Urban Spots Research Articles

City branding and urban tourist revisit intention: the mediation role of city image and visitor satisfaction

Two research objectives have been addressed in this study. The first objective aims to determine the relationships among city branding, city image, visitor satisfaction and revisit intention. The second objective is to examine the mediation role of visitor satisfaction and city image in the relationship between city branding and revisit intention. Data were collected from several urban tourism spots in Malang City, Indonesia. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. The results indicated that both dimensions of city branding (i.e., city uniqueness and city authenticity) do not have direct effects on revisit intention. However, it was found that these two dimensions significantly affect visitor satisfaction and city image. The mediation analysis indicated that city image and visitor satisfaction fully mediate the effect of city branding dimensions on revisit intention.

Evaluación del crecimiento de la población y transformación del uso de suelo urbano en la Zona Metropolitana de Pachuca, México

Esta investigación identifica los procesos de crecimiento generados por el incremento de la población en las localidades rural-urbanas que han incidido en la transformación del suelo actual en distintas etapas del tiempo en los municipios que integran la Zona Metropolitana de Pachuca (ZMP). Además, evalúa el crecimiento de las localidades por el volumen de población mediante un análisis espacial, donde son utilizadas las proyecciones de la población total por localidad en el periodo 2010-2030, así como los procesos que han originado la susceptibilidad del suelo natural para ser transformado en urbano propiciando la extensión de la mancha urbana. Los resultados se obtienen mediante la aplicación del método de interpolación por isolíneas en el SIG (Sistemas de Información Geográfica), en el cual se establece la distribución espacial de la población según la tipología de las localidades.

Lógicas de (des)organização territorial – novas estratégias?

As cidades brasileiras contemporâneas crescem num ritmo desigual e desarticulado, colocando em risco o futuro de políticas e ações que podem depender da existência de territórios não comprometidos pelos processos de apropriação desordenada do solo, principalmente, no caso da habitação e dos equipamentos públicos. Pode-se dizer que um dos elementos catalisadores na expansão da cidade é a moradia. À falta de políticas efetivas, a solução para a moradia fazia-se através das ocupações espontâneas, sem qualquer planejamento ou controle do poder público. Atualmente, são executados grandes empreendimentos de conjuntos habitacionais, implantados em locais distantes da mancha urbana, sob o beneplácito dos órgãos municipais que deveriam zelar pela ocupação regular e sustentável do solo. Percebe-se uma alteração na lógica da organização territorial, em que o espaço agora ocupado é propositadamente localizado a grandes distâncias da mancha urbana, escolhido por empreendedores sem compromisso senão com o lucro, e sob a égide do poder público. Por outro lado, multiplicam-se as ocupações espontâneas de áreas e terrenos considerados impróprios ao uso, e por isso mesmo desvalorizados, porém próximos às centralidades urbanizadas, atrativos à localização de grupos sociais de baixa renda, em busca de moradia e trabalho. Sendo assim, pode-se questionar se realmente existem novas lógicas de organização ou se o que acontece é uma repetição de processos em que as estratégias de especulação são priorizadas na ocupação do espaço em detrimento da qualidade de vida dos habitantes e de seus direitos de acesso à cidade.

Distortion of Local Architecture Identity A comparative study for the rebuilding process of the buildings on Sabunkaran street

The historic urban regions and architecture are more than mere materials remained, they are central to how the community see themselves and their architecture identity as individuals, communities and as a nation. In a transient and rapidly changing world, interests are in; “What the local identity of the community architecture is? and how the original identity of the local architecture could be kept during the new rebuilding process in the historic and old regions of the city?” Architecture identity is therefore; an inheritance that helps to define the future architecture by inspiring new ideas and providing solutions to the problems that the community face in the age of globalisation. In this way, historic and old urban regions of the city greatly show the original architecture identity which helps the community to distinguish their architecture from others.
 This paper studies the distortion of local architecture identity on Sabunkaran Street as a part of the old region and city centre in Sulaimaneyah city in means of style, building materials and architectural elements as a result of the new rebuilding process. The distortion of building materials, styles and elements for the new rebuilt process are compared to the context of the region without sub-categorizing each part to specific items. This paper makes a comparative study for the architecture on Sabunkaran Street to show how the local architecture identity of the old region has the risk of distortion as a result of the new rebuilding process done in the last decades. This study aims to keep the local architecture identity of the old urban regions to show the future generations their original architecture identity. The study hypotheses that; new rebuilding process achieved by the individual owners in old urban spots lead to the distortion of local architecture identity if it is not monitored by specialized local authorities.

