scholarly journals STREET DESIGN AND WOMEN’S SAFETY PERCEPTION

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhaila Abdul Rashid ◽  
Mohammad Hussaini Wahab ◽  
Wan Nurul Mardiah Wan Mohd Rani
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Street Design ◽  
Safety Perception ◽  
Trading Activities ◽  
Physical Elements ◽  
The City ◽  
Population Rate

Urbanization is a process that creates many opportunities as well as threats. It is a process that will keep on continuing as population rate, migration, economic and social pattern are changing. Along with urbanization, demand for sustainable development and public space is crucial. Streets are important public space in a city. It is a network for many kind of activities. Design of streets affects the way people use it as well as their perception on safety. As a public space, safety is an important factor to consider. A safe public space will create a liveable environment. Feeling safe is important for human being due to the fact the built environment does affect our perception. Gender plays a role in safety perception where women perceive their environment differently. This study focuses on the importance of street as public space in contributing towards safety perception. In order to evaluate the phenomenon, a mixed method approach was adopted. Four streets in the city centre which are important public space with trading activities, connected to educational institution, offices and other economic activities were chosen. 120 questionnaire were distributed and direct observation were conducted in order to evaluate the phenomenon. Findings revealed that physical elements in the street do affect safety perception.

scholarly journals STREET DESIGN AND WOMEN’S SAFETY PERCEPTION

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhaila Abdul Rashid ◽  
Mohammad Hussaini Wahab ◽  
Wan Nurul Mardiah Wan Mohd Rani
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Street Design ◽  
Safety Perception ◽  
Trading Activities ◽  
Physical Elements ◽  
The City ◽  
Population Rate

Urbanization is a process that creates many opportunities as well as threats. It is a process that will keep on continuing as population rate, migration, economic and social pattern are changing. Along with urbanization, demand for sustainable development and public space is crucial. Streets are important public space in a city. It is a network for many kind of activities. Design of streets affects the way people use it as well as their perception on safety. As a public space, safety is an important factor to consider. A safe public space will create a liveable environment. Feeling safe is important for human being due to the fact the built environment does affect our perception. Gender plays a role in safety perception where women perceive their environment differently. This study focuses on the importance of street as public space in contributing towards safety perception. In order to evaluate the phenomenon, a mixed method approach was adopted. Four streets in the city centre which are important public space with trading activities, connected to educational institution, offices and other economic activities were chosen. 120 questionnaire were distributed and direct observation were conducted in order to evaluate the phenomenon. Findings revealed that physical elements in the street do affect safety perception.

scholarly journals Ageing in Suburban Neighbourhoods: Planning, Densities and Place Assessment

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byron Ioannou
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Urban District ◽  
Urban Image ◽  
Residential District ◽  
Physical Elements ◽  
The City

The article examines the environmental qualities perceived by ageing populations in suburban low-density and car-oriented neighbourhoods in comparison to more dense and central areas. The study focuses on Nicosia, Cyprus, a city that suffers from extended sprawl and car dependency in almost every urban district. The aim of the article is to investigate how older adults perceive and evaluate their place of residence and if this assessment relates to the suburban or the city centre profile of their neighbourhoods. For this reason, the study takes five residential districts, two central and three suburban areas, as case studies. Each of the selected residential districts performs differently in terms of percentage of the population over the age of 65; scale and street layout; adequacy in supporting land uses; building density; distance from the city centre and public space availability and condition. The almost exclusive use of private cars, as the main transportation mode is a common feature of all older adults interviewed in these areas. The older adults’ perceptions of place are assessed through the Place Standard (PS), a simple recently awarded framework which structures conversations about place in regard to its physical elements as well as its social composition. PS is used as an interview tool, which allows the mapping/visualization of qualitative data. Qualitative in-depth interviews conclude to an evaluation of fourteen aspects that outline a residential district profile from mobility to green and urban image attractiveness, and from facilities to social contact and safety, covering almost every aspect of daily life. The article concludes that the neighbourhood assessment from older residents varies depending on the nature of the suburban neighbourhood. Density, layout and distance from the city centre matter according to the participants’ evaluation and there is a clear preference towards suburban low-density areas.

scholarly journals The impact of the car restrictions implemented in the city centre on the public space quality

