Spatial Qualities Research Articles

A Novel Spatial Data Pipeline for Streaming Smart City Data

Point cloud data from light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is often used for its spatial qualities, particularly in smart city projects involving vehicles and pedestrians. In this paper, the authors introduce a streaming and an on-demand pipeline for capturing LiDAR data from Velodyne Ultra Pucks placed along nine northern Nevada intersections known as the Living Lab within smart city project for the City of Reno. This pipeline is an iteration of a previously proposed pipeline with several feature enhancements. A streaming point cloud service was implemented to stream Point Cloud Data (PCD), LASzip (LAZ), and Google Draco. Also, two web services were built for the packet capture (PCAP) and ROS 2 bag files that enables acquisition of these formats for LiDAR data. A metadata service tracks edge device states and a GraphQL service interfaces with multiple services across the Living Lab. Draco provided the best processing time and had more options that affected the quality of the point cloud. To evaluate this pipeline, a discussion is provided, with an analysis of the point cloud formats.

Interpretable Model-Driven Deep Network for Hyperspectral, Multispectral, and Panchromatic Image Fusion.

Simultaneously fusing hyperspectral (HS), multispectral (MS), and panchromatic (PAN) images brings a new paradigm to generate a high-resolution HS (HRHS) image. In this study, we propose an interpretable model-driven deep network for HS, MS, and PAN image fusion, called HMPNet. We first propose a new fusion model that utilizes a deep before describing the complicated relationship between the HRHS and PAN images owing to their large resolution difference. Consequently, the difficulty of traditional model-based approaches in designing suitable hand-crafted priors can be alleviated because this deep prior is learned from data. We further solve the optimization problem of this fusion model based on the proximal gradient descent (PGD) algorithm, achieved by a series of iterative steps. By unrolling these iterative steps into several network modules, we finally obtain the HMPNet. Therefore, all parameters besides the deep prior are learned in the deep network, simplifying the selection of optimal parameters in the fusion and achieving a favorable equilibrium between the spatial and spectral qualities. Meanwhile, all modules contained in the HMPNet have explainable physical meanings, which can improve its generalization capability. In the experiment, we exhibit the advantages of the HMPNet over other state-of-the-art methods from the aspects of visual comparison and quantitative analysis, where a series of simulated as well as real datasets are utilized for validation.

Garden Travelogues

In this article I introduce the alien view of the traveller, the view from outside, as presented in a number of travel narratives describing the type of the domestic enclosed garden in Nicosia. I focus on three books published between the fourteenth and twentieth century, and do a comparative analysis of the narratives based on the information they provide about Nicosian gardens. I investigate how this knowledge can be used to develop design strategies for gardens as a typology in architectural and urban design. As a demonstration, I discuss the project ‘Nicosian Garden Network’, which uses the historically iconic element of the garden and its narrated spatial qualities as an answer to the problem of urban fragmentation and the presence of a large number of unused plots in the city of Nicosia. The project incorporates unused sites of different sizes into a network of shared semi-public urban spaces that could reconnect the landscape, create conditions of sharing by the different communities on a daily basis, and regain its iconic presence in the contemporary city. The article aims to contribute to the discussion about ways in which travelogues, guides and other forms of travel literature can construct a field of knowledge about vernacular architecture and implement contemporary approaches to architectural design.

Cognitive processing speed improvement after cochlear implantation.

Untreated hearing loss has an effect on cognition. It is hypothesized that the additional processing required to compensate for the sensory loss affects the cognitive resources available for other tasks and that this could be mitigated by a hearing device. The impact on cognition of cochlear implants (CIs) was tested in 100 subjects, ≥60 years old, with bilateral moderately-severe to profound post linguistic deafness using hearing aids. Data was compared pre and 12 and 18 months after cochlear implantation for the speech spatial qualities questionnaire, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Trail making test B (TMTB) and digit symbol coding (DSC) from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale version IV and finally the timed up and go test (TUG). Subjects were divided into young old (60-64), middle old (65-75) and old old (75+) groups. Cognitive test scores and times were standardized according to available normative data. Hearing significantly improved pre- to post-operatively across all age groups. There was no change post-implant in outcomes for TMTB, TUG or MMSE tests. Age-corrected values were within normal expectations for all age groups for the TUG and MMSE. However, DSC scores and TMTB times were worse than normal. There was a significant increase in DSC scores between baseline and 12-months for 60- to 64-year-olds (t[153] = 2.608, p = 0.027), which remained at 18 months (t[153] = 2.663, p = 0.023). The improved attention and processing speed in the youngest age group may be a consequence of reallocation of cognitive resources away from auditory processing due to greatly improved hearing. The oldest age group of participants had cognition scores closest to normal values, suggesting that only the most able older seniors tend to come forward for a CI. Severe to profoundly deaf individuals with hearing aids or cochlear implants were still poorer than age-equivalent normally hearing individuals with respect to cognitive flexibility, attention, working memory, processing speed and visuoperceptual functions. Due to a lack of data for the TUG, TMTB and DSC in the literature for hearing impaired individuals, the results reported here provide an important set of reference data for use in future research.

