Contemporary City Research Articles

La riqualificazione dei margini urbani per la vivibilità locale e la riconnessione delle reti

Urban fringes are strategic resources for contemporary cities. They contain uncertain spatialities which could host significant open space enhancements through design actions aimed at climate adaptation and mitigation, to improve local livability and reconnect cross-scalar networks. They are places of multiple relations where different conditions – natural and agricultural green spaces and corridors, infrastructural networks with nodes and connections, decentralized historical and rural fabrics, slow mobility networks, marginal areas, abandoned spaces and leftovers – come together. This section collects papers and design experiments which investigate fringe renewal in relation to various spatial elements: architecture, abandoned spaces, open spaces, green areas and forestation.

Materials for a debate on the 15-minute city: Public transportation’s effect on urban space and time in two Asia-based alternative proposals

ABSTRACT This work aims to encourage a debate about Carlos Moreno’s “15-minute city” – a recent, popular concept to make contemporary cities more livable by decentralizing the urban environment into self-sufficient, walkable units. After reviewing the principles of Moreno’s idea and its current criticism, this paper illustrates two projects, Woven City (Japan) and Gwangmyeong New Town (Korea), that start from the “15-minute city” intentions; nonetheless, arrive at opposite conclusions. These proposals focus on transport – a central element in Moreno’s model, paradoxically, due to its absence – as the key issue to realizing a sustainable urban environment while preserving the notion of a city as a vast, complex and centralized organism. Both projects rethink public transportation to address the social problem of the time wasted on transferring, a crucial concern of the 15-minute city. Woven aims at minimizing this time through futuristic infrastructures, while Gwangmyeong makes transportation time “usable,” allowing people to carry out activities while transferring. These projects’ results are yet to be tested. Nevertheless, by illustrating these proposals, this study shows how alternative options are possible for the realization of a sustainable modern city.

Environmental Urban Morphology: A Multidisciplinary Methodology for the Analysis of Public Spaces in Dense Urban Fabrics

A city is an organism made of social, economic, cultural, and environmental fabrics, the interactions of which determine the form and functioning of city life. Different disciplines are then involved in analyzing the complex processes of the 21st-century city. The aim of this study was to explore the use of an analytical method that can act as a catalyst for the main players involved in the environmental urban morphology (EUM). This multidisciplinary methodology focuses on the study of public space in dense urban fabrics as a key context for understanding a city. Operationally, the work shows the potential of integrating morphological analysis, pedestrian flow analysis, and environmental analysis and applying them in dense and compact urban fabrics. The first of these analyses methods was carried out using urban survey tools and the geographic information system (GIS) in order to detect the physical forms of the city and develop a number of morphological maps. The second, using the global positioning system (GPS) and on-site detectors, maps pedestrian movement within public spaces. The latter mainly focuses on the microclimatic analysis of public spaces and outdoor comfort, carried out using environmental software such as ENVI-met (4.4 version). The ultimate goal of this study was to achieve the definition of a dynamic, multidisciplinary, and multilayer methodology for the analysis of dense urban fabrics which we believe could be very useful for addressing the regenerative processes of the contemporary city.

Designing bodies. Body-based art practices as a methodological challenge for a performative urbanism

This paper starts from a critique of the anaesthetisation of contemporary cities, seen as an effect, in the town planning field, of the role scientific rationality assigns to the body in the Western culture. Feminist research is used as an epistemological filter useful to the urban planner in order to assume a critical posture towards the dominant order of knowledge. This posture is expressed in the emphasis placed on the body and to sensory experience in interpreting reality, as well as in the attention paid to qualitative analysis that can foster the use of creative methods also in urban studies. Claiming the centrality of corporality in the experience of spaces, as opposed to the marginality it holds in urban analysis and design models, the article advocates for the use of artistic-performative practices as a valid methodological channel to make traditional approaches sensitive to the understanding and transformation of places. The hypothesis is that body-based artistic experiences, included in territorial design processes, can contribute to re-signifying places and provide design reflections in the perspective of a ‘performative urbanism’. These hypotheses are investigated through an experience of co-designing and co-construction promoted in Palermo by the Eco-museum “Mare Memoria Viva”, in which methods from the performing arts were used.

