Mountain City Research Articles

Research on the Development Trend of Urban Waterfront Space Design from The Perspective of Citespace

As a unique regional unit, the vitality of its waterfront space drives urban development to a certain extent. Focusing on the design and construction of urban waterfront spaces at home and abroad, CiteSpace software was used to quantitatively analyze to extract basic information such as regional time zones and hot keywords, construct a co-emergence map of hot research fields, analyze the development pulse of urban waterfront spaces, and elaborate possible future research directions, and strive to provide academic support for future research on the design of waterfront spaces along the waterfront in Macao and the same area. The analysis shows that a research system with urban waterfront space as the theme has been formed, and the research scope is subdivided into conceptual planning, mountain cities, urban renewal, urban double repair, urban vitality, etc., but the research and development in the system are uneven, and the research field continues to expand, and the research around urban double repair and urban vitality will continue to heat up and become the main research direction in the future.

Flood risk investigation of pedestrians and vehicles in a mountainous city using a coupled coastal ocean and stormwater management model

AbstractTo examine the attributes, underlying mechanisms, and impacts of rainfall patterns on the vulnerability of pedestrians and vehicles to flood‐induced instability within mountainous urban areas, we introduced an integrated urban flood model that combined the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM). We implemented this model in the Yuelai New Town of Chongqing, China. Our findings indicated that in the case of early peak rainfalls, there was a rapid surge in flood volume during the initial stages of rainfall , while this increase was more gradual when the peak rainfall was delayed. Furthermore, for events with the same return period, flood peaks resulting from later peak rainfalls covered a larger area compared with those from earlier peak rainfalls; however, this effect diminished with increasing return periods. As the return period was extended, the exposed risk area for pedestrians and vehicles expanded. Analysis of instability indices revealed that pedestrians exhibit a lower index compared with vehicles, adults fare better than children, and SUVs outperform sedans. The efficacy of our proposed model framework was demonstrated through its successful application in assessing urban flood risk and evaluating the instability index for pedestrians and vehicles within a mountainous urban setting.

Assessing ecosystem health of a mountainous city at the neighbourhood level: A case from eastern Himalayan region (India)

Assessing ecosystem health of a mountainous city at the neighbourhood level: A case from eastern Himalayan region (India)

The impact of gradient expansion of urban–rural construction land on landscape fragmentation in typical mountain cities, China

ABSTRACT Hillside urbanization currently provides the most economical solution for urban expansion. However, limited attention was paid to the characteristics, processes, and patterns of gradient expansion of construction land (GEC) in mountainous regions and its impact on landscape fragmentation. This study suggests an approach to identify GEC in mountainous regions and quantify its spatial impact on the fragmentation of cultivated land and ecological land. The results are as follows: (1) GEC can be categorized as ‘unidirectional’, ‘bidirectional’, or ‘multidirectional’ expansion, influenced by the proportion of topography in different directions of the cities. The magnitude of expansion is correlated with the city's economic level. (2) GEC leads to an increasing trend of landscape fragmentation, with nearly a three-fold increase in arable land fragmentation and a two-fold increase in ecological land fragmentation within the focus areas over 20 years. (3) The impact of GEC on the fragmentation of cultivated and ecological land diminishes with distance, primarily influencing within 3 km. The results of this study provide a methodological reference for identifying key areas and characteristics of GEC, and serve as a theoretical basis for reducing landscape ecological risks in the process of mountainous urban development and promoting sustainable development.

