Design Of Urban Environment Research Articles

Influence and Countermeasures of Geological Factors in Urban Environmental Design

Influence and Countermeasures of Geological Factors in Urban Environmental Design

Enhanced Cross-Entropy Technique for Triangular Fuzzy Neutrosophic Multiple-Attribute Decision-Making and Applications to Quality Evaluation of Urban-Park Environmental Design

The evaluation of urban park environmental design quality is essential for ensuring that parks meet community needs and environmental sustainability. By comprehensively considering indicators such as functionality, aesthetics, sustainability, and user experience, this evaluation helps designers optimize spatial layouts and enhance the efficiency and aesthetic value of parks. Additionally, good environmental design promotes ecological protection, improves the quality of life for residents, and adds more green spaces to the city, making parks an integral part of daily urban life. The evaluation of urban park environmental design quality is framed as a multiple-attribute decision-making (MADM) problem. This study introduces the triangular fuzzy neutrosophic number cross-entropy (TFNN-CE) method, which integrates traditional cross-entropy with triangular fuzzy neutrosophic sets (TFNSs). Subsequently, the TFNN-CE technique for MADM is established. A numerical example illustrating the evaluation of urban park environmental design quality is provided, alongside several comparative analyses to highlight the advantages of the proposed approach. The key contributions of this research are as follows: (1) the TFNN-CE technique is introduced through the integration of cross-entropy and TFNSs; (2) the TFNN-CE technique is formulated to address MADM problems using TFNSs; (3) an empirical application for assessing urban park environmental design quality is presented to validate the proposed methodology; (4) comparative studies are conducted to substantiate the rationality of the TFNN-CE technique.

Estimation of Longwave Radiation Intensity Emitted from Urban Obstacles in Each Direction Using Drone-Based Photogrammetry

Longwave radiation is a crucial factor affecting human thermal comfort and thermal stress, especially in outdoor spaces in summer, owing to the vast effect of longwave radiation emitted from high-heated asphalt roads, building walls, and automobiles. Although controlling the longwave radiation environment to improve thermal comfort in summer is crucial, the prediction of the longwave radiation environment is frequently conducted only at the assessment stage of the final proposal because of the high computational cost of radiation calculations and unsteady heat balance analysis considering multiple reflections. This is a significant constraint for the design of urban and architectural environments. A previous study proposed a method to rapidly estimate the longwave radiation environment based on a point-by-point method with longwave radiation intensity distributions of the heat sources. To use this method, 3D models of the geographical objects in urban areas, such as buildings and trees, must be accurately generated, and these models should have information on the longwave radiation emitted in each direction from each object. However, no specific examples of a 3D model and longwave radiation intensity distribution have been presented. In this study, a 3D modeling method for geographical objects in urban areas with longwave radiation information based on drones and photogrammetric techniques was utilized. Moreover, a 3D model of a small-scale building was generated. A longwave radiation intensity distribution was produced for the building. Based on the distribution data, the directional characteristics of longwave radiation were discussed, and the availability of the proposed method was assessed.

Unraveling urban informality: the dynamics of value and space appropriation at pedestrian bridges in Islamabad, Pakistan

ABSTRACT This research explores the dynamics of urban informality and space appropriation at pedestrian bridges in Islamabad, Pakistan, offering new insights into how informal practices reshape the utilization and value of urban spaces. By focusing on both formal and informal uses, the study reveals a significant gap between the intended and actual uses of these bridges. Through observation and analysis of three key bridges, the study examines how informal activities – such as vending, resting, and social interactions – transform pedestrian bridges into multifunctional spaces. This research also uncovers informal modifications and analyzes the role of urban governance in shaping these practices. The findings contribute novel insights into urban informality in the Global South by focusing on Islamabad’s pedestrian bridges, an area that has received limited scholarly attention. The study is particularly valuable for urban planners and policymakers in guiding the design of more inclusive urban environments in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Morphological Analysis of Public Spaces and Their Contribution to Urban Resilience in Guelma, Algeria

