Urban Road Research Articles

Toxic metal accumulation, health risk, and distribution in road dust from the urban traffic-intensive environment.

Owing to increasing levels of potentially toxic metals in road dust, air pollutants suspended in the air, pose significant health risks due to rapid, unplanned urbanization and industrialization. This study investigated the pollution status and health risks of trace metals (i.e., Cr, Cd, Ni, Cu, and Pb) in road dust collected from 16 locations across six land-use categories in Eskişehir, Türkiye, including residential, roadside, traffic, tram stations, and car industrial areas. The analysis of trace metals revealed distinct types of urban pollution based on these functional areas. In areas with heavy traffic, high concentrations of the elements, especially Zn, Cr, and Ni, would indicate significant toxic metal pollution. The overall contamination was evaluated using three indices: enrichment factor (EF 0.45-65.75), geo-accumulation index (Igeo - 2.50-4.18), and pollution index (PI 0.27-27.22). Human health risks of potentially toxic trace metals in urban road dust were evaluated for children and adult groups based on hazardous index (HI) and total cancer risk (TCR). The health risk assessments revealed that children (mean HIchildren 8.62E - 01; TCRchildren 6.99E + 04) are more vulnerable to toxic metal exposure than adults (mean HIadults 1.01E - 01; TCRadults 3.01E + 04), with ingestion being the primary exposure route over dermal contact and inhalation. In conclusion, we have captured the interaction between road dust and health risks, especially for children.

The impact of urban street green transformation on subjective well-being and evaluation of the location: A case study in Vienna, Austria

Urban green landscapes, such as street- and ground-level greenery, are essential for urban populations, enabling frequent and spontaneous interactions with nature in cities. While many cities have increased their green infrastructure and landscapes, their impact on well-being and environmental evaluations needs to be studied more. In the present study, we conducted a field experiment that directly addressed this aspect. Specifically, on two urban streets in Vienna (Austria), we conducted the same structured field experiment during two different periods, during March and May/June in 2022, resulting in different levels of greenery in two urban streets. We aimed to study if and how varying quantities of greenery in urban street landscapes influence subjective well-being in terms of subjective feelings of stress and affective mood, as well as the restorative potential of the locations. Our results showed that, unlike the often-reported positive impact of urban green spaces, the varying amount of greenery on the streets did not positively affect the well-being or the restorative potential of the locations. The results highlight that simply implementing greenery might not be sufficient to induce positive effects. Instead, more intense and dense greenery would be necessary to achieve the desired outcomes.

Road casualties analysis

This article examines the circumstances of road casualties over the period 2012–2021 in Greater Manchester in North West England. In particular, the demographics of road casualties, the nature of the road activity involved, and the nature of the roads where the casualties occurred are examined. Over the period studied there was an overall decrease in road casualties, similar to that of Great Britain overall, and there were 1.55 times as many male as female road casualties. The largest decrease in road casualties by age group was amongst those aged less than 18. The majority of road casualties occurred on urban roads with a speed limit of 21–30 mph. There was a strong relationship between age group and the rate of road casualties for pedestrians, driver/riders, and passengers.

Key factors influencing street tree root conflicts with planting pits and sidewalks in old Guangzhou, China

Urban street trees improve urban life quality, but their root systems can conflict with infrastructure, especially in densely populated areas. Guangzhou—one of the world’s most densely populated cities—experiences significant challenges related to street tree root-damage, which impacts urban infrastructure and public safety. This study examined factors affecting root-damage in 1227 street trees in Guangzhou’s old urban areas, focusing on tree phenotypic parameters, planting environment, and root characteristics. Variables recorded included Tree height (TH), Crown width (CW), Diameter at breast height (DBH), root distribution, presence of buttress roots, and planting pit size. Logistic regression identified key factors influencing root-damage occurrence and severity. Results showed 30.9 % of trees exhibited root-damage. Shallow-rooted species such as Ficus microcarpa and Ficus altissima had higher root-damage rates (41 % and 47 %, respectively). Key predictors included DBH, planting pit size, and buttress roots. DBH was positively correlated with root-damage; larger planting pits reduced root-damage risk; and buttress roots increased root-damage likelihood. Trees with buttress roots were more likely to cause severe damage, and trees with DBH > 40 cm were prone to moderate and severe damage. These findings offer valuable insights for urban planners and forestry managers to optimize tree selection and planting strategies, mitigating root-damage and enhancing urban infrastructure resilience.