READING THE PAST: ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF PREVALENT PANDEMICS ON CITIES

Throughout history, dozens of epidemics have appeared cyclically, often causing devastating effects. Some of them, such as plague, cholera, and tuberculosis, have led to significant social, economic, and political consequences, with evident repercussions on cities and architecture. In this regard, urban planning has played an essential role in improving life expectancy and limiting the spread of epidemics. This work aims to study the influence of prevalent pandemics on architecture and urbanism over the centuries to comprehend their response and adaption to new health and social requirements. Through a process of investigation and in-depth examination of the literature review, it has been possible to understand the impact of pandemics in cities. The appearance of the first preventive measures during the plague period, the urban interventions to combat the cholera outbreak, and the neat architectural features adopted following the appearance of tuberculosis are witnesses to this process. Professionals and academics are reflecting on the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, which will affect the practice of architecture and urban design. Thanks to the results obtained, it will be possible to reflect on the impact of the pandemic on contemporary cities, understand their potential resilience and hypothesise future strategies.

Walkability and colonialism: The divergent impact of colonial planning practices on spatial segregation in East Africa

Colonialism's lasting impact on contemporary African cities has been firmly established – yet the ways in which colonial planning practices affected walkability, in particular urban permeability in contemporary morphologies, have been largely unexplored. High urban permeability supports livelihoods, particularly for the urban poor, and is needed for a transition towards more walkable cities. Through the mapping of three cities in East Africa, this paper demonstrates that cities in which indigenous planning practices were able to resist colonial planning practices, the emergent urban form has smaller urban blocks and higher urban permeability. As existing policy measures on walkability largely avert improvement of urban permeability, this study suggest a reassessment of those policies.

The Role of Historical Data Regarding Water Infrastructure in the Spatial Development of the Nieuwmarkt Area, Amsterdam

Historical information is an important resource for designing and sustainably developing contemporary cities, notably ones such as Amsterdam that have long histories. The historical information is embedded in physical places and structures as well as practices; it is also found in plans and texts that are held in multiple archives. It can be difficult to connect information about the past -- e.g., building materials, construction technologies, plans and proposals -- to contemporary needs and themes. Access to archives is not standardized, the material is not always digitized and it is not compatible with contemporary information systems, such as BIM and GIS. Information that has been organized in the past according to the criteria and values of the past does not always relate to current systems: think of historic handwritten documents, maps or drawings that are geolocalized, historical street names or terminologies. More attention is needed to effectively link historical data to sustainable development, while protecting the heritage of our historic cities. Doing this work is crucial: the information of today is the heritage of the future.

Energy-efficient routing protocol for wireless sensor networks based on progressive and concentric clusters

Smart parking is common in contemporary cities. These smart parking lots are outfitted mostly with wireless sensor networks (WSNs), which are used to detect, monitor, and collect data on the availability status of all existing parking spaces in a given area. Sensors make up WSN, which may gather, process, and transmit informations to the sink. However, the power and communication limitations of the sensors have an effect on the performance and quality of the WSNs. The decrease in the battery and the energy of the nodes causes a decrease in the life of the nodes and also of the entire WSN network. In this article, we present a routing protocol that implements an efficient and robust algorithm allowing the creation of clusters so that the base station can receive data from the entire WSN network. This protocol adopts a reliable and efficient algorithm allowing to minimize the energy dissipation of the sensors and to increase the lifetime of the WSN. In comparison to alternative parking lot management protocols already in use, the simulation results of the proposed protocol are effective and robust in terms of power consumption, data transmission reliability, and WSN network longevity.

Attitudes towards urban stray cats and managing their population in India: a pilot study.

Life in contemporary cities is often dangerous for stray cats, with strikingly low survival rates. In several countries, trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs have been employed to control urban stray cat populations. Management of stray cats in urban environments is not just about applying scientific solutions, but also identifying approaches that align with local cultural and ethical values. India has an estimated 9.1 million stray cats. TNR presents as a potential method for stray cat management in India, while also improving their welfare. Yet, to date, there has been no academic exploration on Indian residents' attitudes towards stray cats. We conducted a survey in 13 cities in India reaching 763 residents, examining interactions with stray cats, negative and positive attitudes towards them, attitudes towards managing their population, and awareness of TNR. Results show a high rate of stray cat sightings and interactions. While most respondents believed that stray cats had a right to welfare, the majority held negative attitudes towards and had negative interactions with them. There was widespread lack of awareness about TNR, but, when described, there was a high degree of support. Gathering insights into opinions about stray cats, and the sociodemographic factors that impact these opinions, is an important first step to developing policies and initiatives to manage stray cat populations.

