The building blocks of walkability: Pedestrian activity in Abu Dhabi city center

This study develops an empirical approach that underlines the effect of land use mix and development grain on pedestrian movement in the streets and public spaces of urban neighborhoods. The study begins with the end in mind; it compares two urban sectors in Abu Dhabi city with broadly recognized contrasting levels of pedestrian movement. The research works backward to identify the combination of built environment attributes that result in differing levels of pedestrian activity between the eastern and western sectors of Abu Dhabi city center. Using Geographic Information Systems maps/data files, direct observations, and field metrics, the study computes various indices related to land use mix, density, and street connectivity for Abu Dhabi central business district. The findings of this study highlight the land use, spatial and street network configurations that enhance pedestrian activity in urban centers. From a local perspective, the research outcome would inform future visions aimed at transforming the city of Abu Dhabi into a global metropolis that provides its citizens and visitors with unique and vibrant urban settings conducive to intra- and inter-neighborhood walkability.     

小广场大战略＊--上海袖珍广场设计思考

城市公共空间是城市生活的舞台,也是城市设计的核心领域。良好的城市公共空间对于促进社会交往,展示城市形象特征,构建安全、舒适的城市生活具有重要价值。2013年上海以“袖珍广场”为题,组织设计竞赛,在用地紧张的中心城区建立服务于城市生活的公共空间,提供市民休闲、活动、交流的“城市客厅”。介绍清华大学在小广场竞赛设计中对上海城市公共空间的一些思考,藉此探讨公共空间如何在城市发展中发挥积极作用,提升城市物质空间和社会空间品质。     

新城建设中城市设计的激活策略——以上海嘉定新城“紫气东来”重点地块为例

我国目前的新城建设存在"千城一面"、功能分区过于明确、道路体系不完善等问题。为避免以上问题,新城的城市设计应采取一系列的激活策略,包括运用混合功能理念,增加小尺度街道,塑造特色空间。上海嘉定新城"紫气东来"重点地块城市设计运用以上激活策略,通过平面混合、垂直混合、时差混合、共享混合4个维度实现功能激活;通过完善车行系统、构建三维立体步行网络,实现交通激活;通过重点刻画城市意向五要素、塑造个性城市空间,实现空间激活。     

上海市中心城公共空间建设与设计方法探索--兼评袖珍广场设计竞赛

中心城区既是城市历史发展的精华地区,也是公共空间品质差距较大的地区,是新时期上海加强公共空间建设的重点和难点地区。结合袖珍广场设计竞赛的相关研究和设计成果,对上海中心城公共空间建设的路径和设计方法进行了探索和总结,认为中心城应当走存量空间挖潜的道路,通过多种方式因地制宜地开展“针灸式”的改造,以激发地区活力,推动城市更新。公共空间设计应以满足市民休闲活动需求为基本目标,注重提升文化艺术品质,统筹城市空间系统。     

Built Landscapes of Metropolitan Regions: An International Typology

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Built landscapes—patterns of streets, blocks, parcels of land, buildings, and related infrastructure at the scale of an urban neighborhood or greater—are often difficult for decision makers and the public to understand, especially within the complex "collage city" of the postmodern era. Yet understanding the variety of these forms can help stakeholders make wise choices regarding how to plan and design urban regions in the future to meet goals such as livability and sustainability. Based on aerials, maps, and images available through Google and other sources, I develop a typology of built landscape forms found within 24 metropolitan regions worldwide and use GIS to map these forms and compare regions. The analysis shows that 27 basic types of built landscape make up metropolitan regions worldwide, of which nine are very common. Traditional urban types now make up a small fraction of most metropolitan areas worldwide, while suburban and exurban forms comprise the vast majority of the land area. There are noted regional differences in the mix of built landscape types.

Takeaway for practice: Each built landscape form offers challenges and opportunities for planning objectives such as livability and sustainability. It is important for planners to a) help the public and decision makers understand built landscapes and their implications; b) include landscape-scale elements, such as street patterns and networks of green infrastructure, when framing urban development alternatives; c) ensure that local codes and design guidelines enable desired forms of built landscapes and discourage those that are problematic for sustainability; and d) encourage built landscape change that promotes sustainability.     

Mapping urban public spaces based on the Nolli map method

In 1748, Giambattista Nolli published a large map of Rome, which accurately depicted the form and system of public space in the city. This graphic presentation has become a powerful tool for urban space research. However, given the increasingly abundant types of contemporary urban spaces and diverse functions of public buildings, the application of the drawing principle of the Nolli map to contemporary cities remains uncertain. Taking the Laochengnan area in Nanjing as an example, this study investigates the mapping of urban public spaces based on the Nolli map method. On the basis of a field survey, the public and private spaces in the blocks are identified. By comparing the graphic information of the Nolli map and that of the Nolli-type map in terms of public, private, and green spaces, this work also reveals the similarities and differences between traditional and modern urban spaces. Urban spatial mapping methods, including the figure-ground map, street map, and Nolli-type map, are explored and compared using complementary mapping techniques. The practicality and effectiveness of each technique are also discussed. Results show that the Nolli map method is effective in mapping contemporary urban public spaces and provides an effective tool for urban designers and architects to depict and analyze urban public spaces.     

