Search

The ground heat exchanger (GHE) is one of the main forms of geothermal energy utilization in middle-deep strata and typically includes coaxial-type deep-buried GHE (C-DGHE) and U-type deep-buried GHE (U-DGHE). This study compares the heat transfer characteristics of C-DGHE and U-DGHE. A field experiment was carried out on C-DGHE and U-DGHE at 2539 and 2781 m depths, respectively, in a housing estate in Xi'an. Simultaneously, the full-scale numerical models of both C-DGHE and U-DGHE at 2781 m were established based on the field logging data. A short-term experiment (72 h) and a long-term heat transfer simulation (five heating periods) serve to comprehensively compare the heat transfer performances of the two deep-buried pipe types. Results demonstrate that the heat transfer amount per unit meter of C-DGHE and U-DGHE were 132.18–145.91 W/m and 111.15–140.76 W/m respectively in this study, which means C-DGHE is superior to U-DGHE under similar boundary conditions when only heat transfer in buried pipes is considered. However, when heat transfer in buried pipes and water pump power consumption are considered simultaneously, a critical G (G C was ∼8.63 kg/s in this study) makes the comprehensive heat transfer performance of U-DGHE better than that of C-DGHE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prefabricated housing estates represent an important urban, architectural and historical phenomenon in the Czech Republic. Most people prefer to live in prefabricated buildings because of their central location, good transport services and a lot of amenities in their vicinity. Owners or tenants of flats prefer prefabricated buildings after revitalization, as they are more affordable than new developments and at the same time do not have such high energy consumption costs as prefabricated buildings without revitalization. The paper aims to focus on the energy savings of a specific prefabricated building. The heating consumption and the resulting monetary savings are addressed. The aim of the research is the performance of economic and life cycle analyses of the building. Firstly, the original condition of the prefabricated building and the extent of the revitalization carried out in 2001 were specified. Secondly, an energy assessment of the apartment building was carried out, where the heating consumption before and after the revitalization of the apartment building was determined and the resulting heat savings for each year of the assessment were determined in the appropriate units (GJ, kWh/(m2/yr)). Economic indicators and life cycle costs were determined based on the modelling of the heat price development and possible energy savings. Currently, there has been a huge increase in energy prices. The reason for the price increase is the current situation in the wholesale market, where the prices have been reaching extreme amounts for several months and their further development is difficult to predict. The energy crisis has deepened as a result of the geopolitical situation. Customers are expected to experience a further increase in the electricity and gas prices since the prices can increase by up to tens of per cent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• City level data in China was used to examines the effects and mechanisms of digital finance on residential carbon emissions. • In terms of the structural composition of carbon emissions, digital finance mainly increases residential carbon emissions by affecting electricity consumption and transportation in China. • Digital finance can increase residential carbon emissions through the consumption effect and employment effect. Reducing residential carbon emissions is important for all countries to achieve carbon neutrality. For such task, the impact of digital development of finance on residential carbon emissions cannot be ignored. This paper estimates residential carbon emissions in 186 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2019 and examines the effects and mechanisms of digital finance on residential carbon emissions. The results show that digital finance exacerbates residential carbon emissions in China. In terms of the structural composition of carbon emissions, digital finance mainly increases residential carbon emissions by affecting electricity consumption and transportation in China. Mechanism analysis shows that digital finance can increase residential carbon emissions through the consumption effect and employment effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We assess walkability, accessibility and morphology in Large Housing Estates (LHE). • Types of German LHE: structured low-density, socialistic, urbanity by density. • Walkability depends more on environmental or artificial barriers than urban layout. • Accessibility and morphology in LHE are highly dependent on planning paradigms. • Urbanity by density based LHEs are the most liveable among the three types. In times of rapid urban expansion, urgent demand for housing and simultaneously efforts to minimise the use of urban land are competing objectives. The concept of large housing estates (LHE) has therefore regained interest. This resurgence raises questions about the living conditions within these historically stigmatised complexes. While liveability studies often rely on surveys, we present a globally applicable quantitative approach to assess liveability along the dimensions of walkability, accessibility and built-up morphology. Using geospatial data and a delineation framework based on walking distances, we identify disparities in liveability. We identified three different planning paradigms for LHEs in Germany: the 'structured and low-dense' type, the 'urbanity by density' type in Western Germany and the 'socialistic city' type in Eastern Germany. Our analysis reveals significant differences in accessibility and morphology, that can be attributed to the historical guiding principles. Walkability, in contrast, seems to be influenced more by environmental elements (rivers, forests) and artificial barriers (railway lines, motorways) than by planning paradigms. The 'structured' type is characterised by monofunctionality, limited access to urban infrastructure, low building density, but a high proportion of green spaces. The 'urbanity by density' type has significantly higher building densities, better accessibility, but less urban green. The 'socialistic' urban type could not be clearly categorised, but seems to be a mixture of the other two types. In our analysis, the ' urbanity by density' typology predominantly performed the best and, as such, emerges as the most liveable typology, potentially serving as a guiding model for future construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil society actors often combine or move between multiple modes of resistance beyond contentious protest politics and everyday resistance, yet this remains underexamined in the urban resistance literature. This paper aims to advance the knowledge on this alternative approach to resistance, particularly its potential to function as a democratic counterbalance to top-down urban planning, policymaking, and governance. Mobilising the lens of pragmatic resistance and institutionalist planning theory, the paper examines the acts of civil society resistance triggered by the state-led redevelopment of the Dakota Crescent public rental housing estate in Singapore. Empirical research data was collected through interviews, conversations, and e-mail exchanges with 22 civil society, governmental, political, grassroots, social service, and research actors, as well as a review of 177 documents. The findings uncover the ways in which civil society groups consciously reproduced dominant institutions of planning and activism as an effective strategy to increase the state's receptiveness to their advocacy objectives. Concurrently, they sought to reshape these institutions, often by adopting multiple resistance strategies within the same group or with other groups. This political balancing act between institutional reproduction and reshaping limited the possibility for democratic shifts at a structural level, but nevertheless offered a valuable means of influencing site-specific plans, policy problem definitions, and informal governance processes. • Urban resistance often involves a combination of multiple modes and strategies. • These include collaboration with the state and public non-confrontational actions. • Civil society balances between conformity and change to gain state acceptance. • This balancing act induces site-specific changes and new policy problem definitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a case study design, the study focuses on identifying the institutional configuration that determines land take by low-density residential areas. Methodologically, it combines geospatial approaches and new institutionalism to capture and understand residential development, taking into account the interests, constraints and agency of local planning authorities, developers and households. The geospatial analysis shows that land take in the case study regions is primarily the result of low-density residential areas. We find that the combination of rural housing ideals, municipal policy objectives, municipalities' disengagement from spatial development and private sector interests are the main drivers for this kind of residential development. As the interests and constraints apply to all case study regions, the identified institutional configuration has high power in explaining low-density residential development. Our study thus uncovers a close link between the interests and constraints of actors, which on the one hand explains the limited impact of existing and new planning instruments on reducing land take, and on the other hand fosters path dependency in the development of low-density residential areas. Although there is some potential for change, breaking path dependency requires significant behavioural change among local planning authorities, developers and households. • Applying new institutionalism as a conceptual framework for understanding development of low-density residential areas. • Measuring low-density housing at sub-municipal level through building-based spatial analysis. • Structuring the housing construction process, taking into account local planning authorities, developers and households. • Understanding actors' interests, constraints and agency through expert and household interviews. • Study covers five case study regions and a period of 10 years (2009–2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infill development, which refers to the development of built-up urban areas, is considered a pleasing alternative to urban sprawl. Identifying the location of infill development and its contributing factors can aid in better guiding smart growth. This study aimed to detect residential infill development and analyze the factors associated with it in the City of Los Angeles. For the empirical analysis, we developed a deep learning