Quality Of Urban Space Research Articles

Research on Urban Street Spatial Quality Based on Street View Image Segmentation

Assessing the quality of urban street space can provide suggestions for urban planning and construction management. Big data collection and machine learning provide more efficient evaluation methods than traditional survey methods. This study intended to quantify the urban street spatial quality based on street view image segmentation. A case study was conducted in the Second Ring Road of Changsha City, China. Firstly, the road network information was obtained through OpenStreetMap, and the longitude and latitude of the observation points were obtained using ArcGIS 10.2 software. Then, corresponding street view images of the observation points were obtained from Baidu Maps, and a semantic segmentation software was used to obtain the pixel occupancy ratio of 150 land cover categories in each image. This study selected six evaluation indicators to assess the street space quality, including the sky visibility index, green visual index, interface enclosure index, public–facility convenience index, traffic recognition, and motorization degree. Through statistical analysis of objects related to each evaluation indicator, scores of each evaluation indicator for observation points were obtained. The scores of each indicator are mapped onto the map in ArcGIS for data visualization and analysis. The final value of street space quality was obtained by weighing each indicator score according to the selected weight, achieving qualitative research on street space quality. The results showed that the street space quality in the downtown area of Changsha is relatively high. Still, the level of green visual index, interface enclosure, public–facility convenience index, and motorization degree is relatively low. In the commercial area east of the river, improvements are needed in pedestrian perception. In other areas, enhancements are required in community public facilities and traffic signage.

Senior involvement to validate criteria and metrics for assessing the quality of urban space

Senior involvement to validate criteria and metrics for assessing the quality of urban space

Strategies for effective reuse of waste from abandoned buildings under sustainable development

Introduction: In the continuous advancement of urbanization, abandoned buildings are a huge challenge in achieving sustainable development goals. If these legacy buildings are not properly handled, they will cause a huge burden on society, economy, and the environment. Based on the material flow analysis method, an evaluation index system was constructed for legacy building resources, and a systematic study was conducted on the reuse pathways of their waste.Methods: This study focuses on the material flow, reuse pathways, and resource utilization strategies of legacy construction waste, aiming to improve the reuse efficiency of waste building materials and promote the achievement of sustainable development goals. In the study, indicator design was used to quantify the obstacles to the reuse of legacy construction waste, and social and economic costs were analyzed to ensure the comprehensiveness and scientificity of the research.Results: The experimental results show that the waste recycling rate under the implementation of this strategy reached 82.7%, and the resource utilization rate increased by 50.1%. For the obstacles to the reuse of construction waste, the network density reaches 0.052, and the overall network structure shows a lack of concentration, indicating that the current management methods for construction waste reuse have further optimization space.Discussion: The study effectively promotes the sustainable utilization of legacy buildings in cities, which is of great significance for improving the quality of urban space and promoting sustainable social development.

Potential of Former Mill Race Corridors for Urban Regeneration Strategies—A Case Study from Podolínec in Prešov Region (Slovakia)

In the past, mill races were part of the urban structure of many towns in Slovakia. As regulated and artificially created waterways, they served to drive mills, rollers, or hammers. With the use of new sources of energy, they lost their functions, and most of them were dried, filled, or buried underground. In our research, we examine the former mill race corridor in Podolínec (Prešov region, Slovakia) and its potential to contribute to urban regeneration strategies. The research steps included the following, namely 1. Identification of the route of the mill race corridor according to historical sources, 2. survey of its current state and its spatial preservation in the urban structure, 3. evaluation of the possibilities of its new uses, which could increase the quality and attractiveness of urban public spaces. The research results show that the fragments of the corridor of the extinct mill race are still identifiable in the urban fabric, and in the cadaster, they are in public ownership and suitable for new uses. The fragments of the corridor of the extinct mill race in Podolínec represent a potential for strengthening the blue and green infrastructure, pedestrian and cycling greenways, and a potential for the presentation of cultural heritage values, which could contribute to the improvement of the qualities of the urban environment.

