Urban Development Paradigm Research Articles

Sustainable Urban Development: Bioregionalistic Vision for Small Towns

Cities and towns are the social constructs in regional settings. They physically manifest and exist as power centres through various layers of culture, economy, politics, and religion. There was a symbiotic relationship between the ‘setting’ and the ‘construct’ in the past. With time and advent of technology, haphazard developments led to degradation of ecological systems and have become a confronted affair. Global warming, its adverse effects and the constant references to the words ‘sustainability’ and ‘resilience’ pose questions on the existing planning models. Small towns experiencing a tremendous pressure of urbanisation and rich in natural resources, coherence and identity are fast changing. An indispensable change in the planning models is necessary to mitigate this existential crisis and condition the emerging urbanism in small towns sustainably. This paper unearths the role and possibilities of bioregional planning as a sustainable urban development paradigm and suggests few indicative parameters for envisioning bioregionalism in small towns.

ARCHITECTURAL & URBAN PLANNING STRATEGY "SPONGE CITY" AS A MEANS OF FIGHTING THE CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

The article sheds light on a number of architectural and urban planning principles of the WSUD (Water Sensitive Urban Design) strategy and the Sponge City concept as the effective means of fighting the effects of global climate change. The global practice of flood control in recent years has led to the emergence of a range of urban strategies that anticipate future flood risks and allow them to be managed more effectively in the context of urban transformation and climate change. Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is a new paradigm of urban development based on interdisciplinary collaboration between experts in water management, architecture, engineering, urban planning and landscape design, aimed at minimizing the hydrological impact of urban development on the environment. This approach considers all components of the urban water cycle and combines the functionality of water resources management with the principles of urban design. The analysis of successful world practice of implementation of city strategies of struggle against consequences of global climate change is carried out and the potential for its realization in Ukraine is revealed.

Aesthetic communication discourse of urban design for fourth order design in sustainable urban regeneration

The research examines several aspects of urban design in order to build on its integrative potential for sustainable urban regeneration. It will discuss the concept and definition of urban design to support the claim that process-oriented urban design can foster creative integration, despite opposing urban development paradigms for fourth-order design. Sustainable urban regeneration will be studied via the perspective of aesthetics in communication as the primary integrative instrument of fourth-order design. The paper presents a theoretical and conceptual overview of numerous integrating elements of urban design. Thus, the process of philosophical and theoretical comparisons is utilized within the disciplines of sustainability, communication, and aesthetics.

Conceptualizing Walking and Walkability in the Smart City through a Model Composite w2 Smart City Utility Index

This paper explores walking and walkability in the smart city and makes a case for their centrality in the debate on the resilience and sustainability of smart cities, as outlined in the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is argued that, while the human/inhabitant-centric paradigm of urban development consolidates, and research on walking, walkability, and pedestrian satisfaction flourishes, the inroads of ICT render it necessary to reflect on these issues in the conceptually- and geographically-delimited space of the smart city. More importantly, it becomes imperative to make respective findings useful and usable for policymakers. To this end, by approaching walking and walkability through the lens of utility, the objective of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework in which the relevance of walking and walkability, hereafter referred to as w2, as a distinct subject of research in the smart cities debate is validated. This framework is then employed to construct a model of a composite w2 smart city utility index. With the focus on the development of the conceptual framework, in which the w2 utility index is embedded, this paper constitutes the first conceptual step of the composite index development process. The value added of this paper is three-fold: First, the relevance of walking and walkability as a distinct subject of research in the realm of smart cities research is established. Second, a mismatch between end-users’ satisfaction derived from walking and their perception of walkability and the objective factors influencing walking and walkability is identified and conceptualized by referencing the concept of utility. Third, a model smart city w2 utility index is proposed as a diagnostic and prognostic tool that, in the subsequent stages of research and implementation, will prove useful for decisionmakers and other stakeholders involved in the process of managing smart cities.

Data-Driven Smart Eco-Cities of the Future: An Empirically Informed Integrated Model for Strategic Sustainable Urban Development

The eco-city is seenas a major force in the overall transition toward a more sustainable urban development paradigm, acting as a set of exemplary techno-environmental solutions for social transformation. However, the scale and rate of urbanization fundamentally disrupt the challenges that eco-cities must contend with. This is coupled with the increased need to understand, plan, and manage eco-cities in new and innovative ways. On this account, transformative processes and practices within eco-cities are being highly responsive to a form of data-driven urbanism as a more effective way to address and overcome the kinds of challenges that eco-cities are designed to solve. That is, eco-cities are increasingly embracing and leveraging what smart cities have to offer in terms of data-driven technologies and applied solutions in an effort to monitor, evaluate, and improve their performance with respect to sustainability—under what has been termed “data-driven smart eco-cities.” The aim of this paper is to develop an integrated model for strategic sustainable urban development based on empirical research in the form of case studies. This model combines and integrates the leading global paradigms of urbanism—namely eco-cities, data–driven smart cities, and environmentally data-driven smart sustainable cities—in terms of their strategies and solutions. The main contribution of this study lies in providing an innovative way of building future models for sustainable urban development, as well as practical insights into developing strategic planning processes of transformative change toward sustainability based on integrated approaches. The proposed model serves to facilitate progress toward achieving the long-term goals of sustainability for those cities that are badging or regenerating themselves as eco-cities, or manifestly planning to be or become smart eco-cities in the era of big data.