Construction of Recreation Opportunity Spectrum of River Beach IGS in Mountain City: A Case Study of the Two Rivers and Four Banks of Chongqing

Construction of Recreation Opportunity Spectrum of River Beach IGS in Mountain City: A Case Study of the Two Rivers and Four Banks of Chongqing

Exploring students' choice of active travel to school in different spatial environments: A case study in a mountain city

In order to understand the spatial variations of students' active school travel (AST) across different regions in mountain cities, this paper examines the spatial variations in the influence of socio-economic, topographic, and built environment characteristics on the active mode choice of students in Guiyang, a typical mountainous city in China. Using the data collected from 2021 Guiyang household travel survey, the travel characteristics of 2585 primary and secondary school students distributed in different regions within the city are analyzed. In addition, a semiparametric geographically weighted logistic regression model is employed to examine whether the determinants of students' AST vary across the studied areas. The results show that noticeable spatial variations exist in the relationship between the choice of AST and the selected explanatory variables, with different student groups exhibit sensitivity to these variables in different geographic areas. For example, among students aged 6–12 living in suburban areas, there is a higher likelihood of choosing AST as the school travel distance increases. However, students with long-distance travel in suburban areas are less inclined to choose AST as the terrain slope increases. Conversely, students aged 13–18 in urban areas are more prone to choose AST as the slope increases. To promote equitable access to AST among urban and rural students, several policy recommendations are proposed after considering their socio-economic attributes and travel environment. These recommendations primarily focus on improving school bus services, creating an active travel-friendly environment, enhancing public transit accessibility, and implementing staggered shifts for parents and students.

Comparisons and quality control of wind observations in a mountainous city using wind profile radar and the Aeolus satellite

Abstract. Observations of the vertical wind profile in Chongqing, a typical mountainous city in China, are important, but they are sparse and have low resolution. To obtain more wind profile data, this study matched the Aeolus track with ground-based wind observation sites in Chongqing in 2021. Based on the obtained results, verification and quality control studies were conducted on the wind observations of a wind profile radar (WPR) with radiosonde (RS) data, and a comparison of the Aeolus Mie-cloudy and Rayleigh-clear wind products (Aeolus winds measured in cloudy and aerosol-rich atmospheric conditions from Mie-channel-collected data and winds measured in clear-air conditions from Rayleigh-collected data) with WPR data was then performed. The conclusions can be summarized as follows: (1) a clear correlation between the wind observations of WPR and RS was found, with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.71. Their root mean square deviation increased with height but decreased at heights between 3 and 4 km. (2) After quality control using Gaussian filtering (GF) and empirical orthogonal function construction (EOFc; G=87.23 %) of the WPR data, the R between the WPR and RS reached 0.83 and 0.95, respectively. The vertical distribution showed that GF could better retain the characteristics of WPR wind observations but with limited improvement in decreasing deviations, whereas EOFc performed better in decreasing deviations but considerably modified the original characteristics of the wind field, especially regarding intensive vertical wind shear in strong convective weather processes. (3) In terms of the differences between the Aeolus and WPR data, 56.0 % and 67.8 % deviations were observed within ±5 m s−1 for Rayleigh-clear and Mie-cloudy winds (Aeolus winds measured in cloudy and aerosol-rich atmospheric conditions from Mie-channel-collected data and winds measured in clear-air conditions from Rayleigh-collected data) vs WPR winds, respectively. Vertically, large mean differences of both Rayleigh-clean and Mie-cloudy winds versus WPR winds appeared below 1.5 km, which is attributed to the prevailing quiet and small winds within the boundary layer in Chongqing; in this case the movement of molecules and aerosols is mostly affected by irregular turbulence. Additionally, large mean differences at a height range between 4 and 8 km for Mie-cloudy versus WPR winds may be related to the high content of cloud liquid water in the middle troposphere of Chongqing. (4) The differences in both Rayleigh-clear and Mie-cloudy versus WPR winds had changed. Deviations of 58.9 % and 59.6 % were concentrated within ±5 m s−1 for Rayleigh-clear versus WPR winds with GF and EOFc quality control, respectively. In contrast, 69.1 % and 70.2 % of deviations appeared within ±5 m s−1 for Rayleigh-clear versus WPR and EOFc WPR winds, respectively. These results shed light on the comprehensive applications of multi-source wind profile data in mountainous cities or areas with sparse ground-based wind observations.