Spatial quality measurement of commercial streets in old cities of medium-sized cities in China

ABSTRACT Chinese urban development has entered the stage of stock planning, and as an important part of urban public space, the construction of street space has a direct impact on urban development. High-quality street space contributes to sustainable urban development.High-quality street spaces are highly important for constructing vibrant and sustainable cities. Taking Jiaozuo city, a medium-sized city, as an example, this article establishes an evaluation index system for commercial street space quality from the aspects of external characterization and objective material space and uses the Pearson correlation coefficient to explore the influencing factors of urban commercial street space quality. This study finds that (1) crowd activities on commercial streets have different temporal and spatial patterns on weekdays and days off; (2) the external characterization of urban street space quality has a significant positive correlation with objective material spatial elements such as the density of public transportation stops, functional density, functional mixing, interface continuity, and spatial green visibility rate; (3) the enhancement of street accessibility and fine-tuning of functions are key to improving the spatial quality of commercial streets.This study provides theoretical basis and ideas for improving the spatial quality of commercial streets in medium-sized cities in China and promoting sustainable urban development.

Fusing multi-source social media data and street view imagery to inform urban space quality: a study of user perceptions at Kampong Glam and Haji Lane

This study proposes a novel approach to urban perception studies by integrating street view imagery and multi-source social media data to infer user perceptions and preferences of urban spaces, thereby informing placemaking strategies. With advanced pre-trained Google Cloud Vision AI, this study regards street view imagery as a baseline to compare with user-generated content from social media platforms, namely, Flickr, TripAdvisor, and X (formerly Twitter), together revealing spatial elements perceived by users and diverse demands across users groups. The research evaluates urban space qualities at two spatial levels through a case study at Kampong Glam district and Haji Lane, focusing on Uniqueness, Vitality, and Liveability derived from classic urban theories. The transition in user focus from spatial and transport features in Google Street View to activities and decorations in Flickr imagery emphasizes the spatial features that contribute to Uniqueness and Vitality. In addition, textual data from Twitter and TripAdvisor differentiate residents' and tourists' perceptions of Liveability, encompassing aspects like History, Religion, Space, and Activity. The findings articulate alignments of users' perceptions from street to district levels and diverse preferences on spatial features contributing to Uniqueness, Vitality, and Liveability, offering valuable insights for user-centric placemaking and urban planning.

Evaluating the Historical and Cultural Tourism Potential of Gwalior: A Comprehensive Analysis

This paper explores the tourism potential of Gwalior, a historical city with rich cultural heritage. By providing background information on the city, it aims to identify key factors shaping its tourism landscape. The research objectives include studying tourism potential, identifying challenges faced by locals and tourists, assessing existing infrastructure facilities, and delineating the scope for tourism development. Primary data was collected through a multiple-choice questionnaire, targeting both locals and tourists, to decode prevalent issues. Additionally, the quality of urban spaces was analysed across various parameters. This study contributes to understanding Gwalior's tourism prospects and provides insights for planning interventions for enhancing visitor experiences and fostering sustainable tourism growth in the city.

Unpacking Etimology Urban Space Quality: Menuju Definisi Umum

The concept of "urban" is often understood from various perspectives, but not comprehensively. This writing aims to provide a deeper understanding of the concept of urban, particularly urban space quality. The definition of urban space quality has not been fully captured, which motivates the need for a more in-depth exploration of the term. The research problem is the lack of a comprehensive understanding of the concept of urban space quality, leading to the absence of a universally accepted definition. The aim of this article is to examine the suitability of the use of the term "urban space quality" to provide a reference for its usage. The article utilizes a literature review, drawing from credible and traceable sources such as books, national-international journals, dictionaries, official documents, and previous studies related to the etymology of urban, urban space, and urban space quality. Urban space is defined as an external space contributing to the city's structure, communication, and social interaction. The concept of urban space quality remains multifaceted, with varying interpretations and dimensions, including safety, livability, environmental conditions, and social development. The findings underscore the complexity of urban space quality and the need for a comprehensive understanding of its parameters and factors.

