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Identification and Planning of Potential Ventilation Corridors: A Case Study of Wuhu, China
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024Ventilation corridors have a significant effect on the improvement of urban climate adaptation as well as the improvement of habitat quality. In the context of climate change leading to the frequent occurrence of extremely high temperatures, it is necessary to research urban ventilation corridors to optimise the urban wind environment and thermal comfort. In the past, wind speed measurement and computational fluid dynamics methods have had limitations in their application to large-scale urban spaces. In this study, with Wuhu City as a case study, a geographic information system (GIS)-based method was adopted to design an urban ventilation corridor suitability assessment framework for identifying potential ventilation corridors, which can support the identification and planning of ventilation corridors in large-scale urban planning and design.
Keywords: Urban Wind Environment; Ventilation Corridors; Compensation Space; Urban Heat Island (UHI)published versio
Enhancing Social Interaction in Urban Spaces: The Role of Vertical Greening Systems in High-Density Areas
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024The critical role of nature exposure in fostering prosocial behaviour and social connectedness is wellestablished in existing research, while intensifying urbanization presents growing challenges to the development of the nature in urban areas. The Vertical Greening System (VGS), an innovative approach that conserves land, emerges as a creative solution. However, its potential in enhancing social interactions remains under-explored. To bridge this gap, experiments were conducted to assess the impact of VGS on improving spatial quality, enhancing space attractiveness, and increasing pedestrians' willingness to walk, stay, and engage in social interactions. Results indicate that VGS serve as important visual attractors and significantly enhances the visual attractiveness of urban spaces, leading to improved perceptions of environmental quality. This enhancement positively affects the affective experience of pedestrians, creating a more inviting atmosphere conducive to walk, stay, and socialize. Eye-tracking data shows that green elements serve as important visual attractors, suggesting that their strategic placement in urban design is critical to promoting social interaction.
Keywords: Vertical greening system, Environmental perception, Affective experience, Social interactionpublished versio
Aging in (urban) Place: a multidimensional study to explore opportunities for healthy longevity in the city
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024Aging in place is an increasingly discussed topic in the study of urban aging, especially in light of the new challenges of our century: population aging and urbanization. Understanding the interaction between individuals and their environment is critical to promoting healthy longevity. A mixed-methods case study in the Italian city of Bergamo examines this relationship, focusing initially on two models of aging in place: senior housing and home ownership. Preliminary data reveal individual differences in social life and in the use of urban space between the two groups. The research, which aims to investigate how to support healthy “aging in place”, could involve policymakers, urban planners, and architects in promoting inclusive and age-friendly urban environments, by introducing a new perspective to aging in place studies.
Keywords: Aging in place, age-friendly city, healthy longevity, empowerment, inclusionpublished versio
Research on the Psychological Health Impacts for Children in Urban Built Environments Zhang, Dongyu
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024In recent years, the incidence of psychological and behavioral problems in children has increased, making it a critical intervention target within the framework of the Healthy China Action. The development of children's psychological health is influenced by a myriad of factors, with psychological biases potentially accumulating over time and evolving into psychological health issues such as depression and autism. Various disciplinary fields address the development of children's psychological health through genetic factors, family dynamics, social surroundings, and material space. Among these, urban and rural planning disciplines optimize the material spatial environment through planning design and indicator regulation, mitigating or reducing biases in children's psychological development and thus preventing or ameliorating the psychological health risks they face. Existing studies indicate a substantial correlation between factors of the urban built environment and residents' psychological health, exerting long-term, sustained, widespread, and subtle effects on psychological well-being with the potential for optimization and improvement. Moreover, owing to their social vulnerability, health susceptibility, and highly malleable biological characteristics, children's psychological health is particularly susceptible to the influence of urban built environments. The developmental trajectory of children's psychological health possesses unique characteristics, and their utilization and experience of urban space differ from that of adults. Some studies have noted that certain material spatial elements relevant to adult psychological health may not hold the same significance among children and adolescents. Therefore, in urban planning research addressing the psychological health needs of children, the following questions merit further elucidation: (1) What constitutes the specific connotation of children's psychological health, and what comprises psychological health at different age stages? (2) What are the characteristics of the effects of urban built environments on children's psychological health? (3) What potential impact pathways exist during this process? This article aims to explore the impact of the urban built environment on children's psychological health across these three dimensions. Comprehensive interdisciplinary research seeks to clarify the concepts, processes, and compositions of children's psychological health, along with the psychological health characteristics of children across all age groups; extract and identify elements and characteristic indicators of the urban built environment, analyzing their impact pathways from various perspectives on the psychological health benefits for children.
Keywords: Children's Psychological Health; Urban Built Environment; Interdisciplinary Researchpublished versio
Towards an inclusive and developmental housing regime in Chinese megacities? Evidence from the implementation of the Affordable Rental Housing Programme in Shanghai
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024Affordable Rental Housing (ARH) is the latest social rental housing programme proposed by the Chinese government, which forms part of the social housing system and is primarily designed to alleviate the housing difficulties of the inflowing new citizens and young people in megacities, thus moving towards a developmental housing regime. Focusing on the implementing process of the ARH program in Shanghai, this study observed the location of ARH in the housing system, the project types, provision mode, spatial distribution, and affordability of ARH, then explored the tensions between the government and stakeholders through the conceptual lens of governance structure. This study enriches the conceptual and empirical understanding of ARH in China and enriches the understanding of housing regime transformation in China.