Analysis of factors influencing family support for child safety seat legislation based on Probit-Adversarial Interpretive Structure model

Objectives In recent years, China’s motorization process has accelerated, urban road traffic has become increasingly complex, and the safety of children has become increasingly prominent. China aims to encourage the use of child safety seats (CSSs) and stipulates in the Law on the Protection of Minors that “Parents or other guardians of minors shall take measures, such as equipping child safety seats.” However, the utilization rate of such seats in China is still low (<5%, 2021), an important reason is the lack of mandatory legislation. This study focuses on developing cities in China that do not have mandatory legislation on the use of CSS, explores the factors that families support child seat legislation, and explores the impact of children’s feedback on the transmission of values within families and the use of CSS in family decisions. Methods Four hundred and eighty-two subjects in several neighborhoods in Changsha City participated in this survey through an online questionnaire. We use the data to do a Probit analysis to find the influencing factors of parental support for child safety seat legislation, and the Adversarial Interpretive Structure model is used to assess the hierarchy of the influencing factors and the relationship between the influence of internal factors. Results The results showed that educational level and children’s feedback are root cause factors; monthly family income, number of children, confidence level in CSS, number of cars, and others’ behavior are intermediate factors; gender, penalty support, and subjective perception expenditure are surface factors. Conclusion Finally, the results have focused recommendations for the direction of child safety seat legislation, focused recommendations for law enforcement, advocacy, and educational interventions, and recommendations for installation training before the use of CSS.

A Study on the Effect of Urban Form on the Street Interface Rhythm Based on Multisource Data and Waveform Classification

Good-quality urban street space is crucial for improving walkability. Frequency and amplitude are the main spatial characteristics of the street interface rhythm, known as a “virtual–real” relation. Exploring the mechanism influencing the urban street interface rhythm can help grasp the movement trend. In this study, the correlation between frequency and urban form is explored through a Pearson correlation analysis with multisource data, and the factors influencing the urban street interface rhythm are presented. The results indicate that frequency has a moderate negative correlation with the block scale and a moderate positive correlation with the number of pedestrian access entrances (PAE-n); the PAE-n also has a strong negative correlation with the block scale. Some spatial characteristics of outstanding streets from different countries are analyzed and discussed based on waveform classification. The regularities of interface rhythm that exist within multiple streets are found: multiple gaps on the street interface exist, acting as a “beat”, which regularly integrates or separates the street interface rhythm. The frequency and amplitude of the “beat” significantly affect streets’ walkability, and the amplitude is generally low and uniform, with good visual accessibility in all directions. A “Small Block and Dense Grid” becomes a key factor in improving walkability. Basic knowledge of the street interface rhythm in urban walking space research is supplemented by this study. Furthermore, theoretical guidance and parametric evidence are provided to improve walkability and promote the continuation of the traditional context.

A Framework for Sustainable Urban Street Design

A Framework for Sustainable Urban Street Design

Real-time monitoring of urban roadway health: Utilizing GPR techniques for the early detection and classification of subsurface cavity diseases

The effectiveness of ground penetrating radar (GPR) in identifying and categorizing diseases that occur underground beneath the surfaces of urban roads is investigated in this study. Both 2D and 3D forward modeling use simulation with the GprMax program to show the response characteristics of common cavity illnesses, which facilitates interpretation in practical situations. The cavity morphology classification accuracy is improved to 90.5% by using convolutional neural networks (CNNs), specifically transfer learning with AlexNet. This method outperforms existing approaches even with minimal data. Four primary types are identified from an analysis of 1965 subsurface cavity data: hollow bodies, empty bodies, loose bodies, and water-rich bodies. These categories are important for evaluating road risks such as voids and subsidence. However, it is still difficult to interpret picture features linked to cavity diseases accurately because of a variety of elements, such as anthropogenic, environmental, and geological influences. However, the accurate interpretation and recognition of image features related to cavity diseases remain challenging. Moreover, there are various factors involved in the formation of underground diseases and cavities, including geological and environmental factors, physical and chemical properties of the geotechnical materials, anthropogenic engineering activity and social population or commercial effects.

