Local Urban Planning Research Articles

3D GEOVISUALIZATION & STYLIZATION TO MANAGE COMPREHENSIVE AND PARTICIPATIVE LOCAL URBAN PLANS

Abstract. 3D geo-visualization is more and more used and appreciated to support public participation, and is generally used to present predesigned planned projects. Nevertheless, other participatory processes may benefit from such technology such as the elaboration of urban planning documents. In this article, we present one of the objectives of the PLU++ project: the design of a 3D geo-visualization system that eases the participation concerning local urban plans. Through a pluridisciplinary approach, it aims at covering the different aspects of such a system: the simulation of built configurations to represent regulation information, the efficient stylization of these objects to make people understand their meanings and the interaction between 3D simulation and stylization. The system aims at being adaptive according to the participation context and to the dynamic of the participation. It will offer the possibility to modify simulation results and the rendering styles of the 3D representations to support participation. The proposed 3D rendering styles will be used in a set of practical experiments in order to test and validate some hypothesis from past researches of the project members about 3D simulation, 3D semiotics and knowledge about uses.

PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS RESPECT TO INCLUDE SEISMIC MICROZONING STUDIES IN URBAN PLANNING AND CONTROL IN VENEZUELA

Seismic micro-zoning is an important tool to reduce seismic risk, if adequately incorporated in urban planning and control. In Venezuela, urban management is a responsibility shared between national and local authorities, who establish regulations which are generally followed by the formal sector. In the case of the informal sector, which represents an important portion of Venezuelan urban areas, homes have been constructed without rules that establish where and how to build. However in this case, national and local urban planning and housing authorities, with the participation of NGOs, have introduced urban improvement plans, in order to incorporate these settlements to the formal city. Seismic vulnerability data and other studies on natural risks have minor consideration and incidence in urban planning and management in Venezuela, due to: the lack of preparation of most professionals in the planning field in this type of criteria, limited funding for seismic studies of vulnerable areas, and the lack of specific regulations and procedures to effectively incorporate results. In addition, it is necessary to provide the public with proper information than will let them respond effectively. This article briefly describes how urban management is practiced in Venezuela and its main trends, in order to appropriately incorporate seismic microzoning in urban planning and control.

Vineyard landscapes in Italy: cases of territorial requalification and governance strategies

The success of a food product is also the success of the territory that produced it. Based on this idea, we address the connection between landscape and quality wine in order to promote new sustainable development of rural territories. We use regulatory plans for ‘Wine Cities’ of Bomporto, Pramaggiore and San Martino sulla Marrucina (Italy) to highlight the ability of new urban-planning instruments to deal with different aspects relating to quality food and agriculture. The goal of the plans is to improve and renew the rural territory. Based on the Wine City Guidelines, the local urban plans for these towns provide useful indications, suggestions and rules for territorial improvement and transformation by way of enhancing the rural landscape and quality wine production. In promoting this new type of development, these plans encourage the direct involvement of local communities and manufacturing companies in sharing and promoting common objectives and development strategies.

Home-based workers and cities

This paper explores the impact of local government policies and urban plans on home-based workers. It presents recent national data on the size and composition of home-based work in developing countries as well as findings from two recent field studies of urban home-based workers in several Asian cities/countries. The research findings highlight that homes often double as workplaces, especially for women workers, and that slums are domains of significant economic activities. Reflecting these twin facts, as well as the demands of home-based workers, the paper makes the case that city governments and urban planners need to integrate home-based workers and their livelihood activities into local economic development plans. It also argues that city governments need to extend basic infrastructure to the homes-cum-workplaces of home-based workers, as well as transport services to the settlements where they live and work. The paper provides some promising examples of where and how this has been done, largely in response to effective advocacy by organizations of home-based workers.

