Search Results (1,641)

Contemporary buildings and urban spaces are increasingly expected to support psychological well-being—a quality often termed “restorativeness.” Conventional approaches to quantifying restorativeness rely on subjective surveys or coarse green metrics, failing to capture how specific building morphologies and street-level visual configurations shape restorative experiences, particularly for stress-prone groups such as young adults. This study develops a deep-learning-driven framework linking building visual elements to youth-specific perceived restorativeness, using Changsha, China, as a testbed. The framework comprises three AI-powered modules: the TrueSkill algorithm trains a deep learning model to predict six dimensions of youth perception (e.g., beautiful, clean, safe) from pairwise comparisons of street view images; the Mask2Former architecture segments street-level imagery into 18 building and street attributes; and the XGBoost-SHAP pipeline uncovers nonlinear associations and threshold-like patterns between these attributes and the composite Built Environment Restorativeness Index (BERI). Results reveal three key insights: tree coverage shows a sustained positive association without saturation; building density exhibits a weakening association at high levels, suggesting possible saturation; and road proportion follows a bidirectional pattern, shifting from negative to positive beyond a certain range. Spatially, high BERI zones concentrate where ecological assets and diverse building functions co-occur, while youth perception exhibits systematic mismatches (e.g., “beautiful but not clean,” “safe but not lively”), traceable to imbalances in building form, street furniture, and commercial mix. These findings advance AI-assisted evaluation of built environments by shifting from one-dimensional metrics to interpretable, design-relevant diagnostics, offering a replicable evidence base for crafting youth-responsive buildings and streets. Full article

Suburban areas increasingly shape contemporary urbanisation, yet public-space dynamics in these environments are weakly represented by conventional urban indicators. This study examines suburban public-space use as a behavioural dimension of urban metabolism, understood here as the observable patterns of human movement, activity, and co-presence occurring within suburban public spaces. It addresses the limited ability of density- or infrastructure-based measures to capture everyday spatial practices in dispersed, car-oriented settings. While urban metabolism research has expanded beyond material and energy flows, empirical evidence linking configurational accessibility with directly observed public-space behaviour in suburban contexts remains limited. To address this gap, we integrate district-scale space syntax analysis with site-scale UAV-based observation across five public spaces in and around Gdańsk, Poland. Based on a dataset comprising 30 standard observation sessions conducted in September and October 2024, spatial syntax indicators (integration and choice) were used to characterise configurational accessibility and support location selection, while UAV monitoring captured traffic intensity, stationary presence, diversity of activities, and temporal rhythms of use. The results reveal distinct behavioural metabolic profiles shaped by interactions between spatial configuration, functional programming, and temporal dynamics. These profiles vary depending on the function of public spaces and dominant modes of movement (pedestrian or vehicular). The study demonstrates that suburban urban metabolism cannot be interpreted through configurational accessibility or residential density alone. By linking space syntax measures with a repeatable UAV observation protocol, the proposed framework supports comparative assessment of suburban public-space performance and informs planning interventions aimed at suburban transformation and improved accessibility. Full article

Indian metropolitan cities such as Mumbai grapple with rapid urbanisation, extreme urban density, high built-up areas, loss of green cover, and shrinking open spaces, resulting in increased impermeable surfaces, urban heat island effects, and frequent flooding occurrences. Modern stormwater management has increasingly been characterised by integrated grey-green approaches; however, cities in the Global North benefit from established policies, technical expertise, and financial resources that enable the systematic and large-scale integration of Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) through district-wide geospatial assessment frameworks, unlike many cities in the Global South. Despite growing interest in nature-based stormwater solutions, there remains a dearth of geospatial empirical research from India examining the placement, distribution, performance, and functionality of BGI integrated with existing stormwater management systems in cities such as Mumbai. Furthermore, hydrological modelling using tools such as the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) for the design, planning, and implementation of BGI in Indian cities remains largely unexplored. This study explores the role of BGI strategies in improving urban stormwater management within high-density Indian cities under a 25-year return period extreme rainfall scenario. Using an integrated approach that combines QGIS-based spatial analysis with EPA-SWMM hydrologic-hydraulic modelling, the research examines runoff behaviour, identifies flooding hotspots, and evaluates the effectiveness of Low Impact Development (LID)-based BGI measures such as permeable pavements, infiltration trenches, and green roofs applied at the ward level in Mumbai’s F/North and G/North Wards. Detailed land use classification, spatial mapping, and rainfall simulation corresponding specifically to a 25-year return period rainfall event was used to assess pre- and post-intervention conditions. The findings indicate that the applied BGI measures led to a 12.6% reduction in peak runoff (137.6 m³/s to 120.2 m³/s) and a 5.5% decrease in total runoff volume (783,510 m³ to 740,410 m³). More importantly, the peak flooding flow rate decreased by 45% (94.1 m³/s to 51.7 m³/s), demonstrating that BGI measures can efficiently reduce peak flooding flows by extending runoff hydrographs during extreme rainfall events. These findings are specifically applicable to the simulated 25-year return period extreme rainfall scenario and may vary under different rainfall intensities or return periods. Less extreme events could potentially experience even greater relative reductions or prevent flooding altogether, while also easing downstream hydraulic loads. Overall, strategically placed BGI interventions can significantly reduce surface runoff and peak flow, thereby enhancing stormwater resilience within spatially constrained urban environments. This study provides a replicable, data-driven framework for catchment-scale stormwater planning in dense Indian cities under extreme rainfall conditions, offering practical insights into methods, local contextual considerations, and spatial planning strategies for policymakers and urban planners seeking to retrofit and adapt existing infrastructure under increasing hydrologic stress and climate variability. Full article