Spatial relationship between ecosystem health and urbanization in coastal mountain city, Qingdao, China

Rapid urbanization and population growth have significantly impacted air and water quality, exerting adverse effects on both the natural environment and human health. While ecosystem health assessment is a crucial aspect of ecosystem management, the smaller-scale implications of urban development have often been overlooked. This paper addresses this gap by examining the relationship between ecosystem health and urbanization in Qingdao over the period 2000–2019. Utilizing the Vigor-Organization-Resilience-Service (VORS) model, we evaluated ecosystem health (ESH) while measuring the extent of urbanization through population dynamics, economic factors, and land size. Our findings indicate a declining trend in ESH over the studied period, particularly in Chengyang District and Huangdao District. Ecosystem vigor experienced the most significant decline, dropping from 0.730 to 0.639, followed by a decrease in ecosystem resilience from 0.422 to 0.394. Concurrently, the urbanization rate in Qingdao exhibited a steady increase, with high levels observed in Shinan District, Shibei District and Licang District. Our analysis reveals a negative impact of urbanization on ecosystem health, with population growth being the predominant factor from 2000 to 2005. Post-2005, the expansion of construction land emerged as a major contributing factor. Addressing ecological and environmental concerns and the effective management of urban ecosystems all depend on understanding and mitigating the negative impacts of urbanization on ecosystem health. These findings hold crucial implications for government departments tasked with managing the delicate balance between population growth and land expansion.

Subsurface multi-physical characterization of mountain excavation and city construction in loess plateau with a fiber-optic sensing system

Mountain excavation and city construction (MECC) projects being launched in the Loess Plateau in China involve the creation of large-scale artificial land. Understanding the subsurface evolution characteristics of the artificial land is essential, yet challenging. Here, we use an improved fiber-optic monitoring system for its subsurface multi-physical characterization. The system enables us to gather spatiotemporal distribution of various parameters, including strata deformation, temperature, and moisture. Yan'an New District was selected as a case study to conduct refined in-situ monitoring through a 77 m-deep borehole and a 30 m-long trench. Findings reveal that the ground settlement involves both the deformation of the filling loess and the underlying intact loess. Notably, the filling loess exhibits a stronger creep capability compared to underlying intact loess. The deformation along the profile is unevenly distributed, with a positive correlation with soil moisture. Water accumulation has been observed at the interface between the filling loess and the underlying intact loess, leading to a significant deformation. Moreover, the temperature and moisture in the filling loess have reached a new equilibrium state, with their depths influenced by atmospheric conditions measuring at 31 m and 26 m, respectively. The refined investigation allows us to identify critical layers that matter the sustainable development of newly created urban areas, and provide improved insights into the evolution mechanisms of land creation.

Seasonal Climatic Comfort Variations in Mountain Cities: A Local Climate Zone Perspective

Seasonal Climatic Comfort Variations in Mountain Cities: A Local Climate Zone Perspective

Emergy Evaluation of Ecological Engineering for Riparian Restoration in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, China

Complex hydrological regimes and rugged topography in mountainous cities have increasingly compromised urban riparian zones, presenting marked restoration challenges. This study conducted restoration trials along the Jiulongtan riparian zone, located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River (URYR), China. It featured 2 major ecological engineering interventions: (a) establishing semi-natural meadows and applying braided branched meshes to the riparian slope revetment and (b) constructing littoral woods and managing microtopography and sediment in the floodplain area. Furthermore, emergy evaluation was utilized to gauge the effectiveness of these restoration strategies and to assess the sustainability of the reconstructed riparian ecosystems. The following results were obtained: (a) Both the restored slope revetment (RSR) and restored floodplain (RF) ecosystems achieved a state of performance equilibrium after their implementation, with the former benefiting from renewable energy investments and the latter effectively utilizing local resources; (b) service yield outcomes highlighted significant enhancements in species diversity within the reconstructed ecosystems; plant diversity emerged as the primary contributor to total service yield, recording 3.71 × 10 18 sej/a for the RSR and 5.50 × 10 18 sej/a for the RF; (c) the emergy sustainability index values of 1.98 for the RSR and 5.16 for the RF suggest robust sustainability potential, particularly for the RF, even amid intense environmental stresses. These results affirm the success of the innovative restoration strategies employed for riparian reconstruction in the URYR’s mountainous urban settings, offering valuable insights and reference for future restorative decisions in response to complex hydrological regimes and topography of urban riparian zones, both within the URYR and elsewhere.

