Urban Built Environment Research Articles

Green Urbanism Embedded in TOD for Urban Built Environment Planning and Design

Even though the TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) concepts contribute great innovations to our next-generation metropolis, their means and focusing are primarily on the sustainable transportation dimension. It is debatable that the development mode advocated by TOD seems to lack relative considerations of both the ecological and environmental dimensions. Consequently, to achieve a better urban life, our urban planning and design should incorporate the consideration of peripheral areas that have not been further valued in the past, such as ecology diversity, natural energy recycling or reuse, and livable habitat, rather than just focusing on the sustainable transportation dimension of conventional TOD. This study thus explores and summarizes the design criteria of Green TOD through literature review and obtains the evaluation criteria via experts. Furthermore, through the FDT (fuzzy Delphi technique) method, the evaluation criteria from the expert questionnaire are screened. In turn, more important evaluation criteria are obtained objectively. Based on the screening results of FDT, we adopt the HOQ (house of quality) model integrated by FANP (fuzzy analytic network process) and QFD (quality function deployment) to allocate the weighting for each criterion scientifically. Finally, the evaluation results and hybrid decision model provided in this study can be used as an initial reference for improving the planning and design of today’s built environment. We believe that these pioneered attempts will help us in attaining our ultimate pursuit of urban sustainability and livability.

Revealing the Varying Impact of Urban Built Environment on Online Car-Hailing Travel in Spatio-Temporal Dimension: An Exploratory Analysis in Chengdu, China

Online car-hailing travel is an increasingly popular mode of urban transport. A fundamental understanding of the relationship between the urban built environment and online car-hailing travel is essential for developing the corresponding traffic strategy and addressing sustainable urban planning and design. However, the varying impact of the urban built environment on online car-hailing travel in the spatial dimension has not been sufficiently investigated. This paper aims to fill this gap by using geographically weighted regression (GWR) to check the spatial heterogeneity of the likely influence. The result shows that the GWR model is superior to the global model (OLS) from the perspective of goodness of fit. The study finds that the recreation and entertainment Point of Interest (POI) and the residential district POI are the most influential factors on night online car-hailing travel. Land-use mix is found to have a positive effect on online car-hailing travel, and online car-hailing services can be a complementary mode for public transport, especially in suburban areas.

Property and Thomas Piketty: Casting the Lens of Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-first Century on Inequality in the Urban Built Environment

Currently, there exists a disturbing urban problem exemplified by the excessive luxury apartments and glamorous office towers being built in cities around the world in the face of the increasing unaffordability of housing and low-cost work, trade or craft space. Seeking to address this complex problem, this paper proposes a theoretical framework that uniquely addresses both the capitalist economic structure that drives the development process and the Marxist-based urban theory by which the socio-economic outcomes are currently evaluated. This framework takes as its meta-theory, the approach of Thomas Piketty in his recent treatise, “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” since he deftly employs the Marxist dialectic of labor/capital while investigating the persistent inequality in the history of capitalism by interrogating that system itself. This bifurcated framework of economic analysis affords a new format for examining real estate returns, how they are represented in the market place, who benefits from them, and how resultant inequalities might be avoided in urban development.

A Multi-level Analysis of the Relationship Between Urban Built Environment and Severe Injury Traffic Crashes

This study investigates the relationship between urban built environment and traffic crash occurrences in San Diego County by employing a multi-level Poisson regression model. This model is intended to address the so-called ‘Modifiable Areal Unit Problem’ by properly capturing the spatial correlations that might exist among crash occurrences within or across zones specified for data aggregation. A preliminary inspection based on a geographic information system reveals that the crash occurrences of Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs) tend to show similar spatial pattern if they belong to the same city. This observation motivated us to incorporate hierarchical random components into a Poisson regression model to complement its systematic components (i.e. explanatory variables) related to socio-demographic characteristics, travel characteristics, or urban built environment. This approach turns out to improve the model’s explanatory power in assessing the relationship between urban built environment and traffic crash occurrences while controlling other variables. A key finding from this study is that crash occurrences of individual TAZs tend to decrease with the expansion of their urban portion.

