Local City Research Articles

Incorporating Heat Vulnerability into Local Authority Decision Making: An Open Access Approach

High temperatures and heatwaves are becoming more frequent, but heat vulnerability is rarely considered within local authority city design and statutory land-use planning processes. Here, we describe an approach to assess heat vulnerability in Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK. The approach uses open access data and GIS techniques that are available for built environment practitioners. Heat vulnerability is assessed by combining four datasets: surface temperatures, Local Climate Zones, green space, and Indices of Multiple Deprivation. The assessment shows that central and eastern areas of Birmingham that have the most compact urban form, least green space, and highest levels of deprivation are most vulnerable to heat. We evaluated the approach against previous climate research, examined the approach and datasets at the local scale, and described how heat vulnerability can be (and is being) incorporated into decision making. This project combines three key innovations: (1) the decision-centric process that focuses the method on the decision that needs to be made, minimizing inertia related to scientific or modeling uncertainty and reducing resource-intensity; (2) the co-creation process with Birmingham City Council, who have statutory powers for planning within the city, thereby ensuring that heat vulnerability is embedded within decisions on the suitability, design, and location of sites for future development; and (3) the open access and technically appropriate methodology which can be applied to any urban area in the UK, using the open access datasets described here, or globally, using locally applicable data sources.

Can green transformation finance contribute to urban carbon emission performance? An empirical analysis based on a spatiotemporal bi-fixed SPDM model.

"Carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality" are serious challenges at this stage, and the function of the green transformation finance (GTF) in the operation of carbon dioxide emission reduction is an urgent issue to be explored. However, empirical studies on GTF and carbon emission performance (CEP) are lacking. Given that, this research employs a panel dataset of 278 cities in China spanning the years 2006 to 2020 to measure the CEP of Chinese cities using the non-radial directional distance function (NDDF) approach and applies the SPDM and the intermediary effect model to practically analyze the spatial effects and mechanisms of GTF in promoting CEP. The findings derived from the empirical analysis indicate that (1) the level of GTF and CEP shows a trend of year-on-year increase, and there is a significant spatial correlation, but the absolute difference in CEP between cities increases. (2) GTF promotes the improvement of CEP in local cities. It reveals a favorable spillover impact on enhancing the neighboring cities' CEP. Furthermore, the research findings remain pertinent even after conducting rigorous tests to ensure their robustness. (3) Regional heterogeneity has been observed in the impact of GTF on CEP, with the development of GTF significantly contributing to the amelioration of CEP of neighboring cities in the east, significantly contributing to the improvement of local CEP of central cities and simultaneously contributing to the improvement of local and neighboring cities' CEP in the west. (4) The findings of the intermediary examination show that GTF mainly promotes CEP through the positive incentive effect of promoting green innovation in technology and the reverse push-back effect of optimizing the structure of industries. (5) The spatial spillover effect of GTF on CEP is more sensitive under the geographic distance matrix, showing a "three-stage" decay characteristic from near to far, and its influence range is roughly 300km. Therefore, China should strengthen the development of GTF, cross-city communication and cooperation to boost the accomplishment of the carbon neutrality objective.

Influence of New Housing Development on Neighborhood Association in Suburb of Local City

Influence of New Housing Development on Neighborhood Association in Suburb of Local City

The impact of environmental regulation and industrial agglomeration on air pollution: on the spatial spillover perspective

AbstractThis paper uses the panel data of 275 prefecture-level cities in China in 2003–2019 and spatial Durbin model to verify the impact of environmental regulation and industrial agglomeration on air pollution. This paper finds that the enforcement intensity of environmental regulations (ER) is not consistent among cities. The effects of strict ER on air pollution in local city are the inverted-U-shape curve. The effects of more stringent ER in adjacent cities j on air pollution in city i are the U-shape curve. The more stringent ER in local city may lead to the decrease in agglomeration of manufacturing sectors (AM), thereby reducing air pollution. The polluting firms may shift production from neighboring cities j with stringent ER to city i with lax ER, thereby leading to the increase in AM, which aggravate air pollution in city i. The more stringent ER in local city i may lead to the increase in agglomeration of productive service industry (AS), thereby reducing air pollution. To avoid the transfer of polluting industrial sectors, the paper suggests that the more stringent implementation of ER should become nationwide actions.