Cities face the need to implement urban planning solutions that support sustainable development; however, this is not fully possible due to inadequate legal regulations. This development can be understood as increasing the environmental and economic resilience of urban areas and improving the quality of life for city residents. A noticeable trend in urban development plans is the implementation of the “15 min city”, “20 min city”, or similar concepts, which aim to enhance walkability by ensuring access to basic urban services and functions within walking distance. The aim of this article is to evaluate accessibility to green areas and selected educational services in cities (named in the article as MSAS–Municipal Standards for Accessibility of Social Infrastructure), and then to compare the results with proposed legal regulations in Poland that set minimum distances between social infrastructure zones and residential areas. The study will be conducted using selected urban centers: in Poland as a case study and in Belgium as verification. The use of spatial analysis methods (GIS) and a method transferability test enables the assessment of accessibility zones, as well as the identification of potential discrepancies between legal standards and actual accessibility conditions. In this context, this article addresses the question of whether accessibility standards for elementary schools and public green spaces can affect the future directions of residential development and urban spatial policy. The conclusions indicate that, although MSAS are not perfect solutions for a variety of reasons, they represent a step toward sustainable development. Full article

This study addresses the technical, environmental, economic, and systemic role of multi-apartment residential buildings as hydrogen consumption nodes within urban energy systems. A representative five-story building comprising 30 apartments and 2400–2800 m² of heated floor area, located in a cold European climate, was modelled with an annual heat demand of approximately 185,000 kWh. Four heating configurations were assessed: a conventional natural gas/biomethane boiler (baseline), a hydrogen boiler, a hydrogen-fuel-cell combined heat and power (CHP) system, and a hybrid heat-pump–hydrogen solution. Dynamic simulations indicate that all hydrogen-based systems can fully satisfy space heating and domestic hot water demand without modifications to the internal hydronic distribution network. The fuel cell CHP achieved an overall efficiency of 93%. It generated approximately 54,000 kWh/year of on-site electricity, while the hybrid configuration reached a seasonal efficiency of 108% and the highest primary energy reduction (46%). Operational CO₂ emissions decreased from 37,800 kg/year (gas baseline) to 1900 kg/year (green hydrogen boiler), 1200 kg/year (fuel cell CHP), and 900 kg/year (hybrid system), corresponding to reductions of up to 98%. Peak-load analysis demonstrated improved operational stability in CHP and hybrid systems, characterised by reduced cycling frequency and enhanced thermal resilience through hydrogen storage integration. Capital expenditure (CAPEX) ranged from 41,000 EUR (gas baseline) to 101,000 EUR (fuel cell CHP), reflecting additional storage, safety, and control requirements. Over a 20-year lifecycle (5% discount rate), the hybrid system achieved the lowest levelized cost of heat (0.076 EUR/kWh), followed by fuel cell CHP (0.081 EUR/kWh), compared to 0.087 EUR/kWh for gas. Payback periods ranged between 9 and 13 years, depending on configuration and hydrogen pricing assumptions. Sensitivity analysis identified a break-even hydrogen price of approximately 0.085 EUR/kWh, while carbon pricing above 100 EUR/t CO₂ significantly improves economic competitiveness. District-scale aggregation modelling suggests that hydrogen-equipped multi-apartment buildings can reduce grid electricity imports by 30–40% through on-site generation and seasonal storage. The findings confirm that multi-apartment buildings offer structural and economic advantages for early hydrogen deployment compared to dispersed housing typologies. By combining high demand density, centralised infrastructure, and compatibility with sector-coupling strategies, such buildings can function as distributed energy hubs within decarbonized urban systems. Full article

