Search Results (59)

As shared micromobility grows quickly in metropolitan settings, e-scooter safety issues have become more urgent. This paper uses a Bayesian hierarchical model applied to census block groups in several Texas metropolitan areas to construct a spatial risk assessment methodology for e-scooter crashes. Based on crash statistics from 2018 to 2024, we develop a severity-weighted crash risk index and combine it with variables related to land use, transportation, demographics, economics, and other factors. The model comprises a geographically structured random effect based on a Conditional Autoregressive (CAR) model, which accounts for residual spatial clustering after capture. It also includes fixed effects for covariates such as car ownership and nightlife density, as well as regional random intercepts to account for city-level heterogeneity. Markov Chain Monte Carlo is used for model fitting; evaluation reveals robust spatial calibration and predictive ability. The following key predictors are statistically significant: a higher share of working-age residents shows a positive association with crash frequency (incidence rate ratio (IRR): ≈1.55 per +10% population aged 18–64), as does a greater proportion of car-free households (IRR ≈ 1.20). In the built environment, entertainment-related employment density is strongly linked to elevated risk (IRR ≈ 1.37), and high intersection density similarly increases crash risk (IRR ≈ 1.32). In contrast, higher residential housing density has a protective effect (IRR ≈ 0.78), correlating with fewer crashes. Additionally, a sensitivity study reveals that the risk index is responsive to policy scenarios, including reducing car ownership or increasing employment density, and is sensitive to varying crash intensity weights. Results show notable collision hotspots near entertainment venues and central areas, as well as increased baseline risk in car-oriented urban environments. The results provide practical information for targeted initiatives to lower e-scooter collision risk and safety planning. Full article

In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in the number of online fraud cases. However, research on crime geography has paid little attention to online crimes, especially to the influencing factors behind their spatial distributions. Online fraud is closely related to people’s daily internet use. The existing literature has explored the impact of internet use on online crimes based on small samples of individual interviews. There is a lack of large-scale studies from a community perspective. This study applies the routine activity theory to online activities to test the relationship between online fraud alert data and the usage durations of different types of mobile phone users’ applications (apps) for communities in ZG City. It builds negative binomial regression models for analyzing the impact of the usage of different types of apps on the spatial distribution of online fraud. The results reveal that the online fraud crime rate and the online time spent on a financial management app share the most similar spatial distribution. While financial management, online education, transportation, and search engine app usages have a significant positive association with online fraud, the use of a financial management app has the greatest impact. Additionally, time spent on social media, online shopping and entertainment, and mobile reading apps have a significant negative association with online fraud. As not all online activities lead to cybercrime, crime prevention efforts should target specific types of apps, such as financial management, online education, transportation, and search engines. Full article

Virtual geographic environments long simulated real-world scenarios in urban planning, monument preservation, city infrastructure management, education, and entertainment. Their web-based visualisation and distribution made these environments widely accessible. However, many systems remain static, lacking real-time data integration and multi-user collaboration, while virtual worlds designed for the Metaverse emphasise dynamic interaction yet often omit essential geospatial context. Bridging this gap is critical for advancing virtual geographic environments into the next generation. In this paper, we present a modular system architecture for applications demonstrating geospatial virtual worlds over the web. Our goal is to provide a generic, well-structured framework that exposes the essential classes and interfaces needed for building 3D virtual worlds with geospatial data at their core. Our work focuses on defining specific geospatial components, methods, classes, and interfaces that form the foundation of a modern geospatial virtual environment in the Metaverse era. The proposed architecture is organised into three layers: access, world, and integration, which together enable accurate mapping and integration of real-time sensor data, digital twin synchronisation, and support for location-based services. Our analysis reveals that while most current solutions excel in either multi-user interaction or geospatial data management, they rarely combine both. In contrast, our model delivers enhanced geospatial focus, real-time collaboration, and interoperability between physical and digital realms. Overall, this work lays a solid foundation for future innovations in creating immersive, interactive, and geospatially grounded virtual experiences over the web, marking an important step in the evolution of virtual geographic environments for the Metaverse era. Full article

