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The outbreak of COVID-19 caused unprecedented disruptions to public transport services. As such, this paper proposes a methodology for analyzing COVID-19 impact on public transport mobility. The proposed methodology includes: (1) a new unsupervised machine learning (UML) method, which utilizes a decoder-encoder architecture and a flow property-based learning objective function, to estimate the origin-destination (OD) flows of public transport systems from boarding-alighting data; and (2) a temporal-spatial analysis method to analyze OD flow change before and during COVID-19 to unveil its impact on mobility across time and space. The validation of the UML method showed that it achieved a coefficient of determination of 0.836 when estimating OD flows using boarding-alighting data. Upon the successful validation, the proposed methodology was implemented to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the mobility of the New York City subway system. The implementation results indicate that (1) the rise in the number of weekly new COVID-19 cases intensified the impact on the public transport mobility, but not as strongly as public health interventions; and (2) the inflows to and outflows from the center of the city were more sensitive to the impact of COVID-19. • A new methodology for analyzing COVID-19 impact on public transport mobility. • It includes a proposed unsupervised ML method to estimate public transport system OD flows from boarding-alighting data. • It includes a temporal-spatial analysis method to analyze OD flow changes before and during COVID-19. • The proposed methodology was implemented in analyzing COVID-19 impact in the New York City area. • The methodology could support analyzing the impact of natural disasters on public transport mobility across time and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study matches multiple rounds of China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data from 2012 to 2020 with regional macro fiscal and economic data, and explores the impact of regional fiscal decentralization on citizens' satisfaction with public services from the subjective perception of individual respondents. The study found that the increase in regional fiscal decentralization has a significant positive effect on improving the satisfaction of citizens with public services. However, due to differences in individual characteristics among the surveyed individuals, this effect has obvious heterogeneity. Mechanism analysis showed that the enhancement of local government's awareness of public service supply and the increase of regional fiscal transparency have a promoting effect on the improvement of citizens' satisfaction with public services. From the perspective of the convergence in the perception of public service satisfaction among citizens within the same province, the increase of fiscal decentralization has not effectively promoted the equalization development of public services at the provincial level in China. • Explored the impact of fiscal decentralization on citizens' satisfaction with public services from subjective perception • The increase of fiscal decentralization has a positive effect on improving the satisfaction of citizens with public services • The enhancement of government's awareness and fiscal transparency can promote increase of satisfaction with public services • The increase of fiscal decentralization has not effectively promoted equalization of public services at the provincial level [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on shrinking cities often portrays local initiatives in two contrasting ways: either as marginal, powerless, and somewhat backwards-oriented actors, or as human capital, a resource for development, and even as the hope for a more democratic development. However, there is a risk that scholarship unintentionally contributes to local initiatives being included in neoliberal development agendas. During our field research in two small, shrinking, and peripheralized towns in Finland and Germany, we discovered that both perspectives are misleading. They distract from the actual conditions of the initiatives' work, the causes of their financial or demographic precarity, and the self-responsibilization that is common among such initiatives. Scarcity motivates a DI(F)Y approach, organizing services and amenities on limited resources to enhance the quality of life in the area. This limited availability may seem like a natural result of population decline. By comparing the German and Finnish cases, we can see how state policies towards peripheral areas affect the work of local initiatives. This demonstrates that precarity in shrinking places is a result of policies rather than demographic development trajectory. • Local initiatives in shrinking towns are neither powerless, backward-looking actors nor human capital for local development. • Peripheralization - shortage of resources, dependence and population loss - affects the modus operandi of local initiatives. • (Self-)responsibilization is a main feature of a Do-It_(For)Yourself attitude of initiatives stepping in for public services. • The comparison between Finland and Germany shows the significance of state policy toward peripheralized locations. • Neoliberal policies promoting centralisation, market solutions and (self-)responsibilization do naturalize peripheralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban inequality is a highly complex and multidimensional phenomenon that involves several aspects, such as education, urban mobility, environment, technological or digital exclusion, food deserts, and inequalities in the distribution of urban facilities. Due to its impact on the living conditions of populations residing in the most deprived and unhealthy areas of cities, inequality in the distribution of urban public services is a particularly relevant issue. The measurement of urban inequality to discuss possible policy implications requires the synthesis of its sub-dimensions. Therefore, this paper applies the multicriteria method called ordered weighted averaging to evaluate the distribution of public goods in census tracts of the city of São Sebastião do Paraíso in Brazil. In particular, ordered weighted averaging, which allows the calibration of different degrees of non-compensability between sub-indicators and considers the heterogeneity of the census tracts, permits the evaluation of both positive and negative aspects of the studied phenomena. Two different composite indicators are calculated: the "Tax Index," which analyses the presence of public goods and the benefits in terms of property value and well-being that their presence generates, and the "Infrastructure Index," which examines the areas with the greatest lack of infrastructure. • Two composite indicators are constructed through ordered weighted averaging • The Infrastructure Index reveals priority areas for investment in public goods • The Tax Index shows which areas of the city benefit most from public goods • The indices form a mechanism for equitable allocation of public goods in the city • Taxes from the Fiscal Index fund public goods allocated by the Infrastructure Index [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creative industries have emerged as a powerful catalyst for urban development, prompting inquiries into how to foster the city attachment and subjective well-being of the creative class. This study develops a conceptual framework to elucidate the relationships among government public services, social organization services, city attachment, and subjective well-being. Through a case study of the Hengdian World Studios, a survey targeting the Hengpiao group (actors within the studio) was conducted, yielding 757 valid responses. The investigation revealed that both government public and social organization services exert a significant and positive influence on city attachment, with government services demonstrating a more pronounced effect. Furthermore, government public services notably impact subjective well-being, whereas social organization services do not exhibit a comparable influence. Additionally, city attachment serves as a crucial intermediary mechanism that elucidates the complex relationships among government public services, social organization services, and subjective well-being. This study contributes to the existing research on multi-subject urban governance and place-making, enriching the understanding of how urban managers can attract and enhance the place attachment of the creative class. • This study explored the linkage between dual organization services, place attachment and well-being of creative class. • Government public services demonstrated a more pronounced effect than social organization services. • City attachment served as a mediating mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, urban shrinkage, as one of the phenomena revealed in the process of new urbanisation development in China, has gradually attracted the attention of many scholars. To address the question of whether urban shrinkage has an impact on the level of local basic public services supply, this paper uses panel data from 298 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2018 to empirically analyse the impact of urban shrinkage on the level of basic public