UPLanD - Journal of Urban Planning, Landscape & environmental Design
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Widen the Scale of Urban Design to the Level of City Planning: Argument beyond a Case of Two Cities
Full text linkThe current paper traces two characteristics streak. The first is providing a mutating role for urban design as an academic discipline launched for a better life of the second streak. The latter is the world which has urban problems in different places. Some cities are suffering from the overcrowding and overloading population with various types of activities. Notwithstanding having such variety, some cities could have a feature of hardship in the way of citizen’s living. The cities of hardship are in the known and unknown places. Despite the fact that urban design has repeated presence in schools of Architecture and professional practice, it is still an enigmatic term, used separately by different groups in different situations to provide a world's better life. Besides the increasing attention to the subject and the rising number of academics and their praxis that are engaged in urban design have caused a pressing need for a clearer scope of work as well as defining the limitation between the large and small scales projects it exposed. Can urban design (UD) extend to have the regional level in its agenda and work on design level? Can UD be a mongrel paradigm for different disciplines
The strategic approach in urban regeneration: the Hamburg model
Full text linkAfter centuries of development, port cities are nowadays involved into the post-industrial revitalization of historical waterfronts and harbors aiming to fill the gaps originated by loosing of both economical activities and identity. In this context cruise tourism has been seen, in the global port cities competition perspective, as a possibility to diversify the port city economy and to attract international investments. Cruise industry has profited of such urban regeneration, exploiting the abandoned areas and the coastal structures for new cruise terminals and tourists related services but, often, in a merely aesthetic-design approach. After a review of literature on cruise tourism evolution and impacts, and passing through citizens' opposition actions, we examine in detail the Hamburg experience in its transformation, both in governance and physical aspect, from commercial port city to international cruise hub. In particular this experience was able to canalize the cruise tourism growing trend from a global economic phenomenon to a topic of the creative city's strategic choices and to implement them, in addition, by urban and strategic planning tools as well as city marketing. The Hamburg experience highlights the results' quality achievable with an approach that, overcoming the design dimension, brings into play a coordinated set of multiscalar actions aiming to expande the regenerative effects of change both in spatial, social and economic field
Cross-scale analyses for costal areas management: the case study of the Sorrentine Peninsula
Full text linkThe paper presents first results of the project "Place-based Regeneration Strategies and Participatory Processes", a research collaboration between the CNR-IRISS Institute and the Department of Architecture of the University of Naples "Federico II", aimed at exploring the topic of coastal areas resilience on the case study of the Sorrento Peninsula, a meaningful example of the integration between development needs and instances of protecting built landscape. The research interest goes to the patterns generated by sets of selected iconemi (Turri, 1998) that could be combined as landscape sub-systems through a number of components, rather than be deepened as single element of the site identity. The study uses cross-scaling approach as conceptual device in order to explore coastal landscape as sum of different patterns and iconemi; it also aims at understanding landscape diversity (also referred to the local eco-social system and its constraints), looking at the specific configuration of the place, its vulnerability, and its exposure at risk. The research has especially focused on the topic of safe accessibility, enhancing the opportunity of recovering agricultural paths as secondary roads network, for improving the integrated management of the territory and of cultural landscape. The study identifies these pathways both as iconema of the Sorrento coastal environment, and both as component of the agricultural ecosystem by which improve land use management and risk reduction. Paths, indeed, have been interpreted as the most effective tool for governing land use change locally, enhancing the role of slope crops in terms of economic values of natural and agricultural areas, and also as key opportunity for risk reduction, increasing paths recovery as part of wider adaptive strategy in case of fire events
Characteristics, Trends and Spatial Distribution of Urban Migration in Malaysia: A Case Study of the Klang Valley Region
Full text linkThis paper attempts to discuss the characteristics and spatial distribution of urban migrants in the Klang Valley region, Malaysia. The paper will first provide an overall picture about the urban migration scenarios and its influence on urban development. Then, it is followed by a discussion on the findings from a survey of migration behavioural in the Klang Valley region. The paper has found that most of the migrants in the areas of the Klang Valley came from outside the Klang Valley. They are dominated by a group of the 35-44 in age. Most of them are educated with a good job, have higher income and possess their own house. So, this age group influenced the characteristics of demographic and socioeconomic of the population in the Klang Valley. At the early stage of arrival, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (FTKL) became the concentration of urban migrants in the region, before they slowly phased out to the neighbouring areas such as the MPKj (the Kajang Municipal Council), MBSA (the Shah Alam City Council) and MPSJ (the Subang JayaMunicipal Council). This paper also illustrates the spatial distribution of urban migration in the Klang Valley based on the seven factors of migration decision-selectivity or destination choices. This paper ends with a discussion on how the urban planners should respond to the migration needs and issues for the betterment of urban development in the future
Spatial refinement to better evaluate mobility and its environmental impacts inside a neighborhood
Full text linkA large share of a neighborhood project’s environmental impacts is due to mobility. It either takes place inside the neighborhood, such as transit traffic or internal mobility, or is induced by it and exchanged with the rest of the urban area. A way to improve mobility impacts evaluation in the assessment of neighborhood alternative designs, is to refine traffic simulation models making them more sensitive to spatial design while keeping their sensitivity to local traffic conditions and associated energy consumption and pollutants’ emissions.This paper introduces a methodology relying on the classic four-step scheme for mobility demand modelling together with specific spatial refinement. The neighborhood is divided into fine sub-areas, with specific consequences for each step: first, trips are generated on the basis of sub-area land-use and activity data; second, the trips are distributed between all Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs), enabling to identify internal short-range trips; third, the mode choice model takes into account the particular access conditions between sub-areas and transit stations or roadway nodes; fourth, traffic assignment involves finer TAZs and finer path description. Furthermore, a 5th step is added to deal with environmental evaluation, especially the allocation of mobility impacts to the project’s sub-areas. These steps are presented and illustrated on the ‘Cité Descartes’ district case study, in Eastern Paris. Dividing its 1 km² area into about 100 sub-areas enabled us to depict the projects’ program and spatial layout very finely, especially so in relation to the transit stops and stations location. Some limitations and needs for further research are also outlined
