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The Olympic Games have been associated with many urban transformation projects throughout their history, often focusing on city expansion. Recent sustainability concerns, however, constitute a pressing challenge, with the regeneration of central areas fulfilling a key role in existing urban agendas. In this paper, the legacy of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at two proposed centralities was analysed, namely, the Olympic Park, intended as a future neighbourhood to the west of the city, and Porto Maravilha (PM), an urban project aimed at revitalizing a central, historical area of the city. By comparing the Olympic Park and the first provided areas in PM, in terms of selecting urban design criteria through qualitative in loco assessments, this paper focused on analysing the impacts of urban forms and heritage on the consolidation of these two centralities, as well as encouraging social interaction and integration into the city. The analysis results indicated that urban design attributes such as human-scaled, mixed-use, context-based urban spaces could interfere with social interaction and the usability of spaces. Moreover, the repurposing of heritage buildings contributed to urban cohesion for legacy transformation. Hence, novel insights into urban design and heritage could become important for future editions of the Olympics so that host cities may fulfil their sustainability agendas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equitable and effective planning of urban park green spaces (UPGSs) is an important way to promote green and healthy urban development and improve citizens' quality of life. However, under the background of rapid urbanization, linear large cities, with their unique spatial forms and high-density population agglomerations, have brought special challenges for the planning and management of urban public green spaces. This study takes Lanzhou, a typical representative of high-density linear large cities in China, as a case study. Based on the improvement of the traditional Gaussian Two-Step Floating Catchment Area method (G2SFCA), combined with the Gini coefficient and the Lorentz curve, the social equity and spatial equity of UPGS supply-demand in the central urban area of Lanzhou were evaluated at the city and district scales. Meanwhile, the areas with shortage of UPGS supply-demand were accurately identified as the key areas for future optimization. The results show that: (1) There are significant differences in the equity of UPGS supply-demand in the linear large Lanzhou at the social and spatial levels, and most UPGS resources are enjoyed by a few people; (2) The spatial accessibility of UPGSs has an obvious "string of beads" distribution Characteristics, and the areas with high accessibility are mainly concentrated along rivers; (3) The equity of UPGS supply-demand exhibits a spatial gradient effect, which is characterized by a circle distribution. From the inside to the outside, it is as follows: good supply—dense population, good supply—sparse population, supply shortage—dense population, supply shortage—sparse population. Finally, based on the concept of "progressive micro-regeneration" and the Location Allocation model (LA), the optimal sites for new UPGSs were determined, maximizing the equity of UPGS supply-demand. This provides a practical reference for relevant management departments to optimize park layouts in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global climate crisis is escalating, and urban living Space (ULS) is a significant contributor to carbon emissions. How to improve the carbon suitability of ULS while promoting social and economic development is a global issue. This study aims to develop an evaluation system for comparing and analyzing carbon suitability inequality and spatial differences in different areas. To achieve this goal, an urban living space carbon suitability index (ULS-CSI) based on spatial organizational index (SOI) has been proposed. The ULS-CSI was calculated at the area scale in Tianjin using information from the Tianjin Land Use Database in 2021. The carbon emissions coefficient method was used to calculate the urban living space carbon emissions (ULSCE). Moran'I and LISA analysis were used to quantify the spatial differences of ULS-CSI. The results showed that the residential living area (RLA) carbon emissions was the highest at the area scale, with carbon emissions of 1.14 x 1011 kg, accounting for 33.74%. The green space leisure area (GLA) carbon absorption was the highest at the area scale, with carbon absorption of 5.76 x 105 kg, accounting for 32.33%. SOI in different areas have spatial heterogeneity as the SOI such as building area, road network density and land use characteristics are significantly different in different areas. Areas with superior CSI were primarily situated in Heping, Hexi, Nankai, and Beichen, accounting for 83.90%. Conversely, areas under the basic CSI threshold included Xiqing, Jinnan, and Dongli, accounting for 16.10%. Spatial characteristics of ULS-CSI in Tianjin portrayed a significant spatial positive correlation, indicating the highest autocorrelation degree of CSI at 500 m, with a Moran 'I value of 0.1733. Although these findings reflect the spatial characteristics of ULS-CSI and the SOI affecting the ULS-CSI at area scale, more perfect data are needed to reflect the complexity of structural factors affecting ULS-CSI at area scale. This study is helpful for urban planning to develop differentiated carbon reduction strategies and promote low-carbon and healthy urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid urbanization in Malaysia, human activities have caused damage to many waterfront areas. Efforts are being made to restore the connection between the community and river waterfronts while creating attractive urban spaces. However, the implementation of modern design development strategies without sufficient consideration of cultural aspects and societal visual preferences has raised a number of questions with regard to the public's acceptance and appreciation of the newly implemented urban facades. This study aims to comprehensively examine the relationship between cultural elements and visual preferences in the context of urban waterfront walkways in Malaysia. This study implemented a photo survey to assess the visual preferences of the study's respondents. The results indicated a significant correlation between subjects' visual preferences and their cultural backgrounds. Additionally, the analysis of the collected data highlights a strong correlation between the presence of green elements and what the respondents perceived as part of the Malaysian culture. Additionally, the historical character of the study area, as represented by historical buildings, significantly influences the preferences of Malaysian respondents. Furthermore, certain elements, such as food carts, high-rise buildings, and water, are among the least preferred compared to other elements. Ultimately, incorporating these elements in the early design stages can contribute to the creation of culturally connected and visually appealing urban waterfront spaces in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intense urban development and high urban density cause the thermal environment in urban centers to deteriorate continuously, affecting the quality of the living environment. In this study, 707.49 hectares of land in the central area of Changsha were divided into 121 plots. 11 microclimate-related morphological indicators were comprehensively selected, and the K-means method was used for cluster analysis. Then, the relationship between morphological clusters and the thermal environment was explored by simulating the thermal environment of the study area with ENVI-met. First, five spatial types were found to characterize the area: high-level with high floor area ratio, low density, and low greenery; middle-level with high floor area ratio high density; medium-capacity with high density and small volume; low-level with low density and high greenery; and low floor area ratio, low density, and high greenery. Second, the building windward surface density, sky openness, building density, floor area ratio and green space rate affect the thermal environment. Third, Cluster3 had the highest average air temperature (Ta), followed by Cluster5, furthermore Clusters4, 1, and2 had relatively low Ta. The spatial vitality index and green space rate in Cluster1; the area-weighted building shape index, average building volume and sky openness in Cluster2; green space rate in Cluster3; indicators such as the floor area ratio and green space rate in Cluster4; indicators such as the impervious surface rate and green space rate in Cluster5 had greater influences on Ta. Fourthly, simply increasing the area of green space cannot maximize the cooling effect of green spaces. Instead, constructing an equalized greening network can better regulate the thermal environment. Fifthly, the results provide a scientific basis for the design and the regulation of urban centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the