Urban Planning Design Research Articles

Development of Тaganrog city as a tourist center

The subject of the study is the planning and architectural organization of the city. The object of the study is the city of Taganrog, Rostov Region (Russia). The change in the main vector of socio-economic transformations of the city, as a large industrial pole of the region, at the same time having important cultural and historical significance, is due to the current socio-economic transformations in the country. Among the new strategic priorities and directions for the city are the preservation and development of the cultural space and the development of the tourist potential of the city, to the implementation of which there are a number of positive prerequisites. The changes taking place cause the need for spatial transformations of the urban fabric. The problems and features of the planning structure and infrastructure of the urban area were considered, as well as obstacles to urban planning transformation and the formation of the city as a tourist center (destination) were identified. To comprehensively solve the existing urban planning problems of the city of Taganrog and form it as a tourist center, a single architectural and urban planning approach is proposed (hereinafter, a single approach). The proposed approach is based on the principles of development: hospitality, compliance with needs, continuity, connectivity and «accessible sea». A single approach synchronizes urban planning mechanisms, within the framework of which a system of architectural and urban planning measures is made to implement a certain goal – the formation of a tourist destination. The system of measures is formed taking into account the justified principles of development, planning methods and techniques. As a practical application of a single approach, a set of architectural and urban planning measures and urban planning mechanisms for their implementation is proposed. Recommendations are given on updating the documents for regulating urban planning activities, taking into account the complex of architectural and urban planning measures: the master plan, local standards for urban planning design, land use and development rules, rules for the improvement of the territory of the municipality.

Renovation and modernization issues of residential development in Kazakhstan

Mass urban development in Kazakhstan has been the subject of discussions and scientific research for many years. Unsatisfactory housing conditions, unhealthy urban environment require specific proposals for housing renovation. This study reveals the specifics of mass housing in Kazakhstan and determines the feasibility of residential buildings’ renovation. Despite the fact that specialists from the economic, social and architectural fields of sciences have studied the topic, there is still ambiguity in solving the following issues: renovation strategy in the country; the possibility of residential buildings' renovation; types of residential buildings to be renovated. As a result of a comparative analysis of design materials, literary sources and statistical data, the authors determined the classification of multi-apartment residential buildings of mass series in the Republic of Kazakhstan. This classification combines the chronological order of construction, the type of structural scheme of buildings and the name of the series of residential buildings. The systematization of statistical data of the housing stock by various parameters made it possible to identify, with a small error, the proportion of multi-apartment housing subject to renovation. In addition, this work generally reveals the problem of renovation in the country related to the structure of the housing stock, the peculiarity of housing and communal services and the process of architectural and urban planning design.

Understanding the position of urban spatial configuration on the feeling of insecurity from crime in public spaces

Introduction: Many studies have discussed crime and the feeling of insecurity in the public space. These studies produce diverse findings from various variables and different objects. However, the urban spatial configuration is still left unexplored in the study of insecurity from crime in the public space. The purpose of this study is to discuss the position of urban spatial configuration elements on the feeling of insecurity from crime in the public space evidenced by international literature.Methods: This study uses a systematic review method by evaluating studies published between 1970 and 2021.Results and Discussion: The results of this study state that studies on crime and feeling of insecurity in public spaces in urban planning and urban design context mainly evaluated the design features (crime prevention through environmental design) and Socio-demographics at micro–meso scale in the built environment. In contrast, urban spatial configuration variable or macro scale still underexplored. Studies have shown that issues will occur if policy-making and planning in urban areas ignore individual perceptions of feeling insecure regarding crime at macro scale. The findings of this study become a research gap for further studies. This study suggests that more researchers should evaluate the feelings of insecurity from crime in public spaces on a macro scale, namely the urban spatial configuration dimension, including city size, development type, the distribution pattern of population and job, degree of clustering, and landscape connectivity.

