Modern Urban Design Research Articles

The Spatial Form of the Traditional Residences of Shanxi Merchants: A Case Study of Pingyao Ancient City, China

The Shanxi merchants were one of the top ten merchant groups in Chinese history. From the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the Republic of China, they contributed significantly to the prosperity of China’s financial industry while also developing traditional residences adapted to the local living environment. Nevertheless, current research lacks a thorough investigation into how Shanxi merchant culture influenced the spatial forms of these residences. This study aimed to analyze the spatial forms of three types of Shanxi merchant residences in Pingyao Ancient City through a case study approach, exploring the factors influencing their spatial forms and their relationship with local culture. The focus is on how the shop residence, workshop residence, and courtyard residence types reflect the interplay between commercial activities and the sociocultural background through their spatial arrangements. The findings indicate a high degree of integration between commercial and residential functions, highlighting the profound impact of Shanxi merchant culture on social hierarchy and family structure. This research provides new insights into the spatial forms of Shanxi merchant residences, offering implications for the adaptive reuse of residences in modern urban planning and architectural design, as well as providing a theoretical basis and reference for the preservation and regeneration of architectural heritage.

DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR THE URBAN INTERPRETATION OF COURTYARD SPACES IN HISTORIC CITIES: DESIGN AND SOCIAL ASPECTS

The shift in the urban paradigm during the 20th century led to a significant reconsideration of the living space of city residents. The principles of the modernist worldview, which acquired the nature of a universal urban design strategy in the Athens Charter of 1931, initiated a negative attitude towards the block development that had prevailed before. The courtyard spaces inherent in it started to be perceived as insufficient, and their original concept as places of recreation and social interaction was redefined. As a result, the internal environments of blocks were spontaneously used by residents for various purposes, leading to their degradation and chaos. This was particularly relevant to Ukrainian cities, where the population of historic centres was densifying, with an increased impact on all types of spaces. The crisis of modernist urban design and the expansion of postmodern values have returned attention to historical heritage as an auxiliary source of shaping and removed the intensity of the confrontation between the ‘contemporary’ modernist worldview and the ‘historical’ one. Subsequently, urban concepts have absorbed many ideas related to the environmental discourse, inclusiveness, barrier-free accessibility, pedestrian accessibility, and density. All of this has significantly changed the understanding of approaches and principles of interpretation of historic urban spaces, including residential courtyards. The article considers promising urban design strategies that can be used for the contemporary interpretation of courtyard environments, primarily focused on design and social aspects. This is due to the methodological structure, which is based on a dual understanding of the priorities of this process. On the one hand, courtyard spaces are perceived as places of recreation and greening, and on the other hand, as environments for socialising and community bonding. In this regard, four urban design strategies have been identified that may form the basis of certain areas of urban design in the future: a) functional universalisation; b) spatial diversification; c) communicative adaptability; d) variable accessibility. The first strategy refers to the integration of courtyard spaces into measures to introduce walkability and optimal density. In this case, we are dealing with introducing a number of functions into courtyard spaces that were typical of external street areas, but aimed at the nearest residents. The second strategy is aimed at returning to the ideology of green oases and recreational areas, with further expansion of spatial elements through vertical development. The strategy of communicative adaptability is related to the development of courtyards as places of gathering and solidarity of the resident’s community. The last strategy is related to the proposal to provide access to the courtyards to external visitors at certain times.

Incorporation mechanism of traditional Chinese garden elements in modern urban landscape design: an exploratory analysis based on grounded theory

ABSTRACT Following China’s reform and opening up in 1978, the image of European and American city construction has shaped China’s modern urban environment, but the creation of Chinese cities’ original intrinsic cultural landscape has been neglected. This leads to a break in the inheritance of garden culture in contemporary public and open urban landscape design. This study investigates the process of integrating traditional Chinese gardens into contemporary landscapes using grounded theory. In this study, In Vivo Coding is utilized to conduct a thorough analysis of textual materials through a three-step process: Open Coding, Axial Coding, and Selective Coding saturation test. The identified data are meticulously coded and summarized, culminating in the construction of a theoretical model. The study revealed that the incorporation of traditional Chinese garden elements in contemporary urban landscape design involves several key aspects: firstly, employing the traditional layout and spatial form of the entire design site; secondly, integrating modern public landscape design scenes with traditional garden design concepts to evoke a distinct Chinese ambiance; furthermore, utilizing both modern technology and materials alongside traditional techniques to create multi-dimensional elements within the site. The present study systematically synthesizes and examines the incorporation of traditional Chinese garden elements in contemporary urban design across six dimensions. This research offers a theoretical framework for the preservation of traditional garden culture and its integration into modern landscape, as well as furnishing mechanisms and methodologies for integrating traditional culture into contemporary landscape design practice. This research provides a valuable reference for preserving and practically implementing traditional garden elements in contemporary urban landscapes.

