Road Design Research Articles

Recognition of Street Landscape Patterns in Kunming City Based on Intelligent Decision Algorithm and Regional Cultural Expression

The integration of intelligent decision-making algorithms with urban cultural expression is becoming a hot topic in both academic and practical fields for exploring urban street landscapes. Exploring the application strategies of intelligent decision-making algorithms and regional cultural expression in street landscape pattern recognition and innovative design is a key step. The single layout of urban street construction, cultural deficiency, ecological imbalance, and low resident participation seriously constrain the overall quality improvement of the city. To address this dilemma, this study delved into Kunming City and selected the ten “most beautiful streets”, such as Dianchi Road, for research. By using the Analytic Hierarchy Process, a comprehensive evaluation system covering multiple dimensions, such as the street layout, plant landscape, and historical culture, was constructed to analyze the street landscape of Kunming. The research results indicate that the top four roads in terms of weight evaluation scores are Cuihu Ring Road, Jiaochang Middle Road, Qingnian Road, and Beijing Road, with values of 0.2076, 0.1531, 0.1274, and 0.1173. The weight reveals that each street has its unique landscape factors, such as the profound cultural heritage of Cuihu Ring Road and the beautiful plant landscape of Jiaochang Middle Road. Further analysis also reveals the close relationship between various factors in the evaluation model, emphasizing the importance of supplementing material and cultural elements in street landscape design. The significance of this study goes beyond a single analysis of the street landscape in Kunming City. Drawing a regional street landscape pattern map sets an example for other cities to build distinctive, eco-friendly, culturally rich, and highly humanized street spaces, providing reference and inspiration. More importantly, this study promotes the application and development of intelligent decision-making algorithms in the field of urban landscapes. Future research will further optimize algorithms to improve their adaptability and accuracy in complex environments.

Case–control study of fatal bicycle crashes in peri-urban areas of Delhi

ObjectivesThere is a lack of evidence on interventions to improve the safety of cycling use in low- and middle-income countries. We investigated the impact of road design and traffic characteristics...

Proceedings of the 2024 Australasian Road Safety Conference - Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Proceedings of the 2024 annual Australasian Road Safety Conference held in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The proceedings provide the Extended Abstracts and Posters describing research, educational and policing program implementation and policy and management strategies related to all aspects of road safety and especially related to the conference theme of Target 2030: What's the pathway forward? Almost 600 delegates from 20 countries attended the face-to-face conference. Authors of accepted Extended Abstracts represented international and local institutions from all aspects of their respective communities including research centres, private companies, government agencies and community groups. These Extended Abstracts provide an indication of the important work being done in Australia, New Zealand and internationally as part of the United Nations, One UN Vision for Road Safety to reduce the number of crashes on the road by 50 percent by 2030. Almost 200 Extended Abstract manuscripts were accepted for long, short and poster sessions. Each Extended Abstract was peer-reviewed by two experts with relevant expertise. Authors were also provided the option of submitting a Full Paper. Those authors who chose to submit a Full Paper for consideration in the Journal of Road Safety (JRS) could do so based on the outcome of the peer review of their Extended Abstract. Submitted Full Papers undergo peer-review by three independent experts matched by their sector. The matching pairs academic authors iwth academic reviewers and practitioner authors with practitioner reivewers. Inclusion in the JRS follows acceptance by the peer-reviewers.The conference covered a comprehensive range of topics including speed, infrastructure and road design, cyclist safety, motorcyclist safety, pedestrian safety, road safety education, licensing, vehicle design, impairment due to distraction from mobile phones, alcohol, drugs as well as the impacts of climate change on future transport systems road safety, road safety issues for Indigenous people groups across New Zealand and Australia, integrating road safety into local Government, automated enforcement, gig economy road safety, older drivers, etc.

Measuring Street Quality: A Human-Centered Exploration Based on Multi-Sourced Data and Classical Urban Design Theories

Advancements in analytical tools have facilitated numerous studies on perceived street quality. However, most have focused on limited aspects of street quality, failing to capture a comprehensive perception. This study introduces a quantitative approach to holistically measure street quality by integrating three key dimensions: visual perception, network accessibility, and functional diversity. Using Beijing and Shanghai as case studies, we employed artificial neural networks to analyze street view images and quantify the visual characteristics of streets. Additionally, street network accessibility was assessed through spatial design network analysis, and functional diversity was evaluated using the entropy of points of interest (POIs) data. The evaluation results were combined using the analytic hierarchy process. The reliability and accuracy of this method were validated through further testing. Our approach offers a human-centered, large-scale measurement framework, providing valuable insights for urban street renewal and design.