Mobile responsive websites and local planning departments in the US: Opportunities for the future

As use of mobile technology grows rapidly, planning agencies experiment and adopt new policies to accommodate this increase. While a significant body of literature has extolled the growth and opportunity this technological change presents, little is looking about its use by local government and urban planning organizations. This research investigates whether planning departments are capable of responding to increased mobile users given their current web and information technology tools, applying a replicable method for benchmarking website capacity. Based on a 2014 survey of planning department websites (N = 523), this study evaluates whether or not web technology, in planning departments, is tracking growth in mobile technology finding that while 99% of planning agencies have a web presence, very few planning websites have mobile responsive frameworks. Additionally, few websites have online GIS or e-permitting capability. Of those with such capacity, many use a common content management system for data management. These findings offer key design lessons for cities that want to pursue responsive websites that better match the user profile of the trend toward accessing websites from smartphones and tablets—providing useful and timely information to citizens, and respond to changing user needs.

The impractical supremacy of local identity on the worthless soils of Mappano

Soil is under pressure worldwide. In Italy, in the last two decades, land consumption has reached an average rate of 8 m2, demonstrating the failure of urban planning in controlling these phenomena. Despite the renewed recognition of the central role of soil resources, which has triggered numerous initiatives and actions, soil resources are still seen as a second-tier priority. No governance body exists to coordinate initiatives to ensure that soils are appropriately represented in decision-making processes. Global Soil Partnership draws our attention to the need for coordination to avoid fragmentation of efforts and wastage of resources. Both at a global and at a local level, the area of fertile soils is limited and is increasingly under pressure by competing land uses for settlement, infrastructure, raw materials extraction, agriculture, and forestry. Here, we show that an administrative event, such as the creation of a new small municipality, can take place without any consideration of land and soil risks. This is particularly problematic in the Italian context as recent studies demonstrate that increasing local power in land use decisions coupled with weak control by the central administration and the high fragmentation and small dimension of municipalities has boosted land consumption. The fragmentation of municipalities has been detrimental to land conservation. The case study of Mappano (in the northwestern Italian region of Piedmont on the periphery of the regional capital city of Turin) is emblematic to demonstrate the role played by the supremacy of local identity or local interests despite the acknowledged importance of the key role played by soil everywhere. The contradiction highlighted by this case raises discussion amid some crucial issues as to the role of local urban planning and the protection of soil, which cannot be fragmented or subject to local short-term visions/interests. In this perspective, urban planning has to address soil and land issues by introducing new rules and competences at the local level and beyond.

Ecological Security Pattern Analysis Based on InVEST and Least-Cost Path Model: A Case Study of Dongguan Water Village

The famous “world’s factory” city, Dongguan, like many other places in China, is a typical beneficiary of China’s Reform and Opening-up Policy. However, rapid urban sprawl and economic growth are at the expense of the destruction of the local environment. Therefore, it is of great importance to establish an ecological security network for sustainable development. InVEST models, effective tools to measure sensitivity and intensity of external threats to quantify habitat value, are used to calculate habitat quality of water and land. By combining structural connectivity and the Least-Cost Path model (LCP model), in which corridors are determined based on the minimum accumulative cost path between each critical point, ecological security patterns were calculated. According to the results, the northwest region of Dongguan, having a large quantity of farmlands and water and therefore many corridors and critical patches, is the most essential area in the overall security of ecological environments, which should be protected first. If developed, it should be dominated by eco-tourism and eco-agriculture. We hope that research on the ecological network, which includes critical patches and corridors formed by greenland and rivers, will lead toward better-informed proposals for local urban planning and regional sustainable development.

The Contribution of Energy-Optimized Urban Planning to Efficient Resource Use–A Case Study on Residential Settlement Development in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

This study examines and explores the contribution of an energy-optimized urban planning approach to efficient resource use in the context of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. A conceptual energy optimization model called the “EnUp” model has been developed and tested for feasibility and adaptation strategies to improve urban energy use in residential settlements. This study is based on a system analysis and grounded theory approach that involved field methods including key informant (KI) interviews and collection of data and information from local urban planning offices and other secondary sources. Results show that the adoption of an energy-optimized planning approach is possible and necessary in Dhaka city. The “EnUp“ model can be applied in new urban settlement planning and retrofitting existing urban settlements. Ensuring various stakeholders' participation, technical inputs, and adaptability could make this innovative model and approach replicable in many other cities in the world. The study facilitates a better documentation and visualization for comprehensive urban planning and energy planning process in developing countries, while providing useful insights to policy makers, planners, developers, and interested urban stakeholders in the transition to urban sustainability.

