Urban Infrastructure Investment Research Articles

Modelling the adverse impacts of urbanization on human health

Abstract Urbanization has been a growing trend for decades, but the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated this trend in several ways. In many countries, the pandemic has prompted significant investments in urban health infrastructure, including hospitals, clinics, and public health facilities. Also, there are many studies suggesting that COVID-19, urbanization, and chronic diseases are interconnected in several ways, and addressing one aspect requires a comprehensive approach that considers the interconnectedness of these factors. To date, there are no studies depicting COVID-19 as a cause of emerging chronic diseases within the urban population. To address this sensitive issue, we propose a mathematical model in which we divide the total human population into three compartments: susceptible, diseased, and recovered. We have obtained the equilibrium points of the model and the conditions for their local stabilities. A suitable Lyapunov function has been used to derive the condition for the global stability of the nontrivial equilibrium point. A detailed numerical simulation of the model has been carried out, which is followed by sensitivity analysis of the model system.

Large-scale urban road corridors development and urban sprawl in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana

This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/ Uncontrolled urban expansion is a characteristic feature of many cities of the global South. In this paper, we focus on how urban road infrastructure investments largely financed through bilateral and multilateral loans and grants inadvertently drive urban sprawl within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), Ghana. To do this qualitatively, we critically review the 1991 GAMA Strategic Plan along with other related documents and expert interviews. Based on the findings, we argue that GAMA’s growth trajectory runs counter to its spatial plans progressively instituted to achieve integrated urban land use management and resilience. Consequently, this has resulted in mere expansion of road corridors without consideration for policy recommendations regarding traffic management, land use planning, housing densification and infilling measures. We conclude that initiatives for urban planning and its sustainability in the global South, specifically for Accra, need to reflect on the implications of the infrastructure turn, especially the contributory factor of road corridors expansion to urban sprawl.

Research on the impact path of China’s environmental protection investment on green development—based on the perspective of industrial structure upgrading

As a special category of investment, environmental protection investment can provide important funds and technological support for a region, achieve green production, and promote green development. This article uses a benchmark regression model based on panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2007 to 2020 to analyze the impact of environmental protection investment on the level of green development. It specifically examines the effects of urban environmental infrastructure investment, industrial pollution control investment, and completion of environmental protection acceptance projects on the level of green development. It also explores how different regions can make use of environmental protection investment according to local conditions. Additionally, due to the spatial spillover effect of environmental protection investment, this article introduces the spatial Durbin model to study the spillover effects. Furthermore, in order to effectively promote green economic development through environmental protection investment, it is necessary to upgrade the industrial structure. Therefore, this article also uses the mediation effect model to explore the relationship between environmental protection investment, industrial structure upgrading, and the level of green development. The research findings are as follows: 1) environmental protection investment can promote the development of green level; 2) the various components of environmental protection investment have different effects on the level of green development. Urban environmental infrastructure investment has a promoting effect on the level of green economic development, while industrial pollution control investment and completion of environmental protection acceptance projects have a restraining effect; 3) environmental protection investment has a positive spillover effect in spatial terms, promoting the green development of surrounding areas while driving the local green development level; 4) as an important driving force for promoting green economic development, environmental protection investment relies on the support of industrial structure upgrading, and further optimization and upgrading of the industrial structure can achieve green economic development. Based on these findings, this article proposes that each region should increase environmental protection investment, implement the concept of green development, and leverage the positive impact of each component of environmental protection investment on local green development according to local conditions. At the same time, each region should also pay attention to the role of industrial structure upgrading and make rational use of environmental protection investment to promote green development.