What do people want in a smart city? Exploring the stakeholders’ opinions, priorities and perceived barriers in a medium-sized city in the United States

ABSTRACT Many cities in the United States are pursuing agendas to implement ICT-based solutions to tackle urban challenges, thus achieving the ‘smart city’ label. While the discussion on this urban development paradigm has revolved around the intensive use of technologies, the academic literature increasingly calls for shifting the focus to the people living in the cities. This paper argues that to achieve a people-centred smart city, cities should include the perspectives of all the local stakeholders. Under this assumption, this paper provides the views of the local stakeholders in a medium-sized city in Tennessee, Chattanooga. Particularly, this study explores their perceived smart city concept, the ethical standards that should guide smart city projects, the desired future projects in their community, and the barriers to implementing them. The data was collected using a combination of participatory budgeting, five focus groups, and twenty-eight interviews with city dwellers, entrepreneurs, university faculty, non-profit members, and government officials. The results suggest that, far from the image of a highly technological city, the stakeholders envision a city dedicated to improving the quality of life and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, to achieve this smart city, the projects need to be based on full transparency and the promotion of social inclusion. In contrast to the dominant trend towards the privatization of urban space, this study finds that the stakeholders prefer public based smart city projects such as ICT-based public transport services. However, its successful implementation will have to overcome the barriers caused by funding constraints, public acceptance, and political interests. Cities may use the results of this study to design more responsible smart city projects that strike an optimal point between citizen engagement and technological applications and innovations while supporting all stakeholders’ needs. Highlights Stakeholders’ opinions on smart city projects in Chattanooga were examined Chattanooga can be considered an example of a medium-sized smart city Public-based, transparent and socially inclusive projects are preferred Preferences on smart city projects varied across groups of stakeholders Including all city stakeholders’ visions can reduce social cleavages

Overview of MPC Applications in Smart Cities

: Starting from the early 2000s, the concept of Smart City emerged as a new paradigm for urban development, driven by the exponential progress in communication and information technology as well as by the needs of a constant growing population. The Smart City context requires flexible infrastructures and processes, capable of reacting proactively depending on the situation. In this paper, we seek to explore the role of model-based predictive control (MPC) in the development of Smart Cities. The applications of MPC in different scenarios proves that this optimal control strategy is well suited for the dynamic environment in which it operates. Nevertheless, the literature review reveals that real life implementation of MPC as a control strategy within urban setting is still limited and further work is needed to facilitate its adoption in a wider context

AI Perspectives in Smart Cities and Communities to Enable Road Vehicle Automation and Smart Traffic Control

Smart cities and communities (SCC) constitute a new paradigm in urban development. SCC ideate a data-centered society aimed at improving efficiency by automating and optimizing activities and utilities. Information and communication technology along with Internet of Things enables data collection and with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) situation awareness can be obtained to feed the SCC actors with enriched knowledge. This paper describes AI perspectives in SCC and gives an overview of AI-based technologies used in traffic to enable road vehicle automation and smart traffic control. Perception, smart traffic control and driver modeling are described along with open research challenges and standardization to help introduce advanced driver assistance systems and automated vehicle functionality in traffic. To fully realize the potential of SCC, to create a holistic view on a city level, availability of data from different stakeholders is necessary. Further, though AI technologies provide accurate predictions and classifications, there is an ambiguity regarding the correctness of their outputs. This can make it difficult for the human operator to trust the system. Today there are no methods that can be used to match function requirements with the level of detail in data annotation in order to train an accurate model. Another challenge related to trust is explainability: models can have difficulty explaining how they came to certain conclusions, so it is difficult for humans to trust them.

Management in the Model of Transport Behavior of Metropolis Residents Using the Concept of “Mobility as a Service”

The article discusses the era of maximizing road connectivity receding into the past, giving way to the broader challenge of creating livable, cost-effective, socially healthy and environmentally sustainable cities and metropolitan areas. A metropolis is defined as a “supercity”, the largest form of settlement and the highest link in the urbanization process, one of the main criteria of which is the rapid development of communications in general, and transport in particular. A modern metropolis is highly dependent on an efficient transport system, which ensures its livelihoods through the delivery of goods and provides the population with access to resources, jobs and residential areas. The effective mobility of economic development of cities and agglomerations, which are the locomotives of the modern economy, is considered. The extensive development of the transport systems of megalopolises through the construction of new roads becomes ineffective, since the increase in the number of private cars outstrips the pace of road construction. The paradigm of urban development in the 2000s changed from a “city for cars” to a simple, at first glance, “city for people” paradigm, and mobility was also considered.

