scholarly journals URBAN MOBILITY AND QUALITY OF PUBLIC SPACES: THE CASE OF GRANADA, SPAIN

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALEJANDRO L. GRINDLAY ◽  
GABRIELA OCHOA-COVARRUBIAS ◽  
CARMEN LIZÁRRAGA
Keyword(s):  
Public Spaces ◽  
Urban Mobility

scholarly journals Promoting Sustainable Mobility: A Perspective from Car and Public Transport Users

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4715
Author(s):  
Audrius Dėdelė ◽  
Auksė Miškinytė
Keyword(s):  
Public Transport ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Urban Mobility ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Bicycle Safety ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Significant Factors

Sustainable mobility is becoming a key factor in improving the quality of life of the residents and increasing physical activity (PA) levels. The current situation of sustainable mobility and its analysis is a first step in understanding the factors that would encourage residents to discover and choose alternative modes of travel. The present study examined the factors that encourage the choice of active modes of travel among urban adult population. Walking and cycling were analyzed as the most sustainable forms of urban mobility from the perspective of car and public transport (PT) users. Total of 902 subjects aged 18 years or older were analyzed in the study to assess commuting habits in Kaunas city, Lithuania. The majority (61.1%) of the respondents used a passenger vehicle, 28.2% used PT, and only 13.5% used active modes of travel. The results showed that safer pedestrian crossings, and comfortable paths were the most significant factors that encourage walking. A wider cycling network, and bicycle safety were the most important incentives for the promotion of cycling. Our findings show that the main factors encouraging walking and cycling among car and PT users are similar, however, the individual characteristics that determine the choice of these factors vary significantly.

scholarly journals Adaptive Reuse of Distressed Malls for Dementia-Friendly City Centers: Outcomes From Community Focus Groups

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 61-61
Author(s):  
Emily Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Configuration ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Model Of Care ◽  
Community Revitalization ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Group Outcomes ◽  
Midwestern University ◽  
Memory Care

Abstract It is estimated that 5.4 million Americans have some form of dementia and these numbers are expected to rise in the coming decades, leading to an unprecedented demand for memory care housing and services. In searching for innovative options to create more autonomy and better quality of life in dementia care settings, repurposing existing structures, in particular vacant urban malls, may be one option for the large sites needed for the European model of dementia villages. These settings may become sustainable Dementia Friendly City Centers (DFCC), because in the case of enclosed mall construction, the internal infrastructure is in place for lighting, HVAC, with varied spatial configuration of public spaces. This presentation describes the community engagement research being conducted by a research team at a Midwestern university, laying groundwork for the DFCC model for centralized dementia programs, services and attached housing. Focus group outcomes from four disciplines (caregiver, physician, designer, community development) detailed four principle themes including : community revitalization, building sustainability, urban regreening and the nurturing of innovation to further a culture of dementia care which is inclusive, progressive and convergent with the needs of an aging. The DFCC model can be seen as one opportunity to make life better not only for those with needs associated with dementia now, but also for ourselves in the future, therefore educating and updating future stakeholders about the value of this model of care will be critical in transforming current hurdles into future opportunities.

scholarly journals Practical Functioning of a Sustainable Urban Complex with a Park—The Case Study of Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5071
Author(s):  
Beata Makowska
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Cultural Center ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Complex

Intensive urban development has created a shortage of urban green areas. The need to economically plan and use urban green spaces has fueled the redefinition of public spaces and parks so as to provide the residents with both recreation and relaxation facilities, as well as a forum for contact with culture. This paper discusses the case of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in the Kallithea district on the outskirts of Athens, near the Mediterranean Sea. It fills a gap in the research on the aspects of the practical functioning of such facilities. The methodology used in the research included an analysis of the literature, the SNFCC’s reports, and an in situ survey. The cultural center hosts a number of events aimed at promoting Greece’s natural and cultural heritage. The paper includes a detailed analysis of the events organized by the SNFCC in the period 2017–2020 and their immense impact on residents. The aim of the study is to show that the creation of the SNFCC with the park areas has functioned as a factor contributing to the improvement of the quality of urban space and the quality of life of the city’s inhabitants. The paper’s conclusions indicate that the sustainable SNFCC project, which fulfils the urban ecology criteria, has been very well received by the visitors—citizens and tourists alike. A program-centered innovation introduced by the SN Park has added great value to their lives. The project contributes to economic and cultural growth, as well as the protection and promotion of heritage.

