Open Space Planning Research Articles

UNDERSTANDING THE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL NATURE OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE, A CASE STUDY AT KLCC PARK, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Public open spaces are essential in urban areas, performing various functions and services that benefit individuals and communities. This paper examines the multi-functionality of his KLCC Park public open space in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. KLCC Park is a vast, well-kept park in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Recreational facilities within the park include playgrounds, jogging trails, and lakes. Picnics, family gatherings and cultural activities are also common here. This study aims to delve into the multi-functional nature of public open spaces and elucidate the importance of nature in creating a harmonious relationship between humans and their environment. The main objective is to investigate the relationship between public open space and the muti-functionality of nature; the second is to comprehend nature’s significance in public open spaces and its impact on human well-being; and finally, the third objective is to suggest the incorporation of nature elements in the design and planning of public open spaces to optimise their functionality and enhancing user’s overall satisfaction. The research results will help develop a more evidence-based urban planning and design approach. The article argues that public spaces should be constructed and managed to benefit individuals and communities maximum. Additionally, this contribution emphasises the importance of incorporating natural elements into the design and planning of public open spaces.

The Green Infrastructure Model Based On Waterlogging Mitigation In The Street Landscape Of Sungai Penuh City, Jambi Province

Background: In many cases, the planning of public and social space in Indonesia is not accompanied by the planning of green open space, which is their functions as a healthy environmental balancer. One of the public spaces is the street landscape. This results in to the impact of natural phenomena such as floods, waterlogging in the rainy season, and hot weather in summer. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the Green Infrastructure model of roads, can also function as a place to anticipate waterlogging, flooding, air quality improvement, and human-friendly designation. Materials and Methods: The methodology was carried out through field inventory, mapping based on Shp ArcGis data, and a modified literature study. The location of the research is on roads spread across 8 subdistricts of Sungai Penuh City, Jambi Province. Results: Based on government administration and axis content, the public roads of Sungai Penuh City are categorized into class III Provincial Roads. The number of road sections in Sungai Penuh City is 49 (forty-nine) road sections. The details are that the primary collector road landscape consists of 11 road sections, the secondary collector road landscape consists of 12 road sections, and the local road landscape is very dominant, which is as many as 26 roads. The total length of the entire Sungai Penuh City road section is 51.43 km with an average width of 6 meters. Based on the level of urgency, the results of the assessment of priority sub-districts determined 31 road sections spread across Sungai Penuh District, Sungai Bungkal District, and Pondok Tinggi District as priority sub-districts for the implementation of the Green Infrastructure system. Based on hydrological calculations of rainfall for the last 20 years (2003-2023). Conclusion: The Green Infrastructure Model is prioritized for 3 sub-districts. Based on the assessment of the Green Infrastructure Implementation Indicator, two green infrastructure concepts are applied, namely Green Stormwater Infrastructure 1 (GSI 1) and Green Stormwater Infrastructure 2 (GSI 2) which are equipped with the Complete Street concept. The GSI 1 system is applied on 24 roads in Sungai Penuh City using the Stormwater Tree Trench and planter. The GSI 2 system consisting of Stormwater Bump-Out, Stormwater Tree Trench, and Stormwater Planter and the Complete Street concept will be applied on 7 roads in Sungai Penuh City

A Study of Green Open Space Planning on Mansinam Island, Manokwari, West Papua

Green Open Space (GOS) is a green area that is used for various activities, including playing and traveling. It is believed that green open space can provide maximum environmental benefits to urban communities, including efforts to attract tourists in tourist areas. However, the existence of green open spaces in tourist areas often does not attract the attention of tourists, one of which is the religious tourism area of Mansinam Island, Manokwari, West Papua. The aim of this research is to examine the existing green open space arrangement on Mansinam Island in order to increase the functional and aesthetic value of the existing green open space so that it can attract tourists. The method used in this research is a qualitative research method, namely a research method that is descriptive and tends to use analysis. In qualitative research, process and meaning will be emphasized and the focus of the research must be in accordance with the facts in the field. The expected result of the study of green open space planning on Mansinam Island, Manokwari, West Papua is to encourage the success of local government planning regarding the Mansinam Island religious tourism development plan.

