City Space Research Articles

Makassar City and Public Space Without Siri' and Pacce

Siri' and Pacce are a philosophy of life as well as a value system that guides the lives of the Bugis and Makassar people and other ethnic groups in South Sulawesi. The importance of this value is that the essence of existence and the meaning of human life according to the people in this area is largely determined by the practice of the Siri' value, as in the classic expression Siri' is what differentiates humans from animals. As time progresses and social changes occur, there is a degradation of the value of Siri' and it tends to no longer be part of society's social system. This paper examines the phenomenon of social life in Makassar City, especially in public spaces which have ignored the Siri' and Pacce values, forms of value degradation, as well as the importance of revitalizing these noble local cultural values. This is important as the saying that the condition of a city is a reflection of the people who live there.

Quantitative evaluation and challenges confronting dedicated green spaces in cities: a case study of Peshawar, Pakistan

ABSTRACT The rapid population growth of cities has led to the loss of dedicated green spaces gradually and remarkably by constructing hard surfaces on them. These dedicated green spaces play a vital role in urban livability. Therefore, this study analysed the current provision of dedicated green spaces and identified the challenges faced in maintaining and improving these spaces in Peshawar, a metropolitan city in Pakistan. The findings of the study indicate a significant difference between the areas occupied by built-up and dedicated green spaces in the city. According to the analysis, the ratio of built-up area to dedicated green space in Peshawar city is 54% and 2%, respectively, with the remaining 44% of the land being used for other purposes, such as agriculture and barren land. The current per capita availability of green space in the city is 1.5 m2. This quantity is 3.5 m2 less than the National and 7.5 m2 lesser than the International standard set by WHO. It was suggested to policymakers, planners, and development authorities to prioritize the provision and preservation of dedicated green spaces in cities. This would not only improve the quality of life for the current population but also benefit future generations.

Between citizenships: questions of home among the Burmese Indian repatriates

ABSTRACT The 300,000-strong community of Indian repatriates from Burma remain torn between a place they call home and the unresolved questions of citizenship. The Indian community in Burma, whom I term the Burmese Indians, was repatriated to India following the military coup and nationalisation in 1962 and endured a considerable loss of livelihood, home, and friends. Their recreated living spaces in the Indian cities of Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Delhi, and Calcutta are by default and design prefaced with Burma; hence, ‘Burma Bazaar,’ ‘Burma Colonies,’ ‘Burma Markets,’ and ‘Burma Camps.’ This essay explores their citizenship forms, paying particular attention to civic and political citizenship, memory citizenship, and forms of belonging based on interviews with the repatriates.

Queer Belonging in Durban, South Africa: Thoughts from the Zanele Muholi Homecoming Exhibition

In this article, I seek to queer belonging in a post-apartheid city space. I will do this by taking a queer orientation towards a particular public space—the Durban/eThekwini City Hall in South Africa, and a particular set of experiences I had there during the Zanele Muholi Homecoming exhibition in 2017–18. I will also seek to use these to unsettle the concept of belonging. This queering happens at two levels. First, how the relatively mainstream or institutional space of City Hall space was queered through the exhibition of a black queer artist at the Durban Art Gallery. Given that the City Hall was built to symbolise Britishness in the colonies, this occurrence, although momentary, is illuminating. Second, during my experiences at the exhibition there were several moments which stuck with me. I take one of these which took place with my mother and reflect on it to complicate our understandings of belonging. Ultimately, belonging operates in complex ways within post-apartheid cities demonstrated by one particular place and experience in Durban. For LGBTIQ+ people, belonging is many things. In this article, I demonstrate the possibilities of public art to claim belonging in a city not designed for queer black life, and some of the slippages and productivity of “not belonging” using the notion of reciprocity.

The landscape ecological view of vertebrate species richness in urban areas across biogeographic realms

Understanding how the spatial arrangement of remnant green spaces in cities complements biodiversity provides an opportunity for synergy between urban development and biological conservation. However, the geography of urbanization is shifting from Europe and North America to Asia and Africa, and more research is needed for fast-growing regions. To understand how shifting urbanization shapes biodiversity patterns, we analyzed the contribution of landscape factors in explaining vertebrate species richness in urban areas across biogeographic realms. We used variation partitioning to quantify and compare the relative importance of landscape factors (composition and configuration) and environmental factors (climate, elevation, and latitude) in explaining vertebrate species richness in landscapes with at least a million inhabitants across biogeographic realms. Our results pointed out that in the Indo-Malayan, the Afrotropical, and the Neotropical realm (on average of 16.46%) and China and India (11.88%), the influence of landscape factors on vertebrate species richness are significantly higher than that of the Palearctic and Nearctic realms (6.48%). Our findings outline the importance of landscape composition and configuration in shaping biodiversity patterns in regions with fast urban growth during the next two decades, such as Africa, Latin America, and Southeastern Asia. We suggest improving land governance and urban planning to construct eco-friendly landscape structures to mitigate biodiversity loss due to urbanization.

