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Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 18506

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jerónimo Vida Manzano

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Guest Editor

Applied Physics Department, University of Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
Interests: urban soundscape and sound planning; environmental noise and strategic noise mapping; noise annoyance and community noise; local Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030; sustainable development goals

Dr. Antonella Radicchi

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor

Institute of Urban and Regional Planning, Technical University of Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Interests: sustainable urban models; urban design and planning for health & well-being; sensory urbanism; citizen science and participatory urbanism; mobile apps and digital platforms; creative research methods

Dr. Jieling Xiao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Architecture and Design, Birmingham City University, Birmingham B4 7BD, UK
Interests: multisensory urbanism; soundscape; smellscape; environmental design and wellbeing; urban design; urban transformation; place branding

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is widely acknowledged that the quality of the built environment is key for the health and wellbeing of people and that sustainability is instrumental for designing high-quality urban environments in response to societal, environmental, and economic challenges, e.g., climate change, energy consumption, nature preservation, and pollution [4,5].

Within the context of Agenda 2030, the built environment stands at the crossroads of many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [6], as it is a determinant for generating green, energy-efficient and zero-pollution buildings and neighbourhoods (SDG3, SDG11, SDG15), creating jobs and boosting circular economic processes (SDG8), lowering GHG emissions and contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation (SDG3, SDG9), protecting biodiversity (SDG15), and creating strong and global partnerships (SDG17).

A scrutiny of the literature shows that mainstream sustainability design approaches to the built environment are mainly driven by technological innovation applied to the building and neighbourhood scale, thus sidelining considerations of the built environment as a whole system inclusive of open and public space networks where public and natural life unfolds [1,2,5]. Furthermore, they are underpinned by theoretical and methodological frameworks with a bias towards cognitivism, thus overlooking the complex, interrelated cognitive, emotional, affective, and corporal conditions of human beings [3].

To tackle these challenges, sustainability scholars recommend strengthening and advancing paradigms such as regenerative sustainability (RS) and sensory sustainability science (SSS). RS aims to manifest thriving complex adaptive systems in the fully integrated individual-to-global system and call for humans to live in conscious alignment with living systems principles of wholeness, change, and relationship, as nature does [5]. SSS calls for incorporating recent advances in social science, sensory studies, and neo-phenomenology related to theories about corporeality, materiality, atmosphere, and resonance into sustainability science [3].

However, how are these sustainability paradigms addressed in urban design by scholars and practitioners? What are the implications for theoretical and applied research, practice, and development?

Against this backdrop, the scope of this Special Issue is to scrutinise these questions and highlight the state-of-the-art of empirical research and projects addressing urban design for sustainable urban environments through the lens of the RS and SSS paradigms.

In so doing, this Special Issue aims to bring together a community of researchers and practitioners from a variety of backgrounds, thus reflecting the interdisciplinary dimension of sustainability.

Hence, this Special Issue calls for a range of papers that include but are not limited to empirical research studies, applied projects, novel reviews of existing literature, and reflexive articles. We encourage submissions from scholars and practitioners from the Global North and South operating in different sectors.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Instructions for submission
The deadline for submission to this special issue is 15 November 2022. Early submissions are also welcome.

We welcome expressions of interest from authors in advance of the submission deadline. Please submit your abstract by 1 August 2022.

References

[1] Caprotti, F. et al. The New Urban Agenda: key opportunities and challenges for policy and practice. Urban Res. Pract. 2017, 10, 367–378, https://doi.org/10.1080/17535069.2016.1275618.

[2] Mehaffy, M.W.; Low, S.M. The resurgence of public space: from the Charter of Athens to the New Urban Agenda. J. Public Space 2018, 3, 1–24, https://www.journalpublicspace.org/index.php/jps/article/view/1134.

[3] Heinrichs, H. Strengthening Sensory Sustainability Science—Theoretical and Methodological Considerations. Sustainability, 2019, 11, 769, doi:10.3390/su11030769.

[4] Loukaitou-Sideris, A. Responsibilities and challenges of urban design in the 21st century. J. Urban Des. 2020, 25, 22–24, doi:10.1080/13574809.2019.1706880.

[5] Gibson, L.V. Regenerative—The New Sustainable? Sustainability 2020, 12, 5483, doi:10.3390/su12135483.

[6] Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UN General Assembly: New Year, NY, USA, 2015. Available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b6e3e44.html.