From ‘pop-up’ to permanent: Temporary urbanism as an emerging mode of strategic open-space planning

Pop-up parks have emerged alongside other forms of temporary urbanism as low-cost, informal, community-engaged interventions that address pressing community needs. This article examines four pop-up parks in Australian cities (Melbourne, Sydney and Perth) that reappropriated street space for pedestrians and eventually became permanent. The article charts the developmental trajectories of these four projects, drawing on local planning documents, interviews with key actors, and government and media reports on how the pop-up parks performed. It uses mapping to analyse the context of built form, activity and movement flows in and around the four sites. The study shows how these pop-up trials served as a ‘proof of concept’ for permanent spaces, tested their impacts, made community consultation more open, engaging and tangible, and increased community support. These originally temporary spaces also facilitated wider strategic urban development outcomes, emboldening local governments to further improve public space in urban intensification areas.

The Evolution of Open Space Planning within a Developing, Biodiverse City (Durban, South Africa)

Conserving and restoring biodiversity is central to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The need to curb biodiversity loss through the mainstreaming of biodiversity considerations within land-use planning is consistently highlighted in global biodiversity assessments intended for policymakers and practitioners. We present a Global South local government-led examination of the mainstreaming of biodiversity issues within a biodiversity hotspot area. Here, we evaluated the four-decade-long evolution in open space planning in Durban, South Africa, in response to shifting urbanisation, governance and policy/legislative contexts. We assessed the role of science in responding to contextual changes, the need for champions, and key institutional interventions undertaken to embed a biodiversity function within local government. In addition, we investigated how biodiversity concerns have been incorporated into land-use planning applications via the city’s environmental planning function. We provide evidence of the advancement of mainstreaming biodiversity concerns within local government processes, institutional functions, and land-use decision-making. This has been achieved through effective and sustained leadership; the use of science and scientific information in advancing the policy and legislative environment and building political support by responding to shifting governance contexts; investment in institutional scientific capacity and generating scale-appropriate biodiversity information. Learnings from this paper may be useful for other local governments addressing biodiversity loss through land-use planning processes, by identifying critical investment areas that may shorten the time required for effective mainstreaming.

Building equity into public park and recreation service investment: A review of public agency approaches

In recent decades, academic and professional research has increased understanding of the importance of city and landscape planners engaging with social and environmental justice issues, including contemporary inequities inherent in the planning, distribution, use, and access of public green and open spaces. However, there is a gap between this research centering equity and the planning, development, and implementation rate demonstrated by public agencies. In this article, we examine examples of emerging practice in the public park and recreation sector to understand the strategies and approaches public agencies are taking to provide equitable park and recreation systems. Our research identifies and analyzes 17 examples of North American public park and open space management agencies using equity-based planning frameworks to prioritize park investment and resource distribution. Equity-focused resource analysis is distinct because while it assesses budget and project-based funding distributions, it further incorporates assessments of historical allocations to understand better areas of under-investment and the evolving needs of different communities. As economic inequities become more pronounced, local governments, and other public institutions providing services to populations, are important in helping communities navigate changes. Our findings support the ongoing advancement of equity-driven planning and implementation for public park and recreation agencies by providing practical information on existing approaches to redress the impact of unfair patterns of under-investment.

Machine learning-based prediction of outdoor thermal comfort: Combining Bayesian optimization and the SHAP model

Rising global temperatures have resulted in urban heat waves in recent years, endangering residents' health and even their lives. As a result, accurate outdoor thermal comfort prediction is critical. The goal of this research is to develop highly accurate and interpretable machine learning models of outdoor thermal comfort. We created a summer outdoor thermal comfort dataset for cold regions using microclimate parameter measurements and questionnaires, and divided it into two datasets: without and with shading. The prediction performance of nine machine learning models was compared, as well as their prediction performance following Bayesian optimization. Finally, the SHAP model was used to explain the important features of the best machine learning models and their impact on thermal comfort. The results show that after partitioning the dataset by shading, the accuracy of the best machine learning prediction models for Thermal sensation vote (TSV), Thermal acceptable vote (TA), and Thermal comfort vote (TCV) in the unshaded space improves by 9.2%, 9.31%, and 6.16%, respectively, while the prediction accuracy in the shaded space remains basically unchanged. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), and categorical boosting (CatBoost) outperform other methods. After Bayesian optimization (BO), the machine learning models' TSV, TA, and TCV prediction accuracies improved by 6.83%, 4.05%, and 2.55%, respectively. CatBoost model with Bayesian optimization (CatBoost + BO) was the best model in most cases. TSV, TA, and TCV predictions were heavily influenced by microclimate parameters, with mean radiant temperature being the most important in unshaded spaces and air temperature being critical in shaded spaces. Furthermore, age, body mass index, and emotional state all had a significant impact on TA and TCV. This research will contribute to improving the quality of life of urban residents by providing a scientific foundation for the design and planning of urban open space.