services supply by dividing shrinking cities into different regions and dividing basic public services into different dimensions. The results show that the impact of urban shrinkage on the supply level of basic public services is an 'inverted U-shaped' non-linear process that first promotes and then inhibits the level of basic public services supply; the impact of urban shrinkage on various dimensions of the level of basic public services supply varies, and generally shows a positive and then negative trend. Regarding regional heterogeneity, urban shrinkage has a more significant negative impact on the central region's basic public services supply level, followed by the western region and, to a lesser extent, the northeastern region. Therefore, local governments should make Smart Shrinkage according to local conditions, improve the basic public services supply system to enhance residents' happiness and satisfaction, introduce corresponding policies for the introduction of talents and focus on employee training and education activities to achieve the goal of equalising of basic public services supply in China. This research could also provide identification methods and improvement measures for other countries and regions just beginning to face the shrinking problem, especially those with high population densities and tight urban connectivity, such as China's cities. • Urban shrinkage, as one of the phenomena revealed in the process of new urbanisation development in China, has gradually attracted the attention of many scholars. To address the question of whether urban shrinkage has an impact on the level of local basic public services supply, this paper uses panel data from 298 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2018 to empirically analyse the impact of urban shrinkage on the level of basic public services supply by dividing shrinking cities into different regions and dividing basic public services into different dimensions. • This research could also provide identification methods and improvement measures for other countries and regions just beginning to face the shrinking problem, especially those with high population densities and tight urban connectivity, such as China's cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential housing affordability stress is an important catalyst of class solidification and the growing worldwide social divide. Based on a quantitative spatial model that considers government utility and decision-making and uses nighttime lighting data, this study utilizes potential urban footprint as an instrumental variable to examine the mechanisms underlying the effects of the urban form on housing affordability stress and the moderating effect of government public service expenditure efficiency. The theoretical model and empirical results indicate the following. (i) The compact urban form increases housing affordability stress through productivity and urban living amenities. (ii) The efficiency of government public service expenditures affects industrial agglomeration externalities and public service accessibility, precipitating a negative moderating effect on the relationship between urban form and housing affordability stress. (iii) Based on LandScan data, a polycentric layout was found to weaken the compact urban form's ability to reduce housing affordability stress and reduce the government spending efficiency's negative moderating effect on public services. These findings demonstrate that the positive externalities of agglomeration production and the rationalization of government public service expenditures play important roles in housing market stabilization, which is helpful in facilitating better resource factor allocations by the government in the urban sprawl process. • Urban form affects housing affordability stress through both productivity and living amenities. • Public service efficiency weakens the effect of compact form on housing affordability stress. • Improving public service efficiency in subcentric areas relieves housing affordability stress. • Developable land area ratio is considered an instrumental variable of urban form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

15-minute community life circle focuses on residents' daily needs and aligns with "people-oriented" planning. However, the personalized needs of residents have been ignored in literatures, resulting in the mismatch between the supply and demand of public service facilities (PSFs) as well as the unfair supply of different population groups among communities. Based on community life circle, we proposed a multi-group huff three-step floating catchment area (MGH3SFCA) model to evaluate the supply-demand matching levels of PSFs for different age groups in Nanjing, China. The results showed that the supply-demand between PSFs and different age groups was relatively mismatched in the main urban area of Nanjing, and medical care facilities were seriously inadequate to fulfill the needs of any age group. Comprehensive accessibility varied depending on the frequency of visits to PSFs for each age group. Although age groups had a similar spatial pattern of comprehensive accessibility at community and building scales, the service coverage rate of PSFs was larger at the building scale, and the assessment of supply-demand matching of PSFs at the building scale was more accurate and reliable. The findings would provide important decision-making support for the targeted allocation of PSFs in 15-minute community life circle. • A framework of supply-demand matching of public service facilities was constructed. • The accessibility assessment was extended from community scale to building scale. • A multi-group huff three-step floating catchment area model was proposed. • The supply-demand matching levels for different age groups were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses DEA methodology to analyze the efficiency of the drinking water provision service in small municipalities. Once the efficiency indicators are obtained, these are related to a group of exogenous variables, so as to evaluate the determinants of efficiency. We use a sample of Spanish municipalities of under 5000 inhabitants in 2014, and the results show a negative and significant impact of population density and citizens' level of income on the drinking water supply efficiency. Moreover, the greater the political strength of the local government, the higher the level of efficiency in the provision of drinking water. The findings also show that there is greater efficiency when the provision of drinking water is managed directly by the local government. Finally, there is no significant impact of the touristic character of the municipality or of the government's political ideology on the efficiency of the drinking water supply. • There is a significant negative impact of population density on the efficiency of drinking water supply. • The citizens' level of income impacts negative and significantly on drinking water supply efficiency. • Efficiency is greater if the public service is managed directly by the local government. • The tourist character of the municipality does not have a significant impact on efficiency. • The political ideology of municipal government does not influence efficiency of public services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-production, in its various forms, may add to urban vitality by giving shape to relationships between governmental institutions and local communities, providing spaces for citizens and active groups of residents to co-produce public services. Although various authors have argued that co-production may empower citizens and lead to enhanced equality in public service delivery (Jo & Nabatchi, 2018; Meijer, 2016; Needham, 2008), empirical evidence to support such claims remains relatively slim. This article aims to evaluate to what extent co-production enables local government to include a representative part of the population, and if this leads to enhanced inclusiveness. We build on both quantitative and qualitative data of citizens participating in co-production instruments implemented by the Municipality of Rotterdam. Whether or not co-production by default leads to urban vitality should be questioned, as the inclusiveness of various groups of citizens participating within co-production instruments is limited.Our findings show that citizens with a higher socioeconomic status (SES), especially in terms of education, take up a much larger part of the participants in the different instruments than citizens with a lower SES. Our qualitative data analysis goes deeper into social and cultural capital, institutional knowledge, skills and personal resources as explanatory conditions for who is included in participation. More research is needed on non-participants, and their reasons for not participating in co-production. • Equal and inclusive representation in public service delivery is important in order to achieve and maintain urban vitality. • Co-producing citizens are not by default a representative reflection of a city's population. • Citizens with a higher socioeconomic status, especially in terms of education, dominate co-production processes. • Co-production requires different skills, qualities and knowledge from citizens, depending on the co-production instrument. • Feeling capable and having the resources to