Urban Planning Factors Research Articles

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO IDENTIFY SUITABLE AREAS FOR THE LOCATION OF PUBLIC FACILITIES USING MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS BASED ON GIS AND AHP IN THE CITY OF EL KHROUB, ALGERIA

Random and spontaneous urban growth is the result of massive natural population growth, as it is in all developing countries. As for our study air, it also results from the unloading of the mother city of Constantine to the satellite city of El-Khroub, which gave urbanization the power to take over its vast environment, An uneven distribution of public facilities in the city’s major districts, as well as traffic jams. This work attempted to determine the suitability of urban land for the location of public facilities in the city. It should be noted that land suitability assessment is a major factor in urban planning and management. Our land adequacy assessment is subject to the AHP model, calculating the weighting of various criteria including physical, socio-economic, environmental and urban. The final adequacy analysis revealed the proportion of land most suitable, estimated at 3.52% of the total area, covering mainly fallow land. The results of this study provide a detailed mapping of urban development potential, integrating both existing data and future projections.

Dynamic Simulation of Carbon Emission Peak in City-Scale Building Sector: A Life-Cycle Approach Based on LEAP-SD Model

Systematically predicting carbon emissions in the building sector is crucial for formulating effective policies and plans. However, the timing and potential peak emissions from urban buildings remain unclear. This research integrates socio-economic, urban planning, building technology, and energy consumption factors to develop a LEAP-SD model using Shenzhen as a case study. The model considers the interrelationship between socio-economic development and energy consumption, providing more realistic scenario simulations to predict changes in carbon emissions within the urban building sector. The study investigates potential emission peaks and peak times of buildings under different population and building area development scenarios. The results indicate that achieving carbon peaking by 2030 is challenging under a business as usual (BAU) scenario. However, a 10% greater reduction in energy intensity compared to BAU could result in peaking around 2030. The simulation analysis highlights the significant impact of factors such as population growth rate, per capita residential building area, and energy consumption per unit building area and the need for a comprehensive analysis. It provides more realistic scenario simulations that not only enhance theories and models for predicting carbon emissions but also offer valuable insights for policymakers in establishing effective reduction targets and strategies.

A hierarchical deep reinforcement learning method for solving urban route planning problems under large-scale customers and real-time traffic conditions

As urbanization and economic growth advance, large-scale customers and real-time traffic conditions have become crucial factors in urban route planning. Deep reinforcement learning is considered the most effective method for solving urban route planning problems involving large-scale customers and real-time traffic conditions. Due to memory usage limitations, existing deep reinforcement learning methods cannot identify candidate customers or determine optimal travel routes in large-scale and real-time environments. To tackle these problems, this study introduces a hierarchical deep reinforcement learning method utilizing an improved transformer model (HDRLITF) based on the divide-and-conquer concept. Graph attention networks and gate mechanisms are integrated into the transformer model to capture dynamic features and improve the model’s performance. A two-stage training method, based on the actor-critic algorithm, is proposed to determine the optimal policy function. To evaluate the HDRLITF method, experiments were conducted using datasets from the cities of Shenzhen and Chengdu in China. The experimental results suggest that the HDRLITF method can effectively interact with real-time traffic environments and obtain high-quality solutions compared to other deep reinforcement learning methods. The robustness and reliability of HDRLITF were further validated across multiple traffic scenarios and indicators.

Determining the Level of and Potential for the Development of Tourism Clusters, Taking into Account Infrastructure and Urban Planning Factors

The optimal development of tourism clusters (quite active and effective, but not allowing overtourism) requires the development of methods for calculating their level of development and potential, taking into account the most important influencing factors. Consideration of the share of factors’ influence on the development of tourism clusters does not adequately take into account the infrastructure and urban planning components. This article, based on a literature analysis and expert assessment, identifies the main factors influencing the development of tourism clusters and shows the leading role of infrastructure factors and the provision of a cluster with high-quality hotel stock. Formulas are given for calculating factor indicators and determining the integral level of development of the cluster, as well as its development potential, including infrastructural. An example of calculations of the development potential of a cluster and management decisions made in the field of construction is given using the example of an emerging tourism cluster, “Kirzhach”. The results of the factor analysis and calculation of the cluster development potential will allow informed management decisions to be made not only for the investment and construction of hotel real estate and other tourism infrastructure, but also for cluster development priorities and areas of government regulation and support.

