Urban Development Planning Research Articles

Model construction and empirical of urban characteristic planning evaluation index system

With accelerated urbanisation, the importance of urban characteristic planning has become increasingly prominent. It has been a focus on how to conduct scientific urban characteristic planning evaluation to ensure high quality and sustainable development of urban characteristic planning. Therefore, this study proposed an urban characteristic planning evaluation index system based on support vector machine (SVM). The process uses hierarchical analysis to determine the relative weight values, calculates fuzzy values for indicators that cannot be directly and objectively evaluated and then introduces SVM for precise processing of interval data. The test results showed that the accuracy of the research method was 0.9760, 0.9600 and 0.9750 when taking the maximum bias value of 0.5 in the three datasets. The optimisation time of the research method for the parameters of the UCI (University of California Irvine) dataset remained within 650–750 ms. The evaluation results of the research method fit well with the expert evaluation results. The above results show that the research method has high data accuracy and operational efficiency in the evaluation of urban characteristic planning, which can make reasonable evaluation of urban characteristic planning. This method can provide reliable reference basis for government decision making.

Spiritual places: Spatial recognition of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual perception.

Tibetan Buddhism, as an indigenous religion, has a significant and far-reaching influence in the Tibetan areas of China. This study, focusing on Lhasa, explores the integration of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual perceptions within urban spaces. Employing a novel approach that combines street view data and deep learning technology, the research aims to identify and map the spatial distribution of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual sites against the backdrop of the urban landscape. Our analysis reveals a notable concentration of these spiritual places near urban architectural and cultural heritage areas, highlighting the profound connection between residents' cultural life and spiritual practices. Despite challenges posed by modern urbanisation, these spiritual sites demonstrate resilience and adaptability, continuing to serve as cultural and spiritual pillars of the Tibetan Buddhist community. This study contributes to the fields of urban planning, religious studies, and digital humanities by demonstrating the potential of technology in examining the impact of urban development on cultural and religious landscapes. The research underscores the importance of protecting and integrating spaces of spiritual perception in urban development planning. It shows that safeguarding these spaces is crucial not only for cultural heritage preservation but also for achieving sustainable urban development and social harmony. This study opens new avenues for interdisciplinary research, advocating for a deeper understanding of the dynamic relationship between urban development and spiritual spaces from psychological, sociological, and environmental science perspectives. As urban landscapes evolve, the study emphasises the need to maintain a balance between material sustainability and cultural and spiritual richness in urban planning.

Adapting a systems perspective for sectoral coordination: approaching flood resilience in Houston and Accra

ABSTRACT Increasing resilience to flooding is a complex process that requires horizontal and vertical coordination between institutions in policy making and implementation. This paper explores the effect of institutional coordination on managing flood risk in two cities plagued by flooding. Our results show that efforts on building urban flood resilience can be undermined by lack of proper coordination between urban development, water management and land use planning. We find that this complexity is magnified by the emergence of the concept of resilience as an urban development goal that is increasingly pursued by various authorities, but that is inherently contested in practice.

Urbanization Impacts the Soaring Housing Price of Hangzhou During 2018-2022

This paper examines the reasons for the rapid increase in housing prices in Hangzhou between 2018 and 2022. As one of China's fast-growing cities, Hangzhou has experienced significant changes in its real estate market due to continued population growth and accelerated urbanization, especially driven by major events such as the G20 Summit and the Asian Games. Firstly, the improvement and expansion of the city's infrastructure, especially the development of Hangzhou's metro network, has increased the attractiveness and property values of specific areas. Second, the government's talent admission policies and the city's overall attractiveness led to a population surge, further pushing up housing demand. In addition, special events such as the G20 Summit and the Asian Games and the urban renewal programs they bring have stimulated housing prices to a certain extent. In response to these reasons, it is recommended that the government take multifaceted measures to control the excessive rise in housing prices, including strengthening the regulation of the real estate market, rationalizing the planning of urban development, and providing more affordable and rental housing. The Government has optimized its policies to meet the housing needs of different income groups so as to achieve long-term stability and healthy development of the real estate market.

Optimizing Child-Friendly and Affordable Street Environments within 15-Minute Living Circles: A Qualitative Case Study

Children’s daily environmental views and street interactions, especially on their walk to school, are understudied in urban planning and psychological development. Street environments affect children’s sense of security and learning possibilities, however there is a gap in how street environments within 15 minutes affect educational engagement and behaviour. This qualitative case study examined Nanchang, China, children aged 7–12’s street interactions to determine how they perceive and interact with street environments on their way to school. Observing 10 carefully selected children, analysing their drawings, and interviewing them revealed key features of child-friendly streets, such as eye-catching safety signs, a wealth of recreational facilities, and interactive design elements that greatly impacted children’s daily lives. Quality street environments can encourage autonomous exploration, improve social skills, and connect school learning. Provide urban planners and policymakers with knowledge to improve street environments for children’s holistic development.