Prof. Dr. Jerónimo Vida Manzano
Dr. Antonella Radicchi
Dr. Jieling Xiao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

urban design
sustainability
sensory
regenerative
participation and co-design
air and air pollution
sound, soundscape and noise pollution
smell, smellscape and odour pollution
light and artificial light at night
nature and nature-based solutions
energy transition
heritage
citizen science
community-led projects
arts-based projects

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 198 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environments

by Jerónimo Vida, Antonella Radicchi and Jieling Xiao

Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15493; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115493 - 31 Oct 2023

Viewed by 911

Abstract

Within the context of Agenda 2030, the built environment stands at the crossroad of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

24 pages, 7998 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Orientation on Living Wall Façade Temperature: Manchester Case Study

by Yun Gao, Ensiyeh Farrokhirad and Adrian Pitts

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11109; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411109 - 17 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1020

Abstract

Living walls are a nature-based strategy to enhance climate resilience in urban areas. There is a need to study the possible influence of living walls on the thermal performance of building façades, given the rising temperatures in 2022 across the UK. This study aims to analyze the impacts of living walls on façade temperature based on orientation variation through simulation Envi-met 5.0.3. software. The living wall studied is attached to a multistory building located in Manchester city center consisting of seven evergreen plants. An environmental simulation was carried out linked to the 2022 climate, including extremely hot and cold days. Four scenarios of façades with and without greening on the northwest and southeast orientations in summer and winter were analyzed. The results highlighted the living wall’s ability to reduce the surface temperatures on both the northwest and southeast façades on a hot summer day. There is no significant evidence of improvement for the northwest façade in the winter climate, but a modestly increased temperature is shown in the southeast compared to the bare wall. These findings indicate that living walls provide measurable advantages in the building envelope, leading to energy saving. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment)

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23 pages, 391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regenerative Streets: Pathways towards the Post-Automobile City

by Francesco Alberti

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10266; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310266 - 28 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1787

Abstract

The subject of the paper is the street, seen as a structuring and emblematic element of urban settlement. The topic is addressed from the lens of regenerative design, whose underlying whole-system, multi-scalar, and dynamic approach can find urban connections to be a fruitful field of experimentation from the perspective of the post-automobile city. The first part of the paper traces the stages of the transport mechanization process and related impacts on urban patterns, emphasizing the voices critical of reducing streets to mere traffic channels that have accompanied it, until the sustainability discourse led to a general rethinking of how mobility should be planned in cities. The second part of the paper reviews alternative urban visions to the still prevailing car-oriented model, which re-actualize the idea of the street as a multifunctional space, providing social and environmental ‘returns’ in addition to its role as a transport infrastructure. The notion of the street as a ‘space of potential’ is then developed through an inductive classification of regenerative actions at different scales, both material and immaterial, as well as permanent and temporary, thus providing a unifying conceptual framework for further research and practical applications in the fields of urban design and sustainable mobility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment)

18 pages, 762 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Green Space at New Housing Estates: Flat Price Versus Accessibility to Good Quality Greenery

by Magdalena Szczepańska, Anna Gałecka-Drozda and Agnieszka Wilkaniec

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 9997; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15139997 - 24 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1181

Abstract

Green areas positively affect human health. It applies in particular to greenery in a direct neighbourhood of the housing. We analysed new housing estates in Poznan, Poland. Greenery quality was assessed according to developed factors, based on data about the area of the greenery in comparison with the area covered by hardscapes within the site; pre-existing greenery inventories; new greenery inventories; green area functions and accessibility. In the second stage of research, we compared data about greenery quality to information concerning economic value of the statistic flat in the estate. The average area of greenery in relation to the area of the plot was 40.16% for prestigious investments and 41.62% for less prestigious ones. The median value of WU (‘Socialisation rate’ indicator designed for this research) for prestigious investments was 0.035 and for less prestigious investments it was 0.226. The research showed that the price of flats does not affect the quality of residential greenery. Less prestigious (cheaper) flats have the same or even better access and quality of greenery in the estate. Developers do not take actual actions in the field of environmental compensation, which leads to lowering of the quality of greenery and public space. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment)

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14 pages, 970 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Proposal of a Tool to Assess Psychosocial Benefits of Nature-Based Interventions for Sustainable Built Environment

by Karmele Herranz-Pascual, Igone Garcia-Pérez, Saioa Zorita, Carolina García-Madruga, Carolina Cantergiani, Julita Skodra and Ioseba Iraurgi