challenges faced by congenitally blind individuals in navigating urban environments. Specifically, this research investigates the factors that contribute to the construction of city mental mapping for individuals who are born blind. Thirty-one congenitally blind individuals from the University of Jordan were asked to define and describe specific elements of the city based on their personal experiences and imagination. Furthermore, participants were guided through two urban paths: familiar and unfamiliar. The participants were asked to complete a survey regarding their experiences during the tour. The collected data was analyzed by using thematic analysis. The results revealed that congenitally blind individuals construct their mental image of the city by using their three senses of touching, hearing, and smelling, as well as their safety and experience. This mental image consists of five key elements: links, reference points, areas, separators, and topography. Despite the small size of the study sample and the specificity of the context, the results of this study will tremendously help planners in designing highly inclusive urban environments. Incorporating characteristics that can be recognized by the blinds will enhance their accessibility of urban spaces, encourage independent mobility, increase the quality of life and social inclusion for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green spaces (UGSs) play a critical role in regulating global carbon cycling and mitigating the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Research increasingly demonstrates that UGSs not only sequester carbon through photosynthesis but also effectively save carbon emissions by mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect. However, understanding the carbon-saving capacity (CSC) and the role of landscape patterns of UGSs in warming cities remains limited. Therefore, we have evaluated the carbon-saving capacity of UGSs in the main urban area of Shangqiu City by utilizing high-resolution remote sensing data and machine learning techniques. The study has focused on green patches larger than 10,000 m2 and has analyzed the influence of landscape patterns of UGSs on carbon saving intensity (CSI) and carbon saving efficiency (CSE). The results reveal that the total CSI and the average CSE of UGSs are 7716 t CO2 and 2.9 t CO2 ha−1 in Shangqiu, respectively. Landscape patterns of UGSs can explain 82% and 64% of the variability in CSI and CSE variance, respectively. Specifically, green space area is the critical determinant of CSI and CSE, followed by the perimeter–area ratio, shape index, and fractal dimension of UGSs. Therefore, this study advocates for the strategic integration of UGSs into city planning, emphasizing their spatial distribution and configuration to maximize their cooling and carbon-saving capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban heat poses significant challenges in rapidly developing cities, particularly in countries like Bangladesh. This study investigates the cooling effects of urban green spaces in Rajshahi city, addressing a critical research gap in developing urban contexts. We examined the relationships among urban vegetation, heat mitigation, and temperature variables using the InVEST Urban Cooling Model and spatial analysis techniques. This study focused on three key relationships: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Heat Mitigation Index (HMI), HMI and Land Sur face Temperature (LST), and HMI and Air Temperature (AT). Analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between NDVI and HMI, indicating the effectiveness of vegetation in enhancing urban cooling. A robust inverse relationship between HMI and LST was observed (R2 = 0.78, r = −0.88), with every 0.1 unit increase in HMI corresponding to a 0.53 °C decrease in LST. The HMI−AT relationship showed an even stronger correlation (R2 = 0.84, r = −0.87), with each unit increase in HMI associated with a 2.80 °C decrease in air temperature. These findings quantify the significant role of urban green spaces in mitigating heat and provide valuable insights for urban planning in developing cities, underscoring the importance of integrating green infrastructure into urban-development strategies to combat urban heat and improve livability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social isolation is a global problem with far-reaching consequences. Nevertheless, various solutions can address it. Building social infrastructure is important for preventing isolation. In this study, we aimed to understand the impact of urban infrastructure on social isolation using social surveys and statistical data from South Korea. A multilevel logistic model identified the infrastructure characteristics required to solve social isolation by adding regional-level data to individual-level data. The analysis showed that, at the individual level, gender, age, marital status, and household income were significant, whereas at the regional level, the ratio of single-person households, access to traditional markets, and the capital region status areas were significant. The findings suggest that social infrastructure can impact social isolation. Hence, it is important to plan urban spaces and design infrastructure to help alleviate social isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green space (UGS) is a fundamental infrastructure in modern urban settings, crucial for regulating the urban climate and improving public health. Accessibility to UGS represents a significant environmental justice issue, influencing the sustainable development of local communities. In this work, we comprehensively evaluated the temporal dynamics of UGS accessibility and the disparity in exposure for all 31 metropolitan divisions in the United States from 2013 to 2022. Our findings indicate that there have been no significant changes in both population-weighted UGS exposure and within-city inequality of UGS exposure for all racial/ethnic groups across the study period. Furthermore, a consistent racial/ethnic disparity in UGS exposure was noted throughout the study period, with the White group tending to have higher-than-average UGS accessibility, and all other racial/ethnic groups, including Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander, experiencing lower-than-average UGS accessibility. These findings underscore the urgency for urban planning and policy-making strategies to address these inequities, promoting healthy and sustainable urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study applies transformative technologies, specifically Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and environmental psychology tools, within the Yangzhou Canal area, enhancing public space utility and resident satisfaction. Using a mixed-methods approach, including a survey with 213 responses and field observations, we explored the socio-psychological impacts of the canal as a historic urban landscape. Questionnaire responses revealed correlations between the spatial characteristics and their usage, perceived and actual uses of space, exploring the canal's cultural value, visiting methods and temporality, social and spatial characterization, and the residents' preferences for different canal spaces. Observational studies at three key sites highlighted distinct patterns in activity and engagement, offering insights into locals' preferences and behaviors. The findings contribute to urban design by providing a research framework that integrates historical canals with contemporary urban life, ultimately enhancing community satisfaction and livability. This study introduces a novel approach by systematically implementing GIS and environmental psychology to analyze and improve public spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, elevated urban linkages (EULs) have emerged as crucial components of urban development, cutting through the cities' urban fabric to accommodate the rapid expansion of urban cores and to facilitate traffic flow. However, these massive infrastructures have inadvertently given rise to urban lost spaces—vacant, inefficient areas within the urban fabric. Recognizing these lost spaces as untapped public assets, the paper explores sustainable development strategies to reclaim them into the urban fabric, transforming them into vibrant, multi-functional public spaces. The paper aims to achieve a set of urban design guidelines for rehabilitation design interventions which will be deduced into a comprehensive framework. This framework encompasses criteria for selecting appropriate approaches and types of rehabilitation design interventions, as well as design principles ensuring the desirability of the reclaimed space. The paper applies this framework to assess the El Sawy Cultural Wheel in Egypt, revealing it as a successful example of a reclaimed space. While positive aspects of rehabilitation design interventions are evident in terms of the approach and type of intervention in this case study, there are identified areas with shortcomings in fully implementing the design principles, if enhanced, could