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 752-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Szarata ◽  
Katarzyna Nosal ◽  
Urszula Duda-Wiertel ◽  
Lukasz Franek
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
City Centre ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

scholarly journals New urban trends towards the use of public space in Turin

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Sarah Isabella Chiodi
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Local Unit ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
New Type ◽  
National Research Program ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

<p>What do we mean when we talk about public space? We asked this question, among others about the relationship between urban populations and public spaces, to some people in the context of the National Research Program (PRIN 2009) titled ‘Public Spaces, moving populations and urban renewal programs’. This paper reports part of the outcome of the research done within the local unit of Turin (Italy), which has been developed with a set of interviews to local stakeholders and with a field research in the selected areas of the City Centre and the districts of San Salvario and Barriera di Milano.<br />From the answers of the stakeholders emerged some relevant issues that I analysed through a selected literature about the concept of public space. The result is a sort of catalogue of typical public spaces of the city, as acknowledged by the local stakeholders and by the field research, and analysed through the international literature. The typologies identified are: traditional public spaces, ‘cappuccino’ spaces, weak sociality spaces, new virtual public spaces and the ‘District Houses’, a new type of public space emerging in the city. To identify them, some characteristic pictures of public spaces of Turin and interviews’ pieces are also reported.<br />However, facing this scenario built on the empirical research, we should mind that the conflicting views of public space depend also on the professional and cultural background of the interviewees, which is such fickle data that it cannot be catalogued. So, the catalogue proposed is not exhaustive, but only indicative of the trend about new perspectives on the meaning of public space which emerged through research conducted in the city of Turin.</p>

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Modernist Approach through Buildings in Kayseri, Turkey

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-154
Author(s):  
Hikmet Eldek Güner
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Early Republic ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Republican Period ◽  
New Public ◽  
Modern Style ◽  
Early Republican ◽  
The City

Kayseri was an important commercial city throughout history, and with the declaration of the Republic, it continued its importance in different areas. The city has many original buildings from the Early Republican Period and was a model of modernisation set on a western ideology. Modernisation of the Republic was started with industrialisation. Consequently, Kayseri became an industrial city in the early 20th century. Investments (both economic and spatial) made by government were later continued by the private sector. Industrialisation was seen as the most important dynamic of development and key to modernisation. This situation resulted in the establishment of a new Kayseri around the industrial area and was viewed as an example for a modern Turkey. These industrial areas were constructed close to the boundary of the city centre. At the same time, the city centre was reconstructed according to modern city planning and the new style (modern style). The ceremonial ground (city square), an urban grid system, wide main transport routes, new public and municipal buildings, which were symbols of international style, were constructed by destroying the historic city centre in the Early Republic Period.The Republic was not only constructing new public buildings in a modern style; it was tried to build a new life with the modern residential areas. Instead of the traditional dwellings, modern houses were constructed to illustrate the new lifestyle together with new functional buildings such as modern education complexes, a community centre, stadium and train station were all constructed to show how to live the modern life.The city gained a new face with the changes starting from 1930. Today, many buildings, belonging to the Early Republican Period, are not being considered in the conservation of cultural heritage and are in danger. Industrial complexes, residential areas, public places are seen as a building stock destined to disappear and be replaced by new buildings. These earlier buildings hold important historical, social, economic and political values. Similarly, construction techniques and materials were also unique for that period.The aim of this study is to draw attention to the 20th century buildings in Kayseri constructed in the Early Republic Period, and classify these buildings under different headings (industry, housing, public space, educational space, open spaces) with the photographs, plans and history, thus defining their values and why they must be conserved. Republic was not only constructed new public buildings in modern style, it was tried to build a new life with the modern residential areas. Instead of the traditional dwellings, modern houses were constructed for point out of new life style and also new functioned buildings like as modern education complexes, community center, stadium, train station were constructed to show how to live in the modern life. The city has gained a new face with the changes starting from 1930. Today many buildings, belonging to the Early Republican Period, are not being considered in the conservation of cultural heritage and they are in danger. Industrial complexes, residential areas, public places are seen as a stock of a building and faced to disappear for constructed for the new buildings. They have very important values like as historical, social, economic and politic. Also construction techniques and materials were also unique for that period. The aim of this study is, to attract attention on 20th century buildings in Kayseri which are constructed in Early Republic Period, to classify these buildings in different headings (industry, housing, public space, educational space, open space …etc) with the photographs, plans and history. In general, meaning the main aim of this study is to define their values and explain why they must be conserved.

