Urban Sector Research Articles

An Investigation of the "Green World Escape" in Three Victorian Plays

Urban gardens, parks, and conservatories had grown popular by the late nineteenth century and were now widely available to the public on a cultural and social level. Creating natural areas inside cities merged the rural and urban sectors into a single locale. In order to examine the "green world" experience in Victorian theater, three plays by three British playwrights namely Arthur Wing Pinero, Henry Arthur Jones, and Oscar Wilde from the second half of the nineteenth century have been chosen for this study. The plays span farces, fantasy, and melodrama, presenting many viewpoints on the idea of escapism along with the discovery of and yearning for other worlds. By analyzing the dreams and experiences of the alternate universe, it is feasible to understand Victorian views about the landscape and its role as a respite from urban or industrial commercial centers. This can assist to spark a discussion about characters' desires for escape and the circumstances that drive them to seek tranquility in rural locations. The protagonists' otherworldly experiences inside the alternate worlds may be examined if it is obvious what they are trying to get away from. After knowing what happens in the green world, it is possible to examine how often characters are able to go through difficult situations.

Urban metabolism and dynamic modeling: pioneering approaches for resilient planning in the Greater Cairo Region

In Egypt, planning practice is physical and rooted in design principles, resulting in plans that seldom consider the impact of land use and land cover changes on the environment. Most used planning models are static. The paper offers urban metabolism and dynamic modeling as an alternative mode for decision making. It models population growth and expanded economic activities that characterize rapid urbanization and induce changes in land use affecting various urban economic sectors using the Greater Cairo Region (GCR) as a case study. Urban transportation contributes to climate change. The authors used secondary data and satellite images to detect land use and cover changes since 2005. After building a stock-flow diagram to describe the system’s structure, they used dynamic modeling and GIS to assess the impact of transportation on air quality. Results indicate that the population of GCR will range from 33.348 to 40.334 million in 2050. The emissions from transportation will be around 52,521.2 Gg, which is beyond the ability of the region’s ecosystems to store carbon. These findings shed doubt about the ability of GCR to reach carbon neutrality and, therefore, call for strict measures to control emitting GHGs and change in planning practices and education.Graphical abstract

Model of social sustainability for Dhaka city, Bangladesh

The expansion and development of urban areas require a strategic priority of social sustainability to protect their inhabitants’ quality of life and well-being. However, social sustainability in urban areas, particularly in developing regions, becomes more apparent due to the social problems caused by rapid urbanization. The main objective of this study is to propose a model of social sustainability for socially sustainable cities in developing regions. To accomplish this objective, a quantitative research strategy was used to gather responses from residents of Dhaka city via a structured questionnaire survey; Dhaka served as a representative city from a developing region. This study used a multistage sampling technique to select 564 residents of Dhaka city. The results showed that social sustainability significantly influenced socially sustainable urban development in Dhaka, determining 38 indicators under 11 social sustainability themes using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis utilizing structural equation modeling. The implication of this model serves as a guiding framework intended to assist governmental bodies, policymakers, and urban planners in navigating the path toward achieving sustainable cities. Likewise, the proposed model provides policy implications for enacting and revising urban sector policies in developing regions, considering the fundamental themes of social sustainability. Eventually, this study contributes to implementing Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, bridging the gap between urbanization and sustainable urban societies. Also, this model is a valuable tool for promoting socially sustainable urban development in developing regions.

“The girl conductor has come to stay”: Gender and labour on the buses in interwar Australia

In the early 1920s, “Lady Bus Conductors” were recruited for the first time in Melbourne, Australia. They were employed by private companies, who entered into competition with the public-funded urban transport sector. Combining labour and cultural history approaches, this article draws on newspapers, photographs and union archives to develop an original gendered analysis of the interwar motorbus industry. It argues that women's labour underpinned the creation of feminised traits of service, safety and aesthetics on this new mode of transport. Such traits were successfully commercialised by private operators at the same time as they benefitted from “traditions” of women's lower wages. When the public sector reasserted control over metropolitan transport, they defined the buses as “men's work”, with long-lasting implications. Yet as this article reveals, some women continued to seek employment on private buses, claiming access to elements of the economic, social and cultural status of uniformed transport work.