model that compared historical aerial photographs of residential properties and detected 3710 residential infill developments that occurred between 2016 and 2019 in the study area. We then constructed a multilevel logistic regression model to examine the factors contributing to residential infill development. In the multilevel logistic regression model, we included the physical conditions of the properties (e.g., lot size and bus transit accessibility) and the characteristics of the neighborhoods in which the properties are located (e.g., racial composition and neighborhood age). The model estimates show that both property- and neighborhood-level characteristics are related to residential infill development. • Identifying the location of infill development and its contributing factors can aid in better guiding smart growth. • Historical satellite images along with a deep learning model can be used to identify infill development. • The multilevel logistic regression estimates suggest that both property- and neighborhood-level characteristics are related to infill development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relying on a nationwide social survey, this study examined the availability of green spaces to different socioeconomic groups living in urban areas in China. Through the survey, data was collected from 3759 individual urban residents. The socioeconomic statuses of the respondents were measured comprehensively using indicators such as household income, level of education, housing conditions, employment status, and internal migration status. Geocoded addresses of respondents were extracted to calculate three different indicators of green space availability: the coverage ratio of the overall areas of vegetation, the coverage ratio of park areas, and the closest distance to a park. The results show that the provision of green space does not strongly discriminate against people's socioeconomic levels in China. Instead, certain disadvantaged groups were, at times, provided with more green spaces than comparison groups. Hinterland migrants (i.e., non-local Hukou) tend to live closer to parks than local people. Residents in affordable housing estates and urban villages (who are marginalized groups within cities) have a higher rate of vegetation coverage than other groups. However, higher-income people tend to live closer to parks than lower-income groups, although the differences in vegetation and park coverage for the two groups are insignificant. This study expands the current inquiry on the distributional justices of green space by adding a nationwide exploration in a developing country. The results evaluated green space availability in urban areas across the country, which also can inform decision-makers and planners about which disadvantaged groups should be the focus of efforts to promote equity in green space distribution • Associations between socioeconomic statuses and green space availability were examined at a national scale in urban China. • More direct indicators were used to depict individual socioeconomic statuses comprehensively. • The provision of green space did not strongly discriminate against people's socioeconomic levels in China. • Certain disadvantaged groups were, at times, provided with more green spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding urban green space (UGS) provision in relation to its proximity, amid rapid urbanization and increasing UGS construction, is crucial for sustainable urban development. This study introduces a population-weighted proximity index to analyze the supply, surplus, and deficits of UGS provision for residents, both inside and outside UGS access radii. We assessed spatiotemporal changes in UGS provision from 2012 to 2021 in Shanghai to identify areas lacking UGSs, planning irrationalities, and needs for new UGS construction. We calculated the priority locations for new UGSs, focusing on residents most in need yet situated outside UGS access radii. Based on these, we accordingly create detailed and specific UGS development proposals. The findings show that the UGS provision on proximity that residents actually obtained in Shanghai citywide has improved at the city, community, and neighborhood levels over the past 10 years. Shanghai has undergone a phase of increasing UGS construction, resulting in more residents, previously outside UGS access radii, now being within these areas. However, despite these developments, many residential locations within UGS access radii still face insufficient UGS provision. At the neighborhood level, large proximity UGS deficits, where residents are located out of an access radius, still need to be solved. At the city and community levels, large UGS deficits within access radii also need to be solved. The proximity deficits in most urgent need to be solved at any level are for residents located outside of a UGS access radius. We also find that many of the newly built UGSs, which were constructed to address the proximity deficits for residents located outside of an access radius at both the city and community levels, were not smartly or efficiently planned. In the future, more UGSs could be newly built at locations with optimal priorities according to the findings of this study to solve efficiently the proximity deficits for residents still located outside of a UGS access radius, and to improve UGS provision on proximity at all three levels. • Assessed changes and developments of proximity to urban green space (UGS) provision. • Spatiotemporal UGS proximity assessment was performed by space time pattern mining. • UGS provision in terms of proximity in Shanghai got better from 2012 to 2021. • The number of residents outside UGS access radii in Shanghai is decreasing. • However, UGS deficits within access radii are increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Comprehensive review of urban planning policies on residential tree planting inclusion. • Identification of policy gaps regarding dominant tree planting configuration parameters. • Summarised tree arrangement technical guidelines in medium–density residential developments. • Understanding the asset of residential trees strengthening Australian suburban development policies. • Development of a general policy framework in arranging residential trees. Tree canopy loss in residential zones is a current Australian planning challenge in delivering liveable, heat–resilient urban developments. It is time for local governments to prioritise residential tree–planting programs on private properties. The best strategic practice is to endorse, optimise and protect a tree inclusion framework, especially for limited private green spaces, associating them with urban development policies. This paper examines residential tree inclusion opportunities in Australian design and planning policies at national and state levels, highlighting dominant tree planting configuration parameters. Then, it evaluates the Optimal Residential Tree arrangement (ORTa), combining site-specific tree policy requirements with building-integrated vegetation simulations for the Köppen Mediterranean climate classification. The ORTa offers technical guidelines, featuring three strategic outcomes based on property orientation, planting configuration, adequate deep soil level, and dwelling types. The paper also recommends a 4-step ORTa policy implementation process to ensure Local goverments' success in greener medium-density development. This process calls for addressing prior policy deficiencies, endorse Local Government green assets alongside the existing scattered residential tree assets and ground soil areas, supporting collaboration among planning, building and community systems and mandating residential tree inclusion for a maximum energy efficient benefit. Implementing ORTa encourages biodiversity contribution and water-sensitive urban designs while achieving urban tree canopy targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to contribute to understanding the range of site characteristics that are associated with multi-modal trip generation rates at residential developments. Data was extracted from the Trip Rate Information Computer System (TRICS) database for 933 residential developments in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with trip generation rates estimated separately for person, vehicle, public transport, pedestrian and bicycle trips. A total of 65 independent variables were included in the analysis, representing a range of site characteristics relating to location and housing attributes, public transport service quality, parking and travel plan measures. Trip generation rates by mode and time period were then regressed against the site characteristics to explore their association with multi-modal trip generation. Key findings showed that multi-modal trip generation rates are associated with a range of site characteristics at residential developments. These include, to varying degrees, locational and housing attributes such as apartment developments and housing size, population density, car ownership, distance to local facilities such as the nearest local/corner shop, public transport service quality, on-site parking spaces/dwelling, plus various travel plan initiatives such as secure well-lit/covered cycle parking. The results imply that various site characteristics deserve greater consideration in establishing multi-modal trip generation rates and that characteristics that support travel by non-vehicle modes should be incorporated within new residential developments where possible. • Data extracted from TRICS database for 933 residential developments (UK & Ireland). • Trip generation rates estimated separately by transport mode and time period. • Total of 65 variables considered, representing a range of site characteristics. • Multi-modal trip generation rates were associated with various site characteristics. • Associations with site characteristics differed by transport mode and time period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variable refrigerant flow (VRF) classification is a multi-split Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system that controls refrigerant flow to control separable zones to residential consumer's needs. VRF specific components regulate refrigerant flow control for system performance and reliability. The objective of this review is to recognize the VRF system components that affect various aspects of operation and performance. The investigate of preceding experimentation will better assist in the direction of future progress as development of expansive residential VRF systems are still in primary phases. Findings show that specific testing through different compressor arrangements, electronic expansion valve (EEV) positioning, and air flow operations affect performance and thermal comfort. The system responsiveness and sensitivity are related to the quantity of indoor evaporators that are connected to the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progressing urbanisation