scholarly journals The Quality of Life of Suburbanities: A Case Study of the Gdańsk Agglomeration

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 91-101
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Masik
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Public Transport ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Made In

The Quality of Life of Suburbanities: A Case Study of the Gdańsk Agglomeration The article explains the meaning of the concept of ‘quality of life’, placing emphasis on its subjective dimension. As the concept is more and more discussed in the literature, the author intends to examine the satisfaction within public spaces for which local government is responsible. According to research made in Canada it is worth measuring not only satisfaction as such but also the importance of its constituent dynamics. Therefore, a survey made in the suburbs of the Gdańsk agglomeration asked respondents about their satisfaction with public transport, roads, environment, etc., including questions about the relative importance of such issues. The combination of satisfaction and importance provide the overall quality of life. At the end of the paper the author considers if there is a chance to improve the quality of life through a brief analysis of local governments expenditure.

scholarly journals Placemaking Interventions in Palestine as Demonstration Effects on the Ground

2020 ◽  
pp. 167-176
Author(s):  
Ahmad El-Atrash
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
West Bank ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
The West ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Privately Owned

The urban development and rapid urbanization that the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip have recently encountered have adversely affected the quality and availability of open spaces inside the Palestinian urban and rural areas. Public spaces are fundamental in the lives of any community striving to achieve a sustainable and inclusive environment and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. In that respect, the prevailing planning practices fall short in terms of adequately addressing the provision of public spaces. Laws and regulations are designed to focus on limited physical properties of buildings (e.g. building design, elevation, heights, setbacks, parking, etc.,) with little or no attention to the residual space, inevitably, created between those blocks. Lands are chiefly privately owned, and considered of a very high value due to the artificial land scarcity phenomenon resulted from the geo-political classification of the West Bank Existing public spaces are not welcoming to the general public. Spaces are misplaced and scattered, they offer pre-defined activities and an inflexible environment. Many parts of the society feel alienated to such public spaces, created by a top-down process with minimal integration of their needs and aspirations.

scholarly journals ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF URBAN LIFE IN URBAN POVERTY AREAS THROUGH A STRATEGY OF INTEGRAL MULTI APPROACHES Public Spaces as Arena for Change

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Elewa
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Urban Poverty ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Emerging Countries ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life ◽  
Emerging And Developing Countries

Urban poverty areas (UPA) in the main cities of the emerging and developing countries are representing the product of a chaotic urban-isation process. This process started through the recent decades as a result of the economic reform in many Emerging countries, mainly in Asia, South America, and some cases in Africa such as Egypt and South Africa. Under the umbrella of the term UPA, there are many other terms such as slums, shantytowns and informal urbanism. In this study, the focus is on a special case of UPA which exist in the main cities of the emerging countries and some cases of developing countries. These UPA have some of the slums characteristics, which indicate the low quality of the urban life such as the pollution of the urban environment, the high density of built up area and the lack of social spaces. However, these areas mainly consist of permanent buildings which were built in most cases by the dwellers themselves due to their basic socio-economic needs, also in most of the cases the basic infrastructure are available. The study hypothesis is discussing the possibility of enhancing the quality of urban life in those UPA through a strategy of integral mul-ti approaches based on the potential opportunities of public spaces. In other words, the key to a successful strategy is “integration”, meaning that all approaches, policies, and projects are considered in relation to one another. This includes the using of new approaches such as green infrastructure (GI) through an integration framework with the other prevalent urban approaches such as participatory, towards innova-tively interactive urban communities. An analytical comparative study was done based on qualitative methods by studying various case studies of UPA in main cities of emerging and developing countries that were up-graded through a strategy of integral multi approaches. These rely on the public spaces as a medium for change, as well the using of quantitative and qualitative methods through actual case studies. The results represent lessons from practice. Based on actual cases, the cumulative urban experiences through various selected cases of upgrading UPA showed that the success depends on the using of an integral approach (multi-disciplinary) that relies on livable innovative public spaces. The new approaches such as GI cannot stand alone, but the strategies can be efficient by using integral an multi approach strategy. The cases also showed that public spaces in UPA are cen-ters of the daily socioeconomic activities, which is why these areas can act as arenas for change, towards better quality of urban life.

scholarly journals Shared Spaces in Cities of Poland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Zalewski
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Traffic Safety ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Shared Spaces ◽  
Traffic Calming ◽  
Shared Space