Hazard Assessment of Urban Trees along the Bagmati River Corridor: A Case Study from Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Ward Number 8.

Urban trees are extremely significant and provide numerous advantages for both the environment and people. In order to provide a healthy and sustainable environment, green spaces have long been seen as a crucial component of contemporary cities. Nevertheless, as urbanization and population growth have accelerated, environmental challenges have become a major worldwide issue. This study mainly focuses on the assessment of hazardous trees along the Bagmati river corridor and documents major tree species for urban forestry. The study was conducted in ward number 08 of Kathmandu metropolitan city. Total enumeration was carried out by recording information on trees through direct observation of the whole site. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) tree hazard evaluation method was used as a tree risk assessment tool. A total of 74 trees were recorded from the study site. Grevillea robusta, Cinnamomum camphora, Ficus bengalensis, F. religiosa, and so on were the major species planted along the Bagmati corridor. The trees were categorized in varying degrees of hazard. Forty-seven trees were less hazardous, 24 were semihazardous, and 3 were hazardous with hazard rates of 2.91, 6.04, and 9, respectively. Jasminum nudiflorum was the only hazardous species recorded followed by semihazardous species such as Morus alba and F. religiosa among other species, and Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Citrus limon, Psidium guajava, Alnus nepalensis, and so on were least hazardous tree species. The hazardous tree in urban areas increases the risk to people and public as well as private properties. There is a need for the removal of such hazardous trees and planting the right species at the right time. Moreover, regular inspection and a clear policy for urban trees are needed.

Urban military geographies: New directions in the (re)production of space, militarism, and the urban

AbstractArmed forces in urban areas are a very visible source of socio‐spatial and urban change. Even in contemporary cities ‘at peace’, this presence and ensuing changes can be wide‐ranging, evident across infrastructure, organisations, narratives of place, events, and everyday activities. Although over the past 2 decades critical military studies and urban geopolitics have explored some of these themes, an urban studies perspective on such military geographies in peacetime has elicited far less attention. The aim of this article is to open up opportunities for deeper conceptualisation and research on urban military geographies. This article establishes a dialogue between critical military studies and urban geopolitics, to review the different dimensions of the influence of a military presence in urban space, and to provide a synthesis of these two bodies of literature. Using Lefebvre's dialectical theory of spatial production, this review shows how cities can be privileged spaces for the reproduction of militarism and preparation for war. Moreover, it examines how the presence of military forces in peacetime can influence the material and immaterial production of urban space.

Semiotics in architecture of public spaces: contemporary city-centers; case of Bangalore, India

This paper investigates the public space architecture in urban centers of contemporary cities. Through time cities evolve with a certain traditional profile either spontaneous or planned; correspondingly, urban spaces emerge responding to the current developments, community aspirations, and architectural influences of the era. The study adopts a research methodology of triangulation involving review of theoretical derivatives, legislations for urban aesthetics, and conducting visual surveys of urbanscapes. Three fundamental theories are explored-‘Semiotics/Semiology’ by Saussure (1916) and Peirce (1902), ‘Duck and decorated shed’ by Robert Venturi (1972) and ‘Urban semiotics’ by Kevin Lynch (1960). The premise is investigated with the case of Bangalore (also, Bengaluru) in India; a city which has a rich historical profile while also being one of the progressive cities, resulting in transitions in its urbanscapes profile and existence of two distinct city cores, old and the new. This analysis is ensued by adopting comparative analysis of façades investigated in these two Central Business Districts, with a ‘Façade grid’ assessment methodology leading to interpretation of varying semiotics in both scenarios. The surveys conducted reveal an interesting semiology in the older and newer nodes reflecting intense objectives of commercial architecture and leads to formulation of a strategic proposal framework for façade architecture and management to reconnect to the use-experiential factors in urban centers.