Heterogeneity in Marginal Willingness to Pay for Urban Space Quality: A Case Study in Beijing

Heterogeneity in Marginal Willingness to Pay for Urban Space Quality: A Case Study in Beijing

Comparative Study of Environmental Qualities of Urban Spaces in New Shopping Malls and Traditional Bazaars Case Study: <i>Kourosh</i> Mall and <i>Kaffashha</i> Bazaar in Tehran

Throughout history, urban spaces have always been one of the important elements of the city. While having the social and cultural values of the society, they are a place for carrying out various activities that connect the members of the society with each other. They also provide opportunities for recreation. The more these spaces are built in accordance with the local culture and have a higher environmental quality, the more people tend to attend, be active and spend their free time there, and as a result, the vitality in the society improves. On the other hand, the lack of urban space or the lack of attention to the environmental qualities will reduce the sense of attachment and presence of people in these spaces, which will itself lead to the degradation of social relations. In urban settlements before modernism, public spaces such as squares and bazaars were used as arenas for social communication. In the process of modernization, the role of these places as urban space was diminished and new shopping malls have replaced them today. This research seeks to compare the environmental qualities of urban space in new shopping malls and traditional bazaars. The research is applied in terms of purpose and analytical-descriptive and comparative in terms of method. In order to achieve the goal of the research, the theoretical concepts were first studied and environmental quality factors were extracted. Then, with the technique of observation and photography, the extracted factors were checked in Kourosh mall and Kaffashha traditional bazaar. The results show that although shopping malls are derived from western societies and do not fit with Iranian culture, but due to the facilities they provide to the people, they have a more favorable condition in most of the factors examined in this research and have been more welcomed by people as urban space.

The role of aesthetic quality in urban spaces to influence use of active transport modes

ABSTRACT This study investigates whether and how perceived aesthetic quality of urban spaces play a role in influencing the use of active transport modes. By focusing on urban spaces in terms of car-oriented or human-oriented types within the Reykjavik metropolitan region and interpretation of qualitative interviews, this investigation goes beyond previous studies that have identified particular characteristics of preselected urban spaces stimulating aesthetic experience. Analyses of routes to neighborhood grocery stores used by selected survey respondents show a relationship between choices of active modes and the two types of urban spaces. Morover, interpretation of qualitative interviews suggests explantory information about how perceived aesthetic quality of urban spaces has an important role in promoting the use of active transport mode. This depends on the options provided at different locations within the urban structure, shaped by the planning idelogies that have affected the aesthetic quality of urban spaces.

Evaluating the vitality of urban public spaces: perspectives on crowd activity and built environment

PurposeIn urban planning, sustainability is closely linked to the quality of urban public spaces (UPS). However, some UPS encounter issues of low attractiveness and underutilisation. Vitality serves as a crucial measure in this context. The research perspective on the vitality of UPS centres on the balance between human activities and the built environment. Therefore, this article aims to systematically review critical aspects of UPS vitality evaluation system, including research objects, vitality components and research methods, from the dimensions of crowd activity and the built environment.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review using PRISMA analysed English-language publications from 2008 to 2023 in Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) databases, employing keywords related to UPS and vitality, with defined inclusion and exclusion criteria.Findings(1) Research objects, including parks, squares, waterfronts, blocks and streets. (2) The factors contributing to crowd activity characteristics originate from five dimensions, namely spatial, temporal, visitor, activity and feedback. Environmental factors, both external (accessibility, surrounding function mix and population density) and internal (service facility mix and water presence), significantly impact vitality. (3) The study primarily relies on quantitative data, including traditional surveys and emerging significant data sources like dynamic location and traffic, social media, geospatial and point of interest (POI) data. Data analysis methods commonly used include correlation analysis and comprehensive evaluation techniques.Originality/valueThe findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the vitality evaluation system for UPS from multiple perspectives for urban planners, aiding in identifying key factors and research methods in the vitality evaluation of various types of UPS.