A Study to Ensure Communication Reliability of Bus Location System Using LoRa Communication

We have developed a bus location system, “Busdoko,” that utilizes LoRa. Recently, LoRa has been increasingly used in local cities. As a result, it has become difficult to maintain real-time performance. Conventional TDMA does not allow transmission overlap between slots, and requires guard gaps. The transmission time of LoRa covering the city is long. There is a report that it takes about 13 seconds. In this case, the slot interval should be set to about 30 seconds including the guard gap. The distance between bus stops of community buses is short, and there are several places where the running time is about 30 seconds. We can't make the bus location systems in conventional TDMA, because it is necessary to display the position of the bus at least once between bus stops. We propose a communication scheme using multi-channel multiple access communication. In the scheme, the slot interval is designed to allow overlap within a permissible range. We evaluated the proposed scheme on a bus route. We confirmed that the system works correctly even if we allow a few percent transmission overlap between slots. The experimental results showed that the proposed scheme made effective use of the channels and improved reliability.

Prevalence and predictors of long-term opioid use following orthopaedic surgery in an Australian setting: A multicentre, prospective cohort study.

Opioid analgesics prescribed for the management of acute pain following orthopaedic surgery may lead to unintended long-term opioid use and associated patient harms. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of opioid use at 90 days after elective orthopaedic surgery across major city, regional and rural locations in New South Wales, Australia. We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery at five hospitals from major city, regional, rural, public and private settings between April 2017 and February 2020. Data were collected by patient questionnaire at the pre-admission clinic 2-6 weeks before surgery and by telephone call after 90 days following surgery. Of the 361 participants recruited, 54% (195/361) were women and the mean age was 67.7 years (standard deviation 10.1 years). Opioid use at 90 or more days after orthopaedic surgery was reported by 15.8% (57/361; 95% confidence interval (CI) 12.2-20%) of all participants and ranged from 3.5% (2/57) at a major city location to 37.8% (14/37) at an inner regional location. Predictors of long-term postoperative opioid use in the multivariable analysis were surgery performed at an inner regional location (adjusted odds ratio 12.26; 95% CI 2.2-68.24) and outer regional location (adjusted odds ratio 5.46; 95% CI 1.09-27.50) after adjusting for known covariates. Long-term opioid use was reported in over 15% of patients following orthopaedic surgery and appears to be more prevalent in regional locations in Australia.

The End of “Business As Usual”? Reimagining Barcelona Tourism After (COVID)-19

This article examines the impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) on tourism in Barcelona, identifying the pandemic as a crucial turning point and window of opportunity for redefining the sector and reimagining Barcelona???s relationship with tourism. Throughout the pandemic, Barcelona???s tourism sector has experienced an unprecedented drop in visitors and revenue. The city must embrace new strategies for tourism and development in order to remain resilient in the face of this crisis. Cultural tourism offers both a shortterm opportunity for economic recovery and a longer-term solution to the city???s preexisting sustainability issues. In addition to capitalizing on Barcelona???s wealth of cultural resources to attract “proximity” tourists, cultural tourism affords future opportunities to reduce the negative externalities of mass tourism and to reimagine a more sustainable tourism model for the city. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the article weighs the present need to promote tourism???s potential contribution to economic recovery against the future challenges of post-COVID-19 tourism and Barcelona???s need for greater sustainability. We include qualitative analysis based on press and document analysis of local newspapers and city government and tourism sector documents, as well as quantitative analysis of existing economic and tourism data and the results of a residents??? survey undertaken through the SPOT project (EU-H2020). In doing so, we highlight the role cultural tourism may play in Barcelona???s inclusive growth after COVID-19, addressing prior sustainability issues and promoting a more equal distribution of tourism???s benefits. This article also contributes to the ongoing dialogue between researchers and government and tourism actors regarding tourism???s role in local development and the future of the city, thus contributing to future strategies and policies.