Modern Algerian cities are facing various uncertainties, both natural and human-made. To address these risks, urban areas need to be more adaptable and responsive. The increasing impact of climate change and the recent pandemic have emphasized the importance of outdoor spaces. As people spend a significant amount of time in these areas, public spaces have become essential for urban life. This study conducts a comparative analysis of public spaces, using a grid-based methodology to identify similarities and differences between two resilient public spaces and the square of Guelma. The analysis is preceded by a literature review that establishes key conceptual frameworks. The main objective is to develop recommendations for resilient public spaces and their contribution to a city's environmental resilience, particularly its capacity to withstand climate change. By understanding how these spaces can mitigate the effects of climate change, this research aims to guide the design and management of urban environments.

Development of Post-Industrial Heritage Landscape Design Based on Visual Cognitive Schema Theory: A Case Study of the Shou Gang Industrial Cultural Heritage Site

Post-industrial landscapes serve as crucial markers of industrial cultural heritage. This study focuses on the urban environmental form design of post-industrial civilization. Facing challenges posed by the incompatibility of traditional industrial lands with modern society, the urban renaissance of post-industrial landscapes emerges as a pivotal topic. This article defines the concepts of visual cognition, the cognitive schema, and the post-industrial landscape from the perspective of environmental psychology through literature research, case studies, and on-site investigation methods. It elaborates on the design process of the Shou Gang Industrial Cultural Heritage Site. This study shows how to create a living space that has both historical memory and meets modern needs through steps such as extracting core elements, constructing spatial schema, and promoting scene integration. The study found that, by extracting and integrating the four key visual cognitive elements of humans, objects, paths, and event, a dynamic and interactive living space schema—scene relationship—can be constructed. Finally, by summarizing the overall consciousness of the visual cognitive schema, it further emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the harmony and unity of people, behavior, and environment in the design process and realizing the sustainable utilization and development of space.

Data science basis and influencing factors for the evaluation of environmental safety perception in Macau parishes

In the context of rapid urbanization, accurately identifying the visual factors that influence environmental safety perception is crucial for improving urban transportation environments and enhancing pedestrian safety. With the increase in urban population density and traffic flow, optimizing urban environmental design to elevate residents’ sense of safety has become a key issue in urban planning and management. However, the existing studies face numerous challenges in conducting large-scale quantitative analysis of environmental safety perception in complex scenarios, such as difficulties in data acquisition and limitations in analytical methods. This study addresses these challenges by applying image semantic segmentation and object detection techniques to extract key visual elements from street view images, combined with manual scoring and deep learning methods, to construct a road safety perception dataset. Using a LightGBM model and the SHAP interpretation framework, in this study, we identify the critical visual factors influencing environmental safety perception. An empirical study was conducted in Macau, a modern city where Eastern and Western cultures intersect, and tourism thrives. The findings reveal that: ① The overall environmental safety perception in the eight parishes and surrounding roads of Macau is relatively high, with significant regional differences in safety perception scores around Macau’s parish roads; ② The proportions of buildings, sidewalks, roads, and trees in images are the four primary factors influencing environmental safety perception; ③ The proportions and quantities of visual elements interact with each other, and their reasonable distribution helps form clear spatial visibility and creates conducive activity spaces, thereby enhancing the perception of environmental safety. Through empirical analysis, this study uncovers the mechanisms by which visual elements in urban street scenes affect environmental safety perception, providing scientific evidence for urban planning and transportation environment improvement. The research holds theoretical significance and offers practical references for urban design and management, demonstrating broad application value.

Family poverty, neighbourhood greenspace and perinatal outcomes.

