Gerrit Brandes, Christian Sieg, Marcel Sander, Roman Henze
Current research on automated driving systems focuses on Level 4 automated driving (AD) in specific operational design Domains (ODD). Measurement data from customer fleet operation are commonly used to extract scenarios and ODD features (road infrastructure, etc.) for the testing of AD functions. To ensure data relevance for the vehicle use case, driving domain classification of the data is required. Generally, classification into urban, extra-urban and highway domains provides data with similar ODD features. Highway classification can be implemented using global navigation satellite system coordinates of the driving route, map-matching algorithms, and road classes stored in digital maps. However, the distinction between urban and extra-urban driving domains is more complex, as settlement taxonomies and administrative-level hierarchies are not globally consistent. Therefore, this paper presents a map-based method for driving domain classification. First, potential urban areas (PUA) are identified based on urban land-use density, which is determined based on land-use categories from OpenStreetMap (OSM) and then spatially smoothed by kernel density estimation. Subsequently, two road network scaling models are used to distinguish between urban and extra-urban domains for the PUA. Finally, statistics of ODD feature distribution are analysed for the classified urban and extra-urban areas.
{"title":"Driving Domain Classification Based on Kernel Density Estimation of Urban Land Use and Road Network Scaling Models","authors":"Gerrit Brandes, Christian Sieg, Marcel Sander, Roman Henze","doi":"10.3390/urbansci8020048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8020048","url":null,"abstract":"Current research on automated driving systems focuses on Level 4 automated driving (AD) in specific operational design Domains (ODD). Measurement data from customer fleet operation are commonly used to extract scenarios and ODD features (road infrastructure, etc.) for the testing of AD functions. To ensure data relevance for the vehicle use case, driving domain classification of the data is required. Generally, classification into urban, extra-urban and highway domains provides data with similar ODD features. Highway classification can be implemented using global navigation satellite system coordinates of the driving route, map-matching algorithms, and road classes stored in digital maps. However, the distinction between urban and extra-urban driving domains is more complex, as settlement taxonomies and administrative-level hierarchies are not globally consistent. Therefore, this paper presents a map-based method for driving domain classification. First, potential urban areas (PUA) are identified based on urban land-use density, which is determined based on land-use categories from OpenStreetMap (OSM) and then spatially smoothed by kernel density estimation. Subsequently, two road network scaling models are used to distinguish between urban and extra-urban domains for the PUA. Finally, statistics of ODD feature distribution are analysed for the classified urban and extra-urban areas.","PeriodicalId":510542,"journal":{"name":"Urban Science","volume":" 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140995164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study offers, by an empirical analysis, another perspective on post-socialist development, highlighting the role of the urban–rural interface in regional dynamics. The current literature on the relationships between both issues is not too rich and our paper analyzes the relationships between core cities, their peri-urban areas, and their regions, through a comparative overview of their growth over the last three decades. Romania, as a special case study for a contradictory transition, due to the great step from a drastic dictatorial regime to a democracy and a market economy, is a good example to test these complex relationships. Considering the new development trend at the urban–rural interfaces, our key idea was to depict their contribution to regional development (NUTS 3) compared to city cores. The second question was how this differentiated contribution can be measured, using the simplest tool. The starting point was the fact that population dynamics reflect all changes in the city core and at the urban–rural interface, and less so at a regional level. Consequently, we selected the dynamics of the number of inhabitants for the first two, as well as the dynamics of GDP per capita at the regional level. We found higher and significant correlations between GDP per capita and urban–rural interfaces, but no significant correlations in the case of city cores. Our conclusion is that, in the transition period, the dynamics of urban–rural interfaces influenced more regional development dynamics, than those of city cores. This means that urban–rural interfaces amplify the development coming from cities, adding their own contribution and then dissipating it regionally. Future research should identify what the urban–rural interface offers to regions, in addition to the city core.