What Affects the Depth of the Human–Garden Relationship in Freely Accessible Urban Sensory Gardens with Therapeutic Features in Various Users?

A human being comes into contact with the environment through the senses. That is why in the space of cities, where various intense stimuli negatively affect the living of people, there is important greenery that has a positive impact. Significant types of gardens within urban green areas are sensory gardens. In our article, we intended to answer the question of what specifically affects the formation of deeper human–garden relations in urban, publicly accessible gardens designed to have a sensory impact. Our research was conducted mainly in Poland. We used a method of assessing the behavior of garden visitors, using a five-point scale. We found that the existence of specific interiors in gardens that have been designed in such a way as to stimulate two to three selected senses, which we call the leading senses, can create an environment that allows for deeper relationships with the garden. We also concluded that when designing a public sensory garden, adaptation to specific user groups is one of the most important guidelines. A deeper contact with the sensory garden for people visiting a city, e.g., tourists, may occur especially when there is a positive surprise or when an additional need of this group is met in the garden. Sensory gardens, although they are a relatively new type of urban greenery, can become a permanent element of cities if they are carefully designed and meet the expectations of their recipients.

University Quarter as a form of cultural interaction between the University and the city

The object of the study is the university quarter as a socio-cultural phenomenon. The subject of the study is the forms of cultural interaction between the university quarter and the city. The use of comparative and typological methods made it possible to identify and describe four forms of university presence in the city space, grouped around two basic directions. The first direction assumes the priority of the university in relation to the city, which gives rise to such a form of their interaction as a "university city". In this case, university activity, in fact, fulfills the role of the economic basis of urban life. The second direction, which is characterized by the leading role of the city, is represented by the student quarter, campus, university quarter. And in this case, we can talk about the "growing" of the university into the urban space, which has both its positive and negative sides. Special attention is paid to the university quarter, the need for which is associated with the expansion of the university's interaction with the urban community. Combining the project nature, openness, flexible targeting, it demonstrates greater potential compared to traditional options. In turn, the university quarter project can be represented by various complementary options. The analysis of the Samara experience of its design revealed two promising forms of its implementation: building a citywide university space and updating the historical past on the basis of available university resources.

코로나 시대의 근로자 통행행태 및 요인에 관한 연구

COVID-19, which occurred in Wuhan at the end of 2019, spread around the world, and Korea also occurred in January 2020, and its high infectivity greatly affected the use of space in cities. In this study, inflow and outflow factors arising from COVID-19 and social distancing were analyzed using data from the SKT service population in Gyeongsangnam-do. The factors before and after COVID-19 were set as indicators to investigate the factors before and after COVID-19. As an analysis method, 2019 and 2020 were first visualized using Gyeongsangnam-do O/D data, and then community analysis and centrality analysis were used to find out whether the community and centrality actually changed in 2019 and 2020. After that, the spatial measurement model was used to find out the factors of the outflow and inflow population. The inflow of manufacturing, lodging, and service industries increased compared to the previous year, and the inflow of wholesale and retail industries decreased. It was found that universities were significant as a social factor, and the inflow population decreased in the area where the university was located, and the accessibility factor was not significant in 2019, but the inflow increased in the area where the bus stop was located compared to 2020. As for the outflow factors, in terms of land use factors, population density, number of houses, and urban parks were significant. It can be seen that the outflow population has increased in residential areas with high population density and number of houses and many urban parks. As economic factors, wholesale and retail, and educational service industries were significant. As a social factor, universities did not appear significantly, but the inflow factor decreased, and the outflow factor increased. Overall, the inflow is decreasing in the area where the university is located, and the outflow is increasing.

Sustainable public space for a livable city: A study of steel structure design solution applied in Danang city, Vietnam

Public space is essential for the sustainable growth of all types of cities. It significantly contributes to public mental health balance and brings a more vibrant and livable image of city life. A more invested in comprehensive design at the beginning of any master plan can result in huge potential. The research aim is to examine public space principal design and exploits with a case study method in Danang city, Vietnam. The result of the applied method proposes a public space design solution with a stainless steel structure, which is considered a flexible material for its aesthetic value in addition to economic and environmental considerations that can be used in public space design. This research delivers a potential design solution with secure public space rights, public use balancing traffic and pedestrians, and safety.