Keywords: housing regime, rental housing system, affordable rental housing (ARH), public rental housing (PRH), Shanghaipublished versio
The Publicness of Urban Commons. Insights from the Brussels Commoning Scene
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024If care is one dimension of welfare we need to reappropriate to protect the foundations of a democratic society and democracy, publicness is the other. As Ota De Leonardis pointed out, the final consolidation of the institutions and the operating systems of the welfare state corresponded to the loss of a lively public sphere - as an essential, fundamental public good. While her observations were formulated at the end of the 90s, in the context of an emerging welfare mix season and growing privatisation, they appear very relevant today, given the more recent developments of the welfare systems, particularly the proliferation of urban commons. While almost inherently representing a complementary layer of existing welfare infrastructures, their operational systems and conditions may fuel the risk of increasing privatism in the welfare sphere. Vis-à-vis, such a risk, looking at the case of Brussels, I will investigate the publicness of the urban commons as a capability to contribute to the identification of welfare problems and issues and the elaboration of solutions in the public sphere.
Keywords: urban commons - publicness - public sphere- welfare - Brusselspublished versio
Rental Affordability, Housing First and Beyond. A Focus on the City of Trieste (Italy)
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024In Europe, access to affordable rental housing is increasingly recognised as a priority issue, particularly for individuals facing multifaceted distress or temporary and precarious employment. By addressing multiple dimensions of poverty, the Housing First (HF) approach challenges traditional emergency responses, framing access to housing as a comprehensive and diversified set of preventive actions against homelessness. Since 2015, HF has gained recognition in Italy, although its implementation remains limited. This paper explores the spatial conditions, target populations, stakeholders, and both material and immaterial resources that could facilitate the integration of HF into structural policies for affordable social (and ‘very social’) rental housing. The case study focuses on Trieste, a medium-sized Italian city where the risk of homelessness is significant due to demographic aging, migration flows, and an insufficient supply of public housing.
Keywords: Rental Housing Affordability, Social and Very Social Housing, Housing First, Triestepublished versio
Can Transferable Development Rights be Applied in the Chinese Context? A Comparative Study between China and the United States
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024Transferable development right (TDR) is an innovative land management tool created under zoning system in the United States and widely applied in the preservation of historical buildings and natural resources. Chinese scholars have introduced it and conducted extensive research, advocating for the establishment of a trading market for land development rights. However, there are significant misunderstandings that need clarification. Firstly, In China's property rights system, "development rights" is implicitly included within the "land use rights" specified in the Civil Code. Secondly, China's quotas-trading between governments differs from the TDR system in the United States, where land development rights are traded among private landowners. Additionally, the transfer of floor area ratio (FAR) between land users does not hold practical significance in the Chinese context.
Keywords: TDR, FAR, land use control, property rightspublished versio
Adaptive Planning in China: Research Progress, Implementation Effectiveness, and Future Prospects Based on Knowledge Mapping and Meta-Analysis
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024Adaptive planning aids in addressing nonlinear urban changes through dynamic adjustments. This study employs knowledge mapping and meta-analysis methods to examine the progress and effectiveness of adaptive planning research in China over the past two decades. The results indicate that China has focused on the application of adaptive planning in environmental areas, gradually expanding to territorial spatial planning. Key areas of focus include ecological protection, urban renewal, and transportation development. The overall effectiveness of adaptive planning implementation in China has been positive, though attention is needed on developing multiple alternative plans, enhancing community participation, and increasing long-term investment in adaptive processes. This study identifies adaptive issues and response strategies within the Chinese planning context, aiming to enrich the global research system of adaptive planning.
Keywords: adaptive planning; Chinese practice; research progress; implementation effectivenesspublished versio
The Evaluation on Walkability in an Aging Society : the Case of Senri New Town, Japan
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024This study aimed to enhance urban environments for the elderly by assessing walkability in the Takanodai area of Senri New Town, Japan. Seven indicators for walkability were selected through a literature review, and a quantitative evaluation using the seven indicators was conducted. The results are presented in a heat map of walkability, and shows that pedestrian-only paths scored lower than roadways in detached house residential areas. This suggests that slopes and stairs of pedestrian-only paths were not considered obstacles at the time of construction of the new town, and have remained unchanged over time. It is possibly due to a low level of awareness on addressing barrier-free issues by whom? in the past. In contrast, pedestrianized street in public housing zone scored higher than others. The reason for this may be that the public housing zone was designed with better green space and sidewalks. The study's findings could inform improvement areas for future urban development for creating walkable cities accessible to all citizens.
Keywords: walkability, elderly, slopes and stairs, Newtown, urban developmentpublished versio