Evaluasi Kesesuaian RTH terhadap RTRW Kota Pariaman

This research is related to assessing the reasonableness of the area of green open space (RTH) towards the development strategy of Pariaman City as stated in the Regional Regulation (Perda) of the Regional Spatial Planning (RTRW) of Pariaman City for 2010-2030, namely 30% and aims to, 1) Find out distribution and extent of availability of green open space (RTH) in Pariaman City. 2) Knowing the suitability between green open space (RTH) and Regional Spatial Planning (RTRW). This research is a quantitative exploration using spatial methodology. Using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) identification method, the analysis used focuses on the distribution of green vegetation throughout Pariaman City. The vegetation distribution obtained was overlaid with shapefile data (SHP) obtained from the digitization of the Regional Regulations (Perda) of the Regional Spatial Planning (RTRW) of Pariaman City for 2010-2030, so that the area, distribution and suitability are known. The results of identifying 3946.09 Ha of green open space (RTH) from 4118.76 Ha which were planned in detail, namely; City Park RTH, planned area 3214.16 Ha and area in the field 3087.12 Ha, City Forest RTH, planned area 174.8 Ha and area in the field 174.23 Ha, Cemetery Open Space, planned area 4.72 Ha and area in field 4.67 Ha, RTH Road Route, planned area 504.14 Ha and area in the field 472.53 Ha and RTH Tourism Area, planned area 220.94 Ha and area in the field 207.54 Ha. The percentage of Pariaman City's green open space to the area is 59.57% and has fulfilled the provisions of the RTRW Regional Regulation, namely a minimum green open space of 30%.

Utilization of Public Open Space: Movement Pattern and Compromised Territory

Understanding open space management based on local culture is an important aspect in creating an inclusive quality of community life. Serang City Square is a public space that has high vitality in its utilization for the local community. The government of Serang City (the capital of Banten Province) currently manages the area including the square. Its spatial layout is optimally organized for directed development, so that it suits the needs of users. The research objectives are 1) to study the movement patterns of space users through user considerations in choosing space, time and place for activities - 2) to reveal the territoriality of space utilization and informal agreements underlying its management. The research method used a quasi-qualitative approach, with place-centered mapping techniques and in-depth interviews. The results show that 1) the pattern of public open space utilization and its changes are influenced by the choice of time, type of activity, weather conditions and distance, 2) spatial territory is built by attachment to space due to habits and agreements of space users based on informal rules and compromises. This research contributes to local governments in considering the planning and arrangement of open spaces.

A. J. Veal and Awais Piracha: meeting the need for a rational basis for open space and recreation planning in new high density residential areas: the Recreational Activity Benchmark model, Australian Planner, 2022. A rebuttal

ABSTRACT Veal and Piracha propose an alternate approach to planning recreation provision in new high-density residential areas (NHDA’s) of Australian cities: the RAB or ‘Recreation Activity Benchmark’ (Veal and Piracha 2022). Sydney is used as a case study. This paper contends that the methodology has a range of substantive deficiencies and ignores other well-established planning approaches that have been developed, tested and refined through hundreds of plans prepared by in-house and consulting leisure planners over the past 50 years in Australia and detailed in a range of texts and planning manuals. In applying the Recreation Activities Benchmark (RAB), provision of physical leisure resources is made on the basis of ‘averaging’ the recreation activities that people pursue to determine what facilities they need in the wider city in which the NHDA occurs. The averages are then applied to a projected NHDA population. This review questions the lack of a philosophical and planning basis of the RAB; the need for the RAB methodology; what ‘average’ means in terms of recreation participation; how the average is ‘adjusted’ if sufficient space is not available; the fact that the average used in the methodology has been selected solely to avoid possible legal action by developers, and the fact that the RAB is no different to a provision ‘standard’, given the reliance on data that has inherent shortcomings. The rebuttal concludes by questioning the need for the methodology.

