scholarly journals Evaluating Urban Quality: Indicators and Assessment Tools for Smart Sustainable Cities

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 575 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Smart Cities ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Critical Areas ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Urban Quality ◽  
Neighbourhood Scale

The analysis of urban sustainability is key to urban planning, and its usefulness extends to smart cities. Analyses of urban quality typically focus on applying methodologies that evaluate quality objectives at environmental, urban, and building levels. Research has shown that a system of indicators can be useful for developing qualitative and quantitative descriptors of urban environments. The first step in this study was to formulate a methodology to measure the quality of urban life based on investigative checklists and objective and subjective indicators, aggregated to develop an index to evaluate a city’s level of smart urban quality. The second step was to apply this methodology to evaluate the city of Cagliari (Italy) at the neighbourhood scale, which is considered by literature the most suitable as a self-sufficient spatial unit for showing redevelopment results. In addition to sharing its research findings, this study aims to verify whether the methodology can be applied to similar urban contexts. The main outcomes of this research pertain to opportunities to numerically measure both objective and subjective aspects that affect urban quality. In this way, the most critical areas to be requalified have been highlighted in order to prepare policies congruent with the local context.

scholarly journals Making a Building Smart with a Co-Created and Continuously Evolving Enjoyable Service Entity—Insights from a Collaborative Study

Smart Cities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Maaria Nuutinen ◽  
Eija Kaasinen ◽  
Jaana Hyvärinen ◽  
Airi Mölsä ◽  
Sanni Siltanen
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Smart City ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Collaborative Study ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Smart Services ◽  
Smart Building ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life

Buildings shape cities as those cities grow from and nurture people living and working within the built environment. Thus, the conceptualization of smart building should be brought closer to the smart city initiatives that particularly target ensuring and enhancing the sustainability and quality of urban life. In this paper, we propose that a smart building should be interlinked with a smart city surrounding it; it should provide good experiences to its various occupants and it should be in an ongoing state of evolving as an ecosystem, wherein different stakeholders can join to co-produce, co-provide and co-consume services. Smart buildings require a versatile set of smart services based on digital solutions, solutions in the built environment and human activities. We conducted a multiphase collaborative study on new service opportunities guided by a Design Thinking approach. The approach brought people, technology, and business perspectives together and resulted in key service opportunities that have the potential to make the buildings smart and provide enjoyable experience to the occupants who support their living and working activities in smart cities. This paper provides the resulting practical implications as well as proposes future avenues for research.

scholarly journals Assessing Urban Quality of Life: Developing the Criteria for Saudi Cities

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamal Al-Qawasmi ◽  
Muhammad Saeed ◽  
Omar S. Asfour ◽  
Adel S. Aldosary
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Urban Quality Of Life ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Urban Quality

Urban quality of life (QOL) is a complex and multidimensional concept. A wide range of urban QOL assessment tools has been developed worldwide to measure and monitor the quality of urban life taking into account the particular conditions of cities/regions and the needs of their residents. This study aims to develop an urban QOL assessment tool appropriate for the context of Saudi Arabia (SA). For this purpose, this study developed and used a structured approach that consists of an in-depth analysis of 21 urban QOL assessment tools in use worldwide, combined with focus group analysis and feedback from a panel of experts. The results revealed that there is a lack of consensus among the existing tools regarding the usage of QOL indicators and domains, and that the majority of the tools demonstrate a lack of proper coverage of QOL subdomains. The results also show wide variations in the number of indicators used and that most of the examined tools are using objective measurable indicators. This study has identified 67 indicators distributed across 13 domains that constitute the core criteria of the proposed QOL assessment tool. The selected indicators and domains cover all the attributes of urban QOL and are evaluated by experts as important criteria to assess/measure QOL. Moreover, the results demonstrate the advantage of the developed framework and comprehensive list of criteria (CLC) as a structured and efficient approach to design better QOL assessment tools.

scholarly journals Assessing public open spaces in Belgrade – A quality of urban life perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Vukovic ◽  
Ashraf M. Salama ◽  
Biserka Mitrovic ◽  
Mirjana Devetakovic
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assessment Study ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Public Open Spaces