Employing Vernacular Urbanism and Traditional Practices in Enhancing Contemporary Cities: Insights from India

Vernacular urbanism, which encompasses traditional architectural and planning practices rooted in local culture and environmental conditions, presents valuable insights for modern urban design. As modern cities face increasing challenges such as environmental sustainability, cultural homogenization and climate change, the significance of these traditional practices becomes more apparent. In this context, it is argued that understanding and integrating vernacular practices can enhance contemporary urban design by merging historical knowledge with modern needs. This paper examines the integration of vernacular urbanism— traditional architectural and urban planning practices—into contemporary city design by employing a qualitative approach through case studies across various Indian cities such as Mumbai, Kochi, Jaipur and Jaisalmer, drawing on various data sources including historical texts, architectural treatises. By examining these, the study uncovers the evolution of vernacular urban practices and their applicability to contemporary urban design challenges. The paper concludes that integrating vernacular principles into the design of contemporary cities creates a harmonious balance between heritage preservation and advancing modern developments. This approach effectively bridges the gap between historical knowledge and contemporary urban planning, resulting in more livable, sustainable urban environments.

THE STATUS OF THE CHILD IN SOCIAL HOUSING. CASE STUDY OF ALI MENDJLI CITY, ALGERIA

Algerian cities witnessed great developmental movements and major urban expansions that affected all sectors, so new residential areas with modern urban design and planning that differed from the traditional style known to it spread age. In this research, the diagnosis of the child's status within the new residential urban environments will be discussed. The research involves the case study of the town of Ali Mendjli in Algeria, through the neighborhood of a new social housing. The target is to highlight the child's status in this new urban environments, in order to build incubating cities for the child. In view of the importance of the child in the urban and social fabric and the influence that the city leaves on his personality, as essential part of the programmed plans for the state of Constantine, the study tries to answer several the questions in order to understand if the child environment is really taken into account during the planning process for the new housing. The results will be helpful for searching recommendations to the shortcomings that the new urban area suffers from, in terms of places designated for children there.

Study on Traditional Architectural Decoration Patterns of Temple of the Three Sus

Temple of the Three Sus, which was first established during the Yuan Dynasty, features a natural, unrestrained, and classically elegant garden architectural style. This paper discusses the multiple characteristics and meanings of traditional architectural decorative patterns at Temple of the Three Sus from a semiotic perspective. First, it analyzes the denotative aspects of these patterns, including their stylistic forms, structural frameworks, and craftsmanship techniques. Second, the paper classifies the traditional architectural decorative patterns of the Temple of the Three Sus based on the types of sources of these patterns and interprets the implied meanings of each. Finally, the paper explores the application of these traditional decorative patterns in modern urban design, specifically in Meishan City, discussing the inheritance and innovation of these patterns in contemporary urban design and emphasizing the importance of integrating tradition with modernity.

The design of small architectural forms in the development of urban spaces based on Komi culture

The article examines a modern direction in the development of public spaces that includes the cultural code of the region and cultural identity in modern urban environment design. This is an important issue considering academic urban space projects in the educational process and work with urban communities. The article demonstrates a case of design pattern implementation based on Komi culture in relation to small architectural forms for the public space «Playground under the Clock» in Syktyvkar.

Calibrating the Parallax View: Understanding the Critical Moments of the Yugoslav Post-Socialist Turn

In this article, we seek to provide a new line of sight referring to specificities of the neoliberal turn in post-socialist societies and corresponding transformations of space. By employing the methodological approach that side-by-side explores two mutually exclusive strategies of analytical and empirical survey, we intend to tackle the question of irreducible antinomies pertinent to architectural research methodologies. Block 23 of the Central Zone of New Belgrade, designed by Branislav Karadžić, Božidar Janković, and Aleksandar Stjepanović (1968), has been widely recognised and aptly studied as one of the highlights of modern urban planning and design, conceived and realised in the period of late socialism in Belgrade (Serbia, former Yugoslavia). Featuring a notion of a “parallax gap,” we presume that the reading of Block 23 through two close yet clearly distinctive perspectives can bring a new scope of knowledge and point to the gap inscribed in the buildings themselves. The first point of view is empirical, centred on the notion of everyday life, and concerns the interpretation and use of space by its inhabitants. The second one is analytical, determined by the work of the architect and architectural theoretician, Branislav Milenković. We start from their point of contact and seek to find a shift in the diverging discursive positions producing a parallax gap. By way of architectural drawing, we explore and theorise new possibilities opened up by the actual buildings: interstitial, intermediary, transitional spaces, and spatial in-betweens. We hope to demonstrate the pursuit of both meticulously planned and dynamically conceived spaces open for the unpredictable was not only a way to respond to specific Yugoslav socio-political realities, but that it fostered the capacity of architecture to accommodate the future population and socio-economic transformations.