Net primary productivity (NPP) dynamics and associated urbanization driving forces in metropolitan areas: a case study in Beijing City, China

Context Eco-environmental effects of urbanization are a focus in landscape ecology. Objective The influences of population, economic and spatial development during the urbanization process in Beijing City, China on net primary productivity (NPP) were analyzed. The responding mechanism of NPP in different urbanization stages was also examined to develop advice about ecoenvironmental sustainability of urban development. Methods Using the Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach model, we estimated NPP. Using linear regression and polynomial regression analysis, we analyzed NPP responses to stages of urbanization. Results High NPP areas were located in northeast Yanqing, northwest Miyun, northern Huairou and Pinggu. The distribution of NPP generally occurred in the following order from high NPP to low NPP: outer suburbs, inner suburbs, encircled city center, and inner city. Because of the heat island effect in winter, the estimated NPP in the encircled city center and inner city was higher in 2009 than in 2001. There was a negative correlation between NPP and both economic and spatial urbanization, but an increase in population did not necessarily lead to an immediate decrease in NPP. An analysis of NPP dynamics in five kinds of urban development zones showed that urbanization resulted in a lasting and observable loss of NPP over time and space, although there was some promotion of NPP in highly urbanized zones. Conclusion There are three stages in the response of NPP to urbanization: damage stage, antagonistic stage, and coordination stage. The stage threshold depends on local eco-environmental management and urban planning interventions.

An Empirical Assessment of the Operation of Local Urban Planning Committees (Focusing on Jeollanam-do)

An Empirical Assessment of the Operation of Local Urban Planning Committees (Focusing on Jeollanam-do)

On the Validity of Immersive Virtual Reality as Tool for Multisensory Evaluation of Urban Spaces

The Europe2020 document indicates a new strategy to turn EU into a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. At local level urban planning policies may help to reach these aims. Several research works proposed the Immersive Virtual Reality as tool to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions. Nevertheless people's perception within virtual environments still needs to be verified. In this study, two groups of participants had to provide subjective measures related to the global, acoustic and visual quality of a real environment or of a multisensory reproduced version in Immersive Virtual Reality. Outcomes highlight the ecological effectiveness of this multisensory tool.

Can the Adoption of Desalination Technology Lead to Aquifer Preservation? A Case Study of a Sociotechnical Water System in Baja California Sur, Mexico

There is growing concern about the sustainability of groundwater supplies worldwide. In many regions, desalination—the conversion of saline water to freshwater—is viewed as a way to increase water supplies and reduce pressure on overdrawn aquifers. Using data from reports, articles, interviews, a survey, and a focus group, this paper examines if, and how, the adoption of desalination technology can lead to aquifer preservation in Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico. The paper outlines existing institutional arrangements (i.e., laws, rules, norms, or organizations) surrounding desalination in BCS and concludes that there are currently no effective mechanisms to ensure aquifer preservation. Four mechanisms that could be implemented to improve groundwater management are identified, including: 1) integrated water-and land-use planning; 2) creation of an institute responsible for coordinated and consistent planning; 3) improved groundwater monitoring; and 4) implementation of water conservation measures prior to the adoption of desalination technology. This paper concludes that viewing water technologies, including desalination, as sociotechnical systems—i.e., a set of technological components that are embedded in complex social, political, and economic contexts—has the potential to create a more sustainable human–environment–technology relationship. By assessing desalination technology as a sociotechnical system, this study highlights the need to focus on institutional development and capacity building, especially within local water utilities and urban planning agencies.

Formation, Development and Issues of Montenegro Rural Settlements in the Case of Village Orja Luka in Bjelopavlici

For centuries, the territory of Montenegro replaced the different cultures and nations, each of them has left at least some trace of its existence. In the area of Orja Luka, a village of central Montenegro, on the third kilometres from Danilovgrad, in plain called Bjelopavlici, the dominant influence was the Turkish government and we can say that it mostly guided the life of its inhabitants.Looking more recently, the area of Orja Luka largely resists the construction fever. A reason for this may be, mostly, a financial moment that is clearly felt in the atmosphere during visiting the area, of this and every other rural area. Perhaps ironically, but from the standpoint of identity, authentication, protection this can be a positive thing in the whole story. Users of objects don’t have funds to arrange the area in which they live. The old buildings still dominate, but on their architecture signs of the times are visible. It is possible, little by little, as a result of modern urbanization ambient traditional architecture disappears. But all the forces we have to fight that the specificity of this architectural speech remains a powerful inspiration for future achievements based on the idea of preserving the local and regional urban planning and architecture.

