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Optimal roadworks schedule in multi-agent transportation models
Get PDFIn this paper we consider the problem of the optimal roadworks scheduling in the road traffic network optimization. The main goal of this research is to find the optimal order of roadworks and minimize their negative impact on the transportation network throughput. In order to model the dynamics of a transportation system, we propose a large-scale, multi-agent vehicle routing modelling framework for traffic simulation and impact of roadworks on traffic throughput. We present a quick and effective heuristic algorithm for streamlining the road repairs. Finally, the numeric experiment in a real-world setting is conducted. The obtained results indicate the flexibility of the proposed algorithm, which can be effectively applied by decision makers who need to carry out roadworks with limited time and resources
Roadmap for a European Open Science Alliance for ATM Research
Get PDFTo meet the future challenges of air transport and air traffic management (ATM), higher levels of transparency and access to the underlying data will be a key enabler.
We here propose an Open Science Alliance for ATM, advocating for open data in such a framework. The benefits of adopting an open science approach are to be found, inter alia, through the independent verification and validation of reported impacts/results and achieved performance levels, i.e., through reproducibility. We consider that this can only be achieved through: (1) open access to scientific methods and data utilised; (2) open access to (analytical) code and methods; (3) open review of reported analyses/research. The proper application of such practices will reduce the innovation cycles in ATM, which is much needed by industry and society. Steps for forming an Open Science Alliance for ATM are described. We propose further initial, specific recommendations for supporting open data and improved access for research
Insular Cowscapes: Technologies of Ecological Restoration
Get PDFThe Azores is an archipelago known for its Edenic landscapes, strongly symbolised by cows grazing in vast pasturelands. These ‘natural’ scenarios, however, obfuscate technologies of ecological restoration resulting from cattle exploitation, which seem to be in a clear collision with the perception of the Azorean scenery as ‘a good way of life’. Impelled by the focus of this Footprint issue, I recently visited two farms in São Miguel Island: a medium-size dairy farm and an intensive beef farm. Through this field inquiry, in this article I intend to problematise the fabrication of productive farming landscapes or, rather, the production of cowscapes. The current livestock political vision appears as twofold: a restorative ideal, promoting the ‘return to’ a supposed bucolic state; and the synchronization of livestock activities through the reconfiguration of the terrain, machines, animals and work. The triad efficiency-optimisation-specialisation might be symptomatic of the current path in the archipelago, within which extensive farming translates into an increased farmland footprint. After all, more efficiency requires more pastureland. Ultimately, the contemporary Azorean cowscapes perpetuate the loss of resilience in global food systems, and the island is only the beginning of the evidentiary trail
Title Processes and planning of peri-urban landscapes in Spanish cities: The role of Urban Planning, Environmental Planning and Landscape
No full textThe phenomenon of suburbanisation is as old as cities themselves, as urban history shows. However, the ways in which cities have colonised new spaces have changed over the course of time. Contemporary urban landscapes show a widespread decentralisation of tertiary activities, whereas the industrial era witnessed the exponential growth of residential and industrial peripheries. The spread of various infrastructures, particularly roads and rail, has contributed to the formation of what is now commonly called "new peripheries" or "peri-urban zones." Existing in a transitional state between the purely rural and the urban, these areas have a distinct character. The paper seeks to identify and evaluate strategies implemented in six Spanish cities in recent decades, with a view to highlighting their importance in requalifying, preserving, or revitalising heritage and eco-cultural values within twelve case studies. The analysis relies on the identification of risks and opportunities for the 12 areas studied, which were derived from a previous study. We have analysed the transformation of these areas over the last 50 years (1970-2020) from different perspectives: land use, urbanisation processes, changes in the road and rail systems, use of buildings, green and blue infrastructures, etc. This is followed by a critical examination of the existing and emerging urban planning and landscape strategies and instruments in the cities under study, particularly concerning the selected areas. The study shows that the proliferation of planning instruments alone does not guarantee the conservation or revitalisation of these peri-urban landscapes. We focus on those strategies that seek to maintain and enhance environmental and landscape quality. Open space management, sectoral policies, comprehensive interventions such as soft infrastructure, river parks or green corridors have also been analysed in landscape plans and projects. The aim is also to identify the most effective ones, which can help guide future interventions
A GIS-based Study on the Distribution of Religious Buildings in Lhasa and its Historical Urban Spatial Pattern
Get PDFThis study examines the pivotal role of religious architecture in shaping Lhasa’s urban landscape, emphasizing Buddhism’s profound impact on the rise, development, and spatial organization of Tibetan cities. Religious architectures serve as essential nodes for public engagement with Buddhism and are central to the city’s socio-cultural fabric. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the research quantitatively and qualitatively analyzes the distribution, density, and architectural characteristics of Lhasa’s religious edifices. This approach offers a comprehensive understanding of the spatial interplay between these religious sites and the broader urban matrix. By integrating Lhasa’s natural topography and socio-historical context, the study provides insights into how geographical and cultural factors influence urban planning and architecture. The objective is to delineate the spatial symbiosis between religious architecture and Lhasa’s urban form, revealing how these structures have shaped the city’s physical and cultural landscape. Through this multidisciplinary lens, the paper aims to contribute to the broader discourse on the intersection of religion, architecture, and urban development, particularly in historically and religiously significant cities