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO IDENTIFY SUITABLE AREAS FOR THE LOCATION OF PUBLIC FACILITIES USING MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS BASED ON GIS AND AHP IN THE CITY OF EL KHROUB, ALGERIA

Random and spontaneous urban growth is the result of massive natural population growth, as it is in all developing countries. As for our study air, it also results from the unloading of the mother city of Constantine to the satellite city of El-Khroub, which gave urbanization the power to take over its vast environment, An uneven distribution of public facilities in the city’s major districts, as well as traffic jams. This work attempted to determine the suitability of urban land for the location of public facilities in the city. It should be noted that land suitability assessment is a major factor in urban planning and management. Our land adequacy assessment is subject to the AHP model, calculating the weighting of various criteria including physical, socio-economic, environmental and urban. The final adequacy analysis revealed the proportion of land most suitable, estimated at 3.52% of the total area, covering mainly fallow land. The results of this study provide a detailed mapping of urban development potential, integrating both existing data and future projections.

Mapping Nutritional Inequality: A Primary Socio-Spatial Analysis of Food Deserts in Santiago de Chile

This study investigates the socio-spatial distribution of food deserts in Santiago de Chile, aiming to understand how urban planning and socioeconomic factors influence access to nutritious food. Employing geospatial analysis techniques with data from OpenStreetMap and the 2017 Census, the research identifies areas within Santiago where access to healthy food is limited. The novelty of this study lies in its application of spatial autocorrelation methods, specifically Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA), to reveal clusters of nutritional inequality. The findings indicate significant concentrations of food deserts in both lower socioeconomic peripheral areas and, surprisingly, in some high-income central areas. These results suggest that both poverty and urban infrastructure, including car dependency, play critical roles in shaping access to healthy food. By highlighting over two million residents affected by food deserts, the study underscores the urgent need for integrated urban planning and public health strategies. This research contributes to the understanding of urban nutritional inequality and provides a replicable methodological framework for other cities. The implications extend beyond Santiago, offering insights into how urban design can be leveraged to improve public health outcomes through better access to nutritious food.

Urban Food Deserts and Cardiovascular Health: Evaluating the Impact of Nutritional Inequities on Elderly Populations in Santiago

This study examines the link between food deserts and cardiovascular health in older adults in Santiago’s Metropolitan Region, Chile. As the population ages and chronic diseases rise, understanding the impact of food accessibility on health is essential. Using multiscale geographically weighted regression, we analyzed data from the Cardiovascular Health Program, socioeconomic indicators, and food desert maps, sourced from the Chilean Ministry of Health and other databases. Spatial analysis, including Voronoi diagrams, assessed the influence of food deserts on health outcomes. Findings show a significant correlation between limited access to healthy foods and higher cardiovascular disease rates, especially in economically disadvantaged areas. The regression model is significant to contribute to the explanation of disease prevalence, emphasizing the impact of food availability on health. This study highlights the importance of considering spatial factors in urban planning and public health policies. By showcasing the role of food environments in health disparities, it advocates for integrated health interventions. Targeted urban planning to address food deserts can enhance access to healthy foods, improving cardiovascular health and well-being among Santiago’s elderly. The findings provide insights for policymakers to create healthier urban environments and stress the need for sustainable food systems to support public health.

Suitability Evaluation of Urban Underground Space Development: A Case Study of Qingdao City

Urban underground space, as an underutilized land resource, holds tremendous potential and value. Efficient and rational development and utilization of this resource are key to addressing current urban challenges. This study takes the main urban area of Qingdao City as an example and establishes a comprehensive evaluation system for the suitability of urban underground space development at different depth levels through the integration of geological, hydrological, and urban planning factors. By utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process to assign weights to evaluation criteria within the system, both a multi-objective linear weighting function model and a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model are employed to assess the suitability of underground space development. The results delineate the distribution of underground space development suitability within the study area. Comparative analysis of the two models reveals that the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model offers a more detailed and comprehensive reflection of the complexity and diversity of underground space development, providing forward-looking and insightful evaluation results for urban planning and development. The evaluation indicates that certain streets within the main urban area of Qingdao exhibit excellent prospects for underground space development.