is contributing to the changes of vertical and horizontal landscape structure. The aim of this paper is to investigate the spatial regularities of changes in the landscape pattern that resulted from the urbanisation processes in Wrocław (Poland) between 1994 and 2020. The research area is an example of a post-socialist city characterized by fluctuating spatial processes, especially after the economic and political transformation of the year 1989. In the empirical part, authors have analysed the changes in the number of buildings and the structure of land cover using methods of spatial analysis in a GIS environment, with a particular focus on landscape metrics. The results show two main trends in landscape changes within the city boundaries, which the authors refer to as expansion and transformation. These processes were related to various driving forces and their intensity depended on analysed sub-periods and distance from the city centre. Expansion and transformation are mainly exhibited by an increase in developed area at the cost of the decline of natural and open areas (especially agricultural lands) and densification in central areas. • Over the past three decades, the structure of landscape pattern in Wrocław has been rapidly changed. • Changes in urban landscape pattern resulted from different driving forces and their dynamics varied over time and space • Expansion and transformation were the key driving processes of landscape changes in Wrocław. • Residential developments in city's peripheries led to expansion and services developments in the centre – to transformation • The inner peripheries, zone and island-like developments have been identified within city's administrative boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rich volume of research has detected urban growth by quantifying the land use/land cover (LU/LC) changes based on remote sensing technologies. However, the research has limitations in identifying various formats of urban growth, particularly small-scale urban growth, such as infill development or redevelopment in urban areas, prompted by smart growth and sustainable urban development. This paper aims to design a framework for the accurate detection of residential infill development in the City of Los Angeles by employing a deep-learning method that has been increasingly applied to analyze phenomena in cities. In order to do so, this paper develops six models that reflect the variations of image classification methods, deep-learning algorithms, and estimation types. The results from the models emphasize the potential of the deep-learning models for the detection of micro-urban growth at a city scale. However, there is room for the improvement of estimation accuracy in the cases that detect some new developments and replacements as not developed parcels. The findings suggest that the performance of the models depends primarily on the articulations of the training dataset rather than the types of deep-learning algorithms. Findings from the models provide the city with insights into land use and transportation planning decision-making based on a better understanding of the spatial distribution patterns of urban growth and development. • Remote sensing data and geospatial technologies are limited in identifying small-scale urban growth due to the low resolutions of satellite data. • Deep-learning methods can be used to detect infill development by automatically classifying and labeling longitudinal satellite images. • The model performance primarily depends on the articulations of the training dataset rather than the types of deep-learning algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual quality relates to people's views, feelings about visiting landscapes, and restorative potential, which is crucial in planning urban spaces. This study has investigated the visual quality, particularly in its connection to restorative potential, of Singapore's residential green spaces (RGSs) that are easily accessible and frequently visited by residents. We deployed a laser scanner to document 152 RGSs in high-density public housing estates and represented their landscape visual quality (LVQ) with previously developed 3D spatial metrics. The spatial metrics correlated to the Perceived Restorative Scale (PRS) of 1500 participants from an online survey were employed for cluster analysis to identify RGSs' main features. The results concluded five main RGS clusters in Singapore: "High naturalness and low visual scale", "Low naturalness and coherence", "High visual scale and low coherence", "High coherence and low visual scale", and "Medium-high visual and low complexity". A set of practical recommendations based on the weaknesses of each cluster were also provided to support their LVQ improvement. The significance of the study lies in the point cloud-based approach to document and characterise RGSs' LVQ with 3D spatial metrics and paves a typological way to facilitate RGSs planning. • A new methodological approach is developed to identify residential green space (RGS) typologies. • Point cloud-based 3D spatial metrics are correlated with the Perceived Restorative Scale to quantify visual quality. • Five main RGS typologies are identified by applying 3D spatial metrics in Singapore. • Features, weaknesses, and recommendations of RGS typologies are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Ghost Cities" have become a phenomenon of global interest since 2009 when popular media highlighted the existence of Ordos, a large Chinese city that was almost entirely vacant. The term is used to describe housing vacancy associated with overdevelopment and can refer to small communities, neighborhoods, or even whole cities that lie vacant. Ghost Cities are particularly prevalent in China where housing vacancy has become a serious concern for many second and third-tier cities. Measuring the extent of these vacant areas has been challenging due to Chinese data restrictions. This research tests whether it is possible to collect data, scraped from Chinese social media open access API's including Dianping (Chinese Yelp), Amap (Chinese MapQuest), Fang (Chinese Zillow), and Baidu (Chinese Google Maps) to develop a computational model to identify areas considered to be Ghost Cities. The model created for this study is based on the idea that thriving communities need access to basic amenities. Therefore Hansen's gravitational model was applied to give an "amenities score" for residential locations based on their accessibility to restaurants, banks, grocery stores, beauty salons, KTV, medical facilities, schools, and malls Moran's I spatial autocorrelation was applied to the amenity scores below the mean to determine spatially clustered residential locations with low scores. The results were considered potential Ghost Cities and were visited in Chengdu and Shenyang to confirm the accuracy of the model. These site visits showed that the model identified transitional, underperforming, or vacant housing in these cities, illustrating that it is possible to use data scraped from social media to identify underused residential developments. • Ghost Cities are Chinese neighborhoods are a physical manifestation of the country's over-development of real estate and its dependence on housing as an investment strategy. • The result is one of the first maps identifying the locations of Ghost Cities in several cities, thereby identifying real estate risk in each city. • The model is based on the idea that thriving communities have access to basic amenities, and therefore produces an "amenities score" for residential locations based on accessibility to restaurants, banks, grocery stores, beauty salons, KTV, medical facilities, schools, and malls. • The model itself is useful for other analysis identifying healthy communities, not only the ones developed in China, and could be applied to help planners identify improvements they could make in their communities. • Example of a project that uses social media data to address urban policy issues, as visualizing the data allows Chinese planners to understand what is the root cause of this pattern of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to assess the techno-economic feasibility of a hybrid photovoltaic (PV)/diesel/battery power system for a housing estate located on the outskirts of Harbin, a city in the Heilongjiang province of northeastern China. The optimization, economic, electricity output, emissions, and sensitivity analyses of the proposed systems are all analyzed using Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables software. The results indicate that the hybrid PV/diesel/battery system is cost-optimal in the considered systems, while the diesel generator -only system is the least economical. The optimal system comprising 500 kW p PV arrays, two diesel generators with a rated power of 1250 kW, 600 batteries, and a 500 kW sized converter provides the lowest total net present cost of $8,162,822 and a levelized cost of energy of 0.480 $/kWh with a renewable fraction of 57%. In addition, it is found that the hybrid PV/diesel/battery system can significantly reduce the emission of pollutants over its lifetime compared to other feasible systems, particularly diesel generator-only systems. The hybrid PV/diesel/battery system is therefore a good alternative energy schemes for housing estates in Harbin replacement for diesel-powered generators. • The techno-economic feasibility of a PV/diesel/battery system is evaluated using HOMER in Harbin. • The optimization, economic, electricity output, emissions, and sensitivity analyses are all analyzed. • The PV/diesel/battery system for housing estates is cost-optimal. • The diesel generator-only system for housing estates is the least economical. • The PV/diesel/battery system can significantly reduce emissions of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mature trees are declining faster than they are being replaced in landscapes managed for agriculture, wood production and residential development. Population bottlenecks are therefore predicted for biota that depends on mature trees. We erected five utility poles and five large dead trees to evaluate whether artificial structures can offset the loss of living mature trees from a residential development. We implemented the study as a before-after-control-impact (BACI) experiment that included five control sites with no trees and five sites with living mature trees—sampled before and soon after the artificial structures were erected. Bird species richness increased significantly where utility poles or dead trees were erected with no significant change at control sites or at living mature trees. Erecting dead trees provided the greatest gain in bird species richness and was also more cost-effective than erecting utility poles or planting seedlings and waiting for them to mature. However, dead trees did not support as many native bird species as living mature trees and 37% of the species observed in our study occurred exclusively at