elevate the overall quality of the reclaimed space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green spaces provide several benefits related to the quality of urban life. The existence and spatial arrangement of these spaces within neighbourhoods and functional land uses have significant implications for the well-being of urban dwellers. Previous studies on green spaces in urban areas of Malawi have focused on a broader and macro-level perspective, offering insightful information on general trends in different cities. However, there is a significant research shortage in localised understanding, which requires carrying out micro-level assessments concentrating on land use zones and neighbourhoods within these cities. In this study, we used remote sensing data and landscape metrics to understand the distribution and configuration of urban green spaces in the city's neighbourhoods and functional land uses and their relationship with urban form. The study revealed that 20% of neighbourhoods fail to meet the WHO-recommended standard of 9 m2 of green space per person, with a predominant concentration of these undersupplied areas in high-density and quasi-residential zones. In addition, 56.2% of Lilongwe City's total green area was contained under functional land uses. Particularly, high-rise residential, medium-density residential, low-density residential, quasi-residential, high-rise flat area, commercial class, high-rise commercial, heavy industry, light industry, and government land use zones contained 17.3%, 12.0%, 22.2%, 12.0%, 4.1%, 6.4%, 6.1%, 5.0%, 1.6%, and 13.3% of the total green spaces in functional land uses, respectively. Importantly, this research found significant correlations between urban form metrics, namely building coverage, building density, building perimeter area ratio, road density, and the distribution and configuration of urban green spaces. This necessitates an integrated approach to urban planning and design, emphasising the importance of balancing development with green space preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased anthropogenic activities and reduced urban green space contribute to heating problems, impacting the thermal comfort of urban spaces. This research analyzes spatial-temporal of thermal comfort to inform the creation of liveable cities. Palembang City, experiencing rapid urbanization and land-use changes, was chosen as the study area. Landsat 8 data from 2013 to 2023 was obtained and processed using Google Earth Engine. The land surface temperature algorithm applied to the Landsat 8 thermal infrared channel (band 10) provided data for thermal comfort assessment. Vegetation cover was assessed using the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and the Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) combined with the Normalized Burn Ratio 2 (NBR2) was used to refine the identification of built-up areas. These algorithms were applied to channels that had been corrected for surface reflectance radiometry to minimize bias caused by seasonal variations and atmospheric disturbances. The results revealed spatial variations in thermal comfort, with uncomfortable patterns in the central business zone, some comfortable areas in the transition zone, and generally comfortable conditions in the suburban zone. The comparison between EVI and NDBI-NBR2 showed a linear relationship, suggesting that areas previously covered by vegetation have been converted into built-up area. This confirms that land cover conditions, particularly the conversion of vegetation to built-up areas, influence the observed phenomenon. Spatial-temporal analysis of thermal comfort can be a valuable parameter for urban planning. Policymakers can utilize this information as a control mechanism to contribute to the creation of more livable cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although knowledge about the role of space in the field of social movement studies is already well established, it is rarely discussed within the framework of urban spatial design (with some important exceptions). We consider not only how political power is related to architectural design in urban environments but also how it is performed (and contested) during protests within these spaces. We argue that urban spatial planning should address the dual nature of street demonstrations. Public assemblies are seen as symbols of democracy, but they are also disruptive and may turn into riots. This tension is evident along two design lines: facilitating and obstructing street demonstrations in a built-up urban environment. In our essay, we show that street protests are an immanent part of neoliberal democracy, and that cities cannot avoid street demonstrations or simply exclude them in the design process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has demonstrated that urban green spaces play a crucial role in mitigating the severe urban heat island (UHI) effect. However, existing studies often suffer from limitations such as the neglect of the cooling effect of water bodies within the green spaces and incomplete considerations of the overall cooling effect. These limitations may lead to inaccuracies in the research findings. Therefore, the present study takes the city of Xi'an as a case study to explore the optimal green space size for achieving efficient cooling. The results indicate that (i) urban green spaces exhibit robust cooling effects, with variations observed among the various types; (ii) for community parks without water, and for street gardens, the optimal areas of these green spaces are 3.44 and 0.83 hectares, respectively; (iii) for community parks with water, the area of internal water bodies should ideally be maintained at around 29.43% of the total green space area in order to achieve an optimal cooling efficiency. In conclusion, this study introduces a new perspective and new optimization methods for urban green space planning, thereby offering scientific guidance to urban planners in formulating effective development and management policies and urban planning schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban vitality, intricately connected to urban morphology, has long been a cornerstone of urban planning and design. The accelerated pace of urbanization has created abundant living and working spaces, but it has also brought about a series of issues such as traffic congestion, environmental pollution, insufficient public spaces, and uneven urban development, leading to a decline in urban vitality. The spatial distribution patterns of urban vitality and their influencing factors are diverse and vary across different cities, necessitating a multidimensional exploration of the relationship between urban vitality and the built environment. Utilizing the central urban area of Beijing as a case study, this research leverages multi-source urban spatial data to delineate the spatial characteristics of social, economic, cultural, and comprehensive vitality. Furthermore, a comprehensive set of built-environment indicators is developed across five dimensions to analyze their correlation with urban vitality. The results indicate: (1) There is a significant spatial clustering of various vitality types in Beijing, with a pronounced correlation between high-density population aggregation and vigorous economic activities. (2) Subdistricts exhibiting high social vitality display an "n"-shaped distribution around the Second Ring Road. In contrast, those with high economic vitality are concentrated along Chang'an Street and various district commercial centers. High cultural vitality subdistricts are distributed in a northwest–southeast trajectory from the Fourth Ring Road to the Second Ring Road, and subdistricts with high comprehensive vitality exhibit a concentric distribution radiating outwards from the center. (3) Social vitality is most closely related to comprehensive vitality, and the various vitality types in Beijing's central urban area develop relatively evenly. (4) The built environment significantly affects all types of urban vitality. Factors such as floor area ratio, POI density, POI mixing degree, and intersection density are fundamental to enhancing urban vitality, whereas the greening rate somewhat inhibits it. (5) Future spatial planning should utilize the radiating effect of high-vitality subdistricts to optimize population distribution, enhance POI mixing, increase metro station density, and strengthen critical urban structures for synergistic economic and cultural development. This study provides a foundation and promotion strategies for optimizing the layout and enhancing vitality at the subdistrict scale within Beijing's central urban area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present context of increasing human population demography, worldwide social crises, and rapid ecological global change, large cities are facing major socio-environmental challenges. This convokes authorities to adapt their governance and urban planning to reconcile urban development, ecological systems, and city dwellers in the most sustainable way. To achieve such goals, local officials have to