Impact of logistics pooling on reduction of CO2 emissions in last-mile logistics

Purpose In previous years, there has been a peak in deliveries from all sectors. Consequently, the number of transport vehicles on urban roads has also increased. Unsurprisingly, this increase leads to many environmental problems, including increased carbon emissions. This paper attempts to examine this issue by addressing the impact of logistics pooling on the reduction of CO2 emissions in last-mile logistics. The aim is to see which of the logistics pooling options can minimize more CO2 emissions and in particular reach the threshold fixed by the Moroccan Agency of Logistics Development which is 30% until 2030.Design/methodology/approach The author conducted a simulation study. The sample was chosen from the economic pillar of the Moroccan Kingdom, namely Casablanca.Findings The results indicate that two pooling strategies lead to a higher level of environmental performance compared to the objective set up by the Moroccan Agency of Logistics Development (Direct Upstream and Downstream Transport: 44.39%/Multi-pick Upstream Transport and Multi-drop Downstream Transport: 30.93%). However, the first strategy remains the best one, as it not only minimizes emissions but also reflects the practices already implemented by several carriers and logistics service providers.Practical implications Successfully implementing these strategies in Casablanca could serve as a model for other cities facing similar challenges, demonstrating the viability and benefits of logistics pooling. Ultimately, the reduction in CO2 emissions aligns with global environmental goals, contributing to the fight against climate change and promoting a healthier urban environment for residents. By leveraging simulation technology, Casablanca can make significant strides toward more sustainable and efficient last-mile logistics, setting a precedent for green urban logistics practices.Originality/value Given Morocco’s significant geostrategic position, the urban logistics sector plays a crucial role in the development of Arab countries. The findings of this study can offer valuable insights for policymakers aiming to achieve sustainable economic growth. Additionally, to the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to focus on logistics pooling and carbon emissions in Arab nations. The paper further contributes by highlighting important directions for future research.

Accessibility Design Research: Redesign of the Canterbury Square

Accessibility for disabled individuals in urban environments is a fundamental aspect of inclusive design and social equity. When investigating a suitable site for this redesign project as a group, it is found some iconic outdoor barrier-free designs. Conducted the research in China, the examples include ramps, curb ramps, blind access, and other auxiliary facilities, and most of the specific relevant technologies should comply with the relevant provisions of the Code for Barrier-free Design of Urban Roads and Buildings. Despite progress in awareness and legislation, many cities around the world still face significant challenges in providing adequate access for disabled people. This essay will explore the current state of accessibility for disabled individuals in cities, focusing on the barriers they encounter, and the efforts being made to overcome them. Subsequently, this essay will also examine several exemplary architectural designs that prioritize accessibility and inclusivity, providing real-world examples of innovative solutions that enhance the quality of life for disabled individuals, which give insight into the ongoing redesign project of the Canterbury Lane Square near the Canterbury City Centre.

Optimization of household medical waste recycling logistics routes: Considering contamination risks.

