Urban Attractiveness Research Articles

Amenities and housing market dynamics: Implications for population change, urban attractiveness, innovation, and productivity

This introductory essay aims to provide a comprehensive overview of a collection of 17 articles, previously published in the Urban Studies journal, now consolidated as a ‘virtual special issue’. The articles contribute to numerous strands of what has, over the decades, become an extremely voluminous literature concerning the interplay between population change and productivity within cities. It is important to acknowledge that the volume of this literature makes it effectively impossible to summarise effectively in a single essay. This article instead presents a contextual overview, a glimpse into the various thematic strands arising from the literature, and an introduction to each of the selected virtual special issue articles themselves. It briefly highlights the unique contributions of these articles to the overarching objective of the Urban Studies journal, which is to advance our understanding of the urban condition. Yet, it is also worth noting that the literature does not neatly segregate into distinct strands. Indeed, several contributing authors within the virtual special issue rightly emphasise the significant interdependencies between population change, migration patterns, specialisation, firm location, urban and natural amenities, agglomeration economies, and productivity. This essay attempts to progress logically from one strand to another, with a specific focus on labour and housing markets, as well as transportation costs or systems, as mediators of these complex relationships. Finally, the essay concludes by bringing attention to several strands of future inquiry that might prove fruitful and would be of interest to the readership of this journal.

The Role of Soundscape on Urban Attractiveness in Traditional Cities

The soundscape is an immanent part of the open spaces in historical cities. This study aims to investigate the role of soundscape in enhancing urban attraction and its effect on intentional behavior. This is based on a questionnaire survey, which is conducted in compliance with ISO/TS 12913-2:2018, of 31 visitors in the Almutanabi and Almurad (alkadhmya) streets in historical blocks in Baghdad city. SPSS software is used to analyze the data. The results indicate that soundscape has a positive significance on urban attraction and the overall response to the sound source identification shows that the sound of human beings is dominant strongly while the sound of technology comes in second place and the sounds of nature are limited. In general, positive soundscape perception may contribute to the urban attraction of open spaces in historical cities.

Digital Dynamics in the Urban Attractiveness: The Intersection of Social Media and Smart Cities

Digital Dynamics in the Urban Attractiveness: The Intersection of Social Media and Smart Cities

Are cities under bright lights more innovative? Evidence from China

The prosperity of the nighttime economy is an important criterion for measuring urban development. Based on regression analysis of data from 330 prefecture-level cities in China, this study explores the potential link between urban lighting and urban innovation capacity. The results show that the relationship between nighttime light intensity and urban innovation capacity follows an inverted U-shaped curve. Moreover, urban nighttime light stability moderates the above relationship. In addition, the heterogeneity analysis indicates that low population density, weak economic foundation, and high administrative grade weaken the relationship between lighting intensity and urban innovation capacity. Finally, the mechanism analysis suggested that the inverted U-shaped relationship between urban lighting and innovation capacity may be caused by the encroachment of the service industry and the loss of urban attractiveness. By exploring the proxy effect of nighttime lighting on urban innovation, this study reveals the imbalance between extrinsic image and the intrinsic capacity of cities, which not only extends the research on urban construction and development but also provides guidance for local governments concerning how to achieve all-round coordination of cities.

ASSESSMENT OF THE SPATIAL APPROPRIATENESS OF THE FUTURE URBANIZATION OF THE CITY OF (AIN BEIDA, ALGERIA) USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS, THE ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS, AND THE DELPHI METHOD

Spatial adequacy evaluation is a valuable tool for planning land use strategies. It provides planners with data and outcomes that can help them make informed decisions to ensure effective and secure utilization of land in future urbanization processes. The objective of this study is to analyze the urbanization patterns in the city of Ain El Beida to determine the most appropriate areas for urban development. The aim is to create self-sustaining growth centers that effectively support the city, while also helping decision-makers address current expansions and protect agricultural lands. The study utilized spatial analysis methodology to evaluate and map the suitability of expanding the city's future space. It proposed an integration strategy that combined modern methods and techniques of the Delphi methodology to establish criteria for appropriate land use. The influence of these criteria will be analyzed spatially by administering a questionnaire to a sample of specialists in urban planning and city geography, followed by the application of spatial analyst techniques. The user's text is straightforward and precise. within the GIS framework, integrated via the analytic hierarchy approach. The user's text is straightforward and precise. To evaluate the suitability of the spatial location, to determine the significance of the factors influencing the expansion process based on their relative importance, to ensure that the desired goals are achieved in a way that reflects the priority of the decision-making criteria, and to identify the most favorable options for urban development in the study area. The findings indicated that the optimal locations for the urban growth of Ein El-Baida were determined to be 239.57 hectares, which accounts for 26.31 per cent of the entire land area under investigation. These areas are situated on the northern side of the city along National Road 80 (Ain Beida Presh) and on the western side along National Road 10 (Oum el-Bouaghi Ain Beida). These locations have been identified as the most suitable areas for spatial expansion due to their numerous incentives for urban attraction. Firstly, there is a considerable distance from the fertile and generously compensated agricultural areas, which offer unoccupied and level terrain, as well as its proximity to the central area of the pristine city of Ein. The study also determined that integrating GIS with hierarchy is crucial for constructing spatial models that accurately represent physical reality through mathematical means. This integration aids planners in selecting the most appropriate alternatives for urbanization and achieving comprehensive development of the city.

