Recognizing mixed urban functions from human activities using representation learning methods

When various urban functions are integrated into one location,they form a mixture of functions.The emerging big data promote an alternative way to identify mixed functions.However,current methods are largely unable to extract deep features in these data,resulting in low accuracy.In this study,we focused on recognizing mixed urban functions from the perspective of human activities,which are essential indicators of functional areas in a city.We proposed a framework to comprehensively extract deep features of human activities in big data,including activity dynamics,mobility interactions,and activity semantics,through representation learning methods.Then,integrating these features,we employed fuzzy clustering to identify the mixture of urban functions.We conducted a case study using taxiflow and social media data in Beijing,China,in whichfive urban functions and their correlations with land use were recognized.The mixture degree of urban functions in each location was revealed,which had a negative correlation with taxi trip distance.The results confirmed the advantages of our method in understanding mixed urban functions by employing various representation learning methods to comprehensively depict human activities.This study has important implications for urban planners in understanding urban systems and developing better strategies.

Multi-source Data-driven Identification of Urban Functional Areas:A Case of Shenyang,China

Urban functional area(UFA)is a core scientific issue affecting urban sustainability.The current knowledge gap is mainly reflected in the lack of multi-scale quantitative interpretation methods from the perspective of human-land interaction.In this paper,based on multi-source big data include 250 m×250 m resolution cell phone data,1.81×105 Points of Interest(POI)data and administrative boundary data,we built a UFA identification method and demonstrated empirically in Shenyang City,China.We argue that the method we built can effectively identify multi-scale multi-type UFAs based on human activity and further reveal the spatial correlation between urban facilities and human activity.The empirical study suggests that the employment functional zones in Shenyang City are more concentrated in central cities than other single functional zones.There are more mix functional areas in the central city areas,while the planned industrial new cities need to develop comprehensive functions in Shenyang.UFAs have scale effects and human-land interaction patterns.We suggest that city decision makers should apply multi-sources big data to measure urban functional service in a more refined manner from a supply-demand perspective.

Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Microplastics in Snow in the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China

Microplastics(MPs;<5 mm)have become one of the most prominent global environmental pollution problems.MPs can spread to high altitudes through atmospheric transport and can be deposited by rainfall or snowfall,potentially threatening the structure and function of natural ecosystems.MPs in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems alter the growth and functional characteristics of organisms.However,little attention has been given to the possible harm associated with MPs deposited in snow,particularly in the context of global climate warming.MPs collected from surface snow in the Inner Mongolia Plateau,China,were used for quantitative analysis and identification.The results showed that MPs were easily detected,and the related concentration was approximately(68±10)–(199±22)MPsL1 in snow samples.Fibers were the most common morphology,the polymer composition was largely varied,and the abundance and composition of MPs were linked to human activity to a great extent.High-throughput sequencing results showed that the composition and abundance of microorganisms also differed in snow samples from areas with different MP pollution characteristics,indicating a considerable difference in microbial functional diversity.MPs may have an interference effect on the individual growth and functional expression of microorganisms in snow.In addition,the results showed that functional living areas(e.g.,landfills and suburban areas)in cities play an important role in the properties of MPs.For instance,the highest abundance of MPs was found in thermal power plants,whereas the abundance of polymers per sample was significantly lower in the suburban area.The MP contaminants hidden in snow can alter microbial structure and function and are therefore a potential threat to ecosystem health.

