Settlement Space Research Articles

The relevance of open space as a “third place” among urban low-income neighborhoods: A study based on Colombo

Open spaces in urban low-income settlements are a representation of a diverse socio-spatial landscape that is often neglected during urban development approaches. The loss of adequate open spaces, particularly during vertical resettlements, has resulted in oppressing the chance of continuing the unique social ties among those communities. To better understand the existing open spaces in urban low-income neighbourhoods, this research employs Ray Oldenburg's Third Place Theory, suggesting that they are citizen-initiated, dynamic, and informal gathering places where people tend to attend beyond home (first place) and work (second place). Getting insights from Wekanda in Slave Island, Colombo, the research highlights the physical setting, activities, and user values that are bound with the existing open spaces. In spite of the fact that they have the bare minimum of a fancy outlook, the in-depth analysis demonstrates that alleyways, spaces in-between houses, streets, and vacant lots in Wekanda are significant third places that ensure equal rights to space by providing a homely atmosphere for residents. On the other hand, the research highlights that some designed open spaces, such as small community parks have failed to exhibit expected third place qualities and should further consider their role by addressing user expectations.

Study of urban edge for the intervention of informal settlements in the southwest periphery of Guayaquil

The urban fabric of Guayaquil is intertwined with the meanders of the Guayas River, where estuaries such as Puerto Lisa, as a scene of prone in-formal settlements on the banks of the estuary, have challenged urban planning and generated a negative impact on the environment and quality of life of their habitants. This article arises in response to the challenges posed by the invasion of estuaries due to informal construction practices, which have triggered a dis-parity between the urban environment and the ecosystem. We face the urgency of addressing this problem that has transcended local borders to become a glob-al phenomenon that affects developing cities. The Puerto Lisa estuary, located in the suburb of Guayaquil, has become an epicenter of these transformations, experiencing accelerated growth of settlements that challenge the sustainability and quality of life of its inhabitants. The relevance of this research lies in the search for strategies that make appropriate land use compatible, satisfying the needs of the community, and at the same time revitalizing the natural landscape of the Puerto Lisa estuary. It is a call to rethink urban planning, promoting sus-tainable development that harmonizes urban growth with environmental preser-vation. Throughout these pages, we will explore the current conditions of in-formal settlements, identify key challenges and problems, and propose a com-prehensive reorganization plan. It is concluded that the integration of the estu-ary generates integration of the public space of human settlements and promotes productive local development by articulating new regularized housing processes in safe areas of the estuary.

Socialization and Аccessibility оf Public and Cultural Sites, Contemporary Value and Settlement Development

This text presents some visual and value dimensions of terrain work on the exploration of accessibility in Bulgaria during the last few years. Sharpening of sensitiveness to the accessibility problems is one of the consequences of cultural situation of temporary critical concentration of priorities on residential spaces of settlements during pandemic limitations. The focus of attention on the effectiveness of the decisions of settlement and regional development sets forth the contributions of people of uneven status, who have more experience in overcoming of difficulties that look unresolvable at first glance.

Public Spaces in Historic Environment as Urban Fundamentals of Sustainable Development

Dynamic sociopolitical processes in Ukraine affect public needs. Today, it is crucial to develop urban approaches and methods to create open spaces in human settlements regarding sustainable development principles. The research is aimed at finding urban-planning approaches and methods of creating public space in the historic environment, which influence the preservation of historical and cultural legacy and cultural city potential, determining the role of public spaces in the sustainable development of the settlement. The research design is based on the use of targeted approaches in the territories’ management, based on system analysis and sociological research to ensure sustainable settlement development. Geoinformation technologies are used to account for public zones in the settlement. The total number of public areas in settlements is one of the indicators that characterize the quality of life, according to ISO 37120: "Sustainable development of communities - Indicators for city services and quality of life." The originality of the research is in the synthesis of design and sociological methods for the formation of open public spaces in the urban environment. Open public spaces provide social and environmental aspects of sustainable development of the settlement by creating accessible places for cultural, creative, and artistic events.