{"title":"Exploring the Relationship between the Dynamics of the Urban–Rural Interface and Regional Development in a Post-Socialist Transition","authors":"I. Ianoș, R. Cocheci, A. Petrisor","doi":"10.3390/urbansci8020047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8020047","url":null,"abstract":"This study offers, by an empirical analysis, another perspective on post-socialist development, highlighting the role of the urban–rural interface in regional dynamics. The current literature on the relationships between both issues is not too rich and our paper analyzes the relationships between core cities, their peri-urban areas, and their regions, through a comparative overview of their growth over the last three decades. Romania, as a special case study for a contradictory transition, due to the great step from a drastic dictatorial regime to a democracy and a market economy, is a good example to test these complex relationships. Considering the new development trend at the urban–rural interfaces, our key idea was to depict their contribution to regional development (NUTS 3) compared to city cores. The second question was how this differentiated contribution can be measured, using the simplest tool. The starting point was the fact that population dynamics reflect all changes in the city core and at the urban–rural interface, and less so at a regional level. Consequently, we selected the dynamics of the number of inhabitants for the first two, as well as the dynamics of GDP per capita at the regional level. We found higher and significant correlations between GDP per capita and urban–rural interfaces, but no significant correlations in the case of city cores. Our conclusion is that, in the transition period, the dynamics of urban–rural interfaces influenced more regional development dynamics, than those of city cores. This means that urban–rural interfaces amplify the development coming from cities, adding their own contribution and then dissipating it regionally. Future research should identify what the urban–rural interface offers to regions, in addition to the city core.","PeriodicalId":510542,"journal":{"name":"Urban Science","volume":" 46","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140997169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The mainstream approach of regional integration impact assessments is mainly limited to assessing cross-border development projects/programmes. There is still a lack of critical assessment of how stakeholders at different institutional levels conceptualise the border. Local (municipal) strategic plans provide a reflection of the spatial imaginaries of stakeholders, perception planners, institutional power structures, and, to some extent meaning of the border to the local people. Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in South Africa were adopted as an important development planning strategy in the post-apartheid era. IDPs of 49 borderland municipalities were systematically reviewed using the Key-Word-in-Context (KWIC) content analysis technique of the keyword ‘border’ to determine the importance of state borders in light of regional integration. Border security and management is one of the most common themes associated with the border. This suggested that borders were mainly perceived as threats and barely considered as a potential resource for cross-border cooperation or integration.
{"title":"Functional or Neglected Border Regions? Analysis of the Integrated Development Plans of Borderland Municipalities in South Africa","authors":"Thato L. Maila, Klára Czimre","doi":"10.3390/urbansci8020046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8020046","url":null,"abstract":"The mainstream approach of regional integration impact assessments is mainly limited to assessing cross-border development projects/programmes. There is still a lack of critical assessment of how stakeholders at different institutional levels conceptualise the border. Local (municipal) strategic plans provide a reflection of the spatial imaginaries of stakeholders, perception planners, institutional power structures, and, to some extent meaning of the border to the local people. Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in South Africa were adopted as an important development planning strategy in the post-apartheid era. IDPs of 49 borderland municipalities were systematically reviewed using the Key-Word-in-Context (KWIC) content analysis technique of the keyword ‘border’ to determine the importance of state borders in light of regional integration. Border security and management is one of the most common themes associated with the border. This suggested that borders were mainly perceived as threats and barely considered as a potential resource for cross-border cooperation or integration.","PeriodicalId":510542,"journal":{"name":"Urban Science","volume":"105 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141002309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cheynesh Kongar-Syuryun, R. Klyuev, Vladimir Golik, Armine Oganesyan, D.Ya. Solovykh, M. Khayrutdinov, Danila Adigamov
Humanity development is associated with higher spiritual and social behaviour and financial shape, which is an undeniable factor of urbanisation. Previously, in areas of georesource concentration, cities and settlements were formed with people exploiting these georesources. However, imperfect technologies lead to rapid depletion of reserves and industrial and environmental disasters, which affect the vulnerability of cities and the people living in them. The analysis of applied technologies has demonstrated that potash extraction is accompanied by a low recovery ratio, high mine accidents, and environmental problems. The principles of sustainable development of geo-resources for the creation of mining technologies that ensure industrial safety, environmental sustainability, and extending the life of the mining enterprise to save working places will reduce the vulnerability of cities. This article proposes the use of the room-and-pillar mining method with the replacement of natural supports with artificial ones. Three-stage stoping with backfill is considered. Numerical modelling has shown stabilisation of mining and geomechanical processes, which confirms the prospectivity of the method with backfill. For these purposes, this research presents a new backfill composition based on local industrial waste. Schemes of backfill preparation and feeding into the mined-out space are proposed. The proposed technology, based on the principles of sustainable development of georesources, is the foundation for an economically profitable, environmentally friendly, and socially responsible mining enterprise. The implementation of the principles of sustainable development of georesources will allow for the preservation of cities and reduce their vulnerability.