Minor centres through identity and green development. The study case of Aquilonia
Full text linkIt’s been a long time since the EU strategy has focused on building and urban regeneration as a priority for environmental, social and economical development policies in member countries. The Municipality of Aquilonia (AV) commissioned a research project, in order to carry out a Specialized Study meant as a support for the municipal programme for building energetic efficiency and the improvement of power plants by means of renewable resources. In this frame some issues, dealing with the relationship between the general environmental topic and the peculiarities of some land and urban cases – especially minor urban centres – have been emphasized. With respect to the specific features, it has been underlined the risk to award the technological innovation the role of an uncritical acceptance of the use of new technologies, which actually fully satisfy the present demand of energy saving as well as of green energy production, but do not undergo a necessary reflection about the built environment, the land where it lies and their transforming process. On the contrary, it is essential to aim at matching the liveability requirements with the issue of not altering, though indeed enhancing and improving the whole system of urban, architectural, functional and constructive features of peculiar urban centres that arise as heritage and as a resource for green development, especially if seen inside a coherent network
Urbanization and Urban design in sustainable development. Case study of the ToLich River regions in Hanoi
Full text linkIn Vietnam, as elsewhere in the world, villages, towns and small cities of noticeable interest (in relation to culture, heritage, history or ecology) on the outskirts of larger cities are suffering serious damage from large-scale rapid urbanization. Development principles that merge historical and cultural heritage with dynamic trade and economy, while preserving an urban identity, with affirmative internal resources and ecological initiatives, guarantee a stable environment towards sustainable urban development.This research refers to urban design and renovation and landscape design orientated towards sustainable development of small towns along the To Lich River, Hanoi, Vietnam. Focusing on residential concentrations rich in culture, history and traditional trades and crafts, this paper determines and develops the tools to identify characteristic landscapes of urban residential clusters situated along rivers.The proposal is of an open dynamic sustainable urban trinodal concept that maintains and promotes existing values and strengths for the river landscape. The model consists of Society (Culture-Heritage-History), Economy (Trade-Craft-Agriculture) and Ecology (Environment-Habitation). These shape the identity of the regional landscape (those on each side of the ToLich River) and are also applicable for sustainable developments a long other rivers or territories
Lessons From An Emerging Economy, An Analysis Of Sunlight Use In Chilean Public Housing
Full text linkGiven the importance of sunlight on human health and how the built environment influences human interaction with sunlight, how can the design profession incorporate sunlight more robustly into public housing design projects? I try to answer this question by looking at the last thirty years of the Chilean public housing development. My methodological approach was divided into two parts. The first part focused in unraveling the historical precedents that led to the current public housing typology, so prevalent in Chilean public housing projects today. The second part consisted of fieldwork done along the length of the Chilean geography. Chile spans a North to South length of 4,270 km (2,653 mi) and has an average sunshine variation that more then doubles between the Northern most city of Arica compared to the Southern most city of Punta Arenas. Preliminary data from these two research approaches, reveal what steps can be taken in order to increase the relevance of sunlight in public housing design. On an urban scale, careful consideration of grid layout, location of green areas, sidewalks and transportation. On the housing scale, window location as it relates to issues of privacy, safety and accessibility, need careful consideration.
Waterway Landscape Protection: transformation opportunities
Full text linkPursuant to the Code on Cultural Heritage and Landscape, waterways and 150-metre-wide riparian zones are identified as landscape assets even when they do not possess particularly significant characteristics. In these situations, rather than acting in a solely restrictive manner, based on a form of negative regulation, it seems a good idea to work to implement landscape redevelopment and regeneration processes. The Code offers regions this possibility within the framework of landscape plans which can pinpoint those protected river areas eligible for simplified procedures to foster their recovery. Having approved the landscape plan in 2015, Regione Toscana is engaged in this process and has commissioned the University of Florence to carry out research to identify these areas and the criteria for their redevelopment. This essay presents the outcome of the research, concluded in September 2016 with the creation of an Atlas of these areas which can be taken as a starting point and an initial outline of planning criteria for interaction with local institutions in implementing redevelopment policies
Paris, London, Berlin: 3 Metropolises facing the challenges of Urban Waters
Full text linkEuropean great cities are now facing four major challenges. The first one is about managing drinking water in urban areas (distribution, prices, access and supply). Water management has become the main tool to protect water extraction areas or manage the ground- and surface water in unpolluted areas out of the city. The second challenge concerns the sanitation of waste- and rainwater. The long-term goal implies separation storm water and rainwater more efficiently, without congesting municipal networks during rainy periods and modernizing the processes used to purify industrial and domestic waste water. The third challenge refers to water courses and small urban rivers. Cities now strive to reclaim rivers that were once buried, through reopening them. That goes along with a transformation of riverbanks to large public spaces by pushing back roads and economic activities. The last challenge deals with the urban resilience to flood risks as a new alternative to local flood risk management policies, which are still very much focused on standard and heavy flood protection (dykes, dams, etc.). The first two topics are about the “little water cycle” (water management from the collecting points to the treatment plants before returning to the natural environment). The last two issues relate to the big “natural” cycle of water. The following paper proposes a reflection on strategies by three of the biggest European metropolises in regards to their water management policies and their proceeding -via urban planning projects- to merge the two “water cycles”. The article is based on the result of international projects in which two of the authors have been involved in