This article investigates the intricate interplay between ressentiment—as social emotion—social love, and solidarity in democratic societies, focusing on the urban environment as the primary stage where these processes materialize. Far from being a marginal emotion, ressentiment is deeply intertwined with democratic life, arising from the gap between proclaimed values and lived conditions. It represents an affective reaction to the perceived betrayal of the promise of equality inscribed in democratic ideals. The discussion explores how perceptions of injustice can fracture trust and intensify divisions, but also how they, under certain conditions, can be redirected toward political engagement and common action. The city, characterized by density, diversity, and the continuous negotiation of difference, can serve as a privileged arena for this transformation. Urban space does not merely reflect inequalities; it actively shapes social processes and provides the infrastructure through which collective sentiments are articulated. In this context, “social love” is conceptualized not as a sentimental aspiration, but as a relational force capable of redirecting the moral indignation of ressentiment, far from strategies of grievance politics toward constructive forms of social and political belonging. Cities can function as laboratories of solidarity where grievances are reframed into collective projects that strengthen social cohesion. Mitigating the destructive potential of ressentiment requires addressing its structural roots through inclusive urban policies and dialogical spaces. An approach grounded in social love can counter fragmentation, mobilizing emotions in the service of substantive equality. In this perspective, the city can become a space and a laboratory for change, where resentment can be channeled as a generative force capable of sustaining widespread forms of social love and a sense of the common good. Full article

Urban tourism communities activate local resources through spaces shared by residents and tourists, yet the inherent spatial overlap and functional complexity of these areas often generate conflicts. Existing research has predominantly focused on traditional scenic areas, heritage sites, or cities affected by overtourism, with comparatively little attention to urban tourism communities. This study draws on three tourism communities in Chongqing, China, employing street-intercept interviews and spatial analysis to investigate the forms and spatial characteristics of resident–tourist conflict. The findings indicate that such conflicts manifest across four dimensions: management conflict, economic conflict, resource and environmental conflict, and socio-cultural conflict. Conflicts are more likely to occur in areas where tourist activities intersect with residents’ daily routines, and different conflict types exhibit distinct spatial patterns. Furthermore, residents are more sensitive to these conflicts than tourists. By adopting a dual resident–tourist perspective, this study advances understanding of the tensions in high-density, high-mobility urban tourism communities and provides empirical insights to inform their sustainable development. Full article

In the context of urban regeneration, identifying the nonlinear and interactive effects of the built environment on commercial vitality is essential for targeted spatial improvement. Using Xi’an’s central urban area as a case study, this study integrated multi-source data, including POI, AOI, street-view imagery, and mobile phone signaling data, to delineate commercial spaces via kernel density analysis. With actual service population density as the vitality indicator, a built-environment framework was constructed using 14 indicators across four dimensions: transport accessibility, functional diversity, street quality, and environmental capacity. Random forest regression and SHAP-based interpretable machine learning were employed to examine factor importance, nonlinear thresholds, and interactions. Results show that environmental capacity and transport accessibility are the dominant dimensions, with building density, road network density, and employment density contributing most. Built-environment variables generally exhibit nonlinear threshold effects; key thresholds include road network density > 8 km/km², building density > 40%, functional mix > 4.5, and sky view factor around 40%. Interactions involving building density are most pronounced, and its positive effect is significantly amplified under higher accessibility or employment density. These findings suggest prioritizing road network optimization and building coverage, while balancing functional mix and spatial scale in commercial space regeneration. Full article

Rapid urbanization, climate change, and biodiversity loss are intensifying environmental pressures on arid coastal cities through extreme heat, water scarcity, salinity intrusion, and increasing flood risks. Despite substantial investment in urban green spaces across the Gulf region, many public parks provide limited ecological functionality and climate adaptation benefits. This study evaluated the ecological performance of three coastal parks in Muscat, Oman Sarooj Beach Park (23,080 m²), Ghubrah Beach Park (34,818 m²), and Al Athaiba Beach Park (17,370 m²), to identify opportunities for more resilient landscape design. The assessment revealed that although green space occupied 76.8–82% of park areas, tree canopy cover remained low (8–12%), limiting thermal comfort, habitat provision, and ecological performance. Based on these findings, a Functional and Climate-Responsive Planting Strategy (FCRPS) was developed by integrating the 10–20–30 biodiversity guideline with performance-based planting criteria tailored to arid and saline environments. The framework was applied to the proposed Majis Beach Ecological Park in Sohar, Oman, to demonstrate the implementation of ecological urbanism and nature-based solutions in a hyper-arid coastal environment. The resulting design incorporates biodiversity-enhancing planting, blue–green infrastructure, wetland restoration, and climate-responsive spatial planning. The study demonstrates how multifunctional landscapes can enhance biodiversity, improve thermal comfort, strengthen stormwater management, and support community well-being while providing a transferable framework for resilient public park design in arid coastal cities. Full article