Análisis de la Cobertura de la Tierra en Torno de una Hidroeléctrica en la Amazonía Brasileña

The article analyzes the spatial pattern of alterations in land cover in the municipalities directly affected by the Tucurui reservoir. This analysis was carried out by using Landsat satellite images. The mapping of the land cover classes and the quantitative characterization of the classes present in the region were carried out between the start period of the II phase and the conclusion of the construction of the Tucurui hydroelectric power plant. The study was carried out in two phases, the first one corresponds to the application of the linear model of mixing in Landsat-TM and ETM+ segmented images, executed for the mapping of the land cover classes. The second, corresponds to the calculation of landscape metrics, with the purpose of quantitatively characterizing the classes. The results revealed alterations in the spatial pattern of forest cover around the Tucurui Lake. The municipality of Novo Repartimento was the one that presented the largest expansion of deforested areas and is also the municipality that houses most of the reservoir. The high level of fragmentation is associated with highways and country roads in the region, which allow connectivity between urban spots, facilitating access to new areas and conversion of forests into large areas for agribusiness.

Comparative analysis of personal exposure levels induced by long‐term evolution 1800 Re‐farming and other RF sources in an urban environment

Narrowband analysis of real-life up-link (UL) and down-link (DL) trends in personal exposure to recently installed long-term evolution 1800 and other radio frequency sources in typical everyday environments is presented in this work. Results are derived by analysis and post-processing of experimental dataset consisting of 1,677,600 measurement samples, taken at a sampling frequency of 0.25 Hz. The electric field measurements were collected with calibrated personal exposure meters at 90 urban spots, including outdoor and indoor microenvironments. A robust regression from order statistics was applied, enabling the determination of more reliable mean exposure values (V/m) for each wireless and broadcast technology and microenvironment. The exposure ratio for global system for mobile communications (GSM) + long-term evolution (LTE) 1800 (UL) and GSM + LTE 1800 (down link, DL) varied between 0.004 and 0.546% in outdoor environments. The maximal electric field value for the GSM + LTE 900 (DL) was 1.77 V/m, while for GSM + LTE 1800 (DL) this value was 0.644 V/m. The cumulative distribution function of the total radio frequency exposure for the various microenvironments is presented. The research results confirm that exposure levels in an urban environment even after the LTE 1800 Re-farming deployment are far below the International Commission on Non-ionising Radiation Protection reference levels.

Spot Fire Ignition of Natural Fuels by Hot Aluminum Particles

The ignition of combustible material by contact with hot metal particles is an important pathway by which wildland and urban spot fires are started. This work examines how fuel characteristics such as density, morphology and chemical composition effect the ability of the fuel to be ignited by a hot metal particle. Fuels were prepared out of three materials: alpha-cellulose, a barley/wheat/oat grass blend, and pine needles. Each material was prepared as a powder and as larger, long pieces: strips of cellulose paper, loose grass, and pine needles. These fuels are representative of thermal insulation (cellulose strips), dry grasses (grass blend), forest litter (pine needles) and duff (powders). Aluminum particles ranging from 2 mm to 8 mm in diameter heated to temperatures between 575°C and 1100°C were dropped onto these fuels. The particle temperature required for ignition becomes higher as the particle size decreased. The results show that the required temperatures for ignition of powders were lower, with this trend particularly pronounced for the alpha-cellulose fuels. The biomass fuels required higher temperature particles to ignite, indicating that the presence of other ligno-cellulosic materials make ignition more difficult.

Expansión de la mancha urbana de la Ciudad de Chihuahua 2000-2012

En el presente trabajo se pretende dar a conocer el acelerado crecimiento de la mancha urbana de la ciudad de Chihuahua que se ha generado en tan solo diez años, mediante los Sistemas de Información Geográfica lo que hace una investigación novedosa e interesante, con estos sistemas podemos ver que, si bien la ciudad ha tenido un crecimiento en su espacio, económico y social no se ha dado un desarrollo equilibrado sobre su territorio. Por lo que el objetivo de esta investigación es conocer las acciones políticas, sociales, ambientales y económicas, que produjeron la expansión de la mancha urbana en sus diferentes puntos cardinales de la Ciudad en los últimos 10 años, representados con los SIG. Generado problemáticas sobre todo en el tema de los asentamientos humanos en espacios carentes de características viables para una buena calidad de vida, dejando consecuencias en la estructura de la ciudad, tanto física como social, puesto que no se dio una adecuada planeación para el crecimiento de la mancha urbana.