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8046; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108046 - 15 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1413

Abstract

The use of nature-based solutions (NbS) in urban regeneration processes has been demonstrated as a multifunctional solution to increase the resilience of the built environment, contributing to improved environmental quality and health and wellbeing, and providing empowerment to communities facing natural hazards. However, when it comes to the assessment of psychological wellbeing and social benefits, existing evidence is still limited. To contribute to the knowledge of NbS’ psychosocial benefits, it is necessary to develop and test assessment tools to contribute to a common NbS monitoring framework. In this paper, we describe the development of a psychosocial benefit assessment tool for nature-based interventions in the urban regeneration processes. This tool has been developed within the framework of the H2020 CLEVER-Cities project through a participatory and co-design process, considering advanced sustainability paradigms, such as Regenerative Sustainability and Sensory Sustainability Science. This tool is structured around two dimensions, (1) perceived health and wellbeing and (2) social benefits, which refer to 13 attributes, assessed through 24 items. The Delphi method was used to validate the assessment tool, in which a multidisciplinary panel of experts participated. The results indicate that it has good face and content validity, concluding with the potential applicability of this tool in different contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment)

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26 pages, 19584 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping the In-Motion Emotional Urban Experiences: An Evidence-Based Method

by Barbara Ester Adele Piga, Nicola Rainisio, Gabriele Stancato and Marco Boffi

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7963; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107963 - 12 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2304

Abstract

Urban settings affect the experience of people in places and the measurement of such urban experiences is the focus of this article. The ‘experiential Environmental Impact Assessment—exp-EIA©’ method and its application to the Città Studi area in Milan are presented. The method couples urban studies with environmental psychology and ICT for educational purposes with a sample of architecture students divided in two groups (N = 18). Experiential data are collected via a dedicated app installed on the participants’ mobile devices, and an automatic data processing and analysis produces spatialized results creating maps of the overall urban experience. In particular, the emotional reaction of participants through a ten-minute walking path is assessed. A group activity focused on the link between urban features and subjective evaluation of places by participants is combined with the results obtained via the application of the circumplex model of affect. Results show that the path is characterized by two main emotional experiences, passing from a pleasant to an unpleasant experience within the short walk in both groups, offering some insights on the urban design of the area. The results are part of the teaching process to increase students’ awareness about experiential design, yet the process is conceived also as a tool for professionals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment)

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27 pages, 7990 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Noise Dosimetries during Active Transport in Montevideo, Uruguay: Evaluation of Potential Influencing Factors from Experimental Data

by Alice Elizabeth González, Mauro D’Angelo, Valentina Colistro, Ignacio Franchi, Ana Clara Vera and Alicia Alemán

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7758; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107758 - 9 May 2023

Viewed by 1115

Abstract

This article presents a case study related to environmental noise exposure of cyclists in Montevideo (Uruguay), as a part of a wider interdisciplinary research project. The main objective of this study was to find the most important parameters related to cyclists’ noise exposure in the city. Two monitoring routes were defined, and their traffic flows were characterized. After that, noise dosimetries were carried out along the monitoring routes, determining a set of relevant parameters for each measurement: L_Aeq, L_AF,10, L_AF,90, noise climate (L_AF,10–L_AF,90), kurtosis, occupational and environmental noise doses, exceedance time for each dose, and traffic flow by categories met during cycling. A total of 66 noise dosimetries were carried out: 34 on Route N°1 and 32 on Route N°2. L_Aeq was lower in Route N°1. With a basis in multivariate tests, the main variables related to noise exposure of cyclists were found to be the following: kurtosis; noise climate; total traffic; and number of trucks met during the trip. Noise doses were lower on Route N°1, as well as exceedance times, presenting this route with lower traffic flow and fewer trucks but narrower streets and higher street aspect ratio values. Better knowledge in terms of selecting healthier places for cycling routes was obtained: traffic flow—and not urban geometric characteristics—was found to be the main urban determinant of high noise doses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment)

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22 pages, 7881 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Application of Automatically Generated Multi-Agent System Model in Urban Renewal

by Zixin Liang, Géza Várady and Márk Balázs Zagorácz

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7308; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097308 - 27 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1505