МАЛОМОБІЛЬНІСТЬ НАСЕЛЕННЯ ТА ЇЇ ВПЛИВ НА ДИЗАЙН АРХІТЕКТУРНОГО СЕРЕДОВИЩА МІСТ

This article focuses on researching the issues related to the limited mobility of the population and its impact on the architectural environment of contemporary cities. This topic is becoming increasingly relevant in the modern world, where mobility plays a crucial role in ensuring the comfort and sustainability of urban life. In the context of growing limited mobility, driven by various factors such as demographic changes, increased transportation burdens, and shifts in mobility preferences, the design of the architectural environment significantly influences the quality of life for urban residents. Our article is aimed at a thorough examination of this issue and identifying pathways to its resolution. The objective of our article is to analyze the impact of limited mobility on the development of urban architecture and the creation of an inclusive environment. We seek to understand how the restricted mobility of the population can affect urban planning and design, as well as explore methods for adapting the architectural environment to meet the needs of individuals with limited mobility. The results of this research will help identify areas where improvements in urban design are needed to make it more accessible and comfortable for individuals with limited mobility. This can contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable urban planning. In our work, we relied on a variety of literary sources, including works on architecture, urban planning, and research in the field of mobility and social inclusion. We also conducted an analysis of data and the experiences of cities that have successfully implemented innovative solutions to address the needs of individuals with limited mobility.

In two minds: The high-rise housing ambivalence of transnational migrants

Arriving migrants of middle-class backgrounds increasingly establish themselves in high-rise apartments of densifying cities of the Global North through the private rental market or first homeownership. From their transient and elevated homes, transnational migrants find themselves vacillating between a desire to perform the archetype of the successful migrant livelihood and the realities of metropolitan vertical living. Memories and narratives of life ‘back home’ shape practices and relationships that enable them to put down roots. Yet high-rise housing, with its socio-material implications, mediates migrants’ everyday experiences in unique ways. This article investigates transnational migrants’ ambivalent feelings of ‘home’ in two verticalising cities, London and Melbourne. Drawing on affect- and practice-theoretical approaches to emotions and on the geographies of home, I argue that ambivalence enables migrants to habituate to the transience of their high-rise housing situation. Through interviews with 42 transnational migrants of diverse nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds, I analyse two registers of ambivalence as they unfolded in migrants’ narratives of high-rise housing. In the apartment, migrants’ ambivalent sensations revealed the embodied transience of transnational homemaking. In the vertical development, migrant’s ambivalent attachments unveiled their negotiated and intermittent feelings of belonging. Given these differential registers of ambivalence, I demonstrate that migrants are unevenly positioned to adjust to their vertical homes. I conclude by suggesting that ambivalence helps in further conceptualising the lived experience of high-rise housing, and that a more nuanced understanding of emotions is needed to envisage prospects for migrants’ livelihoods in apartments in the contemporary city.

Exploring Modal Choices for Sustainable Urban Mobility: Insights from the Porto Metropolitan Area in Portugal

Efficient and sustainable urban mobility is critical for contemporary cities, and understanding the factors influencing modal choices is essential for addressing transportation challenges in metropolitan areas. This study focuses on the Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) in Portugal and aims to gain insights into these factors. Using data from the last mobility survey (IMob) conducted in 2017, a multinomial logit (MNL) model is used to analyze individual modal choices amongst private motorized vehicles (PMVs), public transport (PT), and active modes (AMs). The findings unveiled that demographic, socioeconomic, and travel-related characteristics substantially influence individual modal choices within the studied area. Moreover, probability scenarios highlight the importance of financial considerations, environmental consciousness, and accessibility to public transport in promoting sustainable transportation options. These insights have significant implications for policymakers and stakeholders involved in urban planning and transportation management. This study contributes to the literature by providing valuable insights into individuals’ transportation preferences and behaviors, facilitating decision-making based on evidence for infrastructure improvements and targeted interventions. By promoting sustainable transportation alternatives and reducing reliance on PMVs, this study aims to enhance the livability and sustainability of the AMP, aligning with long-term sustainability goals.

Cities and destroying ‘the other’

The aim of this article is to show that cities are very often attacked because of their characteristic of ‘otherness’. ‘The other’ may be understood as other religion, other ethnicity, other culture, other political views or other people which is closely related to the idea of diversity, heterogeneity, pluralism and density as essential features of contemporary cities. The author examines theories explaining motives for destroying cities like the latter being a part of genocide or a distinct theory of urbicide. Finally the author proposes looking at the destruction of cities through the lens of destroying ‘the other’ and the possibility of a community. The research methods used include desk research and formal-legal analysis. Formal-legal analysis focuses on the jurisprudence of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the desk research on the relevant literature at the intersection of urban studies and international studies.