Localized regional environmental risk in mountainous urban areas of Southwest China: identification, assessment, and management strategies in Kunming.

In recent decades, the escalating frequency of environmental risk events, arising from sources such as industrial accidents, chemical spills, or other anthropogenic activities, has intensified threats to the ecological environment. The targeted identification of high-risk areas, formulation of control lists for key risk sources within regions, and the implementation of differentiated management strategies remain significant challenges. This study employed an administrative region environmental risk assessment and gridded environmental risk analysis method to comprehensively evaluate the environmental risks in the city of Kunming, China. The results indicated a fourfold increase in the number of environmental risk sources from 2012 to 2022. The sources were found to be widely distributed across the entire region but exhibited localized clustering. The environmental risk receptors were primarily concentrated around a local lake, in densely populated counties, and near rivers and drinking water sources. Risk hotspot areas within the target region were identified using the gridded environmental risk analysis method. A list of 29 key control areas was proposed, including nine industrial parks and 20 streets. Measures were proposed for handling unexpected incidents. The findings provide data useful for policy formulation and environmental management in similar regions of mountainous cities.

Landscape sightline analysis on height control of land around architectural heritage sites: Nanshan Temple and Nanping Academy in Zhangzhou, China

Geospatial technology has been extensively researched and applied in the urban spatial planning field. However, mountainous urban planning needs to consider not only the complex terrain but also the accessibility of the landscape to landmark buildings. Therefore, geospatial techniques and landscape sight analysis play important roles in formulating effective urban building height control measures. This article uses the Nanshan Temple and Nanping Academy of Classical Learning and its surrounding architectural planning as the research objects, constructs a digital elevation model through geospatial technology combined with Grasshopper parameterization, and calculates the visible area when viewed from different positions. To maintain the accessibility of the landscape to the landmark buildings, the layout, building height and location of the planning area are determined. The research shows that (1) through geospatial technology, landscape sightline analysis, linear projection and collision detection methods can be used to accurately calculate landscape sightline interruption points and occlusion areas around historical and cultural buildings. We concluded that the optimal viewshed protection range is a radius of 2000 m. (2) Compared with a design based on a surrounding height of 60 m, the method in this study increased the number of visible viewpoints by approximately 123.84%, while the number of invisible viewpoints decreased by approximately 21.03%. (3) Based on the sightline protection scope, the heights of the blocks in the protection zone are further calculated. Within a radius of 1000 m, a 52.78 m height limit of planned plots is recommended. Within a radius of 1500 m, a 40.87 m height limit of the planned plot is recommended. Within a radius of 2000 m, the height of the planned plot should be controlled at 24.79 m. Based on this, the specific building space arrangement can be reasonably formulated. (4) After optimizing the existing visual corridors in the reserve, the area of the viewsheds expanded from 13.0% to 19.1%. (5) Finally, this study also considered plant factors. The recommended height for plant landscapes is as follows. Woodland on hillsides should be reduced from the original 10–12 to 4.74–8.51 m. Garden land in flat areas should be reduced from the original 9 to 6.38–3.36 m. This study uses the geospatial technology landscape sight analysis method to reveal the impact of landscape sight on the spatial distribution of mountainous cities with cultural landmarks and, at the same time, provides a new method and strategy for the spatial planning of mountainous cities.