Optimizing Urban Delimitations in Pakistan Through Exploratory Data Analytical Approach

In Pakistan, the lack of a standardized definition for urban areas hampers effective urban planning and policy development. Thus, this research study employs data science by integrating the Geographic Information System (GIS) employed to find the weightage of the urban threshold that can redefine the urban areas in Pakistan. With diverse socio-economic and demographic factors considered, exploratory data analysis (EDA) incorporates population density, infrastructure development, economic indicators, and land use patterns to demark urban boundaries. As there is no consensus on what an “urban area” in Pakistan should be, this study takes a data-focused approach to determine the criteria that best capture the complexities of urbanization. It has been done through spatial analytics and statistical modeling in a data science framework. The integration of a data science framework enables to set-up threshold for development of urban landscape. The proposed redefinition of urban areas has implications for urban planning, resource allocation, and policy development, fostering a more accurate representation of the urban fabric in Pakistan. This study contributes to filling the existing gap in defining urban areas in Pakistan. It identifies new urban percentages that more accurately reflect the socio-economic and demographic realities of Pakistan's urban landscape. The findings shows that there are 36 percent of urban grid cells retrieved from the EDA approach. The outcomes provide a foundation for informed decision-making and policy interventions, aligning urban definitions with Pakistan's urbanization process's complex and dynamic nature. This research will also ensure a comprehensive understanding of urban landscapes in the face of diverse challenges particularly in developing countries.

Empowering human–environment well‐being through wearable sensing: Unveiling trends and addressing gaps in the energy transition

AbstractInteractions between individuals and their environment play a vital role in uncovering the energy usage of building systems and improving human well‐being. The use of technology, such as wearable devices, enhances the study of people's perception of their surroundings and helps to comprehend the factors that influence individuals' satisfaction in both indoor and outdoor settings. Despite the growing number of publications in this field, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding and exploitation of wearable sensing potential in urban planning and building operations. To address this gap, this research conducted a bibliometric review of 1661 scientific studies on the topic, identifying trends and areas where wearable applications for human‐centric well‐being research in the built environment are lacking. The analysis of keywords revealed a focus on the application of data analytics to process the vast amount of information collected through wearable sensors. However, the complexity of the subject necessitates cross‐disciplinary and international collaborations, which are still in their early stages due to a variety of reasons. Additionally, there is a lack of research exploring the potential of multidomain studies and long‐term monitoring. When considering outdoor environments, the use of people‐as‐sensors through wearables can significantly contribute to the development of resilient urban planning and environmental risk management in smart cities. Wearable sensing technologies offer valuable insights into people's experiences and preferences, but further research and collaboration are needed to fully harness their potential in urban planning and building operations toward the energy transition. By embracing these technologies and exploring multidomain research, more resilient and human‐centric environments could enhance well‐being of individuals in both indoor and outdoor contexts.This article is categorized under: Sustainable Energy > Energy Efficiency Cities and Transportation > Buildings

The suitability assessment for land territorial spatial planning based on ANN-CA model and the Internet of Things

This work aims to utilize Internet of Things (IoT) technology and the Artificial Neural Network - Cellular Automaton (ANN-CA) model to analyze the construction of indicators for territorial spatial planning and urban development suitability assessment. Firstly, the IoT technology is introduced, and its application potential in land planning is explored. Using the IoT technology, various data related to land use are collected, and these data are transmitted and summarized through IoT equipment to form a data base. Based on the collected data, the ANN-CA model and the “dual assessment” concept are employed to establish an indicator system for urban development suitability assessment, encompassing permanent basic farmland, ecological redlines, and current built-up areas. Through the combination of these two models, the future land use situation can be predicted more accurately. The trained model is evaluated, including simulation accuracy, error analysis, Kappa coefficient and other indicators. Compared with the actual data, the accuracy and credibility of the model are verified. Finally, according to the prediction results of the model, the land use situation is analyzed and interpreted to provide decision support for urban planning and development. The research results show that the combination of IoT technology and ANN-CA model can effectively analyze the evolution law of land use and the suitability of urban development. Through the reasonable setting and processing of model parameters and data, people can get high accuracy land use prediction results, which provides important reference and support for urban planning and sustainable development. The suitability for urban development within County M exhibits noticeable spatial disparities, with the central region being more suitable for development while the peripheral regions are relatively less favorable. This work provides valuable guidance for decision-makers and researchers in the field of territorial planning, and promotes orderly urban development and sustainable prosperity.

