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Urban green space can effectively optimize the urban landscape and environment and provide residents with space for daily leisure and recreational activities. In order to realize the green development of Macau, this paper takes the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) as an example, uses the green open space occupancy rate (GOSOR) to measure the level of green open space in Macau, and researches the planning positioning of Macau City's green development, the layout mode of urban public open space, and the integration and optimization of the space in Largo of high-density neighborhoods, so as to explore the planning paradigm of Macau's green development. In addition, the research data show that the per capita green area of Macau Peninsula is on the low side and extremely unbalanced, and there is a disconnection between some of the large-scale green patches on Macau Outlying Island; therefore, this paper proposes that the planning layout mode of "green veins connecting green patches" is suitable for Macau Peninsula and that the planning layout mode of "greenways embedded in jade" is suitable for Macau Outlying Island. On the other hand, in order to improve the problem of poor living conditions in the high-density city of Macau, the study proposes to make use of the unutilized Macau Largo space and carry out the optimization and transformation of the Largo space from "gray to green", so as to release a large amount of green open space and enhance the GOSOR value of the high-density street area of Macau Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public spaces are spaces that are open to the public, and their publicness denotes the degree to which the space is inclusive, accessible, and representative of collective interests, fostering diverse activities, and ultimately enhancing social cohesion and urban vitality. While existing studies have focused on interpreting and assessing the concept of publicness, few explore its specific impact within public spaces. This study aims to identify the impact of the publicness of public space and develop an assessment model. Based on a literature review, five publicness impacts are proposed: effectiveness, fairness, sense of ease, meaningfulness, and friendliness. Two rounds of questionnaire surveys were conducted on public space users in Hong Kong, with a total of 305 responses received. The collected data were used to test and validate the model through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modelling (SEM). The developed model offers a robust tool for determining whether a space is public. The findings show correlations among the five impacts of publicness, except between fairness and meaningfulness, which may imply that, in the Hong Kong public space, fairness is a functional or procedural requirement rather than a deep emotional or spiritual connection with the space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Landscape Architecture Frontiers is the property of Higher Education Press Limited Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Public spaces are spaces that are open to the public, and their publicness denotes the degree to which the space is inclusive, accessible, and representative of collective interests, fostering diverse activities, and ultimately enhancing social cohesion and urban vitality. While existing studies have focused on interpreting and assessing the concept of publicness, few explore its specific impact within public spaces. This study aims to identify the impact of the publicness of public space and develop an assessment model. Based on a literature review, five publicness impacts are proposed: effectiveness, fairness, sense of ease, meaningfulness, and friendliness. Two rounds of questionnaire surveys were conducted on public space users in Hong Kong, with a total of 305 responses received. The collected data were used to test and validate the model through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modelling (SEM). The developed model offers a robust tool for determining whether a space is public. The findings show correlations among the five impacts of publicness, except between fairness and meaningfulness, which may imply that, in the Hong Kong public space, fairness is a functional or procedural requirement rather than a deep emotional or spiritual connection with the space.

Urban green space can effectively optimize the urban landscape and environment and provide residents with space for daily leisure and recreational activities. In order to realize the green development of Macau, this paper takes the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) as an example, uses the green open space occupancy rate (GOSOR) to measure the level of green open space in Macau, and researches the planning positioning of Macau City’s green development, the layout mode of urban public open space, and the integration and optimization of the space in Largo of high-density neighborhoods, so as to explore the planning paradigm of Macau’s green development. In addition, the research data show that the per capita green area of Macau Peninsula is on the low side and extremely unbalanced, and there is a disconnection between some of the large-scale green patches on Macau Outlying Island; therefore, this paper proposes that the planning layout mode of “green veins connecting green patches” is suitable for Macau Peninsula and that the planning layout mode of “greenways embedded in jade” is suitable for Macau Outlying Island. On the other hand, in order to improve the problem of poor living conditions in the high-density city of Macau, the study proposes to make use of the unutilized Macau Largo space and carry out the optimization and transformation of the Largo space from “gray to green”, so as to release a large amount of green open space and enhance the GOSOR value of the high-density street area of Macau Peninsula.

Copyright of New Architecture is the property of New Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: This study delves into the spatial preferences of children for play spaces within high-density urban block environments, specifically targeting the area of Baihua Second Road in Shenzhen, China. Methods: Recognizing the critical role of play in children's development, and the unique challenges posed by dense urban settings, this research employs multiclass logistic regression models and negative binomial regression models to construct a detailed mathematical analysis of neighborhood spatial elements and children's play space preferences. Data was meticulously gathered through both objective observations of 14 different types of spaces within the block, and subjective assessments via children's responses to a series of environment photos, capturing the essence of over 3,000 child participants' interactions and choices. Results: Key findings reveal a pronounced preference among children for soft facility features and visually appealing spatial experiences, suggesting a nuanced understanding of play space needs beyond traditional playground designs. Notably, the study identifies that while cartoon-style designs in play facilities might increase moderate attractiveness, ordinary designs hold broader appeal, indicating a preference for diversity in play space aesthetics. These insights offer profound implications for urban planners and designers, advocating for a childcentered approach in the creation of urban play environments that prioritize aesthetic diversity, and the integration of natural elements. Conclusion: Moreover, the study situates Baihua Second Road as a paradigmatic case, illustrating the methodology and analytical framework applied in addressing the complex interplay between children's play preferences and urban spatial configurations. By incorporating a comprehensive data-driven analysis, this research contributes significantly to the discourse on child-friendly urban design, offering valuable strategies for cultivating inclusive and engaging urban play spaces for children amidst the constraints of high-density city living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has significantly increased the risks associated with urban flooding. However, most research on flood risk assessment focuses on large-scale climate changes and impacts, leaving a research gap in the high spatial resolution of flood risk assessment in inter-urban areas. This gap makes it difficult to guide regional planning for the government. Therefore, this study aims to explore the risks of floods in ultra-high-density cities under climate change at the planning scale, using Hong Kong as a case study. We comprehensively assessed the flood risk index (FRI) in the built environment in 211 tertiary planning units (TPUs) from the three dimensions of vulnerability, exposure, and hazard from 2006 to 2021. We also employed a prediction model to forecast the spatial–temporal patterns of FRI in the next 5, 10, and 15 years and evaluated the uneven distribution of flood risks. The results show that the FRI of TPUs increased yearly, which poses higher threats to agglomerative areas of transportation and functional facilities. Additionally, future FRI will further impact coastal TPUs in western Hong Kong, resulting in more negative impacts on high-building areas. Therefore, urban planning should prioritize integrating flood management and risk mitigation measures.