scholarly journals "Eco-Infill" as an alternative strategy for postindustrial landscape in the light of climate change: The case of Belgrade shipyard

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-341
Author(s):  
Ana Nikezic ◽  
Natasa Jankovic
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
City Centre ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Life Styles ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Artificial Environment ◽  
Abandoned Spaces ◽  
The City

At this moment, and under the circumstances that surround us, we have recognized as a definite global challenge the problem of climate change, and in general, the ecological misbalance of cities. In an attempt to meet this challenge, we will try to discuss possibilities of implementing the "Eco-Infill" strategy (fragments of nature incorporated into abandoned artificial environment) as a viable, somewhat ?alternative?, urban development strategy. The contemporary matrix of the post-industrial urban landscape is dotted with large and small fragments of abandoned spaces, which need to be incorporated into the city texture. Belgrade is a city with a potential, one of the larger capitals of the region, standing on the threshold of the European Union and undergoing an intensive process of political, economic and social transition. Similar to other large cities, it was previously an industrial city, but is now increasingly relying on the tertiary sector, promoting itself through its geographical, morphological, and cultural advantages. The consequences of privatization during transition and an exceptionally long and difficult political and economic crisis produced Brownfield and other abandoned spaces of the city centre with a complicated proprietary-ownership status, and no realistic guidelines for a much needed regeneration of the city centre in terms of contemporary problems linked to ecological, social and cultural values. In this article, there is a tendency to define principles on which the transformation of these abandoned places is based on and to try to apply these strategies onto the Belgrade shipyard on the river Sava. If we accept the previously set general views, these spaces can become crucial in developing a strategy for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Although these effects are primarily aimed at confronting climate change, they are bound to upgrade the quality of life and offer new life styles, potentially affecting all aspects of urban life, considering that most of the eco-infill we are talking about consists of active public space.

Empty spaces in the crowd. Residential vacancy in São Paulo’s city centre

Urban Studies ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (13) ◽  
pp. 3085-3100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Nadalin ◽  
Danilo Igliori
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Central City ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
City Centre ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Econometric Methods ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The City

In the past decades, when São Paulo became the national manufacturing centre, it has experienced great population growth. Since then, many housing problems have emerged. In addition, the difficulties that inner cities face in attracting jobs and maintaining economic activities are particularly challenging. Indeed, even if many cities have successfully regenerated their central areas, the so-called inner city problem is still very much alive in the case of São Paulo. As a result although the city centre has abundant urban infrastructure it still has plenty of vacant spaces, including residential buildings. One could say that São Paulo’s city centre is characterised by a large number of empty spaces in an area that is simultaneously crowded with buildings and urban facilities. This paper intends to contribute to the empirical analysis of the determinants of vacancy rates, with a particular focus on historical city centres, using São Paulo Metropolitan Area as our case study. Our empirical analysis relies on district-level data for the years 2000 and 2010, and combines standard spatial econometric methods with hedonic modelling. Our results suggest that there are three main groups of determinants: individual buildings characteristics, mobility of households and neighbourhood quality. We find evidence that the historic central city is a distinctive submarket, needing special urban policies. Its determinants work differently when compared with the housing markets of other areas across the city.

scholarly journals In the shadow of the urban regeneration megaproject: Urban transitions in downtown Łódź, Poland

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
Jarosław Kazimierczak ◽  
Piotr Kosmowski
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Urban Regeneration ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Business Community ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Post Industrial ◽  
The City

Abstract The Nowe Centrum Łodzi project that was completed in 2007 in Łódź, Poland is one of the biggest contemporary large-scale urban (re)development projects in Europe and the largest project of this type in Central Europe. The principal goals of the mega-project in question include the regeneration of degraded post-industrial and post-railway land in the city centre of Łódź and the enhancement of competitiveness and the metropolitan position of the city. The authors seek to identify spatial and functional changes at a mezo-scale, i.e. in the so-called immediate neighbourhood of the urban regeneration megaproject (URMP), which have accompanied the implementation of the Nowe Centrum Łodzi project over the years 2013–2016. The other aim was to classify urban areas neighbouring the URMP based on features of spatial and functional transformation identified in these areas. The studies allowed the researchers to identify three categories of urban area in the immediate neighbourhood of the URMP which revealed differences in spatial and functional transformations. We indicated that the transformation of the immediate neighbourhood of the URMP involved not only the local authorities responsible for the overall improvement of the quality of public space but also other users, inter alia, residents, local urban activists, the business community, public institutions, and NGOs, that in most cases complemented efforts initiated by the Municipality. From the methodological point of view the authors use a case study including desk research, an urban planning inventory, and direct observation.

