Urban Research Research Articles

A critical review of literature and a conceptual framework for organising and researching urban health and community health services in low- and middle-income countries.

Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are rapidly urbanizing, and in response to this, there is an expansion in the body of scholarship and significant policy interest in urban healthcare provision. The idea and the reality of 'urban advantage' has meant that health research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has disproportionately focused on health and healthcare provision in rural contexts and is yet to sufficiently engage with urban health as actively. We contend that this research and practice can benefit from a more explicit engagement with the rich conceptual understandings that have emerged in other disciplines around the urban condition. Our critical review included publications from four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Social Sciences Citation Index) and two CHW resource hubs. We draw upon scholarship anchored in sociology to unpack the nature and features of the urban condition; we use these theoretical insights to critically review the literature on urban community health worker programs, as a case to reflect on community health practice and urban health research in LMIC contexts. Through this analysis, we delineate key features of the urban - such as heterogeneity, secondary spaces and ties, size and density, visibility and anonymity, precarious work and living conditions, crime, and insecurity, and specifically the social location of the urban CHWs and present their implications for community health practice. We propose a conceptual framework for a distinct imagination of the urban to guide health research and practice in urban health and community health programs in the LMIC context. The framework will enable researchers and practitioners to better engage with what entails a 'community' and a 'community health program' in urban contexts.

Investigating spatial and temporal characteristics and elements influencing running among residents of Nanchang city in green open areas

Understanding the exercise behaviors of urban residents in green open spaces is crucial for optimizing future urban spatial planning and improving residents’ quality of life. This study provides an in-depth analysis of residents’ running behaviors across 87 green open spaces in Nanchang City. Running data collected from the exercise platform Keep, coupled with urban geographic data and field research, reveals the spatial distribution and temporal variations of running activities, including running flow, distance, time, and pace. A set of indicator systems, such as total area, landscape form index, surrounding residential land area, and road conditions, is used to analyze its relationship with the environmental elements of green open spaces. The research results show that the running flow, running distance, and running time in green open spaces in Nanchang City are significantly influenced by different objective elements, while running pace shows little correlation with these environmental elements. Specifically, the study highlights the significant impact of elements such as total area and road length, as well as the number of nearby bus stops and population density, on residents’ running behaviors in Nanchang City’s green open spaces.

Heat and the city: Thermal control, governance and health in urban Asia

This special issue focuses on the under-studied but increasingly pressing issue of urban heat. Cities are getting hotter, both due to the global crisis of climate change, and the related phenomena of Urban Heat Islands, which locally amplify increased global temperatures and exposure to solar radiation. We know a great deal about how heat is affecting cities from a scientific and public health perspective. Urban studies scholarship, however, has been slower to foreground heat as a social, spatial, and political category of analysis, at least in comparison to discussions of carbon emissions and their control, energy and infrastructure, rising sea levels or flooding, and activism towards sustainability. While many of these themes also figure in this collection, our focus is on the varied phenomena of urban dwellers feeling, avoiding, suffering under, mitigating, culturally interpreting and attempting to anticipate and plan for, the reality of elevated air temperatures and solar radiation. What we call thermal control, governance, and health is the multi-level and multivalent social and material response to uncomfortable and potentially injurious temperatures, an elusive topic this special issue makes visible and constitutes what we hope will be an ongoing urban research agenda.

Urban Canopy Parameters’ Computation and Evaluation in an Indian Context Using Multi-Platform Remote Sensing Data

Urban Canopy Parameters (UCPs) are crucial for urban microclimate modeling; however, the scarce availability of precise UCP data in developing regions limits their application for urban climates. This study investigated the use of multi-platform remote sensing data viz. very high-resolution satellite (VHRS) optical stereo and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) datasets for the computation of UCPs in high-density urban scenarios in India, with varied development characteristics. The results demonstrated high accuracy in terms of building height and footprint extraction from both datasets, key inputs for UCP computation. However, UCPs from UAV data have displayed relatively high accuracy for building footprints (86%), building height (RMSE ~ 0.05 m), and land use/land cover classification (90%). Performance evaluation of computed UCPs against a 3D reference geodatabase showed high prediction accuracy for most UCPs, with overall biases, mean absolute error, and root-mean-square error values significantly better than 1 m, with strong correlation (0.8–0.9). It was concluded that VHRS optical stereo and UAV datasets offer a secure, reliable, and accurate solution for UCP computation in urban areas, particularly in developing regions. These findings have significant implications for urban climate research and the sustainable development of rapidly urbanizing areas facing resource and policy constraints.

