European Urban Research Articles

Urban atmospheres of terror

This essay advances an affective agenda in urban geopolitics that studies the everyday felt experience of urban terrorism. It takes as examples the relations between the spatial politics and affective atmospheres of Place de la République (Paris) and Place de la Bourse/Beursplein (Brussels) in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 2015 and 2016. Intersecting feminist geopolitics and non-representational geographies, the essay bridges geographical studies of experience and affective atmospheres with experiential accounts in urban geopolitics. It argues for a renewed conceptual engagement and scholarly focus on the affective dimensions of urban geopolitics and security, that highlights the contested and unequal topographies of everyday experience in the aftermath of terrorism in urban Europe.

The Impact of Bike-Sharing Systems on Congestion. Evidence from European Urban Areas

The Impact of Bike-Sharing Systems on Congestion. Evidence from European Urban Areas

Multimorbidity Among Migrant and Non-Migrant Ghanaians: The RODAM Study.

Objectives: Multimorbidity is a growing public health concern due to the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, yet information about multimorbidity in low- and middle-income countries and migrant populations is scarce. We aimed to investigate the distribution and patterns of multimorbidity in rural and urban areas in Ghana and Ghanaian migrants in Europe. Methods: The RODAM cross-sectional study included 4,833 participants. Multimorbidity was defined as presence of multiple non-communicable chronic conditions. Patterns were determined from frequent combination of conditions. Prevalence ratios were estimated by logistic regression. Results: Prevalence of multimorbidity was higher in women and in urban Ghana and Europe. We observed a cardiometabolic pattern in all sites as well as circulatory-musculoskeletal and metabolic-musculoskeletal combinations in Ghana. Multimorbidity prevalence ratios were higher in Europe (men 1.47, 95% CI 1.34–1.59, women 1.18, 1.10–1.26) and urban Ghana (men 1.46, 1.31–1.59, women 1.27, 1.19–1.34). Conclusion: Distribution and patterns of multimorbidity differed by sex and site. With a higher burden of multimorbidity in urban areas, prevention strategies should focus on forestalling its increase in rapidly growing rural areas.

WAYS OF ARCHITECTURAL REVALUATION OF ARCHITECTURAL SUBSTANCE IN THE HISTORICAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE CITY

Abstract. The multifaceted problem of the relationship between the old and the new in the structure of cities subject to reconstructive transformation covers not only the range of tasks for the integration of historically composed and new buildings, but also a number of ambiguous issues of architectural revaluation of historical architectural and urban planning substance. lost elements to improve the aesthetic value of the urban environment and further preserve its integrity. If the solution of issues of urban coherence of historical and new buildings is based on the variability of the respective location in the urban structure of urban formation, the ways of architectural revaluation are based on the principles of volumetric and tectonic perfection of historical substance. ensembles, often by means of finely tempered harmonization of old and new architectural solutions (Hereditary development of compositional and spatial features of the city center). European urbanism of the twentieth century. He also knows cases of architectural revaluation of large urban complexes, such as in the process of restoration after the military destruction of the historic areas of Warsaw and Gdansk, where the problem of restoring the architectural integrity of buildings was combined with issues of restoration, reconstruction, modernization and necessary rehabilitation. on the legitimacy of such revaluation measures, which were not based on the restoration of authentic historical heritage, but in fact on its reproduction "from the ground up", based not only on scientifically sound materials, but often on architectural conjecture, method of analogues, etc. The controversy over the architectural revaluation of historic buildings began in the late nineteenth century, when the issues of conservation and restoration in a set of reconstructive urban planning tasks began to require immediate resolution. Renowned British art critic John Ruskin, reacting sharply to the imperfections of restoration work that led to significant distortions and even distortions of valuable historical substance in various countries, said: «Reproduction from nothing of something that was once great and beautiful in architecture is as impossible as return to life…» (Рёскин 81–82).

A comparative study of immigrant-native segregation at multiple spatial scales in urban Europe

ABSTRACT There has been a strong degree of interest over the last 30 years towards immigrant segregation in Europe. This paper aims to contribute towards the existing body of research by extending the multi-scalar analysis of patterns of immigrant residential segregation into a coherent international comparative study of cities of different sizes. We investigate the patterns of immigrant-native segregation at different geographical scales, along with their correlates, in more than a hundred cities in 2011 across Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Our findings suggest that cities in the UK are the most highly segregated in Europe. The positions of the other countries in the ‘European segregation ranking’ depend upon the considered immigrant group and spatial scale. The national context is consistently the most important factor in understanding segregation at multiple spatial scales. However, even while taking into account the national contexts, the structural-ecological factors remain important predictors of segregation patterns in Europe.