living mature trees indicating that erecting dead trees or utility poles is only a partial solution for offsetting the loss of mature trees. Our results suggest that conserving all birds where mature trees are declining requires a complementary strategy of: (a) protecting as many living mature trees as possible, (b) recruiting a new cohort of future mature trees by establishing seedlings; and (c) erecting artificial structures to provide suitable habitat until these seedlings reach maturity. • We recorded substantial increases in bird species richness where utility poles and dead trees were erected. • Erecting these structures was a more cost-effective way to increase bird species richness than planting seedlings. • However, not all bird species responded—some only occurred where living mature trees persist in the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Egyptian government intends to develop the current urban cities especially those located on the Egyptian shorelines, to exploit the ports of these cities to increase the rate of importing and exporting, besides establishing new communities away from the narrow River Nile valley. The southern extension of Marsa Alam city, which is situated on the Red Sea coast will take the chance of development, this city lies south of Hurgada urban city with distance of 310 Km. The area subjects to many earthquakes, particularly from Abu Dabbab active seismic zone. The aim of this paper is using the fundamental frequency term derived from Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) method to evaluate the impact of the surface and subsurface soil sediments on seismic ground motion. Forty-four sites have been chosen for measuring the ambient noise. The obtained zonation map shows that; the lowest value of fundamental frequencies (f 0 < 1 Hz) are observed mainly in the regions parallel to the sea coast, these results are compatible with the thickness of sediments in these directions. While the areas aligned at the center of the map are distinguished by a high value of fundamental frequency (f 0 = 1–3.7 Hz). On the other hand, the zones extend from the northwest to southeast, west, and south of the study area, characterized by flat HVSR curves. The velocity models derived from seismic refraction and Multi-Channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) approaches show occurrence of shallow bedrock at these zones. The obtained HVSR amplitude (A 0) zonation map is compatible with the fundamental frequency (f 0) values. Moreover, the fundamental frequency zonation map was simply interpreted taking into account the height of the buildings may be construct in the area. The outcomes will help in understanding the soil-structure resonance phenomena could be happen in the area. The risk of building-soil resonance should be taken in consideration with integration of the provisions of the Egyptian Seismic Code to overcome the probability of buildings collapsing due to the seismic activity in vicinity of the study area. • HVSR used to evaluate the impact of the soil sediments on seismic ground motion. • The zonation map shows variation in fundamental frequency all over the studied area. • The amplitude distribution is compatible with the fundamental frequency values. • The soil-structure resonance could happen due to the similarity in the frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal changes in the location of food outlets can result in disparities in the availability and access of food across geographic areas, contributing to health inequalities. This study used mixed linear models to investigate how the location of food outlets around the home evolved over time with respect to area-level socio-economic status (SES) and urban design within established neighbourhoods and new residential developments. Food outlet data (supermarket/greengrocers, convenience stores, café restaurants and takeaway/fast food) were sourced from commercial database listings (SENSIS Pty. Ltd.) in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2011. Using 2468 addresses from the RESIDential Environments Project (RESIDE), in Perth, Western Australia (WA), a count of each food outlet type and percentage of healthy food outlets within a 1.6 km road network buffer around the home, along with the road network distance to nearest food outlet were generated relative to each address at each time point. Proximity to and count of all food outlets increased over time in both new developments and established neighbourhoods. However, unhealthy food outlets were always in greater numbers and proximity to the home. The percentage of healthy food outlets was significantly greater in established neighbourhoods compared to new developments at all four time points. There were significantly more food outlets, and within closer proximity to the home, in established neighbourhoods compared to new developments at each time point. In established neighbourhoods, there were more convenience stores, takeaway/fast food and café restaurants, a lower percentage of healthy food outlets, and closer proximity to convenience stores in lower compared to high SES areas. In new developments there were significantly less supermarket/greengrocers, a lower percentage of healthy food outlets and greater proximity to takeaway/fast food and café restaurants in low compared to high SES areas. New developments designed according to the WA government's "Liveable Neighbourhoods Community Design Guidelines" policy had significantly more of all food outlets compared to other new developments. As such, people living in new developments, and low SES areas of Perth, may be disadvantaged with poorer access to healthy food outlets and greater exposure to unhealthy food outlets. Future urban planning and policy should focus on providing incentives that support the early development of supermarkets and healthy food outlets within new developments and low SES areas of Perth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A review taxonomy for human-in-the-loop HVAC operations has been proposed. • Human-in-the-loop HVAC operations have been reviewed using the proposed taxonomy. • Methods for occupancy and comfort characterization were systematically reviewed. • Methods for integration of human dynamics in the control of HAVC were reviewed. • Presented quantitative and qualitative performance assessment on different methods. Abstract Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems account for almost half of the energy consumption in buildings. By benefiting from advancements in information and communication technology, human-in-the-loop HVAC operations have drawn considerable attention in the last decade with the aim of curtailing unnecessary energy use and providing user-specific comfort zones with reduced user dedication. Future progress in thie field calls for an in-depth understanding of the current state and challenges of the human-in-the-loop HVAC systems. Therefore, using a structured literature review approach, we have investigated this field according to two parameters of human dynamics that drive user-centric operations of HVAC systems, namely, occupancy and comfort. In this review and assessment study, by proposing a five-tier hierarchical taxonomy, we have classified the studies based on their contributions to occupancy- and comfort-driven human-in-the-loop HVAC operations (e.g., occupancy detection or comfort profiling) and have presented categorization for techniques and their quantitative performance assessment. In doing so, we have accounted for the context of the studies as they relate to developments in residential and office buildings given that distinct circumstances in each context (e.g., accessibility to thermostats) have resulted in different methodologies, especially in adopting the sensing techniques and HVAC operations. Moreover, we have distinguished simulations from field evaluations to assess the actual viability and challenges in achieving desirable results in practice. Lastly, the Hype cycle model was utilized to qualitatively evaluate the developments of different technologies for human-in-the-loop HVAC operations from a research perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this era of technology, data of business organizations are growing with acceleration. Mining hidden patterns from this huge database would benefit many industries improving their decision-making processes. Along with the non-sensitive information, these databases also contain some sensitive information about customers. During the mining process, sensitive information about a person can get leaked, resulting in a misuse of the data and causing loss to an individual. The privacy preserving data mining can bring a solution to this problem, helping provide the benefits of mined data along with maintaining the privacy of the sensitive information. Hence, there is a growing interest in the scientific community for developing new approaches to hide the mined sensitive information. In this research, a bibliometric review is carried out during the period 2010 to 2018 to analyze the growth of studies regarding the confidential information privacy preservation through approaches addressed to the hiding of association rules of data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge extraction in social networks is a needful tool as it touches every aspect of our lives such as politic, socio-economic, scientific, etc. Community detection is one of the objectives of this specific tool used for knowledge extraction in social networks. Many algorithms of knowledge extraction from social networks have been developed these last years. However, many of them are not constant, effective and accurate when facing these social networks with many edges. In this paper, we propose a new approach of community detection in social networks with many links between communities. The proposed approach has two steps. In the first step, the algorithm attempts to determine all communities that the clique percolation algorithm may find. In the second step, the algorithm computes the Eigenvector Centrality method on the output of the first step in order to measure the influence of network nodes and reduce the rate of the unclassified nodes. To assess this new approach, we test it on different types of networks. Relevant communities that have been detected testifies effectiveness and performance of the approach over other community detection algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With the deepening of housing reform, housing mobility and residential differentiation in urban China are on the rise. Extant studies on residential satisfaction and relocation intention tend to focus on rural to urban relocation, while little is known about their interactions in the context of urban China. This study attempts to fill this void by offering an updated and detailed account of intra-urban relocation, and by unravelling the complex mechanism and interactions between residential satisfaction and relocation against a general