Open Space Area Research Articles

Mapping hierarchical urban boundaries for global urban settlements

Urban boundary is the spatial basis for urban statistics and urban planning. However, the city definition by which the urban boundary is determined is not comparable among different countries. A globally consistent delimitation of hierarchical urban boundaries (HUBs) is rare but urgently needed. In this research, we proposed a model to consistently identify HUBs according to physical urban entity. The main quantitative basis of our model is the density, size and spatial relationship of the artificial impervious surface. We produced a vector dataset of global HUBs (named GHUB) based on 30-meter resolution remote sensing products. Cross-product comparison shows the effectiveness and advantages of our model. We furtherly, for the first time, investigated and compared the physical form and spatial characteristics of global urban settlements through the same lens supported by GHUB. We have identified 10,242 urban settlements with an area above five square kilometers, 39.18% of them are located within 100 km of the coastline. Urban settlements are not the “reinforced concrete forest” as commonly thought. The global average proportion of open space within urban settlements is 41.51%. The total area of urban open space in the world is 279.47 thousand square kilometers. Notably, we verified the Rank-size rule of urban settlement is universal, meanwhile, the verification results of different urban systems in 47 countries show that the Zipf’s exponent varies from country to country. Our work can help to consistently investigate global urban settlements without being affected by various definitions of cities. The GHUB can not only be applied to various urban studies but also can support global affairs such as the Sustainable Development Goal 11 due to its international comparability.

Land Use Regression Modelling of traffic-related noise in Athens, Greece for use in epidemiological studies

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Even though exposure to noise has been associated with higher blood pressure and sleep disturbance, a very limited number of studies have developed Land Use Regression (LUR) models to estimate exposure to transportation noise. Our aim was to develop a LUR model that estimates long-term exposure to road-traffic noise, within the greater Athens area in Greece, for subsequent use in epidemiological studies. METHODS: We developed a LUR model for road-traffic noise exposure to Lday-evening-night (Lden) using noise measurements conducted at 241 points in the study area, during 2014-2015. We applied a semiparametric approach including linear and smooth functions of spatial covariates and a bivariate smooth thin plate function for the geographical coordinates of the monitoring sites. The final set of explanatory variables was selected based on the adjusted-R2. We tested the final model’s performance using 10-fold cross-validation (CV). Subsequently, we applied the developed model to estimate exposure to road-traffic noise of 1,321 participants in the National Survey of Morbidity and Risk Factors (EMENO), at their residential addresses. Logistic and linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between exposure to road-traffic noise and the risk of hypertension and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). RESULTS:The final set of predictor variables included traffic load variables, number and surrounding area of bus lanes, open space areas and nearest building height. The R2 of the developed model was 0.51 (CV-R2:0.39). Mean exposure (SD) of participants to Lden was 56.8 (2.54)dB. A 10dB increase in Lden was associated with an odds ratio (OR) for hypertension of 1.69 (95% confidence interval (CI):0.84, 3.41) and an increase in MAP of 1.3mmHg (95% CI: -2.00, 4.60 mmHg). CONCLUSIONS:LUR modeling provides a useful tool for estimating exposure to transportation noise for subsequent use in epidemiological studies, but further improvements of exposure are needed. KEYWORDS: Environmental epidemiology, Exposure assessment, Noise, Long-term exposure, Cardiovascular diseases

IOT Smart Guidance Parking Search System for Open Space Parking Area

Open parking facilities can be automated and parking spaces can be easily operated by the implementation of IoT technology (Internet of Things). In this article, we present the evolution and prototyping of the open space smart guidance-parking search system, an IoT-based smart parking search system. The Smart Guidance Parking Searches System consists of i) An IOT module to monitor the availability of a parking slot and to update the parking lot status; and (ii) A web-based software allows users to view parking spaces available for a specific open space area. This paper addresses the existing system, device description, its functional specifications, the methods, and technologies used, the development/deployment of prototypes, along with the findings from the demonstration. This device serves as a guide for the user/driver to search for the parking slot occupancy in open/outdoor environments.

