City Life Research Articles

Interoperability for intelligent traffic management systems in smart cities

Intelligent traffic management systems (ITMS) are essential for safe and livable smart cities. However, achieving seamless interoperability between diverse devices and services is challenging due to the lack of universal open standards. This study examines different types of interoperability (syntactic, semantic, network, middleware, and security) and their relationships with ITMS in the smart city context. By discussing requirements, challenges, and potential standards, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of interoperability issues in ITMS. It highlights the importance of standardization and collaboration among stakeholders, including policymakers, urban planners, and technology providers, to achieve interoperability. Addressing these challenges can optimize ITMS performance and contribute to smarter, sustainable cities. The study categorically examines challenges and potential standards, offering a framework for future research and practice. By advancing our understanding of ITMS interoperability, this research facilitates improved traffic management and smarter city development, enhancing urban residents’ quality of life. It makes a significant contribution to the field by emphasizing the critical role of interoperability in effective traffic management systems and the advancement of smart cities. By addressing interoperability challenges, we can create safer, more efficient, and sustainable transportation networks, fostering the development of livable cities.

Sanctuary city success? How attitudes towards irregular migrants and urban policy differ in Barcelona

In 2012, Barcelona City Council introduced a new city agency that would provide housing and resources for migrants and refugees living within their city—irregular migrants. This esteemed sanctuary city policy further integrated irregular migrants into city life; however, how did natives respond to this effort? Through a difference in differences methodological approach and public opinion survey data from 2008 to 2017, I provide evidence of more positive native attitudes towards irregular migrants and immigration policy. I speculate that the increase in positive perceptions occur due to contact theory. While a single-case study, these findings provide hope for how city governments feeling the burden of the ongoing refugee crisis can adequately provide support for their irregular migrant populations without fear of backlash from their citizens.

A smart filtering-based adaptive optimized link state routing protocol in flying ad hoc networks for traffic monitoring

Nowadays, the use of drones as a fundamental element of smart cities has attracted the attention of many researchers to monitor and control the traffic of vehicles. Because of the high flexibility of multi-drone systems, like flying ad hoc networks (FANETs), they provide various services and improve modern life in smart cities. However, due to the unique features of FANET, especially the high speed of drones and rapid changes in network topology, communication reliability is a serious challenge in this network. Hence, traditional routing protocols, such as optimized link state routing (OLSR) scheme, cannot work well in these networks. In this paper, a smart filtering-based adaptive optimized link state routing (SFA-OLSR) scheme is proposed in FANETs. To increase adaptability to the FANET environment, SFA-OLSR provides a new solution to adjust the hello broadcast period so that each flying node specifies its broadcast period based on a new scale called cosine similarity between real and predicted positions. Furthermore, in SFA-OLSR, each flying node develops a filtering algorithm based on two parameters, namely link lifetime and remaining energy. The purpose of this algorithm is to reduce the size of the single-hop neighboring set of each flying node and minimize the search space when finding multi-point relays (MPRs). This increases the convergence speed of the algorithm. Then, SFA-OLSR exploits the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) to single out the best MPRs. This algorithm introduces a multi-objective function by focusing on three components, including energy, link lifespan, and neighbor degree. Lastly, the simulation process of SFA-OLSR is performed by the NS3 simulator. This process evaluates the performance of the proposed method and three schemes, namely Gangopadhyay et al., P-OLSR, and OLSR-ETX. These evaluations show that SFA-OLSR has a good performance in terms of three scales, namely packet delivery ratio, delay, and throughput, but its overhead is more than other methods.

Magical South:An eight-bullet-point photoshoot of everyday life in the tourist city

Magical South is a major detour around my own island, taking a road between urban enclaves in which the popular dynamics of neighbourhoods rub up against and collide with the ‘tourist bubble’, the prototypal closed space for tourism removed from the local. This theoretical ‘photoshoot’ of sorts endeavours to disclose the unconsciousness in operation when we cross through the tourist city, imbued in a semiotics that recreates a time, repetitions and a chaotic visual mesh. It begins with Walter Benjamin’s appraisal of the mechanism that enables copies to continue facilitating motivation for tourist travel. This returns us to the detour without detracting from the critique of the bunkerization of the city through processes like gentrification, paying attention to how everyday violence also runs through ordinary affects and the mainstream banality created by tourism.