The Socioeconomic Characteristics, Urban Built Environment and Household Car Ownership in a Rapidly Growing City: Evidence from Zhongshan, China

Growth in car ownership has significant impacts on the use of urban space and management of urban environments, especially in rapidly developing countries such as China. However, among voluminous literature, few studies have investigated the correlates of household car ownership in the Chinese context, leading to the lack of effective measures to tackle rapid motorization. This study explored the impacts of household-level socioeconomic characteristics and neighborhood-level built environment on household car ownership, with data collected from 25,325 households in Zhongshan, China. The Zero-inflated Poission regression models detect that, all else being equal, living in a neighborhood with a compact and mixed urban form, better bus service and adjacency to CBD is associated with fewer household cars and higher probability to own zero cars. The models also suggest that household size and income, number of employed or students, and availability of competitive vehicles are significantly related to the number of cars in a household. The findings facilitate our understanding of the effects of socioeconomic characteristics and built environment on household car ownership and provide insights into an effective design of measures to slow down the rapid motorization in China.

An integrated Model of Outdoor and Indoor Representation of Geographical Environment for Emergency Rescue Routing

Abstract Construction of smart city needs both macro and micro-spatial structures. This paper proposes a framework for integrated emergency routing system (IERS). This framework consists of an integrated outdoor and indoor Navigation Data Model (INDM) and DD* algorithm of emergency routing based on INDM. INDM is a 3D geometric network model (GNM) that represents pedestrian access or search and rescue route analysis within buildings or urban built-environments. An experimental implementation of scenario-based DD* algorithm analysis is presented in this paper. The result shows that the method developed in this paper is superior to Dijkstra algorithm in emergency rescue routing.

Robust Detection of Single and Double Persistent Scatterers in Urban Built Environments

In this paper, we develop a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) tomography-based persistent scatterer interferometry (Tomo-PSInSAR) method to detect single and double persistent scatterers (PSs) in urban built environments. By constructing a two-tier network, we can jointly detect single and double PSs with no need for preliminary removal of the atmospheric phase screen (APS) in the whole area. This technique is more applicable in high-rise built environments (e.g., Hong Kong) with cloudy and rainy weather, where there is much uncertainty when removing the APS. In the first-tier network, we aim to detect the most reliable single PSs (SPSs) by constructing a Delaunay triangulation network. To improve the robustness of estimation, we combine beamforming with an M-estimator for parameter estimation at the arcs and introduce a ridge estimator for network adjustment. In the second-tier network, we detect the remaining SPSs and all of the double PSs (DPSs) by constructing local star networks that use the SPSs detected in the first-tier network as reference points. To simplify the detection of DPSs, we employ a local maximum ratio method for extracting overlaid DPSs. Finally, 56 Hong Kong TerraSAR-X images are used to validate the Tomo-PSInSAR method.

Comments on Melis et al. The Effects of the Urban Built Environment on Mental Health: A Cohort Study in a Large Northern Italian City. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 2015, 12, 14898-14915.

In a recent paper by Melis and colleagues [1], exposure to certain built environment characteristics—urban density and accessibility to public transit—is found to be related to mental health, even more so among women, the elderly, and the residentially stable (interactions between built environment and individual characteristics in relation to mental health have unfortunately not been tested statistically, which could have strengthened their demonstration).[...]

Response to Kestens et al. Comments on Melis et al. The Effects of the Urban Built Environment on Mental Health: A Cohort Study in a Large Northern Italian City. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 2015, 12, 14898-14915.

The commentary from Kestens et al. [1] raises interesting issues about measuring contextual exposures and encourages new studies to incorporate them in their design: as a group of researchers, we strongly support their view and think that those useful reflections should be used as guidelines for future research.[...]

ICUS Activities in 2015 and new horizon: In the Time of Increasing Social Expectation for Safe and Secure Urban Built Environment

ICUS Activities in 2015 and new horizon: In the Time of Increasing Social Expectation for Safe and Secure Urban Built Environment

Impact of Urban Built Environment on Health of Women: A Pilot Study

Impact of Urban Built Environment on Health of Women: A Pilot Study

The Effects of the Urban Built Environment on Mental Health: A Cohort Study in a Large Northern Italian City.