The escalating generation of household medical waste, a byproduct of industrialization and global population growth, has rendered its transportation and logistics management a critical societal concern. This study delves into the optimization of routes for vehicles within the household medical waste logistics network, a response to the imperative of managing this waste effectively. The potential for environmental and public health hazards due to improper waste disposal is acknowledged, prompting the incorporation of contamination risk, influenced by transport duration, waste volume, and wind velocity, into the analysis. To enhance the realism of the simulation, traffic congestion is integrated into the vehicle speed function, reflecting the urban roads' variability. Subsequently, a Bi-objective mixed-integer programming model is formulated to concurrently minimize total operational costs and environmental pollution risks. The complexity inherent in the optimization problem has motivated the development of the Adaptive Hybrid Artificial Fish Swarming Algorithm with Non-Dominated Sorting (AH-NSAFSA). This algorithm employs a sophisticated approach, amalgamating congestion distance and individual ranking to discern optimal solutions from the population. It incorporates a decay function to facilitate an adaptive iterative process, enhancing the algorithm's convergence properties. Furthermore, it leverages the concept of crossover-induced elimination to preserve the genetic diversity and overall robustness of the solution set. The empirical evaluation of AH-NSAFSA is conducted using a test set derived from the Solomon dataset, demonstrating the algorithm's capability to generate feasible non-dominated solutions for household medical waste recycling path planning. Comparative analysis with the Non-dominated Sorted Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (NSAFSA) and Non-dominated Sorted Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) across metrics such as MID, SM, NOS, and CT reveals that AH-NSAFSA excels in MID, SM, and NOS, and surpasses NSAFSA in CT, albeit slightly underperforming relative to NSGA-II. The study's holistic approach to waste recycling route planning, which integrates cost-effectiveness with pollution risk and traffic congestion considerations, offers substantial support for enterprises in formulating sustainable green development strategies. AH-NSAFSA offers an eco-efficient, holistic approach to medical waste recycling, advancing sustainable management practices.

Optimized Right-Turn Pedestrian Collision Avoidance System Using Intersection LiDAR

The incidence of right-turning pedestrian accidents is increasing in South Korea. Most of the accidents occur when a large vehicle is turning right, and the main cause of the accidents was found to be the driver’s limited field of vision. After these accidents, the government implemented a series of institutional measures with the objective of preventing such accidents. However, despite the institutional arrangements in place, pedestrian accidents continue to occur. We focused on the many limitations that autonomous vehicles, like humans, can face in such situations. To address this issue, we propose a right-turn pedestrian collision avoidance system by installing a LiDAR sensor in the center of the intersection to facilitate pedestrian detection. Furthermore, the urban road environment is considered, as this provides the optimal conditions for the model to perform at its best. During this research, we collected data on right-turn accidents using the CARLA simulator and ROS interface and demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach in preventing such incidents. Our results suggest that the implementation of this method can effectively reduce the incidence of right-turn accidents in autonomous vehicles.

Mechanism of Wind and Buoyancy Driving on Ventilation and Pollutant Transport in an Idealized Urban Street Canyon

The mechanisms underlying the effects of wind and buoyancy on ventilation in urban street canyons are unclear. This study investigated the effects of facade heating on ventilation and pollutant transport in an idealized street canyon with a 1.67 aspect ratio through computational fluid dynamics simulations. The dispersion pattern of discharged hot pollutants was also studied. A primary recirculation was observed when facade heating was not applied; this recirculation was promoted in leeward-wall and ground heating cases. However, the recirculation was bifurcated into two recirculations in windward-wall heating cases, restricting ventilation. Enhanced recirculation increased the ventilation and decreased the pollution level; by contrast, air pollution increased considerably when the recirculation was bifurcated and ventilation was restricted. In the hot-pollutant case, similar results to those in the ground-heating case were observed. The hot discharged pollutant enhanced ventilation, reducing pollution. The pollutant transport mechanism was determined through an analysis of pollutant fluxes. For the one-recirculation pattern, air convection transported the pollutant from the ground level to the top boundary, and turbulent diffusion then caused pollutant removal. For the two-recirculation pattern, turbulent diffusion contributed substantially to pollutant transport both in the junction between the recirculations and through the top boundary of the street canyon.