participate is an important incentive for citizens to co-produce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skyrocketing housing prices in China's megacities have generated broad concerns. By integrating open data from Lianjia.com , Dianping.com , Mobike.com , and Baidu Map POI, we analyze spatial patterns of apartment prices and their association with local attributes in Shanghai. We find that Shanghai's residential market still has a monocentric structure because of the centralized distribution of public transport facilities and amenities. Hedonic models further confirm that structural attributes, accessibility, as well as public and private service amenities significantly shape the real estate market. These factors also are differentiated so as to form a pattern of concentric rings. In the inner-city and expanded inner-city areas, public service amenities such as parks, schools, hospitals, and banks, as well as private service amenities such as entertainment, shopping, and residential service facilities, boost housing prices. In the suburbs, better access to bike sharing, bus stops, and metro stations are the top preferences for apartment buyers. Our study also indicates that the Chinese government needs to make public and private services more accessible, not only spatially in urban peripheries and villages, but also institutionally to lower income families who cannot afford apartments in expensive neighborhoods. • The complexity of local factors of housing prices in Shanghai remains under-studied. • Shanghai's residential market is characterized by a monocentric structure. • Housing prices in Shanghai are heavily influenced by accessibility and amenity. • Public amenities such as metro stations, schools, and hospitals have an additional capitalization premium. • Better accessibility is the top preference for apartment buyers in the suburbs. • Residents in the inner-city area are willing to pay for better service amenities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the predicted world population growth of 83 million people per year (increasing 1.09% year on year) compounded with a strong trend for migration to urban centres, there is a developing interest by academics, industry and government to the digitalisation of the built environment and its potential impact on private enterprises, public services and the broader context of society. The governments around the world and others are aiming to guide and standardise this process by developing an array of standards to support this digitalisation, most notably on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Smart Cities Framework. Furthermore, the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) is creating a highly flexible, dynamic and accessible platform for the exchange capture and of information. There is a risk that this information on the built environment is quickly becoming unmanageable, and the value of that information is quickly becoming lost. This paper presents a smart asset alignment framework that creates an alignment between the information captured at the infrastructure asset level and citizen requirements within a Smart City framework. The framework contributes to the debate on designing and developing Smart City solutions in a way that will deliver value to the citizens. • Smart cities frameworks alone in isolation will not address the citizen requirements. • Citizens currently interact with city services in isolated transitions. • A smart cities framework, alignment of citizen requirements to infrastructure asset performance. • Classification of infrastructure assets as per the functional output provides to the city service. • Classification of citizen functions and alignment to city services [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract China's household registration system allows local governments to control migration by limiting migrants' eligibility to local public services. Many cities exclude migrant residents from important social benefits, which reduces labor mobility and contributes to the socioeconomic gap between migrants and urban natives. This study measures the extent of China's local migration restriction from the perspective of inclusive provision of public services and explains cross-city disparities. We define urban inclusiveness as the extent to which migrants can access social benefits provided locally and construct an urban inclusiveness index using factor analysis. We find significant cross-city differences in urban inclusiveness toward migrants. Statistical analyses suggest that local fiscal capacity and labor demand, instead of cultural tradition, are the major determinants of urban inclusiveness. We further use the gap between the inclusiveness toward high- and low-skilled migrants to measure local skill-based migration selectivity. We find that more developed cities, i.e., cities with larger populations, higher levels of gross regional product per capita, and greater shares of industrial sector, are more selective based on migrants' skills, while cultural openness does not help bring down skill-based selectivity. Our research suggests an instrumental view of migrants in China's urban policy that contributes to social inequality and the lack of labor mobility, which can restrict China's development in the long term. Highlights • An urban inclusiveness index measures the extent to which migrants can access local social benefits in China's cities; • Local fiscal capacity and labor demand, instead of cultural factors, explain disparities in urban inclusiveness in China; • Developed cities are more selective based on migrants' skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the economic determinants of female-owned proprietorships for 52 metro cities in India. The National Sample Survey (NSS) unit-level data are used for the analysis. The descriptive results show that women's proprietorship is much lower than its counterpart. The Probit regression results at the individual level show that women entrepreneurs do not have a bank account or computer but use the internet, are not registered under any act or authority, and do not expand considerably. They operate within household premises with a limited number of months and duration of a day, undertaking mainly contract basis. They also face several problems that hinder their activities. City-level factors such as work participation rate, consumption expenditure, higher levels of general and technical degrees, and vocational training are essential. The likelihood of becoming a female entrepreneur is negatively impacted by the two agglomeration variables of population size and participation in mixed activity. City-level poverty and inequality also adversely affect it. State-level Human Development Index, Gender Development Index, and Gender Inequality Index are also significant. Finally, we propose important policies to enable the city environment to improve women's entrepreneurship activities for higher and sustainable economic development. • Female-owned entrepreneurship (FOE) is essential for sustainable and inclusive economic growth in developing countries. • The agglomeration size, unequal economic distribution, and less female-friendly society discourage becoming FOE. • Knowledge spillovers, labour pooling, availability of public services, and infrastructure encourage FOE. • Cities need to increase investment, employment, level of education, and delivery of public services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities have started adapting to uncertain climate drivers such as temperature and sea level rise, and some cities are also transitioning towards concepts such as Water Sensitivity. In adaptation planning, flexibility is considered as an important characteristic to respond to changing circumstances. This paper develops a novel approach to identify where flexibility can best be embedded in urban flood risk management systems. The identification of a flexible water sensitive adaptation response is based on change propagation; i.e. the response's ability to minimise negative or maximise positive impacts in urban systems . The Flexible adaptation planning process (WSCapp), comprising change propagation – especially how positive and negative impacts propagate in an urban environment, can be used by those concerned with urban planning and urban adaptation to identify “ where ” the flexible adaptation responses can be implemented. WSCapp can be used to decide the type of adaptation response such as changes to streetscape, place making or architectural forms that can best contribute towards the objectives of a water sensitive city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the attention sustainability-related urban measurement and assessment methods have received it is still not well understood how accurate (or not) the various methods are; their limitations in holistic city performance assessment; or, how they can be effectively used to better the design of the urban environment, city services and policies. Necessarily, urban measurement and assessment methods focus upon what is known. However, reflecting upon the unknowns and their impacts has the potential to deliver crucial insights into the assessment of city performance and governance. To this end, this study applies and critiques the city performance measurement and assessment method UK City LIFE 1 in order to explore the challenges of, and prospects for, filling these gaps. UK City LIFE 1 is designed to measure ‘livable sustainability’ at the city scale for the purpose of aiding UK policy makers and urban design decisionmakers. Results suggest that definitional uncertainties, the availability and viability of data, and the design of the method introduce inaccuracy, uncertainty and bias into data interpretation. This, combined with the complexity of city systems and the nascent ‘science of cities’, prevents causal effects from being fully described, potentially rendering decision-makers impotent. However, the language of ‘realizing the multiple benefits of interventions’ and ‘coupling and uncoupling relationships’ alongside making the unknown explicit has the potential to empower decisionmakers in the face of absent and disconnected data and interpretational challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