Modeling the United Oscillation and Wave of economic policy and urban planning employing spatial population dynamics.

Modern urban dynamics are increasingly shaped by the interplay between economic policy and urban planning, yet often lack an integrated approach. This study bridges this gap by examining the dynamic equilibrium between these two realms using the "Oscillation and Wave Framework." Specifically, we focus on the impact of variations in congestion parameter λ on urban sectoral spatial distribution and population dynamics. Our approach utilizes an advanced agent-based model to simulate interactions within an urban economic landscape, offering a detailed analysis of the relationship between agglomeration economies and congestion diseconomies. The results highlight the significant influence of congestion parameter adjustments on urban patterns, particularly in terms of cluster density and development. Therefore, this study not only provides a deeper understanding of the intricate balance between economic and urban planning factors but also emphasizes the necessity of incorporating these insights into urban planning and policy formulation for sustainable urban development. The findings also have important practical implications for addressing the dynamic complexities of urban environments, especially the interactions between different industries and their role in shaping urban structures.

FORMATION OF SPATIAL FACTORS ENSURING THE INVESTMENT ATTRACTIVENESS OF REGIONAL LANDS

It has been proven that modern directions and features of land relations at the regional level require a rethinking of approaches to their formation in the context of ensuring the investment attractiveness of regional lands. The purpose of the study is to identify spatial factors in ensuring the investment attractiveness of the lands of the regions. To achieve the goal, the following tasks were solved: to analyze the state and trends of changes in spatial factors; to substantiate the spatial factors of ensuring the investment attractiveness of the lands of the regions. In order to solve the problematic aspects, it is necessary to define and justify the spatial factors of ensuring the investment attractiveness of the lands of the regions, which is an urgent and timely task. A categorical apparatus for determining the investment attractiveness of the lands of the regions was formed, which is based on a set of interrelated spatial, economic, urban planning, ecological, innovative, security, regulatory and legal factors and modern tools of geo-information systems, methods, models, which made it possible to build a quantitative basis for the development of adoption reasoned decisions regarding the attraction of investments in the field of land relations at the regional level. As a result of the study, the factors of land formation and use that affect the investment attractiveness of the lands of the regions and build the foundation for the creation of spatial support are determined. Spatial factors ensuring the investment attractiveness of land at the regional level are determined. The presented factors are an element of a multi-level system of indicators for assessing the level of ensuring the investment attractiveness of the lands of the regions in the context of the development of the integral assessment method. Spatial factors as an important element of investment attractiveness of regional land use are used in mathematical modeling to establish cause-and-effect relationships and create a basis for characterizing further changes. This makes it possible to develop scientifically based recommendations for ensuring the investment attractiveness of regional land use. Keywords: land use, investment attractiveness of land, regions, spatial factor.

Assessment of Living Room Furniture Arrangement on Wellbeing Case Study Jeddah Residents, Saudi Arabia

This review explores the impact of living room furniture arrangement on the wellbeing of residents in Jeddah, integrating cultural, environmental, and psychological perspectives. It synthesizes findings from various qualitative studies, highlighting the significant role of cultural and traditional elements in living space design. The review emphasizes the importance of biophilic design, adaptability, and flexibility in modern living spaces, particularly in the context of post-COVID-19 lifestyle changes. It also examines the influence of urban planning and socio-economic factors on residential space design and its impact on resident wellbeing. Key conclusions suggest that living room arrangements in Jeddah should resonate with cultural values, incorporate biophilic elements, and be adaptable to multifunctional use. Future research directions include further exploration of cultural aspects in living space design, innovations in biophilic integration, adaptive design solutions, and the establishment of wellbeing metrics for evidence-based design. The review acknowledges limitations in scope, potential biases, and the dynamic nature of urban living, underscoring the need for ongoing research.