Feedback–feedforward signal control with exogenous demand estimation in congested urban road networks

To cope with uncertain traffic patterns and traffic models, traffic-responsive signal control strategies in the literature are designed to be robust to these uncertainties. These robust strategies still require sensing infrastructure to implement traffic-responsiveness. In this paper, we take a novel perspective and show that it is possible to use the already necessary sensing infrastructure to estimate the uncertain quantities in real time. Specifically, resorting to the store-and-forward model, we design a novel network-wide traffic-responsive strategy that estimates the occupancy and exogenous demand in each link, i.e., entering (exiting) vehicle flows at the origins (destinations) of the network or within links, in real time. Borrowing from optimal control theory, we design an optimal linear quadratic control scheme, consisting of a linear feedback term, of the occupancy of the road links, and a feedforward component, which accounts for the varying exogenous vehicle load on the network. Thereby, the resulting control scheme is a simple feedback–feedforward controller, which is fed with occupancy and exogenous demand estimates, and is suitable for real-time implementation. Numerical simulations for the urban traffic network of Chania, Greece, show that, for realistic surges in the exogenous demand, the proposed solution significantly outperforms tried-and-tested solutions that ignore the exogenous demand.

Computation of Particulate Emission Load from Vehicular Traffic on Road Network

The present study on traffic volume monitoring aims to compute total particulate emission load from urban road vehicular traffic and to find average emission factor. An industrial area Pandesara was selected as study area for its commercial and industrial activity, the contribution of public and private vehicle emissions in this area were high. Vehicle emissions include tailpipe emissions and road dust resuspensions. Tailpipe emission was the highest in off- road vehicles even their traffic volume was the least of all. Road dust resuspension due to vehicular speed was highest in 2 wheelers. Road dust resuspension concentrations due to silt fraction was found to be maximum in heavy motor vehicles. Total particulate matters concentrations emitted from vehicles and average emission factor were found to be 251616 gm/hr and 0.79 gm/Veh/Km respectively for entire Pandesara zone. Road dust resuspension plays a significant role in vehicular emission, still having less awareness among people worldwide. Keywords: Particulate Matter, Tailpipe Emission, Traffic Volume, Speed, Road Dust Resuspension, Turbulent Wake Height

Noise reduction design of new residential buildings along urban roads-taking a residential district in Foshan as an example

Taking a residential district in Foshan along the city road as an example, the impact of urban road traffic noise on it is studied. Firstly, the data is monitored in the noise field, then three-dimensional simulation models of residential buildings and road distribution are established in Cadna/A software, and noise simulation prediction is carried out according to the actual situation and relevant norms and standards. The predicted noise values of the exterior surface of residential buildings are obtained, which has exceeded the permissible interior noise level for residential buildings. By comparing the application effects of noise reduction measures in buildings, the noise reduction design scheme of new residential buildings along urban roads is finally proposed: the sound insulation doors and windows that meet the requirements are adopted. After the completion of the house, the indoor background noise and the sound insulation performance of the doors and windows are measured. The measured results show that the selection of sound insulation doors and windows is suitable and the indoor noise environment meets the design requirements of noise reduction. The results are helpful to provide technical reference for the noise reduction design and renovation of other residential buildings along urban roads.

Refinement method of equivalent source power level determination for traffic noise in urban noise mapping

For traffic noise prediction, the predictive models of source power level determination commonly in use are the Technical Guidelines for Noise Impact Assessment in China or the Calculation of Road Traffic Noise model in the United Kingdom, which incorporate traffic flow and car speeds. However, the accuracy of these models is often compromised due to urban traffic's complexity, vehicle diversity, and unforeseen events. This study investigates a refinement method based on noise on-site measurement and aforementioned approaches for equivalent source power level determination for traffic noise in urban noise mapping. In the study, onsite measurements are conducted to collect noise and traffic data, and source power level calculated by refinement method is validated using measurement data. Different prediction methods are employed for measurement sites calculations. By comparisons between predictions with noise on-site measurement data, the refinement method proposed in the study demonstrates a significant accuracy enhancement in traffic noise prediction over previous models for determining equivalent source power level. This enhancement highlights the efficacy of adopting noise measurement-based methods for setting traffic noise source power levels, leading to more precise traffic noise predictions in complex urban settings, particularly in areas surrounding urban arterial roads.