Transforming Urban Environments: Understanding the Social Implications of Metrobus (MBS) Service Development in Lahore, Pakistan

This research investigates how the Lahore Metrobus system (MBS) influences perceptions of urban space quality through the lens of urban design and transport infrastructure. Lahore is undergoing significant urban changes with the introduction of a newly constructed mass transit system, which thus necessitates a joint development strategy to preserve its cultural heritage. Recent evolutions in transport planning has heightened the interest in analyzing the way mobility factors affect the perceptions of a place’s quality. The gap in previous work lies in the limited focus on qualitative, human-centered perspectives regarding the impacts of public projects like the MBS on urban space quality. This study uniquely fills this void by examining the influence of the MBS on people’s lives and the quality of urban spaces. Comparing pre- and post-Metrobus scenarios, along with questionnaire surveys of riders and shopkeepers, exposes the neglect of the social image during design and construction. The system was implemented with a focus solely on hard, core infrastructure, thereby neglecting soft components such as area development, social and cultural value, and human-centered design. The government should unite transport agencies, stakeholders, and the public to craft a joint policy for enhancing revenue, ridership, and fostering transit-oriented development (TOD). Research findings will help in achieving social and cultural sustainability for upcoming transport lines in Pakistan, as well as directions for other developing nations looking to implement mass transit networks.

3D Point Cloud and GIS Approach to Assess Street Physical Attributes

The present research explores an innovative approach to objectively assessing urban streets attributes using 3D point clouds and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Urban streets are vital components of cities, playing a significant role in the lives of their residents. Usually, the evaluation of some of their physical attributes has been subjective, but this study leverages 3D point clouds and digital terrain models (DTM) to provide a more objective perspective. This article undertakes a micro-urban analysis of basic physical characteristics (slope, width, and human scale) of a representative street in the historic centre of Valencia (Spain), utilizing 3D laser-scanned point clouds and GIS tools. Applying the proposed methodology, thematic maps were generated, facilitating the objective identification of areas with physical attributes more conducive to suitable pedestrian dynamics. This approach provides a comprehensive understanding of urban street attributes, emphasizing the importance of addressing their assessment through advanced digital technologies. Moreover, this versatile methodology has diverse applications, contributing to social sustainability by enhancing the quality of urban streets and open spaces.

Innovative Approaches to Assessing Urban Space Quality: A Multi-Source Big Data Perspective on Knowledge Dynamics

Innovative Approaches to Assessing Urban Space Quality: A Multi-Source Big Data Perspective on Knowledge Dynamics

Pengembangan Kawasan Berkarakter Urban Crack melalui Desain Pasar Tematik Berbasis Material Daur Ulang Kain di Ciakar, Tangerang

Ciakar Village, located in Panongan sub-district, Tangerang Regency, Banten, experienced significant physical spatial development, namely land use change from agriculture to settlements. The phenomenon of urban crack emerged as a result of this development. Urban crack refers to a narrow area hidden behind a prosperous and once thriving area that no longer has energy and is intrinsically characterized by emptiness. Urban crack in Ciakar village is triggered by the gated community system in the housing clusters that flank the site, resulting in street space that tends to be unmanaged and neglected which is then utilized wildly for plantations, kiosks, garbage disposal areas because there is no control and supervision.
 The Ciakar village government plans to activate and revitalize this area by injecting a thematic market function that is expected to improve the quality of urban space as well as become an economic space for informal communities in improving their standard of living. The concept of a thematic market that combines culinary areas, shopping tours, educational tours, community activities by promoting local wisdom in the form of a park that can be built at an affordable cost. PKM UPH team contributed to propose the design of this thematic market. In the design process, there are two scales of design. Micro-scale design produces affordable building materials by utilizing fabric-based recycled materials with experimental methods to produce prototypes. The macro-scale design produces architectural design ideas for the thematic market by considering the existing context. In this study, the team used qualitative research methods. Data were collected from activities: field observations and Forum Group Discussions (FGDs) involving Ciakar Village government officials and community members. The design method used was a participatory design approach.