Localization as a paradigm of urban development

Today globalisation appears to evoke a set of problems, including spatial inequality and the necessity arises to elaborate an alternative paradigm. There are already known plenty of location theories, among which industrial regions or clusters appeal to local relations rather than global economic system. Being a perspective model of urban development, it is still hardly embodied in urban planning to solve regional problems efficiently. The article intends to contribute to the theory of clusters and adapt it to socio-economic principles which identify the existence of towns. The case of small towns and settlements illustrates how local potentials can be used for sustainable urban development.

Assessment of tsunami evacuation road performance

A series of disasters, from the 2004 Aceh Tsunami to the 2009 Padang Earthquake, has changed the paradigm of urban development in coastal areas in Indonesia. District or City Regional Regulations concerning Regional Spatial Planning finally oblige disaster mitigation by constructing evacuation roads. The attraction of the Tsunami Evacuation Road (TES) which was built with a relatively wide size in the city, makes the road a favourite route for motorists. The increased vehicular traffic also triggered the addition of the number of new commercial buildings along the road. The Indonesian Road Capacity Manual 1997 for urban roads is used as a reference in the analysis of the service performance of these road sections. The relatively rapid increase in traffic volume and side-road disturbances have resulted in a relative decline in road performance in a short period. The active role of the government in minimizing body side disturbances, by maximizing the implementation of traffic management and control of land-use changes are options.

COVID-19 –global transition to a new architecture and urban development paradigm of the environment?

New trends in the social life at crucial points mean applying to the past experience and looking for new development models. COVID-19 has marked a global transition to a new architecture and urban planning paradigm of the environment in accordance with the sanitary, hygienic requirements and rational forms. In accordance with the current challenges it becomes necessary to reevaluate the concepts of urbanism and disurbanism redefining urban planning, existing typology, structural and functional organization as well as to search for new ways of architecture and urban development. Urban structures and sociology are expected to be reconsidered leading to reduced capacity of all public buildings, disappearance of some of them and replacement by recreation zones. Inexhaustible ideas and resources of past design approaches may be featured in the buildings styles. We could predict appearance of significant signs of new ethics in the new aesthetics which will mark the arrival of the third global «superstyle» which features have been already seen in the rigid construction approaches, in the social movements activities. Methods of architecture education are expected to be modified: in particular, the importance of advanced techniques in the educational process will increase and teamwork in the architecture projects will became vital.

Networks among local residents and housing developments in Korea

Recently, the paradigm of urban development in Korea has shifted from new-town development to urban renewal. Because housing redevelopment, a type of urban renewal, is conducted by unions that consist of local residents rather than experts, knowing the origins of residents’ opinions is important. Several studies have covered the decision-making factors of local residents, but their analyses were only based on demographics or economic backgrounds. Many decisions are made through subjective situational awareness rather than objective reasoning, however, so the key factor of decision making is not ‘who s/he is’ but ‘whom s/he connects with’. In this view; this paper analyses how networks among local residents affect decision making by using social network analysis (SNA). The results indicate significant differences in decision making by location in the networks, showing the value of network approaches in housing redevelopment.

Landscape urbanism and informal space-making: insights from a guerrilla gardening case in Montreal, Canada

ABSTRACT The present article follows the inception and the development of an unauthorized community garden that emerged out of a re-appropriated composting site in a municipal park in Montreal, Canada. The article identifies the principal reasons and mechanisms that account for how the guerrilla garden was able to remain in a high-profile location for a period of time. The article explores the intertwined combination of the guerrilla garden and the spaces it affected vis-à-vis landscape urbanism and its pursuit of a new urban development paradigm.