Sound Localization in Active Transcutaneous Bone Conduction Implant Users with Single-Sided Deafness.

Evaluate sound localization accuracy of subjects with single-sided deafness (SSD) with active transcutaneous bone conduction implants (atBCIs). Prospective case-control study. Tertiary referral center. Ten SSD patients (with ATBCIS) and 10 controls. Localization was assessed in a semianechoic chamber using a 24-speaker array. Stimuli included broadband noise (BBN) and narrowband noise (NBN). Perceived stimulus angle was recorded and compared with presented location. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and Wilcoxon rank sum tests. The primary outcome measures were as follows: 1) mean angular error (MAE) error (°) and regression slope and 2) subjective benefit assessment (Speech Spatial Qualities questionnaire). Subjects with SSD demonstrated worse localization by MAE and regression slope compared with controls for both broadband noise (p < 0.0001) and narrowband noise at 500 Hz and 1000 kHz (p < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.1090) in slope between all groups at 4000 Hz. There was no significant difference in slope or MAE aided compared with unaided. Localization ability varied widely within the SSD cohort, with some individuals showing some ability in the unaided condition, best at 4000 Hz. Although SSQ confirmed particular difficulty in the spatial hearing domain, all domains improved with device use. Localization ability for individuals with SSD falls into a somewhat bimodal distribution. Some have fair localization, particularly at high frequencies, that is preserved but not improved with the atBCI. Others have minimal to no localization ability at any frequency, with no apparent device benefit.

Sound and Space as Compositional Tools: Using the Reverberation of a Basilica as part of a Musical Composition

Classical composers such as Wagner, Mahler, Handel, and Debussy, among others, noticed that a space’s acoustic qualities affected their compositions, so they made intuitive arrangements to their performances to suit the space. Some contemporary musicians, on the other hand, incorporate those sonic characteristics as part of their composition. Pauline Oliveros, John Butcher, and Paul Bavister are some composers who produce site-specific works, compositions that include the site’s sound as part of their sound works. This project proposes site stimulation as a methodology to extract Basilica del Voto Nacional’s reverberation, a neo-gothic church in Quito, Ecuador, to produce a site-specific sound work: Composition for a Jazz Quartet and for a Basilica. This research aims not only to use spatial sonic qualities for music composition but also to propose a friendly, day-to-day activity, such as listening to music, as a learning method to acknowledge spatial sound phenomena.

Workplace circulation design and movement: a case study of three Australian campus buildings

ABSTRACT This paper explores the interconnections between a building’s spatial qualities and office workers’ health behaviours, specifically focusing on physical activity, circulation route usage, and sitting time. A mixed methods approach was adopted to examine three workplace buildings, using spatial analysis, physical activity measurement, and a survey of 99 participants. The findings revealed statistical differences in movement patterns among workers in the three case studies. The analysis highlighted the predominantly sedentary nature of the workplaces, staff’s prioritisation of the quickest route, their willingness to incorporate personal physical activity into the workday, and the significant impacts of circulation space design on movement patterns. In response to the pressing need for increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviour at work, a greater understanding of the embodied movement of workers must be central in workplace briefing, design, management, and research. We argue that circulation spaces in workplaces should be designed as more than just enablers of workplace functionality and emergency egress.