Exploring New Opportunities for Rural Development: Based on the Research on the Trend of Young Migrant Workers Returning Home to Purchase Houses in Guangzhou

In recent years, many young people who appear on the Internet share their hometown to build their own houses, attracting a considerable part of the traffic. Most of these young people are young migrant workers. After struggling in the first and second tier cities, they choose to return to their hometown to live and buy house, which is contrary to the traditional impression of leaving home and entering the city. In this context, based on the theory of push and pull theory, Maslow's level of demand theory and social cognition theory, this paper uses the method of case study to analyze the reasons for the reverse selection of young migrant workers returning home to build houses in Guangzhou. Although there is a phenomenon of some young migrant workers returning to their hometown, the attraction of rural areas to these youth is still insufficient. Compared with the pressure of living cost and the thrust of lonely life in big cities, the pulling power of life convenience and opportunity is small. In order to achieve the strategic goal of rural revitalization, more hometown cities should optimize the talent introduction strategy and increase the sense of belonging of the returning young migrant workers.

Instrumental Role of the Technical Assistance Program on Human Settlements Planning (TAP-HSP) in Local Development Planning in the Philippines

Local development planning remains a challenge for municipalities and cities in the Philippines due to the lack of personnel with technical planning capacities and poor database management systems amplified by the recent devolution policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to address these gaps has given birth to the Technical Assistance Program on Human Settlements Planning (TAP-HSP) as a public service and extension program of the College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños. TAP-HSP provides capacity building and technical assistance to various planning institutions in the country and aims to make cities and communities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable. This paper explores the history, milestones, components and modalities of TAP-HSP, emphasizing its instrumental role in local development planning in the country. TAP-HSP offers different modalities and planning arrangements through its three components: Capacity Development for Planners, Practice of Profession, and Model Community/City for Sustainability and Resilience. Over the years, the demand for TAP-HSP services has remarkably grown that it has played instrumental roles in empowering local planners, molding future planners, bridging planning theories to practice, championing evidence-based, participatory, and inclusive planning, being a key partner for local development, and advocating for liveable cities and communities in local development planning. TAP-HSP’s relevance shall continue progressing with its sustained excellent program ratings and growing network of LGU partners, positioning it as a key player in local and national development and a promoter of inclusive and sustainable communities.

Assessment of Residential Satisfaction using Gap Analysis: A Case Study in Naypyitaw City, Myanmar

This research paper conducts an evaluation of residential satisfaction within government-provided four-storied apartment complexes situated in civil-servant housing areas in Naypyitaw City, Myanmar. As the construction of these apartment buildings continues to address the housing demands of civil servants, comprehending the determinants of residents' contentment becomes paramount. The study encompasses data collected from 500 households through structured questionnaires employing a multi-cluster sampling approach. These questionnaires utilize a five-point Likert Scale format to gauge residents' levels of importance and satisfaction. Gap Analysis is employed to scrutinize the gathered data, ultimately identifying seven pivotal attributes that hold the potential to substantially enhance residential satisfaction. These attributes encompass ceiling height, apartment layout plan, room and corridor dimensions, quantity of rooms, staircase design, neighborhood relations, and proximity to police stations. Based on these revelations, recommendations are tendered, advocating the modification and reevaluation of these attributes in forthcoming housing developments. This underscores the imperative need for creating a livable city by ensuring the provision of essential services in closed proximity to residential areas.