Research on the influence mechanism of park landscape characteristics on psychological perception around expressway based on soundscape theory: a case study of Chengdu Bailuwan Wetland Park

With the continuous development of China's transportation infrastructure strategies and urbanization, urban road networks have seen ongoing improvement. Yet noise pollution along expressways is gradually becoming a prominent issue within the broader challenge of urban noise. Noise control has recently emerged as a bottleneck for building livable cities, while well-designed landscapes can improve the quality of psychological perception. By precisely quantifying the multi-sensory composite perception characteristics of urban green space landscapes, this research explores the mechanism through which such landscapes influence psychological perception. The study site was selected in Bailuwan Wetland Park, Chengdu. Objective and subjective environmental data and questionnaire feedback were collected through sound walks and big data analysis based on the geographic information system, after which quantitative analysis was conducted on how landscape environmental characteristics influence environmental experiential perception. The research explores the mechanism of the influence of the regulation of landscape environment characteristic elements on psychological perception and constructs a visual prediction model to provide a universal theoretical basis and methodological support for the planning and regulation of urban green space landscape along expressways, which is of positive significance in guiding the regulation of landscape space.

Urban street clusters: unraveling the associations of street characteristics on urban vibrancy dynamics in age, time, and day

Understanding urban vibrancy has been considered crucial to promoting human activities and interactions in public open spaces. Recent advancements in urban big data have facilitated the potential to understand and measure vibrancy patterns throughout cities. While streets are considered the center stage of human activity, previous studies have often overlooked their multifaceted nature and their association with urban vibrancy. In this study, we incorporate multi-source big data and combine a set of features that comprehensively describe the scale, function, and topology of street segments in two Seoul districts: Jung-gu and Gangnam-gu. Using these features, we employ a machine learning clustering technique to classify them into five distinct typologies. Then, with street-level aggregated mobile phone tracking data, we investigate whether street typology characteristics are associated with urban vibrancy with respect to age groups, time of day, and day types (weekends/weekdays). The results show varying relationships between street characteristics with age-, time- and day-vibrancy measures by the identified street typology. Further, we contrast the results of the two districts to evaluate urban vibrancy differences in organic and planned urban layouts. This study enables a more nuanced understanding of urban streets to better comprehend their impact on people’s use of street space. The derived novel insights could assist planners and designers to better pinpoint street management solutions for different age- and time-dependent needs based on the complexities in urban vibrancy dynamics.

Impact of urban road characteristics on vehicle speed: Insights from Brescia, Italy

In managing road infrastructures, a key benchmark is the 85th percentile of vehicle speeds (V85). While V85 can be derived from spot speed samples, these are often lacking on each urban road. Thus, prediction models become valuable tools for examining the relationship between V85 and road characteristics. Although various models exist for rural roads, the impact of roadside characteristics and markings on V85 in urban road networks has been partially investigated, and the effect of traffic calming measures remains fragmented.This study aims to address these gaps by applying a methodology that sheds light on the effects of some variables that influence V85 on urban roads. Specifically, the methodology selects and segments roads along the urban road network of the municipality of Brescia (Italy) and collects data on both road characteristics and 48,000+ spot speed information. Following data cleansing, it processes these data according to three different multiple regression models to analyse the influence of various predictors on V85. Once the best model is estimated, its performance is evaluated, and the final list of significant predictors is obtained.The results revealed that V85 increases with longer homogeneous segments, greater distance to successive intersections, bituminous conglomerate roads with more lanes, and the presence of trees, visible road markings, and posted speed limits. Conversely, V85 decreases in the presence of on-street parking and other obstacles (e.g., walls and road posts), when the density of road intersections and pedestrian crossings increases, when the left crossbar width increases and when the land use crossed is commercial or office, residential or industrial. Nevertheless, no significant effect was found for several traffic calming measures included in the model.These findings can assist road authorities in verifying road operating conditions and planning infrastructure interventions to reduce speeds, thereby creating a safer urban environment for all users.