Sustainable Urban Restructuring of Khartoum： A Revolutionary Measure for Rapid Growth Absorption and Urban Changes

Rapidly developing cities are under continuous physical and social changes which make sustainable urban growth concept a matured line of thinking. They are therefore, in need of restructuring to contain these changes. Likewise, Khartoum is growing rapidly and is subjected to continual transformation. It started in Independence Day （1/1/1956） by 〈3% of Sudan population and reached 16.8% in 2010 while its physical block grew beyond imagination. The objective of this paper is to throw light on Khartoum rapid growth change effects which necessitated implementation of a revolutionary restructuring programme. At first, huge rural influxes were absorbed and later physical distortions were corrected. This included squatter settlements＇ treatment to strengthen urban fabric, reallocation of incompatible urban functions, revitalization of the CBD （central business district） and other urban renewal schemes. Transportation lines were extended to ease people mobility and higher population concentrations were diluted, particularly the filthy slums. Old neighbourhoods, traditional villages, etc. were re-planned and popular physical development was encouraged. The restructuring programme appropriated population distribution, administrative districts, new local markets＇ locations and urban activities＇ distribution. The programme attained social benefits, particularly availing shelter and essential social services. Difficulties from relocation processes were encountered but settlements＇ regularization achieved social justice and sustained urban growth.

Spatial Identification of Urban Ecological Function on the North Slope of Qinling Mountains Based on Ecological Sensitivity—A Case Study in Baoji, China

Since the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, ecological civilization has been the key construction goal in China, which has a profound impact on the process of urbanization. In recent years, with the rapid development of urbanization and unreasonable land development and utilization, the ecological environment has deteriorated sharply, and the stability of ecological environment has always been a difficult problem in the process of regional development. The spatial division of urban ecological function can be divided into different types of spatial utilization according to the fragile state of ecological environment, which not only guarantees urban construction but also maintains the ecological environment health, and has great economic benefits and ecological value in formulating regional development strategies and ecological protection. In this paper, from four perspectives of “land, water, human and forest”, eight factors affecting ecological sensitivity were selected, and GIS spatial superposition method was used to conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis on the ecological sensitivity of Baoji City, and the evaluation results of single factor ecological sensitivity and comprehensive ecological sensitivity were obtained. The areas with different ecological sensitivity are divided into extremely sensitive areas, highly sensitive areas, moderately sensitive areas, slightly sensitive areas and non-sensitive areas. The research shows that the proportion of extreme, high, moderate, mild and insensitive areas in Baoji City is 7.32%, 10.57%, 22.25%, 42.91% and 16.95% respectively. Finally, the areas with different sensitivity grades are identified as three types of urban ecological function areas: ecological conservation area, ecological coordinated moderate utilization area and ecological suitable construction area, so as to provide scientific theoretical basis for urban construction and land use optimization in Baoji City.

Functional Characteristics of Beijing Subway Stations Based on POI Data:Taking Beijing Metro Line 6 as An Example

Urban subway station is a key node related to urban social,political,economic and cultural activities.There are some differences in the location,function orientation,land use and flow characteristics of different types of stations in the city.This paper mainly used Tyson’s edge,kernel density analysis,chart analysis and other methods to classify the functional types of 412,393 POI data of 26 stations along Metro he results showed that the spatial distribution of Beijing Metro Line 6 was mainly divided into 3 categories,subway stations were divided into 4 categories.Among them,type A sites were divided into composite and single types,and the distribution characteristics of the 6 types of sites were quite different.Based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of POI point data,this method can quickly classify and analyze the characteristics of stations along Line 6 in Beijing,which also has theoretical and practical value for the planning of urban subway lines.

Functional Characteristics of the Surrounding Area of Beijing Metro Line 5 Based on POI Data

As an important urban infrastructure,rail transit not only has transportation function,but also has a close connection and harmonious development with the surrounding urban space.Taking Beijing Metro Line 5 as an example,each station of Beijing Metro Line 5 was analyzed by GIS software and Echarts chart based on POI data.The functions of subway site type were divided into main function,secondary function and no significant function,and various types of sites within the main functional characteristics of urban functions were discussed in details.The paper presents a new method for identifying urban functional features,which can be applied to not only other metro stations in Beijing but also the same type of cities.Moreover,it lays a foundation for the research of rail transit subway stations and their related researches.