associate all local actors, including city-dwellers, to the decision-making process through participatory governance and/or participatory systems. Here, we elaborated an original pilot project governance system for a "Participatory System Combining Town Planning and Science" (the 2PS-CiTy), as part of the revision of the Local Urban Plan (LUP) of Paris, France, into a Bioclimatic LUP held from 2020 to 2024. By implementing 2PS-CiTy, we aimed to answer "How to turn trees into a lever for inhabitants' engagement in urban consultation systems?" Trees were chosen because they are emblematic elements of nature with significant roles in ecosystemic services such as urban climate regulation. Parisians were invited to (i) share in the first questionnaire some information on their knowledge about the LUP and their engagement in it, (ii) identify urban trees they consider remarkable, (iii) explain their choice in a second questionnaire, (iv) contribute to the urban consultation as part of the LUP revision, and finally, (v) give their feedback during a dedicated survey. Out of the 41 Parisians who took part in 2PS-City, 83% declared they were motivated to participate because they could contribute to the tree census, which in turn can constructively contribute to the Parisian LUP revision to bring more nature and sustainability in town. This study demonstrates that trees can be used as a lever for inhabitants' engagement in urban consultation systems to make cities more sustainable. Our survey also showed that the 2PS-CiTy governance system could be improved by (1) developing a participatory culture among decisionmakers and (2) preventing nowadays silo governance from developing the most promising public governance systems that involve the departments of green space, urban planning, and local democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perception of Citizens about a city is an essential issue in urban planning. Hence, having an understanding of the people's perception can help designers improve city planning. This study aimed to discover the emotional and cultural parameters of urban places by considering the collective memory of citizens. The main gap in the studied subjects was the lack of a combination of cultural and emotional mapping from the perspective of citizens. To fill the mentioned gap, the findings of this study emphasize the importance of engendering emotions and cultural mapping in the citizens in urban spaces. Respectively, a quantitative method was conducted through a comprehensive case study in the form of a questionnaire. Results indicated that emotional mapping is more important than cultural mapping for collective memory. Moreover, emotional parameters were substantial to female participants as cultural factors were for male respondents. Same as gender, Level of education, and age were two factors that affect cultural mapping or emotional mapping choices. Besides, pride, a sense of power, pleasure, excitement, peace, compassion, vitality, and happiness were found important emotions in this study. Our findings revealed that designing urban places based on the culture of each society has a significant role in engendering emotions and drawing the interest of citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the effect of urbanization on land use and the allocation and implementation of urban green spaces, this paper attempts to analyze the distribution and accessibility of public parks in India's Bengaluru city (previously known as Bangalore). Availability, accessibility, and utilization—the key measures of Urban Green Spaces (UGS)—are mostly used in health research and policy and are important components of Planetary Health Equity in the context of studying UGSs and health. A geo-spatial method was used for mapping the park's distribution and measuring its accessibility, using road network data. To understand equitable access to the parks, four socio-economic parameters—population density, the percentage of the population below 6 years of age, the proxy wealth index, and scheduled caste population—were correlated with the parks' accessibility. This spatial distribution revealed that 19 of 198 wards did not have a single park and that 36 wards only had one park. About 25–29% of wards did not have accessibility to neighborhood-level and community-level parks within a 400–800 m distance. These parks must be accessible within a walking distance of 400–800 m but were found to most likely be inaccessible on the periphery of the city where the population density is low and the children population is high, in comparison to the central part of the city. Similarly, parks were found to be inaccessible in the eastern part of the city where the scheduled caste population is high and also found to be inaccessible for the low-income neighborhoods residing in the western part and southern periphery of the city, indicating the uneven distribution of and inequitable access to public parks. Our study proposes a reshaping of both neighborhood parks and community parks in an attempt to look beyond biodiversity, through the planetary health equity approach, by noting that, while biodiversity indirectly has a positive effect on health, public parks should not only be considered as advancing environmental sustainability and climate resilience, but also as improving the health and wellbeing of the population. Affirmative action in terms of the availability of public parks with adequate area requirements and essential services at a neighborhood scale is required to redress the inequity of access; in addition, the accessibility of parks must be considered important during urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of the human body as an ecosystem inhabited by microbial communities, known as the microbiota. It also discusses how our homes and cities are ecosystems that include bacterial communities interacting with us. The article highlights the influence of the environmental microbiota on our health and the impact of urbanization on the diversity of the urban gut microbiota. It suggests the use of antibiotics and probiotics to modify the urban microbiota and emphasizes the need for strategies to restore bacterial diversity in urban environments. The text also discusses the relationship between architectural design and the indoor microbiome, as well as the potential for microorganisms to become part of architectural infrastructure. It emphasizes the need for collaboration between microbiology and architecture to address environmental challenges and redefine concepts of health and care. The document is a list of references from various scientific articles and books related to the topic of microbiomes and their impact on urban environments, providing a comprehensive list of sources for library patrons conducting research on these topics. [Extracted from the article]

This article presents the pedagogical process of reading and designing in the design studio course in the first semester of the fourth year in Architecture and Urbanism (2020–2021) held at the Lisbon School of Architecture of the Universidade de Lisboa. The research by design results are inscribed in the Embryo Project "[entra]mar Sea Intertwined City. Interpretation and Design of Portuguese Seashore Streets Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise", funded by the FCT exploratory projects through CIAUD—Research Center in Architecture, Urbanism and Design at the Lisbon School of Architecture, Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal). The aim of this article is to demonstrate the usefulness of urban morphology in the reading and design process of an urban seafront vulnerable to extreme weather events. The approach to the "Sesimbra [entra]mar" in a pedagogical context confirms morphological interpretation as a key instrument for the formation of students and is consequently valuable for the practice of architecture and urbanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access and exposure to urban green space—the combination of parks and vegetative cover in cities—are associated with various health benefits. As urban green space is often unequally distributed throughout cities, understanding how it is allocated across socio-demographic populations can help city planners and policy makers identify and address urban environmental justice and health equity issues. To our knowledge, no studies have yet combined assessments of park quality, park availability, and green cover to inform equitable urban green space planning. To this end, we developed a comprehensive methodology to identify urban green space inequities at the city scale and applied it in Portland, OR, USA. After auditing all public parks in Portland and gathering green cover data from publicly accessible repositories, we used a suite of statistical tests to evaluate distribution of parks and green cover across Census block groups, comprising race, ethnicity, income, and educational attainment characteristics. Right-of-way tree canopy cover was the most significant urban green space inequity identified in bivariate analysis (rs = −0.73). Spatial autoregressive models identified