Urban spatial growth and driving mechanisms under different urban morphologies: An empirical analysis of 287 Chinese cities

Different urban morphologies significantly influence urban spatial growth, yet existing studies seldom directly address this issue. To fill this gap, we develop a novel methodology to analyze the processes and intrinsic mechanisms of urban spatial growth under varying urban morphologies. This study initially identifies urban morphologies through multisource data fusion, then examines urban spatial growth processes based on Morphological Center Indices, and finally analyzes the mechanisms driving urban spatial growth across different urban morphologies. The results indicate, firstly, that among the newly defined six urban morphologies in China, monocentric–dispersed is predominant, with the polycentric urban morphology not developing as anticipated. Secondly, the process of urban spatial growth varies across different urban morphologies, with higher polycentricity correlating with more infilling development, leading to more intensive land use and less influence from the infilling growth model. Conversely, lower polycentricity results in more edge-expansion and spontaneous growth, causing more dispersed land use. Thirdly, the growth patterns and influencing factors differ among various urban morphologies, but overall, urban growth is driven by a complex interplay of multiple factors, which significantly intensifies when these factors interact. This study enriches the theoretical understanding of urban morphology and spatial growth, offering practical insights for differentiated urban development planning in urban spatial growth.

Eficiencia en la gestión de residuos sólidos urbanos en los municipios distritales de la macrorregión sur del Perú

The central objective of this study is to analyze the level of efficiency in the management of urban solid waste in the district municipalities of the southern macroregion of Peru in the year 2022 and how it is affected by different variables and management strategies. For this, information from the National Registry of Municipalities (RENAMU) for the year 2022 prepared by the INEI was used. The hypothetical-deductive method was used with a quantitative approach through an envelopment analysis model that allowed estimating the level of efficiency of the 174 urban district municipalities. Subsequently, a Tobit model was estimated to find how the management instruments affect the level of efficiency of the municipalities. It is concluded that some districts operate with high efficiency in solid waste management, such as Machupicchu, Pichari, Juli, while others have room to use their resources efficiently, such as Potoni, Cabanillas and Quilcapuncu. Furthermore, it was found that municipalities with greater efficiency manage to collect a greater amount of solid waste per capita and a higher level of waste collection coverage with similar resources to those inefficient municipalities. On the other hand, the implementation of waste management plans, urban development plans and institutional strategies are positively and significantly related to the level of efficiency.

Does urban sprawl lead to carbon emission growth? ——Empirical evidence based on the perspective of local land transfer in China

The rapid expansion of urban areas has caused a series of impacts on the ecological environment. Exploring the effects of urban sprawl on carbon emissions and its mechanisms is crucial for realizing sustainable development patterns and low-carbon city planning. This study integrates used nighttime light data and population grid data to construct an Urban Sprawl Index. It employs a spatial Durbin model to analyze the spatial impact of urban sprawl on carbon emissions, examining the mechanisms from the perspective of local land transfers. The research reveals the following findings: (1) Urban sprawl significantly contributes to a positive spatial spillover effect on carbon emissions, leading to increased emission levels in surrounding cities. (2) The overall local impact of urban sprawl on urban areas is not significant. It suppresses carbon emissions in municipal districts but increases them in counties, with these effects counterbalancing each other. (3) Mechanism analysis indicates that different types of land transfers have varied effects on carbon emissions in districts and counties, and the regulation of the floor area ratio regulation strengthens the impact of land transfers. (4) Heterogeneity analysis shows that the size of urban populations significantly reduces the local effects of sprawl on carbon emissions, while environmental regulations strength attenuate the impact of urban sprawl on carbon emissions in municipal districts. The findings of this study provide practical references and policy implications for formulating reasonable urban development and land use plans, facilitating the achievement of peak carbon and carbon neutrality goals.

Town-forming role of industry in vladikavkaz during the years of soviet authority

The role of industry in the urban development of cities is increasingly attracting close attention against the backdrop of the variability of the modern world. Tracing this thematic chronology using the example of Vladikavkaz is relevant and applicable for cities of post-industrial Russia. The dynamics of spatial development of industry in the urban structure is a necessary vector for identifying the prospects for city development. This study covers the entire 235-year historical period of urban planning and architectural development of Vladikavkaz: the first part examines the initial period of 1784–1917, the second – the period of Soviet rule 1917–1990, the third – the final period from 1990 until now. The article represents the second part of the topic explored by the author.

