Space Planning Research Articles

A Lightweight Multi-Label Classification Method for Urban Green Space in High-Resolution Remote Sensing Imagery

Urban green spaces are an indispensable part of the ecology of cities, serving as the city’s “purifier” and playing a crucial role in promoting sustainable urban development. Therefore, the refined classification of urban green spaces is an important task in urban planning and management. Traditional methods for the refined classification of urban green spaces heavily rely on expert knowledge, often requiring substantial time and cost. Hence, our study presents a multi-label image classification model based on MobileViT. This model integrates the Triplet Attention module, along with the LSTM module, to enhance its label prediction capabilities while maintaining its lightweight characteristic for standalone operation on mobile devices. Trial outcomes in our UGS dataset in this study demonstrate that the approach we used outperforms the baseline by 1.64%, 3.25%, 3.67%, and 2.71% in mAP,F1,precision, and recall, respectively. This indicates that the model can uncover the latent dependencies among labels to enhance the multi-label image classification device’s performance. This study provides a practical solution for the intelligent and detailed classification of urban green spaces, which holds significant importance for the management and planning of urban green spaces.

Ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning in practice? On the limitations of a legalistic planning tradition

The implementation of an ecosystem-based approach (EBA) is a core requirement of the EU Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) directive. Ecosystem-based management presents a fundamental challenge to established practices concerning the planning of marine space and the governance of human activities at sea. Experience to date indicates considerable variation in the application of EBA across Europe. This variation can be attributed in part to differences in underlying planning traditions and cultures. In this article, we examine the specific case of EBA implementation in the current maritime spatial plan for Germany’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Following an interpretive analysis approach, we critically analyse how the scope and function of planning are understood in German MSP policy and practice. A narrow understanding of planning as solely concerned with the spatial coordination of competing claims on marine space is traced to a legalistic terrestrial planning tradition with a long history in German public administration. This narrow interpretation of the role of planning is found to fundamentally restrict the strategic, performative capacity of German MSP and, in particular, the potential for German MSP to apply ecosystem-based management principles. In conclusion, we contend that the implementation of an EBA requires a fundamental shift in planning paradigms and modes of governance. This empirical case provides a basis for critical reflection on the capacity of EU member states to implement an EBA as understood under the MSP directive and the mode of planning this might entail.

3D modelling of subsurface legal spaces and boundaries for 3D land administration

The increasing trend of urbanization results in various problems regarding enabling the livable cities such as traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and inadequate disaster preparedness. These problems are considerably related to deficiencies in the aboveground usable areas that can be exploited for the development of urban areas. Underground development is one of the strong solutions to cope with the aforementioned problems. The holistic planning of underground space is an important factor in ensuring the efficient use of underground space. Land administration that deals with the cadastral rights, restrictions, and responsibilities (RRRs) on the surface and subsurface is highly significant in the context of planning the underground space. By nature, there is a need for three-dimensional (3D) ownership information below the surface in order to carry out the analyses within planning studies regarding different aspects such as the existing subsurface structure and environmental impacts. This paper therefore enriches the core data model of the CityJSON standard such that it allows for 3D modelling of legal spaces and boundaries in the subsurface. It presents the usability of the proposed extension by visualizing the underground cadastral RRRs in 3D through the created and validated CityJSON file based on this extension. The practical opportunity arising from the use of CityJSON files derived from the developed extension is demonstrated. Different case studies are presented including the compliance checking regarding the designed underground tunnel within building permitting. The results of this study show that integrated 3D land administration including subsurface can contribute to the facilitation of the overarching planning of underground space.

Calculation of the Optimal Scale of Urban Green Space for Alleviating Surface Urban Heat Islands: A Case Study of Xi’an, China

Research has demonstrated that urban green spaces play a crucial role in mitigating the severe urban heat island (UHI) effect. However, existing studies often suffer from limitations such as the neglect of the cooling effect of water bodies within the green spaces and incomplete considerations of the overall cooling effect. These limitations may lead to inaccuracies in the research findings. Therefore, the present study takes the city of Xi’an as a case study to explore the optimal green space size for achieving efficient cooling. The results indicate that (i) urban green spaces exhibit robust cooling effects, with variations observed among the various types; (ii) for community parks without water, and for street gardens, the optimal areas of these green spaces are 3.44 and 0.83 hectares, respectively; (iii) for community parks with water, the area of internal water bodies should ideally be maintained at around 29.43% of the total green space area in order to achieve an optimal cooling efficiency. In conclusion, this study introduces a new perspective and new optimization methods for urban green space planning, thereby offering scientific guidance to urban planners in formulating effective development and management policies and urban planning schemes.