Pathways towards the integration of periurban agrarian ecosystems into the spatial planning system

The potential of periurban agrarian ecosystems is recognized as one of the cornerstones for improving urban sustainability; however, this potential has been disregarded in spatial planning and decision making. The main goal of the PAEc-SP project was to assess the feasibility of integrating periurban agricultural areas into spatial planning by developing a viable ecosystem services-based methodology. The research unfolded along three axes: i) mapping ecosystem services in periurban areas, distinguishing between the current state and the future potential by applying a set of indicators; ii) analyzing the regulatory framework, identifying gaps in the consideration of agrarian ecosystem services; and iii) analyzing the perceptions of these areas held by local actors. Provisioning services (food) are widely recognized by actors and plans, but this leads to weak protection. Cultural services (identity, recreation) are also recognized by all actors and addressed by local urban planning, though this is not connected to farming practices. Regulating services (CO2 storage, water quality) are barely addressed by spatial planning and actors do not value them either. Supporting services (biodiversity) are mostly associated with natural areas. Most technicians are reluctant to changes, while new farmers and civil society demand a new holistic approach. The reluctant attitude to change of some actors and the inadequate understanding of ecosystem services, render it imperative to adopt a comprehensive approach through a participatory process of urban planning. Mapping ecosystem services, calculations, and graphs are a valuable communication tool both in discussing the consequences of the loss of agrarian ecosystems with different actors and in planning future scenarios.

Detecting blind building façades from highly overlapping wide angle aerial imagery

This paper deals with the identification of blind building façades, i.e. façades which have no openings, in wide angle aerial images with a decimeter pixel size, acquired by nadir looking cameras. This blindness characterization is in general crucial for real estate estimation and has, at least in France, a particular importance on the evaluation of legal permission of constructing on a parcel due to local urban planning schemes.We assume that we have at our disposal an aerial survey with a relatively high stereo overlap along-track and across-track and a 3D city model of LoD 1, that can have been generated with the input images. The 3D model is textured with the aerial imagery by taking into account the 3D occlusions and by selecting for each façade the best available resolution texture seeing the whole façade. We then parse all 3D façades textures by looking for evidence of openings (windows or doors). This evidence is characterized by a comprehensive set of basic radiometric and geometrical features. The blindness prognostic is then elaborated through an (SVM) supervised classification.Despite the relatively low resolution of the images, we reach a classification accuracy of around 85% on decimeter resolution imagery with 60×40% stereo overlap.On the one hand, we show that the results are very sensitive to the texturing resampling process and to vegetation presence on façade textures. On the other hand, the most relevant features for our classification framework are related to texture uniformity and horizontal aspect and to the maximal contrast of the opening detections.We conclude that standard aerial imagery used to build 3D city models can also be exploited to some extent and at no additional cost for facade blindness characterisation.

Urban cultivation in allotments maintains soil qualities adversely affected by conventional agriculture.

Summary Modern agriculture, in seeking to maximize yields to meet growing global food demand, has caused loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and compaction, impairing critical regulating and supporting ecosystem services upon which humans also depend. Own‐growing makes an important contribution to food security in urban areas globally, but its effects on soil qualities that underpin ecosystem service provision are currently unknown.We compared the main indicators of soil quality; SOC storage, total nitrogen (TN), C : N ratio and bulk density (BD) in urban allotments to soils from the surrounding agricultural region, and between the allotments and other urban greenspaces in a typical UK city. A questionnaire was used to investigate allotment management practices that influence soil properties.Allotment soils had 32% higher SOC concentrations and 36% higher C : N ratios than pastures and arable fields and 25% higher TN and 10% lower BD than arable soils.There was no significant difference between SOC concentration in allotments and urban non‐domestic greenspaces, but it was higher in domestic gardens beneath woody vegetation. Allotment soil C : N ratio exceeded that in non‐domestic greenspaces, but was lower than that in garden soil.Three‐quarters of surveyed allotment plot holders added manure, 95% composted biomass on‐site, and many added organic‐based fertilizers and commercial composts. This may explain the maintenance of SOC, C : N ratios, TN and low BD, which are positively associated with soil functioning. Synthesis and applications. Maintenance and protection of the quality of our soil resource is essential for sustainable food production and for regulating and supporting ecosystem services upon which we depend. Our study establishes, for the first time, that small‐scale urban food production can occur without the penalty of soil degradation seen in conventional agriculture, and maintains the high soil quality seen in urban greenspaces. Given the involvement of over 800 million people in urban agriculture globally, and its important contribution to food security, our findings suggest that to better protect soil functions, local, national and international urban planning and policy making should promote more urban own‐growing in preference to further intensification of conventional agriculture to meet increasing food demand.

