special parks should be established.

Migrant residential concentrations and socio-economic disadvantage in two Australian gateway cities

This article explores the relationship of residential concentrations of non-Anglophone migrants with socio-economic disadvantage at the suburb (SA2) level. We look at two main Australian gateway cities, Sydney and Melbourne. We use the ‘person-counts’ of the latest available (2016) Australian Census data, matching them with the socio-economic data provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics ‘socio-economic indexes for areas’ (SEIFA). Our analysis shows that despite decades of careful filtering of migrants for skills and language, socio-economic disadvantage in migrant concentrations persists in the main gateway cities, being more pronounced in Melbourne than in Sydney. The article employs an original quantitative analysis in order to advance the understanding of relationship between ethnicity, socio-economic position and residential location. We seek to contribute to the ongoing scholarly and policy debate about migrant concentration areas in large immigrant-receiving cities.

Analysis of the Noise Pollution in the Bielański Forest NATURA 2000 Area in Light of Existing Avifauna (Warsaw, Poland)

There is no doubt that the NATURA 2000 network has been one of the most relevant tools for nature protection. However, the designated areas within the borders of large cities are subjected to many threats. Traffic noise takes on a very important role in this subject, posing the question of whether NATURA 2000 areas should be located in urban areas strongly affected by noise pollution. This particular topic was exposed and analysed at Bielański Forest NATURA 2000 (PLH140041), located in northern Warsaw, where changes in noise distribution for the years 2007–2017 were examined and described by two types of indicators (Lden and Lnight). The data sources used for the analysis were city road noise maps for 2007, 2012 and 2017. Additionally, sound intensity measurements were taken in two separate groups of hot-spots. The first of these comprised locations determined based on an inventory of avifauna; they represented different habitat types, and were characterized by the highest bird activity. The second group of hot-spots consisted of those designated along roads in order to identify the main sources of traffic noise. The obtained results confirmed the high noise-absorbing ability of the existing vegetation. The avifauna surveys covered 19 forest bird species. Five of them were considered to be the most valuable and rare elements of the local avifauna, whereas 14 appeared to be key species for the functioning of biocenosis and, at the same time, determine the uniqueness of the ecosystem. The study showed that the type of habitat rather than differences in noise levels determines the distribution and abundance of key species. Therefore, there is a necessity to focus on actions that guarantee the maintenance of the existing status in order to counteract habitat deterioration. The investigation confirmed the feasibility of creating these kinds of natural protected areas in large cities, despite their exposure to noise pollution.

Poorly designed deliberation: explaining the banlieues’ non-involvement in the Great Debate

In 2019, the French Government organized a wide public consultation named the Great Debate. Promoted as a deliberative practice that could bring together various segments of society, it was characterized by feeble involvement of the people living in the banlieues – densely populated, economically marginalized, socially deprived and ethno-culturally different peripheral areas of large cities. This article aims to explain the reasons for which people in the banlieues of Paris did not participate in the Great Debate. Drawing on in-depth interviews and one focus group conducted in the spring of 2019, we distinguish between four main causes of non-participation: the re-legitimation function of the debate, its lack of inclusiveness, mismatch of demands, and format of the deliberative setting.

Increased vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection among indigenous people living in the urban area of Manaus

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens indigenous peoples living in suburban areas of large Brazilian cities and has thus far intensified their pre-existing socio-economic inequalities. We evaluated the epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 infection among residents of the biggest urban multiethnic indigenous community of the Amazonas state, Brazil. Blood samples of 280 indigenous people living in the surrounding area of Manaus were tested for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA or IgG antibodies. The risk factors and sociodemographic information were assessed through an epidemiological questionnaire. We found a total positivity rate of 64.64% (95% CI 59.01–70.28) for SARS-CoV-2 infection. IgA and IgG were detected in 55.71% (95% CI 49.89–61.54) and 60.71% (95% CI 54.98–66.45) of the individuals, respectively. Over 80% of positive individuals were positive for both IgA and IgG.No significant difference in positivity rates between genders or age groups was observed. Moreover, the age group ≥ 60 years old showed the highest antibody ratios (IgA mean ratio = 3.080 ± 1.623; IgG mean ratio = 4.221 ± 1.832), while the age groups 13–19 and 20–29 showed the lowest IgA (mean ratio = 2.268 ± 0.919) and IgG ratios (mean ratio = 2.207 ± 1.246), respectively. Individuals leaving the home more frequently were at higher risk of infection (Odds ratio (OD) 2.61; 95% CI 1.00–1.49; p = 0.048). Five or more individuals per household increased fivefold the risk of virus transmission (OR 2.56; 95% CI 1.09–6.01; p = 0.019). The disproportionate dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 infection observed among the study population might be driven by typical cultural behavior and socioeconomic inequalities. Despite the pandemic threat, this population is not being targeted by public policies and appears to be chronically invisible to the Brazilian authorities.