Trends in the development of institutions and forms of artistic communication in modern St. Petersburg

The subject of the study is the works of contemporary St. Petersburg artists of different generations and creative trends, as well as the forms and features of their communication with each other and with the general as well as professional public. The trends of artistic communication in the city are determined by the activities of such institutions as art and non-art museums, art galleries and exhibition centers, which are a classic form of presentation of contemporary art; alternative venues such as creative spaces and art clusters. The field of attention also includes the attraction of St. Petersburg authors to the organization of small artistic associations, mainly art groups, for example, "Unconquered", "North-7", "Parasites", etc. In addition to works of art, theoretical works and reflections by researchers of contemporary art in St. Petersburg and the spaces of its public presentation are involved. The methodological basis is the analysis of the works of St. Petersburg masters of the beginning of the XXI century in the context of the development of urban institutions of artistic communication. The research is based on theoretical works devoted to the problem of artistic communication and trends in the current art process. Comparative-interpretative and typological methods are used to compare the works of artists and forms of artistic communication. The problem of artistic communication in the field of fine art in St. Petersburg is becoming the subject of a separate study. This area of city life is currently developing quite dynamically, as new art associations, curatorial practices and alternative classical platforms for the presentation of the work of authors belonging to different generations and art movements are emerging. Traditional museums and galleries, as well as creative spaces, art clusters and other often non-core institutions, such as libraries and cafes, are involved in this process. Against this background, the features of St. Petersburg artistic communication crystallize, which is characterized by a desire to organize communities, to fuse realistic traditions and current trends, to escapism and symbolism, as well as an interest in oriental themes and stylistics.

Applications of Drone and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Surveying for Planning For Cities

Abstract: The field of town planning is one of the many areas in city life where Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones could find use. When compared to traditional surveying options, drones may offer planners a more accurate, precise, flexible, and economical means of obtaining information. Unfortunately, current Indian government restrictions around the use of drones, particularly in the town planning sector, are vague and prioritize safety above advancing technology toward a system that is more efficient. To maximize the public benefit from the use of drone technology in town planning, town planners and surveyors require flexible, practical drone regulations that address the numerous concerns surrounding the use of UAVs in urban areas. This research discusses the present applications of UAVs in many areas of urban planning.

An Ecocritical Reading of Muinar by Latife Tekin and Surfacing by Margaret Atwood

This study aims to analyze ecocritical explorations and ecofeminist diologics inherent in Muinar by Latife Tekin and Surfacing by Margaret Atwood. These novels portray female characters who undergo important changes in awareness in their pursuit of their identities as both novels have a primary emphasis on critiquing patriarchal perception of women and nature. This study sheds light on how the authors’ sensitivity and concerns about women and environment are manifested with the phases of the modifications in female protagonists Elime through her interaction with the internal voice of Muinar, who enters the minds of many women, in Muinar and a nameless woman through her spiritual journey to her homeland in Surfacing after their closeness to nature. This affiliation consequently results in the characters’ independence, self-sufficiency, resistance to oppression, self-discovery and environmental awareness. Focusing on female characters’ encounter with patriarchal oppression and the necessity of their physical immersion with the land, the authors criticize the harmful and destructive effects of modernized and technologized city life. Asserting alienation from nature and separation between body and mind have brought about the current crisis, these novels concomitantly put the emphasis on the wholeness with all beings on earth in order for women to complete their recuperation and recover from the all the sickness threatening their lives.

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF LAND COVER AND LAND USE CHANGE ON URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE IN ABUJA, NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY FROM 2017 TO 2022

The remarkable feature of rapid urbanisation, which has fundamentally altered the distribution of land cover and land use (LULC), is what sets the contemporary era apart. The impact of these modifications on the resilience of Abuja’s metropolitan infrastructure from 2017 to 2022 is examined in this study. Our study examined the dynamic changes in LULC using information from remote sensing, geospatial analysis software, and land cover categorization techniques. The findings indicate major changes in Abuja’s topography, including a decrease in the number of water bodies, a decrease in the number of trees, the expansion of urban areas, changes in agricultural land use, and fluctuations in the amount of grazing land. The previously mentioned changes have significant consequences for urban infrastructure resilience, affecting various sectors such as water supply, transportation, housing, utilities, and food distribution systems. The infrastructure supporting water supply and sanitation may be severely stretched as the number of water bodies decreases, affecting the quantity and quality of accessible water supplies. As metropolitan areas expand, greater strain is placed on transportation infrastructure, exacerbating traffic congestion and complicating road maintenance ifficulties. Changes in agricultural land use can have an impact on food production and distribution, hence affecting food security. Deforestation can cause ecological deterioration, affecting a variety of aspects such as temperature regulation, biological diversity, and atmospheric purity. Adaptive approaches, green infrastructure, and adopting sustainable urban design can all strengthen the resilience of urban infrastructure, according to this study. The significance of renewable energy adoption, community participation, green building laws, the establishment of public-private partnerships, integrated water resource management, and data-driven decision-making is emphasised. Improving legal frameworks that prioritise resilience and sustainability is critical. It is critical to have a complete grasp of the complicated links between changes in LULC, and the resilience of urban infrastructure in order to enable educated urban design and decision-making processes. Policymakers and urban planners may address and minimise the negative consequences of climate change while improving the overall quality of life in cities by using sustainable development practises. The findings of this study have the potential to dramatically improve Abuja’s people’s well-being and sustainability, especially given the variety of urban difficulties they encounter.