Safety Insights from E-Scooter Rider and Bicyclist Behavior Observations in Two U.S. Cities

E-scooters, a novel micromobility mode, have transformed U.S. transportation in urban cores, offering potential advantages like cost-effective mobility, congestion reduction, community accessibility, and lower emissions. However, owing to their novelty, their associated safety impacts and rider behaviors remain uncertain, complicating policy formulation. Specifically, e-scooter policy often mirrors bicycle policy, yet there have been few studies that have explicitly investigated how e-scooter and bicycle rider behaviors compare. This research investigated rider behavior relative to infrastructure by examining riding patterns through a video-based platform on 26 Nashville and Portland streets, offering insights on e-scooter and bicyclist behaviors, including riding location and helmet use. This study differs from other observational studies since it covers longer observation periods than prior in-person studies, including nighttime riding behavior. The video analysis also allows for observations of basic demographic characteristics. The findings revealed that bike lanes were well-used and dramatically reduced sidewalk riding and general travel lane usage. Without bike lanes, riders typically resorted to using sidewalks on high-capacity roads and sharing lanes with vehicles on low-capacity streets. The data also suggested demographic trends, such as riskier behavior among younger, male riders, and low helmet usage among e-scooter riders. The results emphasize the need for micromobility-supportive infrastructure in road design to encourage safer riding practices.

Evaluating the cooling performance of vegetation combined with a fountain in horizontal and vertical urban environments

Urban greenery and fountains effectively mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect. While many studies have assessed individual vegetation configurations (grass, shrub, and tree) and fountains at pedestrian heights, few have explored their combined effects horizontally and vertically. This study uses the ENVI-met model to evaluate the cooling effects of three vegetation configurations and their combinations with fountains in a typical historical and cultural neighborhood. The “grass, shrub, tree and fountain” scenario achieved the most substantial cooling, reducing air temperature (Ta) by 5.61 °C and mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) by 17.39 °C. Adding shrubs to the existing trees had minimal impact on Ta and Tmrt. Incorporating fountains into various vegetation configurations scenarios further lowered Ta by 3.58°C-3.66 °C and Tmrt by 2.97°C-3.27 °C. Trees primarily improved Tmrt through shading, while fountains were more effective at reduce Ta. This study offers theoretical and scientific guidance for optimizing urban street microclimate design from horizontal and vertical perspectives.

Cultural Streetscape: Its Value-System, Space and Significance in Oyo Town, Nigeria

Cultural streetscape is a remarkable street scene that embodies the local culture. It helps in defining and defending urban forms, improves the physical, economic, and socio-cultural mechanisms of urban streets, provides street views for buildings, and shares communal activities and identities. Streetscape is a significant and multi-dynamic component of urban design that contributes to the success of cities and towns. However, as a result of constant urbanization and neglect, African streets that were previously sites of different cultural expressions and local beliefs are quickly turning into areas devoid of local values and meaning. More so, the significance of a cultural streetscape that facilitates ingenious street views, solves ecological challenges, and retains the local memory of places is becoming scarce in the literature. Through an in-depth interview, analysis of pertinent academic outputs, and firsthand observation of the core residential areas of Oyo town, this study revealed the value and significance of cultural streetscape in building, shaping, preserving and sustaining local place identity. Proper archiving and infusion of cultural streetscape elements into the old and new streets design are necessary to ensure Yoruba place identity does not completely become void.