From walking to staying: The impact of spatial qualities on socio-spatial segregation in innovation districts

Innovation districts can spur urban economic growth but present challenges like socio-spatial segregation. To mitigate segregation, we emphasize the importance of “staying activities” such as sitting, playing, and relaxing, over transient activities like walking or cycling in the design of public spaces. Focused on One-north, an innovation district in Singapore, we examine how different spatial qualities influence the “staying activities” of diverse socioeconomic groups. Using a GeoAI workflow that integrates various data-sources with machine learning and AI, we assess thirteen spatial quality indicators and their impact on staying activities. Our deep neural network (DNN) model, which achieves an 83.74% accuracy rate, confirms the effectiveness of these indicators in capturing the co-location of staying activities between diverse income groups in One-north. Our findings reveal that typical markers of well-designed public spaces, such as visual diversity and greenery, do not consistently enhance staying activities. Their effectiveness varies across One-north and is shaped by the unique functional contexts and land-use types of each sector in the district. Our research thus highlights the necessity for context-specific designs that encourage meaningful social interactions and reduce socioeconomic segregation. Our proposed GeoAI workflow can assist in the proactive evaluation of design strategies, supporting decision-making prior to major construction projects.

An Applied Approach to Cognitive Ergonomics in Restaurant Design

Through theoretical frameworks and applications of cognitive ergonomics, this article illustrates, with practical examples, the role of designing restaurants from the perspective of cognitive ergonomics concerning the process of perception and sensory stimuli. The goal is intended to promote well-being and differentiation in a saturated and competitive market by optimizing the interaction between patrons and their environments with a focus on perceived comfort and quality. This paper examines the application of selected universal principles of design and environmental psychology that affect how people might respond to spatial qualities and designs in the dining experience. Central to the integration of these concepts is designing for well-being which increases patron satisfaction and supports positive mental and emotional effects.

SPATIO-TEMPORAL EVALUATION OF FERORO STREAM WATER QUALITY, CHIKUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Aquatic environment is faced with pollution problems most of which are anthropogenic in nature. Feroro stream water was evaluated for its quality and suitability for the growth of organisms. The temporal and spatial qualities of the water was observed to be deteriorating. Water sampling was done once monthly for twenty-four months from five stations along the stream. The water samples were put into 2-litre sterilized plastic bottles. Some physical and chemical parameters were determined using HANNA meter, Dissolved oxygen meter, titration and colorimeter methods. All the parameters tested ranged within Federal Ministry of Environment standard limits. Turbidity and Total Hardness are above the standard limits. There was significant difference temporally P&lt;0.05. Electrical Conductivity was significant different in all the stations P&lt;0.05, lowest at Station 1(137.55µS/cm) and high at Station 5 (235.21µS/cm). Across the wet and dry seasons, the parameters significantly varied except in Temperature (25.79±0.12 and 25.57±0.26) and Total Hardness (119.68±6.13 and 109.50±3.38) P&lt;0.05.

Ottoman Bazaars in Anatolia and the Balkans

Bazaars were spaces that formed the center of the cities during the Ottoman period, had a certain order, and were shaped spatially and architecturally depending on the geographical-topographical characteristics and commercial potential of each city. Proximity to the citadels, connection with city gates and main roads, relations with Friday mosque and other public buildings in the city were the main factors shaping the bazaar spatially. In bazaars, where bedesten and khans, and in some cases covered bazaar-arastas, appeared on a building scale, shops that lined on open or covered streets formed the architecture of the bazaar. In addition to these, the sovereignty and order established by the state over trade during the Ottoman period, the institution of waqf, and the guilds of tradesmen also played a decisive role in the bazaar. With the bazaars examined, it is concluded that while administrative and commercial influences in the shaping of bazaars in Anatolian and Balkan cities during the Ottoman period created bazaar spaces with similar qualities, urban inputs led to the differentiation of bazaars in terms of scale, spatial and architectural qualities.

Drysfeydd y Cymoedd: 1 The Sub-Topographies of South Wales Valleys’ Industrial Crises

In Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, Narrative, and History, Cathy Caruth defines as traumatic our encounters not with life-threatening events but with those that cause a break in our perception of time. She explains that the memory of trauma is always fleeting, leaving connections with the time and place of traumatic occurrence fragile and obscure. Caruth’s definitions shape the work of contemporary geographers who argue that trauma is fundamentally unmappable. Does trauma’s relationship to space change when traumatization becomes repetitive and systematic? To explore systematic traumatization’s relationship to space, I adopt Lauren Berlant’s trauma definition as a crisis of ordinariness and revisit the South Wales Valleys region and its coal mining history as traumatic and contested. Using the exceptional Aberfan 1966 disaster as a starting point, I investigate a more “common” industrial crisis of the same period and explore its relationship to the industrial space by analyzing its discursive and drawing records. In this journey, sketching out the spatial qualities of the colliery’s maze is crucial for understanding the crisis’ occurrence, its belatedness and commemoration.