The underdevelopment of tourism infrastructure remains a critical barrier to the growth of the tourism sector in both the capital and regional areas. This article examines the concept and structure of tourism infrastructure, synthesizes methodological approaches for its evaluation, and identifies the strengths and limitations of these approaches. The study introduces a novel methodology for assessing the development of tourism infrastructure in the capital city. Based on the assessment, the city’s regions are categorized into four levels of infrastructure development: high, above average, average, and below average. The findings highlight the key factors driving tourism development and the obstacles limiting infrastructure progress, while also proposing strategic directions for its enhancement. Achieving optimal levels of infrastructure provision is identified as a crucial condition for advancing the tourism sector. The development of tourism infrastructure should be prioritized in regional economic policy. In line with the state’s “Concept for the Development of the Tourism Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023–2029”, this study emphasizes the need for a streamlined and precise classification of tourism infrastructure components based on a comprehensive framework. The evaluation is conducted using an integrated indicator that captures the development level of key elements: accommodation infrastructure, international event venues, and access to leisure and entertainment. Additionally, the article provides a comparative analysis of the current state of tourism infrastructure relative to the early stages of the capital’s development and tracks the dynamics of tourism indicators from 2010 to 2024. Several interrelated challenges affecting infrastructure growth have been identified. Notably, the study reveals that hosting international events and forums has significantly boosted inbound tourism compared to regional averages in Kazakhstan, although it has also constrained the potential for tourism business growth in other regions. The practical insights derived from this study offer a comprehensive understanding of the state of tourism infrastructure in Astana, which can inform future research and policy development for tourism infrastructure in major urban areas. Full article

Identifying optimal locations for sustainable commercial street development is crucial for driving economic growth and enhancing social vitality in cities. This study proposes a data-driven approach to predict potential sites for commercial streets in Foshan City, China, utilizing Points of Interest (POI) big data and machine learning techniques. Decision tree algorithms are employed to quantitatively assess and predict optimal locations at a fine-grained spatial resolution, dividing the study area into 9808 grid cells. The analysis identifies 2157 grid cells as potential sites for commercial street development, highlighting the significant influence of Medical Care, Shopping, and Recreation and Entertainment POIs on site selection. The study underscores the importance of considering population base, human activity patterns, and cultural elements in sustainable urban development. The main contributions include providing a novel decision-support method for data-driven and sustainable commercial street site selection and offering insights into the complex interplay between urban land use, human activities, and commercial development. The findings have important implications for urban planning and policy-making, showcasing the potential of data-driven approaches in guiding sustainable urban development and fostering vibrant commercial areas. Full article

Cultural heritage is one of the areas where Extended Reality is having a significant impact nowadays. Although often associated with entertainment, this technology has enormous educational potential when applied to heritage. Therefore, it is essential to implement monitoring tools in educational practice to assess its actual effectiveness. This article presents the process of generating and validating a statistical data collection instrument developed to evaluate a virtual reality experience created using the archaeological heritage of the ancient Roman city of Augusta Emerita (Mérida, Spain). It can be easily adapted to evaluate similar experiences. The aim is to gauge the effectiveness of these experiences as a didactic resource. The questionnaire was subjected to an evaluation of its three dimensions. Content validity was analyzed through expert judgments, while applicability was tested by students. Finally, a series of statistical tests were conducted to verify construct reliability and internal consistency. Based on the results obtained and cross-referenced with the data provided by the literature, the suitability of this tool for collecting data on usability, learning, and emotions in virtual reality experiences is confirmed. Full article