The Garden as Interior: Reading Schoenberg’s Gardens in Context

ABSTRACT This article offers a new reading of the garden in Schoenberg’s Erwartung, a domestic retreat wistfully remembered by the Woman as she wanders in a nocturnal forest. Theorizing interiority as a defining facet of the monodrama’s garden, the article traces this quality across literal and metaphorical dimensions. Through considerations of early twentieth-century Viennese urban planning and garden design, women’s horticultural professionalization, and discourses around the relevance of green space for psychological wellness, the guiding interpretative notion of a garden interior is grounded in context. Gardens in two other of Schoenberg’s works roughly contemporary with Erwartung—Das Buch der hängenden Gärten and Herzgewächse—are similarly shown to engage with interior space in sounding and textual-thematic domains. Moving past Freudian symbolic interpretations, Erwartung’s garden is instead understood as a sounding space and a social and material entity embedded in the practices and anxieties of modern Viennese life.

Evidence of environmental urban design parameters that increase and reduce sense of place in Barcelona (Spain)

Urban planning design considers sense of place attributed to the environment because it is important to quality of life and influences citizen support for planning proposals. In this paper, the physical and geographic characteristics that increase and decrease levels of sense of place were analyzed. Mediation effects of prior expectations and belief in urban legends attributed to specific environments were controlled for. A total of 1727 residents from 10 different districts of the city of Barcelona participated. Empirical urban parameters were measured for each district (e.g., hectares of parks and rate of streets with noise above 60 dB) and the weight with which they predicted levels of sense of place was objectively quantified. Perceived quality of life and residents' positive expectations of green spaces were measured also. Structural equation modeling (SEM) assessed theory relating green environments to sense of place and tested which urban elements had a detrimental effect. When including the mediating effects of prior expectations and perceived quality of life, urban parameters related to green spaces predicted increases in sense of place between 11% and 40%. Decibels, pedestrian streets, and the number of police arrests predicted systematic reductions in sense of place between 18% and 20%. Accordingly, the authors proposed two urban models of positive and negative feedback on sense of place. Application of these will improve urban planning by enhancing decision making efficacy.

From One to Many Natures: Integrating Divergent Urban Nature Visions to Support Nature-Based Solutions in Australia and Europe

Urban nature and ways of protecting, designing and even mimicking natural processes are some of the most popular themes inspiring humanities and natural science studies in different disciplines around the globe. Urban nature, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions are three intertwined concepts. This paper will highlight some of the many visions for urban nature (e.g., four urban natures: native, cultivated, designed/horticultural and spontaneous natures) and interpretations of nature-based solutions. While there are some similarities in the interpretation of urban natures by different disciplines, some significant differences exist. This paper analyses and synthesises knowledge from divergent theoretical concepts of urban natures in Europe and Australia, and the associated ecological concepts of novel and designed ecosystems. The complexity of urban natures and native landscapes has fostered the development of several typologies that often lead to misunderstanding between discipline areas and difficulties with practical implementation, such as in urban planning or landscape design. We argue that differences in interpreting the scope of urban nature are often underlined by the specific socio-political, historical, cultural and ecological contexts of a country or region (e.g., Australia and Europe). By applying an interdisciplinary approach, we explore the concept of urban natures by analysing and synthesising links between different disciplines. A transdisciplinary perspective is an important premise for collaboration between ecological sciences and landscape architecture in many restoration projects, or when social and ecological sciences jointly address societal challenges with the help of nature-based solutions co-created using participatory approaches. The latter highlights the role of transdisciplinary research to link practitioners, policymakers and scientists, helping to engage with citizens and inform design. The analysis of several examples from Europe and Australia allowed us to depict different approaches to existing urban natures and methods of their design, enhancement and conservation. These examples highlight that different urban natures are sources of inspiration for nature-based solutions that can be successfully implemented in contemporary landscape and planning practice.