A global analysis of multifaceted urbanization patterns using Earth Observation data from 1975 to 2015

Urbanization as a global phenomenon is a multifaceted process. Here we do the first global attempt to characterize the complexity of urbanization from 1975 to 2015 in terms of population, built-up structure, and greenness per 5 × 5 km2 grid covering global inhabited areas, using Earth Observation data sources. Our results emphasize the multifaceted nature of urbanization that varies greatly across regions and times, in addition to the steady expansion of built-up land. Increased population density and built-up patch density were the dominant characteristics in Asia and Africa, while urbanization in Europe and North America took a rather steady pace, combined with widespread greening. According to the urbanization types identified by a self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm, a large proportion of urban and suburban areas experienced two dynamic urbanization types – built-up extension/leapfrog and built-up infill with large population increase. During different historical periods (1975–1990, 1990–2000, and 2000–2015), annual rates of increase in population and built-up density were slowing coinciding with an increasing greenness – signaling that urbanization processes are becoming less intense, more compact, and ‘greener’ over the most recent period. Our findings facilitate the comprehensive understanding of global urbanization that is a complex process with many local variations and characteristics, and underscore the need for region-based strategies towards sustainable development instead of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy for cities.

The impact of skills and training on local development

The impact of skills and training on local development

Big city, little worries? Little city, big worries? How immigration levels and city size shape safety perceptions in urban Europe

With increasing immigration in European cities, questions surrounding social inclusion and exclusion rise. Although research has often analyzed how the size of the immigrant population in a country or a neighborhood relates to perceptions of safety (even though there is no demonstrated link between immigration and crime), research has not analyzed the presence of immigrants in the wider city, despite the fact that cities are highly diverse places that comprise the daily rounds of most residents. In our study, we analyze how the size of the non-EU immigrant population in a city is linked with how Europeans perceive safety in their neighborhood and their city. Using a survey of approximately 28,000 Europeans from 63 cities in 25 countries, our multilevel binary logistic regression analyses show three primary findings. First, urban Europeans on average feel more unsafe in their cities than their neighborhoods. Second, city-level percentage non-EU born is important only in conjunction with a moderator: city population size. We find that respondents feel more unsafe in cities with more non-EU immigrants in less populous cities, but in more populous cities respondents feel safer in cities with more non-EU immigrants. Third, in an analysis of subset of cities for which crime data were available, the second finding holds when controlling for homicide rates. Our conclusions connect how cities can be an important scale to understand links between immigration and fear of crime.

Simon Gunn and Tom Hulme (eds.), New Approaches to Governance and Rule in Urban Europe since 1500. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2020, xviii + 285pp. 14 figures. 1 table. £120 hbk. £36.99 ebk.

Simon Gunn and Tom Hulme (eds.), New Approaches to Governance and Rule in Urban Europe since 1500. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2020, xviii + 285pp. 14 figures. 1 table. £120 hbk. £36.99 ebk. - Volume 48 Issue 3

Vera Bácskai and her significance in the development of European urban history: a personal account

AbstractThis account of Vera Bacskai's contribution to European urban history after 1990 is a personal narrative, written by a friend and collaborator. It argues that her role was multi-dimensional. It was founded on her major publications on Budapest and small towns, shedding a crucial East Central European light on European urbanization. It was underpinned by her participation in various international projects like the EU TEMPUS programme which created strong institutional bonds with Western universities as well as opportunities for Hungarian students through exchange programmes, international workshops and the like. Not least, she was a strong pillar in the construction of the European Association for Urban History. When she joined the committee in 1991, it was still an embryonic body. In 1996, she organized the successful and important Budapest conference. When she retired from EAUH in 2004, its conferences were attracting many hundreds of researchers, from across Europe and beyond.

PROBLEMS OF URBANIZATION AND DEURBANIZATION IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

The features of the urbanization process in the modern world are considered. The demographic and historical prerequisites of urbanization in the industrial era (on the example of Europe) are highlighted in a historical retrospective. It was found that successful and rapid urbanization in Europe during the modern era became possible due to the surplus of the rural population, industrial demand for labor, and the existence of effective state and municipal management. The main prerequisites for deurbanization (ruralization) in modern developed regions are presented. It is shown that deurbanization (ruralization) in developed regions is a serious problem due to possible large-scale negative consequences for entire regions of the world, which is considered within the framework of international security. Specific features of the urbanization process in developing regions are analyzed; attention is focused on the fact that the process of urbanization in these regions is largely due to demographic pressure combined with the absence of demand for this size of the workforce in cities and with the absence of effective state / municipal institutions and infrastructure. Dangerous consequences for developing states and regions of a socio-political and economic nature from such a rapid urbanization are considered. The peculiarity of deurbanization in the developed regions of the world and the rapid urbanization of a significant part of the developing regions are revealed. It is shown that such opposite tendencies as deurbanization (ruralization) in developed regions and the process of rapid urbanization in developing regions is a deviation from the balanced model of urbanization that was formed during the modern era, and pose a risk and threat to national, regional and international security , since they create imbalances that can cause socio-political and economic instability in states and regions.