Clean Production and Ecological Industry:A Key to Eco-city Development

Eco-city development is a healthy process towards sustainable development, within the carrying capacity of local ecosystem through changing production mode, consumption behavior and decision instrument based on ecological economics and system engineering. The key to its planning is an ecological integration to make trade-off between economic wealth and environmental health, between material and spiritual civilization, between natural and human eco-cybernetics. Integration, demonstration, citizens’ participation and scientists’ and technician’s catalyzing are the key instruments for the implementation of the ecocity plan. "Clean production" and "ecological industry" are key elements in comprehensive development towards an eco-city. Beyond the technical and management questions, how to interlink production, consumption and reduction at the local and regional level, the spatial and urban dimension should be considered in order to perform an integrative urban eco-space.

BEIJING METROPOLIS' TO THE CONQUEST OF ITS NEW STATUS

In this paper, we analyse the main strategy for the development of Beijing as it was presented by the last Master Plan: “Beijing should be, by the middle of the 21st century an international modern metropolis of the first world rank”. At first, we summarize the current Chinese studies and urban changes that are being carried out in Beijing, both in spatial and function aspects. Further, we underline the necessity to Beijing to become a powerful economically modernized metropolis. We emphasize with three main reasons in order to explain this necessity: the new “socialist economic market” in China, the inter urban competition among Chinese cities, and the comparison with the current metropolises of the first world rank. Finally, after a summary about the internalization process of London, Paris, New York and Tokyo, we present a simplified analysis of the urban internalization process. According to this analysis, we conclude that Beijing must combine two status: a powerful economically modernized metropolis and the Asian Cultural Capital status, so that could project Beijing into the next century as one of the elite metropolis in the world.

THE CLASSIFICATION OF INDUSTRIAL FUNCTION OF CHINESE CITIES (INCLUDING ATTACHED COUNTIES)

Represents the first attempt to classify all of China’s295 cities in terms of industrial functions,using 1984 data.Within the framework of economic base theory of urban development,three elements are defined as specialized branch,functional intensity and functional scale.The method used here is based on a combination of the three elements.A number of techniques tried made it possible to base the classification on a composite measure,consisting of the Ward’s Error Method of hierarchical cluster analysis and a supplementary application of Nelson measure.The 295 cities have been grouped into three categories with 19 subcategories and 54 functional groups.The distribution of cities in most of the subcategories are displayed on 8 maps.

The fractal or scaling perspective on progressively generated intra-urban clusters from street junctions

The underlying complexity of urban space can be manifested by its fractal forms and scaling statistics.This paper examines these characteristics at the intra-urban scale through the lens of clustered street junctions(including road ends)in two Chinese metropolitan areas:Beijing and Shenzhen.We derived the cluster sets with Euclidean distance thresholds starting at 100 meters(m)and ending at 1000 m,and outlined each cluster using a concave-hull method to maintain their original irregular shapes.Within each delimited cluster,we examined four urban attributes:gross domestic product,number of street nodes,polygon area,and population.Our analysis revealed that power law distribution applied to almost every cluster set in terms of the four attributes,but varied from one attribute to another or from city to city,represented primarily byfluctuated power law exponents and ht-index values whose profiles along with the cluster growth can effectively characterize the urban structure.Additionally,we computed the spectrum of intra-urban scaling exponents with cluster size increments,contributing new insights into the allometric relationships between urban configuration and function.

The functional evolution and system equilibrium of urban and rural territories

The coordinated development of urban and rural territorial systems has long been a scientific issue of concern in geography and socioeconomic development in China.Based on Territorial Function Theory,this paper establishes a theoretical framework to support the coordinated development of urban and rural territorial systems,analyzes the trend of functional evolution,discusses the impact of efficient allocation and orderly element flow on system equivalence development,and puts forward approaches and policy suggestions for equilibrium development in the future.The main conclusions are as follows:(1)The evolution of urban and rural territorial functions has experienced four stages:rural to rural,rural to urban transition,rural to urban,and urban to urban.In this process,territorial functions have been developed to be hierarchical and advanced.(2)Functional evolution enables urban and rural comparative advantages to be transformed from value difference to value equivalence.Increasing the flow intensity and reconstructing the flow space have become the necessary conditions for the coordination of development.(3)Land is the most important resource in China,and land system reform is the key to achieving equivalence development of urban and rural territorial systems,thereby determining the future equilibrium development of the two systems.

