Built environment and social well-being: How does urban form affect social life and personal relationships?

Personal relationships are among the most influential factors for achieving a happy life. Yet, there is insufficient empirical evidence on the role of the built environment in social life and personal relationships. This paper investigates how the urban form affects social life and personal relationships by applying structural equation models to survey data collected in Oslo metropolitan area. Results indicate that residents of compact neighborhoods are significantly more satisfied with their personal relationships compared with residents of low-density suburban neighborhoods. Shorter distances to the city center, higher densities, and mixed land uses are found to positively contribute to overall social well-being. Path analysis as well as qualitative analysis suggest that compact urban forms enable residents to maintain larger networks of close relationships, socialize more frequently with friends and family, receive stronger social support, and enjoy increased opportunities to make new acquaintances.     

The middle classes and the remaking of the suburban family community: evidence from the Netherlands

This paper presents data on everyday life in three recently built Dutch suburban areas constructed under the Vinex national urban planning policy. Its focus is on family households and today’s division of work and care, social life and neighbourhood activism. The results show that suburbs are no longer breeding grounds for the traditional nuclear family. But, while the rate of working mothers is high, the limited use of professional child care still reflects the tradition that maintains that children are best cared for in the private domain. Having children is crucial for putting down roots and developing social networks. In contrast to the past, both working mothers and fathers are actively constructing family communities. The newly established family communities are firmly of the middle class and tend to exclude childless and lowerclass households. Neighbourhood activism involves both the reproduction of an unspoiled and orderly environment and the realisation of a suburban paradise for children. This paper further reveals differences in the suburban areas studied and discusses the false dichotomy between the urban and the suburban within the metropolitan area.     

Patterns of innovation relations in metropolitan regions: the case of the Vienna urban region

Innovation networks have been analysed at several spatial levels, from the local to the global. There has still been much interest in innovation systems below the national level. A wide range of regions has been studied but there is still one type which has been so far neglected, the metropolitan or urban region. It is a region which reaches beyond the administrative boundary of a city, comprising the core city and the surrounding suburban municipalities which are closely interlinked with the centre. In this paper the special case of the Vienna urban region is analysed with regard to the innovation networks in the city and the suburban area and, in particular, between the two parts of the metropolitan area. The analysis of data from an innovation survey covering the Vienna urban region leads to the conclusion that in this specific case the innovation relations between the city and its surroundings are not very strong and concentrated on interactions within the business sector. Firms located in the city focus most on relations within the city, which applies to the business, finance as well as the research sectors. Firms in the suburban area, on the contrary, are more oriented towards innovation partners outside the urban region.     

Geography and public finance: planning for fiscal equity in a metropolitan region

The provision of public services is a major function of local governments. The capability of local jurisdictions to fulfil this role depends upon the relationship between fiscal capacity and expenditure needs. The extent of the capacity–needs gap varies between jurisdictions in response to a host of economic, social and political factors. Such differences can lead to major socio–spatial disparities in levels of public service provision and in the quality of life for residents of different jurisdictions. These variations are particularly acute within metropolitan regions of advanced capitalist societies in which there is a geographical mismatch between increasingly extensive functional urban regions and politically constrained urban administrative units. This research examines the geography of public finance at the metropolitan level with particular reference to the Glasgow metropolitan region of west central Scotland, identifies major spatial variations in fiscal health among metropolitan local authorities, and evaluates possible strategies to promote fiscal equity. It is concluded that achieving fiscal equity in metropolitan regions will require a new form of fiscal politics informed by the existing fiscal geography but propelled by the goals of territorial and social justice.     

Social networks of rural–urban migrants after residential relocation: evidence from Yangzhou,a medium-sized Chinese city

This paper analyses the effects of residential relocation on China’s rural–urban migrants’ social networks in light of evidence from Yangzhou, Jiangsu province. Our study contrasts voluntary moves with forced moves driven by demolition-led redevelopment of urban villages. Based on data from a survey conducted between 2012 and 2013, the regression analysis shows that voluntarily relocated migrants are more likely than forced movers to use phone/computer to contact their former neighbours, and communication technology allows them to maintain the frequency of their contact. Furthermore, when moving to a gated neighbourhood, voluntary movers are more likely than forced movers to participate in public activities, to have more contact with new neighbours and thereby to get more help from the residents’ committee and new neighbours. The results suggest that forced moves have negative effects on migrants’ social networks in the neighbourhood and that the demolition-led redevelopment programmes do not promote the migrants’ integration in the city.     

