Accessibility to transport networks affects the ability of citizens to carry out necessary activities in their daily lives. In particular, in small and medium-sized centres where only some essential services retain a proximity attribute, we are seeing an increasing number of daily travels, the distances travelled and the time taken by local citizens for primary (work, health, education, etc.) and secondary (leisure, etc.) mobility needs. In polycentric and widespread territorial contexts, such as those typically Italian, accessibility is therefore synonymous with spatial equity. In this disciplinary debate, the present research aims to analyse analytically the levels of accessibility of individual administrative units to the main transport networks. To this end, a semi-automated method in GIS environment for the definition of municipal levels of space-time accessibility is proposed based on an isochronic analysis conducted on access nodes to major transport, motorway and rail networks, at the territorial scale. The paper also presents the results obtained from the method application in the Calabrian regional context useful to support the adoption of a planning approach oriented towards territorial integration between mobility needs and the programming of the network of services that typically characterizes the urban planning discipline.
Transportation engineering, Urbanization. City and country
As the COVID-19 pandemic moved beyond the initial heavily impacted and urbanized Northeast region of the United States, hotspots of cases in other urban areas ensued across the country in early 2020. In South Carolina, the spatial and temporal patterns were different, initially concentrating in small towns within metro counties, then diffusing to centralized urban areas and rural areas. When mitigation restrictions were relaxed, hotspots reappeared in the major cities. This paper examines the county-scale spatial and temporal patterns of confirmed cases of COVID-19 for South Carolina from March 1st—September 5th, 2020. We first describe the initial diffusion of the new confirmed cases per week across the state, which remained under 2,000 cases until Memorial Day weekend (epi week 23) then dramatically increased, peaking in mid-July (epi week 29), and slowly declining thereafter. Second, we found significant differences in cases and deaths between urban and rural counties, partially related to the timing of the number of confirmed cases and deaths and the implementation of state and local mitigations. Third, we found that the case rates and mortality rates positively correlated with pre-existing social vulnerability. There was also a negative correlation between mortality rates and county resilience patterns, as expected, suggesting that counties with higher levels of inherent resilience had fewer deaths per 100,000 population.
With rapid urbanization, population growth and anthropogenic activities, an increasing number of major cities across the globe are facing severe urban heat islands (UHI). UHI can cause complex impacts on the urban environment and human health, and it may bring more severe effects under heatwave (HW) conditions. In this paper, a holistic review is conducted to articulate the findings of the synergies between UHI and HW and corresponding mitigation measures proposed by the research community. It is worth pointing out that most studies show that urban areas are more vulnerable than rural areas during HWs, but the opposite is also observed in some studies. Changes in urban energy budget and major drivers are discussed and compared to explain such discrepancies. Recent studies also indicate that increasing albedo, vegetation fraction and irrigation can lower the urban temperature during HWs. Research gaps in this topic necessitate more studies concerning vulnerable cities in developing countries. Moreover, multidisciplinary studies considering factors such as UHI, HW, human comfort, pollution dispersion and the efficacy of mitigation measures should be conducted to provide more accurate and explicit guidance to urban planners and policymakers.
Over the last four decades, China has experienced rapid parallel economic development and urbanization, leading to internal mass -migrations of its people from increasingly marginalized rural areas to urban centers where job opportunities and wealth are now concentrated. We compare the relative temporal growth trends in population-related and land-(i.e., area-) related urbanization systems to evaluate China's urbanization in the context of the 'New-Type' Urbanization Program (2014-2020). Based on coupling coordination models, we observed that the two systems were overall slightly decoupled since spatial urban expansion commonly outgrew urban population growth, but the degree of coordination between the two parameters was increasing. Employing exploratory spatial data analysis, we revealed that a high degree of coupling coordination has spread from Eastern to Western provinces. Urban planning and land policies have contributed to an increasing urban vegetation cover and the control of excessive urban land expansions. While China's urbanization appears to have become increasingly sustainable due to the increasing degree of coupling coordination between its subsystems, ongoing urban expansions require strong oversight to limit the environmental impacts of the country's sprawling mega-cities.
Zhenshan Xue, Guanglei Hou, Zhongshen Zhang
et al.