that right-of-way, private, and overall tree canopy cover (Nagelkerke pseudo-R2 = 0.66, 0.77, and 0.67, respectively) significantly decreased with the proportion of minoritized racial population and increased with median income. The results were then used to identify priority locations for specific urban green space investments. This research establishes a process to assess intra-urban green space inequities, as well as identify data-informed and spatially explicit planning priorities to promote health equity and environmental justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modeling and simulation of societies requires identifying the spatio-temporal patterns of people's activities. In urban areas, it is key to effective urban planning; it can be used in real estate projects to predict their future impacts on behavior in surrounding accessible areas. The work presented here aims at developing a method for making it possible to model the potential visits of the various equipment and public spaces of a district under construction by mobilizing data from census at the regional level and the layout of shops and activities as defined by the real estate project. This agent-based model takes into account the flow of external visitors, estimated realistically based on the pre-occupancy movements in the surrounding cities. To perform this evaluation, we implemented a multi-agent-based simulation model (MATSim) at the regional scale and at the scale of the future district. In its design, the district is physically open to the outside and will offer services that will be of interest to other residents or users of the surrounding area. To know the effect of this opening on a potential transit of visitors in the district, as well as the places of interest for the inhabitants, it is necessary to predict the flows of micro-trips within the district once it is built. We propose an attraction model to estimate the daily activities and trips of the future residents based on the attractiveness of the facilities and the urbanistic potential of the blocks. This transportation model is articulated in conjunction with the regional model in order to establish the flow of outgoing and incoming visitors. The impacts of the future district on the mobility of its surrounding area is deduced by implementing a simulation in the projection situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eviction could hold a different meaning if a home's immediate surroundings contribute to its residents' livelihood, especially for informal laborers. This paper explores the notion of the fragility of a home within an expanded space—the space on which a home stands and its surroundings when turned into a contested area. It specifically looks at the slum of Yamuna Pushta in Delhi, which was demolished in 2004. The act uprooted thousands of low-income families who were blamed for polluting the river. The demolition was fueled by new urban visions and planning strategies, political and capitalist ambitions, projections of national pride, and an event-driven approach camouflaged under an environmentalist concern attempting to "clean" the river. Using the photographic works of artist, curator, and activist Ravi Agarwal as a case study, this paper argues the presence of a counternarrative in the works, challenging the projected environmentalist discourse around the river, the slum dwellers. This study further states the dual marginalization of the Pushta residents and the Yamuna by critiquing the economic format of majoritarianism through the growing normalcy and agreeability of the slum demolitions by the urban non-poor disguised as the "greater good". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public space auditing is an efficient tool for urban planning of active mobility infrastructures. It enables real estate developers and urban planners to judge the level of comfort their design of sidewalks and public places can provide. Most of the research focus on the methodology to characterize the satisfaction of a public space, but there is a lack of knowledge about inter-cultural aspects of such methods. Our main research question is whether there is consistency in the way in which French and Spanish auditors perceived an urban streetscape: would they rate a public space the same and what features would be differently audited. We selected three urban identities of a modern district representing a variety of urban form: a public place with a tramway station, a commercial street designed as a strip mall, and green residential area with leisure activities. Each of these points of view were audited by a pool of French and Spanish participants according to criteria related to buildings' architecture and sidewalks' design for walkability and cyclability purposes. Both virtual reality and real scenes of the public spaces were recorded in videos and provided to participants for rating purposes. Architectural ambiances were measured with qualitative scales, quality of public space was measured with two integrated indicators of pedestrian level of service, and the accordance of infrastructures for active mobility was probed with individual scales. Results from the audit suggest that some streetscape impressions may be quite similar when assessed with various types of measurement, in different cultural contexts: scale, size and architectural style stimulate the same kind of feelings, and the quality of public spaces were perceived equivalently by the two communities as well as bikeability. Dissimilarities in perception occurred for the perception of materials and general feelings of the areas, and in the rating of walkability and in preferences for walking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article features an interview with architect Marcella Del Signore, who specializes in the integration of technology in urban settings. Del Signore's design-research practice, X-Topia, focuses on enhancing human experiences and addressing challenges through the use of technology. Her projects, such as "Urban Syncopation," bring the sounds of the city into a museum and highlight the importance of the public realm in the digital age. Del Signore's prototypes use encoded materials and collaborate with experts in information and communications technologies to create innovative urban interventions. The interview explores her various projects, materials used, and the potential for reuse and adaptation. [Extracted from the article]

The notion of "spatial vulnerability" is present in most disaster studies with a strong geographical connotation and accordingly is adopted at all scales, including the urban. While enabling mapping and visualizing risk patterns at macroscales, this geocentric foundation fails to capture disaster risk dynamics associated with the urban spatial network—an element that plays a significant role in the everyday and emergency functioning of cities, enabling users' movement and interaction. Yet, urban vulnerability assessment overlooks this aspect and thus leaves urban disaster risk mechanisms partially unexplored. This study investigated the role of the network of urban public open spaces (UPOS) in the creation and progression of urban disaster risk in earthquake-prone settlements. Through a multimethod approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative methods and explores spatial configuration, planning policies, and practices of use of UPOS in everyday and emergency scenarios, our study demonstrated that UPOS configuration plays an active role in urban disaster risk. Urban public open spaces impact risk by influencing the exposure of pedestrians and their capacity for self-protection. The study further reconceptualized spatial vulnerability at the urban scale, as the fraction of vulnerability associated to the spatial network, highlighting the interplay of planning policies and spatial practices in its production and progression. Our findings make the notion of spatial vulnerability less ambiguous at the urban scale, by viewing the variable as an imbalance in capacities and exposure that generates spatially unsafe conditions. This refined conceptualization of spatial vulnerability becomes a lens for a more granular approach to urban disaster risk reduction and city planning by identifying and integrating sociospatial considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, urban planners are adopting virtual reality (VR) in designing urban green spaces (UGS) to visualize landscape designs in immersive 3D. However, the psychological effect of green spaces from the experience in VR may differ from the actual experience in the real world. In this paper, we systematically reviewed studies in the literature that conducted experiments to investigate the psychological benefits of nature in both VR and the real world to study nature in VR anchored to nature in the real world. We separated these studies based on the type of VR setup used, specifically, 360-degree video or 3D virtual environment, and established a framework of commonly used standard questionnaires used to measure the perceived mental states. The most common questionnaires include Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS), and Restoration Outcome Scale (ROS). Although the results from studies that used 360-degree video were less clear, results from studies that used 3D virtual environments provided evidence that virtual nature is comparable to real-world nature and thus showed promise that UGS designs in VR can transfer into real-world designs to yield similar physiological effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green spaces are essential for enhancing the quality of life in cities, providing ecological, social, and economic benefits. However, as urban development continues to encroach on green spaces, their area decreases and their structures become fragmented, leading to declines in ecosystem services. To address these challenges, this Special Issue presents 15 research papers that explore innovative approaches and solutions for the strategic planning of urban green spaces. The papers focus on assessing the dynamics of ecosystem services, developing new planning methods, and exploring green space planning from the users' perspective to enhance service equity and efficiency. These studies provide valuable insights for urban green space planning and management. [Extracted from the article]