基于支持公共健康导向的城市建成环境要素优化策略研究

本文以国内主要城市的城市建成环 境设计导则为研究对象,筛选出63篇设计导 则,利用NVivo 11软件进行文本主题分析总 结城市建成环境要素框架,继而利用WELL 健康社区标准作为评估参考进行文本评估 分析,探讨导则中的环境要素和对应策略是 否对公共健康具有支持作用。研究表明,国 内城市建成环境设计导则主要关注两个类别 的八大环境要素：软质要素（植物、水体、 地形）,硬质要素（道路、铺装场地、建筑 及园林构筑、公共艺术和景观小品、城市 家具）,其中包含37个子项、241个对应指 标。八个要素均能作为支持公共健康的载 体,可以通过营造利于健康的物理环境、促 进居民体力活动和改善居民的心理健康水平 三个角度来改善场所的环境要素以促进公共 健康。     

Aesthetics of urban commercial streets from the perspective of cognitive memory and user behavior in urban environments

Streets are one of the major elements that make-up the urban environment. Urban commercial and mixed-use street types occur as public spaces in every town and city all around the world. With the paucity of such spaces, streets have taken up to solve the problem. Hence, this study assesses the key physical, visual, and aesthetical characteristics and examines the influence of aesthetical attributes over the activity pattern, user behavioral responses, and the color palette observed. Moreover, this research has been carried out in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. Four significant commercial streets were identified and featured in the main study. The research method comprehends a structured questionnaire and multiple interviews to amass data, photo elicitation, and video corroboration to identify the key visual characteristics to study and scrutinize the aesthetical responses to various attributes that make good-looking urban commercial and mixed-use street types. The results of the study indicate that the diversity and perceived pleasantness of the environment, which includes elements such as facades, colors, aspect ratios, maintenance, and vegetation, has a very close association with walking preferences. The outcome of the study would also help architects, urban designers and planners, and policy makers to create positive spaces to foster urban commercial street types as place-making and aesthetically pleasing streets.     

城市中心广场地下街出入口空间上下联动设计

随着中国城镇化进程发展,人口密集、土地资源短缺等问题使得最具活力却拥挤的城市中心区亟需扩张。城市中心广场逐渐向下发展,而地下空间早期粗放型开发模式导致城市中心广场上下割裂。出入口空间在其中承担沟通上下的重要作用,且目前仍存在空间使用效率低下、吸引力不足等问题。文章以城市中心广场地下街出入口行为活动为导向,总结不同类型地下街出入口空间的上下联动行为需求及现状问题,从形态组织、文化功能、通行效率、安全可达四个方面提出城市中心广场地下街出入口空间上下联动设计策略。     

Types of suburbs in post-socialist Poland and their potential for creating public spaces

The aim of this article is to distinguish types of the suburbs that are typical for post-socialist European countries. The typology organizes the variety of suburban forms according to the degree to which they favour the creation of public spaces, or the access to such spaces in the city or nearby town. A new typology is based on six criteria: (1) the level of neighbourhood (spatial scale), (2) the time when the neighbourhood was erected, (3) spatial interaction with the nearest town/city, (4) the prevailing type of investment, (5) street layout, (6) access to the city centre by public transport. Suburbs are diversified in terms of their potential for the establishment of public spaces. It has been proved that individual housing in the form of neighbourhoods which are planned, densely populated and based on street grid is the most preferred type from the perspective of building social capital. The typology was developed for Warsaw Metropolitan Region, although it may be applied also in the research of post-socialist countries other than Poland and urban regions within them.     

聚焦公共空间艺术，提升城市软实力--关于上海城市公共空间规划与建设的思考

公共空间是承载社会生活、体现城市文化的重要元素。通过公共空间建设,盘活存量空间资源、激发城市活力、提升城市品质,是新时期上海实现发展转型、建设国际大都市的重要举措。从公共空间现状和发展趋势的评估分析入手,借鉴国际大都市发展经验,通过对城市公共空间网络、袖珍广场、活力街巷、文艺复兴、街区更新等规划设想和举措,探索加强公共空间建设,提升城市软实力的思考和建议。     

Contested urban streets: Place,traffic and governance conflicts of potential activity corridors

Activity Corridors have emerged as one redevelopment form for accommodating growth within dispersed, car-centric cities. This has seen a new interest in the form and function of urban arterial roads. Efforts to increase development intensity in established suburbia, however, are often highly contentious among local stakeholders. It is unclear whether the offer of improved public transportation infrastructure - a central component of the Activity Corridor concept - influences residents' support for taller or denser built form. This dynamic was explored using a case study along an urban arterial road in Perth, Western Australia. A household survey identified residents' attitudes to increasing development intensity in exchange for varying public transport provision scenarios. The results informed interpretive interviews with planning practitioners. Residents were more supportive of increasing development intensity if public transport was improved. Planners questioned whether recent land use and transport planning approaches adequately reflected community expectations for local “amenity”, and noted several key governance constraints to developing urban Activity Corridors.     