Study on pedestrian accessibility from urban transportation hubs to tourist destinations: A case of Shanghai Yuyuan station to Yuyuan garden

Public transportation is a crucial means for tourists to visit urban attractions. This study aims to explore pedestrian accessibility from tourist destinations to urban transportation hubs, using the renowned Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai as a case study and employing spatial syntax methodology. By investigating spatial relationships and accessibility levels from the perspectives of depth and choice. The research finds that the main transportation hubs around the Yuyuan Garden area have a limited capacity to attract visitors, and visitors have limited choices when it comes to using public transportation. Additionally, there are barriers from transportation hubs to the entrance of the tourist area, and some segments of accessibility overlap, posing challenges for the operation of the tourist area, especially during specific festivals. The study emphasizes the significance of the straightforward data acquisition method of spatial syntax for further research on transportation network accessibility, as well as the layout of commercial areas, tourist attractions, and historic districts. However, it also highlights the limitations of spatial syntax, including its abstraction, disregard for temporal attributes, and insufficient qualitative analysis. It acknowledges the subjectivity inherent in pedestrian accessibility and model creation.

Exploring Thai Vernacular Houses for Heritage Tourism along the Western Bangkok Canals

The tourism industry in Bangkok, Thailand, has predominantly focused on urban attractions within the city, overlooking the significant cultural heritage and historical value of the canal-side areas. This research seeks to explore the untapped potential of heritage canal-side tourism in Western Bangkok. The objective is to identify and map the Thai and vernacular houses situated along the canal in the western region of Bangkok, an area of important cultural and heritage significance, and analyze their clustering and distribution patterns, utilizing a rapid survey—a comprehensive and swift data collection method characterized by quick on-site assessments and visual inspections. The findings reveal three areas around Khlong Bangkok Yai, Khlong Bang Noi and Khlong Bang Chueak Nang, and Khlong Saman Chai connecting to the Khlong Bang Mod that exhibit considerable potential for developing tangible architectural resources, thereby creating scenic attractions for cultural tourism. These results serve as a foundation for further development of the canal-side areas as tourist destinations, showcasing their unique historic scenery of architectural charm and cultural heritage.

Towards Intercity Mobility System – Insights into the Spatial Interaction Gravity Model and Determination Approach

The current development of urban agglomeration greatly promotes the intercity connection and elevates the significance of intercity mobility system. However, intercity mobility often exhibits extreme spatiotemporal imbalances due to the diverse urban characteristics. This poses a huge challenge for traffic management and reveals the necessity on understanding the urban attractiveness for intercity mobility, which is represented as spatial interaction gravity in this study. While recent works have explored relevant aspects, they failed to provide insights into temporal variations in spatial interaction gravity or capture the determining factors from multiple perspectives. To fill this gap, this study proposed a two-phase framework to measure the urban spatial interaction gravity and developed determination approaches utilising the large-scale location-based services (LBS) dataset. Specifically, the inverse gravity model was adopted for the measure within multiple urban agglomerations and city sets during weekdays, weekends and holidays. Then, we developed the fitting equations of spatial interaction gravity by incorporating the correlated features associated with social, economic, network accessibility and land use. The findings present spatial interaction gravity across different periods and substantiate the distinct determination effects of features, with a high fitting accuracy. They provide promising supports for the intercity mobility prediction and pre-emptive traffic management.