Without Risk Reduction: How Black Men’s Well-being and Humanity Are Compromised in Mobile Public Spaces

Much of the urban research on the daily experiences of Black men in American society has focused on Black men as perpetrators, as victims of street and gang violence, or with some carceral connection. These earlier studies highlight how racist tropes of Black men as dangerous and thus to be feared situate Black men for continuous, targeted, and aggressive actions by the state and other social actors. This places a social tax on Black men who are then bound to exercises of embodied negotiations in public social spaces where they navigate both being shunned and “disappeared” while also hyper-visible. Drawing on ethnographic data collected across several years, this article examines how Black men are targeted for aggression in mobile public spaces in Chicago, Illinois. We use public transportation as a space of interrogation because of the uniqueness of mobile places where riders and transit personnel are temporarily confined while mobile and with limited options to escape the dangers of racism and racial aggression. In these spaces, we find that (1) Black men are threatened with harm, (2) their bodies are treated as sites of fear, and (3) their well-being is risked through an institutional breach of duty to provide safety for them as passengers and transit personnel.

Using health evidence to influence healthier urban development: a qualitative evaluation of a researcher–practitioner collaboration

ABSTRACT Despite evidence showing health impacts associated with environmental features such as housing, air quality, transport, and greenspaces, urban development decisions often result in less healthy environments. To address research-practice gaps we explore a collaboration involving an embedded researcher who bridged between urban development practitioners and researchers on a UK local government-led regeneration project. This facilitated development and implementation of a new health economic model that demonstrated the health impacts of changes to the built environment. We shared evidence at multiple timepoints to influence decision-making for a regeneration framework. Evaluation of this approach involved analysis of semi-structured interviews with key practitioners, alongside project meeting notes and embedded researcher field notes. We found that the academic-practitioner partnership, enabled by the embedded researcher, helped academics understand a complex system, and provided contextually relevant evidence for practitioners to highlight problems; support good/aspirational solutions; and consider trade-offs. Academic-practitioner collaborations can help develop and implement impactful interventions to tackle important, and complex, health challenges associated with the built environment. Understanding how evidence may be useful for different purposes can help to implement its use more effectively, and translate it for different audiences.

Academic Traces of Urban Furniture: A Bibliometric Perspective

Urban furniture, which increases the quality and aesthetics of urban life, has recently been the subject of academic studies. However, a bibliometric and visual analysis in this field has not been conducted in sufficient number. This paper presents a quantitative and descriptive study of 1,063 documents from the Web of Science database (1975-2022) using RStudio's 'Bibliometrix' package. Key bibliometric indicators include 887 documents, 619 references, 582 articles, 12.25 citations per document, 2,558 authors, 1,386 keywords, keywords of 2,968 authors, and a collaboration index of 16.8%. The study found higher scientific productivity in China and the USA. Research status, influential sources, countries, institutions, authors, keywords and data relationships were analysed. In particular, it was observed that academic interest increased after 2000 and focused on technology, environment and urban disciplines rather than architecture. The keywords (Author's Keywords and Keywords plus) vary, with a focus on the urban field of study and the health and environment field of study, but both keywords are increasing. The paper recommends increased interdisciplinary co-operation to broaden the scope of urban furniture research. This is one of the first comprehensive bibliometric and content analyses on urban furniture.

Toward a community‐engaged framework for urban soil research

AbstractResearchers in urban environments sample where people live and work. However, there is limited extant guidance available to scientists engaging with community stakeholders to sample soils in urban settings. Leveraging our cumulative experiences, insights gained from community collaborations, and interdisciplinary literature, we present a community‐engaged framework for urban soils research. Community‐engaged research frameworks emerged over the past two decades to foster trust and respect between communities and researchers as a response to historical exploitation of communities by the academy. Today, these frameworks have become standard for social and public health researchers investigating the physical well‐being of communities. However, there is no equivalent framework for scientists studying the soils that underpin the physical and ecological well‐being of the same communities. Here, we present the first such framework for soil scientists that incorporates nuanced aspects that are often overlooked. Our proposed framework recognizes the iterative nature of collaboration with community stakeholders and highlights the significance of ethical considerations throughout the research process by emphasizing protection of community stakeholders from harm, involvement of all parties in decision‐making processes, maintaining informed consent, and fostering mutual accountability among researchers throughout the research and sampling process.

