Great Cities Research Articles

Urban Greening in the Process of Climate Change Adaptation of Large Cities

Cities—being places where both growth at large and human activity concentrate to the maximum extent, as well as being places of creation, innovation, and development—have been facing the challenge of adaptation to changing climate conditions. Successive greening of urban spaces is becoming an indicator of civilisational progress and one of the most important aspects of sustainable urban development and quality of life of city dwellers. It also represents a part of the sustainable management of natural resources and energy in the urban environment. This article addresses the subject of urban space greening, perceived as one of the ways of mitigating the effects of climate change. The study focuses on a comparative analysis of various planning and implementing activities related to green areas, as well as on available quantitative data on the greening and climate change adaptation of 44 Polish cities with urban adaptation plans (UAPs) in place. The research, covering the years 2017–2023, identifies the variety of urban greening methods, initiatives, and tools used in the process of urban planning and urban design. The results of the study showed that measures planned by local authorities lacked detailed tools as well as a long-term and systemic approach to greenery, energy, and space management. On the other hand, what was observed in the implementation was an apparent prevalence of urban acupuncture spots and a failure to make the most of all the benefits of the adaptive, social, and ecosystem-forming role of urban greening. The authors imply that their research can be used to formulate conclusions and guidelines for urban development policies which highlight the role and raise the importance of the greening of Polish cities under all urban investments, particularly in the process of adaptation of urban areas to climate change.

The effect of green fiscal policy on green technological innovation: evidence from energy saving and emission reduction fiscal policy.

The "National Comprehensive demonstration of Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Fiscal Policy" (ESER policy) is a green fiscal policy to facilitate China's green sustainable development. Green sustainable development is facilitated by green technological innovation. Thus, evaluating the influence of the ESER policy on green technological innovation is essential. This study employs the difference-in-differences model to assess the ESER policy effects. The findings suggest that the ESER policy facilitates green technological innovation, but the policy effect has inhibited green technology innovation in neighboring cities. Mechanism analysis indicates that this policy effect is realized through increasing scientific research investment intensity and promoting industrial structure upgrading. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that this policy is effective in facilitating green technological innovation when performed in eastern, non-old industrial base, non-resource-based, and high green innovation level cities. In addition, the ESER policy implemented in conjunction with innovation policy can be more effective in promoting green technological innovation. These results provide valuable insights for improving the ESER policy and offer helpful guidelines for green fiscal policymaking in other countries.

Towards Green and Smart Cities: Urban Transport and Land Use

Over the past 60 years, global urbanization and the widespread adoption of motorization have significantly altered urban land use patterns and transport system structure [...]

Exploiting machine learning to tackle peculiar consumption of electricity in power grids: A step towards building green smart cities

AbstractThe increasing demand for electricity in daily life highlights the need for Smart Cities (SC) to use energy efficiently. Both technical and Non‐Technical Losses (NTL), particularly those resulting from electricity theft, present powerful obstacles; NTL alone can reach billions of dollars. Although Machine Learning (ML) based approaches for NTL detection have been embraced by numerous utilities, there is still a lack of thorough analysis of these methods. Limited research exists on NTL identification evaluation criteria and unbalanced data management in the context of SC. This research compares ML algorithms and data balancing methods to optimize electricity consumption detection. The given research applied the 15 ML techniques of Logistic regression, Bernoulli naive Bayes, Gaussian naive Bayes, K‐Nearest Neighbour, perceptron, passive‐aggressive classifier, quadratic discriminant analysis, SGD classifier, ridge classifier, linear discriminant analysis, decision tree, nearest centroid classifier, multi‐nomial naive Bayes, complement naive Bayes and dummy classifier. While SMOTE, AdaSyn, NRAS, and CCR are considered for data balancing. AUC, F1‐score, and seven relevant performance metrics were used for comparison. We have also implemented SHapely Additive exPlanations (SHAP) for feature importance and model interpretation. Results show varying classifier performance with different balancing methods, emphasizing data preprocessing's role in NTL detection for smart grid security.

Population status of proboscis monkeys in Balikpapan Bay and their potential survival challenges in Nusantara, the proposed new capital city of Indonesia.