ANALISIS PERUBAHAN LUAS RUANG TERBUKA HIJAU PUBLIK DAN PRIVAT DI KOTA JAMBI

This research was conducted to identify changes in the area of ​​public and private green open space in Jambi City and to identify the factors that influence changes in the area of ​​green open space. This type of research is descriptive quantitative. The research was conducted in Jambi City, and was conducted from June to September 2020. Data collection techniques were obtained through observation and documentation. Data amalisis technique is obtained through spatial and descriptive analysis. The results showed that: (1) In the 2015-2019 period, the area of ​​public Green Open Space (RTH) in Jambi City decreased, which decreased by 2,223.23 hectares from the original 2015 amounting to 10,167.67 hectares to 7,937.44 hectares in 2019 and the area of ​​private green open space in 2015 has increased from an area of ​​6,983.74 hectares to 9,206.97 hectares in 2019; (2) the factors that influence the change in the area of ​​public green open space are health facilities, educational facilities, and economic facilities, while the factor affecting the change in the area of ​​private green open space is population density.

Analysis of Lightning-Induced Voltages Effect with SPD Placement for Sustainable Operation in Hybrid Solar PV-Battery Energy Storage System

This paper discusses the lightning-induced voltage effect on a hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV)-battery energy storage system with the presence of surge protection devices (SPD). Solar PV functions by utilizing solar energy, in generating electricity, to supply to the customer. To ensure its consistency, battery energy storage is introduced to cater to the energy demand. For the countries located at the Equator, lightning has always become a major issue for the system to operate at maximum efficiency, due to its nature of installation in open space areas where the equipment may suffer serious damage that may stop the operation abruptly. To minimize the possible damages, insulation coordination on the lightning protection system is needed. Hence, three case studies, i.e., lightning current amplitude, lightning strike distance, and cable length are presented in this paper, which the quantified analysis is taking into account, to identify the performance of the system with the single installation of SPD Class II at DC and AC sides. The simulation results have contributed towards a better understanding of the importance of SPDs, and the need to properly coordinate according to the standard, taking into account the quantified information obtained from this work, hence providing the necessity of proper installation of SPD will provide better maintenance and prolong the lifespan of the equipment.

Prospects for Trifolium Improvement Through Germplasm Characterisation and Pre-breeding in New Zealand and Beyond.

Trifolium is the most used pastoral legume genus in temperate grassland systems, and a common feature in meadows and open space areas in cities and parks. Breeding of Trifolium spp. for pastoral production has been going on for over a century. However, the breeding targets have changed over the decades in response to different environmental and production pressures. Relatively small gains have been made in Trifolium breeding progress. Trifolium breeding programmes aim to maintain a broad genetic base to maximise variation. New Zealand is a global hub in Trifolium breeding, utilising exotic germplasm imported by the Margot Forde Germplasm Centre. This article describes the history of Trifolium breeding in New Zealand as well as the role and past successes of utilising genebanks in forage breeding. The impact of germplasm characterisation and evaluation in breeding programmes is also discussed. The history and challenges of Trifolium breeding and its effect on genetic gain can be used to inform future pre-breeding decisions in this genus, as well as being a model for other forage legumes.

Monitoring the Land Cover Change and Its Impact on the Land Surface Temperature of Rajshahi City, Bangladesh using GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques

Urban growth possesses significant impact on land cover by replacing natural landscape into impervious surface. Substantial alteration of the green space into built-up areas have influential impact on the land surface temperature of a city. The aim of this study is to identify the land cover change on Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) area for the last twenty years (1998-2018) and to assess the impact of land cover change on land surface temperature. During the last two decades, constant expansion of built-up area within Rajshahi city encroach the substantial amount of vegetation, open space, and waterbody areas, which results in large area of impervious surface. Therefore, two spatial analysis software namely Arc GIS and Erdas Imagine have been used to identify the amount of land cover change and variation in land surface temperature through supervised image classification and spectral radiance calculation methods on Landsat satellite images (1998. 2008 and 2018). The result shows that, the built-up area have been doubled during the last two decades by covering 10.98 and 22.82 square kilometers areas in 1998 and 2018 respectively. With a strong positive correlation between the land surface temperature and the land cover area, the maximum temperature rises from 23.25 to 27.08 degrees Celsius. This trend of Land Surface Temperature indicates, Urban Heat Island is building up within Rajshahi city.