The role of food production in planning for open space: post-war planning of the rural–urban fringes of Copenhagen and Brussels

ABSTRACT Following the renewed attention for food production near cities, multiple concepts propose the creation of spaces for food production at the rural–urban fringe (RUF). The RUF is an area of multiple policy domains and, as a consequence, those new concepts are confronted with complexity when put into practice. Local planning history is part of the complexity as it casts shadows on contemporary planning debate and practice. This paper explores how past policies at the RUF impact the current and future policy work on spaces for local food production via comparative study of the post-war planning histories of the RUF’s in Copenhagen and Brussels. The paper addresses both policies within the urban realm, e.g. the planning of urban open spaces at the border of the city, and policies within the rural realm, e.g. the land-use rights in agricultural land and land consolidation projects. The comparative study identifies some key challenges with regards to the supply of space for local food production at the RUF in Copenhagen and the RUF in Brussels. Moreover, the paper stresses that a thorough understanding of the planning history is a prerequisite for effective food planning near the city to avoid repeating errors of the past.

Evolutionary Trends in the Landscape of Hausa Open Spaces

This study took the ‘origin-pattern-function’ of landscape progression as the central theoretical framework and conducted a systematic study on the evolution of open-space landscape patterns in Habe cities, situated between the river Niger and the river Benue in northern Nigeria. This study aimed to explore the embedded landscape cosmology in Hausaland and the origins of its historic mythology. A descriptive research and review approach was adopted, to explain and interpret prevailing practices, existing circumstances, attitudes, reasons, and on-going processes. It unveils the planning of open spaces and houses according to an ancient cosmology that organized towns during the Habe Hausa Dynasty. The open spaces appear to be a sphere of convergent and divergent forces that maintain a delicate balance, whereas the outcrop hills of central Hausaland are domicile places with religious appeal and better defensibility. Further, the physical effects of Islamic influence are visible in the landscape of Hausa cities, such as locating a mosque in the heart of the city as well spatial expressions of the practice of the seclusion of women. The study also revealed that the concept of triple outdoor space in the landscape of Habe cities is identical with that of the traditional Hausa family dwellings enclosed by a compound wall with a gate. This paper presents the key enablers of the Hausa cities’ transformation into commercial, administrative, religious, and agricultural centers. It recommends that in the event of landscape development without certain public guidelines or natural practices, complicated mediation measures should be invoked if disorder is not to prevail. It finally seeks a comprehensive application of local practices and innovative methods with the aim of averting vulnerability of urbanization.

Implementation of Government Policy in Arranging Green Open Space in the City of Semarang

Green Open Space (RTH) is an urban element that is very important to support all activities and life of the population. Basically, green open space is a natural element that plays an important role in creating a city that is proportional and environmentally friendly. According to the provisions in force, the proportion of green open space in urban areas is at least 30%. This step was taken by the government to ensure the balance of urban development. This study aims to describe the implementation of management policies and constraints in the arrangement of green open spaces in the city of Semarang experienced by the Spatial Planning Office and the Settlement and Housing Area Office of Semarang City. The approach used in writing this law is empirical juridical. In using the empirical juridical method, two approaches are used, namely the interview approach and field observations. In general, this interview approach uses trusted sources related to the problem being studied. Whereas in the direct observation approach the researcher goes directly to the field in researching the problems that are happening. Based on research results obtained in 2021 the area of public and private green open space is 1,042 ha and 4,025 ha private (15% of the city area) and in 2022 the area of public and private green open space is 2,580.585 (20.07% of the city area) ). It then explains the role of the Semarang City Government through the Spatial Planning Office and the Housing and Settlement Area Office in carrying out the implementation of the green open space arrangement policy. Next, the obstacles and solutions faced by the Semarang City Government will be explained in carrying out urban green open space planning.