Hospital architecture matters – rethinking the role of mixed sex wards and family rooms in psychiatric hospitals

AbstractHospital built environment can affect patient clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction with care and treatment, staff performance and wellbeing, and carers/visitors’ engagement with services. Little is known about which urban planning, architecture and interior design characteristics can make environments therapeutic or detrimental for users.We hope that the audience attending this presentation will i) get a good understanding of the impact of the hospital-built environment on patients, staff and visitors/carers and ii) understand which design elements can improve patient satisfaction with care.As hospitals are among the most expensive facilities to build, their design should be guided by research evidence. In this presentation, we will review existing research evidence in this field and present our study of 18 psychiatric hospitals in Italy and the United Kingdom. Our findings indicate that out of several hospital built environment characteristics, two have the power to increase patient satisfaction with care.These are (availability of ) mixed-sex wards and rooms to meet family off wards.We will show vignettes to further explore the role of mixed-sex wards and family rooms and discuss how to implement them when renovating, adapting or building mental health care facilities.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Using Simulation to Maximize the Solar Energy Utilization in Buildings in Amman, Jordan

This paper discusses the potential for reducing the energy consumption of residential apartments built on slopes in Amman, Jordan, by proposing new regulations to ensure adequate access to solar radiation. The energy-conscious concept has appeared around the world with rising oil prices and a rise of high residential buildings. It is necessary to consider the possibilities of maximizing the use of solar energy in a building through an architectural design strategy. This leads to mandatory regulations at the urban planning and building design level. This paper provides an overview of the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) regulations in force regarding the availability of sunlight and achieving a healthy building environment. Analytical scientific methods were used in the work. Computer simulations were performed using a parametric design approach to make new decisions to establish new height and setbacks dimensions for apartment buildings in Amman. The present study provides workable guidance based on determining the optimal distance between condominiums on sloping ground, through which both the architects and the urban designers will be able to define the number of floors that will receive sufficient natural lighting.

Integrating hydrogeological and economic analyses of groundwater flooding in an urban aquifer: the plain of Naples (Italy) as a case study

ABSTRACT The study applies the defensive expenditure approach via hydrogeological data for a sector of the plain of Naples to value the economic damages produced by groundwater flooding on private properties. It follows from the integrated analysis that the value of the economic damages is increasing over time at a compound pace. The over-pumping of groundwater during the industrialisation period, and its stop in the subsequent de-industrialisation one, impaired the long-run natural equilibrium of the groundwater resources. Thus, the myopic decisions taken with respect to land and groundwater use, and a short-sight urban design planning have caused increasing economic costs in the medium and long terms.

Airflow Mitigation and Pollutant Purification in an Idealized Urban Street Canyon with Wind Driven Natural Ventilation: Cooperating and Opposing Effects of Roadside Tree Plantings and Non-uniform Building Heights

A refined CFD research was reported, concerning on the individual characteristics of different roadside tree planting and street canyon with non-uniformity of buildings. In this work, airflow field and pollutant dispersion were simulated by the use of a full three-dimensional simulations. Ventilation air exchange rate (ACH) and net escape velocity (NEV) were, respectively applied to assess ventilation exchange and pollutant dispersion in the street canyons. Numerical results show that the airflow patterns within the street canyon varies significantly with canopy leaf area density (LAD) and trunk height (Htb), whereas the distribution of pollutants at pedestrian level in the street canyon is mainly determined by the symmetrical inverse vortex structure of the street canyon. Promotions of LAD and Htb of the road trees simultaneously reduce the wind velocity, ACH and NEV of the street canyon, deteriorating the ventilation exchange conditions as well as the pollutant dispersion performance. As the value of the Htb becomes larger, NEV of the step-up canyon is approximately approaching to that of the step-down canyon. In addition, as the value of standard deviation (σH) of the street canyon increases, the vortex structure of the canyon disappears and promotes the diffusion of pollutants inside canyons. As σH further increases, ACH of the step-down canyon also boosts, indicating better ventilation performance of street canyon, whereas the step-up canyon only tops the best ventilation performance at the value of σH= 33.3%. The best dispersion of pollutants is observed at σH= 16.7% in the step-down canyon while in the step-up canyon the dispersion of pollutants becomes better continuously with increasing σH. In particular, as σH= 66.7% was maintained, the dispersion of pollutants is better in the step-up canyon compared to the street canyon without trees. At the same time, the difference between the NEV of the step-down canyon and the step-up canyon increases as σH increases, which indicates that the difference in pollutant dispersion performance between adjacent street canyons becomes greater. This research provides a theoretical reference for urban design and vegetation planning in urban areas to improve the habitat.