A new commercial boundary dataset for metropolitan areas in the USA and Canada, built from open data

The purpose of this study is to define the geographic boundaries of commercial areas by creating a consistent definition, combining various commercial area types, including downtowns, retail centres, financial districts, and other employment subcentres. Our research involved the collection of office, retail and job density data from 69 metropolitan regions across USA and Canada. Using this data, we conducted an unsupervised image segmentation model and clustering methods to identify distinctive commercial geographic boundaries. As a result, we identified 23,751 commercial areas, providing a detailed perspective on the commercial landscape of metropolitan areas in the USA and Canada. In addition, the generated boundaries were successfully validated through comparison with previously established commerce-related boundaries. The output of this study has implications for urban and regional planning and economic development, delivering valuable insights into the overall commercial geography in the region. The commercial boundary and used codes are freely available on the School of Cities Github, and users can reuse, reproduce and modify the boundaries.

The identification and efficiency evaluation of industrial parcels by integrating multi-source spatial data in Shenzhen, South China

ABSTRACT Industrial land status, encompassing quantity, distribution and efficiency, is pivotal in urban planning and sustainable development. However, obtaining detailed and up-to-date industrial land maps poses a significant challenge in many developing countries due to rapid urban expansion. Furthermore, the identification and efficiency assessment of industrial land at the parcel scale are rarely undertaken. To address these challenges, our study proposes an innovative approach to map industrial land, categorize its types and assess its efficiency at the parcel scale. We select Shenzhen, one of China’s largest industrial cities, as a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. Our results unveil several key findings: (1) Shenzhen’s urban area was meticulously segmented into 15,591 multi-size socio-economic parcels, of which 5,738 were identified as industrial parcels (IPs); (2) IPs were further categorized into three distinct types: office industrial parcels at 69.47%, manufacturing industrial parcels at (6.08%) and comprehensive industrial parcels at 24.45%; (3) Their efficiency was classified into four levels: low (20.30%), middle (35.73%), fine (35.97%) and high (8.00%). Efficient IPs were predominately concentrated in the southwest, whereas other IPs clustered in the northwest. Our findings can provide valuable insights into industrial land identification, classification and efficiency evaluation at parcel scale.

Illustrating the nonlinear effects of urban form factors on transportation carbon emissions based on gradient boosting decision trees

While prior studies have examined the effects of urban form on transportation carbon emissions, the exploration of nonlinear influences remains limited. This study presents an approach that transcends simple quantification of urban form's impact on transportation carbon emissions by also identifying the threshold range over which urban form variables exert their influence. Using 282 Chinese prefecture-level cities as the sample, this study employs gradient boosting decision trees to identify the nonlinear effects and the relative importance of urban form factors on transportation carbon emissions. We find that urban form factors jointly account for 31.32 % of the predictive power in estimating transportation carbon emissions after controlling for transport facilities, socioeconomic, and demographic factors. Urban polycentricity and transportation carbon emissions generally exhibit an obvious and complex nonlinear relationship. In addition, polycentricity, urban dispersion, the number of (sub)centers, and population density all have clear threshold effects on transportation carbon emissions. We further identified their effective ranges to guide urban development and land use planning.

A Survey and Analysis of Intelligent Forecasting and Decision-Making Evaluation of Urban Growth using Artificial Intelligence

A dense concentration of human-made features such as residences, businesses, highways, bridges, and trains characterize urban areas, which are developed regions that encircle cities and are home to most of the population's non-agricultural labourers. Monitoring and modeling urban development have become critical for long-term urban planning and decision-making. Urban growth prediction models are crucial for understanding the causes and implications of urban land use patterns and predicting upcoming growth of city based on the current scenario, ensuring sustainable city development. The Cellular Automata (CA) approach has been used to simulate the urban growth in a hypothetical region, based on principles governing cell spatial interaction and parameters for exploring alternative urban shapes. However, CA faces numerous uncertainties and more research is requited to enhance its adaptability to urban environments. In recent times, Artificial Intelligence models like Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) are being utilized for urban growth prediction, enhancing decision-making and overcoming uncertainty. In order to help with future urban development planning, these models are essential for accurate management and control of urban expansion. This article presents a comprehensive review of ML and DL models for urban prediction. The first step is a quick review of the many urban prediction models developed by various academics using ML and DL models. The next step is to provide a new way for reliably projecting where cities will expand in the future by comparing current frameworks and determining their shortcomings.

