Urban Life Research Articles

Traversing borders of representation: Occidentalism in a Moroccan traveller’s account of Britain’s modernity

In 1876, Moroccan Sultan Moulay Hasan sent a delegation to Britain to study artillery and return with a specimen of modern weaponry. This article examines Driss Jaaidi’s report on the journey to Britain through the theoretical lens of Occidentalism, which offers a counter-narrative to Western Orientalism. Jaaidi’s account, produced within the diplomatic context of Moroccan–British relations, diverges from traditional Orientalist texts, offering a respectful and admiring depiction of British modernity. By focusing on technological advancement, industrialization, and mass urban life, Jaaidi’s travelogue emphasizes observation without condescension, contrasting the estrangement found in Western accounts of the East. This study explores how Occidentalism allows non-Western travellers to view the West through a lens of curiosity and respect, fostering a narrative that is forward-looking and temporally progressive. The observer’s language, shaped by an Occidentalist perspective, reflects a register of praise and awe rather than alienation and distortion. The present text suggests that while Orientalism views the East as a relic of the past, Occidentalism, in contrast, portrays the West as a vision of the future – a futuristic artefact.

Shadowplay: Interactions of Artificial Illumination and Darkness

This article explores the aesthetic and philosophical aspects of shadowplay: the multiple and layered interactions between artificial illumination and darkness in urban environments. By examining the concept of shadows through the perspectives of theorists Roy Sorensen and Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, I explore the dynamic tension between darkness, seen as a natural phenomenon, and the fragmented light created by modern technology. The study delves into how artificial light transforms the nocturnal city, influencing both urban life and aesthetic experiences. The first section of the paper addresses darkness in philosophical aesthetics, referencing thinkers such as Kant and Burke, and considers recent research on artificial illumination's ecological and social impacts. The second part analyzes the unique qualities of shadows, drawing from Tanizaki's appreciation for traditional Japanese aesthetics and Sorensen's analytic dissection of shadow phenomena in terms of privation. Through a combination of philosophical inquiry and visual artistic research, the article seeks to provide a deeper understanding of how shadows and artificial light contribute to the aesthetic and emotional experience of contemporary urban nights.

The World is the “Hometown” of the Camera: Interview with Jia Zhangke

Abstract In this interview, director Jia Zhangke shares the background and thought process behind his latest documentary Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue (Yizhi Youdao Haishui Bianlan, 2021). Through the lens of rural literature, the film narrates 70 years of China’s social changes since 1949, featuring four writers – Jia Pingwa, Yu Hua, Liang Hong, and Duan Huifang, the daughter of Ma Feng – as the storytellers. The film explores the evolving relationship between urban and rural China and individual life experiences across different historical periods. Jia Zhangke emphasizes that the hometown is not only the starting point of creation but also a spiritual destination. He discusses the cultural value of dialects and traditional opera, highlighting that cinema should convey core Chinese stories through local narratives to preserve societal memory.

Sculpting Civilizations: The Influence of Artwork in the Maintenance of Ancient Cities

The role of art in the development of urban life is an important topic relating to communication, creativity, and the Great Traditions of urbanism. Art is a necessary way to communicate ideals and traditions; for example, stained glass in orthodox churches is used as an alternative to the Bible to teach the illiterate the stories about orthodox religion. Trends in art forms, styles, and subject could indicate a lot about urban values and how these values change over time as cities develop. This free range of expression gives insight into what city populations valued. Styles reveal how conservative a community is, or what mindsets and way of thinking people have. For instance, abstract styles tell us about the more scattered ways people approach issues and themes, while something like pop art can tell us about the value of cultural revolution and a progressive mindset. Art, particularly public art, illuminates political ideologies, inequalities, public consciousness, narratives, and religions. The study of urban art can also simply help us visualize and recreate what experiencing a city is like in the viewpoint of the citizens living there. Through a close analysis of the impact of artwork in Ancient Egypt and Ancient China, we can see which famous theories on the development on ancient cities can be applied to explain the role of art in its maintenance.