A comprehensive review on safe reinforcement learning for autonomous vehicle control in dynamic environments

To operate safely in a dynamic environment, autonomous vehicles must possess the same level of predictive driving abilities as human drivers and must be capable of anticipating the future actions of other dynamic objects in the environment, especially those of neighboring vehicles. The development of safe autonomous vehicles (AVs) poses a challenging task as it requires algorithms that can make real-time decisions in unpredictable circumstances. Reinforcement learning (RL) presents a promising approach for AV control, as it utilizes trial and error to enable optimal decision-making. However, traditional RL algorithms are unsuitable for safety-critical applications, as they may explore unsafe actions, potentially resulting in accidents. Safe reinforcement learning (SRL) algorithms have been developed to address this issue, prioritizing safe and reliable decisions. These algorithms incorporate constraints to prevent unsafe actions or utilize techniques to estimate action risk and avoid actions deemed excessively risky. Despite computational challenges, SRL holds significant promise for AV control, and is likely to play a crucial role in developing safe and reliable systems. SRL methods are critical for the general adoption of autonomous vehicles by guaranteeing their safety and reliability. These algorithms utilize methods like uncertainty and risk estimation along with penalty functions, to avoid excessively risky actions and have the potential to significantly reduce accidents and build public trust in autonomous driving. However, there are challenges that need to be addressed, such as the dynamic nature of real-world traffic, high computational costs, and the diversity of road design; and these varying conditions make the designing, testing, and validating of SRL algorithms difficult. Despite these challenges, SRL presents a promising solution, through integrating new sensing technologies and machine learning techniques, to develop safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly transportation systems.

Research on Urban Expressway Design Based on New Transportation Concepts

This article is based on the Suzhou Central Expressway project, adhering to the principles of "safety, comfort, ecology, wisdom, and harmony", adhering to the comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development concept, guided by the new concept of transportation construction of the Ministry of Transport, integrating the design concept of traffic safety first, resource conservation, environmental friendliness, technological innovation, and intelligent collaboration, and organically combining nature, culture, and roads. The design strives to achieve road aesthetic design, tolerant design, humanistic design, flexible design, and creative design, which is of great significance for the research of ecological smart road design, transportation industry, and sustainable development of nature and culture.

A Framework for Sustainable Urban Street Design

A Framework for Sustainable Urban Street Design

Organizational and legal principles of forensic examination in the field of road infrastructure

The aim of the work is to analyze the offenses committed in the field of road infrastructure and to identify the main areas of criminal activity, for which investigation specific expertise in the form of forensic examination is applied. The methodological basis of the study of this problem was general, separate and special cognition methods. The results of performed research demonstrate possibility of distinguishing two main areas of criminal activity in the field of road infrastructure. These are official crimes related to the field of official and professional activity, as well as war crimes related to unforeseen destruction of road infrastructure. Thus, one of socially dangerous manifestations in this area are crimes related to road construction. While investigating issues of compliance of the developed project-technical and estimate documentation with the requirements of regulatory acts in the field of road construction, as well as questions of determining compliance of the completed construction works and built objects with the project-technical documentation, often arise. Such issues can be resolved if forensic expert (experts) have relevant professional knowledge in the design, construction and operation of roads, taking into account the characteristics of road infrastructure objects. At the current stage, when all Ukrainians feel consequences of Russian aggression, another problem is clearly visible. After all, for all the crimes of this shameful war, the enemy must suffer a just punishment, and the victims must receive compensation for the material and moral damage caused to them. In connection with the emergence of new tasks that arise during the investigation of war crimes committed by the aggressor country, the question of the appropriate level of expert provision of justice in conditions of war that is directly related both to increasing effectiveness of the inspection of the scene of the event and to further conducting forensic examinations. Taking into account the fact that a huge number of objects were damaged and destroyed, there was a need to use the latest methods and approaches to effectively counteract the specified manifestations of crime, in particular, development of effective system of expert justice provision at the stages of pre-trial investigation and subsequent judicial review of cases. Thereby it is important to provide expert investigation of crimes related to the establishment of damages to the state, individuals and legal entities from the destruction of immovable and movable property.

Accessibility Design Research: Redesign of the Canterbury Square

Accessibility for disabled individuals in urban environments is a fundamental aspect of inclusive design and social equity. When investigating a suitable site for this redesign project as a group, it is found some iconic outdoor barrier-free designs. Conducted the research in China, the examples include ramps, curb ramps, blind access, and other auxiliary facilities, and most of the specific relevant technologies should comply with the relevant provisions of the Code for Barrier-free Design of Urban Roads and Buildings. Despite progress in awareness and legislation, many cities around the world still face significant challenges in providing adequate access for disabled people. This essay will explore the current state of accessibility for disabled individuals in cities, focusing on the barriers they encounter, and the efforts being made to overcome them. Subsequently, this essay will also examine several exemplary architectural designs that prioritize accessibility and inclusivity, providing real-world examples of innovative solutions that enhance the quality of life for disabled individuals, which give insight into the ongoing redesign project of the Canterbury Lane Square near the Canterbury City Centre.