Analisis Zonasi Hijau di Jakarta

Rapid development and increasing population causes the green open space in Jakarta is decreasing in size every year. Green open space is one of the keys to the sustainability of a city. The purpose of this study was to analyze the area of green space, green space distribution, and deviation between the green zone plan of the Regional Regulation of RDTR PZ and existing green space in Jakarta using Geographic Information Systems. Based on satellite imagery in 2018, the area of green space in Jakarta is 3,473.94 ha (5.31%). The highest green space area in 2018 is in the green belt zone (H4) of 1,557.88 ha and the lowest in the urban forest zone (H1) is 235.13 ha. The green zoning plan based on the Regional Regulation on RDTR and PZ is only 7,520.96 ha (11.51%) and is far from the mandate stipulated in Law Number 26 Year 2007 and the Jakarta 2030 RTRW of 30%. The highest area of green open space in the Regional Regulation of RDTR and PZ is in the green belt zone (H4) of 4,539.40 ha and the lowest in the urban forest zone (H1) is 17,58 ha. Based on the comparison of the area of green space in 2018 with the green plan RDTR and PZ it is known that there are 4 administrative city areas that experience a shortage of green space, namely South Jakarta, East Jakarta, West Jakarta and North Jakarta, while for Central Jakarta it has exceeded the green plan specified.

Green space as potential for forming a sustainable city

The growing of development in Malang City, Indonesia has unwittingly brought an impact on changes in land use and exploitation of natural resources. With this development, it also affects the amount of Green Open Space. This study aims to determine how much benefit is obtained in increasing the area of green open space in Malang, given the importance of green space in improving the quality of the urban environment, as well as how architects implement components to support the creation of green open spaces that are safe, inclusive, and accessible. The method used is descriptive qualitative. The expected result is to be able to find out how much influence the amount of Green Open Space in Malang City and what components are needed in order to create a Green Open Space that is safe, inclusive, and accessible.

Perancangan taman edukasi di Sekolah Harapan Bunda Jimbaran

School is a place for students to learn and build their character. Meanwhile, environmental damage caused by human activities is increasing, so that environmental awareness on school need to be developed by providing educative facilities in the form of school open space. This created to fullfill comfortable school environments while providing educative facilities and build environmental awareness of students with the adiwiyata concept which is a school program aims to encourage schools to adopt behaviors that are respectful towards the environment. This research was conducted at Harapan Bunda School (HBS), Jimbaran, Bali which has a large open space area but has not been optimized. Several facilities have been damaged due to dysfunction. The study aims to design a gardenbased learning area to optimize the potential of the outdoor space and solve the problem in the HBS. Method used in this research was field survey by implementing data collection techniques such as observation, interviews, questionnaire and literature studies. The results showed that the SHB area was designed by dividing the area into three main area i.e. activity areas, functional areas and areas of space requirements. Areas of activity include active and passive areas. Whereas, functional areas include reception areas, connecting areas and main areas. According to space requirements, the area were divided into built areas, open space and green open space equipped with pergola facilities and some benchs to support passive activities and playing fields to support active activities. Hydroponic areas and vertical gardens are also provided support green open spaces.

Circle in Space—Space in Circle: A Study of Ratio between Open Space and Built-Up Area in Historical Circular Objects