Mapping migrants’ narratives: A qual‐GIS approach to Cairns’ urban liveability

AbstractThis study introduces a novel approach to urban liveability research by combining interviews with participatory mapping techniques. More specifically, the research integrates concepts from geographic information systems (GISs) with episodic narrative interviews to develop a qualitative GIS (qual‐GIS) methodology to map and interpret the spatial experiences of recent migrants to Cairns. This qual‐GIS approach involves participants annotating amenity maps with personal narratives, effectively geolocating subjective experiences, and providing visual representations of liveability insights. During mapping sessions, participants identified and highlighted significant locations by annotating maps with pens and sticky notes to express their spatial stories and place attachments. Analysis of annotated maps in ArcGIS enabled the juxtaposition of qualitative insights with quantitative data, offering a rich, spatially informed understanding of liveability in place. The maps transcended their function as mere analytical instruments or memory aides, and the activity evolved into a platform for migrants to articulate experiences of, and emotional ties to the city. This approach enhances understandings of urban liveability from first‐hand experiences and establishes qual‐GIS approaches as valuable tools in urban and regional policy and research.

Henri Lefebvre and planetary urbanization: Progress and prospect

<p>Henri Lefebvre, a key Marxist urban theorist, introduced the concept of ‘Planetary Urbanization,’ a cutting-edge theory addressing emerging global forms of capitalist urbanization, where traditional urban theories have limited explanatory power. This paper reviews studies on planetary urbanization over the past 20 years in relation to Lefebvre’s urban theories. The report categorizes planetary urbanization’s contributions to urban theory into two primary aspects. First, it innovatively incorporates the processes of urbanization and the extended operational landscapes within urban research. Second, it proposes new trajectories for urban politics by reshaping Lefebvre’s concept of ‘the right to the city.’ However, by tracing Lefebvre’s theories, the report argues that planetary urbanization overlooks his emphasis on ‘everyday life’ while aligning with his views on generality and universality. Consequently, this dehumanized approach fails to uncover the significant political potential embedded in urban daily life. Additionally, by neglecting the differences among urban populations, the theory adopts a naive perspective on the subaltern’s capacity to articulate their ‘right to the city.’ Moreover, as a Eurocentric theory rooted in Western urbanization history, it inadequately explains context-specific events occurring in the urbanization of the Global South. Thus, this paper suggests that future research on planetary urbanization should incorporate considerations of urban everyday life, recognize social differences, and account for context-specific dependencies.<strong></strong></p>

Drone-Assisted Last-Mile Delivery Under Windy Conditions: Zero Pollution Solutions

As cities expand and the global push for zero pollution intensifies, sustainable last-mile delivery (LMD) systems are essential to minimizing environmental and health impacts. This study addresses the need for more sustainable LMD by examining the integration of wind conditions into drone-assisted deliveries, focusing on their effects on air and noise pollution in urban areas. We extend the flying sidekick traveling salesman problem (FSTSP) by incorporating meteorological factors, specifically wind, to assess drone delivery efficiency in varying conditions. Our results show that while drones significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional delivery vehicles, their contribution to noise pollution remains a concern. This research highlights the environmental advantages of using drones, particularly in reducing CO2 emissions, while also emphasizing the need for further investigation into mitigating their noise impact. By evaluating the trade-offs between air and noise pollution, this study provides insights into developing more sustainable, health-conscious delivery models that contribute to smart city initiatives. The findings inform policy, urban planning, and logistics strategies aimed at achieving zero pollution goals and improving urban livability.

Simple Scores are Messy Signals: How Users Interpret Scores on Real Estate Platforms

Real estate platforms serve as an online version of traditional real estate listings, assembling comprehensive information for potential buyers and renters. However, along with traditional details like photos, a description of the property, and a price, these platform listings include supplementary information in the form of scores or ratings of schools, walkability, and crime. This information is presented with little explanatory context, as a simple numerical score or shaded map implying a hierarchy from better to worse. While these scores and maps are presented as self-evident, my research shows that people interpreted the scores in considerably varied ways. Different users, for example, could draw opposing conclusions from the same data. I present findings from 32 interviews with real estate platform users. In the context of housing decisions, I found people readily inferred meanings about protected groups, particularly about the racial makeup of neighborhoods. The use of maps and scores on online real estate platforms raises questions and concerns about their broader societal consequences. While real estate platforms likely consider their role to be a provider of information principally to an audience of people buying, selling, and renting real estate, I argue that they have become a form of consequential civic data with the potential to reshape urban life. Some real estate platforms are beginning to recognize this, removing sensitive information about crime, and acknowledging that they cannot present it effectively or responsibly.