For high-density cities, it is necessary for city managers to achieve precise regulation of carbon emissions and sequestration. For reference, taking Dongguan as example, this study proposed a complex framework to identify weak areas of urban land use carbon metabolism in high-density city. On the basic of defining the urban land use carbon metabolism units, LEAP, Markove-PLUS, and LANDIS model were applied to spatialize land use carbon emissions and carbon sequestration. Finally, the weak areas of urban land use carbon metabolism were clearly indicated through overlapping the spatial pattern of land use carbon emissions and sequestration. Accordingly, carbon emissions limit regions can be delimited, and its carbon emissions are recommended to be metabolize through connecting the limit regions to green spaces with various ecological corridors. The results will serve as a foundation to plan and control carbon emissions in high-density cities that are similar to Dongguan in international communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public sub-health has emerged as a pressing concern in densely populated urban areas. The urban environment, with its innate ability to modulate public emotions, harbors a precious resource in the form of urban rivers, which provide a serene and verdant space. This study focuses on the Liangma River in Chaoyang District, Beijing, selecting two rivers with diverse landscape features as the subjects of research. By employing physiological feedback data in conjunction with a subjective questionnaire, the emotional impact of high-density urban riverside spaces on individuals is quantitatively analyzed. Electrocardiogram (ECG) data, eye movement data, and the positive–negative emotion scale (PANAS) are subjected to data analysis. The study reveals the following key findings: (1) The riverside landscape in high-density urban areas exerts a positive influence on emotional well-being. Individuals in more natural river settings experience greater levels of contentment and relaxation, while those in areas with a higher proportion of artificial elements exhibit increased excitement and happiness. Moreover, scenes characterized by a greater degree of greening have a more pronounced soothing effect on mood. (2) A specific correlation between visual characteristics and emotional fluctuations is observed. The waterfront side of the trail exerts a stronger spatial attraction, and a higher proportion of blue and green spaces significantly contributes to stress relief. (3) The utilization of human-induced engineering technology, which captures emotional changes through physiological feedback, demonstrates a higher level of accuracy and is well-suited for small-scale studies. These findings highlight the potential of arranging diverse types of waterfront footpath landscapes in high-density urban areas and approaching waterfront landscape design and transformation from a novel perspective centered on health intervention. Such efforts hold promise for alleviating the daily pressures faced by the general public and fostering the development of a "healthy city". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, scholarly attention has shifted within urban informality research from informal settlements to the appropriation of public spaces in formal urban settings. Overflow, a common research subject within this context, has drawn particular interest. This study investigates overflow dynamics in a representative district of Hong Kong, utilizing the overflow rate as a measure of the extent to which overflow occurs. Three‐dimensional (3D) scanning technology was applied to collect spatial data from back alleys. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the spatial characteristics of back alleys that influence overflow rates. The results revealed that back alleys with a flatter spatial interface, more overhead shelter, greater numbers of alley‐shops, and shorter overall length corresponded to a higher number of overflow occurrences. Two novel findings emerged: First, a negative correlation between spatial interface unevenness and overflow rates, and second, differential impacts of the shop density and number of alley‐shops on overflow rates. These findings may serve as a valuable reference for governmental policy formulation regarding overflow management and may offer architects workable insights for designing back alleys and street spaces conducive to public use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of “full-age” urban public spaces is a critical aspect of modern urbanization, enhancing the multifunctionality of contemporary urban public spaces. This paper examines the design of urban public spaces using “Little Island at Park 55 in New York” as a case study. It delves into three key aspects: spatial intensive utilization, functional agglomeration, and landscape aggregation design. By thoroughly interpreting the original topography of the island space and employing classical Chinese garden techniques, particularly “scenery supporting,” this study analyzes the design evolution and core principles of the case. It summarizes the case’s value and underscores the significance and necessity of all-age inclusive design in modern urban public spaces.

Abstract In recent years, scholarly attention has shifted within urban informality research from informal settlements to the appropriation of public spaces in formal urban settings. Overflow, a common research subject within this context, has drawn particular interest. This study investigates overflow dynamics in a representative district of Hong Kong, utilizing the overflow rate as a measure of the extent to which overflow occurs. Three‐dimensional (3D) scanning technology was applied to collect spatial data from back alleys. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the spatial characteristics of back alleys that influence overflow rates. The results revealed that back alleys with a flatter spatial interface, more overhead shelter, greater numbers of alley‐shops, and shorter overall length corresponded to a higher number of overflow occurrences. Two novel findings emerged: First, a negative correlation between spatial interface unevenness and overflow rates, and second, differential impacts of the shop density and number of alley‐shops on overflow rates. These findings may serve as a valuable reference for governmental policy formulation regarding overflow management and may offer architects workable insights for designing back alleys and street spaces conducive to public use.