background of residential differentiation. Based on a questionnaire survey in three types of neighborhoods representative of the dominant residential patterns in contemporary Chinese cities, namely traditional inner city neighborhoods, urban villages and commodity housing estates, this paper examines determinants of residential satisfaction and relocation intention in each residential segment. The results from linear regression and multivariate logistic regression models show that residential satisfaction is influenced by different factors in the three types of residential neighborhoods, but is generally shaped by community attachment and the housing facilities. Relocation intention is generated by a combination of various factors that differ from neighborhood to neighborhood. In traditional inner city neighborhoods, residents are less likely to develop relocation intentions, and satisfaction levels tend to go down with the age of the housing estates. The situation is slightly different in urban villages, where residents with a weak sense of community prefer to relocate. The diversified determinants of relocation intention in the three types of neighborhoods are by no means incidental, being closely related, in fact, to the demographic composition, built environment and development history of the neighborhood. This study offers a multilayer explanation of intra-urban relocation and its interactions with residential satisfaction in post-reform urban China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Young millennials will play an important role in addressing the intergenerational climate change crisis related to energy production. Drawing from the Theory of Planned Behavior and community resilience literatures, we analyzed how awareness of local clean energy initiatives, risk perceptions, environmental messaging, and environmental orientation influence young millennial support for federal clean energy policy and taxes as mediated through local clean energy support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This article discusses the Brazilian city through the perspective of its written idealisation, both in the format of Master Plans and their resulting legislations. The analysis reflects ideas expressed by local society, legislators and urban planners, recognizing that a myriad of intermediate agents play specific roles and confirming the main features in the way the city is understood. The discussion is based on a selection of 26 Master Plans for the ten largest cities in Brazil between 1960 and 2015. This timeframe reveals distinct phases constructed with different priorities and ways of idealising Brazilian cities and, by extension, those on the Latin American continent. The study suggests an increase in legal complexity, expansion of municipal responsibilities and the maintenance of physical-territorial priorities as the main instruments of urban management. Many of the themes observed in the selected Plans also indicate an overlapping symbiosis between the comprehensive Master Plans themselves and the laws for urban land use they encompass. The impressive expansion of responsibilities adopted by local governments, as well as holistic aspirations, has made achievement of the ideal city more difficult than ever. Efforts to democratise urban land access and appropriate use have gained importance in the composition of the ideal city; however, the access of the low-income population to proper land and basic infrastructure and services still relies on controversial and structural changes. Analysis of the desired city – here considered as the idealised city – during the selected period reveals a strategic absence of emergent features and points to both optimistic and pessimistic approaches. Highlights • A discussion on the Brazilian city through the perspective of their written idealization: Master Plans and legislations. • Discussion is based on 26 Master Plans for the ten largest cities in Brazil for the 1960-2015 period. • There is an increase of legal complexity, enlargement of municipal responsibilities and a physical-territorial priority. • Democratization of urban land access and its adequate use have gained importance in the idealized city proposed by Plans. • The idealized city in the Plans lacks emergent social novelties. • There has always been distance between what is idealized and what is accomplished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To cope with the increasingly severe problem of housing unaffordability brought about by marketization reforms, the government of marketized socialist China has adopted a nationwide policy of constructing large-scale subsidized housing estates. However, the livability of these housing estates is yet to be investigated. Improvements in the livability of these estates must be based on an in-depth understanding of institutional forces and processes. A household survey of 11 subsidized housing estates suggests that the unfavorable quality of built environments, largely owing to the spatially and socially isolated locations, cannot meet the actual needs of low-income residents. The inheritance from the socialist planned economy, including the bureaucratic administrative system, limited and inefficient negotiations between government departments, and a limited and unstable supply of land that rooted in the land marketization reform, has significantly influenced the provision of subsidized housing as well as its livability. Highlights • Built environments of subsidized housing estates do not meet low-income residents' needs • Livability of SHE was unfavorable but heterogeneous across different stages, despite residents' socioeconomic similarities • Inheritance from China's planned economy influences provision of subsidized housing, and the livability of SHE [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Rapidly aging society is a global phenomenon with serious societal impact. With the rapid growth in the aging population in Hong Kong, it is foreseeable that every flat unit will accommodate one senior citizen. To address this looming problem, the Hong Kong Government has introduced several aged friendly home design elements and care facilities to redeveloped public rental housing estates. This study aimed to investigate the implementation of the "aging in place" philosophy, through evaluating the applicability and effectiveness of those facilities. A redevelopment project, the Un Chau Estate in Hong Kong was selected as a case study. Ecological theory is applied to evaluate the case study at micro, meso and macro scales. The methodological approaches include (a) a questionnaire survey, (b) face-to-face group discussions and (c) in-depth interviews. Results reveal that senior satisfaction levels with the new elements investigated were below the levels of perceived importance. In particular, the seniors emphasized the lack of a sense of home and privacy in their residences. They were, however, moderately satisfied with the independence and dignity and comfort and health elements. The results also reveal that the provision of common facilities is not up to standard in meeting the needs of the elderly. The majority of the elderly consistently opined that aging in place is their priority. To some extent, the extreme case of Hong Kong as a showcase of a dense populated aged Asian city, sheds light on how public housing (re)development can be designed to facilitate aging in place. A more comprehensive and refined approach at micro, meso, and macro scales is necessary to guarantee the satisfactory implementation of aging in place. Highlights • It aims to investigate the implementation of the aging in place philosophy, through evaluating the applicability and effectiveness of the aged friendly home design elements and care facilities to redeveloped public rental housing (PRH) estates in Hong Kong. • Results reveal that senior satisfaction levels with the new elements investigated were below the levels of perceived importance. • The seniors in Hong Kong emphasized the lack of a sense of home and privacy in their residences, however, moderately satisfied with the independence and dignity and comfort and health elements. • The results also reveal the majority of the elderly consistently opined that aging in place is their priority, however, the provision of common facilities is not up to standard in meeting the needs of the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We developed a model to simulate BEV trips based on travel surveys. • BEVs in 2017 could already cover 85–90% of trips in Finland and Switzerland. • Charging infrastructure at households should be expanded faster. • With infrastructure policies in place, BEVs can cover 99% or more of all trips. Abstract Limitations of battery capacity in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) contribute to what is known as range anxiety, and therefore poses an obstacle to their mass-market adoption. While high-range BEVs have been recently introduced, it is not clear whether they will be able to cover all possible trips without long recharging detours, and what the infrastructure needs of those vehicles are. To understand the impact of range limitations in Switzerland and Finland, we constructed a simulation model that is based on representative national travel surveys. We use it to calculate the potential of BEVs to cover any trips and investigate options to increase this coverage. The options discussed in this paper are ways to facilitate easy recharging, such as infrastructure development policies. We complement our results with insights from three focus groups. The results suggest that 85–90% of all national trips could have already been covered with BEVs prevalent in 2016. If the charging station infrastructure is developed appropriately and high-range BEVs are adopted, it is possible to reach a potential coverage of 99% or more in both countries. Deploying charging stations at users' homes and in residential areas does contribute significantly to this improvement and is desirable from a car user's perspective. Providing fast-charging stations in other locations is necessary to maximise the potential. We recommend to focus policy efforts on the development of residential charging options and to increase the visibility of electro-mobility using fast-charging stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Despite indoor mould being one of the most common problems in residential properties in the UK, there are not any widely accepted methodologies for its measurement. This paper focusses on this problem of measurement and reports on the findings from a rigorous testing scheme carried out to quantify air and surface mould concentrations and particle counts within 71 rooms from 64 properties in North London, some with and some without visible mould. The aim was to investigate the potential of passive and active air sampling strategies (sampling from still and actively mixed air, respectively) to explain visible mould, and understand how home/room characteristics correlate with the obtained readings. Airborne mould levels were quantified using an Andersen sampler (passively and actively), as well as by a chemical method based on the quantification of the N -acetylhexosaminidase (NAHA) activity (actively), which was also used to quantify surface mould. The mould levels were then correlated against physical characteristics of the tested homes/rooms, collected by means of survey sheets developed as part of this study. The findings did not reveal any independent variable governing all or most of the response variables, but a complex analysis suggested that whether it is a house or a flat could depict mould levels in the air and on the surfaces. It was also shown that a robust testing protocol should combine air and surface based methods, and an active air sampling strategy leads to a more accurate appraisal of airborne mould levels. Finally, the results showed that while there is some correlation between visible mould (and other moisture induced problems such as condensation) and measured air mould concentrations, lack of visible mould within a room does not necessarily mean low air mould concentrations, and thus one should not rely solely on visual inspection. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Mould testing of 71 rooms by both a culture-based and a chemical method. • A testing protocol that combines air and surface sampling, and particle counting. • Comparison of passively and actively sampled air readings in relation to the presence of visible mould in the tested rooms. • Investigation of how physical characteristics of the tested properties relate to the measured mould levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • To ensure systematic analysis of the key aims and objectives, this research adopts an 'explanatory research design'. • The study focuses on a 'case study' approach in order to carry out analysis of the most representative housing typology in Famagusta, Cyprus. • The possible sustainable green urbanism features and architectural measures in the scope of local land use policy requirements were evaluated. The feasible scenarios were devised by adding the topographical characteristics of selected case study locations of all designed maps were undertaken. Abstract Problems in mass housing estates in Famagusta, Cyprus, have been an issue for research on urban planning and policy interventions for many years. Neighbourhoods were designed featuring modernist residential tower blocks and suburban row houses with insufficient green areas and no consideration of either the climatic features of the built site or of urban planning, regulations or law. This study discusses ongoing, uncontrolled construction trying to change the contemporary urban environment, based on the features of housing and urbanism. It investigates whether the natural landscape and extensions to topography have played decisive roles in the construction of mass housing estate developments and uses of the rural periphery of the city. The study develops a base case of urban transformation models representing the morphological characteristics of buildings from three distinct construction eras (the 1970s, 1990s and 2010s). The information collected is enriched and verified by a site survey. Through three case studies, the types of buildings in each era are analysed and evaluated in relation to a number of environmental factors, including an analysis of the different context layers, to ascertain the existing strength of the urban block development configurations as well as to evaluate their shortcomings under the threat of urban sprawl. The findings not only provide ground research for developing urban retrofit scenarios but also employ sustainable planning tools based on those urban processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of suburbs is a debated issue. This paper discusses the questions of care during suburban regeneration in the Nordic context, with an emphasis on shared spaces. The empirical research was conducted in the suburban housing estate of Kontula, in Helsinki, Finland. Theoretically, the study is based on the geographies of care and responsibility together with the ethics of care that is interpreted from a spatial perspective. The questions addressed are how (or if) care for shared spaces manifests in suburban strategies, plans, and regeneration projects, and how these caring notions relate to the views of the suburban care-givers interviewed in the study. As a result, the concept of the suburban ethics of care is proposed to describe how suburbs and their changing environments can be approached in a caring manner. The discussion indicates how the suburban ethics of care is a normative, relational, processual, spatial, and political concept and practice. • Care should be part of the transformation and planning of suburban shared spaces. • The suburban ethics of care notes how suburbs can be approached in a caring manner. • The suburban ethics of care is a normative, relational, processual, spatial and political concept and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, an innovative method for designing energy-self-sufficient housing communities is presented, emphasising proactive user participation. The overall concept for achieving such communities is first described, and then the current research is presented – focusing on the electricity generation and storage within the community. Three key degrees of freedom are exploited: buildings with very low and coordinated energy demand; strong residents participation; a large share of local energy generation with its storage in the houses. The starting point is to maximise the energy efficiency of individual buildings. As the buildings in the analysed community were built according to the obtained optimisation results and are inhabited by users, the authors assessed the actual energy consumption in relation to the design value in Design Builder software. The detected discrepancy was only 3.8%. That modelling accuracy allows further steps to achieve a fully energy-self-sufficient community. This is illustrated using a real example of a 40-building nZEB community in Poland, independent of the energy supply from the grid. The presented approach demonstrates a Smart City solution for a community of single-family houses with confirmed very low final energy demand and potential Greenhouse Gas reduction of up to 96%. • The innovative method for designing self-sufficient housing estates. • The concept of a self-sufficient, zero-emissions building complex was created. • Three key degrees of freedom are proposed for the analysis of the housing estate. • A good agreement (3.8%) between the actual energy consumption and Design Builder. • A Smart City solution, low energy demand, potential Greenhouse Gas reduction up to 96%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud energy storage systems (CES) are a new paradigm for the application of consumer-side energy storage in residential community microgrids. By transforming traditional consumers into self-sustaining and utility consumers, CES facilitates interaction between consumers and utilities as well as between consumers. Residential CES development is complicated by the flexible capacity of CES batteries and the uncertainty of supply. This paper recommends the CES system for residential prosumers. A machine learning-based uncertainty quantization and an artificial ecosystem optimization (AEO) method are used to determine optimal battery capacity considering PV, load, and price uncertainty. Compare this algorithm to the other four optimization algorithms to find out how well it works. The feasibility and profitability of deploying CES with residential PV are assessed. This problem minimizes the user's cost and maximizes the profit of the CES operator. The sensitivity analysis of CES is analyzed for various storage capacity penetrations. Further, optimal battery capacity determines the use of an AEO algorithm. Based on a PJM dataset of residential PV, load, and electricity price, simulation results demonstrate that the suggested framework integrated with a distributed PV system is more economical to DES. • Modeling of cloud energy storage. • Artificial intelligence based learning uncertainty quantification mechanism. • Proposed an optimization algorithm for optimal battery capacity for CES. • Dynamic price mechanism used to obtain optimal charging and discharging profile for better the utilization of CES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developers are interested in the fact that people are keen on living close to urban green spaces – and especially that they are willing to pay for it. This study aims to investigate to what extent developers capitalise on green space proximity, and to what extent they use green space proximity as a selling point in their marketing communications. We investigate developers' activities around 107 public parks and green squares in Lodz, Poland, between 2011 and 2021. We focus specifically on how many new residential buildings were built within a 500-metre buffer around the parks, divided into an inner buffer (within 100 m) and an outer buffer (within 100–500 m). (Despite being farther, the outer buffer is still considered to be near the park.) Our results show that most new residential developments occurred around large and very large parks, parks characterised by the highest multifunctionality, and – most importantly – parks otherwise known to serve as amenities (positively influencing real estate prices). The most attractive parks tend to attract the most developments. Furthermore, the larger the park, the smaller the share of standard new developments. Additionally, we found that luxury developments were more likely to be advertised as benefiting from green space proximity, even if they were not located within the inner (100 m) buffer. We discuss these results in the context of external benefits reaped by developers as well as various cases of abuse or greenwashing claims in marketing new residential developments. We indicate how developers who build up informal green spaces (most new developments were sited on land that was previously not built up) reap external benefits provided by publicly maintained green spaces, and how this fits into the neoliberal urban green growth machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the expanding recognition of the impact of urban design on the well-being of citizens in planned communities, air quality concerns are frequently neglected in the development of new towns. This study aimed to address this gap in the literature by conducting comparative field assessments of different street structures in South Korea's new towns, measuring the concentrations of ultrafine particles (UFP), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and black carbon (BC) in street canyons with varying aspect ratios (ARs) and road configurations. During a six-day period in October, measurements were taken both before and after business hours in