Population aging has increased the need for public open spaces that older adults can use safely, comfortably, and confidently. In many urban parks and community squares, however, resting facilities are still designed as standardized street furniture, with cold materials, insufficient hand support, limited wheelchair-inclusive space, and weak support for everyday social interaction. This study examines age-friendly public facilities as micro-scale spatial elements that shape sitting, standing, staying, communication, and willingness to remain in small urban open spaces. Drawing on field observation, behavioral analysis, semi-structured interviews, and a multi-criteria design-evaluation process, the study identifies older adults’ key facility-use needs and translates them into design indicators and alternative facility schemes. The results show that physical support and inclusive spatial use are the most important design priorities. Standing-up assistance, sitting-posture support, perceived structural stability, and age-appropriate dimensional adaptation were more influential than purely decorative or auxiliary functions. Among the three alternative schemes, the modular pergola system performed best because it combined stable hand support, independent seating, an age-friendly interactive table, shaded resting space, wheelchair-inclusive layout, and wood-based sensory comfort. The sensitivity analysis further confirmed that this scheme maintained a stable advantage under most weight-adjustment conditions. The findings suggest that age-friendly public facility design should move beyond the improvement of individual furniture products and instead integrate bodily support, spatial accessibility, social interaction, material comfort, and environmental pattern quality. This study provides a design-decision framework for improving the inclusiveness, accessibility, and health-supportive capacity of urban public open spaces for older adults. Full article

The bus system plays an important role in the urban public transportation infrastructure system, providing a convenient way for the masses to travel. However, the operational resilience and functional stability of urban transit systems are frequently jeopardized by a variety of internal disruptions and external emergencies. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the robustness of urban bus networks. Based on the complex network theory, this research applies Space L and Space R methods to construct the bus stop network and bus line network models in Jinan, China. The topological characteristics of the two network models are studied, and the network robustness is analyzed using two attack strategies: random attack and deliberate attack. The robustness is optimized based on the network edge addition strategy. The results show that: (1) The bus stop network has a scale-free network property, but the bus stop network and the bus line network do not have the small-world network property. (2) The bus line network is more robust than the bus stop network when under attack, and the network under deliberate attack is more vulnerable than that under random attack. The maximum betweenness centrality node attack causes the most significant damage to the network. (3) Under random attack, both high betweenness centrality edge addition (HBA) and high degree edge addition (HDA) strategies are more effective at optimizing network robustness; under maximum degree node attack, both low betweenness centrality edge addition (LBA) and low degree edge addition (LDA) strategies are more effective on optimizing network robustness; under maximum betweenness centrality node attack, the LBA strategy has the best effect on optimizing network robustness. The research results can provide scientific guidance for the emergency scheduling and line optimization of urban public transportation system. Full article

This study evaluates the multi-year taxonomic diversity and functional structure of beetle assemblages (Coleoptera) within Sub Arini Park, a historic urban green space in Sibiu, Romania. Following a preliminary baseline and methodological calibration phase in 2023, systematic monitoring was conducted during the 2024 and 2025 seasonal cycles utilizing standardized pitfall trapping across diverse park zones. We explicitly tested two hypotheses: (H1) that long-standing historic park management preserves a resilient and functional insect community structure, and (H2) that local spatial heterogeneity and microhabitat variations significantly drive species distribution. A total of 14,843 individuals belonging to 39 species were analyzed. While total abundance exhibited a slight decrease from 2024 (N = 7112) to 2025 (N = 6551), true diversity metrics (Hill numbers) revealed a significant increase in raw species richness (q = 0) from 30 to 39 species, alongside an enhanced equity of frequent species (Shannon diversity, q = 1, increased from 4.26 to 5.12). Functional guild analysis and multivariate PCA demonstrated a highly structured biocenotic distribution; specialist and hygrophilous species (e.g., Carabus variolosus Fabricius, 1787) were strictly constrained to high-humidity riparian corridors, whereas thermophilous generalists dominated open lawns under high anthropogenic stress. Our spatial analysis identified critical degradation within these heavily managed zones, specifically driven by intensive mowing, soil compaction, and organic debris removal. These findings confirm both hypotheses, revealing that the park operates as a heterogeneous mosaic of ecological refugia rather than a uniform habitat block. Crucially, this study provides a concrete, quantitative basis—derived from empirical thresholds of species richness, abundance shifts, and mapped microhabitat preferences—for implementing nature-based management strategies (such as establishing buffer zones with reduced mowing frequencies, limiting trampling, and retaining coarse woody debris) aimed at mitigating urban biodiversity loss and maintaining vital biological pest control services in Central–Eastern Europe. Full article