The Landscape as a Pillar of the Metropolis of Tomorrow: Sustainable Strategies for Better Integration in Annaba, Algeria

Objectives: This study aims to address the urban and landscape challenges faced by Annaba, a city in Algeria, due to environmental degradation resulting from rapid urbanisation and rural-to-urban migration. Once celebrated for its natural beauty, Annaba now seeks to restore its appeal and improve the quality of life for its residents. The objective is to demonstrate how integrating the landscape into urban planning can play a crucial role in sustainable development, preserving the city's unique identity, and enhancing its social, ecological, and aesthetic environment. Methods: Our approach involves a thorough analysis of Annaba’s landscape characteristics and biodiversity, exploring strategies for reintegration into urban planning frameworks. We focus on the coastal landscape as a primary asset in planning recommendations. This study reviews existing literature on sustainable urban planning, biodiversity conservation, and landscape integration in cities experiencing similar environmental and demographic shifts. Results: The findings suggest that integrating landscape elements into urban planning in Annaba would significantly enhance its ecological and aesthetic appeal. A sustainable development approach that prioritises the landscape can help to combat environmental degradation, improve the quality of urban life, and strengthen the city’s identity. Specific recommendations emphasize preserving coastal and natural features to support biodiversity and attract residents and tourists alike. Conclusion: Reintegrating landscape considerations into Annaba’s urban development strategy is essential for addressing present and future challenges. This approach would not only protect the city's natural assets but also promote a sustainable and appealing urban environment. By focusing on the landscape as a foundation of urban planning, Annaba can redefine its developmental path, offering a model of sustainable growth for other Mediterranean cities facing similar issues.

Natural Hazards and Climate Change Impacts on Food Security and Rural–Urban Livelihoods in Mozambique—A Bibliometric Analysis and Framework

Mozambique is confronted with numerous risks related to food security and natural disasters. The study conducted a literature review on natural hazards and food security. This can help to identify gaps and further areas of research. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using standardized text search terms, and the VOSviewer tool was used to analyze over 7000 scientific articles and cluster over 60,000 keyword co-occurrences. The results show that research on natural hazards for food security needs to be integrated. The priority topic of disasters focuses on specific hazards such as climate change, floods, and hurricanes, which are also linked to demographic and other social variables. More studies on food security, such as droughts, sustainable development, and other human and social conditions, are being conducted. Resilience as an emerging research paradigm needs to be addressed in comparison. One result is an analytical framework on impacts on food security in the context of disaster risk, based on the empirical findings of the literature review. It shows how everyday risks such as disease or food security can be conceptually better linked to natural hazards and resilience. It shows that further research is needed on the interlinkages of multiple risks, of which Mozambique is an outstanding example. The methodology presented is also applied to provide a framework for linking multiple risks to food security and natural hazards. The innovative dimension of the research is that this inquiry constitutes one of the pioneering attempts to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the linkages between natural hazards, food security, and resilience in Mozambique. Another noteworthy contribution is introducing a novel analytical framework that integrates food security and disaster risks.

Enhancing smart city assessment: an advanced MCDM approach for urban performance evaluation

Urban centers in the 21st century face significant challenges impacting future urban living. The numerous indicators and inherent complexity involved in assessing urban performance in smart cities necessitate the application of multi-criteria evaluation methods, which are frequently associated with fuzziness and uncertainties. Thus, this study introduces an innovative decision support approach that integrates complex spherical fuzzy set to enhance decision-making for smart city evaluation. By incorporating a consensus measurement mechanism for judgments, the reliability of results is improved. The methodology assesses smart city performance by calculating a level index using criteria of resilience, sustainability, and urban livability, along with eighteen sub-criteria for comprehensive benchmarking. Results highlight pollution control, energy and environmental resources, community well-being, eco-friendly transport, and social cohesion as critical factors for smart city performance. Singapore demonstrates high-level performance due to its integration of advanced technologies and community-focused strategies. The evaluated results obtained via the developed approach offer valuable insights for urban planners aiming to promote sustainable, resilient, and livable urban development.

When Rulers Came to Town: Jews, Christians and Urban Processions in Medieval France and the Holy Roman Empire

The festive entry of a monarch into medieval cities was an elaborate social drama involving the whole urban population. This article investigates how Jews were involved in these ceremonies in medieval France and the Holy Roman Empire, refuting previously held assumptions of their forced and marginalised roles. By demonstrating that Jews were actively included in these urban rituals, embracing local customs to welcome Christian rulers and using an array of distinctive objects to express their identity, much like other civic groups, this study argues that medieval Jews were part of an elaborate choreographed performance through which civic belonging was expressed. As Jewish participation spanned both the formal and logistical aspects of these events, medieval urban processions provide an effective case study on how religious minorities were woven into both the social and ceremonial fabric of medieval urban life.