Low-carbon effects of constructing a prefabricated subway station with temporary internal supports: An innovative case of Shenzhen, China

The traditional cast-in-site (CIS) construction method for subway stations has presented significant challenges to the construction industry in light of the growing labor shortage, prefabricated technology represents a promising alternative. This study introduces a novel prefabricated subway station structure, characterized by the innovative features of "Internal support + Large components + Full assembly." Additionally, the technical processes of the newly designed temporary internal support system for the case station are presented in detail. A greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions quantification model based on construction decomposition is established using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method to assess the low-carbon effect of constructing prefabricated subway stations. Moreover, an integrated project quota GHG emissions inventory is created. The findings demonstrate that the GHG emissions of the full-assembled structure, per unit area, are 6.55% lower than those of the CIS structure, resulting in an emission reduction benefit of 11.21 t CO2e. Notably, structural optimization and reduced material loss rates contribute to an 8.47% decrease in embodied emissions of materials. On average, the GHG emission intensity of the full-assembled station structure during transportation and on-site assembly is higher than that of the CIS structure, amounting to 4.48 t CO2e for a single ring-structure. Regarding GHG emissions during construction, the main structure and the exterior-protected structure of the case station account for 53.62% and 39.24% of the total emissions, respectively. Compared to prefabricated subway station using the temporary anchor cable supporting structure, the temporary internal support system could avoid unnecessary occupation of underground space, which is vital for the sustainable development of underground space in big cities.

Survey of user needs and the impact of parking prices on drivers’ motivation to use parking spaces in the capital city of Prague

The paper deals with the possibilities of implementing dynamic tariff regulation of on-street parking spaces in the capital city of Prague. Achieving optimal results is conditioned by the implementation of advanced technologies, but at the same time, the dynamic tariff regulation must follow the applicable legislation and, above all, be accepted by drivers. For this reason, the paper briefly discusses the technical and legislative possibilities of implementation, and most attention is paid to the conducted survey of user needs. The survey investigates the impact of parking prices on drivers’ motivation to park their vehicles in the area.

Types of city dwellers’attitudes towards service robots in the city of Perm

The effectiveness of robot implementation in various societal sectors depends not only on the robot’s technical characteristics but also on how different social groups perceive and interact with them. Social attitudes towards robots, in turn, are influenced by sociocultural and sociodemographic factors. In the context of the sociology of technology and actor-network theory, this research explores the social significance of technical devices, the processes of social adaptation, and communication with robots. However, empirical research on human-robot interaction (HRI), especially in the Russian context, remains limited. This article presents the results of a study that examines the perceptions of robots by actual and potential users in two aspects: the level of basic social attitudes towards new technologies and robots (social acceptability) and the evaluation of interactions with robots in specific situations (practical acceptability). The empirical basis of the study consists of survey data from customers at a multifunctional center providing state and municipal services in Perm. They received services from either a service anthropomorphic robot, Promobot V.4, or a human employee at the center. Using cluster analysis, three types (clusters) of attitudes towards innovations and robots were identified at the level of basic social attitudes: robo-skeptics, robo-phobes, and robo-philes. The social characteristics of these identified types were examined. The study introduces an original method for measuring satisfaction with actual interactions with service robots based on various parameters (evaluation of service convenience, communication quality, personal activity, willingness to recommend robot services, etc.). The study confirms the hypothesis of the connection between the type of attitude towards innovations and robots and the satisfaction with actual interactions with robots in specific situations. The lowest levels of satisfaction with robot interactions and the desire to avoid such interactions were observed among robo-phobes, who are more frequently represented by individuals of senior age group (age 55 and above). The research results allow determining the prospects for implementing service robots in the public space of a major Russian city based on understanding the social attitudes of users.

An Exploration of Child-Friendly Block Renewal based on the Experience of London Borough of Hackney

With the continuous progress of the society, children's needs for urban space have received continuous attention from all walks of life. The construction of child-friendly cities has become an important index to measure the level of civilization and development of cities. The development of child-friendly cities has become one of the strategies to solve the unbalanced and inadequate social development. At present, there are many inconveniences for children in China's urban space, and it is still necessary to improve the construction of blocks suitable for children's activities. Driven by the child-friendly concept, it is necessary to actively build city block space with priority, safety and fun for children to actively participate in Xiaoxihu block in Nanjing, China needs to be further improved in child-friendly construction. Through learning from the construction experience of London borough of Hackney in London, the paper summarized relevant policies and space construction methods in child-friendly aspects, and provided corresponding suggestions for the renovation of Xiaoxihu block, hoping to provide reference for more city spaces in our country.