City governments across North America are increasingly pursuing sustainability aims through novel policies and practices. Such efforts frequently involve changes to municipal services that are provided by the private sector. However, the implications of private service delivery for public sustainability aims are not well understood. We use the experience of Minnesota's Twin Cities metropolitan area with organic waste recycling to examine how different types of public-private relationships in service delivery shape the ability of municipalities to pursue sustainability through organic waste recycling programs. We find that municipalities with contractual relationships with waste haulers – “organized” systems - have greater success in introducing organic waste recycling than municipalities with licensing relationships with waste haulers – “open” systems. These findings point to the importance of institutional variation in public-private relationships to the success of urban sustainability initiatives and the ability of decision makers to affect change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid economic growth of Chinese cities has attracted an increasingly migrant population. Faced with institutionalized discrimination caused by the Hukou system, however, rural migrants are excluded from local welfare, including certain types of urban public services. By taking suburban Shanghai as a case study, this research adopts the theoretical framework of urban deprivation and evaluates the deprivation level of migrant enclaves in terms of the provisions of public service, including educational, cultural, park, sports, healthcare, public transit, and postal service facilities through a combination of population census data, online and survey data. We then conducted questionnaire surveys and interviews in 14 migrant and local communities in order to acquire detailed socioeconomic information of residents and to understand their degree of satisfaction and information on how often they utilize public services. A multilevel regression model is run to examine the influence of indicators, including the socioeconomic status of respondents and provision of public services, on the degree of satisfaction. The paper concludes with policy implications needed to make spaces more socially equitable and inclusive in the rapidly urbanizing Chinese landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate the public transport trip frequency variations, as well as the reasons that led to the shift away from public transport means, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied relevant data from the Moovit platform, and we compared operational and trip frequency characteristics of public transport systems before and after the outbreak of the pandemic in 87 cities worldwide. On average, waiting times at public transport stops/stations increased while trip distances decreased, apparently due to the mobility restriction and social distancing measures implemented in 2020. Most of the Moovit users who said that they abandoned public transport in 2020 were found in Italy and Greece. We developed linear regression analysis models to investigate (among the 35 variables examined in the study) the relationship between public transport abandonment rates and socioeconomic factors, quality of service characteristics, and indicators of pandemic's spread. Empirical findings show that public transport dropout rates are positively correlated with the COVID-19 death toll figures, the cleanliness of public transport vehicles and facilities, as well as with the income inequality (GINI) index of the population, and thus reconfirm previous research findings. In addition, the waiting time at stops/stations and the number of transfers required for commute trips appeared to be the most critical public transport trip segments, which significantly determine the discontinuation of public transport use under pandemic circumstances. Our research findings indicate specific aspects of public transport services, which require tailored adjustments in order to recover ridership in the post-pandemic period. • COVID-19 effect on public transport abandonment is studied in 87 cities worldwide. • Regression analyses assessed abandonment on socioeconomic, COVID-19 and Moovit data. • High abandonment rates were found in Thessaloniki, San Francisco, and Palermo. • COVID-19 deaths, vehicle hygiene conditions, income inequality affected abandonment. • Long waiting times at stops and higher transfer rates account for higher abandonment rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to propose and examine a quantitative method of determining the degree of compatibility between municipal services. Provision of services and facilities maintenance are usually two biggest expenditures of local governments. Traditionally, facilities host only one service, whereas the challenge and opportunity lies in combining various, compatible services and offering them together under one roof. Such a combination decreases municipal expenditure and has a strong positive impact on the general service quality. For this purpose, we take advantage of the City-block distance formula to calculate the degree of compatibility between municipal services. The method is examined and discussed on a sample of 30 real municipal services. This allows us to find possible combinations of strongly compatible services that should be offered together in Multi-Service Facilities and, at the same time, avoid an unwanted combination of services that are incompatible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To gain promotion advantages, municipal governments usually set higher growth targets than higher level governments to show loyalty and to signal ability in China, thereby forming growth target constraints. There is still a lack of research linking targets with urban development models. This paper contributes to this by examining the impact of economic growth target constraints on urban sprawl. We found that municipal governments are facing obvious economic growth target constraints, especially top-down overweighting constraints. The urban growth target constraint has significantly promoted urban sprawl, and that the impact is more obvious for cities that use hard constraint vocabulary to set growth targets, small and medium-sized cities and cities that failed to achieve their growth targets as scheduled last year. The mechanism is that the growth target constraint will lead to the local governments placing emphasis on land, ignoring population and investment bias in their emphasis on construction, and ignoring public services, which will lead to low density and decentralisation of cities. Our main novel empirical findings provide important clues for understanding the evolution of urban spatial morphology and urban development models in China. This will provide new policy insights for the transformation of urban models to more sustainable development. • City economic growth is an important macroeconomic management target set by the policy authorities. • City governments are facing obvious economic growth target constraints, especially top-down overweighting constraints. • The urban growth target constraint has significantly promoted urban sprawl. • The growth target constraint will lead to the local governments placing emphasis on land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic researchers and international organisations have highlighted the need for a more extensive analysis of public finance in small and medium-sized local governments, in view of the high levels of borrowing observed, often aggravated by rural depopulation. The purpose of this paper is to identify financial risks by population size of local governments, to design sustainability policies for public services in small and medium municipalities. We consider the situation of 6456 Spanish municipalities during the period 2009–2018 and find that certain demographic and socioeconomic factors influence the probability of loan default, in municipalities of all sizes. In smaller ones, the variables with most impact in this respect are socioeconomic, while among the demographic variables, female immigration and generational turnover are the most significant. In larger municipalities, the influence is more balanced between demographic and socioeconomic variables. Our results concludes that policies to reduce unemployment and the rate of