A maximum entropy approach for the modelling of car-sharing parking dynamics

The science of cities is a relatively new and interdisciplinary topic aimed at studying and characterizing the collective processes that shape the growth and dynamics of urban populations. Amongst other open problems, the forecast of mobility trends in urban spaces is a lively research topic that aims at assisting the design and implementation of efficient transportation policies and inclusive urban planning. To this end, many Machine-Learning models have been put forward to predict mobility patterns. However, most of them are not interpretable -as they build on complex hidden representations of the system configurations- or do not allow for model inspection, thus limiting our understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving the citizen’s daily routines. Here, we tackle this problem by building a fully interpretable statistical model that, incorporating only the minimum number of constraints, can predict different phenomena arising in the city. Using data on the movements of car-sharing vehicles in several Italian cities, we infer a model using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) principle. The model allows for an accurate spatio-temporal prediction of car-sharing vehicles’ presence in different city areas and, thanks to its simple yet general formulation, to precisely perform anomaly detection (e.g., detect strikes and bad weather conditions from car-sharing data only). We compare the forecasting capabilities of our model with different state-of-the-art models explicitly made for time-series forecasting: SARIMA models and Deep Learning Models. We find that MaxEnt models are highly predictive, outperforming SARIMAs while having similar performances of deep Neural Networks - but with advantages of being more interpretable, more flexibile—i.e., they can be applied to different tasks- and being computationally efficient. Our results show that statistical inference might play a fundamental role in building robust and general models describing urban systems phenomena.

Future Insights into the Post-COVID pandemic Built Environment

The chapter discusses future perceptions of the state of human society in the post-Corona pandemic era, particularly, focusing on the areas of the urban environment and its architectural and urban components. The discussion includes the problems of urban isolation, just cities and the value of public spaces after the pandemic and highlights the situation of Middle Eastern Arab cities. The chapter argues that the pandemic provides an opportunity to reconsider urban planning priorities and how to deal with architectural and urban spaces considering lessons learned from the repercussions of the pandemic. The nature of theoretical thesis, or architectural, urban, and planning practices, is responsible for looking forward, formulating visions and offering alternatives. The Corona pandemic provided an opportunity for reflections and perceptions of how humans deal with the earth to achieve their needs, from different housing and community services. Accordingly, the approach adopted in the study was based on monitoring and monitoring the repercussions of the pandemic, understanding the local, regional, and global context, and then formulating a vision framework for the future with a focus on Middle Eastern cities. The study formulates several research questions, is there a model for a city that is resistant to the pandemic? How is the epidemic linked to issues of scale, urban size, and urban social justice? What is the impact of the epidemic on urbanization and urban planning design? How will existing and new cities plan to be flexible, resistant, and fair? How will innovation meet the challenge and produce new neighborhoods? How will architecture provide a new understanding of public and private spaces? .

Spatial drivers and effects of urban food accessibility: Comparison of conventional and online-to-offline services

Nowadays, online-to-offline food delivery services have grown rapidly. However, the factors determining the spatial distribution of online-to-offline food delivery restaurants (O2O-FDR) and the effects (e.g., dietary health) they cause are poorly understood. This study explored the differences in spatial patterns and influencing factors between O2O-FDR and conventional restaurants (CR) accessibility in Nanjing, as well as the driving mechanisms for the food environment. The results show that (1) O2O-FDR accessibility and CR accessibility both have a centrally distributed pattern, while O2O-FDR accessibility is smaller and more dispersed. (2) O2O-FDR shows a clear economic orientation, with the regional economy (q = 0.48) having the strongest influence and interacting with the factor of distance to commercial center to influence 61% of the spatial distribution; while the distance to commercial centers is the dominant factor for CR accessibility (q = 0.53), and its interaction with the regional economy was the strongest (q = 0.66). (3) The proliferation of O2O-FDR in Nanjing is more consistent with the innovation diffusion hypothesis. (4) In comparison to CR, O2O-FDR has a stronger correlation with fast food restaurants accessibility, which potentially increases the availability of less healthy food products. This study contributes to urban planning and urban design that promotes healthy eating.