PECULIARITIES OF DEVELOPMENT OF CITIES IN THE NORTHERN BORDER REGIONS OF AZERBAIJAN AND THE REGULATION OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT

The aim of the article is to investigate the features of the demographic and socio-economic development of cities in the northern border areas of Azerbaijan (Sheki, Zagatala, Gakh, Balaken, Gabala, Oguz, Khachmaz, Husar), to determine the direction of their perspective regulation in accordance with the trends that are taking place. Methods and methodology. The article uses such methods as historical overview, analysis of statistics of different periods, comparative analysis and descriptive method of demonstration of geographical objects. The study deals with taking into account the geostrategic significance of population resettlement in border areas, the importance of ensuring their economic, social and ecological development, regulating population migration processes, creating new jobs and implementing other social programs. The novelty of the article is that the directions of the demographic, socio-economic development of the cities are actually substantiated not only as the main supporting frames of the region, but also in terms of national interests, geopolitical and strategic situation. The article also identified socio-economic, natural-geographic, and other issues. factors affecting the location of cities in the northern border areas. mostly became possible during the years of Soviet power. The study says that cities are the largest economic centers of the country and the main centers of population settlement. The article scientifically analyzes geographical problems in Azerbaijan. Clarified features of Rego. It is concluded that it is clear from the article that scientific analyzes corresponding to geographical changes should be increased, such issues are considered comprehensively and universally in research. Conclusions. The study says that cities are the largest economic centers of the country and the main centers of population settlement. Before the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan, only the cities of Sheki and Zagatala existed on this territory. Although these two settlements have long been formed as cities, they acquired city status only in 1840. And the cities of Balaken, Gakh, Gabala, Husar, Khachmaz, Oguz and other settlements located on the territory of administrative districts were created during the years of Soviet power and acquired the status of cities and towns. In general, the economic and geographical analysis of the development of the cities of the northern border regions allows us to reach the following conclusions and put forward a number of proposals: – in the creation of urban settlements and the formation of their modern system, the leading role was played by the organizational-economic, social-administrative management function that they perform for the surrounding territories; – Another city-forming factor is the food industry, which is represented by small-scale enterprises that mainly rely on the processing of local agricultural raw materials.

Analysis of the Demand for the Transfer of Venture Companies to Local Cities for Balanced Development

Analysis of the Demand for the Transfer of Venture Companies to Local Cities for Balanced Development

E-Commerce Development and Green Technology Innovation: Impact Mechanism and the Spatial Spillover Effect

Green technology innovation (GTI) is critical for economic development and environmental protection. This paper investigates the influence of the National E-commerce Demonstration Cities (NEDC) policy on GTI using a multi-period Difference-in-Difference (DID) model and data from prefecture-level Chinese cities. The findings indicate that the NEDC policy considerably facilitates GTI in China. The conclusion withstands a comprehensive set of robustness tests and remains valid even after considering potential endogeneity issues. A dynamic analysis reveals an increasing influence of the NEDC policy on GTI over time. The paper identifies producer services agglomeration, internet development, and financial support as channels through which the NEDC policy affects GTI. A heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that the NEDC policy’s influence on GTI is more pronounced in larger cities with a higher degree of marketization and increased levels of human capital. Moreover, the NEDC policy exhibits spatial spillover effects, supporting GTI advancement in both local cities and neighboring regions. This study provides insights into how emerging market economies can leverage e-commerce for green development.

Transmitting the Beauty of the City: Local Media and City Image Communication

The image of a city is closely related to its competitiveness and influence. In China, the shaping and dissemination of city image is closely related to urban mainstream media. In the era of new media becoming an important carrier of city image shaping and dissemination, the communication path and communication effect of urban mainstream media have become the focus of this paper.