Impact of urban upgrading on perceptions of safety in informal settlements: Case study of Bouakal,Batna

This paper explores how modifications of urban space in informal settlements influence residents′ quality of life and perceptions of safety. This is a case study of Bouakal, the oldest informal district in Batna, a middle city in Algeria. This paper examines the effects of urban improvement practices in Bouakal by exploring two questions: In what ways did interventions in this informal settlement affect the quality of life for the residents? How do these effects correlate with changes in the perception of safety in this area? The survey involved 141 residents from Bouakal, and local residents were selected to collect the levels of perceived safety. This paper concludes that urban upgrading has improved the quality of life and has a positive effect on the perception of safety in the settlement.     

Compact city,urban sprawl,and subjective well-being

Understanding the role of the built environment in subjective well-being (SWB) can provide important input to urban planning debates on synergies and conflicts between environmental and social sustainability of cities. Hitherto, there is little empirical evidence on how SWB is shaped by compact versus low-density sprawled urban form. This paper investigates this topic using survey data collected in Oslo metropolitan area. In addition to SWB measures, the paper examines life domains as intermediate variables between urban form and SWB. Findings suggest that, compared with residents of lower-density neighborhoods, compact-city residents have higher levels of personal relationships satisfaction and perceived physical health, similar levels of leisure satisfaction, but lower levels of emotional response to neighborhood and higher levels of anxiety. Potential benefits of the compact city for personal relationships and physical health seem to be at least partially cancelled out by lower emotional response to neighborhood and increased anxiety. Compact urban form has nonsignificant associations with life satisfaction, eudaimonia, and happiness. However, when additionally controlling for variables relevant to urban problems – perceived safety, noise, and cleanliness – emotional response to compact neighborhoods becomes significantly positive and the impact of anxiety diminishes, resulting in a significant positive association of compactness with life satisfaction. This study's outcomes are encouraging for urban sustainability as they indicate that moderately high-density development does not negatively influence SWB, as is often claimed, and that by addressing problems such as fear of crime, noise, and litter, it has the potential to promote SWB.     

均等化视角下内蒙古草原城镇基本公共服务设施布局研究

公共服务设施是城镇整体生活水平与社会文明程度的代表,同时也是城镇功能的重要组成部分和居民生产、生活中不可缺少的重要物质保障。基本公共服务设施是基本公共服务的空间载体,快速城镇化进程中,随着人民生活水平的不断提高,与公众生活质量息息相关的基本公共服务越来越受到各界关注,基本公共服务设施的相关研究成为焦点,但这些研究多集中于东、中部经济发达地区和人口较密集的区域,而相对于布局松散、规模偏小的内蒙古草原城镇少有涉猎。本文以内蒙古草原城镇为研究对象,探索均等化视角下内蒙古草原城镇基本公共服务设施的适宜性规划布局,为草原城镇基本公共服务设施布局提供借鉴。     

纽约大都市地区轨道交通介绍

Regional rail service has played an integral role in the development of the New York metropolitan area over the past century. The multiplicity of jurisdictions and agencies make planning for future growth very complex, and funding shortfalls force implementation timetables to extend far into the future. However, by focusing on high-priority ＂mega-projects＂ that tie critical elements of the region＇ s transport networks and economic centers together and by utilizing a strategy of ＂Transit-Oriented Developments＂ in suburban growth areas, urban planners and policy makers can leverage existing infrastructure and maximize the economic viability of rail transit and land investments by both public and private sectors.     

NEIGHBORHOOD‐BASED NETWORKS,SOCIAL RESOURCES,AND LABOR MARKET PARTICIPATION IN TWO DUTCH NEIGHBORHOODS

ABSTRACT: Numerous neighborhood effect studies have reported on the negative consequences of living in disadvantaged neighborhoods for various employment outcomes, such as the duration of welfare dependence and level of income. One hypothesis for explaining this relationship is the social isolation hypothesis, which assumes that low‐income residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods are worse off than their counterparts in mixed neighborhoods because they rely on other disadvantaged neighbors to find work. These ideas are addressed by comparing survey data on social resources in the social networks of residents in a low‐income neighborhood and a socioeconomically mixed neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague. Findings show that living in a low‐income neighborhood influences labor market participation indirectly by limiting residents' access to job information. However, differences in access to job information cannot be explained by the high degree of neighborhood orientation in the social networks of residents in the low‐income neighborhood.     