Impact of digital city competitiveness on total factor productivity in the commercial circulation industry: evidence from China’s emerging first-tier cities

In the age of rapid technological advancement, the proliferation of digital technologies has reshaped urban landscapes, affecting economic, social, and environmental dynamics. Urban digital transformation is more than just a technological innovation; it stands at the core of future urban competitive strategies. As this trend evolves, the commercial circulation industry is poised for significant opportunities. However, the academic exploration into the relationship between the level of urban digitalization and the total factor productivity of the commercial circulation industry remains limited. To address this gap, this study employs data from 15 emerging first-tier cities in China. Initially, a Digital City Competitiveness Index was established, with results indicating Hangzhou taking the lead, while other cities were categorized into distinct tiers. Utilizing a two-way fixed-effects model, the research then investigates the impact of digital city competitiveness on the total factor productivity of the commercial circulation industry. The findings suggest that digital city competitiveness significantly enhances the total factor productivity within this industry. Furthermore, the study examines the influences of various sub-dimensions of digital city competitiveness on total factor productivity. Notably, investments in urban information infrastructure emerge as the most pronounced positive factor, followed by industrial development, innovation, services, and governance. In contrast, the urban ecosystem dimension exerts a negative impact. This research fills an existing void in the literature concerning the relationship between digital city competitiveness and total factor productivity, offering profound insights into the interplay between digital city development and its economic benefits. In addition, the conclusions provide policy implications for decision-makers, highlighting the importance of bolstering urban information infrastructure, encouraging enterprises to innovate, fostering industrial clusters, enhancing urban service capabilities through digital means, elevating public participation, and emphasizing environmental conservation.

The middle classes and socio-spatial transformations in the metropolises of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo: 2000-2010

The first decade of the twenty-first century in Brazil was marked by significant economic, social and political changes: a substantial reduction in income inequalities; a considerable decline in unemployment and rise in formal employment; social policies lifted a sizable portion of the population out of poverty; and increased investments in education, health, housing, urban infrastructure, and culture, among others, all of which resulted in reducing inequalities on multiple levels. Against this background, and bearing in mind the historical dual character of the Brazilian city, the question that this article sets out to answer is: has the multidimensional reduction of inequalities resulted in a decline in urban segregation and inequalities? In view of the aforementioned changes, our hypothesis is that the answer to this question is positive. To demonstrate this, the article uses data from the 2000 and 2010 demographic censuses, and compares the metropolitan regions of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, based on significant methodological innovations in the way the categories of analysis are constructed, vis-à-vis the existing studies on the subject.

Research on the Efficiency of Urban Infrastructure Investment under the Constraint of Carbon Emissions, Taking Provincial Capitals in China as an Example

With the aggravation of the global climate problem, various countries are gradually formulating relevant policies and targets for carbon emission reduction in the infrastructure industry. Some countries or cities may have the problem of insufficient investment in infrastructure construction or blind investment, so it is urgent to carry out related research on the efficiency of infrastructure investment. From the perspective of carbon emission constraints, this study takes Chinese cities as the research case, and uses the unexpected output ultra-efficiency SBM model to measure the infrastructure investment efficiency and total-factor productivity from 2010 to 2020, and analyzes the influencing factors of infrastructure investment efficiency. The study found that (1) the regions with high infrastructure investment efficiency have the following two characteristics: the first relates to the cities with high investment, high output and fewer carbon emissions, and these cities rank at the forefront of economic development and scientific and technological level in the country. The second relates to the cities with high investment, high output and large carbon emissions. These cities have a large urban scale, their industrial structure is dominated by the secondary and tertiary industries, and their high output level plays a benign leading role. (2) Cities with low infrastructure investment efficiency are mainly manifest a large input of some infrastructure resources, low output level, high carbon emissions, and insufficient scale efficiency. (3) Economic level, industrial structure and fiscal expenditure play a positive role in improving the efficiency of infrastructure investment, and the development strategy of policies also affects the infrastructure investment mode. Finally, there are recommendations for the sustainable and high-quality development of infrastructure investment in developing countries.