The Effect of Smart City Applications on Smart City Life Inteniıon: The Moderating Role of Technology Anxiety

The human population living in cities in the world is constantly increasing. As a result of the increasing population, the use of digital technologies has become widespread to facilitate city life. The importance of a smart city has increased mainly due to the integration of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things technologies into cities. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of smart city applications on life intention and how technology anxiety moderates this effect. For this purpose, data were collected from 386 people using a questionnaire. The data were analysed with a structural equation model. As a result of the analyses, it was determined that smart public service, smart transportation and smart environmentalism practices significantly positively affect the intention to live in smart cities. As a result of the moderator analysis, it was found that technology anxiety has a moderating role in the effect of smart city applications on the intention to live in smart cities. Suggestions were made according to the research findings.

Emerging Perspectives on the Application of Recommender Systems in Smart Cities

Smart cities represent the convergence of information and communication technologies (ICT) with urban management to improve the quality of life of city dwellers. In this context, recommender systems, tools that offer personalised suggestions to city dwellers, have emerged as key contributors to this convergence. Their successful application in various areas of city life and their ability to process massive amounts of data generated in urban environments has expedited their status as a crucial technology in the evolution of city planning. Our methodology included reviewing the Web of Science database, resulting in 130 articles that, filtered for relevancy, were reduced to 86. The first stage consisted of carrying out a bibliometric analysis with the objective of analysing structural aspects with the SciMAT tool. Secondly, a systematic literature review was undertaken using the PRISMA 2020 statement. The results illustrated the different processes by which recommendations are filtered in areas such as tourism, health, mobility, and transport. This research is seen as a significant breakthrough that can drive the evolution and efficiency of smart cities, establishing a solid framework for future research in this dynamic field.

Towards healthy cities: Modeling restorative potential of urban environments by coupling LiDAR-derived 3D metrics with panorama-based online survey

With the growing concern for the psychological well-being of urban dwellers, there has been a recognized need to explore the role of green environments in facilitating mental restorative benefits from the demands of city life. However, a significant gap exists in quantitatively modeling the restorative potential of urban environments, especially in terms of comprehensive 3D characteristics beyond mere greenery. This research gap has hindered our understanding of how to plan and design urban spaces that promote mental health. To bridge this gap, we conducted a study using Singapore as a case study to model the restorative potential for landscape planning and design by integrating LiDAR-derived 3D metrics, outcomes of an online survey, and a machine learning-based regularized regression model. We first collected data from 100 scenes, including both residential neighborhoods and urban parks, by extracting point cloud information from LiDAR scans for calculating a diverse set of 41 3D spatial metrics. Alongside these objective measurements, we conducted an online survey (N = 1500) using the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) where respondents evaluated the restorative potential of these scenes presented as interactive panoramic images. We subsequently utilized a regularized regression technique based on machine learning by conducting K-fold cross-validation (K = 10) with 1251 tests to identify the feature metrics significantly contributing to restorative potential. Our findings highlighted the importance of the green volumetric ratio as the most significant positive factor for restorative potential. Additionally, the results on the metrics of grey horizontal diversity and grey cluster number indicated a positive impact of unregulated and unaggregated grey components on restorative potential. The results on green horizontal diversity suggested that a uniform and concentrated spatial arrangement of greenery is a positive predictor, while other factors like front-background ratio, colorfulness, and slope variation also positively influenced restorative potential. In essence, our study not only provides novel insights but also introduces innovative methods for quantitatively assessing and characterizing the quality of urban environments that enhance psychological well-being. These findings inform the practical planning and design strategies aimed at fostering healthy and sustainable urban spaces.