La participación en el urbanismo: los planes de ordenación urbanística municipal en Cataluña

El artículo analiza la participación ciudadana en los Planes de Ordenación Urbanística Municipal (POUM) aprobados en Cataluña. Los resultados constatan, a pesar de los avances en esta materia de la legislación urbanística de Cataluña, una gran diversidad de situaciones entre municipios. En concreto, se detectan debilidades importantes en los municipios de menos de 10.000 habitantes por lo que se refiere a la planificación de la participación y a la realización de acciones informativas y talleres deliberativos. En términos generales, se pone de manifiesto una participación de mínimos, mientras que los municipios que apuestan por una plantificación más colaborativa y deliberativa en el proceso de elaboración de los POUM son aún una minoría.

Developing a geospatial web-GIS system for landscape and urban planning

This study discusses a geographical information system (GIS) for operating a local government's landscape and urban planning activities via a website. Implementing this web-GIS system will help build a more realistic landscape and urban planning model that includes citizen participation and city marketing. The approach is applicable to ubiquitous city (u-city) development based on geospatial web and its related systems. The approach presented is built on six selected elements of a u-city system. The outcome of the study includes sustainable analysis, environmental planning, urban planning, and city marketing. The outcome is applicable to cities that are planning to adopt the u-city system or advanced telecommunication or planning tools into their urban frameworks.

A Voice for Children and Young People in the City

AbstractA major challenge for researchers and urban planning practitioners is how to obtain meaningful and influential contributions on urban and environmental planning activities from children and young people within the constraints of adult policy and practice. The key elements of this challenge concern traditional methods of communication between ‘experts’ and children and young people in rationalist planning settings, versus emerging research in relation to children's and young people's views and agency around civic participation. This article will address the work of a number of researchers and practitioners who have grappled with the inherent tenions of making planning practice and urban design more inclusionary, while facilitating and respecting children and young people's civic participation. This article also advocates the advantages and strengths of their participation in planning and urban design processes.With a focus on two exploratory programs developed by the authors in the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria, this article will demonstrate how the sharing of knowledge and skills between planning and design professionals and children and young people can lead to more meaningful and influential contributions from them. The programs examined were informed by leading practice both in Australia and internationally, and have assisted to develop children and young people's sense of spatial competence, and their confidence and efficacy in their local environment, contributing ultimately to their wellbeing. They have also supported the establishment of youth leadership groups with the confidence and skills to contribute to ongoing local government urban and environmental planning activities.

Urban Responses to The Economic Crisis: Confirmation of Urban Policies as Crisis Management in Malmö

AbstractIt is common knowledge that crisis also signifies opportunity and opens spaces for change. When responding to the current economic crisis, is urban planning seizing this opportunity? This article investigates the case of the Swedish city of Malmö and explores its responses to the crisis by looking dialectically at the crisis, municipal planning policy and real‐estate capital. In this article, the local state and urban planning are regarded as social relations, with the aim of going beyond traditional formulations that oppose market (neoliberal) and state intervention (Keynesianism) as the main focus for crisis management. Against this background, the article shows that the 2008 crisis was met in Malmö by an active municipality that confirmed the existing visions and tendencies, rather than exploiting the crisis as a moment for changes and transformation. The article seeks to explain this by looking at the social relations that have constituted the urban policies in Malmö for the past two decades.