The State of Smart Cities in China: The Case of Shenzhen

China is at the midpoint of its urbanisation—the largest scale in human history. The recent smart city movement is influencing the discourse and practice of China’s urbanisation, with numerous cities claiming to build smart cities and/or adopting some forms of smart city strategies and initiatives. A so-called ‘latecomer’s advantage’ is being exploited to advance their pursuit for a smart city status, not only to catch up with overseas counterparts, but to overtake them and become international leaders. This local-level enthusiasm strikes a chord with the central government’s strategy of building an ‘innovative nation’ to drive its economic transformation towards a knowledge economy. This converging central-local interest is creating a ‘smart city mania’ across the nation, which, however, has not received due attention in the international literature, and thus deserves critical examination and reflection to inform policy debates. To address this gap, this study investigates the state of smart cities in China, based on a case study of Shenzhen, China’s fastest-growing, experimental city. Shenzhen grew from a fishing village into an international metropolis in 40 years, and has now won a nickname of ‘China’s Silicon Valley’ or ‘China’s smartest city’. This study analyses the state of Chinese smart cities and the pursuit for a smart Shenzhen from the perspectives of the smart city as a concept, as an urban development paradigm, and as an urban regime, drawing upon the international smart city literature. It concludes that a technology-centric approach to smart cities in China, as illustrated by the Shenzhen case, have advanced innovation capacity and economic growth through capitalising on a ‘latecomer’s advantage’. However, this ‘latecomer’s advantage’ may translate into a ‘latecomer’s disadvantage’ for this approach’s lack of institutional adaptation, and for its insufficient attention to social and environmental problems covered under the shiny economic boom. This latecomer’s disadvantage is likely to impact the long-term sustainability of Chinese cities.

The making of smart cities: Are Songdo, Masdar, Amsterdam, San Francisco and Brisbane the best we could build?

Transforming urban areas into prosperous, liveable, and sustainable settlements is a longstanding goal for local governments. Today, countless urban settlements across the globe have jumped into the so-called ‘smart city’ bandwagon to achieve this goal. Under the smart city agenda, presently, many government agencies are attempting to engineer an urban transformation to tackle urban prosperity, liveability, and sustainability issues mostly through the means of technology solutions. Nonetheless, the notion of smart cities is ambiguous, and there are limited conceptual frameworks to assist cities and their administrations in understanding the big picture view of this urban development paradigm. The aim of this paper is to generate a clear understanding on the making of successful smart city practices. This is done by elaborating the smart cities notion through a multidimensional conceptual framework, examining smart city best practices across the globe—i.e., Songdo, Masdar, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Brisbane—, and providing insights of smart city approaches from these cases. The findings of the study disclose the need for a comprehensive smart city conceptualisation to inform policymaking and consequently the practice. This will help in the formation of a much-needed smart urbanism model for the resilient settlements of the climate emergency era.

Dhaka in the Perspective of Urban Development Paradigm

Dhaka in the Perspective of Urban Development Paradigm

Conjunction of Local and Global Processes Towards Qualitative Integrated Urban Development of Danube Region

Abstract We are witnesses of continuous and turbulent complexity process of urban development at every spatial level. The presence of information and communication technologies in every aspect of our life leads to the fact that there is no more “delay” in between global and local changes. This conjunction changes the paradigm of urban development, which is now in networking, communication and integration. This paper discusses these relations described as hypothesis within Castells’ paradigm of network society and project identity that should be developed on local level in order to be a part of – a node of global network, and to survive and develop its potentialities and capacities. This paradigm is discussed in relation to C. Alexander’s, E. Howard’s, and P. Geeds’ approach in order to define principles and steps of integration of different spatial levels toward more coherent, harmonized urban development. The research applies theoretical approaches of networking towards integrated development of Danube region.

People-driven urbanism: implications in the making of Indonesian urban character

The history of urban planning and design of contemporaryIndonesian cities can be traced back to the colonial era. The colonialgovernment, notably the Dutch, had made continuous intervention in theplanning and design of major cities in today’s Indonesia, which haveundoubtedly influenced the character of these cities. While time betweenthe Dutch era and today spans over three centuries, the paradigm of urbandevelopment in Indonesia seems largely unchanged. It has beencharacterized by the built environment that exist as a result of peopledrivendevelopment (PDD), ranging from everyday businesses to thecountry-wide proliferation of informal settlements weakly controlled bythe state. This paper discusses how PDD have influenced the urbancharacter of Indonesian cities, which I call ‘People-Driven Urbanism’(PDU). The main question this paper intends to respond is “how doesPDD affect the urban character of Indonesian cities?’ Methods employedin this research is a mix of case study and auto-ethnography. The casestudy looks particularly on the city of Yogyakarta, using data collectedfrom previous teaching assignments on Architectural Design Studio andInformal Urbanism.

Areas of innovation in cities: the evolution of 22@Barcelona

Areas of innovation (AOIs) are on the agenda of urban planners in the revitalisation of inner cities. The knowledge-based economy provides the opportunity to base these revitalisation efforts in creating AOIs as an evolution of the old industrial districts. Grounded in key conceptual frameworks in this research field - triple helix model, knowledge-based urban development paradigm, clusters of innovation framework, co-evolutionary theory, learning region theory and lifecycle of a new venture - as a reference, this work contributes to the existing literature by proposing a comprehensive model for the evolution of AOIs from inception to maturity. Using a case research study approach, the 22@Barcelona case, an AOI that transformed an old industrial district into a knowledge-based one, allows to analyse its evolution and to elaborate a model. Academic value stems from a new theorising effort of the evolution of AOIs. Urban planners benefit by getting additional clues in the revitalisation of cities.