Urban parks beautify the environment and promote urban public health, and their spatial allocation is significant in maintaining environmental justice. However, the current allocation of urban parks focuses on quantity fairness and pays insufficient attention to accessibility and quality fairness. This study investigated the core area of Beijing and analyzed the fairness of urban park allocation based on park accessibility, area, and quality. We used big data crawling, the two-step floating catchment area method, comprehensive equity evaluation of parks, spatial autocorrelation, and non-parametric tests. The results showed inequality in terms of accessibility, area, and quality, with high spatial distribution in the north and low spatial distribution in the south. The accessibility, shortest distance, and total area of urban parks in high-income residential areas were 3.0, 2.1, and 1.8 times higher, respectively, than those of the low-income residential areas. This indicates that high-income groups have better accessibility, live closer to, and have access to larger urban parks. Middle-income and above groups had access to green space, whereas medium-to-low-income residential areas had poor access to parks, particularly high-quality parks. These findings provide decision-making and planning references for the optimal allocation and rational planning of urban parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 epidemic has become a global challenge, and the urban wind environment, as an important part of urban spaces, may play a key role in the spread of the virus. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the impact of urban wind environments on the spread of COVID-19 is of great significance for formulating effective prevention and control strategies. This paper adopts the conditional generative confrontation network (CGAN) method, uses simulated urban wind environment data and COVID-19 distribution data for machine training, and trains a model to predict the distribution probability of COVID-19 under different wind environments. Through the application of this model, the relationship between the urban wind environment and the spread of COVID-19 can be studied in depth. This study found that: (1) there are significant differences in the different types of wind environments and COVID-19, and areas with high building density are more susceptible to COVID-19 hotspots; (2) the distribution of COVID-19 hotspots in building complexes and the characteristics of the building itself are correlated; and (3) similarly, the building area influences the spread of COVID-19. In response to long COVID-19 or residential area planning in the post-epidemic era, three principles can be considered for high-density cities such as Macau: building houses on the northeast side of the mountain; making residential building layouts of "strip" or "rectangular" design; and ensuring that the long side of the building faces southeast (the windward side). (4) It is recommended that the overall wind speed around the building be greater than 2.91 m/s, and the optimal wind speed is between 4.85 and 8.73 m/s. This finding provides valuable information for urban planning and public health departments to help formulate more effective epidemic prevention and control strategies. This study uses machine learning methods to reveal the impact of urban wind environments on the distribution of COVID-19 and provides important insights into urban planning and public health strategy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective urban ventilation through decent urban planning and building design can alleviate the deterioration of the urban built environment. However, natural ventilation requirements and guidelines in current building codes and standards are either qualitative or quantitative but subject to an absolute indoor airspeed threshold without considering the outdoor wind environment. To fill this gap, this paper develops an urban-scale coupled indoor and outdoor computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model and defines a novel ventilation index to assess natural ventilation potential. The index considers wind environments of both indoor and outdoor spaces. First, the coupled CFD model is developed to study wind-driven cross ventilation in high-density cities. A 3D isothermal CFD simulation is solved using the RNG k-ε turbulent model. The simulation results are compared with wind tunnel experiment data from literature. Second, six key design variables are used to generate 3840 parametric design variations for natural ventilation assessment. Third, a novel integrated index CIOIv (coupled indoor and outdoor interaction) is proposed to evaluate the wind speed ratio between the indoor area and outdoor reference area. For demonstration, CIOIv,F1 is used to represent CIOIv on the ground level. Data-driven CIOIv,F1 models are developed to predict indoor building ventilation potential for quick early design support. Compared with multivariate linear regression model, the Gradient Boosting non-linear model displays much higher prediction accuracy (mean absolute percentage error = 0.16 with R2 = 0.8). In early design stage, designers and engineers can skip the computational expensive CFD simulations and use this data-drive model to quickly check the building natural ventilation potentials of different design options in an urban environment.

• Peri-urban parks significantly alter the spatial accessibility of urban green spaces. • The moderating effects of peri-urban parks differ across various urban districts. • Social groups experience unequal benefits from the moderating effects of peri-urban parks. • Household and housing factors contribute to environmental injustice. • The sensitivity to the moderating effects of peri-urban parks varies during urbanization. Recent years have seen an increasing emphasis on peri-urban parks (PUPs) in urban green spaces (UGS) development, However, little is known about how PUPs moderate overall UGS accessibility and contribute to environmental justice, particularly for high-density cities. To address this salient gap, the present study examines the overall urban green space accessibility, the moderating effects of PUPs, and the heterogeneous and dynamic perception of these effects across diverse social groups in Hong Kong between 2000 and 2020. The results demonstrate that PUPs significantly reshape the UGS accessibility pattern across different time catchments, manifested by mitigating or even reversing the disparity between urban core and peripheral areas. For the moderating effect of PUPs, despite the general trend of reduced inequalities, recent years have witnessed an increase in the inequalities between urban districts. The findings further reveal the diverse benefits derived from PUPs for different population groups and neighborhoods. Women, the elderly, low-income groups, highly educated groups, and ethnic minorities tend to benefit less from PUPs, while children and local residents experience greater advantages. Larger households and nuclear family households have increasingly relied on PUPs, while households with housing advantages (larger size and homeownership) also enjoy more significant benefits. Notably, socio-economically disadvantaged and aging neighborhoods have experienced less and diminishing benefits from PUPs. This research offers comprehensive evidence to enhance the understanding of the relationship between peri-urban and urban parks and their impact on environmental justice, thus better informing equity-orientated UGS planning and policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Green space coverages near home and along residents' 10-minute walk were examined. • Disparities were found in pedestrian-centric, mixed-residential settings of high-density city. • Private housing in low-income, high-density urban core had the least green space coverage. • Public housing had medium and consistent green space coverage across the city. While increasing studies acknowledge the potential of green spaces to alleviate urban environmental problems in high-density cities, there is growing attention to the socio-spatial inequalities in green space allocation. Few studies have assessed these inequalities by considering the green space coverage along citizens' walking trips from their homes within the context of pedestrian-centric and mixed-residential developments in high-density cities. Therefore, this study (1) evaluated green space coverage near home and within residents' 10-minute walk from each residential building in Hong Kong, (2) estimated the population living in green space-deprived environments, and (3) explored their relationships with socioeconomic and built-environment characteristics. Results revealed that private housing residents living in lower-income and higher-density areas in the urban core were the most prone to low green space coverage. In contrast, public housing consistently offered medium levels of green space coverages regardless of community income and urban form. Additionally, high-density new town development demonstrated the potential for equitable green space allocation across different housing types. As cities increasingly embrace high-density development and promote active transportation, this study provides valuable insights for implementing housing and greening initiatives that foster healthy living environments in high-density cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A pandemic-resilient residential building design index system was proposed. • A fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was applied to assess each strategy. • The preference index was used to identify the most important and practical measures. • Property management, common areas and building morphology were top sub-categories. • Policy and application suggestions were given for a healthier living environment. The relationship between the built environment and epidemic transmission is particularly pronounced within the context of lockdown policies and high-density urban areas. Non-pharmaceutical interventions have become increasingly important during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study proposes an evaluation index system for pandemic-resilient residential building designs in high-density cities, covering the entire design process including site planning, architecture design, building equipment and management. The system includes 64 design strategies, categorized into 15 sub-categories and 4 categories. Then, we evaluate the preference of each strategy by synthesizing the dimensions of importance and implementation difficulty. A questionnaire survey was conducted among experts who have experience with pandemic-resilient designs in high-density cities. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation analysis was implemented along with the "preference index" concept to identify the most important and practical interventions during the pandemic outbreak. The results indicate that "service and management" is the category that requires priority, followed by "property management," "common areas" and "building morphology" in sub-categories. Among the design strategies, "waste receptacle," "publicity and education," "floor drain and water seal" and "environmental cleaning and disinfection" are the top four recommended strategies. This study provides policymakers and practitioners with effective and easily implementable prevention measures during an outbreak of respiratory tract infections. It also offers specific policy recommendations and application suggestions for new and existing buildings, contributing to creating a safer and healthier living environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A system of breezeway morphological parameters is established from prior research. • Parameters' interrelation and relative contribution to wind environment is affirmed. • 2D parameters can replace 3D parameters in high-density and high-rise urban areas. • Point-resolution wind prediction models are developed using breezeway parameters. • Breezeway design guidelines are proposed at both neighborhood and street levels. To advance urban breezeway designs, this paper presents a pioneering and comprehensive study of breezeway morphological parameters. Ten parameters, identified through extensive literature review, include coverage ratio, porosity, line density, sinuosity, rotation angle, width, length, average height, height variation, and aspect ratio. Regression analysis, utilizing over 200 data points collected from wind tunnel experiments in Hong Kong, established correlations between these parameters and pedestrian-level wind velocity ratio (VR point). Results reveal that among the 2D parameters, width, length, line density, and coverage ratio exhibit the strongest correlations with VR point , while aspect ratio and porosity emerge as significant factors among the 3D parameters. Notably, simple 2D parameters, coverage ratio and width, can effectively substitute for their 3D counterparts, porosity and aspect ratio, in high-density urban environments. Furthermore, the results highlight the relative contributions of different parameters to urban ventilation. From a street-level perspective, VR point is primarily influenced by configurations of street segments (width, 80 %) and street intersections (rotation angle, 20 %). From a neighborhood-level perspective, permeability (coverage ratio, 35 %), fragmentation (line density, 30 %), and roughness (average height, 35 %) are critical factors. Illustrative examples are provided to help translate these findings into spatial analysis tools and design guidelines, aiding planners and decision-makers in improving urban living environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public sub-health has emerged as a pressing concern in densely populated urban areas. The urban environment, with its innate ability to modulate public emotions, harbors a precious resource in the form of urban rivers, which provide a serene and verdant space. This study focuses on the Liangma River in Chaoyang District, Beijing, selecting two rivers with diverse landscape features as the subjects of research. By employing physiological feedback data in conjunction with a subjective questionnaire, the emotional impact of high-density urban riverside spaces on individuals is quantitatively analyzed. Electrocardiogram (ECG) data, eye movement data, and the positive–negative emotion scale (PANAS) are subjected to data analysis. The study reveals the following key findings: (1) The riverside landscape in high-density urban areas exerts a positive influence on emotional well-being. Individuals in more natural river settings experience greater levels of contentment and relaxation, while those in areas with a higher proportion of artificial elements exhibit increased excitement and happiness. Moreover, scenes characterized by a greater degree of greening have a more pronounced soothing effect on mood. (2) A specific correlation between visual characteristics and emotional fluctuations is observed. The waterfront side of the trail exerts a stronger spatial attraction, and a higher proportion of blue and green spaces significantly contributes to stress relief. (3) The utilization of human-induced engineering technology, which captures emotional changes through physiological feedback, demonstrates a higher level of accuracy and is well-suited for small-scale studies. These findings highlight the potential of arranging diverse types of waterfront footpath landscapes in high-density urban areas and approaching waterfront landscape design and transformation from a novel perspective centered on health intervention. Such efforts hold promise for alleviating the daily pressures faced by the general public and fostering the development of a “healthy city”.

High-density cities are growing in number and importance due to globalisation, significantly contributing to local, regional, and worldwide economies. It is progressively becoming clear that the high-density features of cities are associated with the frequency of disasters. As more than half of the world's population currently resides in cities, the study of high-density cities is evolving into an academic topic. In this study, the WoSCC (Web of Science Core Collection) and CiteSpace software were used to visualise and analyse the development history, current status, hotspots, and trends in high-density city research. We analysed a total of 377 valid articles spanning 2001 to 2022. This research aimed to illustrate the trajectory of high-density city development and to summarise the field's research hotspots and development history after entering the 21st century. It is hoped that this study will provide a theoretical reference and development direction for the future development of the field of high-density city research. Our results indicate that more publications have used the relevant keywords over time and that the research has overall trended from general to specific, noticeably changing in response to urban modernisation. Academic study in this area is still in its early stage. Instead of an inherent urge to spontaneously advance due to academic output, the research field has primarily grown in response to urban problems. COVID-19 has also hastened urban infill, further impacting existing high-density communities' urban environments, transportation infrastructure, and economies. The global epidemic has added urgency to research on high-density cities, and new content and directions are being developed. Assessing the hazards of high urban density while maximising its economic role is a significant part of academic research on high-density cities at this stage and will remain so in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have revealed that park green space (PGS) plays a crucial role in improving residents' quality of life and promoting sustainable development of the environment. However, rapid urbanization and population growth have led to an inequitable supply and demand for PGS, especially in high-density cities, which has been widely recognized as an important environmental justice issue. However, few studies have evaluated the equity and sustainability of PGS in high-density cities based on multi-scale. This study developed a framework to explore the spatial equity of PGS and its coupling coordination degree (CCD) with socioeconomic deprivation (SED) based on a multi-scale approach (pocket park, community park, and comprehensive park), then analyzed the spatial correlation between PGS and CCD. The results showed that: (1) The overall supply of 3-scale PGS does not meet residents' demand for PGS resources in the study area and the urban center has the highest demand for PGS. (2) Among the three-scale PGS, the comprehensive PGS has the strongest supply capacity, but it also has the most severe supply–demand mismatch. (3) Although the service radius of pocket PGS is smaller than that of community PGS, the supply of pocket PGS is higher. (4) More than 95% of the studied area lacks coordination between PGS and SED development. (5) The subsystem that has the greatest spatial correlation with CCD in pocket PGS and comprehensive PGS was the number of configurations, while that in community PGS was the spatial arrangement. This study not only provides a theoretical reference for conducting research on PGS equity in high-density cities, but also provides a novel perspective on the sustainable, coordinated development and planning of urban PGS system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 epidemic has become a global challenge, and the urban wind environment, as an important part of urban spaces, may play a key role in the spread of the virus. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the impact of urban wind environments on the spread of COVID-19 is of great significance for formulating effective prevention and control strategies. This paper adopts the conditional generative confrontation network (CGAN) method, uses simulated urban wind environment data and COVID-19 distribution data for machine training, and trains a model to predict the distribution probability of COVID-19 under different wind environments. Through the application of this model, the relationship between the urban wind environment and the spread of COVID-19 can be studied in depth. This study found that: (1) there are significant differences in the different types of wind environments and COVID-19, and areas with high building density are more susceptible to COVID-19 hotspots; (2) the distribution of COVID-19 hotspots in building complexes and the characteristics of the building itself are correlated; and (3) similarly, the building area influences the spread of COVID-19. In response to long COVID-19 or residential area planning in the post-epidemic era, three principles can be considered for high-density cities such as Macau: building houses on the northeast side of the mountain; making residential building layouts of “strip” or “rectangular” design; and ensuring that the long side of the building faces southeast (the windward side). (4) It is recommended that the overall wind speed around the building be greater than 2.91 m/s, and the optimal wind speed is between 4.85 and 8.73 m/s. This finding provides valuable information for urban planning and public health departments to help formulate more effective epidemic prevention and control strategies. This study uses machine learning methods to reveal the impact of urban wind environments on the distribution of COVID-19 and provides important insights into urban planning and public health strategy development.