In recent years, China’s urban underground rail transit has developed rapidly, and the development of underground space has become increasingly complex, exposing the system to multiple operational risks such as structural instability, excessive deformation, equipment failures and emergencies. Existing studies often evaluate individual hazards or isolated stakeholder risks, while insufficient attention has been paid to how sudden events interact and propagate as disaster chains. To address this gap, this study develops a disaster-chain network framework for operational risk management in underground rail transit. Twenty sudden disaster risk events are first identified through literature review, expert consultation, system investigation, and HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) analysis. A database of 595 historical events is then used to construct co-occurrence and adjacency matrices. And the Jaccard index is used only to quantify association strength, while temporal order, HAZOP-based causal screening, and expert verification are introduced to distinguish plausible triggering relationships from simple correlations. Network indicators, including degree, betweenness, modified clustering coefficient, path length, connectivity, and edge vulnerability, are applied to identify critical nodes and propagation paths. The results indicate that functional failure of civil structures, fire, and crowd stampede are the dominant risk nodes. The proposed framework provides a transparent and replicable basis for prioritizing monitoring, emergency response, and link-cutting mitigation measures. The findings are intended as system-specific decision support rather than universal risk rankings and should be updated when new local operational data become available. Full article

Metropolitan fringe villages are important interfaces where urban–rural factor flows, urban functional spillovers, and spatial restructuring converge. However, how spatial governance shapes the evolution of their territorial spatial patterns remains insufficiently explained. Taking Donglin Village in Chengdu, China, as a case study, this paper integrates field investigation, in-depth interviews, and remote-sensing image interpretation to examine the mechanisms and governance logic underlying the evolution of territorial spatial patterns in metropolitan fringe villages. The findings show that the spatial evolution of Donglin Village is not merely a process of land-use change, but a dynamic process characterized by the coordinated restructuring of material, functional, and social spatial patterns. Spatial governance operates through three interrelated mechanisms: element integration promotes the reorganization of spatial resources and the reshaping of material space; functional synergy facilitates rural multifunctional transformation and spatial value enhancement; and benefit sharing helps stabilize actor relationships and institutionalize the distribution of development gains. Policy and institutional arrangements do not constitute an independent mechanism, but instead provide boundary constraints, rule support, and implementation guarantees for the above mechanisms. The case of Donglin Village further demonstrates that spatial governance connects spatial restructuring, functional reorganization, and benefit coordination into a continuous process of territorial spatial optimization. This study clarifies the mechanisms through which spatial governance shapes the evolution of territorial spatial patterns in metropolitan fringe villages and provides implications for spatial optimization in similar villages under the context of urban–rural integrated development. Full article

With the growing focus on people-centered urban development sustainability in megacities, urban amenities have emerged as an important factor consistently associated with residential differentiation and restructuring. Understanding how it relates to the structure of social space is essential to advancing spatial equity. The study developed an analytical framework that integrates functional characteristics and supply patterns and applied Multi-scale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) to examine how amenities shaped socio-spatial differentiation within Beijing’s Fifth Ring Road from 2015 to 2025. The results indicate that socio-spatial differentiation showed a rise followed by a decline across the three time points examined, yet its spatial pattern maintained a stable agglomeration characteristic of “high in the core area and low in the peripheral areas.” Significant differences exist in the roles of amenities across different attributes and scales. Market-driven factors, represented by amenity density and amenity diversity, typically exert their influence over larger spatial scales and are generally associated with spatial mixing and provide baseline opportunities for potential social interaction. Attributes such as amenity publicness and amenity uniqueness, which are more influenced by institutional and capital factors, primarily operate at local scales. While they are often associated with exclusionary effects in traditional core areas, they are also consistent with a certain degree of spatial integration in some revitalized districts. This study offers a more nuanced explanation for understanding the socio-spatial restructuring of megacities in transition and provides empirical evidence for advancing more equitable and sustainable urban governance. Full article