Using Wi-Fi Probes to Evaluate the Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Tourist Preferences in Historic Districts’ Public Spaces

Tourist preferences for public spaces in historic districts can reflect whether renovated spaces and functional structures meet tourism demands. However, conventional big data lack the spatio-temporal accuracy needed to support a refined, dynamic study of small-scale public spaces inside historic districts. This paper, therefore, proposes using a Wi-Fi probe to evaluate the spatio-temporal dynamics of tourists’ spatial preferences in historic districts. We conducted a one-week measurement in the Xiaohe Street Historic Block in Hangzhou, China. Three indicators—visit time preference, aggregation preference, and stay preference—were used to examine the dynamic change in tourists’ spatial preferences, with 15 min as the time unit and public spaces with a radius of 25 m as the spatial unit. Our research demonstrates that, compared with conventional big data, the Wi-Fi probe offers a more reasonable and accurate method to measure tourists’ spatial preferences in historic districts at a smaller time and spatial granularity. The research findings can be applied to evaluate the effectiveness of spatial regeneration and diagnose renewal-related issues in historic districts. It can also serve as a foundation for more precise planning of public spaces in historic districts, as well as the modification of functional structures.

The spatial planning of housing and urban green space: A combined stated choice experiment and land-use modeling approach

Urban green space (UGS) is receiving increasing attention as a means to make cities better adapted to climate change and to create high-quality living environments for citizens. The spatial planning of UGS generally asks a trade-off between optimizing land-use and accessibility characteristics which may differ between housing types. In this paper, we use a stated choice experiment to estimate residential location preferences related to neighborhood land-use, UGS and accessibility characteristics in the framework of a land-use model. A national sample of 394 Dutch homeowners participated in the experiments and mixed logit models were estimated by housing type distinguishing detached, row houses and apartments. The estimation results show that trade-offs made between a green neighborhood and accessibility to urban amenities tend to differ between the housing types. The estimates are used as parameters in a housing land-use allocation model. An application of the model to a residential area development problem shows that creating green buffers along road infrastructure is the most beneficial way of allocating UGS considering the housing value for residents. The application further shows that apartments benefit more strongly from UGS in the neighborhood than from high accessibility of urban amenities compared to detached and row houses. Finally, we find that the optimal spatial allocation of UGS depends on whether maximizing housing market-value or residents’ utility is the prime objective.

Spatiotemporal changes of urban vacant land and its distribution patterns in shrinking cities on the globe

Urban vacant land (UVL) has been an important issue in the urbanization process, especially for shrinking cities. Identifying UVL and analyzing its spatiotemporal characteristics are the foundation for coping with this issue. This study identified UVL in 497 shrinking cities on the globe (10 % of shrinking cities in total) in 2016 and 2021 using manual labeling and deep learning to reflect the distribution patterns of UVL and its spatiotemporal changes. The results reveal that a global expansion of UVL from 2016 to 2021 in 497 shrinking cities, with diverse distribution patterns and varying changes across different regions. As for socioeconomic factors, UVL is related to population shrinkage, and the UVL ratio presents a phased change with the increase of the urbanization rate, revealing an inverted U-shaped relationship between the UVL ratio and the urbanization rate. The distribution patterns of UVL also vary globally in different urbanization phases. This study can provide theoretical and practical insights for improving urban planning and promoting sustainable urbanization.

Will the GDPR Restrain Health Data Access Bodies Under the European Health Data Space (EHDS)?