The relationship between low income and adverse perinatal outcomes, such as low birth weight and developmental delays, is well established making the search for protective factors important. One such factor may be neighbourhood greenspace. This study elucidates the role of urban neighbourhood greenspace in the relationship between income and perinatal outcomes in a nationally representative birth cohort from the UK. Data on 14 050 infants participating in the initial wave at age 9 months of the Millennium Cohort Study were used (51% male, 20% non-white, 52% living in disadvantaged areas). We tested whether the association between income and perinatal outcomes is moderated by urban greenspace (measured in deciles) before and after adjustments for confounding. The perinatal outcomes included birth weight, gestational age (in days), communication and motor delays. The models were adjusted for the infant's sex and ethnicity, mother's age, education, substance use and mental health as well as area disadvantage and air pollution. Neighbourhood greenspace moderated the association between income and gestational age, even after adjustment for all confounders, b=-0.11, 95% CI (-0.215, -0.004). For births in low-income households, in particular, it was associated with an increase in gestational age by an average of approximately 3 days. However, after adjustment, greenspace was not found to influence birth weight, communication or motor delays at age 9 months. The biophilic design of urban environments is a modifiable factor for improving perinatal outcomes in the UK as urban greenspaces appear to be mitigating the risk of preterm birth associated with family poverty.

Advancing climate resilience through a geo-design framework: strengthening urban and community forestry for sustainable environmental design

Urban and community forestry is a specialized discipline focused on the meticulous management of trees and forests within urban, suburban, and town environments. This field often entails extensive civic involvement and collaborative partnerships with institutions. Its overarching objectives span a spectrum from preserving water quality, habitat, and biodiversity to mitigating the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The UHI phenomenon, characterized by notably higher temperatures in urban areas compared to rural counterparts due to heat absorption by urban infrastructure and limited urban forest coverage, serves as a focal point in this study. The study focuses on developing a methodological framework that integrates Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), Random Forest (RF), and Suitability Analysis to assess the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect across different urban zones, aiming to identify areas with varying levels of UHI impact. The framework is designed to assist urban planners and designers in understanding the spatial distribution of UHI and identifying areas where urban forestry initiatives can be strategically implemented to mitigate its effect. Conducted in various London areas, the research provides a comprehensive analysis of the intricate relationship between urban and community forestry and UHI. By mapping the spatial variability of UHI, the framework offers a novel approach to enhancing urban environmental design and advancing urban forestry studies. The study’s findings are expected to provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers, aiding in creating healthier and more livable urban environments through informed decision-making in urban forestry management.

DYNAMICS AND STABILITY OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN

This research paper examines the nuances of the dynamics and stability of emergency vehicles when maneuvering over complex terrain, offering a multifaceted analysis that combines theoretical modeling and empirical research. Central to the considerations is the study of the interaction between vehicle design and features of various landscapes, including mountain, forest and urban environments. The research uses a synergistic approach that interweaves advanced mathematical modeling techniques such as computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis with experimental validation in real-world conditions. The methodology clarifies the critical role of vehicle design parameters, such as suspension tuning and aerodynamic properties, in determining vehicle performance in challenging environments. The study highlights the relevance of terrain-dependent speed limits and maneuvering strategies, advocating for modular vehicle designs and terrain-independent technologies. The paper not only makes a significant contribution to the optimization of emergency vehicles, but also paves the way for future research in the areas of artificial intelligence-driven control systems, sustainable propulsion technologies, and predictive performance modeling. Integrated solutions in this area re key to improving the efficiency and safety of rescue operations in diverse and challenging environments.

Assessing Immediate and Lasting Impacts of COVID-19-Induced Isolation on Green Space Usage Patterns.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly influenced urban lifestyles, particularly the utilization of green spaces. While existing studies have primarily focused on the immediate effects of COVID-19-induced isolation, less attention has been given to the enduring impacts on green space usage patterns. This study addresses this gap by conducting three comprehensive surveys in Dezhou, China-before, during, and after the first wave of social isolation (December 2019, March 2020, December 2020). These surveys assessed socioeconomic conditions, commuting habits, green space usage habits, and landscape preferences, specifically focusing on usage frequency, duration of stays, and activities undertaken. Using Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman's rho correlations, we identified significant long-term changes, including an increase in the frequency of visits by previously infrequent users, a reduction in visit durations, and a rise in high-intensity activities. These trends persisted 9months post-isolation, highlighting the pandemic's lasting impact on green space usage and its critical role in enhancing public health and pandemic preparedness through thoughtful urban environmental design. This study not only sheds light on behavioral adaptations during a public health crisis but also offers evidence-based strategies for urban planning to bolster societal resilience in the face of future pandemics.