Walking the public: re(visiting) Athens’s historical centre

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitra Kanellopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Space Planning ◽  
Space Projects ◽  
People Search ◽  
And Function ◽  
The City

Purpose Since the 1980s, planning public spaces for leisure walking is largely linked with economic and cultural objectives. Parallel to this tendency and the priorities of local authorities on barker public space projects, inhabitant’s associations, that grow up after the 2000s, propose new ways of visiting the city through collective walks. Drawing on the example of the Atenistas group, and based on the discourses of its founders, its presence on social media and the narratives of participants, the purpose of this paper is to question the emergence and function of new forms of urban walking that joggle between tourism, social exchange and act of citizenship. Design/methodology/approach The case study is based on personal semi-directive interviews with organisers and participants at “Atenistas Open Walks”. It is also based on interviews that have been held with architects and urban planners within technical services of the municipality of Athens as also as within private sector’s structures. Findings First insights from the study question pedestrianisation as a dominant urban planning tool towards animated street life and performant local economy. Contrary to the traditional top-down approach in Athens’s public space planning which uses pedestrianisation or land management to re-invest on the city centre, Atenistas Open Walks reveal the existence of alternatives ways of a re-engagement with city values and history. People search to explore the city by themselves and re-trace their proper itineraries (and ways of seeing the city) by outpassing official discourses on the decline, the success, the dangerousness or the beautifulness of certain neighbourhoods. Consequently, walkers constantly nourish their will to better understand the city. Public space experience outpasses morphological or functional issues. The act of walking with others in the city willing to explore places and to exchange on this experience, confront people with different narratives and trajectories and can momently be a strong factor of social cohesion and activation of public space with significant impacts on local economy. Walking collectively can emerge, in this way, as a counter model of public space planning capable of revitalise not only touristic activity, but also citizenship. Originality/value The study questions dominant discourses that link urban liveability and touristic attractiveness of urban centres with recreational events and streets’ pedestrianisation projects.

scholarly journals AFFECTED COMMUNITIES - RISING SOCIAL DISPARITIES FORMULATING A BALANCE BETWEEN MAINTAINING UNIQUE VALUE OF AN ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY AND THE NEEDS TO IMPROVE ITS QUALITY OF LIFE - A CASE STUDY OF KAMPONG BHARU; A TRADITIONAL URBAN VILLAGE IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Abd Muluk Bin Abd Manan
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Land Rights ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Modern Development ◽  
Urban Migrants ◽  
Village Life ◽  
The City

The Kampong Bharu community was established by the Colonial British government in the late nineteenth century as a 'Malay Agricultural Settlement' - a riverside area strategically removed from the old city centre of Kuala Lumpur, where many of the economic activities fuelled the city's early growth. Ethnic Malay families from several villages were relocated here and given exclusive land rights to maintain a 'village life'. Due to complex land rights enactment, entitlements and inheritance laws, many parcels in this neighbourhood have remained untouched for more than a century. The appearance and lifestyle associated with Kampong Bharu today are seemingly at odds with a city that aggressively grows around it. This paper explores the neighbourhood and documents the complexities and contradictions of urban development that the area encapsulates. Kampong Bharu today sits in the heart of the city. Many parcels of the land have changed ownership. The agricultural land with its modest original house gradually expanded into a sprawling, ramshackle home for dozens of extended families. It has become the hotspot for resettlement for new urban migrants that come to the city to resettle during pre and post- independence. Many historical events have happened here and it has become one of the most well-known neighbourhood in the city. Efforts by the authority to develop this area failed due to various reasons. They had tried to establish a balance between the concerns of long-term inhabitants and the demands of modern development. This paper examines the reasons and also explores how stakeholders in Kampong Bharu have been involved in recent redevelopment efforts. Key stakeholders including landowners, residents, village heads, and leaders of local associations were interviewed, and their concerns and aspirations were documented.

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