Porches, as defined by the Art & Architecture Thesaurus, serve as vital transitional spaces linking indoor and outdoor environments. Despite their historical and contemporary significance, porches lack explicit representation in prevalent standards like CityGML and IndoorGML, posing challenges for comprehensive spatial modeling and its application. This paper proposes a method for modeling porches that aligns with the existing OGC standard CityGML 3.0, ensuring accuracy and compatibility. Drawing upon geomatics techniques, the method aims to bridge the gap in representing these spaces, critical for applications such as navigation systems, urban planning, and energy simulations. By integrating geometric, machine learning, and informative modeling approaches, this method seeks to provide a robust foundation for various practical applications. The paper outlines a comprehensive state-of-the-art review, describes the proposed method from digitalization to random forest (RF)-based point cloud classification and vectorization, presents case studies and results, and offers critical discussions and conclusions. Through this endeavor, the paper contributes to enhancing the representation and understanding of porches within the digital spatial landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban space's physical and environmental characteristics impact urban public safety. Specifically, many areas in the older urban core are morphologically unsafe. The historic city's resilience to natural disasters and emergency phenomena often surpasses expectations thanks to settlement principles, post-disaster transformations, and redundancies that enhance the performance of the historic built environment. Yet, the necessity to introduce new qualities to reclaim urban heritages scattered throughout the territory, often abandoned or sparsely populated, underscores the need for maintenance and management measures to boost safety and resilience. This study aims to identify technological components in urban space that influence the safety of places and define a design method for safety planning in historic urban settings. Urban safety interventions encompass various technological aspects in conjunction with the widespread distribution of equipment, adaptation of public and private facilities, and networked infrastructure and services. This paper delineates the elements that converge in the technological design of an appropriate historic town center to address potential emergencies. It presents the initial findings of studies conducted on a minor center with a strong historical value. This document aims to be useful for administrations of smaller municipalities, as the proposed method can be replicated in similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "City in a Park" (CIP) is a new concept of urban transformation and development proposed in China in recent years, guiding the construction of healthy and sustainable living environments. This paper analyzes urban planning based on the CIP concept from a synergetic perspective, aiming to explore how the integrated planning of ecological spaces and built environments can promote systematic sustainable development in ecology, economy, and society. This research employs methods including document collection, unstructured interviews, field observations, and participatory observation, focusing on a case study of the Sichuan Tianfu New Area (STNA), a demonstration zone for the CIP. The study finds that the planning of the STNA extends the planning scope of urban ecological spaces beyond the traditional urban construction boundaries, not only preserving the natural resources but also enhancing the city's overall sustainability through regional ecological services. By designing ecological spaces as green infrastructure that connects urban and rural areas, the primary sector is more readily integrated with the secondary and tertiary sectors, facilitating the integration of the urban and rural infrastructure and industries. The STNA integrates urban and rural administrative divisions, builds a cross-departmental collaborative management platform, and guides public participation in the planning process, ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of planning implementation and enhancing the equitable sharing of social services. This research provides new insights into comprehensive, cross-disciplinary, and ecology-oriented urban planning. It offers evidence for an understanding of the application pathways and effects of the CIP concept in urban planning practice and provides valuable experience for other cities to promote harmonious coexistence between the city and nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 2000s, Mount Bjelašnica, one of the four Olympic mountains around the city of Sarajevo, experienced rapid urbanization. In an attempt to create a modern mountain resort, but without a general design vision and with substantial criticism from residents, new hotels and other accommodation were built. This article offers insight into the development of the mountain resort at Babin Do on Mount Bjelašnica, comparing it with the development of similar mountain resorts in France. Case studies are the mountain villages of Flaine and Les Arcs, both created in the 1960s by prominent architects as a part of the government program Plan Neige; however, they have largely been changed and extended since then. The findings show certain similarities in the urban planning and architecture at Babin Do with the case studies examined in France, even over a period of sixty years. Although certain buildings in Babin Do create a positive mountain resort ambience, the absence of a regulatory plan that has caused overcrowding with accommodation, and the lack of common public space along with poor all-year activities show that this mountain resort cannot be considered a successful development. Further damage to nature should be minimized, and development should have been more considered and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is more urbanized now than ever before and maintaining some form of amenity from natural or modified ecosystems in the urban context is an increasingly significant challenge. This is not aided by the somewhat amorphous definition of amenity itself. This article introduces a framework for conceptualizing the amenity of urban waterways and provides empirical evidence about the relative weight of the different determinants of waterway amenity. We use best‐worst scaling to examine how households rate the relative importance of the amenity attributes along with data about how households rate their "connection" to waterways. Comparisons of preferences are made across four cities in Australia, all ranked in the top 10 most liveable cities in the World in 2021. The study also captures the relative importance of how "experts" in the field perceive these attributes. We find evidence that public preferences are not always aligned with those of experts and uncover significant heterogeneity within household respondents. To illustrate one way to cater for this heterogeneity in urban planning we report the results of a total unduplicated reach and frequency analysis as a means of identifying an efficacious portfolio of interventions. Accordingly, the study provides useful insights for waterway managers seeking to improve the allocation of resources and generate the most efficient amenity outcomes. Key Points: We introduce a framework for conceptualizing the amenity of urban waterwaysBest‐worst scaling is applied to examine how households and experts rate the relative importance of amenity attributes of urban waterwaysFindings inform waterway managers seeking to improve the allocation of resources and generate the most efficient amenity outcomes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Including pedestrians in urban design is vital so that