The plans for a European Health Data Space (EHDS) envisage an ambitious and radical platform that will inter alia make the sharing of secondary health data easier. It will encourage the systematic sharing of health data and provide a legal framework for it to be shared by Health Data Access Bodies (HDABs) based in each of the Member States. Whilst this promises to bring about major benefits for research and innovation, it also raises serious questions given the intrinsic sensitivity of health data. Fears concerning privacy harms on the individual level and detrimental effects on the societal level have been raised. This article discusses two of the main protective pillars designed to allay such concerns. The first is that the proposal clearly outlines several contexts for which a Health Data Access Permit (HDAP) should and should not be granted. The second is that a request for an HDAP must also be compliant with the GDPR (inter alia requiring a valid legal basis and respecting data processing principles such as ‘minimization’ and ‘storage limitation’). As this article discusses, in some instances the need to have a valid legal basis under the GDPR may make it difficult to obtain a data access permit, in particular for some of the commercially orientated grounds outlined within the EHDS proposal. A further important issue concerns the ability of HDABs to analyse the compatibility permit requests under the GDPR and relevant national law at both speed and scale.

Design and simulation of sun position sensors for space applications: A comparative study.

Sun position sensors are used in space applications as part of the attitude determination and control system. The aim of this work is to describe the design process of single and dual axis sun position sensors based on a photodiode array detector and a window to limit and direct the light that reaches the detector. The design process involves choosing the sensor architecture, modeling its output, and then evaluating the model through simulation. Six architectures, with different configurations and geometries for both the detector and window, were modeled and compared. To evaluate the model and performance of the sensor, a program was developed, and simulations were made varying the window height and size as well as the photodiode size. From the simulations performed, we concluded that for each design, the key factors that influence the sensitivity and field of view performance are the window height and window or photodiode size, depending on the sensor configuration. From the comparison across architectures, the detector configuration, as well as the window geometry, influences the sensitivity and linearity of the response for similar conditions of operation. The two-quadrant detector configuration offers a better sensitivity than the triangular photodiode configuration. For a better linearity of the output, a square window is preferred. This comparative study is part of the development of new products for space applications by the National Atomic Energy Commission and contributes to the Argentinian National Space Plan.

THE TOWER HOUSE SPACE PLANNING AND ACTIVITIES IN OLD CITY SANA’A YEMEN

This paper explores the activities of Yemeni people in the Traditional Tower Houses in Old City of Sana'a. Yemen characterized by its unique traditional architecture; it is evident that every region in the country has its architectural character, which influenced by the local context (natural and cultural environments), and has many heritage sites registered with UNESCO heritage areas. The researcher will be focusing on the tower houses type to find the relation between the space planning and the Yemeni people daily activities that affect the space planning of the traditional tower house. Daily activities for Yemeni will be identify to ensure the space planning are designing according to the Yemeni activities as usual in term of the space size and space function. The tower house was design with 4 to 7 storey which is, each storey has a different function and activities. This study will be carried out through two types of data collection started by the observation, interviews, questionnaire's and the measurement by the researcher based on one of the case studies which is Bait Abu Luhum tower house which located in the Old City of Sana'a at Al- Abhar tower house. The conclusion summarizes the Tower House components and its relationship to the lifestyle and activities of Yemeni people the lessons to be learned from this example.

Spatial Evolution of Sports Tourism Space: A case study of Shandong Province, China

This study adopted the method of literature, mathematical statistics, logic analysis and GIS spatial analysis, taking the spatial elements of sports tourism in Shandong Province from 2009 to 2018 as the research object, clarified the development status of sports tourism in Shandong Province and the distribution status of spatial elements, sorted out the characteristics of the spatial evolution of sports tourism in Shandong Province, and analyzed the influencing factors of the spatial evolution of sports tourism in Shandong Province. To explore the countermeasures for the development of sports tourism in Shandong province, and provide reference for enriching the research plan of sports tourism space in Shandong province and improving the theory of sports tourism space development; It provides empirical reference for optimizing the spatial layout of sports tourism development in Shandong province, balancing the seasonal imbalance of sports tourism in Shandong province, creating high-quality sports tourism brands in Shandong Province, and promoting the development of sports tourism in Shandong province.