新城市主义视角下基于CRAI的城市社区宜居性评价——以武汉市主城区为例

城市社区是居民日常生活的核心区。改善社区及周边的居住环境、提供充足的生活资源与生活空间是提升城市宜居性的关键所在。本文在国内外理论和实践背景下,从社区居民日常生活的视角出发,利用POI数据和空间分析手段,运用改进CRAI指数评价武汉市主城区社区的资源可获性,并在新城市主义的理论下对武汉市主城区社区宜居性进行评价。研究结果显示:武汉市主城区社区商业资源可获性最高,而文化资源可获性最低,不同资源的可获性差异较大;在空间上所有社区资源均呈现较明显空间非均衡结构特征,尤其是社区的医疗与教育资源,在空间上呈现明显的二元结构;武汉市主城区社区宜居性整体出现"两头高,中间低"的特点,即高宜居性社区和低宜居性社区占比大,而中间层次的占比少。据此揭示出武汉市主城区社区资源配置存在的问题,提出改善武汉市主城区社区宜居性的建议。     

新时代街道和社区公共服务设施规划探索——从“服务短缺”到“治理协同”的重庆实践

街道和社区是居民日常生活的基本单元和社会治理的重要平台,街道和社区级公共服务设施是城市基本公共服务的重要载体。本文从“服务补缺”和“治理协同”的视角,揭示当前基层公共服务设施规划、建设、管理中的短板与问题,探索基层社会治理单元与基层公共服务单元相耦合的公共服务设施规划路径和实施政策机制,提出通过建设街道和社区综合服务中心,构建“20分钟街道公共服务圈”和“10分钟社区生活服务圈”,弥补基层公共服务设施建设的短板,优化城市基空间组织结构,促进城市规划与社会治理的结合。     

Support for tenure mix by residents local to the Carlton Housing Estate,Melbourne, Australia

In this paper, we report on the level of support for tenure mix policies of residents living proximate to the Carlton Housing Estate mixed tenure redevelopment in Melbourne Australia. In a telephone survey of 200 residents living in the area surrounding the estate, the majority of respondents were supportive of tenure mix. Those who were financially comfortable or only spoke English were significantly more supportive than those reporting more difficult financial circumstances or who spoke a language other than English. The reasons for support for tenure mix included avoiding ghettoization, building community and social role modelling. The reasons for opposing tenure mix reflected a concern for the loss of public housing, a view that public and private tenants would not want to be co-located and that public tenants weren’t as deserving as others of living in a good inner city location. There were also concerns from both groups about how tenure mix might work in practice. Policy implications are discussed.     

Fragmentation and internal disturbance of native vegetation reserves in the Perth metropolitan area, Western Australia

Remnant vegetation in metropolitan areas tends to be highly fragmented and affected by disturbances from the urban environment. A rapid survey in 71 nature reserves in the metropolitan of Perth noted surrounding land uses, types of disturbances, rated the level of weeds, rubbish, formal and informal walking paths and fire influence, and estimated vegetation condition. These data were analysed against information on reserve area and shape, connectivity to other native vegetation, period of patch encapsulation, distance from the city centre and local population density to reveal patterns of fragmentation and disturbance in the metropolitan area.Smaller reserves occurred in the highly populated inner metropolitan area, and these reserves displayed high levels of fragmentation, higher levels of weed infestation and path density and low vegetation condition. Reserves were larger, with high levels of connectivity and with less weed cover and higher vegetation condition in the outer metropolitan area. The research highlighted that whilst reserve attributes are largely set in inner urban areas, planning is required in outer metropolitan areas to ensure patches remain well connected and of optimal size and shape. Inner metropolitan reserves should also be preserved and managed, as they are highly valuable for representing the vegetation types that once occurred there, and for providing natural areas for inner city residents.     