{"title":"Principles of Sustainable Development of Georesources as a Way to Reduce Urban Vulnerability","authors":"Cheynesh Kongar-Syuryun, R. Klyuev, Vladimir Golik, Armine Oganesyan, D.Ya. Solovykh, M. Khayrutdinov, Danila Adigamov","doi":"10.3390/urbansci8020044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8020044","url":null,"abstract":"Humanity development is associated with higher spiritual and social behaviour and financial shape, which is an undeniable factor of urbanisation. Previously, in areas of georesource concentration, cities and settlements were formed with people exploiting these georesources. However, imperfect technologies lead to rapid depletion of reserves and industrial and environmental disasters, which affect the vulnerability of cities and the people living in them. The analysis of applied technologies has demonstrated that potash extraction is accompanied by a low recovery ratio, high mine accidents, and environmental problems. The principles of sustainable development of geo-resources for the creation of mining technologies that ensure industrial safety, environmental sustainability, and extending the life of the mining enterprise to save working places will reduce the vulnerability of cities. This article proposes the use of the room-and-pillar mining method with the replacement of natural supports with artificial ones. Three-stage stoping with backfill is considered. Numerical modelling has shown stabilisation of mining and geomechanical processes, which confirms the prospectivity of the method with backfill. For these purposes, this research presents a new backfill composition based on local industrial waste. Schemes of backfill preparation and feeding into the mined-out space are proposed. The proposed technology, based on the principles of sustainable development of georesources, is the foundation for an economically profitable, environmentally friendly, and socially responsible mining enterprise. The implementation of the principles of sustainable development of georesources will allow for the preservation of cities and reduce their vulnerability.","PeriodicalId":510542,"journal":{"name":"Urban Science","volume":"66 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141011633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pedestrianization is a significant discourse focus within urban planning and design research. However, the need for more clarity from the inconsistent use of near-synonym concepts or terms necessitates attention. This review article addresses this issue through a comprehensive analysis of synonym proliferation in pedestrian research, culminating in developing a robust “near synonymous toolkit” and “synonym selection framework”. Employing a linear snowball sampling technique, numerical analysis, and a qualitative content analysis-based summative approach, we examined sixteen peer-reviewed articles from 11 scientific journals. Through systematic classification based on consistency and variability, the summative review identifies three primary groups of near synonyms: dominant and widely utilized conceptual or terminological near synonymy in pedestrianization in the urban planning and design literature, near synonyms directly associated with a pedestrian, pedestrianize, and those indirectly linked to another conceptual or terminological synonymy. Further analysis delves into the nature of near-synonym concepts or terms, revealing three discernible patterns: the use of distinct, precise concepts or terms with near-synonym meanings, similar concepts or terms conveying divergent meanings, and the juxtaposition of unrelated vocabulary lacking semantic resemblance. These insights illuminate semantic relationships within the studied vocabulary, underscoring the importance of addressing inconsistency for clarity, precision, and coherence in scientific discourse. By offering practical guidance through the proposed framework, this study empowers academic researchers to navigate synonym selection adeptly, thereby enhancing the caliber of scholarly writing in urban planning and design.