Based on 3D Virtual Reconstruction of Modern City Landscape Sculpture Planning Design

INTRODUCTION: With the continuous advancement of urbanization, urban landscape sculpture plays an increasingly important role in modern urban planning. Traditional planning and design methods make it challenging to demonstrate the three-dimensional sense and artistry of sculpture fully; therefore, this study explores a new method of planning and designing modern urban landscape sculpture based on three-dimensional virtual reconstruction.OBJECTIVES: This study aims to enhance the three-dimensional sense and artistry of urban landscape sculpture planning and design through three-dimensional virtual reconstruction technology to meet the needs of modern urban development better. By using advanced technical means, the planning and design can be made more intuitive and specific and provide urban residents with a more artistic public space.METHODS: The study adopts advanced three-dimensional virtual reconstruction technology, combined with urban planning and design theory, to plan and design modern urban landscape sculpture. Firstly, relevant literature on urban planning and sculpture design is collected to understand the existing design concepts and technical means. Secondly, a detailed virtual reconstruction of the sculpture is carried out by using three-dimensional modeling software to show the three-dimensional effect of the sculpture. Finally, the design scheme is optimized and improved through fieldwork and expert review.RESULTS: Through three-dimensional virtual reconstruction technology, this study successfully shows the whole picture of modern urban landscape sculpture. The design scheme not only has a three-dimensional sense but it has also been improved in artistry. The results of fieldwork and expert evaluation show that the new design scheme is more in line with the needs of urban development and adds a unique artistic atmosphere to the urban space.CONCLUSION: This study has achieved positive results in the field of modern urban landscape sculpture planning and design through 3D virtual reconstruction technology. The new design method not only provides a more specific tool for urban planners but also creates a more creative and artistic public space for urban residents. In the future, the application of this method in different urban contexts can be further explored and expanded to inject more innovation and vitality into urban planning and sculpture design.

Reframing Different Layers of Morphological Dimension - A Context of Urban Spaces w.r.t Net Zero Energy to Achieve Zero Carbon Emissions

Abstract: The contemporary city presents itself as an urban organism of great complexity, consisting of an increasingly number of elements, systems, dynamics and extracts, which makes their reading an equally complex task. the method of morphological analysis, it is assumed in this context, as an important reading tool of the city, giving order to what is naturally disordered through a classification process of the different elements that structure it –streets,squares, urban blocks,building , plots among others .Specifically, the paper discusses the morphological component of urban design, concentrating on the forms along with configurations of urban centers, as well as current preferences for urban blocks and interconnecting street patterns. Overall, it is concerned with the network of public spaces as well as actual public realm, which is the physical setting or stage for public activity. An important factor in this is one of the key tensions at the core of modern urban design: complexity, conflicts, andsynergies between the requirement for space and movement necessary for economic and social interaction and everyday living. Urban design goals, according to Jan Gehl, should be prioritized in the following order: first it islife, second it isspace, and third it isbuilding.

Exploring the Traditional Art Design in Urban Space Based on Interactive Media Arts: A Case Study of China

As a cultural communication medium, art needs to be developed and passed on. In an environment where traditional culture and art are gradually being forgotten, interactive media is particularly important. Compared with traditional media, interactive media is more guiding and interactive, and can also stimulate people's interest in traditional art and culture. The interactive media incorporated into modern urban design can better establish connections between traditional art culture, artists and the public, making traditional art culture truly come alive and integrated into urban space design. The addition of interactive media enables people to not only appreciate but also have a strong sense of participation. This article verifies the influence of interactive media in changing traditional culture and art by studying the impact of interactive media on traditional culture when interacting with the audience, and explores how interactive media art can be integrated into urban space design.