Populations of rare and endangered species are nowadays in peril due to large-scale habitat conversion, and even sizeable and stable populations are confronted with unexpected challenges. We conducted a full census of a proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) population in Balikpapan Bay and located 292 one-male-multifemale units and 67 all-male units in 2022. Using data on average group size, subsampled from Balikpapan Bay, we estimated a total population size of 3907 individuals. The rate of proboscis monkey habitat loss in Balikpapan Bay has been slowing down to the current 0.69% per year. It is predicted that habitat recovery may exceed habitat loss after 13years. The Indonesian capital city relocation was announced in 2019 with spatial plans designed to cover a total land area of 2,560 km2 across various habitats until 2045. A total number of 1449 individuals (37.08% of the population) were found on 80.55 km2 (41.29%) of habitat that overlapped with current spatial plans of Nusantara Capital city. The construction work just started; before that, the government had already claimed it would be a "smart, green, beautiful, and sustainable city". We, therefore, include our recommendations to mitigate the impact of the construction and to pursue the goal to construct the most sustainable capital city, concerning local biodiversity and thus become a pioneer in a new direction of proboscis monkey conservation.

Green Horizons: Enhancing Customer Satisfaction through Quality Experiences, Mediated by Green Perceived Value and Green City Image in Kota Lebong Tourism, Bengkulu Province

Pupose: The objective of this research is to comprehensively analyze the relationship between experience quality and customer green satisfaction, as well as to investigate the mediating roles of green city image and green perceived value in the context of environmentally friendly tourist destinations.
 Method:This study employs a quantitative-explanatory approach with the population of focus being all visitors to tourist attractions in Lebong City, Bengkulu Province. The exact size of this population cannot be determined. The total sample size for this study is 360 respondents. And analysed using SEM-PLS.
 Result: The result of this study reveals experience quality influence green satisfaction, green city image, and green perceived value. Also, both green city image and green perceived value mediated the relationship between experience quality on green satisfaction.

Ants Density of Odontomachus sp. and Its Ecological Role in Kendari City Green Open Space

The degradation of environmental quality has become a global problem today. One way to address this is by providing green open spaces that help maintain environmental quality. Kendari city has a number of green open spaces (RTH) including, RTH in Baruga sub-district, Kendari mayor's office area and in Nanga-nanga botanical garden of Kendari city. This study aims to determine the density and ecological role of ants (Odontomachus sp.) in green open spaces in Kendari city. The method used in this study was hand sorting using ring samples with a diameter of 20 cm and a height of 15 cm in a plot measuring 25 m x 25 m consisting of 25 sampling points with a distance of 5 m per point. Data analysis was carried out by calculating the density at each research location, namely Baruga green space, mayor's park and Nanga-nanga botanical garden. The results showed that the highest density of ants (Odontomachus sp.) was found in the mayor's park with 16 ind/m2. The ecological role of ants (Odontomachus sp.) in Kendari city green open space is an important role in bioturbation and natural predators of soil fauna such as termites and earthworms.

Sustainable Development-Based Approaches to Urban Recovery and Prosperity

The study found that a comprehensive approach based on sustainable development is needed to rebuild cities after conflict or war. The process of rebuilding and developing can be lengthy, but it’s important to ensure that the city develops in a harmonious way, considering economic, social and environmental aspects. Important trends towards sustainable urban development and ensuring its economic, social and environmental sustainability are reflected in modern approaches to urban development. This means that urban planning and regeneration should consider not only material aspects, but also socio-cultural and environmental factors that affect the quality of life of those living in the city and the overall development of the city. Innovative technologies, energy efficiency, green building and social aspects are key to the improvement of infrastructure and quality of life in regenerated cities. The introduction of the latest technologies, which are important for the sustainable development of cities and their future viability, helps to reduce waste, rationalise the use of resources and preserve the environment. It is important to note that green cities are an important component of sustainable development in the modern world. These green city models are a valuable reference point for Ukraine and other countries in planning and implementing environmental initiatives in the urban environment. Approaches to creating green and sustainable cities vary. However, they all aim to ensure the quality of life of residents and the economic development of regions. It is important to bear in mind that green cities have the potential to improve the quality of life of the population, to contribute to the preservation of the environment and to the sustainability of the urban environment. Living and working conditions in cities can be gracefully improved and contribute to sustainable development at various levels by implementing effective development strategies inspired by these models. The study confirms that through the development of infrastructure and social initiatives aimed at creating a comfortable and safe environment for living and personal development, it is possible to improve the quality of life of city residents. In order to support sustainable urban development and improve the lives of residents, it is important to continue research in this area and to put the found approaches into practice. As a result of the study, recommendations have been developed to implement certain positions and conceptual approaches in the practice of urban renewal and development to create sustainable, cost effective and comfortable conditions for residents. The recommendations cover important areas such as innovative technologies, sustainable development, social aspects, getting the local community involved and financial stability. Applying these recommendations will help create cities that are environmentally friendly, energy efficient and liveable for their inhabitants.