Mental health (MH) has a relevant burden on the health of populations. Common MH disorders (anxiety and non-psychotic depression) are well associated to socioeconomic individual and neighborhood characteristics, but little is known about the influence of urban structure. We analyzed among a Turin (Northwest Italy) urban population the association at area level of different urban structure characteristics (density, accessibility by public transport, accessibility to services, green and public spaces) and consumption of antidepressants. Estimates were adjusted by individual socio-demographic variables (education, housing tenure, employment) and contextual social environment (SE) variables (social and physical disorder, crime rates). Data was extracted from the Turin Longitudinal Study (TLS)—a census-based cohort study following up prospectively the mortality and morbidity of the population. As expected, individual characteristics show the strongest association with antidepressant drug consumption, while among built environment (BE) indicators accessibility by public transport and urban density only are associated to MH, being slightly protective factors. Results from this study, in agreement with previous literature, suggest that BE has a stronger effect on MH for people who spend more time in the neighborhood. Therefore, this research suggests that good accessibility to public transport, as well as a dense urban structure (versus sprawl), could contribute to reduced risk of depression, especially for women and elderly, by increasing opportunities to move around and have an active social life.

ICUS Activities in 2014: In the Time of Increasing Social Expectation for Safe and Secure Urban Built Environment

ICUS Activities in 2014: In the Time of Increasing Social Expectation for Safe and Secure Urban Built Environment

Urban Built Environment Analysis: Evidence from a Mobility Survey in Madrid

Applications involving travel behavior from the perspective of land use are dating from the 1990s. Usually, four important components are distinguished: density, diversity and design (3D's of Cervero and Kockelman) and accessibility (introduced by Geurs and van Wee). But there is not a general agreement on how to measure each of those 4 components. Density is used to be measured as population and employment densities, but others authors separate population density between residential and building densities. A lot of measures have been developed to estimate diversity: among others, a dissimilarity index to indicate the degree to which different land uses lie within one another's surrounding, an entropy index to quantify the degree of balance across various land use types or proximities to commercial-retail uses. Design has been characterized by site design, and dwelling and street characteristics. Lastly, accessibility has become a frequently used concept, but its meaning on travel behavior fi eld always refers to the ability “to reach activities or locations by means of a travel mode”, measured as accessibility to jobs, to leisure activities, and others. Furthermore, the previous evidence is mainly based on US data or on north European countries. Therefore, this paper adds some new evidence from a Spanish perspective to the research debate. Through a Madrid smartphone-based survey, factor analysis is used to linearly combine variables into the 3D's and accessibility dimensions of the built environment. At a first step for future investigations, land use variables will be treated to define accurately the previous 4 components.

Ecosystem processes for biomimetic architectural and urban design

This research investigates how ecosystems are able to be robust, resilient and capable of adapting to constant change, in order to devise strategies and techniques that could be transferable to an architectural or urban design context. This is to aid the creation, or evolution of urban-built environments that may be better able to integrate with and contribute to ecosystem health. Specifically, this paper examines the processes of ecosystems and presents an integrated set of principles that could form the theoretical underpinnings of a practical ecosystem biomimicry approach to sustainable architectural design. This is significant because although using an understanding of how ecosystems work has been proposed in some biomimicry and industrial ecology literature, as well as in related fields, ecosystem processes suitable for use in a design context have not been thoroughly defined, or mapped to express how these processes may be related to each other. The possibility that employing ecosystem processes in architectural or urban design could lead to built environments able to mitigate the causes of climate change and adapt to the impacts of it is examined. Benefits and disadvantages of such an approach are elaborated upon.

