Pedestrian street and its effect on economic sustainability of a historical Middle Eastern city:The case of Chaharbagh Abbasi in Isfahan,Iran

Pedestrianization is an urban revitalization strategy to enhance sustainability and livability in car-oriented cities.Despite many studies in this research field,the effects of pedestrianization on the economy of cities in developing countries still need further investigation.Additionally,the impact of this strategy on the tenant mix of com-mercial and historical areas in Middle East countries is nebulous.To address these inadequacies,we considered Chaharbagh Abbasi street,located in the heart of Isfahan,Iran,and investigated the impact of a pedestrianization project with particular emphasis on how it affects the economic sustainability of existent commercial fabric.Pre-and post-project data along with field observations and quantifications used to assess structural replacements in trade,were analyzed with SPSS and ArcGIS software.The results revealed unexpected outcomes,such as the closure of some traditional businesses(27.5%),a stagnation in sales(69%)and a decrease in job offers(84%)leading the local economy to a fragile situation.Conversely,it was found that the footfall volume increased by 64% and 73% from the retailers’and pedestrians’viewpoints.This evolution along with a wide opening of food and beverage stores(approximately 60%)makes the post-pedestrianization results more promising than earlier predictions.In conclusion,these findings reinforce the importance of pedestrian streets in revitalizing economic activities in historical and commercial areas from the perspective of economic sustainability.Due to the lack of similar investigations in Middle East countries,these findings can support decision-makers and urban planners to take preventive measures in preserving the diversity of individual small shops for upcoming urban rehabilitation projects in terms of pedestrianization.

Influence of geometry on legibility： An explanatory design study of visitors at the Kuala Lumpur City Center

Legibility is based on landmarks and geometry. Visitors in a space learn to ＂read＂ an area by using three- and two-dimensional cues. This research aimed to determine the responses of visitors to the influence of geometry on the legibility at Kuala Lumpur City Center （KLCC）. The relationship between geometry and space legibility can affect visitors＇ wayfinding. In this study, visitors, including 86 respondents and 8 individuals who participated in a focus group, were surveyed through questionnaires and interviews during daytime. Results show that legibility was moderately and positively correlated with regular geometry, but legibility was negligibly affected by existing geometry. Regression analysis, Hest, ANOVA, and scheme coding of qualitative data suggested that regular geometry used in urban spaces might strongly improve legibility. For urban designers, regular geometry associated with landmarks enhances legibility.

Dimension and formation of placeness of commercial public space in city center: A case study of Deji Plaza in Nanjing

This study examines the notion of placeness of city center commercial plazas within the context of globalization.Contemporary improvements of commercial public spaces aim to globalize the city image at the expense of local identity and regional characteristics.Although recognized as a major landmark that reflects the globalized image of Nanjing City,Deji Plaza cannot establish a unique sense of place and identity for the community.By adopting a humanist perspective,this study emphasizes peopled experience,perception,and emotional needs of the place as crucial dimensions for improving the relationship between people and commercial spaces.A structural equation model is used to develop a measurement system that evaluates the interaction between the different dimensions of placeness.Findings indicate that optimized locations and environmental characteristics of city center commercial plazas may enhance their image but transform them into consumption spaces for tourists rather than public places for the local community.The results of this study deepen the current understanding and assessment tools of placeness in city commercial public spaces,which are relevant to Nanjing City and similar contexts.

机械立体停车在交通枢纽工程中的节地技术应用——以雄安容东片区施工期CEC项目为例

随着国土资源进一步缩减,停车换乘需求日益增长以及新时代背景下公交绿色出行进一步普及,以CEC(City Exchange Center,城市交换中心)为代表的新型交通换乘枢纽建设将朝向规划密集化、土地集约化、停车立体化、功能复合化、服务人性化、出行智能化不断发展。本文以雄安容东片区施工期CEC项目为例,首次探索采用大规模机械式立体车库解决枢纽用地紧张与小汽车停车需求间的矛盾问题,基于工程设计实践,梳理该项目停车设计重难点,通过对小汽车传统平面停车、小汽车地下车库、自走式停车楼及立体机械停车四种典型停车模式开展多方案比选,提出停车方案设计策略,并通过机械立体停车在施工期CEC项目中的具体节地技术应用,为土地集约型各类永久及临时停车换乘枢纽工程提供了一种方法探索与实践。

Exploration of spatial design issues at backpacker hostels in Budapest＇s historic center： Informality, density, and adaptability

This paper presents a practice-based research to achieve a deeper understanding of the spatial issues related to backpacker tourism, a booming industry in Budapest. The authors designed six backpacker hostels between 2013 and 2015, and of these, four are presently in operation. Hostels are the main infrastructures within the global network of backpacker tourism. Results from the design process revealed that the creation and operation of hostels are significantly influenced by three issues, namely, informality, density, and adaptability. These issues are negotiated on three interconnected tevels： the city, the building, and the interior. The authors developed an experimental structure for dormitory spaces as a conscious reaction to these issues. This experimental structure is presented and evaluated, and further paths of development are formulated based on the results.

Exploring point zero:a study of 20 Chinese cities

A point zero represents a central geographical location of a city,which is essential for not only measuring distances,but also understanding the historical and/or cultural origin of a city.Although extensive studies have focused on delineating city centers,to our knowledge,no studies have paid attention to determining the location for a point zero.Here,our goal is to investigate various potential approaches for identifying such a location.Specifically,three typical approaches,geometric-based,topological-based,and thematic-based,are proposed to recommend point zeros and different scales,administrative divisions,kernel density sur-faces,and regions enclosed by ring roads are used for analysis.The effectiveness of different approaches and scales are evaluated and compared by calculating an offset distance between recommended and actual point zero locations in 20 Chinese cities.Using the different approaches,the average offset distance for most Chinese cities is 2-4 km,and the thematicbased approach performs best.Both the topological-based and thematic-based approaches are less sensitive to the analyzed scale than the geometric-based approach.The results indicate that it is possible to determine the approximate location for a point zero from geographical data.Based on the buffer zone of such a location,an actual point zero may further be recommended.

Building health monitoring in the old town of Madrid:applicability of SAR Imagery to the monitoring of underground works through classification indexes

The old city centers of many major cities represent a great challenge from a constructive point of view since the foundations of the buildings consist of an aggregation of previous constructions.This endorses thorough monitoring activities during any underground construction.The capabilities of the persistent scatterer interferometry(PSI)can be exploited to cope with these monitoring needs.However,the old city centers represent a very challenging urban scenario since the rooftops are usually filled with air conditioning systems and due to the fact that the streets are usually crowded.This work assesses the applicability of the PSI technique under this challenging scenario.Moreover,it proposes a set of novel classification indexes that allow an objective assessment of the building’s health and the impact derived from any activity.They can be applied in deformation monitoring and risk evaluation in urban areas.The applicability of the technique and the proposed indexes is validated in the monitoring of underground construction works in the old city center of Madrid comparing the results against on-ground measurements and identifying the potential and the limitation of the technique.