Exploring spatiotemporal patterns of geosocial media data for urban functional zone identification

Urban Functional Zones(UFZs)can be identified by measuring the spatiotemporal patterns of activities that occur within them.Geosocial media data possesses abundant spatial and temporal information for activity mining.Identifying UFZs from geosocial media data aids urban planning,infrastructure,resource allocation,and transportation modernization in the complex urban system.In this work,we proposed an integrated approach by combining the spatiotemporal clustering method with a machine learning classifier.The spatiotemporal clustering method was used to mine the spatiotemporal patterns of activities,of which the distinctive features were extracted as inputs into a machine learning classifier for UFZ identification.The results show that more than 80%of the UFZs can be correctly identified by our proposed method.It reveals that this work serves as a functional groundwork for future studies,facilitating the understanding of urban systems as well as promoting sustainable urban development.

Rainfall-runoff risk characteristics of urban function zones in Beijing using the SCS-CN model

Urbanization significantly increases the risk of urban flooding. Therefore, quantitative study of urban rainfall-runoff processes can provide a scientific basis for urban planning and management. In this paper, the built-up region within the Fifth Ring Road of Beijing was selected as the study area. The details of land cover and urban function zones(UFZs) were identified using GIS and RS methods. On this basis, the SCS-CN model was adopted to analyze the rainfall-runoff risk characteristics of the study area. The results showed that:(1) UFZs within different levels of runoff risk varied under different rainfall conditions. The area ratio of the UFZs with high runoff risk increased from 18.90%(for rainfall return period of 1 a) to 54.74%(for period of 100 a). Specifically, urban commercial areas tended to have the highest runoff risk, while urban greening spaces had the lowest.(2) The spatial characteristics of the runoff risks showed an obvious circular distribution. Spatial cluster areas with high runoff risk were mainly concentrated in the center of the study area, while those with low runoff risk were mainly distributed between the fourth and fifth ring roads. The results indicated that the spatial clustering characteristic of urban runoff risk and runoff heterogeneity among different UFZs should be fully considered during urban rainwater management.

Integrating structure and function:mapping the hierarchical spatial heterogeneity of urban landscapes

Background:Cities are social-ecological systems characterized by remarkably high spatial and temporal heterogeneity,which are closely related to myriad urban problems.However,the tools to map and quantify this heterogeneity are lacking.We here developed a new three-level classification scheme,by considering ecosystem types(level 1),urban function zones(level 2),and land cover elements(level 3),to map and quantify the hierarchical spatial heterogeneity of urban landscapes.Methods:We applied the scheme using an object-based approach for classification using very high spatial resolution imagery and a vector layer of building location and characteristics.We used a top-down classification procedure by conducting the classification in the order of ecosystem types,function zones,and land cover elements.The classification of the lower level was based on the results of the higher level.We used an objectbased methodology to carry out the three-level classification.Results:We found that the urban ecosystem type accounted for 45.3%of the land within the Shenzhen city administrative boundary.Within the urban ecosystem type,residential and industrial zones were the main zones,accounting for 38.4%and 33.8%,respectively.Tree canopy was the dominant element in Shenzhen city,accounting for 55.6%over all ecosystem types,which includes agricultural and forest.However,in the urban ecosystem type,the proportion of tree canopy was only 22.6%because most trees were distributed in the forest ecosystem type.The proportion of trees was 23.2% in industrial zones,2.2%higher than that in residential zones.That information“hidden”in the usual statistical summaries scaled to the entire administrative unit of Shenzhen has great potential for improving urban management.Conclusions:This paper has taken the theoretical understanding of urban spatial heterogeneity and used it to generate a classification scheme that exploits remotely sensed imagery,infrastructural data available at a municipal level,and object-based spatial analysis.For effective planning and management,the hierarchical levels of landscape classification(level 1),the analysis of use and cover by urban zones(level 2),and the fundamental elements of land cover(level 3),each exposes different respects relevant to city plans and management.