Discover the Desirable Landscape Structure of Urban Parks for Mitigating Urban Heat: A High Spatial Resolution Study Using a Forest City, Luoyang, China as a Lens.

Urban parks can mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) and effectively improve the urban microclimate. In addition, quantifying the park land surface temperature (LST) and its relationship with park characteristics is crucial for guiding park design in practical urban planning. The study's primary purpose is to investigate the relationship between LST and landscape features in different park categories based on high-resolution data. In this study, we identified the land cover types of 123 parks in Luoyang using WorldView-2 data and selected 26 landscape pattern indicators to quantify the park landscape characteristics. The result shows that the parks can alleviate UHI in most seasons, but some can increase it in winter. While the percentage of bare land, PD, and PAFRAC have a positive impact on LST, AREA_MN has a significant negative impact. However, to deal with the current urban warming trend, a compact, clustered landscape configuration is required. This study provides an understanding of the major factors affecting the mitigation of thermal effects in urban parks (UP) and establishes a practical and feasible urban park renewal method under the idea of climate adaptive design, which provides valuable inspiration for urban park planning and design.

Sanatorium and wellness environment of the city of Khabarovsk. Main development trends

The author examines the history of the development of the architecture of medical institutions and the principles of its placement in the planning structure of the city of Khabarovsk. The analysis of expansion and development of medical institutions of the city of Khabarovsk from the end of the XIX century to the present day is carried out. Numerous examples of buildings of medical institutions are given, showing the main stages of development of this type of structures in the locality under consideration. The author analyzes the change in stylistic and compositional preferences in the organization of medical and sanatorium institutions. The perspective ways of further transformation of the sanatorium system in the aspect of architectural and urban planning design, taking into account regional peculiarities, are analyzed. In the course of the work, the following trends in the design of sanatorium and rehabilitation centers in the city were identified: 1) large block organization of the building, the formation of complexes; 2) emphasis on the intensity of treatment, the use of day hospitals; 3) individualization of design solutions, rejection of stereotypical hospital forms; 4) the formation of a humane space with therapeutic potential; 5) ecological approach and harmony with the environment. A systematic and comprehensive analysis of the subject of the study also revealed the main requirements for the formation of such institutions, such as the development of functional zoning and planning organization, taking into account the features of functionally new departments of treatment rooms with complex equipment and numerous communications.

Global Megacities and Frequent Floods: Correlation between Urban Expansion Patterns and Urban Flood Hazards

With climate change causing increased extreme weather events, megacities worldwide are experiencing unprecedentedly devastating floods and recurring flood damage. Investigating global megacities’ increased disposition to flooding will aid in developing sustainable flood-risk-management frameworks. Many studies have been conducted on the association between land-cover types and flood consequences, but few on investigating urban expansion patterns’ correlation with flood hazard and risk. This study examines the correlation between urban expansion patterns and increased flood hazards. Twelve megacities throughout the world were selected for this study. After exploring the possibility of the megacities having experienced flooding, we qualified their patterns of urban expansion and their potential to influence the elements of flood risk. Our results revealed that edge expansion and leapfrogging patterns had a strong positive correlation with statistical significance with flood hazard, while infilling had a weak positive correlation that showed no statistical significance with flood hazard. Further, we found that the megacities have all experienced devastating floods in the past two decades. Flood risk frameworks need to account for the impact of these patterns, and future urban planning designs and policies need to incorporate flood risk frameworks that account for patterns of urban expansion.

Neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage and body size in Australia's capital cities: The contribution of obesogenic environments.

Residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods have higher rates of overweight and obesity and chronic disease than their counterparts from advantaged neighbourhoods. This study assessed whether associations between neighbourhood disadvantage and measured body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, are accounted for by obesogenic environments (i.e., residential distance to the Central Business District [CBD], supermarket availability, access to walkable destinations). The study used 2017-18 National Health Survey data for working-aged adults (aged ≥18 years, n = 9,367) residing in 3,454 neighbourhoods across Australia's state and territory capital cities. In five of eight cities (i.e., Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth) residents of disadvantaged neighbourhoods had significantly higher BMI and a larger waist circumference than residents of more advantaged areas. There was no association between neighbourhood disadvantage and body size in Hobart, Darwin, and Canberra. Associations between neighbourhood disadvantage and body size were partially explained by neighbourhood differences in distance to the CBD but not supermarket availability or walkable amenities. The results of this study point to the role of urban design and city planning as mechanisms for addressing social and economic inequities in Australia's capital cities, and as solutions to this country's overweight and obesity epidemic and associated rising rates of chronic disease.