In recent years, the frequency of extreme high-temperature events has gradually increased. To better understand the impact of urban green space coverage's spatial pattern on land surface temperature (LST), this study selected three sample areas along the urban-rural gradient in Shanghai. Using LST inversion and resampling methods, LST data for different grid sizes were obtained for spring, summer, and winter in the 2010s, 2015s, and 2020 s. A boosting regression tree model was employed to determine the key indicators affecting LST and effective cooling thresholds. The impact of green quality, structure, and pattern at the community scale on LST was discussed, providing feasible suggestions for green space planning and design in different urban spaces. The study found significant differences in the spatial patterns of green areas and LST among the three sample regions. The quantity and integrity of green spaces in the Huangpu, Minhang, and Songjiang sample areas have progressively improved, with overall green coverages of 19 %, 38 %, and 43 %, respectively. As grid size increases, the relative influence of fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) on LST generally decreases, whereas the relative influence of green structure and patterns gradually increases. Taking the summer of the 2020 s as an example, the influence of FVC on the three study sample areas was 80.79, 83.36, and 87.18 at a 30 m grid size, which decreased to 48.87, 40.59, and 47.64 at a 120 m grid size. The green structure's impact rose from 13.09, 15.22, and 10.6–30.01, 51.82, and 38.5; the influence of green patterns increased from 6.12, 1.42, and 2.21–21.13, 7.6, and 13.86. Key indicators affecting LST include FVC (Fractional Vegetation Coverage), AREA (Green Patch Area), PD (Patch Density), COHESION (Patch Cohesion Index), and ED (Edge Density). High temperatures in summer are one of the ecological issues that need special attention in Shanghai's green space design. Setting the green space proportion to 35 % while avoiding fragmentation and low vegetation coverage can achieve effective cooling. This study's main advancement lies in utilizing machine learning algorithms to identify the principal green spatial pattern impact factors and key thresholds influencing LST at the community scale in Shanghai. The related results and proposed strategies provide a research framework and strong basis for special regulations in urban green space system planning concerning urban thermal environments. They offer references for urban renewal and new town planning to address climate change and urban high-temperature issues, such as clear requirements for optimal green space area at the community scale, community park spatial layout and quantity regulations, and urban park planning design suggestions. This study also highlights obstacles in the practical application of planning and design strategies, which can help avoid difficulties in implementing planning policies. It attempts to set goals for community-scale vegetation planning in China from a policy perspective and provides relevant recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose an innovative methodology for optimal deployment of public EV chargers. • A generalised ordered probit model is used to estimate EV purchase intention. • We derive parameters of the LA model based on survey, public data and interview. • Existing charging network should be substantially expanded, especially in suburbs. • Adding chargers at existing stations is more economical than building new stations. The optimal deployment of public charging infrastructure is critical to the popularisation of electric vehicles (EVs) in high-density cities. Existing studies on public EV charging facilities have rarely integrated government policy and spatial constraints into their optimisation algorithms. To address this research gap, we proposed a contextualised EV charger optimisation model that incorporates carefully derived supply-and-demand constraints and tested it in the case of Hong Kong. From the supply side, we studied the latest planning guidelines and conducted a spatial analysis of potential charging sites. From the demand side, we conducted a questionnaire survey with local residents, estimated their EV purchase intention using a generalised ordered probit model, and then projected the usage demand for public chargers. These supply-and-demand constraints were subsequently incorporated into a location-allocation model to minimise both charging demand shortfall and travel time to charging facilities. We also conducted sensitivity analyses with varying budget, charging demand and facility service radius. Based on our results, we made several key recommendations regarding the spatial planning of public EV charging facilities in our high-density context: (1) the existing charging network should be substantially expanded to meet the projected demand; (2) the charging network should be expanded beyond the central business district and the urban core into other urban neighbourhoods and suburbs; and (3) installing more chargers at existing charging stations is more economical than building new stations. Our research provides an important reference for the spatial planning and deployment strategies for public EV charging infrastructure in high-density cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian guardrails (PGs) are common in high-density cities, but growing debate focuses on whether PGs provide pedestrian comfort and assure safety. The quasi-experimental condition, created by 2019–2020 Hong Kong protesters dismantling PGs the government later restored, allowed for a longitudinal study of how PGs impact pedestrian crossing behaviours at the intersection of Mong Kok Road and Sai Yeung Choi Street South. 6762 pedestrian behaviours were collected through video recording from periods before and after PG restoration; psychological factors linked to crossing behaviour were further investigated through a questionnaire. Per observations, crossing through the shortest route comprised most (25.24%) aberrant behaviours. PG restoration significantly reduced low-risk crossings but increased high-risk behaviours. Specifically, people aged 65+ were more likely to cross the road aberrantly to avoid grade-separated pedestrian crossings. The questionnaire results (N = 205) suggest pedestrians feel ambivalent about PGs. Taking shortcuts was the main reason for pedestrian misbehaviour (85.8% agreement rate). Additionally, pedestrians relied more on internal judgements of traffic situations than on external controls. Noticeably, PGs provided feelings of safety, despite not being designed to protect pedestrians from straying vehicles. These findings could inform designs for safe, comfortable pedestrian environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a common air pollutant, particulate matter (PM2.5) can lead to serious health risks when inhaled over a long period of time, and it is therefore especially important for urban residents to understand the distribution characteristics of PM2.5 within