An auralisation approach for tyre/road noise

Tyre/road noise is one of the main sources of traffic noise. Over the years, different approaches have been made to study the influence of road and tyre design on the noise generation and to reduce the negative impact of rolling noise on health and wellbeing. The study of human perception of tyre/road noise requires time signals of rolling noise for listening tests. Recorded signals could be used for this purpose, however, this only allows to investigate existing tyres and roads. Alternatively, simulated signals could be used. This paper presents a methodology to rolling noise signals based on physical modelling of the tyre/road contact. The Chalmers tyre/road interaction model has been extended to allow for calculating sufficiently long time signals in the form of CPX signals and/or pass-by signals. The approach is demonstrated by considering a surface with a contraction joint. The results indicate that the model might be suitable for listening tests or psychoacoustic evaluation.

Rutting prediction model of asphalt pavement based on RIOHTrack full-scale ring road

The research and prediction of rutting mechanism of asphalt pavement has always been the main difficult problem for road designers all over the world, and scholars have done a lot of research on how to prevent and control rutting of asphalt pavement. Based on the measured loading data of 80 million axis times of Beijing RIOHTrack full-scale ring road, rutting evolution of asphalt pavement with various structure types is studied in this paper and proposes the Kou&Cao rutting prediction model for the first time. Compared with other mature explicit rutting prediction models, this model has the characteristics of high prediction accuracy, strong robustness. At the same time, the model can provide a basis for predicting the inflection point of rutting evolution on asphalt pavement. The research results of this model are effective, which completes the effective analysis of the rutting evolution and development law of asphalt pavement, and provides an important reference for the future road design specification research and road construction.

Simulation of metal fatigue crack analysis based on thermal environment numerical analysis in street metal sculpture design process

With the popularity of urban public art, metal materials are easily affected by environmental factors in practical applications, especially the influence of thermal environment on metal fatigue, which often leads to cracks in sculptures, affecting their service life and safety. Through the numerical analysis of thermal environment, the fatigue crack generation mechanism of street metal sculpture in the process of use is deeply discussed in order to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for sculpture design. The finite element analysis method is used to simulate the stress distribution of metal sculpture under different thermal conditions. By setting a variety of conditions such as ambient temperature and humidity, the corresponding thermodynamic model is established, and the fatigue properties of metal materials are evaluated comprehensively The numerical model is calibrated with experimental data to improve the accuracy of the simulation. It is found that the change of thermal environment significantly affects the internal stress distribution of metal sculpture, and then affects the generation of fatigue cracks. At high temperature, the fatigue limit of the material is reduced, which leads to more cracks. Under the condition of sudden temperature change, the stress concentration of the material is more obvious, and the fatigue life of the metal is significantly shortened.

ENGINEERING-GEODESIC EQUIPMENT OF THE TERRITORY USED BY USING GEOINFORMATION SYSTEMS

The purpose of the scientific article is the implementation of an important part of the agricultural spatial data infrastructure, planning of the domestic economy using geographic information systems (GIS). Taking this direction into account, the work examines the following main elements of designing the domestic economy: location of settlements and economic centers; design of internal roads; placement of external engineering networks; use of types of land reclamation for agricultural purposes; allocation of land for the construction of roads of various categories of local importance; placement of agricultural machinery in land use; conduct a technical and economic analysis of the effective use of road junctions and reclamation works as an engineering structure, as well as systematize the engineering and geodetic process necessary to implement these studies based on GIS technologies. With the help of geographic information systems technologies, it will be necessary to determine the following directions of engineering and geodetic equipment of the territory: Information about road transport and roads, Roads in plan, longitudinal and horizontal profiles, Driving through bodies of water and bodies of water on the road, Road surfaces, Road surveys and design of agricultural roads, The basic principle of organizing the construction, maintenance and repair of agricultural roads.

Walking to School: What Streets Do Children Prefer?