Implementation of Urban Planning Parameters for the Needs of the Spatial Planning Process in Kosovo

This paper consists of finding a way to implement some norms of urban planning in the process of drafting the urban development plan, that in are ignored in many cases. The plan is considered a development process to be carried out in several phases, such as the analysis of the existing situation, the vision provisions, and its implementation for the specified period. Based on the development program, the future functions of the city are determined, its increase at the end of the foreseen planning period, and the completion of new material elements of the city. All these predictions in the urban development plan should be realized in the foreseen period. For this reason, the program must rely on preliminary testing, analysis, and budgeting.

Understanding the impact of modifiable areal unit problem on urban vitality and its built environment factors

ABSTRACT Urban vitality is an essential reference for formulating urban planning and urban development policies, while the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) is a crucial issue that affects the accurate assessment of urban vitality and the understanding of its driving factors. Currently, MAUP in urban vitality studies has not received sufficient attention, and there are limited investigations on whether MAUP significantly affects the spatial autocorrelation of urban vitality. Moreover, existing studies have mainly focused on the impact of individual factors on urban vitality, with minor consideration of the interactions between factors and their effects on urban vitality at different spatial scales. This study takes the Pearl River Delta Core (PRDC) region as the research area. It used the Optimal Parameters-based Geographic Detector (OPGD) model and spatial autocorrelation to analyze the impact of the MAUP on urban vitality and its Built Environment (BE) factors. The results indicated that (1) the five types of BE driving factors, including work, living, rest, traffic, and Points of Interest (POI) diversity, were spatially sensitive and exhibited scale threshold effects. (2) The zoning schemes demonstrated the ability to alter the explanatory power (q-value) of driving factors and their trends. The spatial granularity and aggregation level of the grid-based zoning scheme, NPP-VIIRS nighttime light zoning scheme, and land surface temperature zoning scheme exhibited a logarithmic relationship, where spatial autocorrelation levels decreased with increasing aggregation level. (3) Compared to single-factor effects, the interactive effects of BE factors exhibited a higher q-value for urban vitality. Additionally, the q-values for factor interactions were more stable in multiple spatial scales than those q-values for individual factors. This study provides decision-making references for urban planners and policymakers to accurately assess urban vitality and find balanced, improved paths to enhance it.

Assessment of urban ecosystem health and its influencing factors: a case study of Zibo City, China

Urban ecosystem health is the foundation of sustainable urban development. It is important to know the health status of urban ecosystem and its influencing factors for formulating scientific urban development planning. Taking Zibo city as the study area, the indicators were selected from five aspects: ecosystem vigor, structure, resilience, service function and population health to establish an assessment index system of urban ecosystem health. The health level of urban ecosystem was assessed, and its changing trend was analyzed from 2006 to 2018 in Zibo. Furthermore, obstacle degree analysis and sensitivity analysis were used to quantitatively analyze the main obstacle factors and sensitivity factors affecting urban ecosystem health, so as to provide references for improving urban ecosystem health. The results showed that the health level of urban ecosystem in Zibo showed an upward trend from 2006 to 2018. The poor structure and ecological environment quality were the main obstacle factors to urban ecosystem health. The impact of changes in a single indicator on urban ecosystem health gradually decreased, but the sensitivity index of indicators had obvious differences. Urban ecosystem health was sensitive to changes in ecosystem structure and resilience. In the future, Zibo should strengthen ecological construction, optimize the industrial structure, and develop green economy to promote urban ecosystem healthy.

Tokyo as an Olympic city across modern history: planning culture as the intangible heritage from a century of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games

ABSTRACT Chosen three times as the host city for the Summer Olympic Games (1940, 1964 and 2020), Tokyo's city layout is historically linked to the Olympics. Including the bid project for the 1960 and the 2016 Games, Tokyo has presented five Olympic projects, each time with five different urban visions which enlighten the nature of the past and present political Japanese regimes. The recurrence of the Olympic Games in the planning and growth of Tokyo leads to the idea of a major influence of the Olympics both on the physical evolution of the urban structure but also on that, immaterial, of its planning culture – or, in other words, on the representations, imaginary and practices of the institutional stakeholders of Tokyo's urban fabric. The aim of the paper is therefore double. First, it analyses each urban vision of the Games of 1940, 1964 and 2020. Secondly, it analyses the influence of each Olympic project on greater Tokyo's urban planning and regional development, as well as the influence of each Olympiad on the following ones. Doing that, the paper discusses the formalization of a planning culture through organizing the Olympics on the long run in Tokyo.