Analysis of the external attraction of Shanghai urban functions based on the travel characteristics

The external attraction of urban functions refers to the ability of specific urban functional areas to attract foreign populations, which can reflect the importance of urban functions in the regional or even global scope. Existing research tends to discuss urban attraction at the macro level, which is insufficient for understanding the importance of internal city functions. Analyzing the attraction of urban functions from the perspective of travel characteristics can reveal the distribution and preferences of the foreign population, which can help the rational planning of urban functions. In this study, we combine Points of interest (POI) and signaling data to identify Shanghai’s urban functional areas and the external population's distribution patterns. The attraction index is calculated based on cross-city geographic flow to evaluate the external attraction of Shanghai's functions from real fine-level human activities. The results show that both Shanghai’s urban functional area and external population distribution present a “ring-radial” distribution with the city center as the core, high in the Central Business District (CBD), and gradually decreasing outward. The overall external attraction also presents a gradual decrease from the center outward with a similar “ring-radial” distribution. At the same time, the regional subcenter of Shanghai also excels in external attraction. Universities, well-known business districts, industrial districts, and famous tourist spots become the dominant functions with high external attraction. Above all, the economic factor is the most important driver for migration. Our research provides valuable insights into Shanghai’s global city vision and lays a scientific foundation for long-term future urban development and planning.

Identifying urban attraction factors of Ho Chi Minh city

Significant emphasis has been placed on the matter of a city's aesthetic appeal. Pattern language and form language, which are derived from the language of geometry and human interaction with the surrounding environment, have been utilized in numerous endeavors to construct an aesthetically pleasing city. Concurrently, numerous studies have been conducted on the elements that inspire visits; however, these studies remain broad in scope and exclusively concentrate on the viewpoint of travelers. A comprehensive analysis of the research outcomes identified 134 influential elements that contribute to the allure of Ho Chi Minh City. These findings should serve as a resource for tourism and cultural managers, authorities, urban planners, and designers, as well as regulators, to improve the quality of urban life and establish an appealing urban setting that appeals to both local inhabitants and tourists.

Research on the Management of Sports Events in the Context of Sports Tourism

This article first analyzes the management significance of sports events in the context of sports tourism from the perspectives of increasing urban attractiveness, optimizing industrial structure, increasing employment opportunities, improving urban infrastructure, increasing economic benefits, and improving the quality of public services. Then it elaborates on management strategies for sports events in the context of sports tourism from the perspectives of competition management, information communication, cost control, risk control, logistics management, and evaluation management. Finally, it proposes management directions for sports events in the context of sports tourism from the perspectives of developing a whole-area tourism strategy, combining sports events with tourist attractions, improving the institutional guarantee of sports tourism, and strengthening the promotion and publicity of sports tourism.

TÜRKİYE’NİN METROPOL ŞEHİRLERİNDEKİ BAZI ALIŞVERİŞ MERKEZLERİNİN IPA VE IPCA YÖNTEMLERİ KULLANILARAK KARŞILAŞTIRMALI ANALİZİ

With the influence of globalization and modernism, habits have begun to change in many areas. Especially in recent years, as a result of economic and social events, the urban lifestyle has also changed. As a result of the change, people have started to prefer multifunctional shopping centers where all kinds of products, in addition to their basic needs, are available together and where they can have more rest opportunities. Areas with this function, which are also considered urban attraction points, are increasing their share in the service sector day by day. There is a highly competitive environment among shopping malls that have a significant customer potential. Understanding the competitive position of these areas is vital for decision-makers. This study, conducted in Ankara and Istanbul samples, aims to analyze to what extent the physical features of shopping malls meet the preferences and expectations of users. These properties were evaluated using IPA and IPCA methods. In this context, the study presents a comparative analysis of Ankara, which was selected as the focal location, and Istanbul, which was selected as the rival location. As a result of the analysis, the criteria that Ankara and Istanbul have higher performance than each other and the features that should be prioritized in performance improvement studies to increase their competitiveness were determined. It has been concluded that shopping malls in Ankara are in a position to compete with Istanbul.

A Research to Determine the Perception of the Tangible Cultural Architectural Heritage of Erzurum Castle and Its Surroundings in Turkey