Active school travel provides children with a daily opportunity to engage actively with their local urban environments. Despite widespread recognition that understanding the underlying factors of children’s navigation choices is crucial for developing effective environmental interventions to promote active school travel, there is limited evidence on children’s experiences regarding their school journeys. This is due in part to the fact that most studies rely on GIS-calculated routes which may not adequately represent children’s actual home-school journeys, and hence actual experiences. This study aims to identify specific environmental attributes influencing children’s navigation choices based on children’s (9–10 year olds) actual walking routes to school in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. 45 pairs of selected and avoided streets were compared using a range of urban form (e.g., street connectivity measured through space syntax variables) and street design (e.g., footpath width) characteristics. Statistical analysis highlighted significant design attributes as potential determinants of navigation selections. In-depth street-level observations provided insight into the urban character of these street pairs, identifying the environmental qualities that could offer opportunities for active and safe commuting among children. This study contributes to the literature by broadening our understanding of the environmental attributes that may promote active school travel. Our findings, based on children’s actual experiences, may also inform urban planners and designers on designing inclusive child-friendly cities.

Simulation-based evaluation of road transportation logistics in a dry port with topographic challenges

The extension of existing container terminals or the creation of new ones introduces new logistical challenges, including topographic issues and increased distances between the quays and storage yards located several kilometers away from the quay (dry port). These challenges are complex to evaluate analytically and directly impact the acceleration, deceleration, and average speed of a truck which in turn affect the productivity and synchronization of the overall terminal logistics. This paper proposes a transportation simulation model that incorporates detailed descriptions of the topographical and geometrical restrictions. Our simulation model evaluates various scenarios for container transportation logistics, including varying road design terminals and truck fleet size to enhance productivity. A case study from a potential container terminal on Canada’s St. Lawrence River is used to demonstrate the simulation model. Several scenarios with different designs are tested and the simulation provides numerical results for supporting decision makers.

METHODOLOGY OF BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING OF URBAN STREETS AND ROADS

Problem statement. New challenges in road construction require the application of modern and globally recognized best practices in the design and management of road infrastructure construction processes, involving the use of the latest Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies. The implementation of BIM technologies necessitates conducting research to systematize information, forecast and evaluate outcomes, and develop a modeling methodology. The purpose of the article is to develop a methodology for Building Information Modeling of urban streets and roads. Research Results. The proposed methodology for Building Information Modeling is demonstrated using sections of the street and road network in the city of Dnipro. Digital terrain and site models were created in the InfraWorks software based on geospatial data from remote sensing. Conceptual models of urban streets and roads were developed. The conceptual models were exported to Civil 3D, where the terrain model was refined using ground survey data, analyzed, and used to develop route plans, longitudinal and cross profiles of streets and roads. The detailed and coordinated road design solutions in Civil 3D were exported to InfraWorks to build an integrated road infrastructure. An analysis of the spatial smoothness of routes and sight distances on roads was conducted using the building information model. Models of an overpass and bridge developed in Revit were exported to the road infrastructure model. Traffic management measures were modeled. Using the “Traffic Simulation” tools in InfraWorks, vehicle traffic flows on roads and interchanges of the studied street and road network were simulated, taking into account the actual traffic intensity. The building information models were checked for structural deficiencies using Navisworks software. Conclusion. The proposed methodology for designing urban streets and roads using BIM technology involves the step-by-step development of a digital model utilizing software for the automated design of road infrastructure with the required level of detail at each stage of the design process.

The influence mechanism of urban street environment on juvenile delinquency based on multi-source data fusion: a case study of Manhattan, New York

Streets are an important component of urban public spaces and also a high-incidence area for urban crime. However, current research mainly involves adult crime, or fails to distinguish between adult and juvenile crime, which poses a severe challenge to the prevention of juvenile delinquency. Juveniles have lower self-control abilities and are more likely to be influenced by external environmental factors to trigger criminal behavior compared to adults. Therefore, this study uses New York’s Manhattan district as an example, based on CPTED and social disorganization theories, and utilizes street view data and deep learning techniques to extract street environment indicators. The GWR model is used to explore the influence mechanism of urban street environment on juvenile crime. The results of this study, considering spatial heterogeneity, demonstrate the impact of various physical environmental indicators of urban streets on juvenile delinquency, and reveal that some street indicators have differentiated effects on crime in different areas of the city. Overall, our research helps to uncover the relationship between juvenile delinquency and the built environment of streets in complex urban settings, providing important references for future urban street design and juvenile delinquency prevention.