Innovative remote sensing methodologies and applications in coastal and marine environments

ABSTRACT Remote sensing (RS) technologies are extensively exploited by scientists and a vast audience of local authorities, urban managers, and city planners. Coastal regions, geohazard-prone areas, and highly populated cities represent natural laboratories to apply RS technologies and test new methods. Over the last decades, many efforts have been spent on improving Earth’s surface monitoring, including intensifying Earth Observation (EO) operations by the major national space agencies. They oversee to plan and make operational constellations of satellite sensors providing the scientific community with extensive research and development opportunities in the geoscience field. For instance, within this framework, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST) have sponsored, since the early 2000s, the DRAGON initiative jointly carried out by the European and Chinese RS scientific communities. This manuscript aims to provide a synthetic overview of some research activities and new methods recently designed and applied and trace the route for further developments. The main findings are related to i) the analysis of flood risk in China, ii) the potential of new methods for the estimation and removal of ground displacement biases in small-baseline oriented interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) methods, iii) the analysis of the inundation risk in low-lying regions using coherent and incoherent SAR methods; and iv) the use of SAR-based technologies for marine applications.

Variations in Victimization: The Relationship between Community Types, Violence against Women and Reporting Behaviors

Existing research suggests that victimization risk is higher among urban residents. Violence against women is a notable exception in this trend. While the literature does indicate that rural women are at equal risk for violent victimization, it does not differentiate between types of non-urban spaces (exurbs, suburbs, small towns, dispersed rural). We use a five-category measure of rural-urban location articulated land use to disentangle victim–offender relationship distribution using a female victim sample from the 1996–2005 United States National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). In the most rural areas (dispersed rural locations), women are most likely to be victimized by friends or acquaintances. The proportion of women victimized by strangers in dispersed rural locations is very low. As urbanicity increases, so does the proportion of women victimized by strangers. The findings indicate that victim–offender relationships may be dictated by proximity. In dispersed rural locations, there are comparatively fewer people unknown to the victim than in central city locations. Consequently, proximity dictates that offenders in dispersed rural locations are unlikely to be strangers. The articulated land use measure ensures that the differences between types of rural and suburban locations are identified. Future research should consider the impact of proximity on rural victimization and increased specificity in rural measurements.

Problems and Prospects of Development of Restaurant Business in the City of Uman

Purpose: The objective of this article is to analyze the quality of service provision in organizing visitor services in local restaurants of various types and changes in their quantity in 2018–2022. Design / Methodology / Approach: Based on observation and survey methods, analysis, comparison, and systematization of results, the activities of restaurants of different types that continued to operate in the service market despite the changes that occurred after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have been studied. Findings: The most competitive restaurants in the city of Uman, which are most popular among the local population and city guests, have been identified. The quality of visitor service has been analyzed, and errors that occur in the operation of establishments during visitor service have been identified. Originality / Value: The theoretical significance of the article lies in identifying problematic issues in their activities and determining recommendations for improving the operation of restaurants in the city of Uman, taking into account modern trends in the hospitality industry. Practical Meaning: It is noted that the absence of strategy and planning, as well as proper control by the owner, leads to a rapid decline in the ranking of competitive enterprises. It has been proven that the state of business in cities and individual territorial communities determines the economic development of the country as a whole. The activities of individual entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry not only contribute financially to the well-being of local areas but also create an impression of comfort and coziness for local residents and tourists. Further Research: Further studies are needed to investigate the compliance of the assortment of dishes and drinks with the type of enterprise, the price-quality ratio, serviceology, and the availability of additional services.