Abstract World urbanization has been increasing at a rapid pace over the past few decades, particularly in developing countries. The urban heat island (UHI) effect, which occurs during rapid urbanization, profoundly affects human life and health. The cooling-effect (CE) of urban wetlands can effectively mitigate the impact of UHI. In this study, we estimated the intensity of UHI and quantitatively assessed the CE of urban wetlands in cities of northeast China by using split-window algorithm (SWA) to estimate land surface temperatures (LST) from Landsat-8 TIRS. We used correlation analysis to examine the relationships between characteristics of wetlands and surrounding buildings and two cooling-effect indices: normalized cooling capability index (NCCI) and normalized cooling efficiency index (NCEI). Our results have shown that the cooling-effect of rivers is much higher than that of other wetlands types and green spaces. The average NCCI of wetlands is 42.3 times higher than that of green spaces. A strong positive relationship exists between the cooling capability of urban wetlands and the area, shape and hydrologic connectivity of wetlands. Wetlands with more complex shape have better cooling-effect. The average NCCI of wetlands connected to other surface waters six times higher than that of isolated wetlands. There is a negative relationship between the cooling capability of urban wetlands and height and density of surrounding buildings. These findings are helpful for designing urban wetlands and for urban planning to minimize the potential environmental impacts of UHI.
Felix Creutzig, Sophia Becker, Peter Berrill
et al.
Abstract Cities and other human settlements are major contributors to climate change and are highly vulnerable to its impacts. They are also uniquely positioned to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lead adaptation efforts. These compound challenges and opportunities require a comprehensive perspective on the public policy of human settlements. Drawing on core literature that has driven debate around cities and climate over recent decades, we put forward a set of boundary objects that can be applied to connect the knowledge of epistemic communities and support an integrated urbanism. We then use these boundary objects to develop the Goals-Intervention-Stakeholder-Enablers (GISE) framework for a public policy of human settlements that is both place-specific and provides insights and tools useful for climate action in cities and other human settlements worldwide. Using examples from Berlin, we apply this framework to show that climate mitigation and adaptation, public health, and well-being goals are closely linked and mutually supportive when a comprehensive approach to urban public policy is applied.
Luca Lazzarini, Israa Mahmoud, Maria Chiara Pastore
In the latest debate on the urban planning-biodiversity nexus, a forefront attention is given to the possibility to embrace goals, targets, and indicators from the global, European, and national levels and to apply them at the local scale through targeted policies and specific actions. This article proposes an attempt to identify a theoretical framework for the integration of biodiversity in spatial planning processes at different scales, through mainstreaming ecological transition, rightsizing the strategies and policies for biodiversity recovering, and downscaling the different challenges in the local contexts. Afterward, a sample of Green Plans and Strategies from the Italian domestic context is analyzed across a deducted analytical framework including four dimensions: biodiversity goals, targets, commitment to implementation, and public participation. Results from the analysis emphasize the focus of the green plans generally oriented to conserve existing biodiverse urban areas rather than radically igniting new possibilities in spaces where biodiversity can be restored, or it is already present but not perceived by local communities. Lastly, the article highlights four gaps characterizing the biodiversity-planning nexus, in its theoretical and operational implications.
Transportation engineering, Urbanization. City and country
Abstract This paper comprehends the global research scenario about incorporating cultural components in contemporary urban planning practice. Various urban cultural elements have been analysed under the umbrella of ‘Urban Cultural Dynamics’ (UCD). This study aims to identify hot spots and explore influential sources through a bibliometric investigation of the evolutionary patterns of cultural dynamics in urban planning research. Data was collected from the Web of Science core collection (1965-2021). The data mining tools VOSviewer, Biblioshiny, KNIME, and WordStat were used to analyse hot topics, keywords, influential journals, core papers, top authors, and cooperation networks of countries and institutions. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed in journal analysis. The analysis showed that publications on UCD increased exponentially between 2016 and 2022. Italy (32), China (26), and Spain (18) are the top countries in total publications. Technical universities of Dresden and Munich have the most significant influence on UCD's research, with 103 and 101 total citations, respectively. Landscape and Urban Planning, Journal of Cultural Heritage, and Tourism Geographies are the top three consistently influential journals. The top ten core papers were identified. The keywords and topic analysis charted out the evolution of multidisciplinary UCD research topics. The hotspot analysis revealed the significance of cultural dynamics in sustainable urban development. The results highlighted the need for intercontinental cooperation between developed countries and the third world. The future scope of research on UCD topics is discussed in the conclusion.
Kellow Pardini, J. Rodrigues, Sergei A. Kozlov
et al.