0172 Die Partisanennekropole in Mostar

After World War II, the communist party took control of the nation-building process of the newly established Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. World War II played a major role in the narration and was reinterpreted as the People's Revolution. The union of war veterans took part in this process by influencing federal legislation as well as the setting-up of war graves and memorials. In 1959, the municipality of Mostar decided to build a partisan cemetery, and commissioned the architect Bogdan Bogdanovic to build it. Bogdanovic planned a vast war cemetery surrounded by a large park area, with the memorial park embedded into the structure of the city. The main axes of the park are oriented towards important urban spots like the old town. Though – or rather precisely because – the monument has a high urbanistic, historic, and artistic value, it has recently been a target of politically motivated attacks.

Assessment on Seasonal Variations of Outdoor Thermal Comfort with On-site Monitoring in a Precinct

City residents desire to enjoy more outdoor recreational activities, such as walking, cycling and picnicking. The authors’ earlier study reported that thermally comfortable environment could be generated in a local space at hot summer in a subtropical city. The present study aims to further assess the variations of the thermal perceptions for the temperate autumn and cool winter in the two same outdoor sites on an campus via on-site monitoring at the pedestrian level winds and thermal parameters at two sample days (sunny and cloudy) in a precinct. The daytime wind directions were also recorded from a nearby urban weather station and used for the analysis on the differences of wind and thermal comfort between the two surveying sites. The instantaneous thermal perceptions were assessed using PET (Physiological Equivalent Temperature) and the PET based index, normalized environmental parameter differences. Results indicate that the wind speed differences become smaller between the two sites due to their different building designs and the changes of wind directions in summer and winter. Not as the hot summer, the PET results note that the space without shading, directly subject to solar radiation, which can provide a thermally comfortable area at a sunny day in the cool seasons. Specifically in winter, wind speed difference is not contributed significantly to improve the thermal comfort while adaptive sunshine can obtain better thermal perception. The results reconfirm the possibility that a local outdoor thermal comfort zone can be built at selected urban spots even in cool seasons and provide a reminder for planners to consider the seasonal impacts in precinct planning within high dense city.

Smoldering spot ignition of natural fuels by a hot metal particle

The spotting ignition of combustible material by hot metal particles is an important pathway by which wildland and urban spot fires are started. Upon impact with a fuel, such as dry grass, duff, or saw dust, these particles can initiate spot fires by direct flaming or smoldering can transition to flaming. In spite of the relative frequency that fires are initiated by hot metal particles, there is little work published that addresses the ignition capabilities of hot metal particles landing on natural fuels, especially regarding smoldering ignition. This work is an experimental and analytical study of how the flaming and smoldering propensities of powdered natural fuel beds in contact with hot metal particles are affected by differences in the particle characteristics, particularly the effect of particle melting, which adds energy to the particle. In the experiments, stainless steel and aluminum particles ranging in size from 1.6 to 8 mm in diameter are heated to various temperatures between 500 and 1100°C and dropped onto a fuel bed composed of a powder grass blend. It is observed that the ignition boundary both for flaming and smoldering follows a hyperbolic relationship between particle size and temperature, with smaller particles requiring higher temperatures to ignite the fuel. For both metal particles smoldering ignition occurs at significantly lower temperatures than flaming ignition. A simplified numerical model is developed to help understand smoldering ignition by a metal particle and to examine how the melting influences the ignition process. Good qualitative agreement is obtained between the model predictions and the experiments suggesting that the model provides a first step toward the theoretical modeling of this complex problem.

Design and Realization of City Tourism Route Intelligent Programming System

Travelers choosing tourism route subjectively is usually not optimal. Set neural net algorithm as data model, city tourism route intelligent planning system is designed and developed. The sampling method is used to select urban scenic spot, and intelligent programming algorithm is set up. The function and structure of the system are designed. Through system developing and function example analyzing, system's main function and auxiliary function are studied. Function test and user experience show that this system has good operation, while planned tourism route can meet the needs of most tourist group and obtain the maximum tourist motive benefits.