EVALUATION STUDY OF THE REALITY OF PUBLIC SPACES IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, THE CASE OF THE LAKHDAR AL-SABAA NEIGHBORHOOD IN AL-IDRISSIYA- DJELFA-ALGERIA

Public spaces are the basic element within residential neighborhoods, by their effective role as they are considered a complement to the dwelling space for users, but it suffers from various problems, as it records a state of deterioration that often reflects a lack of design efficiency with the absence of management features for the actors of this component within the residential neighborhoods. In order to determine the totality of this problems, we conducted an evaluation study of the reality of public spaces in residential neighborhoods by choosing the Akhdar Al-Sabaa neighborhood in Al-Idrissiya, where we studied the extent of efficiency and effectiveness and evaluated the participatory performance of residents within the neighborhood through field analysis and comparing the planning of public spaces within the neighborhood with international indicators in the quality of public spaces. Through this research paper, after reading, comparing, and reviewing, we were able to come up with a number of results and solutions in dealing with public spaces and contributing to raising their quality.

Automated Destination Renewal Process for Location-Based Robot Errands

In this paper, we propose a new approach for service robots to perform delivery tasks in indoor environments, including map-building and the automatic renewal of destinations for navigation. The first step involves converting the available floor plan (i.e., CAD drawing) of a new space into a grid map that the robot can navigate. The system then segments the space in the map and generates movable initial nodes through a generalized Voronoi graph (GVG) thinning process. As the second step, we perform room segmentation from the grid map of the indoor environment and classify each space. Next, when the delivery object is recognized while searching the set space using the laser and RGB-D sensor, the system automatically updates itself to a position that makes it easier to grab objects, taking into consideration geometric relationships with surrounding obstacles. Also, the system supports the robot to autonomously explore the space where the user’s errand can be performed by hierarchically linking recognized objects and spatial information. Experiments related to map generation, estimating space from the recognized objects, and destination node updates were conducted from CAD drawings of buildings with actual multiple floors and rooms, and the performance of each stage of the process was evaluated. From the quantitative evaluation of each stage, the proposed system confirmed the potential of partial automation in performing location-based robot services.

Main principles of the socio-psychological phenomenon in housing architecture research: an overview of scientific theories

This study conducts an analytical review and systematization of modern scientific theories of the 21st century related to various aspects of contemporary housing space development. A detailed analysis of literary sources and academic interests in this field has established that a comprehensive description of the socio-psychological phenomenon in the context of housing architecture requires the integration of positions based on theoretical approaches from architecture, urban planning, psychology, sociology, and political science. The primary focus of scholarly interest is the systemic consideration of key theoretical positions that represent the socio-psychological phenomenon, as well as the explication of scientific models capable of integrating the intangible aspects of the "human dimension" into the research context of architectural space and urban planning. The aim of the article is to identify key positions and regularities that exist in modern urban-architectural theories. To achieve this goal, the article outlines the following main tasks: Systematization and critical analysis of 15 scientific theories concerning the socio-psychological aspects of architecture and urbanism; Identification of the main regularities on which the researched theories are based; Integration of diverse disciplinary perspectives (architecture, urbanism, sociology, psychology) into a unified theoretical framework for a comprehensive study of the interrelations that influence the architectural organization of the human residential environment. These tasks will allow for the identification of connections and regularities in the scientific theories of architecture and urbanism, theoretical approaches, and facilitate their application in the process of creating more harmonious living spaces. The object of the study are 15 scientific theories in the field of architecture and urban planning, which were either created or have become widely recognized in the scholarly literature in the 21st century. The subject of the study is the interrelationships between the socio-psychological aspects of human life activity, which directly influence the formation of the residential environment. Among the research methods used in this article is a scientific review of academic literature, including scientific articles, books, conference abstracts, dissertations, and other scholarly publications. This stage involves the identification and selection of relevant sources focused on architecture, sociology, psychology, urbanism, and political science with an emphasis on the residential environment and its socio-psychological aspects. After conducting an exhaustive integrative analysis, fundamental principles describing the socio-psychological dimension in the architecture of urban residential spaces were highlighted. Based on the obtained data, the conceptual foundations of the socio-psychological theory of architecture were characterized. Thus, this study focuses on the necessity of forming the foundations of socially oriented architectural practice that reflects modern human needs in the context of rapid social changes and the evolution of the spatial-cultural environment.