Integrated Sustainable Cities, Among the Great Challenges of The Future

This study aims to outline a new model of sustainable urban development starting from the concept of ‘green city’. The need to adopt a new paradigm in urban development is necessary both in view of the accelerated evolution of population growth at urban level and the rapid degradation of environmental factors and living conditions in these areas.

Radiation effect or siphon effect? Coupled coordination and spatial effects of digital economy and green manufacturing efficiency-Evidence from spatial Durbin modelling.

This study uses the non-expected SBM-DEM model of factor input-output to measure the green manufacturing efficiency of 274 cities at prefecture level and above in China. The relationship between digital economy and green manufacturing efficiency is analysed on this basis. It is found that the current coupling coordination between digital economy and green manufacturing efficiency is low overall, and there are obvious regional differences. And the digital economy has a significant positive impact on the green manufacturing efficiency of the region and the neighbouring regions, so the digital economy has a radiation effect on the green manufacturing efficiency. Among them, industrial agglomeration plays part of the mediating effect. Based on this conclusion, the following policy recommendations are proposed: first, accelerate the development of the digital economy to stimulate the new kinetic energy of urban green development. Second, implement differentiated development strategies, focusing on the leading role of green advanced cities. Third, deepen the convergence of industries and smooth the channels for green urban development.

Research on TOD Development and Location Selection among All Urbanized Areas – A case study in China

Currently, China is in the period of rapid urbanization and gradual improvement of the rail transportation network. With the increasing population in towns, the construction of many cities has become blind and disorderly to meet people’s housing needs, resulting in traffic congestion, uneven distribution of resources, and other “big city diseases” more serious. From the urban construction experience of developed countries, the mode that urban rail transportation and urban development complement each other and develop together, that is, the regional-wide TOD construction, is an effective way to promote sustainable urban development. This paper focuses on how to select the stations of the rail transit for priority development of TOD projects (TOD development advance sites) within the whole area of the town. When selecting stations, the investment potential and regional driving ability of each station are taken into consideration to make a comprehensive evaluation of each rail transit station, so that the TOD development advance sites can drive the gradual development of its surrounding areas and finally form an urban renewal pattern of interoperability and integrated development of the whole area. With this method, we can effectively solve the current situation of blind and disorderly construction of TOD and various problems in urban development in China, and help to build efficient, green, and livable cities in various places.

Management of Green Open Spaces in the Malang City Region, Indonesia

Based on Malang City Regional Regulation Number 4 of 2011 concerning Regional Spatial Planning in Malang City, regulations have been regulated regarding the existence, management, and availability of green open space in Malang City as an ecological balance in the Malang City area. However, this policy has only partially influenced green open space development, especially city parks. So currently, the Malang City government is managing and revitalizing several green open spaces (RTH) areas and city parks; even though they need to be improved, such funding problems hamper them. This research uses descriptive research with a qualitative approach. The research location was carried out at the Malang City Environmental Service. The data sources are primary data and secondary data. The data collection techniques used were observation, interviews, and documentation. For data analysis techniques in this research, we use techniques from Miles and Huberman, namely data collection, data condensation, data presentation, and data verification. The research results explain that budget problems have resulted in managing green open spaces limited to maintenance activities. This can be seen from indicators in policy implementation, which include the communication factor, namely the clarity of policy orders from the city government to the implementing organization, even though there has been no form of socialization to the public. The next factor is resources in the form of limited regional income and expenditure budgets, limiting the management of green open spaces. The third factor is good cooperation and coordination between related areas and regional apparatus organizations from within and outside the organization, such as the private sector or corporate social responsibility (CSR).Fourth, the bureaucratic structure, namely the organizational structure, the appropriate division of tasks and functions, and standard operational procedures have been implemented in green open space for the environmental service.