2013 年の新生ICUS の活動：都市の安全が益々重要になっていく中で

2013 年の新生ICUS の活動：都市の安全が益々重要になっていく中で

Association between perceived urban built environment attributes and leisure-time physical activity among adults in Hangzhou, China

BackgroundNeighborhood built environment may influence residents' physical activity, which in turn, affects their health. This study aimed to determine the associations between perceived built environment and leisure-time physical activity in Hangzhou, China. Methods1440 participants aged 25–59 were randomly selected from 30 neighborhoods in three types of administrative planning units in Hangzhou. International Physical Activity Questionnaire long form and NEWS-A were used to obtain individual-level data. The China Urban Built Environment Scan Tool was used to objectively assess the neighborhood-level built environment. Multi-level regression was used to explore the relationship between perceived built environment variables and leisure-time physical activities. Data was collected in Hangzhou from June to December in 2012, and was analyzed in May 2013. ResultsSignificant difference between neighborhood random variations in physical activity was identified (P=0.0134); neighborhood-level differences accounted for 3.0% of the variability in leisure-time physical activity. Male residents who perceived higher scores on access to physical activity destinations reported more involvement in leisure-time physical activity. Higher scores on perception of esthetic quality, and lower on residential density were associated with more time in leisure-time walking in women. ConclusionsThe present study demonstrated that perceived urban built environment attributes significantly correlate with leisure-time physical activity in Hangzhou, China.

The Contingent Public Value of ‘Good Design’: Regulating the Aesthetics of the Australian Urban Built Environment

The proposition that the urban built environment can, and indeed should, be made more visually attractive is a long‐standing feature of the governance of Australian cities. In this vein, this paper examines how ‘good design’ in terms of visual aesthetics is currently pursued including through the development assessment process and the work of government architects. The paper begins by tracing the background of contemporary regulatory practice from long‐standing ideas around beauty and its value through to the urban design movement of today. Next, it considers in more detail various rationales for aesthetic governance and what might be better forms of regulatory practice. In short, it will be argued that while there can be scope for regulation to deliver superior outcomes, this practice must be sensitive to a high degree of contingency in what the public values and that deliberate empirical inquiry into the latter is desirable.

Urban Built Environments, Accessibility, and Travel Behavior in a Declining Urban Core: The Extreme Conditions of Disinvestment and Suburbanization in the Detroit Region

ABSTRACT:The research explores the impact of socioeconomic and racial variables on accessibility to urban amenities and travel in compact urban built environments that have traditionally been viewed as improving access to daily destinations and promoting nonmotorized travel: urban environments characterized by high densities, mixed land uses, and high connectivity. The study focuses on six neighborhoods in the Detroit region. Two neighborhoods are within the city itself, and predominantly poor and Black, and four of the neighborhoods are in the region surrounding the city, and they are predominantly wealthy and White. This study at the neighborhood scale enables an analysis into how class and race affect accessibility and travel in neighborhoods experiencing urban disinvestment and decline. The research shows that the traditional relationship between high densities, mixed land uses, high connectivity, greater accessibility, and pedestrian activity is significantly weaker in declining inner cities.

Objective assessment of urban built environment related to physical activity — development, reliability and validity of the China Urban Built Environment Scan Tool (CUBEST)

BackgroundSome aspects of the neighborhood built environment may influence residents’ physical activity, which in turn, affects their health. This study aimed to develop an urban built environment evaluation tool and conduct necessary reliability and validity tests.MethodsA 41-item urban built environment scan tool was developed to objectively assess the neighborhood built environment features related to physical activity. Six neighborhoods in Hangzhou were selected from three types of administrative planning units. A pair of auditors independently assessed all of the 205 street segments at the same time. Half of the segments (n = 104) were audited twice by the same auditor after a two-week time interval. Inter-rater reliability was assessed by comparing the audits of paired observers, while intra-rater reliability was evaluated by comparing an auditor’s repeated assessments of the same segments. The construct validity was tested using factor analysis.ResultsThe inter-rater reliability for most items was above 0.8. The intra-rater reliability for most items was above 0.4, and was lower than corresponding inter-rater reliability. Six factors were extracted by factor analysis and the factor loading matrix showed good construct validity.ConclusionsThe CUBEST is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to assess the physical activity-related built environment in Hangzhou, and potentially other cities in China.