PurposeThis paper interrogates the impact of spatial transformations on urban life. It explores the level of individual and group satisfaction and sense of well-being within the urban public realm; this is undertaken by reporting on the outcomes of an assessment study of three key public open spaces in Belgrade, developed from a quality of urban life (QoUL) perspective.Design/methodology/approachA systematic multilevel assessment method is utilised, with the aim of determining the material and immaterial elements that can contribute to an individual's sense of comfort within a public space. The study places emphasis on the functional, social and perceptual attributes as they relate to the physical characteristics of three assessed spaces.FindingsThe assessment study resulted in a systematic overview of the different attributes of the three assessed spaces. With various performance levels within each set of attributes, the study identifies key challenges and problems that could lead towards determining possible opportunities for future local urban interventions and developmental actions.Originality/valueWith the shifts in policies and the associated governance process that redefined the outlook of previously enforced development and urban growth in the last two decades, the capital of Serbia, Belgrade, has undergone significant spatial changes. This has resulted in a certain level of fragmentation in the urban fabric, leading to a number of challenges concerning public health, well-being, safety, accessibility, comfort and urban mobility, to name a few, that need to be better addressed and understood within the local context.

scholarly journals Long-Term City Innovation Trajectories and Quality of Urban Life

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10587
Author(s):  
Alina Irina Popescu
Keyword(s):  
Path Dependence ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Technological Trajectories ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life ◽  
Technological Developments

The main aims of this paper are to examine the technological trajectories of city innovation, to provide a picture of the current state in the most significant technologies, and to propose an explanation for the long-run evolutionary trajectories of technological developments that contribute to the quality of urban life through innovation. In the conceptual part of the paper, we develop the argument that the explanation may rest on the interrelationships between the concept of urban transformative capacity and the theory of path dependence. In the empirical part, we analyze patent data on city-related innovations to examine the trajectories of technological developments over the period 1980–2020. Our main findings at a technological field level (i) confirm the path dependence theory in general and the institutional approach in particular, (ii) acknowledge the rapid transformation towards ‘smart cities’ through the explosive growth of digital technologies, and (iii) confirm the environmental sustainability concerns when developing new technologies. In our study, we focus particularly on the technological sectors (‘clusters’) that provide a significant contribution to quality of urban life, namely environment, public services, and leisure and participation. Our findings provide theoretical, managerial, and policy implications for future research activities on the technological developments that benefit quality of urban life.

scholarly journals The Importance of Water and Climate-Related Aspects in the Quality of Urban Life Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6573
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Ptak-Wojciechowska ◽  
Anna Januchta-Szostak ◽  
Agata Gawlak ◽  
Magda Matuszewska
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Life Assessment ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Aging Societies ◽  
The Impact

Global challenges such as urbanization, aging societies, climate change, and environmental and water crises are becoming increasingly important in terms of the impact they might have on the quality of life (QoL) in cities. Appraisal instruments for QoL assessment, such as rankings and guides, should therefore include these aspects. The aim of this research was to verify the significance of water and climate-related aspects in assessment tools. A comparative analysis of 24 selected QoL assessment tools shows to what extent these aspects are included in the domains, criteria, and indicators proposed in the instruments. The method of verification is a comparison of the position of winning cities in QoL rankings and city resilience rankings. The results show that water and climate-related aspects are still underestimated in the QoL rankings and guides, and only a few cities with the highest quality of life ranked highly in sustainability and climate resiliency ratings. Our results suggest that the tools for the evaluation and comparison of cities need remodeling, taking into account the most important global risks and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in order to create aging-friendly and climate-neutral cities.

Sharing Seoul: Appropriating Alleys as Communal Space through Localized Sharing Practices

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-114
Author(s):  
Im Sik Cho ◽  
Blaž Križnik
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Spatial Dimension ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Communal Life ◽  
Relationship Networks ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Communal Space

Sharing practices are an important part of urban life. This article examines the appropriation of alleys as communal space to understand how sharing practices are embedded in localities, how communal space is constituted and maintained, and how this sustains communal life. In this way, the article aims to understand the spatial dimension of sharing practices, and the role of communal space in strengthening social relationship networks and urban sustainability. Seowon Maeul and Samdeok Maeul in Seoul are compared in terms of their urban regeneration approaches, community engagement in planning, street improvement, and the consequences that the transformation had on the appropriation of alleys as communal space. The research findings show that community engagement in planning is as important as the provision of public space if streets are to be appropriated as communal space. Community engagement has changed residents' perception and use of alleys as a shared resource in the neighbourhood by improving their capacity to act collectively and collaborate with other stakeholders in addressing problems and opportunities in cities.

scholarly journals Exploring the Relationship between Locational and Household Characteristics and E-Commerce Home Delivery Demand