Encouraging sense of community in Aotearoa New Zealand: exploring the role of community participation in public open space planning

ABSTRACT In Aotearoa New Zealand, the history of migration and increased globalisation is reshaping social and cultural frameworks, presenting both challenges and opportunities for the creation and utilisation of public open spaces. This study investigates how these pressures influence Indigenous groups, specifically Māori, as they navigate an interplay of cultural beliefs and interactions with a non-Māori world. Concurrently, the progressively diverse nature of migrants, who consider themselves part of both their country of origin and New Zealand society, adds further complexity. This research aims to explore the potential of public open spaces to encourage a sense of community among the major ethnic groups in New Zealand, including New Zealand Europeans, Māori, Chinese, and Pasifika. Drawing on the Sense of Community theory proposed by McMillan and Chavis, this study investigates the impact of community participation in public open space planning on the sense of community among these groups. Through a quantitative online survey, the Sense of Community Index-2 was utilised for assessing the extent to which participatory planning nurtures a sense of community. The findings suggest that participatory planning offer valuable opportunities for integrating public perspectives, fostering sense of community, and creating inclusive spaces that celebrate cultural diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Spatial Ecological Environment Design of the Waterfront Public Areas of Rural Rivers

Abstract To revitalise established urban areas in the context of stock planning, the river surges in established urban areas play an irreplaceable role. In recent years, the water systems of rivers and surges in established urban areas of many international metropolises have undergone transformation and regeneration. The formerly hardened river banks have begun to be transformed into post-industrial places of integrated residence, leisure, and work, reshaping the ecological landscape and the functions of leisure activities of the rivers and urban spaces. By selecting typical representative cases for analysis and research, this paper determines the research angle and conducts a comparative study of waterfront open space in small and medium-sized cities and large cities from the perspectives of spatial layout, functional structure, ecological restoration, and artistic style, summarises the characteristics and current problems of waterfront open space in small and medium-sized cities at the present stage, and takes the problem as a guide, combining urban design, place theory and other theoretical studies as a guide. Planning and design strategy for waterfront open space in small and medium-sized cities is proposed. This paper selects representative waterfront open spaces and open waterfront spaces for field research. It uses the waterfront open space planning strategy proposed in the paper as a guide to provide a basis for waterfront open space planning and design and, at the same time, selects typical lots for optimal design to verify the implementation ability of the strategy. This paper digs into the rich historical, and geographical information contained in the sample villages in each area summarises the site selection characteristics of traditional villages in Hebei at the mesoscopic level between different areas and analyses the characteristics of the overall layout of villages dominated by natural factors such as mountains, hills and plains, and human factors such as ancient defile post roads, military defences, industries and temples. The spatial skeleton structure of the single-axis type, multi-axis type, organic network type, regular network type, and the fortress-wall enclosed village is extracted. The characteristics of its subtypes are summarised with sample cases. The elemental composition of village centres and boundaries is summarised.

ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF GREEN OPEN SPACE IN LUBUK PAKAM CITYS TRIANGLE FIELD

Green open spaces are really needed by residents in an area, the goal is for the public interest which is facilitated by various facilities that should be in a green open space plan. The LubukPakam City Triangle Field provides public facilities that have functions in ecological, socio-cultural, recreational and economic aspects. Every green open space formed aims to be used by the community for certain purposes. Therefore, green open spaces must be properly planned and appropriate in accordance with the Law governing Green Open Spaces. so that the planned and built Green Open Spaces are not just public facilities that are used by the community but can be recognized as Green Open Spaces because their eligibility is adjusted to the law regarding official Green Open Spaces.The nearby study analyses the solid waste management in Tamil Nadu. Solid waste comprised all the wastes arising from human and animal activities that are normally solid and that are discarded useless or unwanted. The increasing difficulty in managing wastes in different states in Tamil Nadu. On the basis of the results, it was recommended to increase public awareness through enlightenment campaign against danger of indiscriminate dumping of wastes as they affect human health.