Utilizing Digital Art Virtual Reconstruction Technology in the Construction Industry for Modern Urban Landscape Sculpture Planning and Design

Utilizing Digital Art Virtual Reconstruction Technology in the Construction Industry for Modern Urban Landscape Sculpture Planning and Design

Research on the intelligent generation of the spatial form of the island city historic district Based on parameterization: taking Macau Taipa Village as an example

ABSTRACT In this paper, Macau Taipa Village, a historical district in an island-type city, is the research focus, and a parametric design-based method for designing historical districts is proposed. First, the shape and distribution of roads in historical districts is studied through on-the-spot investigation and measurement and data are collected on the width, depth, and area of street blocks, average street length and width, street orientation, building width, depth, acreage, and height, and building orientation. Second, the acquired data are transmitted to the Grasshopper parameterization platform, and an intelligently generated program produces calculations. Through multiple iterations and evaluations of genetic algorithms based on the needs of modern urban design and planning constraints, the building density is further reduced, and more landscape areas are added. The parametric model is optimized to gradually generate the urban spatial design that meets contemporary requirements. The research reveals that (1) the grasshopper algorithm’s generated block design inherits the characteristics of the conventional historical block. (2) The historical block where the data were collected on site and the block where Grasshopper is applied should maintain the consistency of the regional context. (3) This method can be applied to the design of new urban areas, and the scope of application can be further adjusted through collaboration and the needs of the owners at a later stage.

The digital presentation of human-oriented urban design

With the process of modernization and industrialization, cities are increasingly becoming homogenous. The place value and vitality of cities are seriously lacking with a declining trend. Therefore, in recent years, China has proposed the core concept of human-oriented urban construction and development. However, the multi-scale characteristics of urban morphology are difficult to be understood and reconstructed through traditional top-down design processes due to limited individual perception and cognitive abilities. Today, digital technology has changed this situation, which provides both direct and indirect means to gain a deeper understanding of the city. Therefore, to achieve a greater depth with more precise sense of scale, and represent regional personality and cultural diversity, this article proposed a concept of experimental mastery of full-chain space of multi-scales in the city, which is promising to coordinate the global and local, groups and individuals. This research can: help overcome the various drawbacks during the development of traditional urban design; change the urban order and development model that is believed to be “one change fits all” under the influence of modern urban design paradigm and ideal utopia; improve the personalization and accuracy of public participation through digital presentation; promote human-oriented and sustainable urban design, as well as the growing needs of the people for a better life.

Problematization of modern urban design

The subject of research in this article is the concepts, directions and definitions of urban design that exist in different countries today. The novelty of the study is to identify their features and problems associated with the lack of a unified theoretical and methodological approach to urban design. The main trends of urban design, the principles of the formation of urban spaces are considered, categories and concepts of design reflecting the environmental values of the urban environment are proposed. An attempt is made to show that these contradictions can be solved by expanding the problem field of urban design by including environmental, anthropological and psychological issues to create innovative design projects. It is in the value attitudes that the differences of many concepts are most clearly manifested. The necessity of an integrated approach to the design of the urban environment is substantiated. For this purpose, a strategy of urban design is proposed, summarizing the key modern scientific and applied points of view in this area. It defines the connections, coincidences and complementarities between different conceptual approaches, the emphasis is on human-centered design and innovation. It is focused on modeling a virtually new synthetic environment with increased comfort indicators without compromising the natural environment. The relevance of this approach is due to the widespread opinion that it is impossible to achieve ecological balance within an urban settlement. The result of the study was the identification of the main themes and problems that urban design is able to solve at the present stage.

COVID impact on usage of public spaces in Brasilia, Brazil

COVID 19 has proved to be a challenging time worldwide. For the last three years, academics have researched its impacts through different lenses and perspectives in many significant fields. In the urban academic realm, there has been a growing debate on the potential change in behavior towards public space usage during the pandemic. After compulsory confinent, public spaces became under the mainstream debate of the importance of public spaces for livelihood in times of crisis. Still, assessing its impacts on public space is still not widely done, neither quantitatively nor qualitatively. This research brings Brasilia as a study case to understand whether the pandemic has affected the usage of the iconic abundance of green spaces of the capital city on the first 18 months, before the introduction of vaccination. Brasilia as a garden-city, a concept brought by the modern urban design movement, has always faced criticism for its hygienist design and the ample provision of green spaces. The garden-city features was put to a test after COVID 19 through the analysis of five different types of public spaces using surveys and interviews with local residents of Plano Piloto (n=147). The results show that during the pandemic the usage of local neighborhood parks within walking distance has indeed increased. People tend to use these spaces for exercising but most importantly to socialize with friends and family.