{"title":"Decoding Near Synonyms in Pedestrianization Research: A Numerical Analysis and Summative Approach","authors":"Hisham Abusaada, A. Elshater","doi":"10.3390/urbansci8020045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8020045","url":null,"abstract":"Pedestrianization is a significant discourse focus within urban planning and design research. However, the need for more clarity from the inconsistent use of near-synonym concepts or terms necessitates attention. This review article addresses this issue through a comprehensive analysis of synonym proliferation in pedestrian research, culminating in developing a robust “near synonymous toolkit” and “synonym selection framework”. Employing a linear snowball sampling technique, numerical analysis, and a qualitative content analysis-based summative approach, we examined sixteen peer-reviewed articles from 11 scientific journals. Through systematic classification based on consistency and variability, the summative review identifies three primary groups of near synonyms: dominant and widely utilized conceptual or terminological near synonymy in pedestrianization in the urban planning and design literature, near synonyms directly associated with a pedestrian, pedestrianize, and those indirectly linked to another conceptual or terminological synonymy. Further analysis delves into the nature of near-synonym concepts or terms, revealing three discernible patterns: the use of distinct, precise concepts or terms with near-synonym meanings, similar concepts or terms conveying divergent meanings, and the juxtaposition of unrelated vocabulary lacking semantic resemblance. These insights illuminate semantic relationships within the studied vocabulary, underscoring the importance of addressing inconsistency for clarity, precision, and coherence in scientific discourse. By offering practical guidance through the proposed framework, this study empowers academic researchers to navigate synonym selection adeptly, thereby enhancing the caliber of scholarly writing in urban planning and design.","PeriodicalId":510542,"journal":{"name":"Urban Science","volume":"23 3‐4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141009296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Raúl Pérez-Arévalo, Juan Jiménez-Caldera, J. L. Serrano-Montes, Jesús Rodrigo-Comino, Kevin Therán-Nieto, Andrés Caballero-Calvo
Cities will face increasing challenges due to the impacts of global climate change, particularly in the form of cyclonic events, necessitating a deeper understanding and the establishment of effective response mechanisms at both institutional and citizen levels. In this research, we tested the efficiency of crowdsourcing in fostering participatory resilience and improving urban management. The main aim was to design novel and accurate proactive response strategies and mitigate the adverse effects of cyclonic wind events through volunteerism, citizen science, and urban science. To achieve this goal, as a case study, the municipality of Soledad, Colombia was used. This research employed a two-phase methodological approach: (i) initially evaluating the spatial distribution of emergency response resources, and (ii) developing a geo-referenced survey to map, systematize, and categorize data and outcomes. A total of three hundred and seventy-eight residents across five neighborhoods in Soledad, which have experienced a high frequency of atmospheric wind phenomena over the past two decades, were surveyed. The results indicate that the crowdsourcing mechanism effectively enhanced the empirical understanding of atmospheric wind events in Soledad, facilitating the establishment of a geo-referenced volunteer network for real-time responses. Additionally, this study shed light on previously undocumented challenges, in terms of reducing the number of people affected, and the actions that would lead to improved urban development to reduce the impacts of cyclonic events, emphasizing the significance of citizen science in the social construction of risk and disaster risk reduction (DDR) efforts.