they prefer walking over motorized transport. Motorized mobility, which mainly involves automobiles, has conditioned urban design, pedestrian movement, sustainability, and urban resilience. Studies of walkability in cities have recently been conducted, and they can be classified into those that use a qualitative observer-perception-based approach and a second approach based on the measurement of observable variables. This work aims to develop a tool that allows for walkability in public spaces to be evaluated based on directly observing reality while considering both approaches: those related to perceiving the environment and physical reality. Walking is one of the main ways of moving around and achieving sustainable urban mobility. The conditions of public spaces are fundamental for people in their preference for moving around by walking. A literature review related to walkability revealed that previous works included a variety of viewpoints, scales, tools, variables, and approaches. This study included a developed tool by modeling a definition of working areas, processing walkability data, and determining the Walkability Index (WI). The reliability of the data observed from the walkability variables was verified, and the tool's usefulness for urban planning was demonstrated. Pedestrian-centered urban design promotes cities' sustainable mobility, sustainability, and resilience. People's conduct reveals how the urban environment is perceived. The developed WI evaluates the existing reality and allows for its evolution to be monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a highly concentrated residential area, urban development and population concentration have caused serious environmental pollution problems that threaten the safety of the water and atmospheric resources that humans rely on for survival. To address this issue, the importance of urban green space (UGS) has become increasingly prominent. This paper collected data related to UGS (green space coverage, vegetation type, environmental quality, population distribution, etc.) for processing, used the entropy algorithm to build an ecological environment assessment model, and then used the particle swarm optimisation algorithm to optimise the model accordingly. Finally, a decision support system was proposed for UGS ecological environment planning, which comprehensively considered future environmental changes. Through comparison before and after the application of decision support system, this paper tested and verified several indicators such as green space coverage, biological diversity index, and climate adaptability. Among them, after the application of the decision support system, the green space coverage rate has increased year by year, and many indicators in the biological diversity index have improved significantly. The average climate adaptability of traditional UGS planning was 70 %, while the average climate adaptability of decision support system green space planning was 90 %, which has been significantly improved. The outcome shows that the system has a notable effect in improving the climate adaptation and ecological quality of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Sustainable Open spaces are the heart of every community. They play a great role in connecting people with places. This connection should be considered by every urban designer and architect, especially in the Central Business District (CBD), which is the core of this study. CBDs often face several challenges such as high-density usage and limited open spaces that can serve people. This research aims to define how the design of sustainable open spaces can contribute to the physical, social, and environmental well-being of users and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 3 – 'Good Health and Well-being" and 11 – "Sustainable Cities and Communities". In addition to highlighting the main aspects of sustainable urban design elements and user needs for enhancing well-being. Exploring the relation between these two domains as well as identifying their elements and indicators to define the most suitable sustainable design considerations exclusively for open spaces in CBD. The research’s methodology adopts a detailed analysis of both international and national case studies, which offers a comparative and contextual understanding of open spaces in different urban settings. In addition to validating the effectiveness of this strategy through urban analysis and questionnaire for users of CBD. Together, they are all used to develop an evaluation matrix to identify the relationship between design elements and their role in transforming open spaces in CBDs to places that can enhance users’ wellbeing and achieve sustainability goals. The research proves that well-designed sustainable open spaces can serve as vital components in healthy urban environments, significantly contributing to the overall quality of life and satisfaction of individuals in CBDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban development is not a process of even and planned progression on residential-industrial sites. Enclaves of high-standard space separate degraded and abandoned areas after industrial use has ended. The idea of the compact city is challenged by the need to search for niches for possible development and even to respond to crisis situations. Changing the approach to postmining sites located inside urban spaces generates an alternative to urban sprawl and the squandering of the stock of fertile suburban agricultural land. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the urban presence of postmining sites, to take a systemic view of ways to identify and describe their specific elements and to determine their impact, from the perspective of different user groups, on the quality of space. This research combined expert knowledge and the practical experience of users to create a model for a multilevel audit of postmining spaces. Knowledge about the postmining environment was transferred to landscape and urban design, creating a universal tool for developing strategies to increase the standard utilitarian functions of revitalized postmining areas. This tool will be useful at an early stage of urban development, management and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tibetan Buddhism, as an indigenous religion, has a significant and far-reaching influence in the Tibetan areas of China. This study, focusing on Lhasa, explores the integration of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual perceptions within urban spaces. Employing a novel approach that combines street view data and deep learning technology, the research aims to identify and map the spatial distribution of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual sites against the backdrop of the urban landscape. Our analysis reveals a notable concentration of these spiritual places near urban architectural and cultural heritage areas, highlighting the profound connection between residents' cultural life and spiritual practices. Despite challenges posed by modern urbanisation, these spiritual sites demonstrate resilience and adaptability, continuing to serve as cultural and spiritual pillars of the Tibetan Buddhist community. This study contributes to the fields of urban planning, religious studies, and digital humanities by demonstrating the potential of technology in examining the impact of urban development on cultural and religious landscapes. The research underscores the importance of protecting and integrating spaces of spiritual perception in urban development planning. It shows that safeguarding these spaces is crucial not only for cultural heritage preservation but also for achieving sustainable urban development and social harmony. This study opens new avenues for interdisciplinary research, advocating for a deeper understanding of the dynamic relationship between urban development and spiritual spaces from psychological, sociological, and environmental science perspectives. As urban landscapes evolve, the study emphasises the need to maintain a balance between material sustainability and cultural and spiritual richness in urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to look for efficient development strategies towards achieving sustainable precipitation management in the Madurai Town Planning Area (MTPA) in India. In the MTPA, precipitation is the predominant source of freshwater for agricultural and domestic uses in addition to water received through conventional systems. The average annual precipitation in the region is ~ 816 mm with standard deviation of 233 mm. The regression analysis showed that annual precipitation is following a decreasing trend and will be about 716 mm by 2030. The Precipitation Concentration Index (PCI) values ranging from 18 to 20 represented strong irregularities and seasonality in annual precipitation over the study area. March, July, September, and November months contributed 2.5, 6.19, 14, and 16% to annual precipitation, respectively, and all showed decreasing trends over time. Only 20% of Northeast monsoon was active over the past 44 years (1976–2019), resulting