Standardization of urban landscaping at the planning level: Russian practice

The object of the study, which is the basis of this article, is the improvement of urban areas at the planning level, and its aspect is the Russian practice of technical regulation (standardization). The relevance of the topic is related to the fact that the improvement of urban areas is defined in Russia as an integral element in the strategic direction of improving the comfort of the urban environment. At the same time, the issues of standardization of landscaping in the context of the preparation of territorial planning documents and documentation on the planning of the territory are considered for the first time. The purpose of the study was to identify ways to improve the standardization of landscaping in urban planning design. To achieve it, a review of the main literary sources was carried out, a selection of regulatory, technical and methodological documents that establish or should establish requirements in the designated area of urban development activity was carried out. The main subject normative legal acts are also considered in conjunction. The analysis of regulatory documents showed their insufficient effectiveness (the presence of significant defects). Their systematic consideration and the experience of the expert work of the author allowed to identify shortcomings in the considered segment of public administration and recommend ways to eliminate them, as well as to propose to ensure the introduction of amendments and additions to the considered documents on standardization.

Evaluating the impact of proximity to reported toxic release facilities and flood events on chronic health outcomes in the city of Galena Park, Texas

Evidence has conclusively revealed that environmental justice communities experience poor environmental conditions compared to more affluent majority communities. However, there has been little research evaluating the health impacts of immediate proximity to industrial pursuits and flood events on a population compared to others living within the same community who are only marginally removed from these locations. This cross-sectional study (N = 130) utilized three approaches to assess health outcomes (1) the 12 item Short Form Health Survey, which creates a general physical component score, (2) self-reported noncancerous chronic conditions, and (3) self-reported diagnosis of twelve different cancers. Three risk levels were spatially created using a 5-scale ordinal score for each residential parcel based on the corresponding flood probability level and proximity to facilities which report to the United States Environmental Protection Agencies Toxic Release Inventory. Analysis revealed that general physical health scores were significantly lower (P-value < 0.001) in the medium and high-risk locations, Similarly chronic conditions witnessed a non-significant twofold increased risk in the highest-risk locations compared to the lowest (POR 1.91; 95 % CI 0.82–4.39) and a non-significant increased risk of cancer diagnosis (POR 1.51; 95 % CI 0.38–5.99). This research underscores the importance of place and health outcomes even within relatively geographically compact communities. Public health and urban planning interventions and designs should take into account fine grain approaches to respond to community needs while still being mindful of limited resources.

Estimation of far-side bus stops reliability

Currently, the design of bus stops is an urgent task of both public network design and urban planning. In recent decades, the main passenger volumes in cities of the Russian Federation are served by bus routes. There is a very high public transport traffic volume on the streets of cities without metro, which can exceed 100 buses/hour. In these cases, there are significant volumes of arrivals at bus stops, which cause queues of buses, additional delays and a decrease in commercial speed. In this regard, a study of the bus stops performance was done in different cities of the Russian Federation. Particular attention is paid to the functioning of far-side bus stops of the signalized intersections, which are characterized by uneven arrival of buses and trolley buses, caused by the influence of the signalized intersections. The performed study allowed to obtain: a representative sample of statistical data on the functioning of far-side bus stop of the signalized intersections. The dependences of the characteristics of the functioning of bus stops as a function of public transport traffic volume, the number of bus routes, as well as the characteristics of the signalized intersections. Based on the failure probability the simplified methodology for estimating the required number of loading areas of far-side bus stops of the signalized intersections has been proposed. The obtained data and dependencies can be used for the calculation of bus stops carried out at the stages of urban planning and preliminary design.