The (re)production of health in climate change

To date, health in the context of climate change has mainly been considered from a biomedical perspective, whose pathogenic focus on health risks has primarily promoted curative and/or behavioral problem-solving strategies. This article therefore examines health in climate change from a perspective of Urban Public Health and political science, which has received less attention so far. The aim is to address existing constructions of health in climate change and their implications for dealing with the climate crisis, in particular regarding the design of urban environments. In doing so, it adopts a regulation-theoretical approach that allows for a theoretically grounded analysis of health in climate change, taking the triangle of nature, society and the individual as the object of research and revealing the significance of existing constructions of health—understood as a social relation—and its (re)production in climate change. This theoretical approach is extended to aspects of different spatial forms and the productions of space in social relations. The theoretical foundation makes it possible to recognize that there are understandings of health in climate change discourse that largely exclude the causes of climate change and thus make its treatment selective. As a result, broad socio-ecological transformation processes are obstructed, while the structural causes of climate change are preserved and stabilized despite their crisis character. An understanding of health that also sees health as a resource in a salutogenic sense and that strengthens the promotion of health by means of structural changes is being pushed into background. Positioning climate change as a public health issue requires a shift from curative, individual and behavioral interventions toward a focus on structural health promotion, especially through the development of health-promoting, just and climate-friendly urban environments. It also means that health must once again become more of a political issue and that existing boundaries between the private and public spheres must be questioned.

Understanding the impact of urban heat islands on crime: insights from temperature, population density, and green canopy cover

Emergent literature suggests that micro- and macro-climates influence criminal behaviour; a complex phenomenon that is still incipient in theory development. This mixed-method research starts with a systematic review of the literature on the theoretical premises that urban heat islands amplify aggressive behaviour and crime. Further, it discusses the potential implications of the relationship between the environment and social outcomes on the design and planning of urban environments. A meta-synthesis was conducted to explain the correlations between patterns of criminal behaviour and thermal (dis)comfort. This correlation is to relate fundamental urban design principles to socially sustainable communities that dissuade violence and crime, and otherwise show poorly designed spaces do propagate criminal behaviour. Cross-validation was undertaken using a case study of Midland, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Data involves population demographics, temperature, and crime statistics relating to Offences against the Person. Analysis focused on homicide, assault, threatening behaviour, and robbery. The findings imply a positive correlation between long-term temperature, crime, population density, and green canopy cover. Variables of climate (e.g., short-to-long-term climate-related stressors) and crime types also show non-linear association. Nonetheless, forecasting the future of violence and trends of crime through attributes or potential impacts of heat and urban canopy cover on the built environment will inform sustainable social development policy, environmental planning, development strategy, designers, and planners. Recommendations are made around these in relation to making urban communities adaptive to the impacts of global warming and future densification.