About the First Koguryo Capital

The article presents the formation problem of the early Koguryo state’s capital in the early medieval time. This subject has not been a particularly hot issue in Russian historiography. The main Korean and Chinese written and epigraphic sources were considered to resolve this background about the early capital. It categorically said, that in the 1st century BC, Koguryo developed as an established real state with an obligatory element as the capital. At the same time, information about the localization and structure of the early capital is uninformative and convoluted. Therefore, written sources were supplemented by archaeological data on the Wunu mountain city located in the Liaoning province, since in historiography, this site is correlated with the location of the first Koguryo capital. According to its characteristics, it represents a sparsely populated fortified settlement located in a hard-to-reach mountain valley on top of a high mountain. Different locations of the surrounding area are considered as the location of the valley settlement (including Xiàgǔchéngzi plain city). Several early Koguryo cemeteries were located in the neighbourhood. The Koguryo state system was finally organized only after several centuries, thus, the location indicated in written resources as the early capital, should be attributed as the leaders' military centre of the early Koguryo population group.

THE HERME AMULET FROM CERAITAI IN PISIDIA

The subject of this article is the Herme amulet brought to Burdur Museum from Ceraitai. The city is one of the mountainous cities of the Pisidia Region. It was largely destroyed by illegal activities in the 1960s and 1970s. A Herme amulet was discovered, which was reportedly found during illegal excavations in the city. This amulet was brought to the Burdur Museum in 1973 and sold. In ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, Mediterranean, Anatolia, and Greece, the use of divine objects or various animal figures in the form of amulets was a common tradition. However, examples of symbolic herme amulets made in the form of miniatures of the god Hermes are extremely rare. The herme amulet, which was determined to be brought from Ceraitai, is an important object in this sense. This amulet was made as a Hermes cult object. It is a miniature version of the ithyphallic Hermes monuments found throughout Athens. It is phallus-shaped and has an anthropomorphic head. On the back, there is a thread hole for hanging it. This object is worn around the neck to ward off evil spirits and to bring success and good fortune. It is an apotropaic object. It is quite distinct from the amulets discovered in Anatolian studies and used for the same purpose. In this way, it is a one-of-a-kind artifact. While determining the work’s historical context, stylistic comparisons with appropriate specimens from outside Anatolia were made. According to these works, it was deemed appropriate to date the amulet to the 5th and 4th centuries BC.

Cascading failure mechanism of major drainage system in mountainous city: Taking the basin of the main urban area of Chongqing as an example, China

Failure of major drainage systems is almost always accompanied by waterlogging. Understanding the operation and failure mechanism of major drainage systems is an important prerequisite for understanding and managing waterlogging. The natural and artificial environments in mountainous cities are more complex, and the major drainage system, as an open system for excessive surface runoff discharge and storage, is more prone to local overload and cascading failure. Existing theories and methods are difficult to explain and analyze the cascading failure characteristics and principles of major drainage systems in mountainous cities. Based on the complex network technology and the principle of runoff balance, the cascade failure model of major drainage system was constructed, and the characteristics and laws of cascade failure under six kinds of terrain, six kinds of short duration rainstorm and two kinds of surface environments were quantitatively analyzed. Research has found that the cascading failure of major drainage systems and waterlogging in mountainous cities should be the same phenomenon from different perspectives, and the simulated matching degree between the two can reach 79.5%. Meanwhile, 456 potential waterlogging locations were discovered in the study area, which is much larger than the actual 73 locations. When urban construction and rainfall conditions change, these unstable potential waterlogging locations are easily apparent. Among them, terrain is the main factor restricting the cascading failure of major drainage systems. Low lying valley areas often quickly accumulate a large amount of overflow, while flat areas are prone to overflow spreading to the surrounding areas; Slope areas are not prone to overflow, but are prone to local flooding. The change of short duration rainstorm and the difference of surface environmental openness will further interfere with the cascade failure of the major drainage system. The longer the return period of the short duration rainstorm or the increase of the peak value of the rainfall pattern, the greater the discharge and storage pressure of the major drainage system per unit time, resulting in intensified waterlogging. The open and unobstructed surface environment will lead to the small-scale spread of waterlogging, but this will significantly reduce the overall degree of waterlogging in the late rainstorm. The study revealed the spatiotemporal principles and basic laws of cascading failure of major drainage systems in mountainous cities. The conclusion is helpful for mountainous cities to formulate urban construction management strategies and climate change adaptation strategies, and to cope with current and future potential waterlogging disasters.