The key to sustainable urban development in UK cities? The influence of density on social sustainability

High residential density is an important element of the compact city concept alongside mixed land uses, well-connected urban layouts, and easily accessible public transport networks. However, there is little consensus on how dense ‘high-density’ residential development should be, nor on what are the impacts of such urban environments on residents. This paper attempts to address this gap in knowledge by exploring the concept of density within the context of sustainability, calling on empirical evidence conducted in the UK by the CityForm research project. This research examined the relationship between elements of urban form (including density) and sustainability. This paper specifically makes reference to the relationship between density and aspects of social sustainability, specifically social equity (i.e. access to services and facilities), environmental equity (i.e. access to and use of green/open space) and sustainability of community (including perceptions of safety, social interaction and community stability). An extensive postal questionnaire survey and series of follow-up in-depth focus groups were conducted in a number of neighbourhoods in five UK cities to examine the hypothesis that high-density neighbourhoods were less likely to support socially sustainable behaviour and attitudes than low-density ones.     

The role of distance in online social networks: A case study of urban residents in Nanjing,China

Highly advanced information and communication technologies have reshaped the common ways urban residents interact with each other. With the widespread use of online social networking websites, research interest in the evolving spatial concepts (such as distance) in new digital age has grown exponentially. Data collected by Sina microbloggers from adult residents in Nanjing, China reveal that urban residents not only are more likely to build relationships with local and acquaintance users but also to interact with them more frequently. In other words, spatial and relational distances that play important roles in traditional Chinese social networks also exist in contemporary online social networks. Furthermore, our regression analysis reveals how the roles of spatial and relational distances in the online social networks of urban residents relate to the context of urban transformation in contemporary China. The findings contribute to a more in-depth understanding of the effects of informatisation and urban transformation on the social networks of urban residents.     

实施温州都市区规划以都市化提升城市化

都市区将成为推进城市经济社会发展新的空间载体,温州较早就提出了都市区规划,都市区规划的实施又是当前转型期整合优化城乡空间形态的战略选择.温州都市区规划实施存在着城市区域的整体规模效应还未显现、产业发展不适应都市区功能发展的要求等问题,应从立体交通网络的规划建设,统筹区域基础设施建设,整合、强化与提升城市功能,以及制度创新等方面着手推进都市化进程.     

哈尔滨地铁一号地的规划设计策略

当代中国城市住区的＂去城市化＂现象非常普遍,对城市的景观、公共生活和城市特色都产生了相当消极的影响,已经演变为一个必须面对的社会文化问题。在哈尔滨地铁一号地规划中,试图通过特定的区域、营销、空间和环境策略,将住区纳入区域整体结构以实现可持续发展,界定多元化的居民构成以丰富社区公共生活,提出终端开放系统以融合街道空间和住区环境,塑造环境的场所感以塑造住区特色和人文内涵,探索现代住区重新融入城市之道。     

Job accessibility and job‐education mismatch in the metropolitan area of Barcelona

This paper analyses the effect of job accessibility on job‐education mismatch in the metropolitan area of Barcelona with regard to both public and private transport. Transit accessibility is defined in terms of the spatial distribution of employment relative to travel time by public transport, whereas accessibility by private transport is approximated by car availability. The results obtained from a joint model for car ownership, employment selectivity and mismatch confirm that car availability matters for job‐education mismatch. Moreover, public transport connectivity to job locations favours the matching between schooling and occupation in the urban labour market.     

中国住房改革的社会影响--基于计算机技术的社会形态分析

市场经济体制改革以来,中国城市的外在形象和内部结构都发生了巨大的变化。住房市场化为普通居民提供了选择住房的机会。但是,并不是所有的百姓都从住房再分配中受益。中国城市中的住房再分配与居民在政府再分配和市场回报之间的位置联系密切,这种联系超过了成熟市场中因生活圈及其改变衍生出的住房需求。本文研究了宁波老城再开发地段当地居民的满意度,着重从社会方面分析,主要涉及住房再分配对居民的影响及其导致的潜在住房问题。研究以一份调查问卷为基础,调查了在过去15年内三个不同时期进行改造的社区。调查数据表明三个社区的满意度都不高。由于各阶层人们的努力,保护老城内综合环境的同时也要提高当地居民生活质量的新策略被采纳。然而,为改变人们的观念还有很多工作要做:通过报纸获得信息和教育,通过学术旅行和会议进行学术讨论,对决策人进行汇报,进行小规模改善的实践。住宅搬迁正在成为有争议的话题。因此,住宅再分配是市场体制下城市空间改变的一种过程。