Impact of Illuminated Road Signs on Driver’s Perception

This study determined citizens’ perceptions and impact factors of illuminated road signs installed to ensure their visibility at night when the risk of traffic accidents is high. An ordered logit model was used to measure illuminated road signs’ impact on drivers’ perception based on the data from the citizens’ survey conducted by the Road Sign Center. According to the results, the internal (optical fiber) type variable had the highest impact, followed by the frequent fog variable and the complex road line variable. This study found that most citizens positively recognized road signs, preferred internal (optical fiber) types, and desired illuminated road signs that considered climate, environment, and road structure types. In Seoul, the importance and improvement of illuminated road signs at points where road structures are complex, such as city streets, were high. Additionally, the illuminated road sign recognition and road type variable were significant in Gyeonggi-do, which reflected the high number of citizens that commute to Seoul from Gyeonggi-do. Concerning local cities and counties and intercity roads highly affected by the climate, the impact was high at points with frequent fog. Fog affects the visibility distance, generates condensation on signs, and significantly degrades visibility. Therefore, an illuminated road sign installation method must be presented based on spatial analysis for regions vulnerable to climate, environment, and road location. Additionally, the road intersection point variable was significant in local cities and counties, which reflects the relatively lagged road infrastructure. Local cities and counties are financially poor and have numerous aged drivers; hence, central government support that considers these aspects is crucial.

Spatial Pattern Evolution of the Manufacturing Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and Its Impact on PM2.5

Instead of being merely an important embodiment of regional productivity, the manufacturing industry also serves as a significant sector of economic operation and the supply chain system that is highly dependent on resources and the environment. Studying the spatial pattern of the manufacturing industry and its environmental effect is extremely significant for optimizing the spatial layout of urban industry, allocating production factors in a rational manner, and promoting the green transformation of industry. In this regard, this study aimed to further reveal the spatial pattern characteristics of the regional manufacturing industry and its impact on PM2.5. Using data from micro-enterprises in the manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, its spatial pattern characteristics are explored and an econometric model is constructed to analyze the impact of the manufacturing industry on PM2.5 by comprehensively applying approaches including kernel density estimation, nearest proximity index, and Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition. Three research conclusions were drawn: (1) an obvious “core-edge” feature is present in the spatial distribution of the manufacturing industry in the studied area showing an apparent pattern of “high in the east and low in the west”. The core density of the manufacturing industry in the central cities is significantly higher than that in the surrounding cities. (2) In the manufacturing industry and its subdivisions, the characteristics of spatial agglomeration are unveiled, while the agglomeration and spatial differences are diminished during the study period for the spatial equilibrium of the manufacturing industry. (3) A significantly positive impact is exerted on PM2.5 pollution that is not limited to local cities by the manufacturing industry, which, due to the development differences within the study region, is also heterogeneous. In view of this, policy proposals for aspects such as forging a green manufacturing cluster area, establishing an industrial integration development platform, giving play to regional advantages and technological potential, etc., are put forward in this study, so as to provide a useful reference for optimizing the industrial pattern and promoting the green transformation of industries.

One-step assembly of organic-inorganic hybrid coatings with superior thermal insulation, sustainable antifogging and self-cleaning capabilities

Multifunctional transparent glass integrating energy-saving and antifogging properties has receiving continuous attention in basic research and practical applications, which is still plagued by the lack of simple and general methods for low-cost and large-area fabrication. Herein, a multifunctional window with high thermal insulation, antifogging, and self-cleaning functions is rationally fabricated via coating a mixture of polyacrylic acid (PAA), polypropylene glycol (PPG), 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH-560), and cesium tungsten bronze (CWO) nanoparticles on a monolayer film. The synergistic effect between the plentiful hydroxyl/carboxyl groups of PAA/PPG and the nano-textured surface induced by CWO nanoparticles enabled the monolayer film to exhibit superhydrophilic, self-cleaning and antifogging capabilities. The film maintains its antifogging properties even after 80 rubbings of dust-free cloth and 120 days of exposure tests at room temperature. Moreover, the as-prepared window can reduce the indoor temperature by 15.8 °C compared to a normal window at noon. The energy simulation results demonstrate that such windows can reduce energy consumption by 18.9 % in local cities compared to traditional windows. The high visible light transmittance, low haze, stable and durable antifogging ability, distinguished energy-saving effect and climate adaptability, as well as the solution-based process of this multifunctional window make it promising for architectural and automotive glass applications.