Many cities nowadays explore different circular designs as new sustainable city concepts in different urban aspects. The new trend, as part of the adaptation for climate change, is a strategy of increasing the number of urban open spaces, and circular plan design could be a sustainable approach to urban development. This paper provides a historical overview of various examples of circular objects containing built structures and open spaces from the Neolithic to the present. The Built-Up Area (BUA) and Open Space (OS) relationships are shown histogramically for 36 objects arranged chronologically. The morphospace analysis was performed to determine any possible regularity in the relationships of parts of circular objects. For the purpose of this research, three variables were chosen. First, all selected historical examples of circular objects were divided into two main categories: objects with a total diameter smaller than 300 m and objects with a total diameter bigger than 300 m. Additionally, the selected circular objects were divided by their type of open space to better understand their spatial position. The largest number of analyzed objects belongs to the Parks–Gardens category, followed by settlements, and then earth works, sacral objects and circular buildings, with the smallest number of circular objects being in the category of allotments and plazas. The second variable was Jam area and % of Jam. The buildings are of different sizes up to several hundred m2, and the areas range up to several hundred ha. The total area to OS ratio ranges from 0% (for Large Serdab) to 100% (for multiple objects). There is a similar situation with the diameter ratios (total and “jam”). Additionally, the final variable was the historical position of the selected circular objects. Circular objects belong to all historical periods from the Neolithic to the present. The aim of this research was to explore the relationship between OS and BUA in various circular objects with different diameters of open spaces and find out if there was any regularity in this relationship. The morphospace analysis of this research indicates that there is no clear regularity in the relationship between the built-up area and the open space, but the aspects and research results shown here contribute to sustainability since the circular design approach could play a key role in future circular design processes.

The Effect of Green Characteristics in Reducing the Inventory of Unsold Housing in New Residential Developments—A Case of Gyeonggi Province, in South Korea

This study analyzes the effect of green characteristics on sales of unsold housing stock, using a multilevel growth model, in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea from 2012 to 2018. The green characteristics we estimated are external factors such as the proximity to urban parks and mountain trails located outside the housing complex and internal factors such as whether the area of communal open space within the complex exceeds a certain percentage. The results suggest that potential home-buyers are interested in green space inside rather than outside a housing complex in a suburban setting. Housing complexes with large enough communal open spaces had a 0.094 higher unsold unit ratio than complexes with small communal open spaces, but the surplus decreased more rapidly; the ratio declines by 0.028 per time unit. On the other hand, the results show no statistically significant effects of the distance to external green areas. This might be due to that public urban parks might not be an attraction to residents when forests and/or agricultural fields are in close proximity. The findings of this research will be utilized by construction companies and public institutions holding unsold units in improving their sales performance, not only in South Korea but also in other Asian regions showing a similar housing development pattern.

Use of rodenticide bait stations by commensal rodents at the urban-wildland interface: Insights for management to reduce nontarget exposure.

Pest management professionals use anticoagulant rodenticides, usually placed in tamper-resistant bait stations, to control commensal rodents, but significant concerns remain about exposure of nontarget species, especially at the urban-wildland interface. We deployed digital cameras to monitor use of bait stations placed in 90 residential yards across Orange County, California, USA. Two bait stations, supplied with nontoxic bait, were monitored in each yard for approximately 30 consecutive days during two camera-trapping sessions between December 2017 and March 2019. One station was placed on the ground, while the other was elevated 1-1.5m to determine if elevating stations could reduce nontarget exposure. Black rats (Rattus rattus L.) were present at 80% of sites, with mean activity ranging from 0 to 9.6h each night. There were no significant differences between elevated and ground stations in the time to discovery, time to bait station entry, or nightly activity of rats. Rats discovered bait stations more quickly, and mean nightly activity was greater, in yards where rats were detected more frequently. Although native rodents visited and entered bait stations occasionally, they were relatively rare among our sites (13.3%), and were detected five times less often at elevated stations compared to those on the ground. Yards visited by these rodents were significantly nearer to areas of green open space and natural vegetation, and tended to have no significant barriers to entry, e.g. solid fences or walls. By elevating bait stations and avoiding placing rodenticides in yards that are likely to be visited by wildlife, pest management professionals may be able to reduce the risk of nontarget exposure, including secondary poisoning of predators and scavengers, while still providing effective control of commensal pests. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Assessing urban agriculture’s development in Central Jakarta

In Central Jakarta, grassroots movements and government institutions have implemented several households and community-scale urban agriculture (UA) initiatives to improve urban food security. However, there is a gap between the bottom-up initiative and formal support from policy planners. This study proposes system dynamics modeling as a viable approach to assess food production’s diverse reality in an urban context. We seek to analyze UA’s contribution to sustainable urban development in Central Jakarta through UA modeling. We developed our model’s structures from our UA practice findings that we gathered from questionnaires, focus group discussions, and field observations. From therein, area of productive green open space, social cohesion from social interactions from farming activities, and potential savings from growing foods were identified as main driving factors of the model, whereas land limitation was identified as a limiting factor. An intervention scenario was simulated to achieve Jakarta’s 2018-2030 UA roadmap target for installing productive green space in all child-friendly integrated green public space. Limitations of the models were acknowledged, and suggestions for model development were discussed.