Construction of place: social and institutional drivers of informal settlements’ public realm in Caracas

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the [construction of the] public realm in informal settlements in Caracas, Venezuela and the social and institutional drivers underpinning its development. Public spaces in informal settlements are usually conceived and constructed by residents, sometimes with the help and support of diverse institutions. These places created by people can be considered public realm from their genesis, as the community have built and experienced them since their staFrt. A qualitative study with a case study design informs this paper. In-depth interviews, mapping and a photographic survey were carried out. The focus on the physical space, religious activities and psychosocial meanings in an informal settlement in Caracas led to understanding the constituents of the public realm and their drivers. The community’s solidarity and collaboration and their religiosity shaped the construction of the public realm. Simultaneously, governmental and ecclesiastic institutions played a fundamental role in its development. The paper adds to the knowledge about the creation of the public realm in informal settlements by discussing residents’ stories related to this process. The public realm in informal settlements is created through resident-driven approaches founded on social aspects and influenced by institutional factors that go beyond the design and construction of the physical space.

House unit of the Linear Pottery culture?

The aim of the article is to critically evaluate the existing approach toward the Linear Pottery culture (LBK) settlement space in terms of the character of the pits, their fill and pottery decoration style. It is traditionally and implicitly assumed that the pits in the vicinity of a house (so-called house unit) are of the same period of formation, filling, and demise, so their testimony is usually considered comparable. However, research into the formative processes of ceramic material from pits with a spatial association to the house no. 88 in Bylany near Kutná Hora (CZ) shows that individual features differ significantly in terms of structure, and each in its own way is taphonomically unique. At the same time, formative processes have a strong influence on our current perception of the decorative style of Neolithic pottery and its relative chronology. The house unit thus becomes an optimistic assumption in the case of multiphase settlements, which cannot be applied without a better understanding of archaeological sources.

S4-5 Framework for evaluation of green spaces for physical activity to support public health policy in Slovenija

Abstract Purpose Evidence suggests that green space use for physical activity significantly benefits to maintenance and improvement of public health. Settlements need to provide adequate access to public green spaces which enable and encourage physical activity. Provision of publicly accessible green spaces is therefore often included in different sectoral strategies and policies. However, to really meet goals and objectives, declared in these documents, appropriate and efficient actions need to be taken in spatial development practice on a local level. Methods We present the approach, developed within the first year of the national research project PREZENCA, which aims at developing indicators for the assessment of the provision of settlements with green spaces for outdoor physical activity in Slovenian municipalities. The approach may be of interest to countries which have adequately developed strategic spatial planning of urban green spaces but lack useful tools to assess the current state and to monitor changes in the provision of quality green and other outdoor spaces to encourage physical activity. Results The approach is based on a comprehensive analysis of examples and possibilities for measuring presence and quantity of green spaces, defining green space types, and measuring citizens’ accessibility and use of green spaces for physical activity. Content analysis of existing planning documents on a local level was carried out to elaborate: (1) whether the provision of green spaces in settlements in Slovenia is defined and how (2) which population groups are addressed and (3) where such content should be put into policy documents to support implementation in practice. Based on the results, the suggestions on relevant factors and indicators of green space provision and quality for physical activity were prepared to be further developed for evaluation and monitoring on the local level and included into spatial planning practice and policies. Conclusion Furthermore, we discuss the importance of establishing local standards and possibilities to include them into planning documents to form the basis for long-term monitoring of the condition of publicly accessible green spaces for recreational use by residents.