the urban space. To predict long-term PM2.5 exposure at high resolution in high-density cities and quantify the influence of urban spatial morphological characteristics on the distribution of PM2.5 concentration produced under long-term conditions. The seasonal mean values of PM2.5 concentration from 23 monitoring stations in Shenzhen, China were used as dependent variables, and 6 categories of 502 potential predictor variables including urban/building spatial morphological indicators were used as independent variables. The seasonal land use regression models were developed by combining stepwise supervision and Akaike information criterion (AIC) selection with a leave-one-out-cross-validation (LOOCV) to test the prediction performance of the model. The adjusted R2 values were 0.86, 0.70, 0.70 and LOOCV R2 values were 0.83, 0.58, 0.68 in the first three seasons, respectively. In addition to the variables of land use category (i.e., the proportion of land for industrial and manufacturing, the proportion of land for green space and square, and the proportion of land for municipal utilities) and physical geography category (i.e., the count of parks and squares, average elevation), building coverage ratio and the diversity of building volume were also selected into the model as predictor variables. The R2 contributions of urban/building spatial morphology factors exceeded 10% for all three seasonal models. This study developed seasonal land use regression (LUR) models with good prediction performance for a high-density city and provided high-resolution spatial mapping of PM2.5 under steady-state conditions. The contribution of urban/building spatial morphological indicators to the interpretation of R2 for LUR models confirmed the effect of high-density urban morphology on the distribution of PM2.5 concentration. The quantitative correlation between PM2.5 concentration and spatial morphological factors such as building coverage and building volume diversity can provide a basis for incorporating air pollution dispersion considerations to urban planning at early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With large-scale urbanization globally, the world is facing environmental problems brought about by high-density cities. To achieve sustainable development in Hong Kong, especially for the heavily loaded Cross Harbour Tunnel district, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University proposes a Green Deck over the Cross Harbour Tunnel to enhance the neighboring environments. Green belts, buildings, and a new exhibition center are planned for this deck. This will require an increase in the guest capacity of nearby hotels in the Tsim Sha Tsui East (TSTE) area. This study, therefore, investigated the development potential of the 23 existing buildings in TSTE and the environmental impact brought about by the increase of plot ration (PR)/building height (BH) in that area. Spatial analyzes of solar exposure, wind ventilation, and air temperature were conducted based on four different scenarios with various PR/BH; human thermal comfort brought about by PR/BH changes were also measured. A comparison of different scenarios revealed no significant changes in the surrounding environment. The study concludes that there is potential for PR/BH relaxations in TSTE to increase spaces to meet increased population flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-density cities are growing in number and importance due to globalisation, significantly contributing to local, regional, and worldwide economies. It is progressively becoming clear that the high-density features of cities are associated with the frequency of disasters. As more than half of the world’s population currently resides in cities, the study of high-density cities is evolving into an academic topic. In this study, the WoSCC (Web of Science Core Collection) and CiteSpace software were used to visualise and analyse the development history, current status, hotspots, and trends in high-density city research. We analysed a total of 377 valid articles spanning 2001 to 2022. This research aimed to illustrate the trajectory of high-density city development and to summarise the field’s research hotspots and development history after entering the 21st century. It is hoped that this study will provide a theoretical reference and development direction for the future development of the field of high-density city research. Our results indicate that more publications have used the relevant keywords over time and that the research has overall trended from general to specific, noticeably changing in response to urban modernisation. Academic study in this area is still in its early stage. Instead of an inherent urge to spontaneously advance due to academic output, the research field has primarily grown in response to urban problems. COVID-19 has also hastened urban infill, further impacting existing high-density communities’ urban environments, transportation infrastructure, and economies. The global epidemic has added urgency to research on high-density cities, and new content and directions are being developed. Assessing the hazards of high urban density while maximising its economic role is a significant part of academic research on high-density cities at this stage and will remain so in the future.

Several studies have revealed that park green space (PGS) plays a crucial role in improving residents’ quality of life and promoting sustainable development of the environment. However, rapid urbanization and population growth have led to an inequitable supply and demand for PGS, especially in high-density cities, which has been widely recognized as an important environmental justice issue. However, few studies have evaluated the equity and sustainability of PGS in high-density cities based on multi-scale. This study developed a framework to explore the spatial equity of PGS and its coupling coordination degree (CCD) with socioeconomic deprivation (SED) based on a multi-scale approach (pocket park, community park, and comprehensive park), then analyzed the spatial correlation between PGS and CCD. The results showed that: (1) The overall supply of 3-scale PGS does not meet residents’ demand for PGS resources in the study area and the urban center has the highest demand for PGS. (2) Among the three-scale PGS, the comprehensive PGS has the strongest supply capacity, but it also has the most severe supply–demand mismatch. (3) Although the service radius of pocket PGS is smaller than that of community PGS, the supply of pocket PGS is higher. (4) More than 95% of the studied area lacks coordination between PGS and SED development. (5) The subsystem that has the greatest spatial correlation with CCD in pocket PGS and comprehensive PGS was the number of configurations, while that in community PGS was the spatial arrangement. This study not only provides a theoretical reference for conducting research on PGS equity in high-density cities, but also provides a novel perspective on the sustainable, coordinated development and planning of urban PGS system.