Inventory of road arborization on the urban section of BR-153 Gurupi-TO

Roadside tree planting involves integrating the road into the landscape. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the tree vegetation in the urbanized, duplicated section of BR-153 highway in Gurupi, Tocantins. Permanent plots were systematically established along the central and lateral medians, each measuring 10x10m (100m²) in size, totaling 146 plots in the central median (CM), 54 in the right lateral median (RLM), and 49 in the left lateral median (LLM). Within these plots, all tree individuals with a minimum height of 4.0m from the ground and a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 5cm were sampled.In the inventory, a total of 260 individuals were counted in the central median, distributed across 24 species and 7 families, with a Shannon diversity index (H') of 1.98 and Pielou's evenness index (J') of 0.62. In the right lateral median, 92 individuals were recorded, representing 13 species and 5 families, with (H') of 2.13 and (J') of 0.83. In the left lateral median, 68 individuals were registered, comprising 15 species and 6 families, with (H') of 2.06 and (J') of 0.76, which is consistent with studies conducted in the region. The average height of the vegetation was 6.6m, and the mean diameter along the stretch was 29.99 cm. The species with the highest importance values were Tabebuia roseo alba (Ridl.) Sandwith, Delonix regia (Bojer ex Hook.) Raf., and Syagrus harleyi Glassman. The families with the highest importance values were Bignoniaceae, Anacardiaceae, Fabaceae, and Arecaceae. Of the species found, 57.14% are recommended tree species for highway tree planting. However, it is worth noting that the high number of individuals of the exotic species Delonix regia (flamboyant) may be considered a negative aspect, as it may compromise the diversity of the Brazilian flora by outcompeting native species.

Environmental assessment of water management and urban growth: A case study in an Argentina Pampean plain's basin

Urbanization has been identified as one of the issues with the greatest environmental impacts on water resources. This study aims to make an environmental diagnosis of urban water management with a systematic approach in a basin with great hydrogeological complexity. We have analyzed urban water management in the Langueyú basin, Argentina, in the period comprehended between 1940 and 2015 in which the city has had a disordered urban growth. It showed that the lack of integrated management together with urban expansion have resulted in a process of building densification and infrastructure that favors the recurrence and magnitude of exceptional hydrological events. This has been accompanied by a spatial displacement of these events and a lack of sanitary services with the same sense of urbanization. It was also demonstrated that the lack of integrated water management this not only had consequences on the Tandil city services associated with the urban hydrological cycle, but also on the quality of its surface water resources (contamination of streams in its urban section) and groundwater (elevation of nitrates levels in water from wells water supply). The absence of a systemic approach to the problem has not considered the relationships between the subsystems involved in water management. This management has been based mainly on the application of structural measures. The main non-structural measure carried out has been to expand the regulations and some neighbor's struggle movements. Other non-structural measures promoted by several actors involved in urban water management, such as authorities, should be carried out in order to raise awareness amongst the population on the importance of water resource protection, especially in areas with hydrogeological limitations.

Quantifying the Variability of Ground Light Sources and Their Relationships with Spaceborne Observations of Night Lights Using Multidirectional and Multispectral Measurements.

With the transition to LED lighting technology, multispectral night-time sensors are needed to quantify the changing nightscapes, given the limitations of the panchromatic sensors. Our objective was to quantify the contribution of lighting sources as measured on the ground and examine their correspondence with night-time brightness and color as measured from space. We conducted ground-based measurements of night-time brightness using the multidirectional (top, rear, right, front, left) and multispectral LANcube v2, which was mounted on the roof of a car, over 458 km of roads in central Israel and in Brisbane, Australia. For spaceborne measurements, we used the SDGSAT-1 multispectral Glimmer sensor. We found that spaceborne measurements of apparent radiance were best explained when including all ground-based directional measurements, with greater explanatory power for highways (R2 = 0.725) than for urban roads (R2 = 0.556). Incoming light in the five directions varied between road classes and land use. In most cases, the variability in night-time brightness and color was greater for urban road sections than for highways. We conclude that due to the spectral mixture of lighting sources, at a medium spatial resolution, the impact of the transition to LED lighting may be more easily recognized from space over highways than in dense urban settings.

Creation or disruption? Doubts from the internet applications in China's rural sector

To address the current large gap in research on the Internet applications in the Chinese rural sector, this paper explores the effect of these applications on the labor productivity of Chinese farmers from a creative destruction perspective. First, we construct a model to analyze the direct and indirect paths of the Internet applications impact on the productivity of farm households at the theoretical level; second, we conduct an empirical study corresponding to the theory based on micro-survey data obtained from China's first nationwide large-scale social survey project. Specifically, we verified the Internet applications direct effect on farm household labor productivity through the mean treatment effect approach and explored the efficiency and mechanism of action of the Internet productivity effect in the rural sector using the mediating effect model, Probit model, and the counterfactual analysis framework. The study finds that the productivity effect of the rural Internet applications still has a certain gap compared with the urban sector, although it is not at the "Solow's paradox" stage. Further discussion reveals that the Internet adoption in rural areas is a process of "creative destruction", and its destructive effects are dominant at this stage, while the creative effects still need to be further explored. This paper emphasizes that, for developing countries, accurately identifying the development stage of the Internet applications and further exploring its creative role is an important way to improve labor productivity in rural areas, and it is also an important step to promote the construction of digital villages.