Harbin, as a popular tourist city in China, and the host of the 2025 Asian Winter Games, boasts rich tourism resources and significant potential for further development. The structure of the urban road network is a crucial factor influencing the spatial distribution of tourism service facilities. However, the current research on the correlation between the two, analyzed at multiple scales based on tourists’ travel preferences, is not sufficient. First, utilizing the questionnaire survey method to analyze tourists’ travel preferences and combining it with the theory of 15-min life circle, we determine the study scales at 500 m, 1000 m, 3000 m, and 5000 m. Secondly, the integration value and choice value of roads in the main urban area of Harbin are analyzed based on the theory of spatial syntax. The spatial distribution characteristics of tourism service facilities are then revealed through kernel density analysis. Finally, the correlation between the road network structure and the distribution of various types of tourism service facilities in Harbin at different scales is determined through buffer analysis and Pearson bivariate correlation analysis. The results show that: (1) Integration value plays a significant positive role in promoting the clustering of tourism service facilities, especially tending to cluster in areas with high integration value formed at a scale of 500 m; (2) At the scale of 3000 m, the distribution of tourism service facilities exhibits a significant correlation with the choice value; (3) The correlation between dining, shopping, and entertainment facilities and the integration value decreases with the increase in scale, whereas the spatial distribution of accommodation and attraction facilities does not exhibit a regular pattern with changes in integration value. In addition, this paper also puts forward targeted suggestions for optimizing the urban road network structure, reasonably locating tourism service facilities, and implementing balanced regional development. The contribution of this study is that it will help improve tourists’ travel experience in the city and provide scientific support for promoting the overall sustainable development of tourism in Harbin. Full article

Smart cities are powered by several new technologies to enhance connectivity between devices and develop a network of connected objects which can lead to many smart industrial applications. This network known as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) consists of sensor nodes that have limited computing capacity and are sometimes not able to execute intricate industrial tasks within their stipulated time frame. For faster execution, these tasks are offloaded to nearby fog nodes. Internet access and the diverse nature of network types make IIoT nodes vulnerable and are under serious malicious attacks. Malicious attacks can cause anomalies in the IIoT network by overloading complex tasks, which can compromise the fog processing capabilities. This results in an increased delay of task computation for trustworthy nodes. To improve the task execution capability of the fog computing node, it is important to avoid complex offloaded tasks due to malicious attacks. However, even after avoiding the malicious tasks, if the offloaded tasks are too complex for the fog node to execute, then the fog nodes may struggle to process all legitimate tasks within their stipulated time frame. To address these challenges, the Trust-based Efficient Execution of Offloaded IIoT Trusted tasks (EEOIT) is proposed for fog nodes. EEOIT proposes a mechanism to detect malicious nodes as well as manage the allocation of computing resources so that IIoT tasks can be completed in the specified time frame. Simulation results demonstrate that EEOIT outperforms other techniques in the literature in an IIoT setting with different task densities. Another significant feature of the proposed EEOIT technique is that it enhances the computation of trustable tasks in the network. The results show that EEOIT entertains more legitimate nodes in executing their offloaded tasks with more executed data, with reduced time and with increased mean trust values as compared to other schemes. Full article

To improve energy and environmental security in urban environments and in accordance with the requirements of the EU, the task of sustainable developing agriculture in urban agglomerations and monitoring it using satellite images becomes relevant. The aim of the work is the development of methods and means for determining stable islands of thermal energy to substantiate the optimal locations for plant growing practices in the metropolis. The research was conducted in Kyiv, the largest metropolis of Ukraine. Data from the Landsat 8 and 9 satellites were used because of the free data and they have better spatial resolution and an available archive of observation results. It was established that the temperature map of the city of Kyiv shows differences in temperature between different parts of the city, probably due to the presence of different sources of heat radiation. It is obvious that the standard deviation of the temperature in the plots depends on many factors, in particular, the season and the type of land use. It is necessary to find alternative solutions for the development of crop production in this area, taking into account the characteristics of thermal emissions. Based on software products from free satellite monitoring providers, EO Browser, a specialized software solution (web application) has been created for monitoring agricultural plantations in an urban environment. A collection of LANDSAT 8 satellite images was used. Areas with stable heat emissions were found, which are due to the operation of a modern shopping and entertainment center, and non-traditional crops for landscaping adapted to its design are proposed. As a result of research, strong heat emissions were recorded for some objects, for them the temperature exceeds the surrounding area by 4 °C, while the minimum standard deviation in January is 0.5 °C, the maximum in July is 2.8 °C, in April and October—1.7 °C and 1.2 °C, respectively. Full article