The coronaviruses have inflicted health and societal crises in recent decades. Both SARS CoV-1 and 2 are suspected to spread through outdoor routes in high-density cities, infecting residents in apartments on separate floors or in different buildings in many superspreading events, often in the absence of close personal contact. The viability of such mode of transmission is disputed in the research literature, and there is little evidence on the dose–response relationship at the apartment level. This paper describes a study to examine the viability of outdoor airborne transmission between neighboring apartments in high density cities. A first-principles model, airborne transmission via outdoor route (ATOR), was developed to simulate airborne pathogen generation, natural decay, outdoor dispersion, apartment entry, and inhalation exposure of susceptible persons in neighboring apartments. The model was partially evaluated using a smoke tracer experiment in a mock-up high-density city site and cross-checking using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. The ATOR model was used to retrospectively investigate the relationship between viral exposure and disease infection at an apartment level in two superspreading events in Hong Kong: the SARS outbreak in Amoy Gardens and the COVID-19 outbreak in Luk Chuen House. Logistic regression results suggested that the predicted viral exposure was positively correlated with the probability of disease infection at apartment level for both events. Infection risks associated with the outdoor route transmission of SARS can be reduced to

The built environment is an important factor affecting physical activity, especially walkability. Walkability is used to characterize the user friendliness of outdoor physical activity. However, studies on walkability and physical activity are mainly concentrated on low-density Western cities. Study on the walkability of high-density cities in Asia, especially with the elderly, is seriously lacking. And walkability is often used as a composite indicator. This study mainly re-examines the relationship between the common indicators of walkability (population density, street connectivity, land-use mix, and retail density), transport-related walking, and leisure-time walking with older adults in China's megacities. Twelve housing estates in Wuhan were selected for study areas. We explored the association between the walking activities of 1,161 elderly people (≥60 years old) and the indicators of walkability in their neighborhoods. Socio-demographic characteristics were controlled in the multilevel logistic regression models of the built environment walking associations. We found that there was no significant correlation between the four indicators of walkability and transport-related walking. Street connectivity is significantly positively correlated with the participants' leisure-time walking (OR = 1.499, 95% CI = 1.068~2.103), and there was no significant correlation between the other indicator of walkability and leisure-time walking. The results show that there was no statistical correlation between walkability and transport-related walking in the elderly, and only one indicator was related to leisure-time walking. It is extremely important to re-examine the characteristics of built environments and elderly walking activities in high-density cities. Only by implementing effective intervention strategies in different urban backgrounds can cities move toward a more active and healthier path.

Hong Kong is one of the most 'public' open space challenged cities in the world. As a result of the city's 'patchwork' planning practices, the privatisation of all space has become a means of control that directly impacts developmental typologies and social mobility. It remains a landscape which is more opportunistic than strategic, resulting in spatial compression for the sake of profitability. Through over privatisation, the multi-utilities of 'spaces for the public' constitutes negotiated spatial norms, a process whereby space is re-claimed through tactical means. This paper focuses on how the social mechanises the concept of spatial piracy of accessible (in and exterior) space to define what we term 'lateral-privatisation', in the lieu of a civic-spatial relationship. The argument presents two examples that expedite lateral-privatisation, discussing the umbrella movement and weekly takeover of open space by foreign domestic helpers. Conclusions are made by arguing that lateral-privatisation should be viewed as a spatial alternative, an informal design mechanism that advocates socially driven, spatially situated social justice. Through examining 'by who', 'for whom' and 'where', the lateral-privatisation concept positions an alternative model, between the privatisation of cities and the social (re)claims made within dense landscapes that promotes social dis-inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling tools are often used to obtain a better understanding of the characteristics of urban microclimates. Among the different approaches to physics-based modeling, urban canopy models tend to be computationally faster than computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. However, the evaluation of current urban canopy models for different urban characteristics is still limited, especially for wind speed. This study aims to evaluate the potential usability of the existing urban canopy model for microclimate variable prediction in different urban contexts, specifically the vertical city weather generator (VCWG) v1.4.5, which can predict microclimate variables at different vertical heights. The measurement data used in model evaluation were obtained from 248 weather stations in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The results showed that among the input parameters, a few variables had significant impact on the wind speed prediction results, namely, the turbulent coefficient during unstable conditions, the pressure gradient coefficient, and the aerodynamic roughness length. The discrepancy in wind-speed prediction tended to be lower during the summer season, with lower wind speeds at the rural weather station. Further investigations also addressed the significant parameters of wind speed prediction related to the calculation of the turbulent diffusion coefficient and pressure gradient. • Evaluation of a MLUCM compared at 248 locations for wind speed prediction. • Constant parameters dominated significant parameters for wind speed prediction. • Significant parameters are related to equations in vertical diffusion sub-module. • Urban morphology variables are associated with significant parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Impacts of environmental sounds and sights on anxiety were examined. • Environmental sounds and sights significantly and interactively affected anxiety. • Impact of sounds on anxiety was 4.67 times greater than that of sights. • People are more sensitive to sounds in natural scenes than in artificial scenes. • Fully natural sounds are most effective in relieving anxiety than other sounds. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders in the world. Although acoustic and visual environments are known to influence many other aspects of mental health, we know little about their independent and interactive effects on the levels of anxiety of high-density city dwellers. We conducted a laboratory experiment using a two-way factorial design (four visual environments × five acoustic environments) and randomly assigned participants to 20 treatment conditions. Before exposure to a condition, they engaged in the Trier Social Stress Test to induce a moderate level of anxiety. A total of 223 urban dwellers reported their anxiety level before and after a randomly assigned environmental treatment. The results showed that acoustic and visual environments had significantly interactive influence on anxiety relief. The impact of acoustic environments on anxiety relief w as 4.67 times greater than the impact of visual environments. Environments with more natural features, regardless of whether they were acoustic or visual, played a greater role in reducing anxiety than environments with more artificial features. T he combination of green scenes and fully natural sounds gave a significantly greater anxiety relief than any other acoustic-visual environments. The implications of these results for planning and design in high-density cities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high-density cities around the world, alleys are common but neglected spaces that are perceived as unsafe. While cities have invested resources in environmental interventions to improve safety in urban allies, it is not clear how these interventions impact perceived safety. We review two important criminology theories that discuss the environmental and social factors that lead to crime: the Broken Windows Theory and the Routine Activity Theory. We argue that these theories can also be used to explain safety perceptions of urban environments, and then develop urban alley interventions based on these theories. We test people's perceived safety of these interventions through a photograph survey. Results show that all interventions yielded higher perceived safety than existing alley scenes. Interventions based on the Broken Windows Theory (cleaning or vegetation interventions) yielded only modest improvements in perceived safety, while interventions based on the Routine Activity Theory (urban function interventions) yielded higher ratings. Our findings question the dominant use of the Broken Windows Theory in environmental interventions to promote perceived safety and argue for a more effective approach: urban function interventions inspired by the Routine Activity Theory.