Produção do espaço e mobilidade urbana: na contramão da sustentabilidade

The present article discusses the urban space production model in Brazil in the last fifty years, especially for dispersion of the population in vast urban spots and its consequences on urban travel, and having Manaus - Amazonas as an analytical reference.We conclude that this model is responsible for bringing people to travel long distances, and that on the basis of priority modes of transport (buses and private vehicles), has been responsible for launching the atmosphere huge amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

Análisis de dos áreas naturales protegidas en relación con el crecimiento del Área Metropolitana de Xalapa, Veracruz

The establishment of natural protected areas and the urban growth are two inseparable processes as they are functionally connected, but their dynamics tend to be troublesome and turn into the epitome of the wicked relationship between humans and nature. The urban natural protected areas are usually agricultural fields remains or woods saved from their destruction caused by the constant expansion of the urban spot. However, if this rescue is not clear and definitive, either because the governmental actions are incomplete, unsuitable or corrupt, or because people do not get to use these areas (difficult access, dangerous places, or inappropriate facilities), the threats for these territories will then reappear as the urban extension will tend to surround, invade and take up the natural protected areas.With the aim of analyzing the spatio-temporal dynamics of the human and nature relationship in an urban context, the natural protected areas “Molino de San Roque” and “Cerro de la Galaxia” were studied in correlation with the urban growth of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Both areas look deserted and defenseless. The interpretation of aerial photographs from 1993 to 2009 revealed that 41.8% of the Molino de San Roque's area and 50.7% of the Cerro de la Galaxia's area showed no alteration in the density and expansion of their vegetation; 12.2% and 26.7%, respectively, showed some vegetation growth, meanwhile 46% and 22.6%, again respectively, reflected a decrease in the bushy and arboreal cover. Micro historic-geographical analysis proved that in the inner parts of these areas, being the lower trafficked ones, we could notice some vegetation recovery, whereas in the periphery segments, deforestation was observed. The progressive human invasion was the biggest threat for these areas, but the abandonment by authorities constitutes another one. The greatest loss was not so much about the natural protected areas shrinkage, but rather about the quality of the landscape. An effective protection of the natural areas will never be reached if these areas keep remaining as deserted places. Indeed, this desertion leads to a separation between society and nature as citizens have no opportunity of using these natural areas in a practical or recreational way.

Microzonation of ground dominant periods at city of Ensenada, Baja California

The civil structures are mostly damaged when the fundamental period of the structure is close to the dominant period of ground motion (DP) where it is founded. To increase the security of the seismic design of new structures or the reinforcement of existing structures, it is essential to develop microzonation maps of the dominant period, where urban spots and areas with high potential for future urban development will contain. We presented a map with the distribution of DP of soils in the city of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, using the method of spectral ratios with ambient vibration, obtaining consistent results, either by the distribution of lithology and like previous studies in other areas, as presented values are within the ranges published in other works in different areas at world. Importantly, this work is part of a project, in which DP were measured in four urban centers of the state of Baja California, Mexico.

Spatial Practises and Preferences of Older and Younger People: Findings from the Finnish Studies

There are strong tendencies in urban segregation, not only according to social class, gender and ethnic lines but also according to age. This paper draws on the findings of three studies conducted in Lahti, Finland, to examine the intergenerational aspects of spatial practise. It is argued that people look at their environment through a generational gaze, such that different generations have different spatial preferences and practises. In this article, an age-friendly living environment refers to one that appeals not only to older people but to people of all ages. Age-friendly environments have no segregating borderlines, but rather enable the meeting and communication of different aged people and sustain age integration. As older and young people are most dependent on their living environments, the paper concentrates on their use of space and attachment to place. Our special focus is on recreational activities and places: How and where older and young people spend leisure time? What are their favourite places? What is the importance of nature and different kind of urban spots for them? On the basis of the differences and similarities found out in their spatial practises and preferences, our aim is to discuss age-friendly environments that appeal to different aged people. The study is based on qualitative and quantitative data and draws out implications for future age-diverse communities.

Spot Fire Ignition of Natural Fuel Beds by Hot Metal Particles, Embers, and Sparks