PRIORITIES FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF STATE INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES AND INVESTMENT POLICY IN UZBEKISTAN

This article examines the priorities of financial support for state investment activities and investment policy in Uzbekistan. The governments focus on infrastructure development has been particularly effective in improving the countrys economic performance, with significant investments in transportation, energy, and urban infrastructure. The agricultural sector also plays a vital role in the countrys economy, accounting for approximately 27% of the countrys GDP in 2020. The government has implemented policies to support the sector, including the introduction of modern agricultural technologies and the establishment of agro-industrial parks. The countrys education system has also improved significantly, resulting in a higher literacy rate. Tourism is a growing industry in Uzbekistan, with the governments efforts to promote the countrys rich cultural heritage and historical sites. Continued efforts to attract foreign investment and promote economic growth will be essential in achieving the governments goals of becoming a middle-income country by 2030. KEYWORDS: Uzbekistan, investment policy, infrastructure development, agriculture, education, tourism, economic growth, foreign investment, agro-industrial parks.

Benefit-Cost Analysis of Green Infrastructure Investments: Application to Small Urban Projects in Hinesville, GA

Small scale urban green infrastructure projects can provide local ecological services that should be accounted for in project assessment. Benefits assessment can be expensive and time consuming; benefit transfer provides an economical alternative, but the quality of the analysis depends upon available data. A best-case scenario for many applications of benefit transfer is to utilize a conforming meta-analysis. In this paper, we use the meta-analysis of Bockarjova, et al. (2020) to predict ecological benefits of small scale urban green infrastructure investments in Hinesville, GA. In doing so, we implement a censoring procedure on the benefit transfer function to permit analysis of small-scale (less than one-hectare) projects. We find evidence of substantial net economic benefits, with estimates ranging from $738,312 to over $5.5 million; positive benefit-to-cost ratios are robust to substantial cost increases (4 times the estimated costs). We provide guidance for how to apply these methods to other contexts.

Challenges of post-conflict urban transportation reconstruction in Mogadishu, Somalia

Mogadishu has experienced continuous internal conflicts in the past two decades, which has destroyed most parts of the city. As a result, it faces daunting development challenges to overcome the legacy of the sustained conflicts and fragility. The capital city, Mogadishu, is a significant pillar in building statehood as it forms an integral part of the growth and development of the country. It essentially provides an environment for the revival of socio-cultural activities and economic productivity in post-civil war reconstruction. Urban sprawls from the influx of displaced populations have extended city and town limits in Somalia, and the capital city Mogadishu bears the blunt of this expansion. Urban transportation in Mogadishu is a significant challenge requiring critical attention. Massive investment in urban transportation infrastructure and networks is vital for the city's urban recovery and economic development. However, the literature shows the lack of information and relevant statistics to support transport planning. Many NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and international development agencies are currently conducting surveys to improve the data resource for the post-conflict planning, development and management of the city. This paper evaluates the urban transportation in Mogadishu by providing an assessment of the challenges and opportunities for the new Mogadishu City Transport Planning Approach (MCTPA). The paper's findings could serve as a template for reconstructing the other urban transport systems in other parts of the country.

An International Comparative Study on the Resilience of Urban Communities after COVID-19 Pandemic: A One-Year Case Study between Lanzhou, China and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

After the prevailing of the COVID-19 pandemic, urban communities around the world took initiatives to bring their cities back to life. In this research, 45 indicators and 55 elements were selected to make comparisons between urban communities in Lanzhou, China and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from five dimensions of social resilience, economic resilience, institutional resilience, infrastructural resilience, and community capital resilience. At the same time, the ArcGIS platform tool was used for spatial interpolation analysis. In this paper, the inverse distance weighting (IDW) method was used to carry out the spatial analysis of the perceived resilience of the two cities. Due to the heterogeneity of the neighborhood physical environment, operation and management mode, individual attribute characteristics, and internal relations, the resilience of the two urban communities showed disparity in different dimensions. Overall, the communities with good urban property management services, high-income owners, and the convenient transportation have stronger resilience in the face of pandemic. On the contrary, scattered communities, which are scattered in the inner cities, lack effective management, and based on unstable employment, people become the most affected by the epidemic with the lowest resilience power. The importance of social capital, represented by community understanding, identity, and mutual help and cooperation between neighbors, is highlighted in the resilience assessment of the two cities, respectively, in the East and West, indicating that to build more resilient cities, in addition to improving government management and increasing investment in urban infrastructure, building the residents' sense of belonging, identity, and enduring community culture is even more important in the construction of resilient cities.