Urban Gardening as Food Commons: METU Garden

The inadequacy of agricultural production due to environmental factors and injustices in accessing food as a result of increasingly profit-oriented production-distribution-consumption processes have led to the food crisis in many cities worldwide. The fragility of the current food systems in the face of all these problematic conditions calls for alternative strategies to be developed. Food commons, in this sense, emerges as a novel form of commoning that blends practical aims (sharing of land, resources, and tools) with social aspirations (fostering cooperation, self-management, and community involvement) of the urban commons to address food-related problems. In this context, this study focuses on collective food production within urban gardens while accepting urban gardening as a form of food commoning. It further explores the role of common spaces and the social dynamics of urban gardening groups for urban food production. All these are discussed through a selected case study: METU Garden (ODTÜ Bostanı). Accordingly, this research aims to relate the social structures and spatial qualities of the METU Garden to food commons theories and frameworks. Acknowledging how food commoning practices occur in community-led urban gardens such as METU Garden can contribute to developing novel, bottom-up, and inclusive design strategies to tackle food-related problems in cities.

Healing Architecture in Mental Health Facilities in the New European Bauhaus Context

The processes of health building design issues overlap, like the complexity of architecture, technology, and protection of human well-being. It becomes necessary to use a holistic and empathized approach. They meet the concept of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) in terms of attention to the aspects of comprehensive design with a focus on humans and their environment. The investigation focused on psychiatric hospitals with an ever-growing demand for treatment places. Accordingly, this article shows the healing architecture’s examination and the environment in healthcare facilities. The POE method was used by investigating the examples. Research contained the technical, functional, spatial, and behavioral qualities of existing psychiatric hospitals. By presenting elements that positively affect the well-being of users, we indicate good practices that bring psycho-physical benefits.

Early Detection of Hearing Loss among the Elderly.

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a complex communication disorder that affects the cochlea and central auditory pathway. The goal of this study is to characterize this type of hearing loss and to identify non-invasive, inexpensive, and quick tests to detect ARHL among elderly adults, seeking to preserve quality of life and reduce the burden on healthcare systems. An observational, prospective study is conducted with >55-year-old subjects divided into the following groups: normal range (Group A), detected but not treated (Group B), and detected and treated (Group C). During follow-up, Speech Spatial Qualities (SSQ12), and Hearing Handicap Inventory in the Elderly Screening test (HHIE-S) questionnaires were assessed, along with hearing levels (hearing thresholds at 4 kHz were studied in more depth), and a series of tests and questionnaires to assess balance, cognitive level, level of dependence, and depression. A total of 710 patients were included in this study. The duration of hearing loss (11.8 yr. in Group B and 21.0 yr. in Group C) and average time-to-treatment for Group C (14.1 yr.) are both protracted. Both of the used questionnaires show statistically significant differences among the groups, revealing greater handicaps for Group C. Audiometry performed at 4 kHz shows how hearing loss progresses with age, finding differences between men and women. There is a correlation between time-to-treatment in Group C and the cognitive test DSST (-0.26; p = 0.003). HHIE-S, SSQ12, and 4 kHz audiometry are sensitive and feasible tests to implement in screening programs.

Advancing multimodal medical image fusion: an adaptive image decomposition approach based on multilevel Guided filtering.

With the rapid development of medical imaging methods, multimodal medical image fusion techniques have caught the interest of researchers. The aim is to preserve information from diverse sensors using various models to generate a single informative image. The main challenge is to derive a trade-off between the spatial and spectral qualities of the resulting fused image and the computing efficiency. This article proposes a fast and reliable method for medical image fusion depending on multilevel Guided edge-preserving filtering (MLGEPF) decomposition rule. First, each multimodal medical image was divided into three sublayer categories using an MLGEPF decomposition scheme: small-scale component, large-scale component and background component. Secondly, two fusion strategies-pulse-coupled neural network based on the structure tensor and maximum based-are applied to combine the three types of layers, based on the layers' various properties. The three different types of fused sublayers are combined to create the fused image at the end. A total of 40 pairs of brain images from four separate categories of medical conditions were tested in experiments. The pair of images includes various case studies including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) , TITc, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET). We included qualitative analysis to demonstrate that the visual contrast between the structure and the surrounding tissue is increased in our proposed method. To further enhance the visual comparison, we asked a group of observers to compare our method's outputs with other methods and score them. Overall, our proposed fusion scheme increased the visual contrast and received positive subjective review. Moreover, objective assessment indicators for each category of medical conditions are also included. Our method achieves a high evaluation outcome on feature mutual information (FMI), the sum of correlation of differences (SCD), Qabf and Qy indexes. This implies that our fusion algorithm has better performance in information preservation and efficient structural and visual transferring.