Patron-client and Lindu lake tourism development

Lindu Lake in Lore Lindu National Park, Sigi Regency, spatially has characteristics and potential as a coastal area that migrants enter along with the culture it inhabits and there are socio-cultural changes in the local community. From the background of the aforementioned problems, the objectives of the study are as follows: 1) to see the relationship between financiers (Patrons) and local fishermen (clients) in Lindu Lake; 2) fishermen's support for the arrangement of their settlements as homestays; and 3) a model of integration of fishing settlement space with ecological-based coastal tourism. This research uses a qualitative research approach (phenomenological paradigm) with analytical descriptive methods. The results showed, as follows: (1) The relationship between financiers and local fishermen in Lindu Lake is nothing more than borrowing business capital; (2) Fishermen's support for the arrangement of their settlement as a homestay, this is due to the large number of tourists at the festival but the benefits are not felt; (3) The integration model of fishing settlement space with ecological-based coastal tourism with consideration of the development of marine tourism in Lindu Lake is integrated between mountain and lake panoramas with customs into one unit.

Thermal Comfort Analysis and Optimization Strategies of Green Spaces in Chinese Traditional Settlements

The spatial pattern of Weizi settlements features distinct regional characteristics. Moreover, it contains profound wisdom in terms of traditional construction; therefore, studies on its association with the microclimate have important implications for improving the quality of human settlements. In the present study, Guanweizi Village in the Xinyang City of Henan Province was used as an example to analyze and evaluate the thermal comfort of green spaces. The impact of peripheral water bodies on the thermal comfort of outdoor green spaces in the settlement was studied, and the association between the components of outdoor green spaces and physiological equivalent temperature as an indicator of thermal comfort was explored. Further, factors negatively affecting the thermal comfort of green spaces were analyzed through the grid method. Thermal comfort in the Weizi settlement is somewhat correlated with the coverage of water bodies, roads, soil, greening, and buildings. Increasing the water area and creating multi-level greening spaces are effective measures to improve the thermal comfort of green spaces in the settlement. Our findings provide a theoretical basis and a pioneering example for future practices of environment design for human settlements.

The arrangement of spatial settlement for Balinese and Sasak communities at historical perspective in Cakranegara

This study aims to examine the construction of a social integration model through the arrangement of resident spaces in the Balinese-Hindu and Sasak-Islam communities in the Cakranegara territory, Lombok. This research was designed in a qualitative interpretative research type with the religious anthropological approach. There are three findings in response to the focus of this research study. First, the residential spaces of Balinese-Hindu community settlements are arranged in territorial blocks called karang. Each karang has a name identical to the name of the region where it originated in Bali. Second, the residential spaces pattern of the Cakranegara area during the kingdom period used the basic concept of Hindu religious teachings, namely by taking the bhuana Agung spaces concept (macrocosm) which represented the tri angga. Third, the Sasak-Islamic community during the Karangasem Kingdom in Lombok was placed outside the Balinese-Hindu community.

Spatial-Temporal Evolution Characteristics and Mechanism Analysis of Urban Space in China’s Three-River-Source Region: A Land Classification Governance Framework Based on “Three Zone Space”

In China’s new era with a territorial spatial governance framework, the delineation of the “Three Zones and Three Lines” is a crucial step in establishing a comprehensive and vertically integrated spatial control system. The changes in the “Three Zone Space,” including ecological space, production space and living space, derived from land use abstractions, reflect the extent and manner of the impact of human activities. It serves as an important link between the macroscale (main functional zones) and the microscale (land use planning). The Three-River-Source Region is an important ecological security barrier and a demonstration area for ecological civilization in China. It is also considered one of the least suitable areas for human habitation in China. This region encompasses extensive protected natural areas, and human settlement space is scarce and valuable. The urban space, as an important spatial component of human habitation, often gives rise to significant conflicts between human activities and the environment during the implementation of development and conservation policies for remote areas in China. However, there is currently insufficient attention given to the human settlement space in this area. Therefore, it is necessary to study the evolution and driving mechanisms of urban spatial development from the perspective of the holistic and systematic nature of the “Three Zone Space”. To achieve this, the article first analyzes the characteristics of urban spatial changes from 1992 to 2020. Then, it utilizes the optimized parameter Geodetector to analyze the driving mechanisms behind these changes. The results show that: (1) urban spatial expansion has continued to grow over the past 30 years, with an increase of 774.56%; (2) agricultural space is the main source of conversion for urban spatial expansion; (3) natural factors have limited influence on urban spatial expansion, while human factors play a significant role with evident spatiotemporal heterogeneity. This study is significant for the governance and protection of river sources, the conservation of ecosystems in ecologically fragile areas, and the sustainable development of cities. It can also provide scientific references for decision-making in ecological environmental protection and the formulation of land use and spatial planning at various levels in pastoral areas.