Unlocking Land for Urban Agriculture: Lessons from Marginalised Areas in Johannesburg, South Africa

Amidst the global discourse on the identification of strategic land, there has been a growth in planning support systems aimed at assisting policymakers in unlocking the value of strategic land. Despite planning support systems’ immense benefit of aiding planning, there are limited planning support tools to aid communities in marginalised areas to unlock the value of land. Therefore, this study adopts a GIS-based approach to develop a planning support system to identify, quantify and visualise an index for urban agricultural land in a marginalised area. The proposed solution utilised Greater Orange farm, a marginalised area in the City of Johannesburg, as a case study to inform spatial planning for emerging economies. Using the Charrette visioning process, indigenous knowledge systems were incorporated in formulating the criteria, weights, and rulesets. The results reveal spatial sites ranked through an index where sustainable investment in urban agriculture infrastructure should be targeted. The developed index identifies suitable locations for urban agriculture infrastructure and supporting programs. Furthermore, the solution builds from the existing reservoir of PSS in Southern Africa by demonstrating the potential for planning support systems as sustainable data-based decision-making tools to inform spatial planning. Lessons emerging from this study are that there is an inseparable existential connection between indigenous knowledge systems and contemporary sustainability planning, which is critical for ensuring sustainable development.

Urban morphology and prediction models of microclimatic phenomena in dry atmospheric context

The morphological configuration of cities has a direct influence on microclimatic variation. The predominant built composition in certain areas, the high rates of waterproofed surfaces, vegetation scarcity and water surfaces can have a significant impact on the temperature and humidity values on inhabited areas, often exposing the population on unhealthy environments. The aim of this paper is to elaborate a prediction microclimatic model variation of four different Local Climate Zones (LCZ) exposed to a dry atmospheric condition in an altitude tropical region. The method was developed on three stages, the first one, refers to a collect campaign of temperature and humidity variation in four different urban environments, LCZ D, LCZ 1, LCZ 5 and LCZ 9 in São José do Rio Preto, Brazil. The representative microclimatic behavior of each area of ​​the city in relation to the performance of a dry air mass was recorded. The second stage involved the microclimatic collected data, which were submitted to a statistical analysis with ANOVA tests, serving as the basis for the development of prediction microclimatic models variation for each LCZs. After validating the models, it was verified, in the third stage, the urban area that presented morphological characteristics that allow the occurrence of high temperature waves and reduced indexes of relative humidity. The produced models for predicting urban microclimatic show a very high capacity of representation to estimate the temperature values in different areas of the city, since in all cases values of R exceed 80%. The results showed that the area with LCZ5 presents the longest periods of heat exposure, which should receive more attention from planners in relation to investments in urban green infrastructure.

The Unintended Consequences of Urban Community Infrastructure Investment for Consumption in China

Background: At a critical stage of the shift of economic growth, this work studied urban community infrastructure’s driving role in consumption, discusses the causes and action mechanisms of infrastructure in promoting residents’ consumption. Methods: Based on micro-household survey data, applying probit regression. Result: We found that community infrastructure, divided according to either its engineering or its service nature, has a great positive externality, significantly increasing the proportion of residents’ consumption, and that the driving force behind consumption in urban central areas, transportation, and environmental protection infrastructure is more obvious. Good urban community infrastructure facilitates residents’ production and promotes the efficient circulation of information, resources, and factors; improves residents’ subjective expectations; and brings more consumption opportunities so that community infrastructure significantly improves residents’ probability of consumption. Conclusion: In the context of economic transformation to a high-quality economy, we should pay attention to the key role of community infrastructure investment in structural transformation and choose urban central areas, capital-intensive industries, and transportation and environmental protection infrastructure as the investment focus so as to improve the consumption returns brought by infrastructure and achieve the transformation of the economy from an investment-driven one to an innovation-driven one.