Designing for Mindfulness and Global Public Health: Where Inner Awareness Meets the External Environment

AbstractIn this paper, we offer a commentary on Oman’s article “Mindfulness for Global Public Health: Critical Analysis and Agenda” from the perspective of external environments, be they natural or built spaces. Utilizing the 14 domains of mindfulness and public health identified by Oman, we examine how spatio-environmental concerns are aligned, or have potential synergies with, these dimensions. We consider spatial and environmental qualities and relationships, for example, the presence of nature or a sense of safety, as supportive for public health and formal mindfulness practice, synthesizing a growing evidence base within environmental psychology and design literature. We highlight particular points of alignment, namely the impact of environments on mental health, stress, and attentional qualities. Potential synergies are evident where these domains seek to increase resilience and the sustainability of our planet, communities, and individuals, and through the increasing emphasis on designing places that offer inclusive access to, and direct involvement in, the creation of belief (spirituality) and culture-specific interventions. Although these domains offer the potential for greater holistic research and practice, more interdisciplinary research is needed to bridge gaps and bring this potential into the mainstream.

Domesticity as Nation Building in the United Arab Emirates

The legacy passed on from one generation to another has deep connections to a shared identity, a sense of belonging, and cultural heritage. Different types of architecture reflect cultural and societal changes, especially housing. In the UAE, housing has played an important role in nation-building efforts, with the Emirati villa, a space filled with intangible practices through which domestic cultural production and national identity can be read. Therefore, the transformation of domesticity has been instrumental in the process of rapid Emiratisation and nation-building. This article discusses the tangible and intangible aspects of domesticity and hospitality found in the Emirati villa using conventional architectural analysis and live experience studies. By presenting what guides and informs domestic practices, one can read the interior space as a series of spatial qualities. It asks: How have Emirati homes become a means to create and preserve shared social practices? This aims to reveal how social practices, such as hospitality, are spatialised in Emirati homes, capturing everyday life and social norms. The article argues for the recognition of domestic cultural transformations as a valuable contribution to Emirati national identity over the last 50 years of nation-building.

Darker Cities due to the Energy Crisis and the need for context-specific urban lighting

Outdoor lighting has been dimmed or turned off in European municipalities due to the energy crisis. Dimming of outdoor lighting levels led to energy savings, advantages for biodiversity and less light pollution. But the dimming also triggers the basic human assumption that bright light is connected to safety and darkness is connected to fear. To discuss this basic assumption, human experience of dimmed lighting and perceived safety is explored through three case studies. One study explores human experiences of dimmed street lighting during energy crises, the second study investigates dimmed lighting levels around public transportation, and the third study is an example of a context-specific adaptation of street lighting in a residential area. The case studies reveal that dimmed lighting levels, minimized contrasts, and context-specific lighting can lead to an increased connectedness to the spatial and social urban context and an increased feeling of perceived safety. Thus, more light doesn’t always lead to more perceived safety. With a dimmed general lighting level, it is possible to introduce additional subtle lighting layers, structured in a lighting hierarchy to further enhance spatial and social qualities in outdoor contexts in the dark hours. in constructing both.

Unpacking Parco Agricolo Sud through a socio-spatial production perspective

Parco Agricolo Sud is a fringe area shaped by restrictive land use regulations and its proximity to Milan. The result is an accelerated urban-rural transition with high rural spatial qualities that enables the territory to be used and envisioned from different perspectives, often colliding and contested. From that of the citizen, the administration, the farmer, and the entrepreneur. By identifying these interpretations through grounded endeavors, this article attempts to unveil new relations and local narratives shaping this territory that can contribute to reenvisioning its future and pending plan.