Observations of the chemistry and concentrations of reactive Hg at locations with different ambient air chemistry

The Hg research community needs methods to more accurately measure atmospheric Hg concentrations and chemistry. The Reactive Mercury Active System (RMAS) uses cation exchange, nylon, and PTFE membranes to determine reactive mercury (RM), gaseous oxidized mercury, and particulate-bound mercury (PBM) concentrations and chemistry. New data for Atlanta, Georgia (NRGT) demonstrated that particulate-bound Hg was dominant and the chemistry was primarily N and S HgII compounds. At Great Salt Lake, Utah (GSL), RM was predominately PBM, with NS > organics > halogen > O HgII compounds. At Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas (GUMO), halogenated compound concentrations were lowest when air interacting with the site was primarily derived from the Midwest, and highest when the air was sourced from Mexico. At Amsterdam Island, Southern Indian Ocean, compounds were primarily halogenated with some N, S, and organic HgII compounds potentially associated with biological activity. The GEOS-Chem model was applied to see if it predicted measurements at five field sites. Model values were higher than observations at GSL, slightly lower at NRGT, and observations were an order of magnitude higher than modeled values for GUMO and Reno, Nevada. In general, data collected from 13 locations indicated that N, S, and organic RM compounds were associated with city and forest locations, halogenated compounds were sourced from the marine boundary layer, and O compounds were associated with long-range transport. Data being developed currently, and in the past, suggest there are multiple forms of RM that modelers must consider, and PBM is an important component of RM.

Does the digital economy drive low-carbon urban development? The role of transition to sustainability

The rapid expansion and implementation of digital technologies are profoundly changing our lifestyles, production methods, and modes of exchange. However, whether or not such change can help promote the sustainability of urban socio-environmental systems has not been fully investigated. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive framework that utilizes the spatial Durbin model to investigate whether and how the digital economy contributes to low-carbon urban development, using the panel data of 276 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2018. This framework systematically identifies triple dimensions of low-carbon transition taking place throughout the whole value chain system, i.e. green innovation, production reshaping, and consumption upgrading. The finding reveals that the digital economy in a city exerts a significant mitigating effect on carbon emissions in both local and neighboring cities. It is also observed that digital economy activities play a significant role in alleviating urban carbon emissions due to their capacity to stimulate green innovation and promote sustainable patterns of production and consumption. The robustness of these findings is assessed through the consideration of endogeneity and substitution of the explained and explanatory variables. This paper contributes to a systematic understanding of the linkage between the revolution of digitalization within economic systems and the transition towards sustainability within environmental systems. It also provides valuable insights to policymakers on strategies to promote and accelerate low-carbon development.

River definitions reciprocally define us

AbstractThis article explores different definitions of river, and in doing so, considers how our efforts to define rivers illuminate aspects of the human condition. Through an exploration of our definitions of river, through the human imagination, in poetry, music, and human's actions, this article considers how our nature is reflected back by rivers—how we in turn are defined by rivers—such as their role in determining borders, movement, escape, the locations of cities, trade, communication, and in the shaping of cultures and societies. This article specifically highlights three definitions of river using examples predominately from North America. River as boundary, exploring how in the reaches of some river basins, rivers act not only as a border, or boundary between two nations or cultures, but also as a line of demarcation between the known and unknown landscapes and the tamed and untamed lands. The definition of river as pathway includes exploration of how the Mississippi River served as a natural highway for people escaping slavery to travel North and reach Underground Railroad routes toward freedom, while also forcibly moving hundreds of thousands of enslaved people in the United States from the Upper South to the Lower South as they were “sold down the river.” Third, this article examines how rivers have been defined as a resource through examples, such as the US government and Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) efforts, to encourage support of large dam construction and water development projects by hiring Woody Guthrie in 1941 to write songs that would prompt public support for the water projects. Through this discussion of three river definitions, the article considers how rivers have been conceptualized over time and how those different knowledges inform our understanding and treatment of rivers. The article argues that it is vital to include knowledge from across scales, time, boundaries, and ways of knowing in order to improve the protection of rivers and their ecosystems. If we do not, we will continue to lose freshwater biodiversity, wetland and riverine habitat, and their immeasurable qualities that inspire life and imagination at a staggering rate.