URBAN PLANNING FACTORS OF LAND USE MONITORING OF UNITED TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES

There is proof that in the conditions of ensuring transformational processes, issues of formation and use of land and increasing the efficiency of their use at the local level arise. In addition, the presented processes deepen because of the reform of local self-government, which ensures the effectiveness and interaction of stakeholders. The core element in developing these relationships is the united territorial communities and land use directions and features, with consideration of the influence of factors. In the system of land relations of united territorial communities, urban planning factors that influence the development and implementation of modern monitoring tools are particularly important. The study aims to determine the urban planning factors of land use monitoring of united territorial communities. To achieve the goal, we solved the following tasks: characterisation of urban planning factors of land use monitoring and highlighting the peculiarities of the formation of urban planning factors of land use of united territorial communities. Among the peculiarities of the development of land use monitoring of united territorial communities is also the identification of a system of urban planning factors, namely the levels: development and implementation of land management projects regarding the arrangement of territories for urban planning needs; formation and application of the urban development support system; development and implementation of monitoring procedures of urban planning activities; formation and use of urban cadastre; provision of architectural and construction control; development and implementation of comprehensive plans; change in the level of construction activity in united territorial communities. We have formed local factors of urban planning support for land use monitoring of united territorial communities, with most of them determined by qualitative methods. Estimating the indicator of the change in the level of construction activity in the united territorial communities uses quantitative methods. It creates a basis for implementing monitoring procedures through the application of urban planning provision of land use of united territorial communities. Keywords: urban planning factors, land use, united territorial communities, monitoring.

Basic Analysis of Physical Determinants Affecting the Distribution Density of Senior Citizen Centers around Small Apartment Complexes, Focusing on Administrative Districts in Busan

The role of senior citizen centers is becoming more important, with a greater emphasis placed on ensuring that these establishments facilitate leisure and communication for older adults. These developments are taking place as population aging has now become an irreversible global trend. However, there is still a lack of systematic research on predicting the distribution density of senior citizen centers based on physical factors in urban planning. Therefore, this study set each administrative district in Busan as a unit and investigated physical factors affecting the distribution density of senior citizen centers around small apartment complexes to validate their effectiveness. First, the spatial hierarchy of each administrative district in Busan was examined. The city was divided into administrative districts while focusing on the distribution density of senior citizen centers (the dependent variable) around small apartment complexes where older adults live (within a 500 m radius). The spatial accessibility of senior citizen centers and the number of apartments in each administrative district were set as independent variables. This selection was made to verify the effectiveness of the physical factors by conducting an independent sample t-test, normality test, Friedman test, and two-way ANOVA. The chief findings of this study are as follows. (1) The spatial awareness of each administrative district was low, and there were large disparities in the land development density relative to the spatial scale of the administrative districts. (2) Regarding the physical factors affecting the distribution density of senior citizen centers, the spatial accessibility of senior residences was more significant than the number of small apartment complexes nearby. (3) Personal and social factors may have indirectly influenced the distribution density of senior citizen centers more than physical factors, depending on the type of house in which the older adults live. The findings will provide a theoretical basis for determining the location and distribution density of senior citizen centers in urban planning considering physical factors, as well as serve as a reference for public policy decisions related to the allocation of such centers in the future.

Mapping the urban and rural planning response paths to pandemics of infectious diseases

Modern urban and rural planning has a long history in terms of epidemics. However, contemporary urban and rural planning lacks a comprehensive response map for the prevention and control of infectious diseases. As the process of comprehensive policies making for social issues, a bridge between urban and rural development and the prevention and control of infectious diseases must be established. This research sorts out the academic literature that studies the relationship and logic between epidemic infectious diseases and urban and rural physical environments. This research constructed links between issues of urban and rural planning and the means of prevention and control of epidemic infectious diseases, and drew them to form a comprehensive map which illustrates the logic paths between 12 issues of urban and rural planning and intricate factors of epidemic infectious diseases. The atlas provided in this study shows that planners could have a simplified, without missing key points, way to make, examine, and evaluate planning strategies from limited perspectives such as pathogen exposure opportunities, pathogen resistance, hosts, travel, and trade, when addressing pandemic issues.