Where to plan shared streets: Development and application of a multicriteria spatial decision support tool

In response to the growing recognition of the vital role played by streets as public spaces in enhancing the vibrancy of urban life, various concepts aiming at creating greener and more inclusive streets have gained popularity in recent years, especially in North America. Shared streets are one example of such concepts that have attracted the attention of citizens and of urban and transportation planning professionals alike. This was the case in the city of Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada) where, in response to numerous citizens’ requests, a need was identified to develop decision aid tools to help evaluate and rank street segments based on their potential to become shared streets. To achieve this, an action-research project was initiated in which we conducted a socio-technical process based on MACBETH, a multicriteria evaluation method. The project led to the development of a spatial decision support tool, operationally used today by the city professionals. This tool ensures a more informed and transparent decision-making process and supports shared streets planning policy. The methods developed are generalizable and can be adapted to other cities facing similar planning problems.

Enhancing Urban Mobility: Predicting Traffic Congestion with Optimized ML Model

Abstract Traffic congestion is a critical challenge in urban areas, leading to increased travel times, pollution, and a decreased quality of life. This study addresses this issue by developing a predictive model for traffic congestion using the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) machine learning model, enhanced with hyperparameter optimization and detrending techniques. Key traffic parameters, including waiting times, vehicle angles, latitude, longitude, and speeds, are incorporated to improve the model's accuracy. Compared to ARIMA and LSTM models, the proposed XGBoost model significantly outperforms these approaches. LSTM exhibits much higher prediction errors. The XGBoost model, with its lowest MAE (0.007), MSE (0.008), and an accuracy of 99.5%, demonstrates superior performance and efficiency. Implemented in Python using the SUMO simulator for real-time traffic data, the proposed model showcases robust predictive capabilities, contributing to smarter urban mobility solutions and improved transportation systems. These findings underscore the effectiveness of advanced machine learning techniques in predicting traffic congestion and provide valuable insights for developing smarter urban mobility solutions. The study’s contributions aim to enhance transportation systems and improve the overall quality of urban life.

The Potentials and Limitations of Agent-Based Models for Urban Digital Twins: Insights From a Surveillance and Behavioral Nudging Simulation

Although urban digital twins are still at an embryonic stage of development, their use cases are multiple, ranging from big data aggregation to simulations. Additionally, predictions can be rendered and quickly implemented using actuators to transform physical environments and influence urban life. In this article, we investigate the potential of an agent-based model in a smart city setting to predict emergent behavior in relation to the suppression of civil violence by implementing crowd management practices. To this end, we designed a simulation environment that includes cameras in public spaces and wearable sensors, and considers nudging and self-nudging processes supported by a surveillance apparatus. Building on Epstein’s threshold-based model of civil violence, the proposed simulation is informed by surveillance theories and contemplates methods for crowd monitoring and social control. The experiments’ results provide insights into how specific measures and combined actions may influence the suppression of civil violence in public spaces and can be useful to inform crowd management activities and policymaking. Moreover, we use the simulation to reflect upon the potentials and limitations of integrating agent-based models into urban digital twins and emphasize the imminent risks for individuals and democratic societies of employing a ubiquitous surveillance apparatus endowed with the autonomy to trigger actuators.

The Relationship between Access to Safe Water and Sanitation and Women’s Health in the Self-produced Settlements

Access to safe water and sanitation in self-produced settlements is a significant societal problem. Yet, there is a notable gap in understanding and evaluating the impact on women’s health, and how this intersects with public space. In Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly half of the urban population lives in self-produced settlements. These are complex environments that are continuously growing and are home to almost two-thirds of the population in cities such as Nairobi. Mathare, one of the largest self-produced settlements in Nairobi, exhibits notably poor health outcomes, with women experiencing diarrhoea at twice the average rate of Nairobi. In such a precarious context, the health of its inhabitants requires a specific approach. This paper devises a multidimensional framework for analysing and evaluating the key spatial and socioeconomic factors affecting women’s health in these self-produced settlements. It connects women’s health and well-being to broader structural disadvantages, such as insecure tenure, poor housing conditions, low monthly income and a lack of access to basic services. This case study emphasizes the critical importance of access to safe water and sanitation. Women's daily routines often revolve around water, exposing them to heightened risks of waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea or typhoid fever. Moreover, many women can only access water and sanitation in public spaces in Mathare, where they are particularly vulnerable to violence. This research also concludes how these risks perpetuate a cycle of poverty and vulnerability among women in these communities and emphasises the critical importance of implementing multidisciplinary policies and tailored approaches to enhance the health and well-being of women living in self-produced settlements.