DIFFERENTIAL OPTIMAL INVESTMENT TIMING DECISION MODEL FOR NONLINEAR DYNAMIC URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING SYSTEM

With the acceleration development of urbanization, the infrastructure construction plays an increasingly crucial role in the expansion process of cities. However, the existing decision-making methods of urban infrastructure investment still stay at the static level, resulting in a huge waste of resources, which does not meet the needs of dynamic urban development and management. Based on geometric Brownian motion, option function and the theory of real option, this paper establishes a dynamic differential optimal investment opportunity decision model applied to urban infrastructure construction. An example was then conducted to test the operability and application of the proposed model. The results confirm that the proposed approach contributes to improving the scientificity of urban infrastructure planning and construction, and realizing the maximization of infrastructure’s social value. Meanwhile, this paper contributes to promoting the development of city infrastructure investment decision-making methods from static to dynamic, and from partial to overall.

Evolution of the Spatial Pattern of the Assets and Environmental Liabilities Conversion Rate and Its Influencing Factors

With the extensive development of the economy, environmental degradation has become a serious global issue. How to ensure the sustainable development of regional environments has drawn widespread attention from governments, academia, and the public. As an index to measure the efficiency of financial expenditure on the environment by local governments, the assets and environmental liabilities conversion rate (AELCR), along with the spatial pattern changes it presents and the factors it is affected by, is worthy of in-depth study. This study took the AELCRs of 31 provinces in China from 2012 to 2017 as the research objects, analyzed their spatial patterns and evolution using GeoDa software, and explored their spatial distribution using a spatial econometric model. The results show that, on the whole, China’s provinces were characterized by unbalanced economic development and large gaps in development levels, and there were significant differences in the efficiencies of fiscal expenditure for environmental protection between regions. Overall, there was a negative correlation between China’s neighboring provinces, and there was strong heterogeneity between provinces with a low conversion efficiency and the surrounding provinces. Locally, most provinces did not show significant spatial correlation, while the local similarities of the AELCRs decreased from 2012 to 2017, and the heterogeneities increased. Through the analysis of influencing factors, it was found that the urbanization level and provincial R&D investment positively increased the AELCRs, where the positive impact of urbanization was more obvious; resource tax and urban infrastructure investment were negatively correlated with the conversion rates, and the negative impact of resource tax was greater. The findings of this study provide important theoretical and practical implications for local governments to reasonably allocate environmental expenditure and improve their conversion rate of assets and environmental liabilities.

A hybrid approach for examining the drivers of energy consumption in Shanghai

Increasing attentions have been paid to energy consumption problem due to ecology pressure. This has prompted a growing focus of policy design to explore the driving forces of energy consumption. As the biggest city in China, Shanghai ranks the 1st in economic aggregate in mainland China but faces greater energy shortage challenges than the other cities. In this study, we aim to investigate the energy consumption between 1990 and 2019 in Shanghai to facilitate the sustainable development of population, resources, and environment. Specifically, a hybrid approach coupling LMDI (logarithmic mean Divisia index) and Granger causality is adopted to decompose the influential factors of energy consumption and explores their potential relationships. The hybrid approach not only allows us to verify the contributions of energy consumption changes in the past (1990–2019), but also to identify the relationships between energy consumption and the potential factors. It is found that per urban population GDP (Gross Domestic Product) (accounting for 228.16 % contribution degree), infrastructure investment (accounting for 227.18 % contribution degree) and urbanization rate (accounting for 21.61 % contribution degree) are the top three driving forces of energy consumption. The Granger causality test shows that energy consumption has bilateral causality relationship with per urban population GDP, infrastructure investment and urbanization rate, but it has single Granger causality relationships with infrastructure investment population support coefficient and energy intensity in different lag lengths. Interestingly, our results indicate that the energy consumption, per urban population GDP, infrastructure investment and urbanization rate changes are closely related to urban policies or main events. Therefore, policy makers should not only make appropriate policies in infrastructure investment but also pay attention to the balance between energy consumption social-economic effects.