Neighborhood as Theater: Building a Goffmanian Framework for Comparative Urban Ethnography

AbstractWhile the history of urban sociology features myriad detailed descriptions of neighborhood life reflecting various theoretical, political, and practical purposes, the field lacks general templates for conducting in-depth neighborhood research and comparison. In this paper, as a remedy, we propose a Goffmanian framework for qualitative neighborhood description and analysis which we call "neighborhood as theater." While revisiting previous ethnographic research of two neighborhoods in Hollywood, Los Angeles, conducted in the late 1990s, we argue that local social life operates along three main dramaturgical axes—sets, characters, and performances—each divided into several subcategories. These three focal points reveal observable, yet easily overlooked, key elements of neighborhood life besides illuminating broader, structural aspects and connections. We argue that conceptualizing neighborhoods “as theater" offers a general template for ethnographic urban research that can advance comparative and critical spatial analysis while remaining grounded in meaning-centered, embodied experiences of mundane local life.

Leverage Effect of New-Built Green Spaces on Housing Prices in a Rapidly Urbanizing Chinese City: Regional Disparities, Impact Periodicity, and Park Size

While newly built urban green spaces aim to address environmental concerns, the resulting green gentrification and social inequality caused by escalating property values have become critical topics of urban socio-spatial research. To prevent green initiatives from becoming unaffordable for their intended beneficiaries in rapidly urbanizing cities, it is essential to examine the spatial and temporal relationships between the construction of new green spaces and rising housing prices. This study employs a difference-in-differences methodology to analyze regional disparities, impact periodicity, and the influence of park size on housing prices, using Nanjing, China as a case study. This result reveals that the introduction of new-built parks in Nanjing significantly impacts housing prices within an 800 m radius. The premium effect of these parks is substantially higher in urban core areas compared to suburban locales, demonstrating spatial differentials. Suburban parks temporally exhibit a prolonged lag and a shorter premium impact duration. Moreover, among various park areas, medium-sized parks demonstrate the most pronounced leverage effect, approximately double that of large parks, while small parks do not significantly affect housing prices. To mitigate the exacerbation of premium effects and enhance social justice in green strategies, we advocate prioritizing the development of small parks, particularly in urban core areas, and leveraging the temporal delay in new-built park impacts for urban policy interventions.

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.

Towards a geographical political economy understanding of platformization

In the last ten years digital platforms have emerged as an important theme in academic discourse and various subdisciplines of geography and adjacent research areas. Whether in the fields of social media, urban transport, industry cloud services or gig work, platformization is therein often discussed as a more-than-economic phenomenon engaging in a conflictive relationship with public interest, sovereignty, regulation and the state. However, while the concept of the platform has become ubiquitous, the integration of and dialogue between various broadened definitions are less often practiced. In our short paper, we argue that for further addressing this intricate relation between platforms, power and sovereignty an engagement with the platform concept and its integration through a political economy understanding is key for two reasons: Firstly, an overarching concept of platformization transcending the political/economy binary is necessary to be able to problematize the reification of normalized economic practices lying at the heart of the phenomenon. Secondly, there is a pragmatic reason for developing a geographical political economy perspective on platformization as it can serve as a common ground for an engaged pluralism within and beyond the discipline of economic geography. Based on a systematization of existing definitions this paper therefore combines insights from political economy perspectives, urban platform research and research on platform labor to propose a working definition stimulating a reflection on the platform discourse thus far and strengthening strategical-relational thinking on platform power in future research.

Mind map for cross-reading the glossary of urban morphology and soundscape research

Urban morphological research has a long-established and systematic method of analysis that provides a clear and shared research framework. Since the late 1990s, the International Seminar on Urban Form (ISUF) has compiled a glossary of urban morphology for the agenda of urban researchers. The soundscape literature emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Since then, there have been numerous studies dealing with the sonic dimension of urban complexity from different perspectives. In order to create an overarching framework, attempts have been made since the early 1970s to define the principles and processes of soundscape research. There is a comprehensive glossary created by the Wold Soundscape Project Team (WSP) in 1978 which has been of great importance for further soundscape studies. This paper argues that there is a link between urban morphology research and soundscape research. A cross-reading between the two glossaries therefore has the potential to offer an alternative reading of urban research by revealing the commonalities or differences in the sonic-morphological conceptual schemes.