Politics of the High-rises: Councillors in the making of public housing in Hong Kong (1952-1973)
Get PDFThis paper examines the interface between politics and urban planning in the creation of high density public housing in Hong Kong. The history of Hong Kong public housing in Hong Kong is often presented as a linear progression: from the spartan resettlement blocks, communal low-cost housing, finally towards modern tower blocks – a triumph of government planners and architects alike. Less known was the involvement of the councillors in the Urban Council. Until 1973, Hong Kong Urban Council was the government arm in executing housing projects in Hong Kong through its control of the former Housing Authority and their oversight power to the Commissioner for Resettlement. As the council was the only public body with direct election in Hong Kong until 1983, it brought a rare taste of citizen participation and accountability into the housing project. They were pivotal in the management of the estates, from the rent policy, public space, zoning, to receiving complaints, and even filling the applications forms for the estates. They were the force that transformed the high-raising estates into the most well-sought accommodation for Hong Kong residents. With their political clout, councillors acted as a counterweight against critics of the public housing project, such as neo-liberals like John Cowperthwaithe, ensuring the celebrated continuity of the project. This paper challenges the technocratic or government-centred narrative about public housing in Hong Kong by bringing council politics to the centre of discussion
Asunción, Mother of Cities: The Temptation of an Ecologic Utopia
Get PDFThis study aims to reveal how an original sequence of syncretism characterizes the development of architecture and urbanism in Asunción, capital city of Paraguay, unique in the mainstream urban history of Latin America. This investigation focuses on how a series of cultural syncretism mediate through time the tensions between endogenous and exogenous practices: vernacular material ecologies related to the cultural techniques of the Guarani, and colonial urban models introduced by the Spanish monarchy and the Jesuit missions. Articulated through an ecological, socio-cultural, and spatial understanding of Tereré and its tea rituals. It lies at the navel of every single spiral of syncretism: in its materials, symbols, and forms. As they mutate, so do its territories, urbanisms, and architectures. Even though it shares a history of Spanish colonialism with other capital cities, the grids of the Laws of Indies and the Jesuit castrum organization of space could not completely subdue the environmental logic of the Guaraní nation. Thus, the project aims to highlight the cultural values imprinted within an accretion of syncretism which offers a wealth of spatial expression in Asunción as it stands today
From Capital to Metropolis: Urbanization and the Transformation of Market Spaces in Late Ming Nanjing
Get PDFThe transformation of Nanjing from a political capital to an economic and cultural center in the 14th and 16-17th centuries is well recognized. However, there has been limited focus on the changes in market spaces that were closely linked to urbanization and economic activities during this period. This article first examines the historical development of markets in Nanjing before the Ming Dynasty, analyzing the characteristics of market formation under the influence of urban layout. It then delves into the markets under state management and construction in the early Ming Dynasty, highlighting that the distribution and form of early Ming street markets were consistent with the government\u27s political intentions. Finally, it explores how urbanization in the later Ming Dynasty led to the reorganization of market spaces, reshaping the cityscape of street markets and infusing them with greater urban significance
The evolution of Green Belt concepts in Hanoi\u27s regional planning, 1960-2023
Get PDFThis article analyses the evolution of Green Belt concepts in Hanoi from a historical perspective. Through the comparison between international concepts and the practical planning local during 1960 - 2023, this paper aims to answer three main questions related to the Green Belt: First, when was the Green Belt theory introduced to Vietnam? Second, what lessons were there in the process of being introduced into Hanoi? Third, why has the Green Belt theory not been successful in practical planning? This article uses fieldwork methods and comprehensive analysis and divides three different periods: the first period (1960-1998), the second period (1998-2011), and the third period (2011-2023). The planners have found many ways to enhance Greenbelt’s role, from changing perception to changing form toward flexibility, but Greenbelt theory still can not be put into practical planning. This article adopts a comparative historical planning perspective to examine the adaptability of planning applications across diverse contexts, with a specific focus on the paradigm in the UK where this theory originated and has successfully adapted through numerous policy and institutional changes. Hanoi’s green belt had faced various challenges arising from ambiguity in green belt identification; the development of appropriate frameworks tailored to local conditions for managing the green belt as a cohesive entity, and consideration of the overall urban development layout with a long-term perspective
Rising Waters, Rooted Memories: Cultural Heritage as a resource for climate adaptation in Sinking Cities
Get PDFCommunities around the world are facing climate change impacts with coastal communities being particularly vulnerable. While there is a growing awareness of the pivotal role of culture in adaptation, there is a lack of practical approaches for the incorporation of culture in adaptation planning. Skills and knowledge for today´s adaptation challenges can be drawn from cultural heritage since the confrontation with climatic changes and extreme weather events are an elementary feature in human history. We argue that cultural heritage is a rich resource in this context and describe five functionalities of heritage. It can be used to transfer knowledge, to process loss, to strengthen community resilience, to change paradigms in adaptation practice, and to find socially accepted solutions in post-disaster reconstruction. The transdisciplinary research project Sinking Cities: Cultural Heritage as a transformational resource focuses on the potential of cultural institutions and artists in using heritage to support climate adaptation in coastal communities.