Resilience Optimization Strategies for Outdoor Activity Spaces in Settlements Based on Social Networks and Space Syntax

Abstract The analysis and optimization of residential outdoor activity space plays a crucial role in building resilient communities. This research takes the Songjiang community in Harbin City as a case study and innovatively combines social network analysis and the spatial synthesis method to comprehensively examine the overall resilience characteristics of the spatial network. Through this analysis, the study identifies resilience challenges and potential areas for improvement in the nodal spaces. As a result, four optimization strategies are proposed, encompassing the expansion of nodal spaces, enrichment of spatial functions, enhancement of spatial accessibility, and integration of emergency functions.

Patterns of Sacred Spaces in the Settlement with Religious Plurality: Balun Village, Lamongan

Plurality in religion is one of the absolute realities of social reality that is inevitable. Religious plurality is a challenge to create harmony in the religious life and, on the other hand, a vulnerable source of conflict and disputes by various parties. This study explores the pattern of religious space structure in religious plurality settlements in Balun village, Lamongan Regency. Using a structuralist approach (Levi-Strauss) to structure religious activities in a (1) pragmatic (contextual/technical), (2) syntactic (pattern/layout), and (3) semantic (perception) about space, form and sign to explore the pattern of sacred space with the aspects studied, namely the structure, territory and spatial dynamics of various worship activities in religious plurality settlements on a micro, meso and macro scale. Data was collected through direct observation and in-depth interviews with systematic purposive sampling. The results showed that the pattern of spatial order of religious spaces was formed by utilizing public spaces for religious activities; the change of public space into a space of religious activity forms the flexibility of the functioning of space and changes in the territorial boundaries of sacred space – profane. This research contributes to the theoretical development of spatial patterns of religious spaces in religious plurality settlements and creates a space for tolerance in religious life in Balun village, Lamongan.

Organization of geoinformation monitoring of geospatial data of green plants of the street and road network of the city of Odesa

The purpose of this work is the introduction of a permanent system of real-time observations of green spaces to update geospatial data. Methodology: To achieve this goal, we monitored green spaces with the help of GIS technologies, displaying up-to-date information for each plant and storing the history of changes in each object. This work is divided into two stages. The first stage involves making an inventory of green spaces and compiling an object passport. The second stage involves making real-time changes such as planting, pruning, uprooting a stump, damage due to natural disasters, etc. Thus, there is a database of green plants at any point in time and a chronology of plant care. By incorporating green spaces into the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) using consistent methods, we can better understand their impact. Digital topographic data is essential in geoinformation systems for making informed management decisions, creating and maintaining cadastres for various purposes. Scientific novelty and practical significance: The issues of accounting for green spaces in settlements are becoming quite acute in the modern world. Equally important is the issue of maintaining the relevance of the data obtained. The geoportal, "Monitoring of green spaces in the city of Odesa," implements a permanent system of continuous observations to update the geospatial data of green spaces, and tracks changes for each individual tree. This will help in making management decisions regarding urban greening, significantly reduce budget costs for green management in the future, and control the quantity and quality of the work performed.