In today’s context of flourishing tourism, the development of urban tourism leads to a continuous influx of population. Existing empirical evidence highlights the interaction between tourists’ and residents’ perception of urban spaces and the local society and living spaces. This study, focusing on Macau, utilizes the region’s streetscape images to construct a deep learning-based model for quantifying the urban street perception of tourists and local residents. To obtain more refined perceptual evaluation data results, during the training phase of the model, we intentionally categorized tourist activities into natural landscape tours, historical sightseeing, and entertainment area visits, based on the characteristics of the study area. This approach aimed to develop a more refined perception evaluation method based on the classification of urban functional areas and the types of urban users. Further, to improve the streetscape environment and reduce visitor and resident dissatisfaction, we delved into the differences in perception between tourists and residents in various functional urban areas and their relationships with different streetscape elements. This study provides a foundational research framework for a comprehensive understanding of residents’ and tourists’ perceptions of diverse urban street spaces, emphasizing the importance of exploring the differentiated perceptions of streetscapes held by tourists and residents in guiding scientific urban tourism development policies and promoting social sustainability in cities, particularly those where tourism plays a significant role. Full article

The safety, inclusivity, accessibility, and green communities emphasized in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) play a vital role in the establishment of child-friendly cities. The governments are actively promoting the development of sustainable, child-friendly cities that prioritize people’s needs and aim to enhance the well-being of residents, from children to families. However, there is limited research utilizing GIS analysis techniques and internet big data to analyze spatial equity in children’s spatial accessibility. Therefore, this study introduces an innovative approach focusing on the community level. Drawing on data from the popular social networking platform mobile application “Xiaohongshu” and employing network analysis methods based on walking and driving modes, this study analyzed and investigated the accessibility of children’s spaces in the city of Hangzhou, China. Regarding spatial characteristics, the distribution of children’s space resources in the main urban area of Hangzhou exhibited a “peripheral low and central high” trend, which was closely linked to the distribution of population space. This pattern indicates potential significant disparities in the allocation of children’s space resources. Notably, the core area of Hangzhou demonstrated the highest level of accessibility to children’s spaces, with Gongshu District exhibiting the best accessibility. Conversely, non-core urban areas generally had relatively poor accessibility. Furthermore, different types of children’s spaces, such as indoor cultural spaces, indoor entertainment spaces, outdoor parks, and outdoor nature areas, all exhibited the highest accessibility in the city center, which gradually decreased towards the periphery. Additionally, this study evaluated the convenience of children’s spaces in various communities by combining population size and accessibility levels. The findings revealed that communities in the core area had higher accessibility levels in the northwest–southeast direction, while accessibility decreased towards the northeast–southwest direction. Consequently, the relative convenience of these communities tended to be lower. By examining spatial equity, this study provides valuable insights into the promotion of sustainable, child-friendly cities that prioritize people’s needs and contribute to the well-being of residents, from children to families. Full article

Urban settlements often deal with the massive transportation problems caused by mixed land-use development and improper travel services. This situation propels travel accessibility issues within urban centers. This research is intended to focus on the 3rd largest city of Pakistan’s Sindh province, i.e., Sukkur, where residents were found struggling to reach their desired destinations. The study area has naturally grown without planning guidelines, generating traffic congestion and haphazard land-use patterns. This research aims to measure accessibility within the city center using trip rate analysis and a GIS-based isochrone model (1-km radius). In total, 234 household trips were randomly considered according to Morgan’s sampling standards. The results revealed that scattered locations caused heavy traffic volumes without public transport facilities. The ratio of traveling by bike for shopping was recorded at 17.24%. Commuting by car; home-based, health, and shopping trips were ranked 1st (5.52%), 2nd (2.76%), and 3rd (1.38%), respectively. The isochrone-based maps were delineated to clarify the temporal accessibility features. Only three shopping activities were found to be accessible within 6 min. Most of the banks were found to be highly accessible. None of the health facilities were located within a 0–6 minute isochronal boundary. Two entertainment sites were accessible within 0–6 min. The residential neighborhoods were not close to the city center. Only three parks and six religious facilities were accessible within 6–12 min. The study findings clarified mixed land use activities accessed through multiple travel modes in the city center. Executing traffic management implications is a need of the time to induce sustainable transportation guidelines. Besides, the results may contribute to SDG 11.2, i.e., “affordable and sustainable transport systems” available for local commuters. The findings of this study are also relevant to evaluating the progress of some cities on SDG 11.2 regarding accessing feasible transportation services. Full article