A Digital Twin Framework for Precision Neuromusculoskeletal Health Care: Extension Upon Industrial Standards.

There is a powerful global trend toward deeper integration of digital twins into modern life driven by Industry 4.0 and 5.0. Defense, agriculture, engineering, manufacturing, and urban planning sectors have thoroughly incorporated digital twins to great benefit across their respective product lifecycles. Despite clear benefits, a digital twin framework for health and medical sectors is yet to emerge. This paper proposes a digital twin framework for precision neuromusculoskeletal health care. We build upon the International Standards Organization framework for digital twins for manufacturing by presenting best available computational models within a digital twin framework for clinical application. We map a use case for modeling Achilles tendon mechanobiology, highlighting how current modeling practices align with our proposed digital twin framework. Similarly, we map a use case for advanced neurorehabilitation technology, highlighting the role of a digital twin in control of systems where human and machine are interfaced. Future work must now focus on creating an informatic representation to govern how digital data are passed to, from, and within the digital twin, as well as specific standards to declare which measurement systems and modeling methods are acceptable to move toward widespread use of the digital twin framework for precision neuromusculoskeletal health care.

Mapping pandemic responses in urban Indigenous Australia: Reflections on systems thinking and pandemic preparedness

ObjectivesWe investigate some of the strengths and challenges associated with Covid-19 responses in urban Indigenous communities in Brisbane, Australia. Our research reflects on the interconnected dynamics that impact health outcomes and mitigate or exacerbate the risk of Covid-19 spreading within urban Indigenous communities. MethodsThree systems thinking workshops were held in 2021 with Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders (N15/workshop) from State and Federal services, along with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations. All worked in the urban Indigenous health sector. Stakeholders produced a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) incorporating the critical feedbacks determining the dynamics influencing health outcomes. The aim of the research was to help stakeholders’ build awareness of how the structure of the system influences health outcomes. ResultsStakeholders identified 6 key dynamics which have a negative or positive impact on mitigating risks of Covid-19 infection. By mapping these dynamics within a CLD, 7 intervention points were identified. ConclusionsSystems thinking provides a useful tool in identifying the complexities associated with navigating health challenges, but further research is needed to develop frameworks that work in conjunction with Indigenous Australian methodologies. Implications for public healthIndigenous voices and communities must lie central to health responses/policies for Indigenous peoples. When systems thinking is done by or in collaboration with stakeholders it provides a visual language that can help design public health policy. What can be ascertained is that their effectiveness is predicated on systems thinking’s integration with Indigenous methodologies that acknowledges Indigenous self-determination and challenges Eurocentric representations of health and Indigeneity.

Analysis of carbon emissions in urban building sector using multi-influence model

The building industry is a major energy-consumer and carbon-emitter worldwide. Energy with low carbon emissions is critical for decarbonizing the urban building sector. Early studies often showed how one or more factors affected carbon emissions, but frequently ignored how diverse urban building subsystems varied in integrity, dynamism, and complexity. This study created a comprehensive and versatile carbon emission prediction system for the urban construction industry using the proposed Multi-influence Model of Urban Building Carbon-emission (MMUBC). Application of the model is demonstrated through a case study in Heilongjiang Province, China. The modeling results indicate that carbon emissions from urban buildings are projected to reach their peak before 2030, with a potential reduction of approximately 78% by 2060 compared with 2020 levels. Achieving early peak carbon emissions in the power generation and heating sectors appears to be feasible through increased use of renewable energy for heating. The scalability of the model allows for future implementation in larger regions of China and potential use for assessing CO2 emissions in urban buildings. With quantitative data, the model offers valuable support to policymakers implementing low-carbon strategies in the building sector.