Seeking (desperately) for gentrification? Population change, immigration and economic recovery in a Mediterranean city

AbstractUrban dynamics in European Mediterranean countries reflect a mosaic of responses to different economic impulses. Suspended between suburbanisation and reurbanisation, socio‐economic development in Southern Europe outlines a possible ‘Mediterranean’ path to gentrification that deserves further investigation. By considering together population, housing, business dynamics and specific aspects of life quality, we developed a quali‐quantitative analysis of urban dynamics and gentrification processes in postcrisis Athens, Greece. The political side of gentrification, informal planning and the difficulty to stabilise a nexus with inner city rehabilitation accounts for the heterogeneous outcomes of urban transformations in Southern Europe. In such contexts, inner city gentrification was interpreted as an informal process consolidating a social mix similar to the most advanced cities in Western Europe. Our study delineates a Mediterranean perspective to inner city gentrification, reconnecting these processes with more general socio‐economic conditions, and demonstrates the intrinsic advantage of quali‐quantitative assessments of gentrification patterns and processes in urban Europe. A refined knowledge of these processes—also in light of more recent urban crises (e.g., driven by the pandemic challenge)—finally provides an interpretative key for a better management of inner city gentrification, not only in advanced economies but also in emerging (or peripheral) contexts.

The Effectiveness of Integral Urban Strategies: Policy Theory and Target Scale. The European URBAN I Initiative and Employment

Integrated urban development strategies are shaping a new policy frame to cope with the complexity of urban problems. This implies multi-level policy mixes involving multiple goals, the collaboration between different actors, and policy theories based on complementarity between different policy tools (and their causal processes). As in other policies, the third aspect has been less analysed. This article studied the theory behind policy mixes developed in the European Union URBAN I Initiative framework and the effects on its employment inclusion goal. The policy theory suggests complementary effects between policy actions oriented toward economic activities and those oriented at increasing employment skills to, in turn, increase residents’ inclusion in the labour market. The quasi-experimental approach applied at the neighbourhood level in Spain showed a moderate influence on employment among the youngest age cohorts and a more evident impact on business density. Nevertheless, evidence concerning the complementarity between actions oriented at improving labour market demand and labour market supply in targeted neighbourhoods suggested in the program theory is less convincing. This exercise showed the methodological challenges in assessing the effectiveness of integral urban initiatives and offered some suggestions regarding the policy theory behind them through a European Union case.

Comparing different data sources by examining the associations between surrounding greenspace and children's weight status

BackgroundStudies on the association between surrounding greenspace and being overweight in childhood show inconsistent results, possibly because they differ widely in their definition and measurement of surrounding greenspace. Our aim was to evaluate whether the association of greenspace with being overweight depends on the measurement of greenspace in different data sources.MethodsBased on data from the school entry examinations of 22,678 children in the city of Hannover, Germany, from 2010 to 14, the association between greenspace availability and overweight was examined. Three different sources of greenspace availability were derived for a set of 51 areas of the city: The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the OpenStreetMap (OSM) dataset, and the European Urban Atlas (UA) dataset. Agreement between the indicators on the quantity of greenspace coverage was compared. The association with children's BMI z-score, including potential interaction terms, was assessed using multilevel regression analysis.ResultsGreenspace availability per district area derived by NDVI was on average 42%, by OSM 29% and UA 22%, with OSM and UA being strongly correlated. Only the greenspace availability derived by NDVI showed an association with children's BMI z-score: The higher the greenspace availability was, the lower the BMI. The trend of association was higher for boys and migrant children than for girls and non-migrants and was restricted to the highest levels of greenspace availability.ConclusionsAssociations of greenspace with children's weight status depend on the greenspace measurement chosen. Surrounding greenspace was measured more comprehensively by NDVI. Data sources based on land use categories such as UA and OSM may be less suitable to reflect surrounding greenspace relevant for health outcomes. Potential mechanisms warrant further analysis and investigation.