The rapid urbanization growth in Dubai has resulted in connectivity issues and is therefore considered tremendous development pressure. That has led the local authorities to set a vision for Dubai as a 15–20 min city by 2040. In a 15 min city, all services can be reached within 15 min of travel time using sustainable mobility means, including walking, cycling, or electric biking. This study aims to assess the current walkability situation within 15 min in the most significant parts of Dubai. The study considered 13 communities, including Bur-Dubai and Business Bay, which were selected to represent ungated communities and eleven major gated communities. Those neighborhoods were selected based on the developments’ socio-economic status and population density. The assessment considered 14 essential services, grouped into five categories: educational, health, social, entertainment, and religious. The data for this study was collected through desktop research, site visits, and residents’ interviews. The data layers were prepared in ArcGIS Pro 3.0, which was used to perform the network analysis. The results indicate that 28.25% of residents in the ungated neighborhoods have access to essential services within 15 min, similar to gated communities where residents rely on cars to access many services. Furthermore, results suggest that service distribution patterns and walkability infrastructure outside these communities should be developed to obtain higher walkability indicators. Full article

In 2022, it became apparent that China had officially become a nation witnessing negative population growth. Coinciding with the emergence of an aging society, the occurrence of population sustainable development has emerged as a crucial concern for society. In recent times, community-oriented elderly care has garnered prominence and materialized as a feasible pathway for confronting the matter of familial elderly care in a society with an aging populace. This study was conducted in three provincial capital cities in different regions of China. Based on the ABC theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, and with reference to the research of relevant scholars, the study investigated consumers’ attitudes towards community elderly care services from the perspectives of health care services, housekeeping services, entertainment, catering services, etc., and put forward research hypotheses. The questionnaire was dimensionally reduced using factor analysis, and the hypotheses were tested using regression analysis. The findings validate that the delivery of medical provisions, domestic aid, recreational and culinary facilities, camaraderie, and counseling visits, along with bespoke services, substantially enhance consumer receptivity towards community-oriented elderly care provisions. As a result, these conclusions assume the role of valuable points of reference for entities engaged in furnishing such services. Full article

The surrounding area of Bubbling Well Road in early modern times, Shanghai, served as an important transportation hub connecting the western and central districts of Shanghai’s International Settlement. It also marked the beginning of a half-century trend of profit-oriented private gardens. The development process from rural outskirts to bustling commercial areas is exemplified by the area of Bubbling Well Road, making it significant for the study of urban transformation in early modern times in Shanghai. In this work, private gardens in the vicinity of Bubbling Well Road are examined as hierarchical elements of urban subdivision using the layering approach of the Historic Urban Landscape. Based on summarizing the trajectory of different types of private gardens under urbanization, typical time nodes were extracted and then horizontally correlated with the process of urbanization to elucidate the hierarchical logic underlying the symbiotic interaction between private gardens and cities. The results show that private gardens have created new hot spots and gathered a lot of popularity for the Jing’an Temple area, prompting this area to gradually evolve from a traditional town to a “backyard garden” of Concession dominated by the entertainment industry. Through the rapid development of the modern entertainment, commerce, and real estate industries, the Jing’an Temple area successfully embraced the trend of developing Concession to the West while achieving transformations in business models and urban style. Finally, with the assistance of the transitional entertainment space, such as profit-oriented gardens, the Jing’an Temple area has successfully undergone a transformation into a modern entertainment industry hub and solidified its commercial status as the “consumption circle” of Shanghai. We systematically investigated the significance of the urban subdivision layer in relation to the temporal changes in the urban environmental structure and the evolution of spatial organization patterns at the macro level; this helps deepen the historical urban landscape approach from an ideological framework level to the practical level. Full article