Exploring associations between urban soundscape and contextual factors based on a textual data-driven analysis and mapping approach: A case study in Daejeon, Korea

In soundscape research, it is crucial to understand how contextual factors are associated with people’s perception of acoustic environments. This study proposes a Textual Data-driven Context Analysis and Mapping Method (TD-CAMM), aiming at comprehensively exploring the intricate relationship between soundscape and contextual factors. Through a case study employing TD-CAMM, we demonstrate its effectiveness in quantitatively analyzing text-based contextual data, facilitating the identification of patterns and interrelations among diverse contextual elements via statistical analyses. Utilizing collected contextual data including the purpose of visit, time of use, sound source, emotion, and perceived affective quality, we conducted a hierarchical cluster analysis to characterize soundscapes of the selected locations, revealing four distinct clusters. Subsequently, association rule analysis was performed to identify unique associations among contextual elements shaping the soundscapes within each cluster. Cluster 1, the 'Nightlife Zone of Noisy Urban Settings' was characterized by 'Restless' and 'Noisy' emotions associated with nighttime activities. Cluster 2, the 'Lively Human-Centered Zone for Day and Evening Activities' reflected vibrant human interactions. Cluster 3, identified as 'Restless and Noisy Urban Traffic' was marked by transportation sounds, emphasizing urban bustle. Lastly, Cluster 4, the 'Tranquil Urban Nature Walk' encompassed serene natural spaces with 'Tranquil' emotions amidst natural sounds. These findings present a comprehensive approach to evaluating urban soundscapes, with potential applications in future urban soundscape research and design.

Preliminary comparison of soundscape preferences in community public spaces between the individuals with visual impairment and with normal vision

Hearing is an important way for the visually impaired to perceive the environment, and the visually impaired have a different preference for urban soundscape than those with normal vision. Therefore, understanding the differences in the preference of the visually impaired and the normal vision to the urban soundscape will help to create a sound environment that is suitable for both of them, so as to enhance the inclusiveness of the urban environment. This study took the community public spaces as the typical urban environment research object, and used the Evaluation Grid Method (EGM) to conduct semi-structured in-depth interviews on soundscape preferences of 20 visually impaired individuals and 25 individuals with normal vision. By sorting out the interview results, 18 soundscape attributes preferred by the visually impaired and 12 soundscape attributes preferred by the normal vision individuals were extracted. Through comparison, it was found that visually impaired individuals have richer descriptions and preferences of soundscape compared to those with normal vision, and the particularity of their preference is mainly reflected in its semantics and its promotion of spatial cognition of the visually impaired.

Projecting urban flood risk through hydrodynamic modeling under shared socioeconomic pathways

Under future climate change, accurate risk assessment of urban flooding disasters is paramount for effective adaptation and mitigation strategies. However, conventional indicator-based assessment methods often fall short of accurately capturing the complexity of flooding dynamics. Current research predominantly focuses on predicting future hazard shifts while overlooking changes in other critical indicators. In this study, we establish a comprehensive index system for risk assessment, and quantified future changes in most indicators, utilizing the InfoWorks ICM model for hazard simulation and the CLUMondo model for land use predictions. Based on risk assessment results and regional characteristics, we further analyze the key factors driving future risk and discuss corresponding measures. The results indicate an exacerbation of future urban flood risk, with an 18% increase in high risk areas, primarily concentrated in the center of the study area. The dominant indicators are inundation depth and land use over the whole study area. However microtopography significantly affects risk in low-lying areas. Overall, under higher emission scenarios, the influence of GDP and population rises. These findings offer methodological insights for future urban flood risk assessment research and provide policymakers with valuable guidance to develop targeted adaptation measures in response to climate change.

Urban Natural Gas Pipeline Operational Vulnerability Under the Influence of a Social Spatial Distribution Structure: A Case Study of the Safety Risk Patterns in Kunming, China.