Building Nusantara: a comparative study on capital city relocation and the path towards a smart, sustainable urban future

Nusantara, the planned new capital city of Indonesia, aspires to be a green, smart, and sustainable city. This paper explores the political, economic, and social dimensions of Nusantara's development, focusing on the strategic decision to relocate the capital from Jakarta. The research analyzes the challenges and trade-offs involved in balancing environmental conservation with the need for urban development. It evaluates the policies and initiatives implemented to achieve the vision of a smart and sustainable city, considering the integration of technology, digital infrastructure, and data management. Drawing on comparative analysis, the paper examines historical parallels and precedents in capital relocation projects worldwide to derive lessons for Nusantara's development. The findings highlight the importance of environmental governance, public participation, and stakeholder engagement in achieving a sustainable and inclusive urban environment. The paper concludes with recommendations for policymakers and identifies avenues for future research in the field of sustainable urban development and capital relocation.

Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Dermatology in Smart Green Cities: Exploring Deep Learning Models for Accurate Skin Lesion Recognition

Smart and sustainable dermatology takes on a new dimension within Green Smart Cities with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into dermatological diagnosis. This study explores the success of deep learning models in accurately recognizing skin lesions, focusing on the use of the HAM10000 dataset. Our comparative analysis highlights the crucial impact of network architecture choices, data augmentation, and preprocessing on model performance.The results reveal that models leveraging transfer learning and fine-tuning on pre-trained networks excel in precision, underscoring their relevance in the context of smart green health. We also address opportunities for improvement in model generalization across diverse datasets and skin types. These findings provide a foundation for the development of more accurate skin lesion recognition models aligned with the principles of Green Smart Health, contributing to faster diagnostics, improved patient care, and ultimately, healthier Green Smart Cities.This work opens avenues for future research, such as exploring of the effectiveness of deep learning techniques in diverse health contexts and the integration of clinical data for more personalized dermatological diagnostics within Green Smart Cities.

Green Open Space Development as a Green City Concept Implementation Strategy (Case Study in Samarinda City)

The rapid growth and development of the city has been experienced by various regions, one of which is Samarinda City, which is the capital of East Kalimantan Province. As a result of the development of Samarinda City, causing environmental problems accompanied by other negative impacts. To deal with and solve these problems, the method determined by the Samarinda City government is by implementing the green city concept. One of them is the development of green open space as an indicator of the green city concept. Through observation, interviews and documentation, the results of the research were (1) only about 10% of Samarinda City’s green open spaces, (2) the constraints faced were limited land, insufficient budget, land acquisition, violations of provisions on land and building use, lack of coordination between implementers of RTH providers, as well as the lack of compliance and understanding of the public regarding green open spaces, (3) The strategy implemented by the Samarinda City Government in implementing the green city concept is, providing green open space through the ProBebaya program, increasing community compliance and implementing private green open space regulations, providing sanctions, and socialization of the importance of green open space.

Urban gardening education: User reflections on mobile application designs.

Mobile gardening applications offer a wide range of opportunities to shape the environmental behaviour of city dwellers, while stimulating action for greater access and contact with nature. Despite this, their educational potential is not sufficiently recognised and exploited. The aim of this qualitative research is to gain an in-depth understanding of the extent to which existing mobile apps can facilitate digital education for the development of green cities. For this purpose, the user insight approach has been applied. The study analyses 7 980 reviews of fourteen apps applications from Google Play Store. The results reveal the motivations behind users' decision to download urban gardening apps and the features that facilitate or hinder their use. The obtained results are relevant not only for green information systems research but also for app developers, and those involved in the urban education process: city authorities, urban educators, pro-environmental associations, and grassroots activists, among others.

КУПЕЧЕСКИЕ УСАДЬБЫ КАК ЧАСТЬ КУЛЬТУРНОГО ПРОСТРАНСТВА ПРОВИНЦИАЛЬНОГО ГОРОДА XIX — НАЧАЛА ХХ В.