Examining the impact of different street classification scenarios on active transportation equity. Insights from Athens, Greece

Transport equity is an essential characteristic of a just city and a concept related to social inclusion. This study examined how different street classification scenarios will affect active transportation equity. Four different scenarios with different planning rationales were developed that reformulate the street classification in a municipality within a metropolitan area, i.e., Kallithea in Athens, Greece. These scenarios give rise to new street categories that reallocate street space favoring active transport users. The evaluation of active transportation equity was carried out by utilizing spatial analysis and welfare economics through the lens of egalitarian and sufficientarian approaches. Based on the results, scenarios that propose new urban centers as well as a readable street classification with traffic calming zones determined by ring roads seem to be more efficient in accommodating vulnerable users in an equitable way. Hence, new planning schemes should rely on active modes, leaving automobiles behind. In general, measuring the impact of street classification scenarios through the lens of equity is critical for improving the quality of life in cities. Additionally, it is noteworthy knowledge for policy makers, planners, and local administrators. Finally, this research may inspire new studies, enriching the scientific debate.

Planning shared mobility hubs in European cities: A methodological framework using MCDA and GIS applied to Barcelona

In the move towards sustainable urban mobility through seamless intermodality, European cities are faced with the possibility of implementing shared mobility systems. They constitute an opportunity to create new urban hubs, considered as nodes of intermodality and places of urban intensity. In order to effectively plan the future locations of shared mobility hubs, this paper outlines the methodological framework that sustains the design of a new decision-support tool, the so-called Mcda2MobilityHub (M2MHub),11Link to the M2MHub tool, which is available as an open plugin for QGIS: https://github.com/natrouk/Mcda2MobilityHub-desicion-support-tool_QGIS-plugin. using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). For this purpose, the analysis of existing literature and interviews with local authorities and transport operators, led to the identification of six main location criteria (mobility, compactness, diversity of uses, profile of potential users, spatial configuration and environment). The criteria weights were calculated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the framework was applied to the case study of the city of Barcelona. The results obtained are presented in the form of heat maps, highlighting the flexibility of the decision-support tool to transform open data into appropriate indicators and detailed maps. This output can be used to support future policies for planning shared mobility hubs as places for convenient multimodal transfers, which also enable social activities and improve the quality of life in European cities.

Understanding citizens' willingness to contribute to urban greening programs

Urban green is an essential component of livable and sustainable cities, providing benefits for the environment, human health, and well-being. In densely built city areas, planting street trees and installing green roofs and facades can lead to more equally distributed green infrastructure, for which it gained importance in urban planning. However, to achieve the desired effects, cities need to implement small-scale measures on a large scale, which requires broader urban restructuring and significant financial and political resources. Economic valuation can support this process by providing city governments with knowledge about citizens’ support and preferences for greening policies. We use a choice experiment in the Austrian capital, Vienna, as part of a representative survey of 1327 respondents. Using a Mixed Logit Model with correlated random parameters, the results show a clear preference for a greener city, while respondents express a higher marginal willingness to pay (WTP) for measures on streets (5.58 Euro/year) than on buildings (3.60 Euro/year) for change the density of green measures from rare to frequently. Introducing interactions with socioeconomic variables, selected attitudes, and neighborhood characteristics based on geo-referenced addresses, we find a positive correlation between a higher WTP and the characteristics of younger and more affluent residents, as well as citizens who suffer significantly from urban heat, use parks more regularly, and live in neighborhoods with relatively little urban greenery. Overall, the analysis proves valuable for estimating public support and facilitating comparisons between different greening options, contributing to a more informed and nuanced discussion in urban planning and policy.