Enhanced Cross-Entropy Technique for Triangular Fuzzy Neutrosophic Multiple-Attribute Decision-Making and Applications to Quality Evaluation of Urban-Park Environmental Design

The evaluation of urban park environmental design quality is essential for ensuring that parks meet community needs and environmental sustainability. By comprehensively considering indicators such as functionality, aesthetics, sustainability, and user experience, this evaluation helps designers optimize spatial layouts and enhance the efficiency and aesthetic value of parks. Additionally, good environmental design promotes ecological protection, improves the quality of life for residents, and adds more green spaces to the city, making parks an integral part of daily urban life. The evaluation of urban park environmental design quality is framed as a multiple-attribute decision-making (MADM) problem. This study introduces the triangular fuzzy neutrosophic number cross-entropy (TFNN-CE) method, which integrates traditional cross-entropy with triangular fuzzy neutrosophic sets (TFNSs). Subsequently, the TFNN-CE technique for MADM is established. A numerical example illustrating the evaluation of urban park environmental design quality is provided, alongside several comparative analyses to highlight the advantages of the proposed approach. The key contributions of this research are as follows: (1) the TFNN-CE technique is introduced through the integration of cross-entropy and TFNSs; (2) the TFNN-CE technique is formulated to address MADM problems using TFNSs; (3) an empirical application for assessing urban park environmental design quality is presented to validate the proposed methodology; (4) comparative studies are conducted to substantiate the rationality of the TFNN-CE technique.

Autonomous and Electric Vehicles in Urban Living Labs: Smart Mobility Strategies for the Future

The deployment of electric, connected, and autonomous vehicles on public roads presents a significant challenge that can be addressed through previously established frameworks developed globally for implementing these technologies as part of an urban living lab (ULL). This systematic review, based on records from four distinct databases, focuses on projects that have conducted deployments of self-driving technologies in streets within urban environments. The review describes relevant information about various initiatives, including a classification of the stages of development reached according to the urban area covered, safety considerations, and lessons learned for optimal deployment. On-board sensing technology, digital infrastructure, and energy and communication systems emerge as the essential components of a ULL with autonomous vehicles (AVs). A crucial goal for smart cities is ensuring the scalability of large-scale deployments of such ULLs for safe, clean, and future mobility experimentation. This can only be achieved through effective coordination among academia, government, industry, and society to guarantee the successful integration of multiple projects in a unique environment.

The Digital Divide: Immobility and Vulnerability of Marginalized Groups in Urban Areas in China

The research report delves into the formation and impact paradigm of the digital divide in urban marginalized areas, with a particular attention of how digital divides affect the daily lives of urban marginalized groups. While existing analysis of digital divide in China have predominantly focus on differences between urban and rural areas or eastern and western area, this study centres its attention on the community of Junyuan, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, Hubei Province. Herein lies an research of how the digital divide generated and its ramifications for urban life within a community primarily inhabited by low-income residents, elderly individuals, and migrant workers. Survey results are compared with international research findings related to the digital divide. This comparison leads to a proposed influence paradigm tailored for urban fringe communities based on age and education level. Furthermore, a governance approach is recommended that places emphasis on cultivating user willingness and fostering trust in ICT technology as part of efforts to alleviate the adverse effects of the DD experienced by marginalized groups within cities.

Old cities, new pathways: approaches to Roman urbanism in Italy

Throughout the twentieth century, considerable research has been dedicated to understanding the rise, development and end of ancient cities. In recent years, there has been a remarkable upsurge of new methodological and theoretical approaches applied in urbanism studies, which enables us to improve, validate or question our knowledge about ancient urban life. The three books reviewed here concern the development, transformation and experience of ancient Roman cities; leading experts in urban history and archaeology discussing the potential of new technologies and conceptual frameworks for analysing Roman urban space.