Abstract

As cities expand, many old towns face the threat of being renovated or demolished. In recent years, the drawbacks of extensive urban renewal have become increasingly apparent, and the focus of urban development is gradually shifting from efficiency to quality. This study aims to combine urban renewal with emerging technologies to address the dilemma between efficiency and quality in urban renewal. The study found that algorithm models based on graph theory, topology, and shortest path principles neglect the influence of internal states and visual features on pedestrian activity, resulting in lower simulation accuracy. Although incorporating internal states and visual features into the core of the algorithm further improved the simulation accuracy, the model operates in a 3D environment with lower efficiency. To address the problems of insufficient simulation accuracy and low efficiency, this study proposes a dynamic pedestrian activity model based on a multi-agent system and incorporating visual features. The model simulates pedestrian daily activity paths using pheromones and virtual sensors as the core, and it was found that using Visibility Graph Analysis could accurately divide pheromones in the environment, thus obtaining more accurate simulation results. Subsequently, based on the optimized pedestrian model’s agent activity rules and dynamic pheromone theory, a model for automatically generating road paving in urban renewal projects was developed, and the generated results were verified for their rationality through design practice. This technology can effectively promote urban renewal and the preservation of historic neighborhoods, providing technical support for achieving sustainable urban development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment)

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15 pages, 1610 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Deep Learning to Enforce Environmental Noise Regulation in an Urban Setting

by Vicente Carrasco, Jorge P. Arenas, Pablo Huijse, Diego Espejo, Victor Vargas, Rhoddy Viveros-Muñoz, Victor Poblete, Matthieu Vernier and Enrique Suárez

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3528; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043528 - 14 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1700

Abstract

Reducing environmental noise in urban settings, i.e., unwanted or harmful outdoor sounds produced by human activity, has become an important issue in recent years. Most countries have established regulations that set maximum permitted noise levels. However, enforcing these regulations effectively remains challenging as it requires active monitoring networks and audio analysis performed by trained specialists. The manual evaluation of the audio recordings is laborious, time-consuming, and inefficient since many audios exceeding the noise level threshold do not correspond to a sound event considered by the regulation. To address this challenge, this work proposes a computational pipeline to assist specialists in detecting noise sources in the built environment that do not comply with the Chilean noise regulation. The system incorporates a deep neural model following a pre-trained audio neural network architecture transferred to a dataset compiled from public sources and recordings in Valdivia, Chile. The target dataset follows a customized taxonomy of urban sound events. The system also uses a public API so potential users can post audio files to obtain a prediction matrix reporting the presence of noise sources contributing to environmental noise pollution. Experiments using recordings from two continuous noise monitoring stations showed that the amount of data to be inspected by the specialist is decreased by 97% when the deep-learning tools are used. Therefore, this system efficiently assists trained experts in enforcing noise legislation through machine-assisted environmental noise monitoring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment)

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20 pages, 3129 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Legibility Efficacy of Historical Neighborhoods in Creating a Cognitive Map for Citizens

by Reza Askarizad, Jinliao He and Elham Mehrinejad Khotbehsara

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9010; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159010 - 22 Jul 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2384

Abstract

Nowadays, historical neighborhoods in Iran are in a state of decay due to the lack of spatial legibility with respect to their organic spatial layout. Hence, the level of interaction among people and their perception of the environment has gradually diminished. Historical neighborhoods no longer possess their former prosperity and function, and citizens prefer to inhabit neighborhoods with newer configurations to meet their demands. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the spatial legibility of historical neighborhoods in creating a suitable cognitive map for citizens. Quantitative and qualitative methods were applied using a questionnaire and simulation test instruments. In addition, in order to analyze the spatial configuration of the target areas, the Space Syntax method was implemented using Depthmap 10. The findings indicated that landmarks and navigation signs were identified as the most important factors affecting legibility from the viewpoint of users. Furthermore, the correlation between integration and connectivity illustrated that the studied areas possessed poor spatial legibility due to the organic texture of their spatial configurations. Accordingly, solutions such as enhancing the interaction between highly integrated streets and identified landmarks were emphasized to ameliorate the legibility of these spaces. The present study contributes to sustainable urban design with respect to the rejuvenation of historical districts by proposing a set of pragmatic alterations of urban spatial configurations. This research may be fruitful for urban designers, planners and managers seeking to revitalize historical neighborhoods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Design for Sustainable Built Environment)

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