generational turnover, as means of enhancing the financial viability of public services, should differ between small and large municipalities, especially as concerns employment promotion in the construction sector for persons aged 25–44 years. These employment promotion policies should pay special attention to female immigration, which is a risk factor for municipal default. • Policies that mitigate the default risk in local governments depend on population size. • We findings reveal valuable new information for the design of policies aimed to combat depopulation. • Socioeconomic variables have a greater influence on the default risk in municipalities with less than 5,000 inhabitants. • In the municipalities with a population of 20,000 to 50,000 inhabitants, the most influential variables are demographic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, the Bahrain government launched the Tawasul System to create an electronic channel facilitating two-way communication between government agencies and citizens. In this study, Tawasul is evaluated based on the DeLone & McLean (D&M) model to assess the impact of the communication on improving the quality of government services. The results of a survey of 395 respondents indicate that the highest evaluation construct was net impacts , and the lowest was service quality. All nine hypotheses from the D&M model constructs were supported. The findings indicate that users are interested in obtaining better and more frequent communication with government agencies. The net impacts construct and the viewpoints of the Tawasul users show that digital communication through the system helps them to obtain, and the government to develop, better services. [Display omitted] • The DeLone & McLean IS success model is used to evaluate e-government services. • These are provided in Bahrain using the Tawasul System. • The system facilitates two-way e-communication between government and citizens. • Users believe that digital communication facilitates better services. • Net impacts was the highest and service quality the lowest evaluation construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature about cities’ marketing is replete with articles on the subject of city branding. Included in this literature are articles dealing with the subject of measuring city image, which is a precursor to the development of a city brand. However, many of the image studies lack validity or generalization. This paper presents a methodology for measuring city image, grounded on the development of a scale for this purpose. Based on convergent and discriminant reliability and validity analyses, factors were identified that comprise a city’s image among residents and tourists in three cities: Jerusalem, Rome and Trieste. Four factors identified by residents are Municipal Facilities, Leisure, Security and Public Services. Among tourists five factors were identified: Caring, Tourism and Recreation, Security, Public Services and Leisure and Entertainment. Three corresponding factors were identified in both tourists’ and residents’ replies. The scale validation process indicated that residents and tourists have similarities and differences in their perception of a city. As such, the current finding suggests that the scales developed in this paper may be used when surveying both groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to understand whether the physical attributes of streetscapes affect the livability of Kuala Lumpur streets. Traffic management has been stressed as the main determinant of livable streets, but physical features have been merely pointed out. Yet, does physical quality deterioration of streetscapes affect the livability degradation of urban spaces? To answer this question, people’s perception towards the physical quality of multifunctional streets, have been examined in this study. Identification of fourteen streetscape’s physical attributes was fulfilled based on a comprehensive literature review. Through structured observations and questionnaire surveys, the physical attributes of each case study was evaluated and the physical problems were discovered. Additionally, users’ perception on the identified problems and their effects on livability of the studied areas were found and defined. The result revealed that physical problems like improper walkway paving, inadequate public services and maintenance, besides traffic congestion, are deteriorating the livability of streets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional public transportation service coverage analysis focuses more on coverage at the origins. However, the accessibility at destinations also affects coverage. To address this issue, we propose a flow buffer method for analyzing public transportation service coverage, considering walking accessibility from both origins and destinations to the nearest station. We estimated population and volume coverages of metro stations using both proposed and traditional method with commuting flows extracted from mobile phone signaling data for Beijing in September 2018. The results show that coverages estimated using the proposed method significantly differ from those of the traditional method. At a distance threshold of 800 m, the traditional buffer, flow buffer with maximum distance, and flow buffer with additive distance showed population coverages of 32%, 16%, and 29%, respectively, and volume coverages of 15%, 2%, and 5%, respectively. When the distance thresholds were larger than 950 m, population coverages estimated by flow buffer with additive distance were larger than the traditional buffer. Apart from that, all other results estimated by flow buffer were lower than those of traditional buffer. Thus, previous coverage analyses were underestimated or overestimated. This approach encourages the consideration of urban transportation planning from the flow perspective. • A flow buffer method for measuring public transportation service coverage is proposed. • This method considers both origin and destination to assess coverages. • Flow buffer will change traditional results for the transportation service area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from China Migrant Dynamic Survey, this paper provides an updated and comprehensive study on migrants' settlement intention and its determinants, based on a new way of conceptualizing and measuring such intention and its permanency and stability. The results suggest that although the majority of migrants have the intention to settle down in the destination cities on a permanent or long-term temporary basis, migrants with permanent settlement intention are still a minority, and there is a significant variation of migrants' settlement intention in terms of its permanency and stability among migrants, cities of different sizes, and geographical regions. The modelling results reveal that being married, higher levels of educational attainment, occupational status and income, family migration, and housing availability and stability of residence in the host city, boost migrants' long-term and permanent settlement intention. Moreover, migrants' urban origin and hukou status, higher occupational status, younger age, and the larger size, more economic prosperity and well-developed public services of their destination cities, significantly promote the permanent settlement intention. These results will facilitate relevant policy making to further advance China's urbanization, and contribute to better theoretical understanding of urban and mobility transitions in developing countries. • The majority of migrants in China have the intention to settle down in the destination cities on a permanent or long-term basis. • However, migrants with permanent settlement intention are still a minority. • The permanency and stability of migrant settlement intention vary significantly among migrants, cities of different sizes, and various regions. • Urban origin and hukou status, high-skilled occupations and younger age promote the permanency and stability of migrant settlement intention. • The larger city size, more economic prosperity and better public services promote the permanency and stability of migrant settlement intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart city services offer effective solutions to urban problems. Thus, many countries are introducing smart city services, and some companies are entirely focused on developing the technology for the services. However, the classification of smart cities based on how they are developed is currently underexplored. This study analyzes smart cities built and operated by major countries and companies within the smart city framework. Firstly, the direction of smart city development in each city is changing. In the past, the goal of a smart city was to build urban infrastructure. However, the current focus is on providing smart city services. Thus, the operation and maintenance of smart city services are becoming more important than building them. Secondly, the manner in which companies secure smart city services has become diverse. As such, companies may be classified into those that secure the entire value chain of smart cities and those that own only some smart city services. Thirdly, companies are actively establishing a cooperative system to secure smart city technology. Rather than developing all the required