Metabolic-associated Fatty Liver Disease as Assessed by the Fatty Liver Index Among Migrant and Non-migrant Ghanaian Populations

Background and AimsMetabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is driven by high caloric intake and sedentary lifestyle. Migration towards high income countries may induce these driving factors; yet, the influence of such on the prevalence of MAFLD is clearly understudied. Here, we investigated the Fatty Liver Index (FLI), a proxy of steatosis in MAFLD, after migration of Ghanaian subjects.MethodsCross-sectional data of 5282 rural, urban and migrant participants from the Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants (also known as RODAM) study were analyzed with logistic regression for geographical differences in FLI and associations with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), waist-to-hip ratio, and 10-year predicted risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).ResultsBoth FLI and the proportion with an FLI indicative of MAFLD steatosis (FLI ≥60) were higher in migrants compared with non-migrants. Prevalence of elevated FLI (FLI ≥60) in non-migrant males was 4.2% compared to 28.9% in migrants. For females, a similar gradient was observed, from 13.6% to 36.6% respectively. Compared to rural residents, the odds for a FLI ≥60 were higher in migrants living in urban Europe (odds ratio [OR] 9.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.02–16.20 for men, and 4.00, 95% CI: 3.00–5.34 for women). Compared to controls, the ORs for FLI ≥60 were 2.43 (95% CI: 1.73–3.41) for male T2DM cases and 2.02 (95% CI: 1.52–2.69) for female T2DM cases. One-unit higher FLI was associated with an elevated (≥7.5%) 10-year ASCVD risk (OR: 1.051, 95% CI: 1.041–1.062 for men, and 1.020, 95% CI: 1.015–1.026 for women).ConclusionsFLI as a proxy for MAFLD increased stepwise in Ghanaians from rural areas, through urban areas, to Europe. Our results clearly warrant awareness for MAFLD in migrant population as well as confirmation with imaging modalities.

Carbohydrate-dense snacks are a key feature of the nutrition transition among Ghanaian adults - findings from the RODAM study.

BackgroundAfrican populations in sub-Saharan Africa and African migrants in Europe are facing a rapid upsurge in obesity. This trend has been related to urbanization, migration and associated shifts in lifestyle, including dietary habits. Whether changes in eating patterns contribute to the rising burden of obesity among African populations is currently unknown.ObjectiveOur aims in conducting this study were to characterize eating patterns among Ghanaian adults living in their country of origin and in Europe and to explore associations of meal patterns with body mass index (BMI).DesignWithin the cross-sectional RODAM (Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants) study, data of single 24-h dietary recalls from Ghanaian adults in rural Ghana (n = 20), urban Ghana (n = 42), and Europe (n = 172) were recorded. Eating frequencies, energy intake, and macronutrient composition of eating occasions (EOs, i.e. meals or snacks) were compared between study sites based on descriptive statistics and χ2-/Kruskal–Wallis tests.ResultsA rising gradient of EO frequencies from rural Ghana through urban Ghana to Europe was observed, mainly reflecting the differences in snacking frequencies (≥1 snack per day: 20 vs. 48 vs. 52%, P = 0.008). Meal frequencies were similar across study sites (≥3 meals per day: 30 vs. 33 vs. 38%, P = 0.80). Meals were rich in carbohydrates (median 54.5, interquartile range (IQR): 43.2–64.0 energy%) and total fats (median: 27.0, IQR: 19.9–34.4 energy %); their protein content was lowest in rural Ghana, followed by urban Ghana and Europe (P = 0.0005). Snacks mainly contained carbohydrates (median: 75.7, IQR: 61.0–89.2 energy%). In linear regression analyses, there was a non-significant trend for an inverse association between snacking frequencies and BMI.Discussion and conclusionsThe observed integration of carbohydrate-dense snacks into the diet supports the growing evidence for a nutrition transition among African populations undergoing socioeconomic development. This analysis constitutes a starting point to further investigate the nutritional implications of increased snacking frequencies on obesity and metabolic health in these African populations.