Performance and atmosphere in urban public spaces: Street music in Guangzhou, China

AbstractThis study offers a discussion of the role of street music (busking) in urban public spaces using the lenses of performance theory and the theory of atmospheres in order to consider how street music and buskers shape the public space of a city. The study examines urban characters, soundscapes, emotions and affects, and atmospheres in relation to street musical performance. Explored in particular are the roles and processes of two levels of atmosphere—the atmospheric performance space and the atmosphere of a city. We take Guangzhou, China, as the case study and use questionnaires, in‐depth interviews, and participant observation as research methods to reach three main findings. First, street music has growing influence and affects how urban public spaces are appropriated and managed. Second, street music performance shapes the atmospheric qualities of urban public space and in doing so sensorially invigorates and animates urban space. Third, street music contributes to the broader atmosphere of the city. Such an atmosphere, created by Guangzhou’s street music performances, that echoes Guangzhou’s characters as a free, down‐to‐earth, tolerant, and vibrant city can be felt and warms those who encounter it.

Active Mobility and Space Syntax in the city of Blumenau/SC

This research addresses aspects related to active mobility and its relationship with space syntax. Active mobility is a preponderant factor in the quality of urban space, since it is about the characteristics and conditions that a place presents for walking. In this context, this research aims to correlate, under the light of Space Syntax, the results obtained in the evaluation of active mobility with the configurational pattern of 4 spatial clippings of the city of Blumenau/SC. Through the evaluation results that identified active mobility indexes for each area, and the angle analysis of metric integration, in radius of 500, 1000 and 1500 meters, if you can concluded that the active mobility indexes in the researched areas present better results in the areas where the configurational pattern is more integrated, in detriment of the segregated ones.

Gaussian Mixture Model based classification for analyzing longitudinal outdoor thermal environment data to evaluate comfort conditions in urban open spaces

Global warming and the urban heat island effect have led to a decline in the quality of urban open spaces. Although many studies have been conducted on the thermal environment of urban open spaces, there is a lack of a detailed analysis of the time dimension. This study is to propose a method for analyzing long-term time series data on thermal environment, to more comprehensively evaluate the comfort of urban open spaces. We employed thermal environment data from urban open spaces in Melbourne and conducted a time series comfort analysis using a Gaussian mixture model. The research findings indicate that urban open spaces surrounded by low-rise buildings exhibit the highest thermal comfort, whereas those encompassed by a combination of buildings and green spaces exhibit the lowest comfort level. More importantly, we discovered similarities in the comfortable time periods across the five types of urban open spaces, with the majority falling between 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM. These discoveries can assist in achieving a more objective evaluation of the thermal environment in urban open spaces and provide scientific guidance for urban planning and landscape design, thus enhancing the quality of life for urban residents.

Spatial Distribution and Quality of Urban Public Spaces in the Attica Region (Greece) during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey-Based Analysis

This study investigates the spatial distribution and quality of urban public spaces in the Attica region during the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire survey was conducted to gather data on the availability, accessibility, and quality of open urban public spaces. The findings indicate that, although several respondents reported the presence of outdoor public spaces in their respective areas, these spaces often did not meet the desired quality standards. Notably, a clear preference was expressed for open public spaces located within a convenient walking distance, typically within a 15-min walk. Quality assessments varied across different sectors of Attica, with the central Athens and central Piraeus sectors receiving lower ratings in terms of availability, quality, and safety. Compared to the rest of Attica, the residential suburbs of Athens’s Northern Sector appear to have more accessible, safe, and well-maintained public areas. The research underscores the critical importance of quality public spaces, particularly during times of crisis. This study emphasizes the need for a re-evaluation of urban planning strategies to ensure that public spaces remain functional and accessible to citizens.