technology, they demonstrate flexibility in responding to various smart city needs by collaborating with companies that provide individual services. • Smart city services are an effective solution to solve urban problems. • The direction of smart city development in each city is changing. • The operation and maintenance of smart city services are becoming more important. • Companies can be classified into secure the entire value chain services of smart city and own only some services of smart city. • Companies are becoming more active in establishing a cooperative system to secure smart city services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought great challenges to the improvement of global smart city services. To date, few studies have been conducted on the effects of service quality on citizen engagement in smart cities in a public emergency. Based on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model and uncertain management theory, this study analyses the impact of the service quality of smart city system on citizen engagement in a public emergency. Data were collected in Chinese smart cities. Three valuable and novel results are identified. First, high-quality information content, highly reliable systems and highly responsive systems have a significant positive effect on citizens' continuous experiences, but not on citizens' immediate experiences. Second, both the immediate and continuous experiences of citizens have a significant positive effect on citizen engagement. Third, continuous experiences impose a full mediation effect between information content and citizen engagement, between reliability and citizen engagement and between responsiveness and citizen engagement. As its main contribution, this study focuses on the construction of a theoretical model. Based on this model, smart city managers can understand citizens' reactions in public emergencies from stimulation to experience and their behaviours in relation to smart city services. • This study constructs a model to analyse citizen engagement in a public emergency. • Service quality has a significant positive impact on continuous experiences. • Flow experiences have a significant positive influence on citizen engagement. • Continuous experiences mediate the effect of service quality on citizen engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article concerns the development of a methodology aimed at optimising the location and type of containers used for the collection of light packaging waste material in small cities. It focuses on a municipality of 50,000 inhabitants located in the Community of Madrid (Spain) which has seen the provision of better service, covering 97% of the population. It has led to an improvement in the quality of the material deposited in the containers, which has increased from 25% to 70% through this system and through changing to 2700litre igloo-style containers. The methodology used was based on a Geographic Information System which handled different sets of information, such as street directories, the number of inhabitants, current location of the containers and radius of coverage. The evaluation of the current and potential collection points was effected by means of an expert system and the application of an analysis using buffers with radii of influence of 50, 100, 150 and 200m, generating concentric circles around each proposed point, obtaining optimum coverage at 150m. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents some existing approaches to urban thinking: resilience, systems thinking, emergence, complexity theory and assemblage, in an attempt to understand 'sustainability' and 'resilience' at the level of an African City. The focus area is Windhoek, the capitol of Namibia; a vast arid country, situated on the south-west coast of Africa, and home to one of the oldest deserts in the world. The planning paradigm in Windhoek continues to follow a suburbanisation strategy with a focus on the provision of equal technical services across the city, not realising that this urban model, with middle-class residents in mind, continues to promote exclusion of township residents in lieu of Western ideals. The research follows a broad assemblage approach to uncover the often-hidden relationships between social, environmental/ecological and economic systems at play in the city. The research is presented in the spirit of moving beyond the dichotomy of First World 'models' and Third World 'problems', to encourage policy approaches that seek to really learn from 'developing' countries. Globally the majority of urban transformation is happening in informal areas at a rate that calls for radical shifts; shifts in our perceptions of the 'informal'; our thinking and approach to urban planning; as well as our planning ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examples of sharing economy platforms are proliferating, generating new concerns on the exploitation of local resources, ethical and intellectual properties. Necessary changes are required to the regulatory frameworks of our cities. This paper proposes an application of blockchain technology for planning governance purposes. This new cutting-edge technology, currently under-exploited in applications for smart cities planning, may represent a fundamental building block for the digitalization of the sector. We propose blockchain-based management systems (BMSs) as new governance tools to improve traceability, transparency, and decentralization of transactions in the sharing economy. We build a BMS prototype for the management of co-working spaces (CWSs). In particular, we show how a blockchain can be used to track transactions between users (e.g., rent payments), and to advertise or store information about a given space (e.g., building specifications, IP conceived within the space). A large amount of data will be permanently and securely stored on ledger and made available to both institutions and corporations, providing a wide range of new governance tools and services to local authorities of the future. Similar BMSs can be developed for different types of buildings or public services purposes. • Smart contracts are an innovative governance tool for the sharing economy. • Blockchain systems offer new data capabilities for smart cities and the public sector. • Blockchain facilitates the regulation of short-term lettings and co-workings. • Smart contracts widen transparency and possibilities for stakeholder engagement. • Blockchain contracts open new avenues for tax collection and planning governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land readjustment is an important technique for urban land development in Turkey, a developing country. Application of this method provides the development of new lands and a re-organization of the built-up places in urban areas as well as production of serviced urban land and areas required for public services. Although it has a legal history going back many years, LR applications are not effectively used in urban areas of Turkey. Here, the main constraints affecting the efficiency of the method are examined. The revisions required for the method to work effectively are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There is a growing consensus on the need to propose specific policies to tackle the ongoing population decline in extensive rural areas of Southern Europe. Developing policies to target this issue requires assessment of the spatial, economic and structural conditions that explain why a municipality experiences depopulation. This study explores the drivers of population growth in the municipalities of the Mediterranean region officially known as the Comunitat Valenciana in Spain. This region is relatively urbanized, so the study allows to explore the spatial interdependence between municipalities that belong to urban and rural areas, some of them subject to significant depopulation. The study's findings, based on a spatial approach, help explain the population growth of municipalities based on their interdependence with neighbouring communities. A population growth model is defined drawing on several dimensions related to population dynamics: accessibility, economic conditions, public facilities and services, natural amenities, and degree of urbanization. The findings show that population dynamics in a given municipality are influenced by its surrounding municipalities, suggesting that policies focusing on clusters of local administrative units can be central to prevent the depopulation of certain areas. • We test the influence of indicators used by policymakers: economic conditions, services and accessibility on population growth • It is proposed a model that capture spatial connections between municipalities • With an exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), we study the spatial structure of population growth among municipalities • To analyse the spread effects across municipalities we grouped municipalities according to the risk of depopulation • Factors selected by policymakers to define municipalities at depopulation risk are consistent with economic theory [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of spatial mismatch states that the physical separation of people from their employment contributes to persistent unemployment and poverty. Although early research on spatial mismatch related more to