Identifying the Spatial Patterns and Influencing Factors of Leisure and Tourism in Xi’an Based on Point of Interest (POI) Data

Leisure and tourism spaces are shared by both residents and tourists seeking a higher quality of life. Most of the literature focuses only on the study of a particular type of leisure or tourism space in cities and lacks an overall exploration of the distribution patterns of urban leisure and tourism formats. Based on the leisure and tourism point of interest (POI) data of 11 districts in Xi’an, this paper uses geospatial analysis to examine the spatial patterns of leisure and tourism facilities and their influencing factors in Xi’an. It is found in this study that the distributions overall and the various types of leisure and tourism spaces in Xi’an show the characteristics of central urban agglomeration and sparse dispersion in the surrounding urban areas. Different types of leisure and tourism patterns have obvious spatial scale dependence, but there are differences in the scope of spatial selection. In general, the core agglomeration area has limited radiation and driving effects on the peripheral areas, and there is a prominent phenomenon of imbalance in the distribution of leisure and tourism facilities following a single industrial structure. The formation of the spatial patterns of leisure and tourism is the result of a combination of dominant factors, driving factors, safeguarding factors, and other triggering factors. Urban leisure and tourism spaces are intertwined, and the spatial balance and industrial diversification of leisure and tourism can be promoted through scientific spatial planning. This study aims to provide services for urban land planning and policy-making by revealing the spatial distribution principles of leisure and tourism sites in tourist cities as represented by Xi’an.

Similarity-Based Algorithm for Urban Street Refinement Design Model Extraction Research

INTRODUCTION: The function of many public street spaces in Chinese cities is declining, but urban street space is essential in cities. How to enhance the street's fireworks and reshape the street's rich living atmosphere is worthy of further research and discussion.
 OBJECTIVES: Based on the similarity algorithm urban street enhancement-related theories, paper summarizes the current problems of urban street space in China, researches the corresponding enhancement strategies according to the issues, and makes a strategic research and summary on the relationship between the interfaces of the scope of the visual field and the human behavior, as well as the relationship between the pedestrian and the vehicular traffic.
 METHODS: An in-depth study after defining the concept, summarizing the idea and extracting the urban street refinement design model using the similarity algorithm.
 RESULTS: The new urban street refinement design model can improve the psychological satisfaction of people walking in the application; the street space design model of the walking experience will also use the algorithm to simulate the joy; lastly, a recommended optimization technique is presented for the construction of a humanized street scale and other related factors.
 CONCLUSION: The study of urban street space is a refined design strategy for the improvement of the urban landscape; the growth of the happiness index of urban residents is of great significance and, at the same time, for the enhancement of China's modernization level, improve the human habitat environment are of great importance, and should pay attention to the urban street refinement design.

Hot climates in urban South Asia: Negotiating the right to and the politics of shade at the everyday scale in Karachi

Although the climate has admittedly always been hot and humid in cities like Karachi, increasingly hotter temperatures are exacerbating the impact of heat on informal, precariously employed outdoor workers such as street vendors, guards and rickshaw drivers, who must negotiate their right and access to shade at the everyday scale. Recalling Mike Davis’ radical, political claim that shade is an inalienable human right, this paper proposes that few people working in the outdoor spaces of the South Asian city today understand or experience shade in these terms. Rather shade is something that must be claimed, alongside other rights and entitlements. Moreover, shade alone is insufficient as it cannot reduce the exposure of bodies to harmful ambient radiations and overall thermal discomfort. This paper makes three broad propositions for outlining a theory for the social study of shade in the South Asian city. By paying closer attention to the ways that outdoor workers negotiate shade in Karachi, this paper opens up for analysis a wider spectrum of claims-making activity in changing South Asian urban climates. It places workers’ search for shade in the broader context of shade policing and urban management aimed at creating spatial as well as social order. Finally, this article emphasises key directions and questions for future research.