The city center of Erzurum in the east of Turkey, Erzurum province, has structures with origins from the Anatolian Seljuk and Ilkhanid Periods to the present day, including the “Erzurum Castle”, “Ulu Mosque”, “Double Minaret Madrasa”, “Yakutiye Madrasa”, and “Three Kumbets.” It is home to one of the most important cultural heritages of Eastern Anatolia in history and faith tourism. Erzurum can be considered as the cradle of many cultures and civilizations with its deep historical past. Restoration (renovation) works around these monuments, which also contribute to the city’s identity, are important in terms of preserving historical monuments for the future. In this study, the importance of landscape projects and housing restorations in the city and its surroundings, in terms of harmony with the historical environment and monuments and urban identity, was investigated. In the questionnaire prepared for this purpose, we attempted to determine the perceptions of the protection, appreciation, and contribution aspects of the urban renewal works conducted in the tangible architectural heritage areas centered on Erzurum castle. The questionnaires, which included 5-point Likert-type questions, were distributed to 400 people. We sought the opinions of experts in decision-making mechanisms and academicians, as well as local people. As a result of the study, it has been determined that the city is generally not sensitive enough about the protection of historical neighbourhoods and monuments, and urban transformation projects do not contribute to conservation efforts in terms of conservation, sustainability, and visual perception. In addition, in terms of visual perception, it has been revealed that the newly developing regions of the city do not offer housing projects compatible with the historical environment, and that the relevant studies conducted are insufficient. The study also revealed that Erzurum Castle plays a central role in the perception of the historical environment. In terms of sustainability perception, it was determined that architectural restoration and landscape works have positive effects on cultural tourism, urban attractiveness, sense of belonging, quality of life, and prevention of migration. The prepared questions were divided into three groups: conservation sensitivity and perception, visual perception, and sustainability perception.

Urban staycation attraction factors: a case study of Ho Chi Minh city

ABSTRACT The attractiveness of a city is an issue that has received much attention from scholars, regulators and authorities. In terms of a built environment, many attempts have been made to build an attractive city with its own identity through pattern language and form language; however, these languages are developed based on the language of geometry and on how human beings interact with their surrounding environment. Meanwhile, multiple studies on the factors that create motivation to attract visitors to a certain place (e.g. motivation theory) also identified the factors that makes a city attractive, but such studies are still general, incomplete, and only focus on the perspective of tourists. This research builds a system of factors that contributes to urban attractiveness from the perspective of both visitors and residents, through qualitative research methods such as Group Focused Discussion, In-depth Interview and Capture Evaluation Method Survey. The research findings discovered many more factors that affect urban attractiveness and then built nine Conceptual categories of Urban staycation Attraction Factors with 141 factors. The nine main categories are (1) Architectural and Built Environment, (2) Natural, (3) Works of Art and Humanity, (4) Folklore, (5) Community Civilization, (6) Green & Blue Infrastructure, (7) Sense of Place, (8) Services, and (9) Other. Moreover, the research also determined 134 factors that contribute to the attractiveness of Ho Chi Minh City and proposed an additional six important groups of factors that need to be developed to improve urban quality. These findings play an important role in supporting regulators, authorities, urban planners, designers, and tourism and cultural managers to enhance quality of urban life, then create an attractive urban environment for both tourists and local residents.

Contribution of the GIS in the assessment of the urbanization challenges and the impact on the ecosystems: The case study of El Fqih Ben Saleh city, Tadla Plain, Morocco

The improved economic performance and development created some new challenges, such as high urbanisation rates and environmental degradation worldwide. In this context, the presented article focuses on the relationships among urbanization, specifically the urban attraction challenge, and its impact on ecosystems in El-Faqih Ben Saleh City in Morocco. Besides, the urban attraction challenge refers to the dynamics that draw individuals to cities, encompassing economic opportunities, education, healthcare, and cultural amenities, while also posing challenges like overpopulation and resource strain. The article discusses how urban expansion often clashes with rural areas, affecting land use, the environment, and social dynamics. The boundaries between these urban and rural areas pose multiple issues and need an integrated planning strategy. The study employs Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, using high-resolution Google Earth Pro imagery, to assess the impacts of urbanization on the environment in El-Faqih Ben Saleh City. The obtained results reveal the city’s rapid urban growth and its consequences, such as deforestation, pollution, and agricultural land loss. The findings highlight the need for sustainable urban planning, green infrastructure, and mixed land use to mitigate these impacts. The case study of El-Faqih Ben Saleh City, considered as a small city to understand the broader dynamics of contemporary urbanization, emphasizes the importance of balancing urban growth with environmental and agricultural preservation.