Study on the Value Model of Urban Green Infrastructure Development—A Case Study of the Central District of Taichung City

Urban green infrastructure has become an important concept for sustainable urban development. Regarding the joining up of green spaces into green networks, it can have major positive impacts on the environment, societies and economies, and ecology. This study proposes a value model for investing in urban green infrastructure, with impact factors including land use value, energy conservation value, carbon reduction, and disaster prevention value. It establishes that through the interaction between all four of these factors, urban green infrastructure investment increases net operating income. Additionally, as disaster prevention value increases, urban disaster risk declines, and this has an important positive effect on overall value. Our modeling also indicates that in the face of climatic extremes, the construction of urban green infrastructure is increasingly important, particularly in terms of energy value and disaster prevention value. Specific incentives and catalysts for promoting investment in urban green infrastructure are proposed.

Multi-Criteria Approach for Prioritizing and Managing Public Investment in Urban Spaces. A Case Study in the Triple Frontier

The aspirations of public administrations to meet quality parameters and standards in urban spaces have fostered new strategies and tools that allow users to give safety and well-being. The participation and interaction of different actors during decision-making in the context of allocation of public resources implies a significant degree of complexity when prioritizing actions in public works. The objective of the study focuses on obtaining an urban street condition index (USCI) that allows an efficient diagnosis of urban infrastructure. The study provides an innovation component for decision-making through the construction of guidelines to prioritize spending on investment in urban infrastructure. The case study has been developed in three countries, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina (Triple Border) with the aim of drawing management guidelines during the process in public entities. The results for Brazil and Argentina present streets with satisfactory USCI. Paraguay reflects a significant lack of urban infrastructure and compliance of accessibility regulations. Regarding the city of Foz de Iguazú, it has been observed that 50% of the roads require prevailing actions to improve the mobility of the roads; 40% of these reflect reduced mobility and deterioration of urban components, configured as an urgent action, and only 10% of the roads studied reflect adequate mobility conditions.

More than nature: Linkages between well-being and greenspace influenced by a combination of elements of nature and non-nature in a New York City urban park

This study examines the association between the elements of an urban greenspace and users’ subjective well-being (SWB). In addition to the urgency of addressing climate change, co-benefits such as health and well-being are stimulating increasing investment in urban green infrastructure. Previous studies have established a link between SWB and urban greenspace and identified connectedness to nature (CTN) as one contributor to this effect. Few studies, however, have examined the interactions of park elements as they contribute to CTN and SWB. The current work evaluates the relative importance of various elements of an urban greenspace for individuals’ feelings of SWB and CTN. Possible determinants are investigated through mixed-methods analysis using data from a rating task and interviews conducted with park users in Washington Square Park, NYC. Findings indicate (1) trees are the most important element of nature contributing to a majority of participants’ SWB and CTN, and (2) that for the majority of participants, SWB derives from both elements of nature and non-nature. Results also suggest that a majority of park users are responding to their experience of the park as a whole; this experience is identified as para-urban—characterized by occurring in a space set apart from the rest of the city.

Urban drinking water security in Gujarat

Gujarat has made important strides to ensure that most parts of the state become water secure. In 2005, Gujarat was one of the few states that recognized that its urban areas were its ‘engines of growth’ and made significant investments in urban infrastructure. A state-wide water supply grid was constructed to transfer inter-basin water from perennial surface water sources to water-scarce areas. While these schemes have improved household-level access to municipal water supply, service levels have not improved. In this paper, we argue that along with infrastructure creation, there is a need to focus on monitoring, operation and maintenance of existing system and improving efficiency. We analyze information available from the performance assessment system (PAS) setup by the CEPT University for monitoring of urban services in India. It has annual information of water service delivery in all the urban areas of Gujarat from 2010. We assess urban drinking water supply on three key aspects: equity, service quality and financial sustainability. We also identify a few key intervention areas related to increased accountability, efficiency and equity in delivery of water supply services.