{"title":"Enhancing Urban Resilience: Strategic Management and Action Plans for Cyclonic Events through Socially Constructed Risk Processes","authors":"Raúl Pérez-Arévalo, Juan Jiménez-Caldera, J. L. Serrano-Montes, Jesús Rodrigo-Comino, Kevin Therán-Nieto, Andrés Caballero-Calvo","doi":"10.3390/urbansci8020043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8020043","url":null,"abstract":"Cities will face increasing challenges due to the impacts of global climate change, particularly in the form of cyclonic events, necessitating a deeper understanding and the establishment of effective response mechanisms at both institutional and citizen levels. In this research, we tested the efficiency of crowdsourcing in fostering participatory resilience and improving urban management. The main aim was to design novel and accurate proactive response strategies and mitigate the adverse effects of cyclonic wind events through volunteerism, citizen science, and urban science. To achieve this goal, as a case study, the municipality of Soledad, Colombia was used. This research employed a two-phase methodological approach: (i) initially evaluating the spatial distribution of emergency response resources, and (ii) developing a geo-referenced survey to map, systematize, and categorize data and outcomes. A total of three hundred and seventy-eight residents across five neighborhoods in Soledad, which have experienced a high frequency of atmospheric wind phenomena over the past two decades, were surveyed. The results indicate that the crowdsourcing mechanism effectively enhanced the empirical understanding of atmospheric wind events in Soledad, facilitating the establishment of a geo-referenced volunteer network for real-time responses. Additionally, this study shed light on previously undocumented challenges, in terms of reducing the number of people affected, and the actions that would lead to improved urban development to reduce the impacts of cyclonic events, emphasizing the significance of citizen science in the social construction of risk and disaster risk reduction (DDR) efforts.","PeriodicalId":510542,"journal":{"name":"Urban Science","volume":"19 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141029804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Urban greenery is a strategy to improve the thermal environment in urban areas affected by heat islands and global warming. These phenomena can harm the citizens’ quality of life. Researchers have investigated the thermal benefits of urban vegetation, but only a few have explored its complexities across diverse urban scales. Understanding these variations is critical for precise analysis, customized solutions, efficient resource allocation, and enhancing urban living quality while promoting sustainability and climate resilience. This paper reviews 250 scientific articles about the relationship between greenspace and the urban thermal environment published between 2010 and 2023 through urban scales. It summarizes the parameters and findings of greenery’s contribution to cooling the urban environment. The data reveal that most studies concentrated on the block scale, public open spaces, neighborhoods, parks, grouped vegetation, mixed arrangements, high vegetation, spatial parameters, and the use of air temperature data to report their findings. The cooling-effect evidence shows that the block scale has an average mitigation range of 0.7–2.7 °C, the neighborhood scale of 1.1–2.9 °C, and the city scale of 0.5–2.2 °C. Furthermore, it is critical to define reliable research methods and perform thorough software validation to assess model performance and establish guidelines for urban-landscape design accurately.
{"title":"From Block to City Scale: Greenery’s Contribution to Cooling the Urban Environment","authors":"Jesús Abelardo Licón-Portillo, Karen Estrella Martínez-Torres, Peter Chung-Alonso, Eduardo Florencio Herrera Peraza","doi":"10.3390/urbansci8020041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8020041","url":null,"abstract":"Urban greenery is a strategy to improve the thermal environment in urban areas affected by heat islands and global warming. These phenomena can harm the citizens’ quality of life. Researchers have investigated the thermal benefits of urban vegetation, but only a few have explored its complexities across diverse urban scales. Understanding these variations is critical for precise analysis, customized solutions, efficient resource allocation, and enhancing urban living quality while promoting sustainability and climate resilience. This paper reviews 250 scientific articles about the relationship between greenspace and the urban thermal environment published between 2010 and 2023 through urban scales. It summarizes the parameters and findings of greenery’s contribution to cooling the urban environment. The data reveal that most studies concentrated on the block scale, public open spaces, neighborhoods, parks, grouped vegetation, mixed arrangements, high vegetation, spatial parameters, and the use of air temperature data to report their findings. The cooling-effect evidence shows that the block scale has an average mitigation range of 0.7–2.7 °C, the neighborhood scale of 1.1–2.9 °C, and the city scale of 0.5–2.2 °C. Furthermore, it is critical to define reliable research methods and perform thorough software validation to assess model performance and establish guidelines for urban-landscape design accurately.","PeriodicalId":510542,"journal":{"name":"Urban Science","volume":"1 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140653822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sandra Graus, Tiago Miguel Ferreira, Graça Vasconcelos, Javier Ortega
Human-induced climate change has profound effects on extreme events, particularly those linked to global warming, such as heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. These events disrupt ecosystems, emphasizing the imperative to understand the interactions among them to gauge the risks faced by vulnerable communities. Vulnerability levels vary primarily based on a community’s resources. Rural areas, especially in the Mediterranean region of Europe, are experiencing acute depopulation, creating a complex situation affecting various aspects of society, from economic declines to cultural heritage loss. Population decline in rural regions weakens resources, leading to the abandonment of built environments, fostering desertification, and elevating the risk of wildfires. Communities undergoing this deterioration process become exceptionally vulnerable, especially when dealing with and recovering from extreme natural phenomena. This review offers insights into the dynamics of these hazards and the predominant challenges in rural areas. By focusing on a topic that has received limited attention, the aim is to inform future research initiatives, ultimately improving risk assessment and mitigation strategies for these vulnerable communities.