Disasters in Petrópolis, Brazil: political, urban planning, and geometeorological factors that contributed to the event on February 15, 2022

In Brazil, Petrópolis, situated in the mountainous region of the Rio de Janeiro, stands out as one of the areas most severely affected by disasters. The present study aims to provide: i) an overview of disaster cases in Petrópolis (2018 to 2022); ii) the geometeorological mechanisms that supported the occurrence of the extreme precipitation event on February 15, 2022; and iii) the role of urban planning policies in disaster risk management in Petrópolis. 194 different disasters events were identified, with the majority (51%) being landslides. In February 2022, the landslides and floods resulted from the contribution of the extreme precipitation event, which led to a daily accumulation of 260 mm. A cold front over the ocean brought moisture to the southeast of Brazil, and local topography favored southward winds, supporting storm formation. It is worth noting that despite the existence of a previous risk assessment study conducted by the municipality's administration, disasters continue to occur, highlighting the need for monitoring and revision of local public policies. Beyond random misfortunes, the occurrence of disasters underscores the socio-environmental injustices produced by the omission of public administration, contributing to Petrópolis becoming a risk-prone area.

Farm factors influencing spatial variations of cropland use and change in the context of urban expansion: The case of Jimma City, Southwest Ethiopia

Urban factors comprising economic and population growth are widely discussed as determinants of cropland-use change decisions and urbanization containment. Despite the academic discussion, farm factors remain detached from urban planning theories and practices. This study used a cross-sectional survey and remote sensing data to investigate farm factors influencing farmers’ cropland-use decisions. To measure human farm factors, a structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from a randomly selected 300 farmers in Jimma peri-urban areas while an unstructured questionnaire was used to gather views of conveniently recruited participants. Landsat-8 and the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) were employed to extract the physical factors. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model was used to determine significant farm factors of cropland-use decisions and the Geographical Weighted Regression (GWR) model was applied to map the spatial variation in cropland-use decisions along the rural-urban continuum. The results revealed that farm factors influenced the cropland-use decisions of farmers. Cropland-use conversion rates increase with distance to the urban center due to greater access to social services. The conversion rates also increase with decreasing slope gradients and good soil quality. Farmers with higher farm income, labour, and extension have lower cropland-use conversion rates while those with higher non-farm income and labour, family size, farm size, and education have higher conversion rates. The findings of this study suggest that government policies aimed at restricting urban growth and sustaining ecosystem services should adopt farm factors to preserve prime cropland-use along the rural-urban continuum. Considering farm factors in urban land-use planning also promotes synergistic rural-urban planning integrations to bring balanced rural-urban development, poverty reduction, slow urban migration, and smart urban growth.

Social media insights into spatio-temporal emotional responses to COVID-19 crisis

The Coronavirus pandemic has presented multifaceted challenges in urban emotional well-being and mental health management. Our study presents a spatio-temporal sentiment mining (STSM) framework to address these challenges, focusing on the space-time geography and environmental psychology. This framework analyzes the distribution and trends of 6 categories of public sentiments in Shanghai during the COVID-19 crisis, considering the potential urban spatial influencing factors. The research specifically draws on social media data temporally coinciding with the spread of COVID-19 and the pre-trained language model RoBERTa-wwm-ext to classify public sentiment, in order to characterize the distribution and trends of dominant urban sentiment under the influence of epidemic at different phases. The interactions between urban geospatial features and sentiments are further modelled and explained using LightGBM algorithm and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) technique. The experimental findings reveal the subtle yet dynamic impact of the urban environment on the long-term spatial variation and trends of public sentiment under the epidemic, with green spaces and socio-economic status emerging as significant factors. Regions with higher permanent population consumption demonstrated more positive sentiments, underscoring the significance of socio-economic factors in urban planning and public health policy. This research offers the most extensive analysis to date on the influence of urban characteristics on public sentiment during Shanghai's epidemic life cycle also lays the groundwork for applying the STSM framework in future crises beyond COVID-19.