Developing a framework for effective institutional management of Ghana's urban water supply

PurposeA viable framework has been proven to reduce operational and institutional inefficiencies in the urban water supply sector. The absence of drivers necessary to develop a framework may have hindered institutional development and effective Ghanaian urban water supply management. Thus, the research aims to identify the drivers and develop a framework for effectively managing the urban water supply in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilised a qualitative research design approach and analysed collected data to proffer answers to the research questions. The research sampled 19 participants, and saturation was achieved.FindingsFindings identified drivers for developing Ghana's urban water supply framework. They categorised them into the availability of water supply resources, the level of professionalism of the personnel, the provision of accessible quality water, the efficient management system of water supply, prudent financial management, ethics for managing water supply and the culture of managing water supply. These pertinent constructs form components of Ghana's urban water sector framework.Originality/valueBesides supporting transformation and sustainability to develop a framework for managing Ghana's urban water supply sector, policymakers may utilise the developed model to evaluate public urban water supply compliance with Ghana's water sector performance.

AVALIAÇÃO COMPARATIVA DA QUALIDADE DOS DADOS DE ELEVAÇÃO OBTIDOS COM GNSS, GOOGLE EARTH E SRTM PARA PROJETOS DE ESTRADAS

Obtaining terrain elevation data is essential for numerous engineering applications. However, regardless of the technique used to obtain the elevation data, there will be errors intrinsic to the instruments and to the measurement technique used, as well as depending on the model of Earth representation, which are plane, spherical or ellipsoidal. In this perspective, this work proposes a comparative approach between the elevation data obtained from the geodesic coordinates, provided by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and those obtained from Google Earth (GE) and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The data collection was carried out in the urban section between km 125 to km 145,500 of Dom Pedro-I Highway (SP-065), State of São Paulo, Brazil. The quality of the results is evaluated based on the Mean Quadratic Error (RMSE). The main results showed that the elevation data obtained through the SRTM show greater agreement or adjustment to the GNSS data when compared to the higher quality and less variation than those obtained through the GE, since they have smaller RMSE and are closer to the average elevations calculated for the highway segment analyzed. However, it is worth noting that the use of GE can be a good alternative for low-cost preliminary studies.

Online State-of-Health Estimation for NMC Lithium-Ion Batteries Using an Observer Structure

State-of-health (SoH) estimation is one of the key tasks of a battery management system, (BMS) as battery aging results in capacity- and power fade that must be accounted for by the BMS to ensure safe operation over the battery’s lifetime. In this study, an online SoH estimator approach for NMC Li-ion batteries is presented which is suitable for implementation in a BMS. It is based on an observer structure in which the difference between a calculated and expected open-circuit voltage (OCV) is used for online SoH estimation. The estimator is parameterized and evaluated using real measurement data. The data were recorded for more than two years on an electrified bus fleet of 10 buses operated in a mild European climate and used regularly in the urban transport sector. Each bus is equipped with four NMC Li-ion batteries. Every battery has an energy of 30.6 kWh. Additionally, two full-capacity checkup measurements were performed for one of the operated batteries: one directly after production and one after two years of operation. Initial validation results demonstrated a SoH estimation accuracy of ±0.5% compared to the last checkup measurement.

Research on the Orderly Charging Regulation Capability of Electric Vehicles in Beijing

The carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals accelerate the pace of energy transformation. Urban energy development faces many challenges. While electric vehicles are promoting the clean and low-carbon transformation of urban transportation sectors, their application prospects as distributed energy storage are increasingly receiving attention from all parties. By providing reasonable guidance on the charging behavior of electric vehicles, they can provide power and energy regulation services such as frequency regulation and peak shaving to the electric power system, improving the utilization level of random and fluctuating new energy. However, there is currently limited research on the quantitative evaluation of the orderly charging regulation ability of electric vehicles. Based on the outlook for energy development and the prediction for the scale of electric vehicles in Beijing, taking into account the characteristics of different vehicle types, this article quantitatively evaluates the regulation ability of orderly charging of electric vehicles in Beijing in the future. The research provides a reference for electric vehicles to participate in demand response and form friendly interaction with the power grid.

An economic analysis of United States public transit carbon emissions dynamics

During a time of rising concern about climate change, the urban public transit sector has not significantly reduced its carbon footprint. Using data from the nation's transit agencies over the years 2002–2019, we document that the energy efficiency gains of United States public transit lagged the gains of European public transit and the domestic private transportation. The carbon footprint of a transportation provider depends on scale, composition, and technique effects. We use this accounting framework to explore several possible explanations for our findings. We contrast the incentive effects that a private entity versus a public transit agency faces in decarbonizing.