{"title":"Changing Conditions: Global Warming-Related Hazards and Vulnerable Rural Populations in Mediterranean Europe","authors":"Sandra Graus, Tiago Miguel Ferreira, Graça Vasconcelos, Javier Ortega","doi":"10.3390/urbansci8020042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8020042","url":null,"abstract":"Human-induced climate change has profound effects on extreme events, particularly those linked to global warming, such as heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. These events disrupt ecosystems, emphasizing the imperative to understand the interactions among them to gauge the risks faced by vulnerable communities. Vulnerability levels vary primarily based on a community’s resources. Rural areas, especially in the Mediterranean region of Europe, are experiencing acute depopulation, creating a complex situation affecting various aspects of society, from economic declines to cultural heritage loss. Population decline in rural regions weakens resources, leading to the abandonment of built environments, fostering desertification, and elevating the risk of wildfires. Communities undergoing this deterioration process become exceptionally vulnerable, especially when dealing with and recovering from extreme natural phenomena. This review offers insights into the dynamics of these hazards and the predominant challenges in rural areas. By focusing on a topic that has received limited attention, the aim is to inform future research initiatives, ultimately improving risk assessment and mitigation strategies for these vulnerable communities.","PeriodicalId":510542,"journal":{"name":"Urban Science","volume":"30 26","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140657649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
As a result of rapid urbanization in China, the spatial restructuring of towns and cities has significantly impacted urban compactness. The study of the spatio–temporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of urban compactness in central China is a strategic imperative and conducive to promoting regional sustainable development that is based on easing the contradiction between land resource supply and demand and reducing energy consumption. Therefore, this study focused on 80 prefecture-level cities in central China, utilizing barycenter model and GTWR model, among others, to analyze the spatio–temporal evolution pattern of urban compactness from 2006 to 2020 and its driving factors, with the aim of uncovering the intrinsic mechanisms behind enhancing urban compactness in the area. The results show the follows: (1) The urban compactness in central China has generally shown an upward trend, with a pronounced spatial clustering around provincial capital cities and the spatial changes in compactness predominantly concentrated in the north–south direction. (2) Various factors have influenced urban compactness, where government intervention and population aggregation present as bi-directional driving factors, while the effective use of land resources and high-quality industrial development, among others, present as positive driving factors. The spatio–temporal heterogeneity and agglomeration features of each driving factor are significant. (3) Further analysis indicates that the effective use of land resources is the primary factor in enhancing urban compactness, followed by technology. Therefore, we should adhere to the concept of compact cities and gradually promote the compactness of cities in central China based on the impact of the driving factors.