Interactions between centrality and commuting costs in a mountainous city: Implications for jobs-housing relationships and land use policies

While various empirical studies have been conducted to unpack the links which exist between spatial pattern and commuting costs, the interactions remain unclear given the variations in environmental contexts and methods for identifying polycentricity. Furthermore, there has been limited attention given to mountainous metropolitan areas where the urban structure is greatly influenced by natural barriers. This paper proposes two indicators of centrality by exploring spatial distribution of urban functions and functional linkages respectively, and examines how the two centrality indicators are related to commuting costs in Chongqing, China. The findings confirm the urban structure of Chongqing as being polycentric from both morphological and functional dimensions. The modelling results suggest that both morphological centrality and functional centrality are positively related to commuting costs. The cross-level interactions of variables highlight the significant role that morphological centrality has in a mountainous area. Furthermore, the spatial mismatch of employment and residency varied in different areas of Chongqing; suggesting that there is a need for policy interventions to promote land use mix and jobs-housing balance.

Long-Term Settlement Characterization of High-Filling Foundation in the Mountain Excavation and City Construction Area of the Yan’an New District, China

Long-Term Settlement Characterization of High-Filling Foundation in the Mountain Excavation and City Construction Area of the Yan’an New District, China

The urbanism and geography in green regions of Europe

This article refers to Hallstatt in Austria and Ioannina in Greece. The goals analyze the two locations that have similarities in geometric shape, digital elevation model (DEM), and geomorphology. Firstly, Hallsatt’s advances were more technical than aesthetic. There is a general tendency towards extravagance and baroque and Greco-Oriental influences. Secondly, Ioannina is a mountainous city located around Lake Pamvotis. The geometry develops parallel to the lake. The city experiences many cultures. The ancient city had an urban planning that characterized the Ottoman Empire. In the old part, there is the castle, old stone streets, wooden houses, and the house of the Greek Muslim Ali Pasha. The author obtains numerous aerial photographs using Google Earth software. The photographs were received dynamically for all the perimeters of the regions. In short, the cartographer has between 15 and 20 photographs. The next step is to align the photographs in Zephyr photogrammetry software. Configuring resolutions, distance, camera locations, contrast, and brightness is essential. The final products are the 3D texture, 3D model, and orthophotos from Hallstatt and Ioannina. Digital products are suitable for measuring areas, circumferences, and heights. Furthermore, digital products represent a digital archiving practice: conservation and visualization are crucial factors today as they share, represent, promote, and document urban planning, historical memory, and the natural environment.

Effect of the characteristic town policy on sewage treatment in mountainous areas: Evidence from Chongqing

The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China highlighted the necessity of advancing a new type of urbanization with people at the core. Characteristic towns as an essential link between new urbanization and rural revitalization attach great importance to creating a beautiful environment. Sewage treatment is an indispensable foundation for a town's high-quality economic and social development; however, it may be hard to achieve through urban construction. Therefore, using data from 584 organic towns in Chongqing, a typical mountainous city in western China, this study empirically analyzes the effect of the characteristic town policy in China on mountainous sewage treatment and its mechanisms from 2014 to 2020. The results indicate that (1) the characteristic town policy helps enhance sewage treatment in small towns, which remains valid after a series of robustness tests. (2) Investment and human resource effects are mediators for the characteristic town policy to boost sewage treatment in small towns. Further analyses reveal that the boosting effect of the characteristic town policy on small-town sewage treatment is more significant for small towns with higher economic development levels suffering ecological and environmental pressures. These findings provide a basis for a broad recognition of the effect of the characteristic town policy and its impact. They also theoretically enrich the awareness of the Chinese government's urbanization policy concerning the economy and society.