Wildland and wildland/urban interface fires are a serious problem in many areas of the world. It is expected that with global warming the wildfire and wildland/urban interface fire problem will only intensify. The ignition of natural combustible material by hot metal particles or embers is an important fire ignition pathway by which wildland and urban spot fires are started. There are numerous cases reported of wild fires started by hot metal particles from clashing power lines, or from sparks generated by machines or engines. Similarly there are many cases reported of industrial fires caused by grinding and welding sparks. Despite the importance of the subject, the topic remains relatively unstudied. The senior author of this article and his collaborators have been working for the past few years on this problem. In this article, we provide a comprehensive summary of that work to date. The work includes experimental and theoretical modeling of the ability of hot metal particles and embers to cause the ignition of cellulosic fuel beds. The metal particles studied are representative of clashing conductors (aluminum and copper) and those produced by machine friction and hot work such as welding (stainless steel and brass). In addition glowing and flaming wood embers are considered, as they represent an important source of fire spotting in wildfires. The overall results show a hyperbolic relationship between particle size and temperature, with the larger particles requiring lower temperature to ignite the fuel bed than the smaller particles. An important finding is that although particle energy is important in the capability of the particle to ignite the fuel, both energy and temperature are determining factors of the particle ignition capabilities. The thermal properties of the metal play a lesser role with the exception of the energy of melting if it occurs. It also appears that the controlling ignition mechanisms by large particles are different than those from the small particles. The former appear to be determined primarily by the particle surface temperature while the latter by the particle energy and surface temperature. Sparks are a specific type of particles with very small sizes and very high temperatures. Because of the small sizes, their energy is small and it is postulated that the sparks must accumulate for ignition of a fuel bed to occur. The results with embers indicate that the smoldering is the easier form of ignition, although flaming ignition can occur if the ember is flaming and the air velocities are moderate. To provide further information about the fire spot ignition process, both analytical and numerical modeling are used and compared with the experimental results. Although the models provide qualitative predictions further development is necessary to reach quantitative predictive capabilities.

Cellulose spot fire ignition by hot metal particles

The ignition of natural combustible material by hot metal particles is an important fire ignition pathway by which wildland and urban spot fires are started. There are numerous cases reported of wild fires started by clashing power-lines or from sparks generated by machines or engines. Similarly there are many cases reported of industrial fires caused by grinding and welding sparks. In this work, the effect of metal type on the ability of hot metal particles to cause flaming ignition of powdered cellulose fuel beds is studied experimentally. The materials studied are stainless steel, aluminum, brass and copper. These metals are representative of clashing conductors (aluminum and copper) and those involved in machine friction and hot work such as welding (stainless steel and brass). Cellulose powder is used as a surrogate for natural fuel beds. Particles of various sizes from 2 to 11mm in diameter are heated to various temperatures between 575 and 1100° C and dropped onto the fuel bed. The results show a hyperbolic relationship between particle size and temperature, with the larger particles requiring lower temperatures to ignite the cellulose than the smaller particles. For large particles of all the metals, the ignition boundary is not very sensitive to particle size. For small particles the ignition boundaries are similar for the different metals and sensitive to both energy and temperature. The thermal properties of the metal play a lesser role in determining ignition with exception of the energy release from melting when it occurs. It also appears that the controlling ignition mechanisms by large particles are different than those from the small particles. The former appears to be determined primarily by the particle surface temperature while the later by the particle energy and temperature.

La paradoja del derecho a la vivienda en México: vivienda urbana nueva deshabitada, 1990-2010

Far from being a promotion policy governing housing under the right to adequate housing is a policybased lending to real estate. Under the protection of credit liberalization and restructuring of financial institutions mortgage, and sustained by workers as the only really target population, job stability and financial security, policy housing finance becomes a success for the enterprise-class construction, leaving the city with an infinite number of new problems (poor quality housing stock, spatial segregation, violence generation) and here is concerned only one: uninhabited housing. Using data on population and housing census (1990-2010) and credits exercised Mexico and states, it is shown that most of them were executed in the Mexican cities over one hundred thousand inhabitants because they are urban spots that meet the captive market of workers entitled to INFONAVIT and FOVISSSTE and the income needed to sustain the profitability of real estate. No concern about the utility of housing and the declaration of the right to housing for all residents.

Considerações sobre a expansão urbana dos municípios paranaenses localizados em trecho da Rodovia BR-369

The paper presents an analysis of the evolution of the urban spots where the federal highway BR-369 permeates. We used satellite images into three periods selected from data available in the DNIT which refer to the highway improvement works. It was found that in places where the highway has the best conditions (in the region of Londrina, Campo Mourao and Cascavel) municipalities polarizers have been conducting the development of the urban sprawl of their neighbors toward them. In the case of Londrina, which gave rise to a process of conurbation between two adjacent municipalities (Ibipora and Cambe) and can say that in the near future, this may extend to municipalities with the farther from Rolândia, Apucarana and Arapongas. Incipient, the municipalities of Campo Mourao, Cascavel goes for a similar scenario. It is expected from these considerations, cause reflections on the importance of implementing guidelines for urban and regional planning in order to contain urban sprawl driven by highways.