THE IMPACT OF EXTREME WATER LEVELS ON TORONTO ISLAND PARK AND INCREASING RESILIENCE AGAINST FUTURE FLOOD EVENTS

Toronto Island Park is a chain of fifteen low-lying islands in Lake Ontario located just south of the Toronto shoreline in Ontario, Canada. The Park serves as a popular year-round urban attraction of significant economic importance, and showcases unique natural features, cultural heritage, and sensitive ecosystems. The Park is home to Billy Bishop Airport, Centreville Amusement Park, numerous small businesses, and over 250 residential homes. In recent years, the Toronto Islands have suffered significant physical and economic impacts due to flooding caused by extreme wet weather and record high water levels on Lake Ontario. In 2021, Baird was retained by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to develop long-term flood and erosion mitigation concept alternatives to replace temporary and emergency measures and to increase the functionality and resilience of the flood control infrastructure on the islands. This abstract outlines the various concept alternatives that were considered, the public engagement process and resulting preferred concepts for flood mitigation.

Which factors influence public perceptions of urban attractions? — A comparative study

To better serve the public, urban attractions must understand the public's likes and dislikes and continually adapt and optimize their service in response. However, traditional methods for gauging public opinion, such as questionnaires and individual interviews, cannot meet the need for large-scale, time-efficient, and high-precision public preference surveys: only large volumes of online tourist review data will suffice. This study takes Beijing and Shenzhen, the two top-tier cities in North and South China, as subjects to conduct an online review of visitor data for urban attractions in the two cities. Specifically, the influence of attraction features on public perception is quantitatively analyzed from three dimensions—spatial, temporal and resource type—which are combined with Natural Language Processing (NLP), Textual Data Mining, and Econometric analysis. The results show that the influence of four types of features—First impression, Economical, Service and Environmental features—on public perception remains largely consistent under different model conditions. However, different landscape types and attributes affect preferences in different ways. To be precise, water has radically different effects on public preferences in the north and south, with water features in urban attractions in the south contributing less to positive public perceptions. Meanwhile, water features significantly increase preferences for natural landscapes. Furthermore, public perceptions were found to be heavily influenced by public health emergencies (COVID-19). In the two cities studied, the proportion of positive reviews was higher after 2020 than before, as were the regression model indices. Drawing on these results, several suggestions are put forward for the optimization and adaptation of urban attractions.

Accessibility in a multi-ethnic city: Residential trade-offs among first-time parents

Public transport accessibility is necessary to avoid transport disadvantage and car dependency. This study investigates how trade-offs between public transport accessibility, house size and the ethnic variation of neighbourhoods vary among residentially relocating first-time parents in the multi-ethnic Oslo region. The study employs structural equation models and observes two main patterns. First, households with higher income face, as expected, more opportunities and a reduced need to make difficult trade-offs. Second, as compared to immigrants, native Norwegians have a greater preference for spacious housing and ethnically uniform neighbourhoods, which leads to lower public transport accessibility levels. The results show how traditional theories of urban attractiveness and transport inequality are complicated in multi-ethnic cities. This knowledge is useful for policy makers developing policies intended to ensure a just transition to low-emission mobility.

КУЛЬТУРА ПЕРЕВОДА В ЯЗЫКОВЫХ ЛАНДШАФТАХ РОССИИ

Translation in linguistic landscapes greatly contributes not only to place branding, but also to the urban attractiveness for investment and student mobility. In recent years, the Russian urban space has seen an increase in the number of bilingual linguistic landscape elements–navigation signs, advertisement, informational audio messages. The paper analyses elements of Moscow’s linguistic landscape with the special focus on newly opened popular places to determine the level of translation culture. The results are compared to those of previous studies from other cities of Russia to conclude on the dynamics in the attitude towards translation in linguistic landscapes. According to the results, the higher culture of translation is observed at privately owned places, which are interested in their promotion. Transport hubs and street navigation, in turn, display consistently low dynamics. The study reveals a change in the attitude to translations–the number of bilingual elements in the linguistic landscape of Moscow is decreasing, which may be due to geopolitical changes.

Proposta para fazer da Brotas, Brasil, um destino turístico inteligente

The aim of the article was to determine what are the points of improvement to be adopted at the Tourist Town of Brotas, in the interior of São Paulo, in order to make it a destination where technology generates an operative tourism intelligence, converging to the locus where the A electronic intelligence can make a decisive contribution so that this community can become a smart tourist destination. As a specific objective, it was also sought to verify what could differentiate a tourist destination, which has its image and its activities linked to tourism in natural areas, from destinations that have a tourist appropriation based on essentially urban attractions. An initial basis for triggering the research was a previous study, where 114 tourist destinations in São Paulo were promoted, in a non-individualized manner. Thus, it was found that this same criterion can be adopted for any other tourist destinations. In the end, it was concluded that the priority indicators for an action plan for the Brotas destination are environmental sustainability and the municipal tourist information system and that the parameters can be scientific in different types of destinations, regardless of their tourist vocation.