URBAN LEFT-OVER SPACE: CHARACTERISTIC IDENTIFICATION OF THE IN-BETWEEN SPACES IN RIVERSIDE SETTLEMENT (CASE STUDY: MARTAPURA RIVERSIDE SETTLEMENT AT SASIRANGAN VILLAGE)

The identity of "Thousand Rivers' City" makes the river have the meaning of identity and life orientation. River-oriented life inflicted an adaptive behavior called budaya sungai. However, the globalization process has caused a shift from river-oriented to land-oriented and creates heterogeneity in riverside settlements. Creating variations of typology such as atas sungai, bantaran sungai, and tepian sungai. The emergence of these typologies indirectly creates urban leftover space as a transition called the in-between space. This research aims to identify the characteristic of the in-between spaces in riverside settlements so that the space does not become negative and can be utilized to meet the living needs of people who live in riverside settlements. The research used explanatory sequential design methods, based on the quantitative phase, a figure-ground analysis identified curvilinear as the typological patterns and homogenous as textural patterns of the riverside settlement. The map shows a high-density level of solids with no central open system void. Based on the qualitative phase, all in-between spaces have linear patterns and are mostly made of wood materials. 76.47% of enclosures are open but in contrast to land use which is mostly private. 2 out of 17 in-between spaces could not be characterized.

Research and Evaluation of the Mountain Settlement Space Based on the Theory of “Flânuer” in the Digital Age —— Taking Yangchan Village in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, as an Example

ABSTRACT The theory of “flânuer” originated in the fields of philosophy and social sciences. In recent years, the term has been extended to research on built environments and has been developed as a walking-based research tool for the civilian built environment. Flânuer integrates the subject constructing and the object experiencing the space, exploring the spatial needs of humans from physical to spiritual aspects. In the digital age, “flânerie” has been expanded to virtual spaces through data footprints, providing an opportunity to transform “walking” research from a purely phenomenological space research method to a scientific framework that integrates subject and object, quality and quantity, and data and art. As typical built environments constructed through the aboriginal people’s walking, participating and interacting with mountain landscape as well as different kinds of rules, this mountain settlement then triggers tourists’ flânerie experience, and provides an opportunity for the development of the theory and practice of flânuer. This study starts from the construction of the settlement space that triggered by interaction between the aboriginal’s flânerie and daily life with environment in Yangchan Village, a mountainous Tulou settlement in She County, Huangshan City, Anhui, analyzes the spatial characteristics of the settlement of Yangchan that spawned from walking from the perspectives of the multidimensional theory and concept of flânuer in the digital age, and then objectively evaluates the value of the resulting mountain settlement in guiding people’s flânerie experience and promoting emotional associations by integrating multiplatform data mining, analysis and calculation. On this basis, we excavate the construction wisdom of Tulou settlement in Yangchan, which originated from the interaction between the individual and the site, to provide a reference for their protection and further development, to more subjectively assess the value of research and design for mountain settlements based on data assessment, and to improve the multidimensional methodological framework of flânuer in the digital age.

The In-Situ Spatial-Temporal Evolution of the Settlement Space along the Grand Canal Tianjin Section from the Perspective of Cultural Heritage

The Grand Canal of China, as a traffic artery in ancient China, has exerted profound influence on the development of the cities, towns and rural settlements along it. Now, with China’s rapid urbanization, numerous settlements along the canal are confronted with problems like slow cognition of the cultural heritage, loss of the local culture and damage of historical relics. Hence, research on the protection and updating of the settlement space along the canal is in urgent need. This paper, targeting the settlement space along the Grand Canal Tianjin Section, adopts such research methods as the Historical GIS analytical method, the kernel density estimation method and the average nearest-neighbor method to quantitatively analyze the evolution stage and distribution characteristics of the settlement space along the Grand Canal Tianjin Section from the perspective of cultural relics to reveal the in-situ rules of evolution of the settlement space. The research result indicates that the spatial-temporal evolution of the settlement space can be divided into five such periods of the settlements along the canal as the pre-canal period, the rudimentary period, the development period, the mature period and the transformation period. Each period features different cultural relics and settlement distribution patterns. The research shows that the natural geographical environment, the grain transportation projects and management systems, the wasteland opening, grain growing and military defense policies, the agricultural, commercial and economic growth and the migration and folk culture are the influencing factors of the spatial evolution of the settlement space along the Grand Canal Tianjin Section.