Testing the Zipf’s law under heterogeneous urban-rural hierarchies with spatial quantile regressions

ABSTRACT Despite the widespread recognition of Zipf’s law in urban economics, empirical evidence reveals deviations from the strict adherence to its postulated parameters. In our contribution to this ongoing debate, we applied Zipf’s law to population density of a metropolitan hierarchy in Greece (1033 municipalities) over a substantial timeframe (1961–2021). To overcome the specific limitations of global Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) models, cross-section spatial quantile regressions had been performed. The outcomes unveiled heterogeneous rank-size relationships for urban municipalities corresponding with the first and the second quartile of density distribution. These relationships became more homogeneous in rural municipalities (third and fourth quartiles). Consistent with the predictions of Zipf’s law, slope coefficients exhibited a notable increase over time, approaching 1 for mixed urban-rural municipalities. Conversely, they remained slightly below 1 for strictly urban municipalities and slightly above 1 for strictly rural ones. Space was found to play a significant role during late urbanization (1980s-1990s), suggesting an impact of agglomeration economies on metropolitan hierarchy. Suburbanization exerted a reverse effect resulting in more heterogeneous hierarchies since the late-1990s. Our findings underscore the intricate nexus between deviations from Zipfian patterns in urban-rural population distribution and the spatially explicit dynamics of city life cycles.

The Evolution and Driving Mechanisms of the Blue-Green Space Publicness Pattern in Changsha, China

Urban blue-green space (UBGS), where public life occurs, is vital for social interaction, social cohesion, public spirit cultivation, and community formation. UBGS publicness reflects whether it supports and facilitates community formation. From the perspective of the man–land relationship, UBGS with high publicness should have three significant characteristics: accessibility of elements, functional selectivity, and structural connectivity and shareability. This study took Changsha as the case study and evaluated its UBGS publicness in 2012, 2016, and 2020. We analyzed the evolution of the UBGS publicness pattern, and the results indicated the following: (1) The elements accessibility indicator showed a decreasing trend year by year and maintained the pattern of low in the city center and high in the suburban area; (2) the functional diversity indicator changed from a monocentric polarized spatial pattern to a polycentric and balanced spatial pattern; (3) the structural connectivity indicator generally improved and showed the core-edge pattern; and (4) the comprehensive indicator showed that the pattern developed from the core edge to the core edge as the primary focus with fan-shaped expansion supplemented. Based on this, combined with Changsha’s urban development history, environmental, policy, economic, and social factors supported, led, promoted, and guided the formation and evolution of the UBGS publicness pattern. This study improved the theoretical foundation of UBGS publicness, provided ideas and methods for the UBGS publicness evaluation on the urban scale, and may provide a reference for the construction of livable and sustainable cities.

Multi-Sensor Classification Framework of Urban Vegetation for Improving Ecological Services Management

Recent climatic changes have profoundly impacted the urban microclimate, exposing city dwellers to harsh living conditions. One effective approach to mitigating these events involves incorporating more green infrastructure into the cityscape. The ecological services provided by urban vegetation play a crucial role in enhancing the sustainability and livability of cities. However, monitoring urban vegetation and accurately estimating its status pose challenges due to the heterogeneous nature of the urban environment. In response to this, the current study proposes utilizing a remote sensing-based classification framework to enhance data availability, thereby improving practices related to urban vegetation management. The aim of the current research is to explore the spatial pattern of vegetation and enhance the classification of tree species within diverse and complex urban environments. This study combines various remote sensing observations to enhance classification capabilities. High-resolution colored rectified aerial photographs, LiDAR-derived products, and hyperspectral data are merged and analyzed using advanced classifier methods, specifically partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and object-based image analysis (OBIA). The OBIA method demonstrates an impressive overall accuracy of 95.30%, while the PLS-DA model excels with a remarkable overall accuracy of 100%. The findings validate the efficacy of incorporating OBIA, aerial photographs, LiDAR, and hyperspectral data in improving tree species classification and mapping within the context of PLS-DA. This classification framework holds significant potential for enhancing management practices and tools, thereby optimizing the ecological services provided by urban vegetation and fostering the development of sustainable cities.