Noise mapping in campus a Rawamangun-Jakarta State University environment and its effect on academic atmosphere

The aim of this research was to map the noise level. The survey method with a questionnaire for 30 respondents taken at random was used to obtain data on effects on the academic atmosphere during the period August - October 2019. Measurement noise levels based on Equivalent Continuous Noise Level Data during the day (L_S), night (L_M) and one-day (L_SM). This data is collected from 256 coordinates by a digital sound level meter and two application software. Mapping using the Surfer application ver11, results show that the noise level category into 5 areas: (1) Red zone, 75-80 dB(A); (2) Yellow zone, 65-75 dB(A); (3) Green zone, 55-65 dB(A); (4) Dark blue zone, 50-55 dB(A); and (5) the blue/bright zone, 45-50 dB(A). Noise levels in near or inside building and students gather is close to the threshold. At near to highways, canteen and near housing, open space and parking area indicate that exceed the threshold of 55 dB (A) and 33.1% of students perceived disturbed when the noise level is at 61 + 3 dB(A). As a result, to improve the academic atmosphere, the area near the highway built physical barriers or tree planting and manage the parking area better.

Impact of agricultural land-use change to the surface run-off: a case study of Cereng catchment area, Kulon Progo Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta

Agricultural land-use changes can cause a reduction in the green open space area, thereby reducing infiltration and increase surface run-off. One of the phenomena in agricultural land-use changes as indicated by the addition of the percentage of irrigation paddy fields in Cereng Catchment Area (CA) by 2.31%, 2.94%, and 4.39%, respectively, in 1995, 2008, and 2018. Besides, the addition of the settlement area and the plantation area’s reduction were also phenomena of land-use change. The impact of these changes is associated with curve number (CN) and direct run-off. The analysis conducted on the relationship between effective design rainfall and response to the land-use changes to produce direct run-off volume in 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 years-return period, respectively, in 1995, 2008, and 2018 using the HEC-HMS model. The result showed that have addition to CN that were 81.85, 85.82, and 86.66, respectively, in 1995, 2008, and 2018. This addition caused an increase in the percentage of direct run-off volume from 1995 to 2018; those values were 24.28%, 16.8%, 13.76%, 11.61%, and 9.53%, respectively, at the 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50-years return period. The increase in the value of direct run-off volume causes a high possibility of a flood.

ANALISIS KETERSEDIAAN TAMAN KOTA KETERKAITANNYA DENGAN TATA RUANG KOTA JAYAPURA

Papua Province is one of the provinces in Indonesia which is currently experiencing rapid infrastructure development. The capital of Papua Province is Jayapura City, where currently Jayapura City is one of the cities that is developing the provision of green open space (RTH) in the form of a City Park. The availability of City Parks in Jayapura City is in fact empirically the use or interest of the community towards city parks is lacking. This is what encourages the author to examine how the distribution of City Parks to Jayapura City Spatial Planning. The purpose of this study was to describe the condition of RTH in the form of City Parks in Jayapura City, to find out the distribution of City Parks in Jayapura City and to analyze the needs of City Parks in Jayapura City. The method used is descriptive quantitative which aims to describe the need for green open space (City Park) in Jayapura City through the calculation of a simple mathematical formula. The results of the analysis will be the basis for the study in determining the area needed to provide green open space at the research location by comparing the available green open space. The results obtained are that there are 5 (five) city parks in North Jayapura District, Jayapura City that are inadequate, the availability of RTH for city parks is 282,000 ha and to achieve the standard requirements for the ideal area of green open space in the city, Jayapura City must fulfill 280,795 ha.