Mapping Local Climate Zones and Their Applications in European Urban Environments: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Development Trends

In the light of climate change and burgeoning urbanization, heat loads in urban areas have emerged as serious issues, affecting the well-being of the population and the environment. In response to a pressing need for more standardised and communicable research into urban climate, the concept of local climate zones (LCZs) has been created. This concept aims to define the morphological types of (urban) surface with respect to the formation of local climatic conditions, largely thermal. This systematic review paper analyses studies that have applied the concept of LCZs to European urban areas. The methodology utilized pre-determined keywords and five steps of literature selection. A total of 91 studies were found eligible for analysis. The results show that the concept of LCZs has been increasingly employed and become well established in European urban climate research. Dozens of measurements, satellite observations, and modelling outcomes have demonstrated the characteristic thermal responses of LCZs in European cities. However, a substantial number of the studies have concentrated on the methodological development of the classification process, generating a degree of inconsistency in the delineation of LCZs. Recent trends indicate an increasing prevalence of the accessible remote-sensing based approach over accurate GIS-based methods in the delineation of LCZs. In this context, applications of the concept in fine-scale modelling appear limited. Nevertheless, the concept of the LCZ has proven appropriate and valuable to the provision of metadata for urban stations, (surface) urban heat island analysis, and the assessment of outdoor thermal comfort and heat risk. Any further development of LCZ mapping appears to require a standardised objective approach that may be globally applicable.

The Bagua as an Intermediary between Archaic Chinese Geomancy and Early European Urban Planning and Design

Present-day concerns with urban design for pedestrians largely surround the issue of microclimate in streetscapes. Such concerns are not new and have been extensively discussed during the European Renaissance. Western historical references on urban design and microclimate primarily converge on a single source: The octagonal, radial-centric plan of an ideal city in Book I of the Ten Books of Architecture written in the late first century BCE by Marcus Vitruvius Polio. As his own source Vitruvius pointed to the Tower of the Winds in Athens, designed c. 50 BCE by Andronicus of Cyrrhus on an octagonal plan, respectful of eight wind directions. We posit that octagonal Bagua geomantic map made its way from Chang’an in China to Cyrrhus in western Asia during the first century BCE, and was possibly one of two sources that stirred Andronicus toward his design of the tower, the other source being the Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria. The Bagua corresponds to the Luo Shu magic square that guided the ideal city plan of Han China, while the octagon, through Vitruvius, inspired several city plans in Renaissance and Baroque Europe. Beyond the rainbow of multiple impact on Roman urbanism from neighboring civilizations, the ancient Chinese ideal city plan through the intermediary of the Bagua, may also have played a role in Vitruvius’ own ideal city plan, by way of the Tower of the Winds. The environmental message of the Bagua, thus, has possibly carried an indirect impact upon Renaissance and Baroque urbanism, and upon urbanist concerns lasting to this day.

Parties courting Muslim voters in Belgium’s local elections: electoral incentives and ideological tensions

ABSTRACT This study examines how political parties in urban Europe are responding to the changing demographic landscape, by focusing on a growing population of immigrant origin voters from Muslim majority countries. The 2018 communal elections in Brussels provide an opportunity to examine how party ideology and commune-level demography interact to make Muslim candidate nominations, and ultimately their election, more or less likely. While generally true that parties of the Left nominate and elect more Muslims than do parties of the Right, by far the greatest difference in inclusiveness was identified within the Left, between the Socialists and the Greens. And while the Greens had a good result in these elections, they did so in communes where fewer Muslims concentrate. While this may not be as important at the national level, where voting rights are more restricted, it suggests the need to qualify claims that electoral incentives - and demography – trump ideology in competitive electoral contexts.

Europe and/or the UK: Post-Brexit urban and regional development futures – A special issue

It was over 25 years ago that European Urban and Regional Studies was launched at a time of epochal change in the composition of the political, economic and social map of Europe. Brexit has been described as an epochal moment – and at such a moment, European Urban and Regional Studies felt it should offer the space for short commentaries on Brexit and its impact on the relationships of place, space and scale across the cultural, economic, social and political maps of the ‘new Europes’. Seeking contributions drawing on the theories, processes and patterns of urban and regional development, the following provides 10 contributions on Europe, the UK and/or their relational geographies in a post-Brexit world. What the drawn-out and highly contested process of Brexit has done for the populace, residents and ex-pats of the UK is to reveal the inordinate ways in which our mental, everyday and legal maps of the regions, nations and places of the UK in Europe are powerful, territorially and rationally inconsistent, downright quirky at times but also intensely unequal. First, as the UK exits the Single Market, the nature of the political imagination needed to create alternatives to the construction of new borders and new divisions, even within a discourse of creating a ‘global Britain’, remains uncertain. European Urban and Regional Studies has always been a journal dedicated to the importance of pan-European scholarly integration and solidarity and we hope that it will continue to intervene in debates over what alternative imaginings to a more closed and introverted future might look like. Second, as the impacts of COVID-19 continue to change in profound ways how we think, work and travel across European space, we will need to find new forms of integration and new forms of engagament in intellectual life and policy development. European Urban and Regional Studies remains commited to forging such forms.