Urban Environment Design in Youth Slang Interpretation: Linguo-Axiological and Lexicographical Aspects

The linguistic and axiological potential of unofficial urbanonyms reflecting the realities of the urban environment as a design space is evaluated. The research tasks include identifying typical and non-standard objects and motifs of evaluative urbanonymic nomination, developing optimal methods for describing interregional nominative parallels and unique slang terms in the dictionary of unofficial urbanonyms. The material sources consist of dictionaries of youth slang, author’s archives of spoken language, and internet communications (2010—2024). The semantics of slang terms-urbanonyms were clarified using componential and contextual analysis methods. Parameters of their lexical description were developed using the method of lexicographical construction. Based on slang material from Pskov and St. Petersburg involving unofficial urbanonyms from Ufa, Volgograd, Novosibirsk, and other cities, the evaluative attitude of nominators towards design projects embodied in architectural structures, memorial objects, street sculpture, and monumental painting is demonstrated. Interpretations, comments, and contextual illustrations in the presented fragments of the projected dictionary reveal the specificity of the nominator’s imagery associations when implementing various ways of slang formation: playful transformations of official names, references to precedent phenomena, metonymic and metaphorical transfers and their combinations.

Application of new features based on artificial intelligent robot technology in medium-scale urban design pedigree and intelligent management and control

Since the 21st century, China has been vigorously developing urban construction, and now the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought new opportunities for urban design and management. Meso-scale cities are the most developed cities in China and play an important role in economic and social development. The current robot technology is mainly divided into industrial robots and service robots, which can play an important role in the development of cities. This paper aims to apply AI robotics technology to the analysis and intelligent management of mesoscale urban design genealogy. Firstly, the development pedigree of the mesoscale city was analyzed, from which the characteristics of previous designs could be clearly understood. Then, the urban management and control system is intelligently designed from many aspects, the characteristics of the robot are analyzed, and the application of the intelligent robot in urban design is introduced. After that, four developing meso‑scale cities in a province were selected as the evaluation objects, and an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was proposed to evaluate the application effect of robotics technology in meso‑scale cities. The results showed that the overall score of the robot in urban traffic design was greater than 70 points, and the overall score of urban architectural design was greater than 65 points, which was in the acceptable range. In the application score of urban environment design, the influence was about 70 to 80 points, and the aesthetics was more than 75 points. The cultural aspect of the design impact score was no more than 75 points, while the cultural support aspect score was around 80 points. After the weight calculation, the final overall score was 489 points, and the comprehensive average score was 36 points. The overall composite score and average score were both good. This showed that the application of robot technology to the pedigree analysis and intelligent management and control of mesoscale urban design could achieve good results.

Quantifying urban environments: Aesthetic preference through the lens of prospect-refuge theory

Prospect-refuge theory suggests that people prefer environments that offer both prospect, the ability to scan for resources, and refuge, a safe place to hide. Urban planners, architects and researchers alike have had a tendency to use prospect-refuge theory research on natural scenes to inform on the design of urban environments. Despite the large body of prospect-refuge theory research, the degree to which prospect and refuge impact preference in urban environments remain unclear. Here, we aim to first evaluate the relationship between prospect, refuge and preference for urban scene images. Secondly, we aim to evaluate the contributions of visual features and streetscape quality ratings to subjective ratings of prospect and refuge in order to create proxy values of prospect and refuge. Finally, we aim to understand how the proxy values impact preference for urban scenes, and if the proxy values created replicate the relationship between subjective measures of prospect, refuge and preference. First, we used participant ratings of prospect and refuge to predict participants' preference for 552 images of urban street scenes. Higher ratings of both prospect and refuge predicted greater image preference. We next used principal components analysis to summarize these images' low- and high-level visual features as well as participant ratings of streetscape qualities, such as walkability and disorder. Visual feature and streetscape quality principal components predicted prospect and refuge ratings in this first image set, providing “proxy measures' for prospect and refuge. In an independent set of 1119 images from Talen et al. (2022) for which prospect and refuge ratings were not available, we asked whether these proxies for prospect and refuge predicted preference. Findings replicated the effect that more refuge in an image predicts more preference. However, the proxy measure of prospect did not predict preference. In summary, our results show that refuge ratings do relate to preferences in urban environments, which extends prospect-refuge theory to more urban environments. Future work is needed to understand if prospect has different implications in more urban environments.

Passive green space exposure leading to lower aggression: The mediating role of sense of control.