Artificial Intelligence Technology for Interactive Mobile Devices and Its Application in 3D Visual Design

The use of visual rationality in planning and designing indoor 3D spaces can effectively enhance the quality of environmental art design. For the rational planning and design of 3D spaces, it is essential to assign attribute values to the rational evaluation index of 3D space planning, determine the weight vector of rational evaluation factors for indoor 3D space planning, and accomplish the visual rationality planning and design of indoor 3D spaces. 3D reconstruction is one of the primary objectives and focal points of machine vision research. The principle is to extract 3D information from the 2D image captured by the machine’s sensors in order to reconstruct a 3D scene model. The traditional method constructs the evaluation index system for indoor 3D space planning to determine the weight of the evaluation index for alternative points. However, it overlooks the weight vector of the evaluation factors, leading to low accuracy in rational planning. This paper optimizes the effect of structured light reconstruction using photometric stereo vision. Firstly, the text delves into the impact of light sources on the 3D reconstruction effect. Subsequently, a fusion algorithm combining 3D and structured light reconstruction methods is introduced, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Experimental results show that this algorithm has a superior 3D reconstruction effect.

TOWARDS AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF CULTURE-DRIVEN INTERVENTIONS ON INTEGRATED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING: INSIGHTS FROM THE CASE STUDY OF PIRAEUS AVENUE IN ATHENS, GREECE

In recent years, culture has been addressed as a key component of integrated approaches to local development planning. In this context, it has been systematically combined with institutional and social aspects of local planning strategies and in support of local innovation/creativity systems. However, the articulation of these integrated approaches inhibits a wide typology of context-specific actions in European cities adopting different patterns of promoting culture as an innovative dimension of spatial planning. At the same time, recent discussion in the field suggests the adoption of more holistic frameworks that equally address the role of culture with differentiated aspects such as physical renewal, social relations and governance networks, hence recognising the integrated character of culture-driven interventions and explaining hindering development factors. The present paper aims to elaborate on the importance of such a holistic framework by testing its aspects in the context of the Piraeus Avenue area in Athens (Greece) and the (short-term and fragmented) emanating of developmental policies in support of the creativity and innovation that exist in this locality. The research focuses on the impact of cultural interventions in the Piraeus Avenue area in terms of the building of territorial efficiency, territorial quality, territorial identity and territorial capacity. In parallel, the research addresses the role of demographic and socio-economic parameters in this regard. To address these research aim issues, desktop research together with ten (10) semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders were conducted. Results indicate several positive impacts in the area mostly regarding spatial quality. However, in relation to territorial capacity building, a key finding is the need for activation towards building complementary uses and activities with other types of local stakeholders with accentuated decision-making powers. The research findings can serve to inform policy-making by identifying best practices and key challenges in the formulation of a holistic impact assessment framework towards culture-based spatial development planning in the European space.

Assessing Industrial Past and Cultural Changes in Industrial Lands along the Hangzhou Section of the Grand Canal in China

The Grand Canal has been fundamental in supporting Chinese industrialization, as evidenced in the great changes witnessed across industrial lands, but few studies have approached this issue from a cultural perspective. After an extensive industrial recession in the early 21st century, canal cities like Hangzhou have seen changes in the cultural functions of industrial lands, relocating, transforming, and demolishing factories and other constructions to develop new cultural spaces and products. A deep analysis of these cultural changes is, therefore, quite helpful to appreciate the features of and reasons for Chinese national policy setting in the cultural sections of the Grand Canal, such as the UNESCO World Heritage-recognized purpose of the Grand Canal, etc. Therefore, by focusing on the Hangzhou section of the Canal, and via the integration of high-resolution Google Earth images with a 1.5 spatial resolution, we dynamically monitored the land use of the 10 specifically selected industrial lands and interpretated the various uses of the areas from 2000 to 2020. Then, with archival data from 1950 to 2024 and fieldwork conducted over 1 year, and in consultation with major experts, we designed a mark sheet with factors and scores to comprehensively assess cultural changes in those lands. Consequently, the history of industrialization along the Hangzhou section was thoroughly analyzed with these investigations and data, and the reasons for and influence of cultural changes were presented in detail; subsequently, the outstanding problems were addressed, and suggestions were offered. This study contributes to a better understanding of Chinese cultural policy regarding cities along the Canal after the industrial decline, especially the critical implication of cultural loss within these cities. In addition, it also provides novel perspectives for cultural research, heritage conservation, and urban planning of canals or waterfront spaces for world heritage.