The protective role of green spaces in mitigating myopia prevalence.

Near-sightedness, or myopia, is becoming more prevalent worldwide, but its etiopathogenesis is not fully understood. This review examines the potential protective role of green spaces in reducing myopia prevalence among children and adolescents, based on recent epidemiological studies from various countries. The studies consistently used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to quantify green space exposure. The analysis reveals a significant inverse relationship between exposure to green space and the risk of developing myopia, across multiple studies. For example, a 0.1 increase in NDVI within various buffer zones around schools was associated with a 6.3-8.7% reduction in myopia prevalence. Higher residential greenness within a 100-meter buffer around homes was linked to a 38% reduction in the risk of developing myopia among preschool children. The protective effect was observed across different age groups, from preschoolers to high school students. Urban planning factors, such as the size, connectivity, and aggregation of green spaces, also influenced myopia risk. These findings suggest that increasing access to green spaces in urban environments may be an effective strategy for myopia prevention, with important implications for public health and urban planning policies.

СПЕЦИФИКА ПРОСТРАНСТВЕННО-ПЛАНИРОВОЧНОЙ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ МНОГОУРОВНЕВЫХ ОБЩЕСТВЕННЫХ ПРОСТРАНСТВ В СТРУКТУРЕ СОВРЕМЕННОГО ГОРОДА

The article examines the prerequisites for the multi-level public spaces’ emergence, the main features of their inclusion in the city planning structure; urban planning, spatial planning, social, economic and landscape-ecological factors contribut-ing to the emergence and development of multi-level public spaces in the modern ur-ban environment have been identified. Taking into account an analysis of global design experience, a typology of these urban areas is given on the assumption of the functional content, composition and relationship of their structural elements and features of placement relative to the earth surface; spaces in the structure of large transport hubs, multi-level spaces accompanying public buildings and complexes, multi-level parks, multi-level transport and pedestrian areas are identified as the studied types. Based on the analysis of the multi-level public spaces’ organization, the characteristic features of their successful functioning have been identified: accessibility, optimal filling of space as a node of social activity concentration, differentiation of use types by level and nature of activity, ensuring urban planning flexibility and continuity, green technologies’ use. Project proposals for the multi-level public space formation for Volgograd city condi-tions were considered on projects for the Station Square reconstruction, providing for the functional zoning improvement, transport and pedestrian traffic and the use of landscape design.

Simulation of traffic flow control using S-­hypernetwork

The problem of the influence of the network capacity of the introduction of one-way traffic on certain sections of the streets is considered. The possibility of using simulation modeling to determine the rules for managing the flow of cars in the metropolis is offered. The construction of the simulation model is based on a non-stationary s-hypernetwork, which makes it possible to adequately reflect the flow of cars on city streets. The main indicator of street congestion is the average speed of vehicles, which has been decreasing sharply over the years. Moreover, this problem began to affect not only large cities, but also smaller ones. The increasing congestion of vehicles on the city’s road network not only increases costs due to lost time, but also increases the likelihood of accidents and negatively affects the environment and people’s quality of life. Management of traffic flows of road transport networks is closely related to their carrying capacity. For the most effective operation of the network, it is necessary to ensure the possibility of passing through it the maximum flow. Since the transport infrastructure of the metropolis is a complex hierarchical non-stationary system of the network structure, the selected theory allows to simulate transport networks close to reality and to solve a number of tasks related to them, such as: modeling of traffic flows of the city’s road transport network; management of transport systems; optimal placement of service points, etc. It is also worth noting that when building the model, it is necessary to take into account not only the urban planning factors of the road and transport network, but also the behavior of the flows and the characteristics of the types of vehicles that make them up. For example, the introduction of one-way traffic can both increase and decrease the carrying capacity of a section of the road network, depending on the flow structure of a given area of the city. Thus, the simulation model will allow to calculate the optimal orientation of the traffic on the streets of the city.