Many studies have been conducted to create building information models (BIMs) or city information models (CIMs) as the digital infrastructure to support various smart city programs. However, automatic generation of such models for high-density (HD) urban areas remains a challenge owing to (a) complex topographic conditions and noisy data irrelevant to the buildings, and (b) exponentially growing computational complexity when the task is reconstructing hundreds of buildings at an urban scale. This paper develops a method - multi-Source recTification of gEometric Primitives (mSTEP) - for automatic reconstruction of BIMs in HD urban areas. By retrieving building base, height, and footprint geodata from topographic maps, level of detail 1 (LoD1) BIMs representing buildings with flat roof configuration were first constructed. Geometric primitives were then detected from LiDAR point clouds and rectified using architectural knowledge about building geometries ( e.g. a rooftop object would normally be in parallel with the outer edge of the roof). Finally, the rectified primitives were used to refine the LoD1 BIMs to LoD2, which show detailed geometric features of roofs and rooftop objects. A total of 1361 buildings located in a four square kilometer area of Hong Kong Island were selected as the subjects for this study. The evaluation results show that mSTEP is an efficient BIM reconstruction method that can significantly improve the level of automation and decrease the computation time. mSTEP is also well applicable to point clouds of various densities. The research is thus of profound significance; other cities and districts around the world can easily adopt mSTEP to reconstruct their own BIMs/CIMs to support their smart city programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban heat island (UHI) has been identified as a threat to urban living quality in the context of climate change. As awareness of the impacts of urban expansion on local climate increases, urban planners/decision makers attempt to incorporate climatic considerations into the planning process. An increasingly-used urban climatic analysis scheme— Local Climate Zone (LCZ) classification— has been applied in Hong Kong, a high-density city with heterogeneous an urban environment. This study aims to evaluate the LCZ mapping in such a unique urban context using in-situ air temperature data. The fine-scale spatial variation of the daytime and nighttime screen-level air temperatures was investigated via mobile measurements during the summertime of 2016. The measured data were collated in Geographic Information System (GIS) based on the current LCZ maps. Statistically significant air temperature differences were observed between most LCZ classes, which confirm the veracity of LCZ in high-density heterogeneous urban contexts. Higher uncertainties in the site-averaged air temperature and considerable intra-LCZ air temperature differences in LCZs 1 to 6 were observed. It indicates that the current LCZ procedures of Hong Kong can be further refined for a better understanding of the climatic heterogeneity in densely built urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hanging gardens, which follow the concept of ecology and sustainable development, inherit the design ideas of many classic works in the history of architecture, are an important means in improving the living environment of people when urban residential buildings in China are gradually characterized by high density and high floor area ratio. Through the analysis of the origin and development of hanging gardens, author of this paper summarized three typical types of hanging gardens in high-rise apartment buildings, analyzed advantages and factors affecting the design of hanging gardens, and concluded main design points of the gardens. It is believed that in the process of planning, design, construction and management of the hanging gardens in high-rise apartment buildings in China, demand characteristics of different use groups should be taken into account, much emphasis should be placed to service to people than visual pursuit, and human behaviors should be combined with built environment, thereby achieving the blending of people and scenery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road traffic noise is a major nuisance and a risk factor of poor health for urban dwellers. A household's exposure to road traffic noise, especially in a high-density city, can be easily modified by the surrounding built environment, i.e., roads, traffic, buildings, and the topography. This leads to high variation in noise exposure between neighboring households. Existing simulation-based studies were limited in accounting for the variation of noise exposure at the household level, which restricted their applications in public health research involving large numbers of participants. This paper describes a novel simulation-based workflow to assess household traffic noise exposure, which consists of 1) a source model to assess road traffic noise levels, 2) a propagation model to simulate noise propagation in complex three-dimensional urban areas, 3) an automation algorithm to process large quantity of simulation runs and data. The workflow has been evaluated using field studies conducted in Sham Shui Po District, Hong Kong, with reasonably good agreements between simulated and measured data. It was then used to assess road traffic noise exposure for a sample of 6158 households enrolled in the FAMILY Cohort, representing Hong Kong's population dwelling in the dense urban areas. Results showed that 83% of sampled households have been exposed to excessive road traffic noise above the World Health Organization (WHO) standard, or 30% above the local standard. The estimated burden of disease is over 45,000 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) from both high annoyance and sleep disturbance for households in Hong Kong. The study has contributed to the methodologies and datasets in evaluating noise exposure in high-density cities, which can further support urban noise mitigation policies and planning and population-based health studies in the next steps. • ASHNHD was developed to simulate household exposure to road traffic noise. • A noise-built environment-health database was developed for Hong Kong. • High level of noise exposure and disparity were found in dense urban area. • 30–83% of the studied households were exposed to excessive road traffic noise. • The burden of disease from traffic noise was higher than in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Landscape metrics applied for assessing entomological dengue fever hazard. • Dengue fever risk is evaluated by adopting the IPCC's risk conceptual framework. • Seventeen potential hotspots for dengue fever risk are identified in Hong Kong. • The underlying factors responsible for hotspots are analyzed and discussed. • Dengue fever risk maps are developed for local public health actions and planning. Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne fatal disease, brings a huge health burden in tropical regions. With global warming, rapid urbanization and the expansion of mosquitoes, dengue fever is expected to spread to many subtropical regions, leading to increased potential health risks on local populations. So far, limited studies assessed the dengue fever risk spatially for subtropical non-endemic regions hindering the development of related public health management. Therefore, we proposed a spatial hazard-exposure-vulnerability assessment framework for mapping the dengue fever risk in Hong Kong. Firstly, the spatial distribution of the habitat suitability for Aedes albopictus , the mosquito proxy for the dengue fever hazard, was predicted using a species distribution model (e.g., MaxEnt) relying on a list of variables related to local climate, urban morphology, and landscape metrics. Secondly, the spatial autocorrelation between high dengue hazard and high human population exposure in urban areas was measured. Finally, the dengue fever risk was assessed at community scale by integrating the results of vulnerability analysis basing on census data. This approach allowed the identification of 17 high-risk spots within Hong Kong. The landscape metrics about land utilities and vegetations, and urban morphological characteristics are the influential factors on the spatial distribution of dengue vector. In addition, the underlying factors behind each hot spot were investigated, and specific suggestions for dengue prevention were proposed accordingly. The findings provide a useful reference for developing local dengue fever risk prevention measures, with the proposed method easily exportable to other high-density cities within subtropical Asia and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]