The aim of paper is a presentation an idea of shared space in the cities and results of implementation of this solution in the cities of Poland. The methodology of elaboration consisted of carrying out a review of the literature, comparing existing solutions and formulating conclusions regarding implementation. This trend, which has appeared over the past 50 years as a counterbalance to the pedestrianization of public spaces, is at the beginning of the 21st century experiencing its second youth and is being implemented in many areas in intensive urban development, especially in urban centers and areas of historic character. Shared space solutions are an integral way of shaping functions and forms of revitalized public spaces. These solutions contributes to improving the quality of public space and traffic safety, revitalizing social life, improving and reducing the environmental nuisance caused by traffic and finally created liveable city. Analyzes effectuated indicate, that in central areas of cities in Poland whose spatial arrangement is legally protected, the forms of shared spaces solutions are strongly influenced by strong conservation restrictions in these areas. This means the need  to respect existing historical conditions in shaping public spaces, as well as limited transformation possibilities. The Polish solutions of shared spaces presented in this paper of in their forms and quality do not differ from the standard functional solutions abroad. Solutions implemented in the Polish conditions, however, are more modest in terms of materials and implemented in a smaller number than is the case in Western European countries. Keywords: Shared spaces, Traffic calming, Cities of Poland, Creation of public space

scholarly journals Recovery of residual public spaces to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of San Borja, Lima

2021 ◽  
Vol 2089 (1) ◽  
pp. 012051
Author(s):  
O Facho ◽  
T Cama ◽  
D Esenarro ◽  
J Livia ◽  
C Cuetoand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Public Places ◽  
The Public ◽  
Phase Study

Abstract The present research aims to propose a model for the recovery of residual public spaces to improve the quality of life of the district of San Borja’s inhabitants. San Borja is in the process of densification and requires a more significant number of public spaces that offer, in addition to vegetation, public places for active and passive recreation, such as spaces for sports and games, walking pets, and relaxation. These needs have increased due to the confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it was noted that the median strip, or central reservation of the avenue, can be recovered for people to use. Therefore, a four-phase study was carried out that included reviewing the literature and observing two cases. In conclusion, a model was proposed to recover the public space of the median strips of San Borja Norte Avenue and San Borja Sur Avenue to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of San Borja, which can be replicated in other avenues with residual spaces with similar characteristics.

scholarly journals Lessons For Toronto From Melbourne’s City Centre Revitalization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent Gilliard
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Physical Quality ◽  
Social Quality

Public space is important to a city’s economic and social quality. Downtown Toronto is not known for its public spaces but Melbourne is widely recognized for recently revitalizing its city centre with improved public spaces. A case study of Melbourne investigates its comparability to Toronto as well as the details of its "renaissance." It is concluded that Melbourne is, in fact, highly comparable to Toronto. Interventions in Melbourne were characterized by the principles: long-term vision, emphasizing local strengths, investment in quality, making space for people on foot, and using effective arguments and evidence. To emulate Melbourne’s city-centre revitalization, Toronto first should facilitate a civic conversation about the long-term vision for its downtown; second, it should initiate a public life survey of the downtown; third, it should invest is the physical quality of downtown public spaces; and fourth, it should begin an incremental program to reclaim roadway space from cars in locations of high pedestrian use.

scholarly journals Public Spaces Protection Orders: a critical policy analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 182-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicky Heap ◽  
Jill Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Council ◽  
Protection Orders ◽  
Starting Point

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically appraise the Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) policy that was introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act (2014). Within a designated area assigned by the local council, PSPOs can prohibit or require specific behaviours to improve the quality of life for people inhabiting that space. Those who do not comply face a fixed penalty notice of £100 or a fine of £1,000 on summary conviction. However, the practical and theoretical impact associated with the development of these powers has yet to be fully explored. Design/methodology/approach Using Bannister and O’Sullivan’s (2013) discussion of civility and anti-social behaviour policy as a starting point, the authors show how PSPOs could create new frontiers in exclusion, intolerance and criminalisation, as PSPOs enable the prohibition of any type of behaviour perceived to negatively affect the quality of life. Findings Local councils in England and Wales now have unlimited and unregulated powers to control public spaces. The authors suggest that this has the potential to produce localised tolerance thresholds and civility agendas that currently target and further marginalise vulnerable people, and the authors highlight street sleeping homeless people as one such group. Originality/value There has been little academic debate on this topic. This paper raises a number of original, conceptual questions that provide an analytical framework for future empirical research. The authors also use original data from Freedom of Information requests to contextualise the discussions.

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