Identifying urban functional zones by capturing multi-spatial distribution patterns of points of interest

Urban Functional Zone(UFZ)identification is vital for urban planning,renewal,and development.Point of Interest(POI),as one of the most popular data in UFZ studies,is transformed into a geo-corpus under specific sampling strategies,which can be used with Natural Language Processing(NLP)technology to extract geo-semantic features and identify UFZs.However,existing studies only capture a single spatial distribution pattern of POIs,while ignoring the other spatial distribution information.In this paper,we developed an integrated geo-corpus construction approach to capture multi-spatial distribution patterns of POIs that were represented by different modal POI embeddings.Subsequently,random forest model was leveraged to classify UFZs based on those embeddings.A set of combination experiments were designed for performance validation.The results show that our proposed method can effectively identify UFZs with an accuracy of 72.9%,with an improvement of 8.5%compared to the baseline methods.The outcome of this study will help urban planners to better understand UFZs through investigating the integrated spatial distribution patterns of POIs embedded in UFZs.

Integrating urban morphology and land surface temperature characteristics for urban functional area classification

The classification of urban functional areas plays an important role in urban planning and resource management.Although previous studies have confirmed that different urban func-tional areas have different morphological structures and Land Surface Temperature(LST)characteristics,these two types of characteristics have rarely been fully integrated and used for functional area classification.In this paper,a new framework for classifying urban functional areas is proposed by combining urban morphological features and LST features.First,metrics are constructed from three levels,namely,building,road and region,which are used to portray urban morphology;LST is retrieved using thermal infrared remote sensing to reflect LST features with four metrics:the average temperature,maximum temperature,temperature difference and standard deviation of temperature.Then,the functional areas are classified into four categories:service/public land,commercial land,residential land and industrial land.A random forest algorithm is used to effectively fuse the features of these two categories and classify the functional areas.The effectiveness of the proposed framework is tested in the study area of Shenzhen City,Guangdong Province.The results show that the combined classification accuracy of the proposed classification method is 0.85,which is 0.26 higher than that of the classification model based on urban morphology and 0.1 higher than that of the classification model based on LST features.The proposed framework verifies that the integration of LST features into urban functional area classification is reliable and effectively combines urban morphology and LST features for functional area classification.

A framework for mixed-use decomposition based on temporal activity signatures extracted from big geo-data

Mixed use has been extensively applied as an urban planning principle and hinders the study of single urban functions.To address this problem,it is worth decomposing the mixed use.Inspired by the concept of spectral unmixing in remote sensing applications,this paper proposes a framework for mixed-use decomposition based on big geo-data.Mixeduse decomposition in terms of human activities differs from traditional land use research,and it is more reasonable to infer the actual urban function of land.The framework consists of four steps,namely temporal activity signature extraction,urban function base curve extraction,mixeduse decomposition,and result validation.First,the temporal activity signatures(TASs)of each zone are extracted as the proxy of human activity patterns.Second,the diurnal TASs of routine activities are extracted as urban function base curves(i.e.endmembers).Third,a linear decomposition model is used to decompose the mixed use and obtain multiple results(urban function composition,dynamic activity proportions,and the mixing index).Finally,result validation strategies are concluded.This framework offers method extensibility and has few requirements for the input data.It is validated by means of a case study of Beijing,based on a social media check-in dataset.