The article presents the results of studying urban estates of provincial merchants based on a field survey of the preserved buildings of Yelabuga and analysis of various sources. The estate form of development determined the type of urban space of Yelabuga from the beginning of the 19th century and to the 1917 revolutionary upheavals. According to their purpose, merchant estates can be divided into residential and commercial-industrial, which was in many ways typical of the trading cities of the Central Russian zone. The structure of a merchant estate included a residential building, courtyard with outbuildings (stables, sheds, a glacier and a barn), bathhouse, one or two outbuildings, and garden plot. Geographically, the estates occupied plots measuring 17–20 acres, located on the sides of longitudinal streets and extended into the depths of the block. After the 1850 great city fire, each estate was fenced on two (and in some cases three) sides with firewall walls. The front of the house with a gate overlooked the red line of the street. The composition of the manor house was determined by the norms of regular urban planning, location, functional use of the territories, size and configuration of the land plot, as well as a local landscape. In the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries, when Yelabuga turned into a large commercial center, a new type of merchant estate, combining residential and trading functions, became widespread. On the estate territory, in addition to residential and commercial buildings, there were shops and stores, warehouses and storehouses. At the same time, the merchants began to pay considerable attention to the functional side of buildings, their convenience, comfort, lighting, and ventilation.

“THE ROLE OF THE ENDOWMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY OF THE RIBAT IN JERUSALEM DURING THE OTTOMAN ERA

The city of Jerusalem is one of the great cities in the hearts of all Muslims. God honoured the city by making it the first of the two Qiblahs and placed in it the third of the two holy mosques for Muslims. The city has the most famous and highest scientific centres. This distinction that the city had is one of the reasons that prompted many researchers to consider it in their studies to highlight the milestones Civilization in it from various aspects and in all historical eras. Scholars in Jerusalem took Ribat as places for reading and writing, and they were helped by the presence of libraries full of it. Ribat’s role was not limited to the cultural aspect, but extended to the political aspect. Ribat also played a role in the process of communication, monitoring, and early warning when the country was exposed to danger. The endowment (waqf) played an important role in the political, social and economic life in Palestine in general and Jerusalem in particular. The endowment included lands, real estate, and endowment properties that were allocated to a specific party. The educational endowment was the main source for the revival and development of Jerusalem educational institutions and the fulfillment of the purpose for which it was found. As well as continuing preserving lands from loss and leakage. This called for an independent administration of endowments within the state administration

Is St. Paul’s Cathedral the “Finest Building in the World”?

ABSTRACT: For the October 1900 issue of The Strand Magazine , Frederick Dolman asked nine leading architects of the day “Which is the Finest Building in the World?” Among the eight responses he received, three architects selected works by Sir Christopher Wren, with St. Paul’s Cathedral heading the list. Dolman framed his question as a search for a “present-day ideal” in architecture, and the architects’ answers reveal how in the late nineteenth century Wren’s works, and St. Paul’s in particular, served as architectural models in the creation of a “Wrenaissance.” At the same time as this renewal of interest in Wren’s work occurred the demolition of over a dozen of Wren’s city churches, raising the question of whether Wren’s works were understood as having value in their own right. Given The Strand was a magazine aimed at the general public, Dolman’s article points to a broader interest in Wren and his works beyond the architectural profession. This public interest in Wren is also evident in several late Victorian novels— Mrs. J. H. Riddell’s Mitre Court: A Tale of the Great City (1883), Sir Walter Bessant’s The Bell of St. Paul’s (1889), and Emma Marshall’s Under the Dome of St. Paul’s: A Story of Sir Christopher Wren’s Days (1898)—where Wren and his works are vividly portrayed. In addition to the fictional portrayals of Wren and architects’ commentaries on his works was the use of St. Paul’s Cathedral as a backdrop to some of the most prominent moments in London history, including funerals of dignitaries, and The Illustrated London News prominently displayed St. Paul’s Cathedral as a symbol of London on its masthead. This curious combination of popular and professional portrayals of Sir Christopher Wren and St. Paul’s Cathedral solidified their prominence in the Victorian imagination as symbolic of both the city of London and English nationalism.

High-Density City Green Sustainable Community Farm Planning Design-Based on the Poplar Area of East London

High-Density City Green Sustainable Community Farm Planning Design-Based on the Poplar Area of East London