THE LOST OF OLD DEMAK SULTANATE CITY PATTERN

This article reveals that the problem of sedimentation on the coast causes the loss of the old city. Sedimentation caused the Demak sultanate (1478–1586) no longer be on the coast and lose its power as a Maritime kingdom. What was the old Demak city shape? Historical records state that the strait had become a swamp and experienced frequent flooding. After going through three generations from 1478–1546, the fourth king moved the Demak to Prawata Hill (1546– 1549 AD). Due to the lack of maps and historical data, we analyze the old Demak using maps and pictures of contemporary Javanese sultanate cities such as Cirebon (1506-present) and Banten (1526–1815). We also use its predecessor kingdom, Majapahit (1293 to 1527 AD) as a reference and the successor sultanate as an analytical tool. The long-lasting sultanate had a city centre that grew and developed with complete urban facilities and infrastructure. The sultanate had a short life; the city core was still intact as the city nucleus, like Demak. Due to geological problems, the king needed more time to complete the city plan with city facilities. Demak was a transitional city from the Hindu/Buddhist-Islamic concept and coastal city to the inland concept.

Perkembangan Kota Tua Modern Jambi Di Bawah Keresidenan Kolonial Belanda(1906-1942) Sebagai Bahan Ajar SMA N 1 Muaro Jambi

After the Jambi Sultanate fell in 1906, the area around the city of Muaro Tembesi was ruled by the Dutch. After this period of time, Muaro Tembesi continued to develop until today. As the former center of the Dutch government, Muaro Tembesi is now famous as the site of various Dutch-made historical buildings. The aim of this research is to find out when and why Dutch colonialism and imperialism played an important role in the growth of the contemporary metropolitan city of Muaro Tembesi. The research method uses a qualitative and descriptive approach. The research results confirm that the modern city of the Dutch era, namely Muaro Tembesi, can be used as a case study of Indonesian history and an elective subject related to history. So students can learn more about local history and contribute to its preservation by studying the Dutch heritage left behind in Muaro Tembesi today. This can also foster a greater sense of patriotism and pride that students have towards their country

¿Quién es gentrificación (‘who is gentrificación’)? urban change, conceptual chimerae, and the challenge of blanqueamiento (‘whitening’) in mexico city

In this article, we outline the central tenets of an endogenous theory of neighborhood change in Mexico City known as blanqueamiento (‘whitening'). Drawing on longstanding research and intellectual exchange with local scholars and activists, we illustrate the promise this concept holds for transcending the many limitations of ‘gentrification', and its metaphrase translation, gentrificació n, in this and other contexts. We argue that while blanqueamiento and similar theories from outside the Global North often face extreme difficulties in emergence, their value to both critical scholarship and urban politics can be profound, and should be more fully explored and recognized. We demonstrate this value in Mexico City through an exploration of this concept’s core meanings and expressions, specifically in the areas of: 1) belonging, displacement, and racialized aesthetics; 2) architecture, design, and globalizing aesthetics; and 3) finance, money laundering, and the insidious complicity of aestheticized consumption. In support of our overall argument about the need for more productive urban exchanges and the critical co-production of knowledge on the topic of urban change through translation, we bring together insights from ongoing debates on the nature and uses of gentrification in contemporary cities and the politics of theory-making and conceptualization in geography and urban studies across the globe.

Contemporary concepts of small town development

Motivation: The paradigms of sustainable development and knowledge and innovation-based economy (smart growth) are among the most important signposts for the development of contemporary towns, cities and regions. The growing competitiveness of cities and the high variation and complexity of the urban environment necessitate the search for such a model of a city that will enable its dynamic development in the economic, social and spatial spheres. The implemented development model determines the town’s ability to face the current challenges, such as population changes, increasing and diverse needs of the city’s users, limited natural resources which therefore require protection, a shift in the paradigm of local economy towards circular economy, thereby improving the town’s ability to deal with crisis (urban resilience). As a consequence, there is a growing number of smart cities as well as cities which have adopted another dominant development concept, such as green cities, slow cities.Aim: Purpose of the article is to discuss and compare some of these concepts, namely smart city, slow city, green city (and selected hybrid models), which can be applied in designing a policy for the development of small towns in Poland.Results: The diverse and increasingly varied conditions underlying the development of small towns mean that a local development policy should have a more reactive and scenario-like character. The process of evolution of the existing approaches can be observed, resulting in the hybridization of the development models, where new concepts arise by combining the assumptions of several approaches, for example a smart green city, etc. This process can be seen as the manifestation of improving the level of urban resilience to crises, which increases the chance of small towns to adapt to new conditions.