Vibroacoustic characterization of a chamber music concert room in the context of the urban texture

The integrated interpretation of the tangible and intangible dimensions of cultural heritage assets is challenging, since much of the required information is often lost or difficult to find. In particular, when coming to the functional planning of historic spaces or archaeological sites, documental or archival sources are scarce or even absent. Consequently, to support the interpretation of these functional design and planning elements, which are related to the life of communities that inhabited those areas, quantitative methods, such as a physical characterization of site-specific environmental variables, may assume a great relevance, like in the case of the vibro-acoustic properties conceived for specific uses or performances, as theatres, cathedrals or other public spaces. With this goal in mind, we have started a pilot experimental activity, aiming at characterizing the vibroacoustic fingerprint, i.e. the vibro-acoustic site-specific features, of a historic building private chamber music concert room, located in the centre of Napoli (South Italy). This work, based on the integration of different sensors and modelling tools, has allowed to observe the site-specific vibroacoustic features not only in relation to the geometric features of the space, but also in relation to the surrounding urban landscape morphology. Consequently, the results have evidenced the presence of a site-specific vibroacoustic fingerprint, related to how the structure and the surrounding urban morphology were planned. The applied integration of a unifying model, previously validated in the literature, and of broadband vibroacoustic measures, has allowed to evidence some quantitative elements, that, characterizing the interaction between spaces and the people living them, constitute a possible basis for interpreting the heritage intangible components (design according to functional and/or symbolic purposes) in relation to different structural urbanistic and architectural elements (tangible heritage).

Research on Sustainable Land Use in Alpine Meadow Region Based on Coupled Coordination Degree Model—From Production–Living–Ecology Perspective

Changes in land use types in alpine meadow areas have significant impacts on the ecological environment in alpine areas. Exploring land use change is crucial for land use management and optimization in alpine regions. Thus, it is necessary to analyze land use evolution and its drivers in alpine meadow regions from a production–living–ecology space (PLES) perspective by using remote sensing data. We first constructed the PLES evaluation system for Gannan. Then, we analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and coupling degree of PLES in the study area. Finally, the driving factors affecting PLES were explored with geodetector. The conclusions of the study reveal that the distribution of productive and ecological spaces is large and concentrated, while the distribution of living spaces is more decentralized. The PLES was mainly concentrated in the area above 2500 m but below 4000 m and with a slope of 40° or less. During the study period, the area of production space showed a decreasing trend, while the areas of living and ecological space both showed increasing trends, primarily occurring at the expense of production space. DEM and GDP were the main factors affecting the distribution of PLES. The coupling level and the degree of coupling coordination were relatively stable in general, showing a pattern of “high in the east and low in the west”. The study provides technical support and a theoretical basis for the future planning of land space and ecological environment optimization in the alpine meadow regions.

Automatic classification of underground utilities in Urban Areas: A novel method combining ground penetrating radar and image processing

Precise determination of the location of underground utility networks is crucial in the field of civil engineering for: the planning and management of space with densely urbanized areas, infrastructure modernization, during construction and building renovations. In this way, damage to underground utilities can be avoided, damage risks to neighbouring buildings can be minimized, and human and material losses can be prevented. It is important to determine not only the location but also the type of underground utility network. Information about location and network types improves the process of land use design and supports the sustainable development of urban areas, especially in the context of construction works in build-up areas and areas planned for development. The authors were inspired to conduct research on this subject by the development of a methodology for classifying network types based on images obtained in a non-invasive way using a Leica DS2000 ground penetrating radar. The authors have proposed a new classification algorithm based on the geometrical properties of hyperboles that represent underground utility networks. Another aim of the research was to automate the classification process, which may support the user in selecting the type of network in images that are sometimes highly noise-laden. The developed algorithm shortens the time required for image interpretation and the selection of underground objects, which is particularly important for inexperienced operators. The classification results revealed that the average effectiveness of the classification of network types ranged from 42% to 70%, depending on the type of infrastructure.