housing discrimination, transit has long been considered a way to alleviate this issue by providing access to opportunity for disadvantaged populations. In this paper, we test the theory that transit can act as a moderator on the relationship between spatial mismatch and unemployment and poverty. We find that transit does affect, though modestly, unemployment and poverty through its effect on compactness. This study is the first to find a relationship between transit and poverty using a national sample of US regions. The findings give credence to transit-supportive policies that seek to use transit as a lever to improve regional economic conditions and alleviate unemployment and poverty. • Transit affects unemployment and poverty indirectly through its effect on compactness. • Built-environment variables like jobs-population balance and compactness are highly impactful on regional economic outcomes. • Improving public transit service can be used as a policy tool for affecting regional economies. • Further evidence exists for the theory that spatial mismatch leads to persistent unemployment and poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the determinants of subjective wellbeing in rural communities in Ghana. Using data collected from 310 households from ten rural communities in the Juaben Municipality in Ghana, we investigate the factors that influence subjective wellbeing among residents as well as formulate a model to measure happiness using the OLS and ordinal probit regression models. The study shows that happiness for rural residents, just like in urban areas, is multidimensional and depends on household characteristics. The findings indicate that self-reported happiness varied significantly with gender, marital status, religious background, occupation and source of employment as well as settlement type. Based on the model formulated, the study further found that the average level of happiness in the study communities was 4.79 on a scale of 0–10. The results of the ordinal regression indicate that respondents employed in the public service are happier than those who are self-employed. The transportation dimension was ranked as the most significant dimension basically because of the poor condition of the roads to these villages. The paper therefore recommends the improvement of the major roads in rural areas as good roads tend to contribute substantially to the overall wellbeing of rural dwellers in Ghana. • Subjective wellbeing is multidimensional and depends on household characteristics in rural communities in Ghana. • Average level of happiness in the study communities was 4.79 on a scale of 0 -10. • The transportation dimension ranks as the most significant dimension for accessing rural households wellbeing in Ghana • Religion plays an important role in the happiness of rural households in Ghana. • Access to water has been seen to have a greater impact on wellbeing in Ghana [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization in China and the resultant social problems have prompted the government to experiment with "community building". One such experiment, attempting to introduce neighborhood self-governance, was conducted from 2009 to 2013 in southwest China. Based on long-term field research and a general social survey in four such communities, this study tested the strength of community attachment as the main indicator of community formation. At the same time, different factors that influence community attachment, including length of residence, social involvement within the community, and satisfaction with community infrastructure and public services were also analyzed to explore a feasible pathway in China to strengthen communities. The results indicated a general high level of community attachment. It also indicated that community involvement, including social bonds, community participation, and community empowerment, contributed most to the strength of community attachment. Evidence from this subdistrict shows that the state could certainly build up communities in a relatively short time. Nevertheless, the robust success of community formation still hinged on social and political participation in the form of neighborhood self-governance. This form of community building through prescribed participation directed by the authoritarian state pointed out a different route from the democratic path of community construction. • This study evaluates the community building project in Southwest China. • The social survey displayed a generally high level of community attachment. • Community involvement contributed most to community attachment, followed by length of residence and community satisfaction. • The success of community building hinged on social and political participation in the form of neighborhood self-governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The spatial distribution of Social Benefits in the municipality of Torrent was analyzed. • The results revealed a remarkable spatial autocorrelation in its distribution. • Social benefits tend to be clearly concentrated in vulnerable neighborhoods. • The results also suggest that the grouping pattern in each neighborhood may be an important factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the "slum challenge" is essential for urban sustainability and the capacity of cities to provide a minimum quality of life to their residents. To present policy-makers with data to inform strategies to improve the lives of marginalized urban residents, this paper reviews quantitative indicators on slum infrastructure, and demonstrates analyses they can facilitate. First, we review 122 studies on slum infrastructure and report frequently assessed quantitative indicators; access to municipal services is among the most prevalent appearing in 25%–50% of the studies. We then assess how these indicators can increase our understanding of slum settlements, analysing access to services in slums vs the remaining urban population for a subset of cities (Sao Paulo, Rio, Lima, Johannesburg, Mumbai, and Hyderabad). Significant gaps exist between the communities, especially when per capita indicators are compared. Finally, we analyse how these indicators can be used to scope the challenges of achieving universal access to basic services (e.g. water, electricity, and water collection) by 2030. The results show that large infrastructure investments or conservation efforts are needed, especially for solid waste collection and water provision in Mumbai and Hyderabad. Additional work is needed to address data gaps to enable informed policy-making. • Systematic review of quantitative studies of slum infrastructure across the globe. • Access to municipal services among most prevalent indicators in slum infrastructure literature. • Lack of data on consumption patterns and other urban infrastructure indicators for slums. • Huge gap in basic infrastructure access and use patterns between slums and non-slums. • Developing cities require large infrastructure investments to attain universal access to services in 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper studies the citizens' readiness for implementation of crowdsourcing services of a smart city. The main goal is to develop a methodological approach that would enable the identification of those crowdsourcing services based on the Internet of things and mobile technologies that will encourage the participation of citizens. The research focus is on developing countries and cities not yet fully aligned with smart city standards. The methodological approach of examining citizens' readiness was based on an analysis of crowdsourcing models, such as crowd wisdom, crowdfunding, crowdvoting and crowdsensing, and their application in various fields, such as traffic, environmental conservation, utility services and health. The data was gathered in the city of Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, for two years through a survey that included a sample of 210 citizens. The results indicate that citizens are ready to accept crowdsourcing services related to environmental conservation (crowdfunding services that support solar energy development and environmental protection) and public transportation (crowdvoting and crowd wisdom services that can improve the state of the public transport). The proposed methodological approach and obtained results could serve as a good basis for initiating the implementation of smart city projects in Serbia and other cities and governments. • A methodological approach of examining the citizens' readiness to accept crowdsourcing services in developing countries. • The priority list of the prospective crowdsourcing services in the smart city in developing country. • The results should help public administrations to strengthen relations with citizens through new e-participation services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing body of evidence showing benefits and values of recreational ecosystem services, in sub-Saharan Africa, such evidence is extremely limited. This is problematic, and may perhaps explain their current poor condition. This study uses a random survey of households residing in Dar es Salaam to value the benefits of urban parks. The estimation is based on random utility framework where different models, with varying assumptions on preference and scale heterogeneity, are estimated. Our