Frequent urban natural gas pipeline accidents pose a serious threat to the safety of people and property in surrounding areas. However, current research on natural gas pipeline risks primarily focuses on evaluating the pipelines themselves, with no established method for assessing the impact of pipeline disasters on surrounding areas. This paper proposes an urban natural gas pipeline risk assessment method that integrates the physical attributes of the pipelines with an analysis of social vulnerability based on urban social spatial distribution. Using urban Point of Interest (POI) data, a social spatial distribution model for potential natural gas pipeline accidents is constructed. The risk of pipeline failure is assessed based on physical vulnerability, while the consequences of failure are evaluated through social vulnerability. This method combines the analysis of physical and social vulnerabilities to achieve a comprehensive urban natural gas pipeline risk assessment. The results identified 68 out of 6148 pipelines in the study area as "double high" pipelines, characterized by high physical vulnerability (relatively high risk pipelines) and high social vulnerability (involving level IV areas). The high risk communities identified in the study area are the Cuihu West Road Community and the Daguan Commercial City Community, highlighting the characteristics of risk distribution. The findings suggest that this study contributes to improving urban resilience to natural gas pipeline incidents, reducing potential economic losses and public impacts, and enhancing urban public safety. It also provides new insights into natural gas pipeline risk assessment and urban public safety research.

Equity, travel, and park visitation in 10 US metro areas: a smartphone mobility study

Urban planners and urban forestry researchers use various methods to evaluate how well different populations access the benefits of parks, often by assessing park distribution in relation to the social and economic conditions of surrounding neighbourhoods. However, without precise visitation data, it remains unclear whether proximity to parks translates into actual use. This study analyses the social and spatial factors influencing park visitation using real-world data across multiple urban and ecological contexts. We utilised smartphone mobility to capture visitation counts for over 14,000 parks across 10 US metropolitan areas, representing populations from more than 26,000 census block groups (CBGs). By integrating census data with spatial models, we examined the relationships between park visitation, proximity of parks to visitors' home neighbourhoods, and socio-economic variables such as race and ethnicity. Our analysis revealed that park visitation increases with proximity to visitors' home neighbourhoods. We also found positive associations between visitation rates and factors such as population density, median income, and park coverage in visitors' home neighbourhoods. Additionally, we identified significant correlations between park visitation and the racial and ethnic composition of these neighbourhoods. These findings confirm the assumption that closer proximity to parks enhances visitation rates. We recommend that park visitation data be considered alongside distributional analyses when planning for park accessibility.

Vulnerability simulation and evaluation of urban metro operation system: A hybrid structural equation model with system dynamics approach

To effectively identify the influence factors of urban metro operation system (UMOS) vulnerability and research the dynamic evolution process of system vulnerability, ensuring the long-term safety of UMOS, a hybrid method integrating structural equation model (SEM) and system dynamic (SD) is proposed to evaluate the UMOS vulnerability. The vulnerability evaluation indexes system of UMOS is established by questionnaire design, which includes four dimensions of personnel, equipment, management and environment. The effectiveness of the method is verified by taking Wuhan metro system in China as an example. The results indicate that (1) The influence of personnel, equipment, management and environment factors on UMOS is 30.2 %, 27.6 %, 21.6 % and 20.6 %, respectively. (2) The passenger flow level and emergency rescue system level have the greatest influence on the vulnerability of UMOS via sensitivity analysis. (3) Extreme weather conditions have the greatest impact on the environment sub-system vulnerability, which in turn affects the UMOS. Hence, the proposed method herein can simulate the long-term vulnerability of the entire UMOS and formulate corresponding improvement measures, thereby achieving sustainable transportation development.

Laboratory Processing of City Collections: Chelyabinsk Case

The article focuses on issues of laboratory processing of archaeological finds discovered by excavations and dated the Modern Times. In 2013 it was established that an archaeological item should pass an age threshold of 100 years. It results in researches of post-medieval archaeology gaining an independent flow. So far, it is determined that traditional practices of laboratory processing are insufficient for researching collections of this period. Furthermore, they lead to a more complicated transfer of these materials to state-owned museums. Chelyabinsk determined the Modern Times cultural layer to be an archaeological monument back in 1991. It was registered in 1992. Over thirty years of urban researches step by step archaeologists formed approaches and principles for forming collections. Currently these approaches and principles are set out in the new revision of the Provisions for Archaeological Field Works and Research Reports. The article suggests three basic blocks of laboratory processing, such as collection studies, mass material studies and stamps studies. The paper gives specific examples of how this work applies to vessel graphic restoration, mass material statistic tables, crockery stamps tables. The research highlights issues of forming comprehensive findings and concepts of studies for the Modern Times archaeology. The article emphasizes lack of generalizing researches and specialized archaeologists.