The Study of the Potential of Green Infrastructure Using Geodesign Approach in the Context of Covid-19 Pandemic in Bandung

Green open space (RTH) - the main element of green infrastructures - is an essential component that determines the quality of our urban environment. However, the current urban planning practices focus more on achieving a minimum standard or a standard need per capita rather than on the importance of green open space in supporting public health. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected urban life widely and informed us of the central position of public health issues and the provision of green open space. This study aims to examine the integration between factors that control the state of public health and urban landscape planning and design by adequately providing urban green open spaces. It explores the use of geographic information technology (GIS) using the Geodesign method. It develops spatial data content, including the area's physical and non-physical variables, including the number of COVID-19 cases. This study uses a computer-assisted GIS data overlay analysis technique with a multi-objective analysis method. The city of Bandung is chosen as a case study as it is one of the big cities in Indonesia that still needs to meet the minimum green open space proportion required by Regulation Number 26 of 2007 concerning Spatial Planning. This study proposes 3 (three) urban green open space development scenarios, each with different variables following the current (status quo) spatial planning approach, a balanced approach, and a responsive approach. Based on these three scenarios, ten urban villages of Bandung are prioritized to have an additional green open space to achieve the minimum percentage of 20%.Keywords: green infrastructure; green open space planning; urban landscape; pandemic, Bandung city

Existing status and spatial characteristics of public open space after planning in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo

Public open space is a space that can be freely used by anyone and is becoming increasingly popular in Japan. This study categorized the spatial characteristics of public open space based on an analysis of its spatial composition elements. We also investigated how the land use of public open space has changed from the time of planning to the present. As a result, the spatial characteristics of public open space were classified into three categories: 1)the first is public open space for rest, 2)the second is public open space for long periods of rest, and 3)the third is public open space for interaction with nature. The change and the existing land use status of public open space up to the present was identified based on aerial photographs after the public open space plan were established. Furthermore, a comparison of the planned area of existing and non-existing public open space revealed that there are differences in the existing ratio depending on the location and the planning period, but not significant change in the size.

Capturing open space fragmentation in high–density cities: Towards sustainable open space planning

Urban studies attempt to assess open space fragmentation and develop sustainable policies in high–density cities. However, the complex characteristics of open space fragmentation and the multiple scenarios comprising various fragmentation forms have not been adequately documented, potentially leading to irrelevant control strategies and controversial results. Therefore, this study aims to propose a systematic procedure for elaborating the patterns, forms and scenarios of open space fragmentation in Hong Kong's built–up area. The series of metrics proposed to capture the complex relationships among various fragmentation forms has been validated by principal components analysis for its wide application in open space fragmentation research. The results reveal that open space fragmentation takes the form of morphological (use, internal, extensive and shape) and connectional (location) fragmentation, which covers nine scenarios. Open space fragmentation shows spatial heterogeneity, as evidenced by the highest fragmentation index of 0.259 in the Kowloon region, followed by the Hong Kong Island and the New Territories regions with fragmentation indexes of 0.237 and 0.187. The average value of open space fragmentation in the old towns is 0.250, which is considerably higher than that of 0.187 in the new towns. Old towns manifest numerously more and complicated scenarios than new towns. The findings inform refined open space management in high–density cities.

Assessment of Urban Green Open Spaces of Micro- and Meso-Level Zones, Based on the Growth Pattern: Case of Patna City

India’s urban population increase is creating pressure on the urban green open spaces. The overall city-level per capita open space is considered as a benchmark of the open space. The open space of Patna is 2.43 sq m per capita, but at the community level or ward level, there is a lacuna. So, there is a significant gap in open space distribution at the city level and the micro level, that is, ward or block level. An assessment was carried out on three parameters, i.e., quantity, accessibility, and quality. Open space, catchment area, and vegetation cover were used as independent variables, and population density and ward area as dependent variables, to understand the distribution at the ward level, that is, community level. Distribution was analyzed by Pearson correlation between the independent and dependent variables within three parameters. The open space distribution between three meso-level areas based on the growth pattern was analyzed with the help of linear regression and R-squared tests to compare the distribution between the areas. The result shows that Patna has poor distribution in the old and new areas. The developed areas in between have good distribution at the micro level and meso level. Patna has 2.3 sq m per capita as per the proposed open space plan and projected population of 2030, which is less than the standard 3.16 sq m/capita at the community level and 3.66 sq m/capita at the district level.