Green spaces, integral to natural environments, have been extensively studied for their positive impact on mental health, yet their influence on social behavior, particularly aggression, is less explored. While prior research has predominantly emphasized the effects of actively engaging with nature, the significant role of passive nature exposure-a more common daily occurrence-has often been overlooked. We conducted two studies to explore the influence of passive green space exposure on aggression and the mediating effect of the sense of control. Study 1 (N = 240) utilized a cross-sectional survey to assess the relationship between passive green space exposure, sense of control, and aggression. Study 2 (N = 260) employed a single-factor between-subjects experimental design to further explore these relationships in a controlled environment. The results from both studies indicated that passive green space exposure is negatively related to aggression, and that this relationship is partially mediated by an increased sense of control. Specifically, passive green space exposure was found to negatively predict aggression by bolstering individuals' sense of control. These findings underscore the potential of enhancing the sense of control through environmental factors like green spaces as an effective strategy to reduce aggression. This study enriches our understanding of the broader impacts of green spaces, extending beyond mental health to include social behaviors. We discussed both the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, highlighting how urban planning and environmental design can incorporate green spaces to foster community well-being and mitigate aggressive behaviors.

Urban approach to design in various aspects of design

This article discusses in detail the concept of an urban approach to design in various aspects of design. The design issues associated with the urban lifestyle, as its integral part, urban structure are considered. 10 principles of modern urbanism are considered. The urban approach to design includes consideration of the urban environment as a whole and taking into account its features when creating new objects. One of the important aspects of design in an urban environment is space planning taking into account the principles of urbanism. Many aspects of design take into account the principles of urbanism in full, some partially. Urban environment design and fashion design strive to create a comfortable environment for a person, following an urban approach. Various fields of design, such as urban environment design, graphic and industrial design, as well as fashion design have a common goal - to create functional and aesthetically attractive objects. Designers in all areas must take into account the needs and preferences of users, as well as technical and economic constraints.

Measuring soundscape quality of urban environments using physiological indicators: Construction of physiological assessment dimensions and comparison with subjective dimensions

Residents and designers typically pursue healthy urban acoustic environments. The soundscape community has established internationally recommended standards for subjective questionnaires to evaluate soundscape quality; however, much work is still needed to standardise physiological assessments. This study measures the physiological responses and subjective evaluations of participants in 20 common sound sources (scenarios) in urban public open spaces, and discusses the potential dimensions when assessing the quality of urban soundscapes through physiological indicators. Categorical principal components analysis are employed to reduce the dimensionality of the physiological data. The results indicate that physiological Dimension 1 represents the Natural–Artificial dimension, and physiological Dimension 2 potentially represents the Regular–Irregular dimension, providing a rough estimate of regularity or predictability in soundscapes. Subjective data are used as a control for physiological data, subjective Dimension 1 can be summarised as the Calm (Pleasant)–Chaotic (Annoying) dimension, whereas subjective Dimension 2 can be summarised as Familiar (Congruent)–Unfamiliar (Incongruent). Through comparing and discussing the distributions in physiological and subjective models under different sound sources, it is found that both physiologically and subjectively, the foremost dimension (Dimension 1) represents comfort and pleasure, and natural sounds can be distinctly differentiated from noise through this dimension. Although its physiological significance is not clear, the two-dimensional physiological indicator model reveals distinctions between sound sources of various categories. These findings have implications for the planning and design of liveable and comfortable urban environments from the perspective of physiological indicators.

National component in landscape design

Improving the quality of public spaces in cities is an essential aspect in their harmonious development. It is important to take into account the cultural, historical, national and local characteristics and preserve the unique features of a city since it is often a place of coexistence of different cultures and communities. The “national component” in urban environment design has been explored using landscape design objects as an example. A review of such cities as Enschede (the Netherlands), Kazan (Russia), and Ravenna (Italy) shows that the majority of cities around the world have a rich cultural heritage accumulated over centuries of historical development and represented in the approach to landscape design.