pedestrian zones with ARs of 2.5 and 10, as well as vehicle zones with open and loop roads. The findings revealed that the concentrations of UFP, PM2.5, and BC were consistently higher in a deeper canyon (AR 10) than in a shallower canyon (AR 2.5) in the pedestrian zone throughout the day, with the difference being most pronounced during periods of heightened commercial activity. Additionally, vehicle zones with loop roads had higher levels of air pollution, particularly in terms of UFP and PM2.5 concentrations, compared to open roads, regardless of vehicle traffic volume. The study highlights the importance of evaluating the influence of street configuration on air circulation, regulating emissions from direct sources, and adopting a comprehensive approach to urban planning to improve air quality and safeguard public health in densely populated areas. [Display omitted] • Street configuration comparisons examined new town's urban form—air pollution relationships. • The higher the AR of the pedestrianizing street canyon, the higher the concentrations of UFP, PM2.5, and BC. • Deeper canyon (AR 10) PM2.5 twice higher than shallower (AR 2.5) in vehicular-free zone, via mobile measurements. • Loop roads had consistently higher UFP, and PM2.5 concentrations than open roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupancy schedule is one of the key inputs in Building Energy Modeling (BEM) to reflect the interaction between buildings and occupants. Over the past decades, standardized occupancy schedules, developed mainly by engineering rule-of-thumb, have been widely used in BEM due to its simplicity and lack of real measured occupancy data. However, the BEM community has recognized their association with uncertainty and reliability in simulation results from BEM. This study introduces representative occupancy schedules in the U.S. residential buildings, derived from a large smart thermostat dataset and time-series K-means clustering, and an open-source tool to generate a stochastic residential occupancy schedule. Over 90,000 residential occupancy schedules were estimated from the ecobee Donate Your Data dataset. Then, the representative occupancy schedules were identified through clustering. This study further investigated the impacts of three parameters (day, house type, and state) on residential occupancy schedules. Then, a tool, the Residential Occupancy Schedule Simulator (ROSS), is developed using the representative occupancy schedules derived in this study. Details of this tool are presented in this paper. The derived representative occupancy schedules and the ROSS tool can help improve the energy modeling of residential buildings. • Representative residential occupancy schedules in US were identified via clustering. • Over 90,000 smart thermostat operational data were used for analyses. • The house type and location did not impact occupancy schedules, but day of the week. • A tool that creates stochastic residential occupancy schedules was devised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Hybrid systems, which use more than one renewable energy sources, are quite advantageous, because they can eliminate or at least vitiate the interrupted characteristics of the renewable sources. In the present study, a hybrid system, which consists of a small scale wind turbine and photovoltaic panels, was focused on. The system supplies the required electricity demand for a detached house, with a 117 m2 area, in five different locations (Izmir, Madrid, Budapest, Paris and Helsinki) according to European climate zones. A detailed dynamic hourly electricity generation analysis for the two components of the hybrid system was performed. As a result, the coverage ratio of the hybrid system electricity generation for the total electricity demand of the house, simple payback time and energy payback time of the system were calculated for each city. The results revealed that yearly electrical energy demand of the house can be entirely met by the evaluated hybrid system for each city. Maximum yearly coverage ratio of 176.6% was observed for Izmir, Turkey, while minimum coverage ratio was 103.1% for Helsinki, Finland. The simple payback time and energy payback time of the hybrid system were determined in the range of 7–25.5 years and 4.6–6.8 years, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate open space value in an ideal setting for a natural experiment between Riverside County, with an open space conservation policy, and neighboring San Bernardino County without the policy. With spatial econometrics, time series and spatial data, this study accounts for both spatial and temporal variation of open space values. The novelty of our paper is that we combine an investigation of the effect of open space proximity on residential property value with an analysis of the effect of endangered species habitat preservation policy distinguishing between types of open space (wild habitat for endangered species versus developed parks) in a two county study. We find that proximity to open space has a positive and statistically significant influence on increased value of residential real estate, with some distinction among type of open space between the counties. Conservation policy for open space with wild habitats contributes to increased value of this amenity in Riverside County. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies the very limited connectivity provided by the current public transport system to the most deprived groups of Santiago de Chile, and explores the territorial aspects of transport and social housing policies that have contributed to the creation of unequal public transport schemes. To achieve those aims, we present a review of public policies in Chile and the results of an original quantitative analysis that measures the travel times required to access the opportunities and activities located in the city. The results show that housing policies put people at a disadvantage by increasing the distance between them and the opportunities of the city. Three decades after the implementation of housing policies, transport still fails to mitigate these distances and instead of alleviating the patterns of segregation, it may have reinforced them. The travel times required increase towards the periphery (even though densities do not decrease) and are higher than the averages of the city in social housing estates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a conceptual framework for the design of multifractal urban or regional development plans that adhere to five planning principles: hierarchical polycentric urban development; transit-oriented development; locally dense residential development; penetration of green areas into built-up areas across several nested scales; preservation of interconnected networks of natural and green areas having various sizes. This conceptual planning framework is based on multifractal spatial modelling, which is intrinsically multiscalar. The GIS-based software application Fractalopolis (current version 1.0) is used to apply this conceptual framework to real-world case studies. Fractalopolis helps to define where to create new housing units and new facilities in accordance with the planning principles set out above. We use Fractalopolis to create a multifractal development plan for a medium-sized French metropolitan area, namely Besançon, for the year 2026. This plan allows a realistic “soft” transformation the Besançon metropolitan area in keeping with the five planning principles set out above and makes the region more multifractal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mature trees provide a range of ecosystem services in urban landscapes, represent important wildlife habitat, and impact positively on human wellbeing. However, mature trees are perceived as a risk to people and infrastructure and occupy land suitable for development. Trees are slow to reach ecological maturity and thus difficult to replace when removed. In this study, we: (a) quantified native canopy cover retained during residential development using aerial imagery; (b) identified where native trees are/are not retained within residential developments with a focus on mature trees; and (c) evaluated the effectiveness of current legal mechanisms for protecting native trees during residential development. Native canopy cover was reduced by 49% during residential development. Mature trees had the highest probability of retention within residential developments if they occurred within intact remnant vegetation. A lower probability of retention for mature trees was observed in urban green space, and almost no mature trees were retained in other areas within residential developments, such as residential blocks and road verges. Mature trees had greater probability of retention where the jurisdiction offered some legislative protection. The loss of mature trees during residential development could be reduced with a greater focus on avoiding the removal of existing trees during the planning stage rather than offsetting the impacts elsewhere; and by designing green space within residential developments to ensure adequate separation between mature trees and people and infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a critical perspective on spatial supply structures of new mobility services using the example of carsharing, bikesharing and e-scootersharing. Following conceptual consideration of Splintering Urbanism, the emergence of a Premium Mobility Network Space (PMNS) is propounded; i.e. an exclusive supply of interconnected mobility services that is inscribed in the social and action spaces of the economically and culturally privileged elites of Western (post-industrial) societies by the marked-based mobility providers. Regarding this, we assume that the PMNS is effective intra- and interregionally at different spatial scales because the social and action spaces of the post-industrial elites are correspondingly organized intra- and inter-regionally. A (preliminary) comparative study of German cities over 300,000 inhabitants in this paper suggests that this PMNS mainly extends across the economic and cultural prosperous context of Global Cities. In this city network, the same few market players of Carsharing, Bikesharing, E-Scootersharing, etc. can be located over and over again; i.e. travelers between the cities experience a reduced transaction effort because they do not have to install new apps to use the certain services and find the same services in every global city. By contrast, the supply of new mobility services in other cities that are not part of the global city network – and this applies in particular to the economically weak old industrial cities affected by structural change – is poor to non-existent. In a second step, bivariate and multivariate analyses using Frankfurt/Main as a case study reveal that the socio-spatially exclusive supply of new mobility services continues in the economically and culturally prosperous areas within the global cities