findings indicate that the marginal willingness to pay is highest for nature parks, followed by multi-use parks and neighbourhood parks. The willingness to pay for neighbourhood parks decreases as distance increases. Specifically, and depending on the assumptions, the marginal willingness to pay for nature parks ranges between US$0.40 - US$0.79 per month. Households are willing to pay US$0.27 - US$0.69 per month for multi-use parks. Under neighbourhood parks, this value is $0.10 - US$0.47. The policy implications for planning and management are i) the city authorities know the type of green infrastructure to invest in different locations in Dar es Salaam, and ii) there is potential to generate extra revenue from urban parks in developing countries. • Evidence on benefits of recreational ecosystem services is limited in sub-Saharan Africa. • Estimation is based on random utility using Dar es Salaam household survey. • Findings show marginal willingness to pay is highest for nature parks, followed by multi-use parks and neighbourhood parks. • Policy implications: information on type of urban park prefferences in different locations in Dar es Salaam, ii) potential to generate revenue [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although urban quality of life is one of the important topics in most of the European policies, these policies are not supported by empirical analysis. Furthermore, there are few studies in urban quality of life area that consider a sufficiently large number of cities and related factors and those that focused on European cities applied parametric analysis techniques that cannot handle multicollinearity. To remedy the aforementioned shortcomings, in this study, a large number of factors related to urban quality of life are investigated in different European cities, and to handle multicollinearity, non-parametric analysis techniques are adopted. The data stem from the Eurostat (2015), collecting information on urban quality of life for >40,000 citizens in 112 urban areas. Different non-parametric modeling techniques are applied and the results of the method that yielded the highest overall accuracy, i.e. the C5.0 algorithm, are presented. The results show that from the wide scope of considered factors, five main variables play an important role in urban life satisfaction, i.e. (i) feeling safe in the city, (ii) satisfaction with healthcare services in the city, (iii) satisfaction with the state of streets and buildings in the neighborhood, (iv) satisfaction with public transport in the city, and (v) availability of retail shops. • We proposed a model to explain urban life satisfaction in European cities. • Large number of cities and related factors are used to develop this model. • This model provides a deep knowledge about urban quality of life. • Feeling safe in the city has the highest contribution in the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation within the European Union intensifies regulatory requirements in terms of data protection for Smart City services. In particular, the mandatory Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) process constitutes a complex managerial challenge. To reduce the complexity, this study develops a typology of Flemish Smart City services based on DPIA costs. Our explorative case study, based on face-to-face interviews and a workshop, shows that DPIA costs vary along the complexities of i) the urban environment in which a Smart City service is provided, and ii) the Smart City service itself. The research further demonstrates that these complexities represent multilayered concepts. The complexity of the urban environment consists of three layers: i) city size, ii) diversity of urban stakeholders, and iii) total of Smart City services in the urban region. Similarly, the complexity of the Smart City service is composed of five layers: i) number of different data streams, ii) clarity of data ownership, iii) amount of use-cases, iv) privacy invasiveness, and v) visibility of the Smart City service. While most layers of the respective complexities unequivocally matter in the eyes of the experts, others are more contested, such as the size of the city and the visibility of the Smart City service. This cost-based framework is of value to city administrations and Smart City service providers as it allows them to make the DPIA process more efficient by shortening the learning curve and improving decision making by clustering services based on data protection needs. In particular, stakeholders that have little expertise in-house, and that are looking for an easy-to-understand, rational framework can benefit from these results. Furthermore, based on both the literature review and the obtained results, our systematic data protection impact-cost-approach is generalizable beyond the EU-borders. • DPIA costs for Flemish Smart City services increase along two main dimensions. • Both dimensions consist of layers that directly influence DPIA costs. • An intuitive typology for Smart City services based on DPIA costs is constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the unprecedented pace of urbanization in recent decades, urban vacant residences have increased dramatically. The problem of numerous vacant residences has been severely criticized. The lack of comprehensive data obstructs revealing the spatiotemporal dynamics and the contributing factors of the vacant residences at a fine scale. This study proposes a feasible and general-purpose framework to analyze the vacant residences using municipal water consumption data. First, a residential vacancy identification method is proposed to identify the vacant residences, and the spatiotemporal characteristics of the vacant residences are analyzed using the spatial analysis methods. Second, the relationships between the residential vacancies and the service environments of the neighborhoods are examined using the random forest method. The framework was applied in Changshu city, China, and the results revealed a concentric circular spatial structure for residences. The results also indicated that the diversity of the facilities and services (FASs) has the highest impact on residential vacancies. As the degree of enrichment of the FASs approximates 1 or the percentage/diversity of the FASs increase, the residential vacancy length decreases. This study not only draws a detailed picture of vacant residences but also sheds light on policy implications for mitigating residential vacancies. • The municipal infrastructure and service data are first applied for monitoring residential vacancy at a fine scale. • The proposed framework reveals the spatiotemporal dynamics of vacant residences and the impact of service factors on them. • The areas in need of improvement and the contributing factors for mitigating residential vacancies can be identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present a study of local governments in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania measuring public service quality and revisiting residential location choice. This study adopts "emergy" (spelled with an "m"), a relatively new unit of measuring energy quality, to quantify the quality of public service. The concept of neighborhood choice has evolved to incorporate distance to center, transportation modes and commute time, match between household income and housing price, availability of public services and education, and own-group preference by ethnic or socioeconomic status. Despite the quality of public service by local governments being identified a critical factor affecting residential location choice, it has received less attention because of the nebulous concept and immeasurable characteristics. The emergy analysis of a local government system allows for testing of incompatible units of a socio-economic phenomenon. This study confirms the conventional residential sorting theory that people tend to travel further for cheaper houses and for better education, but people do not travel further for a higher quality of hard infrastructure such as road network and maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of interactive technologies for smart cities requires understanding the interactions between diverse data, physical objects, existing services and different stakeholders. Yet there is a lack of supporting methods and tools for modelling the complex interaction processes, especially between humans and data. This can inhibit engagement with smart city applications and services design, particularly for those who are not experts in developing smart technologies. This paper describes the development of a typology and a set of design templates, derived from analysis of both existing and proposed examples of smart apps and services. In the process, it highlights the capability of citizens to contribute to smart city design, if given appropriate support as part of a co-design process. In this regard, we contribute a common language for both professional and non-professional designers to discuss how smart city technologies turn data into services. • Citizens show good capabilities for ideating new smart technologies. • Citizens need support to join the debate on an equal footing to smart city professionals. • Design templates help citizens to more easily contribute to smart city design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]