With the increase of population density and the rural exodus to cities, urbanization is assuming extreme proportions and presents a tremendous urban problem related to waste generation. The increase of waste generation has been considered a significant challenge to large urban centers worldwide and represents a critical issue for countries with accelerated population growth in cities. The Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing offer an automation possibility through cyberphysical systems that will change the way solid waste management is performed. Considering IoT requirements, a review analysis of waste management models available in the literature is performed in detail in this paper. Then, a deep review is undertaken of the related literature based on IoT infrastructure for efficient handling of waste generated in urban scenarios, focusing on the interaction among concessionaires and waste generators (citizens) from the perspective of a shorter collection time with reduced costs, as well as citizenship promotion. An IoT-based reference model is described, and a comparison analysis of the available solutions is presented, with the goal to highlight the most relevant approaches and identify open research issues on the topic.
In the complex context of urbanization and climate change, how to improve the resilience of cities to deal with various uncertain and unpredictable threats is a new topic with both theoretical and practical challenges. In this paper, the researches on urban resilience are summarized using the bibliometric analysis combined with the visualization analysis. We provide a systematic and objective review of resilience applied to urban development focusing on its conceptual frameworks, research tendencies, and assessment methods. The analysis results demonstrate that an increasing attention has been given to urban resilience, especially in the field of climate change. The degree of research varies significantly in different countries, with the USA dominating in the number of publications, followed by the UK and China. Scholars’ attention to urban resilience in different periods is closely related to the development background and disasters experienced by their countries, but there are also some commonalities. Meanwhile, the multi-dimensional research on urban resilience has been recognized by many scholars. Quantitative assessment tools such as simulation model and optimization model have been widely used to assess the level of urban resilience. Based on this, we put forward the future research trends in this field and provide a potential guide for future application of urban resilience.
Urban people and places in the Global South suffer greatly from persistent and extreme climatic events. Within the disadvantaged groups adversely affected by climate risks, women are disproportionately exposed, have higher levels of vulnerability and typically suffer the impacts because of cultural norms and their reproductive and productive roles. Although women play an important role in their family and community, they are generally ignored in climate change planning. This paper examines floods and flood-related impacts on urban women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to demonstrate how women are vulnerable, as well as their responses and resilience to shocks and stress caused by current flood risks within their communities. Data were collected through in-depth case studies applying qualitative methods (observation and semi-structured interviews). The results illustrate that women are less resilient as they have less access to resources and limited support for incremental livelihood improvement. The opportunities to participate in adaptation planning are limited for women. The findings demonstrate that gender inequality still remains, although women could play an active and critical role in adaptation programmes. In order to enhance women’s resilience to climatic hazards, the paper argues that urban policy planning should empower women too in the decision-making process and promote diversified resources to strengthen their resilience to climatic hazards.
Abstract Many world cities want to expand the number of urban trees. How this expansion occurs should consider what people expect from trees based on how they experience and perceive these trees. Therefore, we need a better understanding of how people perceptually respond to urban tree abundance. This research examined whether people’s satisfaction with urban trees and satisfaction with the management of those trees were related to objective measures of greenery such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), percent tree canopy cover, and the Viewshed Greenness Visibility Index (VGVI) for trees. We used a demographically and geographically representative survey of 223 residents in Toronto, Canada, and calculated NDVI, canopy cover, and VGVI at three neighbourhood sizes. We analysed the data using generalized linear regression. We found that canopy cover and VGVI had a positive association with satisfaction with urban trees. The associations were comparatively stronger at larger neighbourhood scales than at smaller scales. There were no statistically significant associations with NDVI or satisfaction with the management of urban trees.
This study sought to assess the visual quality of dual thoroughfare streetscapes in Davao City, specifically identifying existing visual components in terms of landscape layer, landform, vegetation, light and colour, compatibility, archetypal elements and its character of peace and silence. Davao City had a consistent score in its streetscapes, garnering not the highest but a relatively high score. The results showed that the presence of landscape layers, light and colour, vegetation, and character of peace and silence seem to be the most critical visual components in its overall contemplative score. Of the city’s streets, the highest visual quality score was Roxas Avenue with a mean of 4.44. The lowest was the Manambulan-Tagakpan Road with a mean of 4.07. Based on the overall ranking system in the contemplative score Davao City obtained a relatively high rank. The presence of vegetation, particularly the young to fully grown trees, also produces more shade which provides thermal comfort and a cooler experience in the streetscape. The association between the individual visual landscape component scores against the overall visual quality resulted in a landscape layer of 0.825 and vegetation of 0.824, which showed a significant correlation. The significant findings among the components is the indication of landforms which greatly contributed to the total score.