Challenges and Stakeholder Perspectives on Implementing Ecological Designs in Green Public Spaces: A Case Study of Hue City, Vietnam

In recent years, ecological design has emerged as an innovative approach for landscape designs to address urban environmental issues such as biodiversity protection and the promotion of ecosystem services. However, in developing countries like Vietnam, an ecological approach is still in its early stages and requires more research and practical application. This study aims to explore stakeholder perspectives and identify suitable ecological landscape approaches through semi-structured interviews based on designed images. The findings reveal various challenges to implementing ecological designs in the public green spaces of Hue City, such as the prioritisation of short-term goals over ecosystem services, solely focusing on increasing green per capita, the lack of market interest, and the lack of motivation among different departments responsible for the design and management of public green spaces. In addition, the study also finds that stakeholders are willing to accept a hybrid ecological landscape approach in combination with ‘cues to care’ landscapes, such as buffer zones of well-managed vegetation or regularly cut lawns. Results highlight the necessity of prioritising ecosystem services in decision-making, policy, and planning development concerning urban green spaces in Vietnamese cities. In addition, education and awareness campaigns are needed for the public and stakeholders to increase acceptance of ecological design.

Preferences of public space users towards trees and other forms of greenery in Lublin's old town

Currently, the functions of the historical parts of cities are more and more oriented towards the visitors rather than residents. The high density of cultural heritage objects attracts tourists for whom restaurants and shops are created. Therefore, the management and planning of the historic parts of cities has become an increasing challenge. At the same time, activities aimed at improving the quality of life in the city centre, including the most built-up historical parts, require the introduction of greenery (Kowarik, 2019). In order for such spaces to be effective, we require a greater understanding of user preferences. The aim was to define preferences regarding the presence and use of various forms of greenery and their acceptance in the space of the old town. We also asked a question about the functions of the greenery. The study was conducted using an online survey in Lublin, Poland. The method of virtual development of 4 public spaces presenting various forms of greenery in a built environment was used. It was found that the presence of green elements and their form are very important. Trees in particular have a strong influence on preferences, suggesting that they deserve more attention in historical spaces in cities. Flower beds, plants in pots are accepted. The results show that the current level of development is unsatisfactory, and the respondents point out the need to introduce more greenery. Respondents' preferences related to greenery forms depend mainly on gender and age. Especially women and younger age groups preferred spaces with aesthetically attractive elements, such as flowering herbaceous plants in pots. Most of the respondents declared the use of space as places of rest and recreation, and indicated the climatic, ecological and aesthetic functions as important factors in assessing historical spaces in cities. The results should be taken into account by specialists in urban design in historical spaces subject to revitalization.

Women’s Stories of Waste Picking in the City: “People Look at Us Like We Are Mad, but I Don’t Care”

The gendered dynamics of informal work in southern cities across the globe has been well documented. Women in the informal sector, usually already marginalised through racialised and class positionalities, face predictable work challenges in patriarchal society, lower pay, longer work hours, more family responsibilities, less social protections, and safety concerns linked to workspaces. In this article, we explore the specific challenges that women waste pickers in the inner city of Durban, South Africa, experience. The study draws on ethnographic research with eight waste pickers. Beyond the challenges, the narrative data illustrates how and why women waste pickers navigate and negotiate for space and safety in the inner city of Durban. We highlight how women build social relationships as a mitigation strategy against material and varied safety concerns. These social relationships work across formal business linkages and relationships on the street. These mitigation strategies are simultaneously gendered responses to work in the city and innovative business practices. The experiences of women waste pickers in the city indicates that it is left to the women themselves, individually and in small collectives, to find ways to navigate issues of discrimination and exclusions linked to work, gender and space in the city. Ultimately, we draw on the experiences of women waste pickers in inner city Durban to ask questions about what lessons can be learnt to advocate better municipal planning that proactively deals with gender and justice in the city.

Sustainable Exploration of “Plug-In Design” in Public Space of the Old City in Guangzhou: Case Study on Xudi-Gaodijie

The current regeneration mode of public space in the old city of Guangzhou is ineffective, thus necessitating supplementation with a more systematic methodology. The “plug-in design” targets sustainable regeneration while preserving the overall urban texture and context, i.e., it has little impact on the spatial qualities of the old city. The ultimate goal is to activate the public space of the old city of Guangzhou point to area through the insertion of various plug-ins. In this study, the methodology is applied to Xudi Gaodi Street, the core area of the old city of Guangzhou, to explore its effects on sustainability. The internal public space is isolated and supplied with rigid and flexible plug-ins from multiple dimensions, which not only improves the spatial environment but also injects new urban formats. This work provides a specific solution for regeneration in Guangzhou’s old city while enhancing empirical knowledge of the plug-in design to support urban regeneration theory and further practical development.