关中小城市历史文化街区街巷空间有机生长规划途径研究

该文以有机生长理论为视角,以蒲城为例,对关中小城市历史文化街区街巷空间的功能秩序、空间秩序特色和现存问题进行分析总结,从街巷系统的功能融合、城市设计、公众参与三个方面提出关中小城市历史文化街区街巷系统规划的策略,创造功能复合的街巷、形成基因健康生长的"街巷网状系统"、尊重历史和文脉,从而达到对延续关中小城市传统风貌、缝合社会生活网络的目的。     

夏热冬冷气候城市公共空间热环境季节特征

城市公共空间热环境是影响人们热舒适程度的重要因素。夏热冬冷气候城市公共空间的热环境在一年内会发生很大变化。在长沙市内选择3个典型公共空间(街道、公园和广场)进行长期热环境参数实测实验。通过对不同季节3个实测点的空气温度、相对湿度、黑球温度和风速4个重要热环境参数进行分析,获得夏热冬冷气候城市公共空间的全年热环境特征。研究结果表明:自然气候决定了城市热环境的基本特征,而城市物理结构是引起室外局部热环境发生改变的重要因素;受植物(乔木)和水体(湘江)的影响,沿江街道在全年大部分时间中空气温度显著较低,相对湿度较高,太阳辐射较弱;广场温度较高,太阳辐射较强。     

新加坡乌节路商业街城市设计导则应用实践

乌节路是新加坡闻名世界的城市中心商业街,堪比纽约第五大道、东京银座大街,乌节路商业街的建设是基于城市设计导则的实践。城市设计导则通过制定具有针对性、形态控制性、特色引导性的内容,较好地指导了商业街的街道空间、建筑、交通层面建设,使乌节路呈现生机勃勃的街头生活、繁荣的林荫景观、混合的交通模式、无缝连接的步行网络、人性化的公共空间、多重功能复合的街道空间形态。     

Empiric design evaluation in urban planning

We propose a system to simulate, analyze and visualize occupant behavior in urban environments by combining parametric modeling and agent-based simulation. A procedurally generated 3D city model, with semantic information about the functions and behaviors of buildings, is automatically populated with artificial agents (i.e. pedestrians, cars, and public transport vehicles). In a simulation the built environment and the agents interact with each other. The system identifies empiric correlations between properties such as: functions of buildings and other urban elements, population density, utilization and capacity of the public transport network, and congestion effect on the street network. Practical applications include the assessment of a) bottlenecks, b) public transit efficiency, c) accessibility of amenities, d) quality of service of public transport and the traffic network, as well as e) the stress level and exhaustion of pedestrians. All these aspects ultimately relate to the quality of life within the given urban areas.     

Urban Public Spaces and Design of Historical and Cultural Buildings——Series II of Urban Public Space Design

This paper summarized concept and role of urban public space, highlighted its role in emotional exchange, cultural exchange, and business communication, and the significance of showing inside image of the city in terms of morality and residents' quality. Combining with design of historical and cultural buildings, the paper explored the forms of historical and cultural buildings in urban public spaces from the perspectives of administration square, religious square, cultural square and commercial street, so as to design "human-concerned" urban public spaces that meet human needs and reflect personality of the city.     

健康生活导向下的西方城市公共空间发展研究

以健康生活导向视角追溯西方发达国家城市公共空间发展历程,基于各自不同历史背景、医学模式、公共空间类别及健康生活实现方式,将其归纳为3个重要阶段：神圣敬畏的“公共园林”启蒙期、改善公共健康的城市公共空间发展期、开启多元健康的生活方式成熟期;由此揭示健康生活导向下西方城市公共空间呈现从“单一维度”到“多维融合”、从“消极被动补给”到“积极主动引导”、从“公共”到“共享”的3个发展转变趋势。旨在推动我国以人民健康幸福生活为导向的公园城市建设健康有序发展。     

空中多层公寓 献给未来新城的住宅原型

文章就当代中国新城建设中高层住宅小区普遍存在的公共空间质与量两方面的缺失提出批判,从20世纪50-80年代多层住宅小区充满生气的社区生活中汲取变革的动力和养分,提出"空中多层公寓"这一新的住宅建筑原型,尝试把多层小区在公共空间上的优点移植到高层小区,从而在保持高容积率的同时,大幅提高"公共空间率",在每个城市人的家门口营造触手可及的、容量充足的、尺度宜人的、多元化的空中公共空间,为未来高密度居住模式的公共生活提供建筑学的回应。     

塑造富有个性的城市公共空间——以宿迁市项王故里规划设计为例

城市公共空间是城市生活的核心,如何准确认识城市公共空间的作用并塑造良好的城市公共空间成为当前规划设计界的重要课题.宿迁市项王故里详细规划提出了一系列以建设富有个性的城市公共空间为最终目标的城市设计方法,如深入挖掘历史文化资源,整合现状公共空间、将特色空间资源与公共空间体系相结合等.