Associations between supermarket availability and body size in Australia: a cross-sectional observational study comparing state and territory capital cities

BackgroundResidential environment features such as availability of supermarkets may shape dietary behaviour and thus overweight and obesity. This relationship may not be consistent between cities. This Australian national-level study examined: 1) the relationship between supermarket availability and body size; and 2) whether this relationship varied by capital city.MethodsThis study used 2017–18 Australian National Health Survey data including individual-level socio-demographic information (age, sex, country of birth, education, occupation, household income), and measured body size (height and weight to derive body mass index [BMI], and waist circumference [WC]). Objectively-expressed measures of residential environments included: counts of supermarkets (major chain outlets), counts of amenities (representing walkable destinations including essential services, recreation, and entertainment), and area of public open space - each expressed within road-network buffers at 1000 m and 1500 m; population density (1km2 grid cells); and neighbourhood disadvantage (Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage) expressed within Statistical Area Level 1 units. Data for adult respondents ≥18 years residing in each of Australia’s state and territory capital cities (n = 9649) were used in multilevel models to estimate associations between supermarket availability and body size sequentially accounting for individual and other environment measures. An interaction term estimated city-specific differences in associations between supermarket availability and body size. Models were consequently repeated stratified by city.ResultsBody size (BMI and WC) and supermarket availability varied between cities. Initial inverse associations between supermarket availability and body size (BMI and WC) were attenuated to null with inclusion of all covariates, except for BMI in the 1000 m buffer model (beta = − 0.148, 95%CI -0.27, − 0.01, p = 0.025). In stratified analyses, the strengths of associations varied between cities, remaining statistically significant only for some cities (BMI: Melbourne, Brisbane Hobart; WC: Brisbane, Hobart) in fully adjusted models. Different patterns of attenuation of associations with inclusion of covariates were evident for different cities.ConclusionsFor Australian capital cities, greater availability of supermarkets is associated with healthful body size. Marked between-city variations in body size, supermarket availability, and relationships between supermarket availability and body size do not, however, support universal, “one-size-fits-all” solutions to change built environments to support healthful body size.

Citizens of local jurisdictions enhance plant community preservation through ballot initiatives and voter-driven conservation efforts.

Open space areas protected by local communities may augment larger scale preservation efforts and may offer overlooked benefits to biodiversity conservation provided they are in suitable ecological condition. We examine protected areas established by local communities through ballot initiatives, a form of direct democracy, in California, USA. We compare ecological conditions of wooded habitats on local ballot protected sites and on sites protected by a state-level conservation agency. Collectively, we found few differences in ecological conditions on each protected area type. Ballot sites had greater invasive understory cover and larger trees. Community dissimilarity patterns suggested ballot sites protect a complementary set of tree species to those on state lands. Overall, geographic characteristics influenced onsite conditions more than details of how sites were protected. Thus, community-driven conservation efforts contribute to protected area networks by augmenting protection of some species while providing at least some protection to others that might otherwise be missed.

Examining spatiotemporal changing patterns of bike-sharing usage during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a globally unprecedented change in human mobility. Leveraging two-year bike-sharing trips from the largest bike-sharing program in Chicago, this study examines the spatiotemporal evolution of bike-sharing usage across the pandemic and compares it with other modes of transport. A set of generalized additive (mixed) models are fitted to identify relationships and delineate nonlinear temporal interactions between station-level daily bike-sharing usage and various independent variables including socio-demographics, land use, transportation features, station characteristics, and COVID-19 infections. Results show: 1) the proportion of commuting trips is substantially lower during the pandemic; 2) the trend of bike-sharing usage follows an “increase-decrease-rebound” pattern; 3) bike-sharing presents as a more resilient option compared with transit, driving, and walking; 4) regions with more white, Asian, and fewer African-American residents are found to become less dependent on bike-sharing; 5) open space and residential areas exhibit less decrease and earlier start-to-recover time; 6) stations near the city center, with more docks, or located in high-income areas go from more increase before the pandemic to more decrease during the pandemic. Findings provide a timely understanding of bike-sharing usage changes and offer suggestions on how different stakeholders should respond to this unprecedented crisis.