A portfolio selection of internet of things (IoTs) applications for the sustainable urban transportation: A novel hybrid multi criteria decision making approach

The nature of technological innovations is unpredictable, therefore decision making on disruptive technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) in many public sector organizations is undisciplined. Due to resource limitations and tremendous payoffs, there is a need to have a decision-making framework to manage technological innovations as a portfolio of investments that balances risk and reward simultaneously. This study provides a new portfolio matrix for decision making to identify IoT applications in the urban transportation sector for future investment based on two dimensions of impact on sustainable development (SD) and feasibility for implementing IoT using a novel hybrid multi criteria decision making approach. For this purpose, seventeen IoT applications in urban transportation were identified using a systematic literature review. The improved Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) - Best Worth Method (BWM) method was used to determine the relationship between SD criteria and IoT challenges, and to calculate their importance. Then, the Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) method was used to prioritize the IoT applications based on SD criteria and IoT challenges. Finally, the adapted impact-feasibility matrix was used to simultaneously evaluate both criteria for selecting the IoT applications portfolio. Results of this paper show that bike sharing and car sharing have the first priority for investment in the case of a developing country.

The REDATAM program: an approach to the Sustainable Development Goals in the Galapagos Islands

Computer programs are an essential ally for fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They offer enormous potential for accelerating said fulfillment and reducing the cost of implementation processes. Our objectives in this Galapagos Islands case study were: i) to quantify the proportion of male and female inhabitants, separated by ethnicity, ii) to identify the number of dwellings distributed at urban and rural levels according to their typology, and iii) to determine the proportion of dwellings that are supplied with water. The Galapagos Islands are located 1000 km from mainland Ecuador. The program used was REDATAM Version 7 (Microcomputer Data Recovery for Small Areas), which specializes in processing microdata from population and housing censuses. The unit of investigation was the dwellings, and within them, the households and household members who are habitual residents in the province of Galapagos and who were in the 2015 census. It was identified that at the provincial level, 51.20% are male and 48. 80% are female, and the most populous canton is Santa Cruz. The population is divided into six ethnic groups heterogeneously between urban and rural sectors and between cantons. There are no group housing projects at the rural level for preventive or remedial assistance for the population, and there is a deficit in terms of water supply to the rural sector. Therefore, local authorities must promote programs to improve the living conditions of rural and urban dwellers to work toward complying with the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals, as outlined in the 2030 Agenda. Keywords: 2030 Agenda; census, development, demography sustainable.

Retrofit strategies to mitigate overheating linking urban climate modeling and urban building simulations with outdoor comfort. An urban sector in Malaga (Spain)

This work evaluates the cooling effect of retrofit strategies on urban buildings and outdoor comfort in an urban sector in Málaga on one of the hottest days. The methodology links urban climate modeling and urban building simulations with outdoor comfort. The solar reflectance (SR) of roofs, urban surfaces and green areas and their forestation increases after the retrofit. Only the SR façade remains the same, be it in the current or the retrofit scenarios: 0.3. Both façade retrofit strategies consist of an opaque double skin façade (ODSF) with ceramic or metal tiles. Energy cooling is reduced by 52.51% with ceramic and by 52.57% with metal ODSF while urban comfort improves after retrofit: Universal Thermal Comfort Index (UTCI) decreases by 0.62 °C and Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) decreases by 2.58 °C. Simultaneously, seven points at the pedestrian level assess outdoor comfort in different urban canyons. UTCI decreases more with the metal than with the ODSF ceramic. Regardless the canyon height, the width ratio or the orientation, the UTCI decreases between 2.45 °C and 4.86 °C when under a tree and it decreases more as S/N canyons narrow. This methodology and insights help stakeholders, designers, planners, and policy-makers make data-driven decisions to mitigate overheating and UHI in Mediterranean cities with similar urban building and canyon morphology.

Energy consumption characteristics and rooftop photovoltaic potential assessment of elevated metro station

The current trend of urbanization has spurred the growth of the urban railway transportation sector, leading to increased carbon emission and environmental challenges. Applying renewable energy assisted power supply systems into metro stations is a feasible method for achieving decarbonization in urban transit systems. This study comprehensively reveals the real energy profile of a metro station on an hourly scale and establishes a multi-objective model to investigate the energy flexibility of the metro station with integrated battery energy storage for on-site renewable electricity consumption maximization. The results show that the elevated station has a photovoltaic potential of 20 %–25 %, in terms of self-sufficiency rate, when the rooftop of the station is fully utilized for photovoltaic array installation. Moreover, a photovoltaic-battery system in addition to a multi-objective mixed inter linear programming model is presented for the circumstance, there existing idle land around the station, to achieve a near-zero carbon station. It is indicated that the near-zero carbon station can be achieved with a minimum payback period of 11.5 years by optimizing the photovoltaic array size and battery storage capacity, leading to the annual carbon emission reduced from 457.1 to 91.4 tons. It is anticipated this study could provide reference for clean electrification and decarbonization in urban metro system.