Logistics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Cheng Cheng ◽  
Takanori Sakai ◽  
André Alho ◽  
Lynette Cheah ◽  
Moshe Ben-Akiva
Keyword(s):  
Online Shopping ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Home Delivery ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Household Characteristics ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Individual Household ◽  
Parcel Deliveries

The rapid growth in online shopping and associated parcel deliveries prompts investigation of the factors that contribute to parcel delivery demand. In this study, we evaluated the influence of locational and household characteristics on e-commerce home delivery demand. While past research has largely focused on the impacts of the adoption of online shopping using individual/household survey data, we made use of data from an e-commerce carrier. A linear regression model was estimated considering factors such as degree of urbanization, transit and shopping accessibility, and household attributes. The results both confirm and contradict prior research findings, highlighting the potential for a non-negligible influence of the local context on demand for parcel deliveries.

scholarly journals Architectural and Urban Attractiveness of Small Towns: A Case Study of Polish Coastal Cittaslow Towns on the Pomeranian Way of St. James

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 724
Author(s):  
Alicja K. Zawadzka
Keyword(s):  
Small Towns ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life ◽  
Size Criterion ◽  
The Town ◽  
Modern Technologies

The paper presents the results of a study on the attractiveness to tourists and natives of the cultural qualities of coastal towns on The Pomeranian Way of St. James that are members of the Cittaslow network. Attention to the quality of urban life is inscribed in the development policies of towns applying to join the Cittaslow movement. In order to join the network (apart from the size criterion), towns need to meet a minimum of 50% plus one of the 72 criteria grouped into seven categories. One of the category is Quality of Urban Life Policy, so the towns applying to join Cittaslow commit themselves to actions aimed at improving the quality of urban life. The study on the attractiveness of cultural qualities of towns to tourists and natives was conducted using the author’s BRB method, whose added value is its universality and the possibility to study small towns regardless of their membership in the Cittaslow network. BRB is an acronym that stands for BUILDINGS, RELATIONSHIPS, BALANCE, and comprises three scopes of activities: BUILDINGS (iconic building and important sites where the inhabitants and the tourists are present); RELATIONSHIPS (the visual effects of the relations between the inhabitants and the town) and BALANCE (solutions that implement modern technologies). This method enables identification of places that are important to the inhabitants, where urban life takes place and which are often created with the involvement of the inhabitants. These are often the same spaces as those that attract tourists and perhaps stimulate them the desire to visit the town again (BRB—be right back). The aim of the BRB method is shown the attractiveness of small towns. The study has shown that the characteristic feature of Polish Cittaslow towns is their diversity: the architectural attractiveness of three towns is high both to tourists and natives. On the other hand, the urban attractiveness of the examined towns is an insufficient.

scholarly journals City intelligence for enhancing urban performance value: a conceptual study on data decomposition in smart cities

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-222
Author(s):  
Karima Kourtit
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Urban Policy ◽  
Urban Governance ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Urban System ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Data Decomposition ◽  
Blowing Up ◽  
Technology Age

AbstractThe contemporary ‘digital age’ prompts the need for a re-assessment of urban planning principles and practices. Against the background of current data-rich urban planning, this study seeks to address the question whether an appropriate methodological underpinning can be provided for smart city governance based on a data-driven planning perspective. It posits that the current digital technology age has a drastic impact on city strategies and calls for a multi-faceted perspective on future urban development, termed here the ‘XXQ-principle’ (which seeks to attain the highest possible level of quality for urban life). Heterogeneity in urban objectives and data embodied in the XXQ-principle can be systematically addressed by a process of data decomposition (based on a ‘cascade principle’), so that first, higher-level urban policy domains are equipped with the necessary (‘big’) data provisions, followed by lower-ranking urban governance levels. The conceptual decomposition principle can then be translated into a comprehensive hierarchical model architecture for urban intelligence based on the ‘flying disc’ model, including key performance indicators (KPIs). This new model maps out the socio-economic arena of a complex urban system according to the above cascade system. The design of this urban system architecture and the complex mutual connections between its subsystems is based on the ‘blowing-up’ principle that originates from a methodological deconstruction-reconstruction paradigm in the social sciences. The paper advocates the systematic application of this principle to enhance the performance of smart cities, called the XXQ performance value. This study is not empirical, although it is inspired by a wealth of previous empirical research. It aims to advance conceptual and methodological thinking on principles of smart urban planning.

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