Housing adequacy in an informal built environment: case studies from Ahmedabad

Informal settlement is a spatial manifestation of inequality, in that people turn to informal solutions for housing when formal ones are out of reach, usually because of financial constraints but also other factors such as social exclusion. However very little is known about the architectural and urban forms that constitute informal settlements, and thus how this inequality manifests spatially, and what specifically is inadequate in these settlements is not currently well understood. We use the framework of the United Nations Right to Adequate Housing as a benchmark to determine whether housing is contributing to inequality through one or more failures of adequacy, in which case we define these as being inequitable housing. We analyse the architecture of four cases within three informal settlements in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, India, to examine how these urban forms both reflect and/or remedy multi-scalar urban housing inequalities. Four key physical spaces are found to be important: the dwelling’s site, resident’s control over dwelling design and construction, the design of the dwelling threshold, and the characteristics of shared open spaces. In the right combination, the quality of these physical spaces in informal settlements can contribute to informal settlement residents achieving housing adequacy. A better understanding of the built environment of informal settlements can enable designers and planners to harness the potential of informal settlement environments that are assets of the urban poor, create a context that stops informal settlements becoming ‘slum-like’ and help construct pathways towards urban equality.

Optimal utilization of ecological economic resources and low-carbon economic analysis from the perspective of Public Health.

China's urbanization process continues to deepen with social development, but the optimal utilization of ecological, economic resources and Public Health (PH) problems are becoming increasingly severe. This paper analyses the optimal use of urban resources based on PH. Here, the public space of urban settlements is selected as the research object. Firstly, the connotation and essence of the ecological economy and Low-Carbon Economy (LCE) are analyzed. Secondly, the characteristics of public space in urban settlements are studied based on PH. The public space satisfaction evaluation model in urban settlements is constructed with five first-level and 12 second-level indicators. Finally, a questionnaire is designed to analyze urban households' outdoor activities and evaluate public space in settlements. The influencing factors of residents' satisfaction with public space in settlements are obtained through regression analysis. The results show that residents' satisfaction with the public space of the settlement is mainly evaluated from three aspects: the accessibility of public space, the integrity of public space, and the pleasure of public space. The influence coefficients are 0.355, 0.346, and 0.223, respectively, indicating that the influence degree of the three principal factors decreases in turn. We can optimize the utilization of urban residential public space resources from the aspects of accessibility, integrity and pleasure, so as to promote residents to go to public spaces for outdoor activities and physical exercise, which is more conducive to the public health of residents.

Awareness Level of Spatial Planning Tools for Disaster Risk Reduction in Informal Settlements in Mopani District, South Africa

Disaster risks are becoming more prevalent in densely populated spaces such as informal settlements as a result of unplanned urbanisation. Several scholars ascribe this condition to inadequate awareness of spatial planning tools among informal settlers, as these influence where and how they construct their buildings for disaster risk reduction. This study aimed at assessing the awareness level of spatial planning tools for disaster risk reduction in informal settlements in Mopani District, South Africa. A questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 608 households that were selected using stratified sampling. The Relative Importance Index which was transformed into five importance levels was used to assess the awareness level of spatial planning tools for disaster risk reduction. The study analysed the relationship between participant characteristics and awareness level using a t-test and an analysis of variance (ANOVA). The transformed relative importance index revealed that there is a moderate to low level of awareness of spatial planning tools for disaster risk reduction. A t-test and an ANOVA revealed significant differences in awareness levels of spatial planning tools between the sub-groups based on gender, education and income levels. The females, low-income earners and less educated have a lower awareness level of spatial planning tools for disaster risk reduction. The study recommends focusing on raising awareness of spatial planning tools for disaster risk reduction among the females, low-income earners and less educated to promote safe, healthy and liveable spaces in informal settlements.