{"title":"Spatio–Temporal Dynamic Characteristics and Driving Mechanisms of Urban Compactness in Central China","authors":"Wenqin Ren, Linggui Wei, Xinhai Lu, Jinlong Xu, Yun Qin","doi":"10.3390/urbansci8020040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8020040","url":null,"abstract":"As a result of rapid urbanization in China, the spatial restructuring of towns and cities has significantly impacted urban compactness. The study of the spatio–temporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of urban compactness in central China is a strategic imperative and conducive to promoting regional sustainable development that is based on easing the contradiction between land resource supply and demand and reducing energy consumption. Therefore, this study focused on 80 prefecture-level cities in central China, utilizing barycenter model and GTWR model, among others, to analyze the spatio–temporal evolution pattern of urban compactness from 2006 to 2020 and its driving factors, with the aim of uncovering the intrinsic mechanisms behind enhancing urban compactness in the area. The results show the follows: (1) The urban compactness in central China has generally shown an upward trend, with a pronounced spatial clustering around provincial capital cities and the spatial changes in compactness predominantly concentrated in the north–south direction. (2) Various factors have influenced urban compactness, where government intervention and population aggregation present as bi-directional driving factors, while the effective use of land resources and high-quality industrial development, among others, present as positive driving factors. The spatio–temporal heterogeneity and agglomeration features of each driving factor are significant. (3) Further analysis indicates that the effective use of land resources is the primary factor in enhancing urban compactness, followed by technology. Therefore, we should adhere to the concept of compact cities and gradually promote the compactness of cities in central China based on the impact of the driving factors.","PeriodicalId":510542,"journal":{"name":"Urban Science","volume":"40 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140663281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Amin, Andi Annisa Tenri Ramadhani, R. Zakaria, Z. Hanami, Rahmi Mulia Putri, Worradorn Phairuang, M. Hata, M. Furuuchi
To evaluate carbonaceous components in the ambient air in the eastern region of Indonesia, 35 Total Suspended Particulate Matter (TSP) samples were collected on four characteristic roadsides on Sultan Alauddin Street, in Makassar City, using a high-volume air sampler. The average TSP concentration was 279.7 μg/m3, which exceeded both the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of Indonesia and the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The highest concentration reached 838.6 μg/m3 in the GR (gravel) site, which had the highest number of vehicles and was near a U-turn. TSP concentration was higher during peak hours (morning and late afternoon) than off-peak hours (noon). The main component of the total carbon (TC) fraction was organic carbon (OC), which showed a strong correlation with elemental carbon (EC) (r values for the morning, noon, and late afternoon were 0.89, 0.87, and 0.97, respectively), indicating that the carbon components were derived from common sources. TSP had a strong correlation with carbon components, except for char-EC. OC vs. soot-EC and EC vs. soot-EC also correlated well, suggesting the dominant influence of vehicle exhaust emissions. Non-exhaust emissions had a slight influence during peak hours, particularly at the GR site.
为了评估印度尼西亚东部地区环境空气中的碳质成分,我们使用大风量空气采样器在望加锡市苏丹阿拉丁大街的四条特色路边采集了 35 个总悬浮微粒物质(TSP)样本。TSP 的平均浓度为 279.7 μg/m3 ,超过了印度尼西亚国家环境空气质量标准(NAAQS)和世界卫生组织(WHO)的标准。GR(碎石)站点的浓度最高,达到 838.6 μg/m3,该站点的车辆数量最多,且靠近 U 形转弯处。高峰时段(上午和下午晚些时候)的总悬浮微粒浓度高于非高峰时段(中午)。总碳(TC)部分的主要成分是有机碳(OC),它与元素碳(EC)有很强的相关性(上午、中午和下午晚些时候的 r 值分别为 0.89、0.87 和 0.97),表明碳成分来自共同的来源。除炭黑-EC 外,总悬浮微粒与碳成分有很强的相关性。OC 与烟尘-EC 和 EC 与烟尘-EC 也有很好的相关性,表明汽车尾气排放的影响占主导地位。非废气排放在高峰时段有轻微影响,特别是在 GR 站点。
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