Компьютерное проектирование и моделирование общественных мест городских территорий

The high pace of life characteristic of modern society, the rapid development of urban settlements require the formation and practical implementation of fast and accurate management and design solutions for the adaptation of environmental components to human life in appropriate conditions. Modern cities are increasing geographically, occupying ever larger spaces; their social, industrial transport infrastructure is becoming more complex, the economic component is developing, the population of large urban settlements is growing, and a complex structure of the system of public places is being formed. All this leads to changes in the nature of settlement of the population, the way and peculiarities of people’s lives, their psychology and behavior in urban space. Modern problems of cities and their populations cannot be fully inventoried, analyzed, understood, evaluated, and finally solved within the “narrow framework” of scientific knowledge. Comprehensive study and design of urban areas require intensive implementation and active use of integration approaches. In this regard, the modern sphere of design is already unthinkable without the use of the latest computer information and geoinformation technologies. The solution of design tasks only in the format of real drawings, without the widespread use of virtual ones, is currently no longer possible. The anthropocultural paradigm of urbanization development has made it possible to introduce, significantly expand and strengthen the spheres of contacts of geographers, cartographers and urban planners. Nevertheless, in the methodological arsenal of modern urban planning, theories, concepts and ideas developed in humanitarian geography should be used even more widely. In modern urban planning design, the latest computer equipment, software and information technologies are widely used, but geographers are rarely involved in the author’s teams. In the field of modern urban planning, including the design of public places in urban areas, there is a wide range of problems faced by specialists in regional design organizations, and which require their solutions based on the extensive involvement of the latest software with maximum use of all its capabilities.

An analysis of modelling the ecological importance of modern agricultural landscaping

Landscape is an important part of urban ecosystem, and the assessment of landscape ecological importance is important to guide landscape design. The current ecological importance analysis mainly uses the comprehensive index relationship quantification to abstract the corresponding mathematical model, and the sample data interferes with the analysis results. To address the above-mentioned shortcomings, the ecological importance modeling analysis of modern urban landscape design is studied. Based on the calculation of modern urban landscape pattern index, the ecological importance index system of landscape design is established. Using the combination of hierarchical analysis and GIS technology, the index parameters are determined. Using metacellular automata, the ecological importance analysis model was constructed. The results of the case verification show that the constructed analysis model can demonstrate the changes of ecological importance of landscape design more accurately and effectively guide the landscape design.

Design and Practice of Plant Landscaping in Landscaping

With the continuous development of social economy, many cities pay more attention to the landscape design of landscaping, and put forward various relevant policies for landscaping, laying a solid foundation for landscaping. Especially in the context of the information age, various types of plants emerge in endlessly, and the economic benefits are increasingly prominent, which has virtually improved the economic outlook of China’s cities. As an important part of landscape design, plant landscaping can not only improve the quality of urban construction, but also improve the quality of urban water resources and air, optimize people’s longterm living environment, and create a beautiful landscape for people. At the same time, plant landscaping is widely used in modern urban landscape design. It is necessary to strictly follow the principles of garden landscaping and ecological theory, coordinate the development of cities and nature, take nature as the main optimization goal, promote the sustainable development of cities, and let people enjoy a beautiful environment. Based on this, by analyzing the importance of plant landscaping, this paper makes people aware of the significance of plant landscaping to the ecological environment, and then analyzes the forms of plant ornamental expression from different aspects, which is conducive to the garden staff to design a satisfactory garden plant landscape.

Research on the Application of Public Art Design Based on Digital Technology and Multisensor Fusion Technology in Urban Landscape Construction

During the more than 100 years of modern urban landscape design and construction, in addition to the continuous deductive changes of design thinking, concepts, methods and means, the construction concept and design thinking have also changed for a long time. In different periods, the degree of involvement and the role and the function of the public art involved in the landscape are different, and the applied technology is always changing. This paper emphatically analyzes the role of public art design of digital technology and multisensor fusion technology in the construction of urban landscape in China in recent years, and reveals that after the digital technology and multisensor fusion technology art design are involved in the construction of urban space landscape, they have shifted from the important power of shaping urban space aesthetics to the development of ecological aesthetics. At the same time, in this process, public art and urban design have developed to a new stage, that is, from the physical space to the construction of the spiritual field, which has become the most vivid visual text of today’s urban landscape, so as to further understand the significance and value of art in urban space.