themselves. Methodically, the city comparison is based on an Internet and media analysis in order to identify the supply of new mobility services by cities. For the analyses in Frankfurt, certain supply structures were overlaid with official city district data. Overall, our findings point to a spatially selective supply pattern of new mobility services within economically and culturally prosperous spaces, suggesting an interconnected mobility network in the sense of a PMNS. By contrast, urban peripheries beyond the global city are bypassed, i.e., on the one hand, the social spaces of the marginalized underclass in the socio-spatial peripheries and, on the other hand, the dispersed suburban housing estates associated with a traditional middle class that remain oriented toward private automobility. In conclusion, these observations are of great importance because they contradict any sustainability ascriptions that are discursively produced around the supply of new mobility services. The suspicion arises that developing new mobility services under market-based developments only permits socio-spatially fragmented supply structures, but not the expected spatially ubiquitous solution that is needed for sustainable everyday mobilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A framework for an integrated vision of dwellers' food-energy-water needs is posed. • The paper considers environmental, social, economic, and spatial dimensions. • Urban forms are more prone to implement different resource production on rooftops. • The scenarios display shares of resource self-sufficiency ranging from 16% to 433%. • Substantial reduction of the carbon footprint by producing their own resources. The external resource dependency of urban areas results in the externalization of environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Implementing food, energy and water production systems on urban rooftops (roof mosaics) can potentially help cities become more self-sufficient but depends on the city's urban morphology. We studied the supply potential and impacts of four roof mosaic scenarios for different urban forms in Cerdanyola, a 58 thousand-inhabitant town in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. We combined spatial analysis of potential rooftops, metabolism analysis, and social and environmental impacts. The municipality has an average rooftop/household potential of 31 m2 on which to implement any of the mosaic scenarios, with the highest potential in the single-family housing typology. The highest level of vegetable self-sufficiency was found in housing estates (32%), and the lowest in originary fabrics (28%). Regarding electricity and water self-sufficiency, the highest self-sufficiency level was found in the single-family housing typology (51% and 14%, respectively) and the lowest in housing estates (26% and 8%, respectively). Regarding impacts, the implementation of the electricity and rainwater harvesting systems depicts the most positive indicators in single-family housing areas. However, for housing estates and originary fabrics typologies, the best performance is shown to be in the implementation of rooftop farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The governance of COVID-19 has involved the proliferation of territorial practices, through border controls designed to regulate movements not only across national and state borders, but also within cities and city regions. We argue that these urban territorial practices have been significant to the biopolitics of COVID-19 and warrant close scrutiny. Focusing on the Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne, this paper offers critical analysis of the urban territorial practices of COVID-19 suppression, which we categorise as practices of closure, confinement and capacity control. We observe these practices in measures including 'stay at home' orders, residential building and housing estate lockdowns, closure of and capacity limits on non-residential premises, postcode- and municipality-level restrictions on movement, and hotel quarantine. These measures, we argue, have reinforced and at times exacerbated pre-existing social and spatial inequalities. However, we also recognise COVID-19's real and highly uneven threats to life and health, and therefore ask what a more egalitarian form of pandemic governance might look like. We draw on scholarly writing on 'positive' or 'democratic' biopolitics and 'territory from below', in order to outline some more egalitarian and democratic interventions that have been pursued to suppress viral transmission and to reduce vulnerability to COVID-19 and other viruses. This, we argue, is an imperative of critical scholarship as much as the critique of state interventions. Such alternatives do not necessarily reject state territorial interventions per se, but instead point towards a way of addressing the pandemic by recognising the capacity and legitimacy of biopolitics and territory from below. They point towards ways in which we might see a pandemic 'like a city' in a way that prioritises egalitarian care through a politics premised on democratic negotiations among diverse urban authorities and sovereignties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we interrogate how digital technologies and practices contribute to imaginaries of counter cities by telling the stories of people who navigate digital inequality. Digital inequality offers a lens onto the ways in which the privatised provision of services reshapes opportunities for collective organising. Digital technologies are commonly viewed as useful tools for collective organising, overlooking the fact that digital products are inequitable in their functioning and availability. In Australia, internet connections are offered as a for-profit service and digital inequality is persistent. The paper presents focus groups and participatory mapping interviews with residents of a Melbourne public housing estate. The study reveals that public housing residents pay relatively more money and receive lower quality service from internet providers. We identify three forms of dependency that arise as residents endeavour to stay connected to an essential infrastructure that was designed without their needs in mind: strategic alliances with community organisations to secure a digitally connected future; household strategies for meeting digital needs; and collaborative troubleshooting with technological 'experts'. In the conclusion we stress that digital infrastructures both require and enable collective organising and we argue that the political projects of counter cities must protect those infrastructures that support the relationships that can lead to more equitable cities. • Public housing residents pay more for internet and receive less reliable connections. • Telecom providers do not communicate barriers nor provide solutions within their ability. • Individualisation of services inhibits collective action for just provision. • Concept of counter publics needs to be critical of inequitable internet provisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corruption in urban planning, especially related to adjusting FAR, is common in Chinese cities. The fundamental reason is progrowth urban governance that features growth coalition between the local government and developers. Two necessary conditions for progrowth model are restrictive participation and operative discretion, both of which are ferments for corruption. How to identify and deal with corruption in FAR adjustment remains a big problem. Given the dominance of condominium in residential developments, land price cannot be observed ex post in the market while the price of individual housing unit declines with FAR, ceteris paribus. Then, a good indicator for different types of adjusting FAR is property management fee, which tends to decrease, ceteris paribus, when the actual FAR moves closer to the market optimal FAR. A two-stage approach is proposed that, first, identify the type of FAR adjustment for each successful application and, second, adopt different strategies for each case depending on its type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the effects of agronomic management (low, moderate, and high inputs) and soil properties on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community structure collected from the rhizosphere of Capsicum annuum cultivated in six agroecosystems in Mexico. Chemical and physical soil parameters differed among agroecosystems. Native communities of AMF-morphospecies differed between agroecosystems depending on intensity of agronomic practice. In total 33 AMF-morphospecies were identified (11genera, and seven families). Soil P availability and pH negatively affected the distribution and abundance of the AMF species. High input management resulted in significant modifications in the composition and structure of the AMF communities. Agroecosystems with high or moderate input management showed 35% less AMF-morphospecies when compared to low input management systems. The most diverse AMF community was observed from agroecosystems with either moderate or low input management. Funneliformis geosporum , Claroideoglomus claroideum and C. luteum were the predominant species observed in this study. High similarity (>75%) in the structure of AMF communities among agroecosystems was found, which suggest that the observed differences between AMF communities from agroecosystems with high input management compared to that from low and moderate input management, may be due to changes in species composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within this article, we discuss/unpack a speculative international property development born out of a license agreement between the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and real estate investment company, Anglo Indian . The proposed building of twelve cloned, MCC branded, cricket communities in India–targeted to the consumption-based lifestyles of India’s new middle class–is addressed within the context relational to the political, economic, and cultural rationalities of postcolonial India, shifting power dynamics within the international cricket formation, and the associated re-colonisation of cricket-related spaces/bodies. Anglo Indian’s proposed communities are understood as part of a complex assemblage of national and global forces and relations (including, but certainly not restricted to): transnational gentrification; urban (re)development; and, revised understandings of historical and geographic connections between places, governance, and the politics of be(long)ing in branded spaces. This analysis explicates how Anglo Indian’s idealized community development offers a literal and figurative space for embodied performance of “glocal competence” for consumption-based identity projects of the new Indian middle-class (Brosius, 2010, p. 13) through the somewhat ironic mobilization of colonial spatial logics and cultural aesthetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]