in a 15% probability of flood and drought occurrences throughout the MTPA. The long-term (1976–2019) average value of annual precipitation days was about 42. The Concentration Index (CI) showed that 60–70% of precipitation was received within 25% of precipitable days. Daily precipitation class of moderate (7.5–34 mm) and rather heavy (34–64 mm) ranges were the dominant types of precipitation, contributing 46% and 26% to total annual precipitation, respectively. Except for October, the monthly precipitation received was deficit to meet the irrigation water demand in the MTPA. However, development of precipitation harvesting systems can annually preserve about 27 Mm3 freshwater in the urban space of the MTPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rapid uncontrolled growth of build-up areas has increasingly challenged the sustainable use of urban area simulating the growth patterns of fastest-growing cities is more necessary in dry climates, due to low ecological suitability for urban development and meeting the needs of citizens. Therefore, this research conducted aiming at predicting the expansion of urban land use in Zahedan City, Iran, which has a dry climate with an evenness landscape. Methods: Urban Expansion in Zahedan Modeled using SLEUTH (slope, land use, exclusion, urban extent, transportation and hillshade) in two historical and environmental scenarios until 2050. The input data were extracted from processing on DEM and remote sensing data and the SLEUTH model was calibrated in four stages from 1990 to 2020. Results and discussion: The results showed that the increase in Ahead extent in 2050 is more than twice as much as in 2020, and this increase was associated with a less dispersion of urban patches in the environmental scenario compared to the historical scenario. Also, the results clarified that the developable spaces are saturated in terms of slope in the east and there is the lack of urban green spaces. These results reveal the need for the attention of city managers in predicting the urban green space in the expected growth areas and compensating for the lack of vegetation cover in the former urban areas. Geographic extension of predicted urban land can be used in future environmental planning and urban developing strategies, as well as it is suggested to adopt this approach as a plan for urban planning in dry climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stewarding newly planted urban trees to maturity involves consideration of above- and belowground factors. While landscape architects and urban planners often focus on aboveground tree aspects, understanding root structure and function is crucial, especially in urban areas with limited underground space and diverse soil conditions. To address the importance and challenges of belowground planning for urban tree roots, we propose a protocol for site assessment and demonstrate root growth forecasting as a complement to existing urban planning approaches. Methods: This paper describes adaptations to a plant root architecture simulator, RootBox, and its subsequent application in 4 scenarios created to assess its effi cacy as a complement to the phase of urban planning that prescribes vegetation type and planting location in the context of a myriad of other site considerations. RootBox was parameterized based on observed conformity of root growth simulations to generalized tree root architecture reported in the literature. Results: Root growth forecasts for each scenario illustrate that plausible urban tree root system architectures--specifi cally, commonly observed root growth habits--can be produced by RootBox. In-situ root detection (e.g., with an air spade or hydro-vac) at predetermined time intervals can provide model validation and the opportunity to backward reconfi gure RootBox parameters for forecast accuracy. Conclusion: The adapted RootBox is a fl exible, proof-of-concept solution for predicting urban tree root architecture, considering the site and soil conditions pre-established in the planning process. When used with other relevant tools, RootBox can offer valuable insights during the design or rejuvenation of urban spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the impact of counter-mapping on university students' perception and knowledge of their cities, focusing on cultural diversity, urban dynamics, and social challenges. Using a quasi-experimental design with pretests and posttests in the province of Alicante, Spain, changes in the understanding of urban geography, everyday life, and cultural diversity were analyzed among 54 Geography Didactics students. Likert scale surveys and open-ended questions were employed, complemented by statistical and qualitative analyses, to measure knowledge and perceptions before and after the counter-mapping project. The results indicate that although quantitative correlations did not show statistically significant significance, qualitative analysis revealed significant and profound learning. Participants uncovered the hidden layers of their urban environments and gained a better understanding of the complexities and challenges of their cities. The project promoted the development of critical skills such as analytical thinking, active research, and effective communication, proving to be a valuable pedagogical tool that surpasses the limitations of traditional teaching methods and encourages active and committed citizenship. This inclusive and multidimensional approach enriches the diversity of experiences and knowledge, significantly contributing to the teaching of urban subjects, community engagement, and social responsibility and laying the groundwork for the proper tourist, cultural, social, or urban planning of city spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caño Roto (Madrid) is one of the most relevant Spanish post-war architectures. Its typological contributions have already been studied within the framework of the so-called "Led Settlements". This paper proposes a systematic analysis of the evolution of the neighborhood townscape, its most singular characteristic as a critical approach to the CIAM city project. It starts with the photographic documentation, studied through the methodology established by Gordon Cullen and developed, in a systematic way, by Nigel Taylor. The comparative study includes the original published photographs, a sample of photographs from the 2010s, and the shots taken in a new exhaustive documentation campaign. The comparison yields relevant results on the evolution of urban space definers: building volumes, facade composition, pavements or vegetation, and the presence of people in public areas. Several paths are studied to allow an understanding of the overall landscape structure. As a result, the key elements of the townscape of the settlement are identified and valued. The aim of this paper is to provide tools for the preservation of both the architectural and landscape heritage of Caño Roto. In short, thorough knowledge will help residents to become aware of the heritage value of their neighborhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting precise evaluations and predictions of the environmental conditions for plant growth in green spaces is crucial for ensuring their health and sustainability. Yet, assessing the health of urban greenery and the plant growth environment represents a significant and complex challenge within the fields of urban planning and environmental management. This complexity arises from two main challenges: the limitations in acquiring high-density, high-precision data, and the difficulties traditional methods face in capturing and modeling the complex nonlinear relationships between environmental factors and plant growth. In light of the superior spatial interpolation capabilities of CEDGAN (conditional encoder–decoder generative adversarial neural network), notwithstanding its comparative lack of robustness across different subjects, and the excellent ability of FCNN (fully connected neural network) to fit multiple nonlinear equation models, we have developed two models based on these network structures. One model performs high-precision spatial attribute interpolation for urban green spaces, and the other predicts and evaluates the environmental conditions for plant growth within these areas. Our research has demonstrated that, following training with various samples, the CEDGAN network exhibits satisfactory performance in interpolating soil pH values, with an average pixel error below 0.03. This accuracy in predicting both spatial distribution and feature aspects improves with the increase in sample size and the number of controlled sampling points, offering an advanced method for high-precision spatial attribute interpolation in the planning and routine management of urban green spaces. Similarly, FCNN has shown commendable performance in predicting and evaluating plant growth environments, with prediction errors generally less than 0.1. Comparing different network structures, models with fewer hidden layers and nodes yielded superior training outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]