Bus ridership and its determinants in Beijing: A spatial econometric perspective

Understanding the temporal and spatial dynamics and determinants of public transport ridership play an important role in urban planning. Previous studies have focused on exploring the determinants at the station level using global models, or a local model, geographically weighted regression (GWR), which cannot reveal spatial autocorrelation at the global level. This study explores the factors affecting bus ridership considering spatial autocorrelation using the spatial Durbin model (SDM). Taking the community in Beijing as the basic study unit, this study aims to explore the temporal and spatial dynamics of bus ridership and identify its key determinants considering neighboring effects. The results show the following: (1) The temporal dynamics are quite distinct on weekdays and weekends as well as at different time slots of the day. (2) The spatial patterns of bus ridership varied across different time slots, and the hot areas are mainly located near the central business district (CBD), transport hubs, and residential areas. (3) Key determinants of bus ridership varied across weekends and weekdays and varied at different time slots per day. (4) The spatial neighboring effects had been verified. This study provides a common analytical framework for analyzing the spatiotemporal dynamics and determinants of bus ridership at the community level.

Optimized Query Algorithms for Top- K Group Skyline

Skyline query is a typical multiobjective query and optimization problem, which aims to find out the information that all users may be interested in a multidimensional data set. Multiobjective optimization has been applied in many scientific fields, including engineering, economy, and logistics. It is necessary to make the optimal decision when two or more conflicting objectives are weighed. For example, maximize the service area without changing the number of express points, and in the existing business district distribution, find out the area or target point set whose target attribute is most in line with the user’s interest. Group Skyline is a further extension of the traditional definition of Skyline. It considers not only a single point but a group of points composed of multiple points. These point groups should not be dominated by other point groups. For example, in the previous example of business district selection, a single target point in line with the user’s interest is not the focus of the research, but the overall optimality of all points in the whole target area is the final result that the user wants. This paper focuses on how to efficiently solve top- k group Skyline query problem. Firstly, based on the characteristics that the low levels of Skyline dominate the high level points, a group Skyline ranking strategy and the corresponding SLGS algorithm on Skyline layer are proposed according to the number of Skyline layer and vertices in the layer. Secondly, a group Skyline ranking strategy based on vertex coverage is proposed, and corresponding VCGS algorithm and optimized algorithm VCGS+ are proposed. Finally, experiments verify the effectiveness of this method from two aspects: query response time and the quality of returned results.

LAND RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS IN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (CBD) OF THE TAMALE METROPOLIS IN GHANA

Tamale Metropolis have been experiencing a significant increase in economic activities especially with the influx of occupation, tertiary institutions, industrial explorations and usage of the town as the main transit route to other parts of the Northern Region and Ghana as a whole. Development of a Central Business District (CBD) has become very crucial for Tamale Metropolis as is seen in other parts of Ghana but this can best occur only depending on Land Resource Development Decisions (LRDD) taken by developers as every Central Business District backbone is on the built environment. This study explored the land resource development decisions in the Tamale Metropolis. The primary data for the study was obtained mainly through interviews with property owners within the Central Business District of Tamale Central. Existing literature both published and unpublished were also secured and reviewed. The study found out that there are more ripped for redevelopment properties than redeveloped properties within the Central Business District of Tamale Central with a source of funding being the major challenge towards redevelopment. Education, occupation and income are key things that were revealed to have a significant influence on the issue of redevelopment decisions within the Central Business District of Tamale. The study recommends that there should be awareness creation on the various aspects of redevelopment to developers within the Tamale Metropolis by the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, the introduction of a by-law on redevelopment within the CBD of Tamale by the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly Town and Country Planning Department and a special mortgage scheme by mortgage institutions/financial institutions in Ghana to support low-income developers in Tamale Metropolis to contribute to development and redevelopment of the housing industry thereby reducing the housing deficit of Ghana. Keywords: Land, Resource, Development, Redevelopment, Redevelopment Decisions, Central Business District (CBD). Tamale Metropolis, Northern Region, Ghana.

Vehicular Channel Characterization in Urban Environment at 30 GHz considering Overtaking and Traffic Flow

To realize reliable and stable millimeter-wave (mmWave) vehicular wireless communication, the research of vehicular channel characteristics in the dense urban environment is becoming increasingly important. A comprehensive research on the channel characteristics for 30 GHz vehicular communication in the Beijing Central Business District (CBD) scenario is conducted in this paper. The self-developed high-performance ray-tracing (RT) simulator is employed to support intensive simulations. Based on simulation results, the effects of multiantenna and beam switching on the key channel parameters are analyzed, as well as the impact of different traffic flows. The results can provide theoretical and data support for the evaluation of vehicular channel characteristics and will help for the design of the vehicular communication system enabling future intelligent transportation.

Dead Among the Living: Burning Bodies in Inner City Wellington

<p>The architecture of cremation has struggled to embrace an identity; it has remained ambiguous in its architectural typology and religious association since it was first introduced into western society. Additionally, the absence of a ritual place for death in urban life is one manifestation of the contemporary idea that death does not belong in the modern living city. Death is seen as having no place in a society obsessed with youth and vigour; it has become an architectural taboo. The increased reluctance to physically address death as the inevitable consequence to life has resulted in death associated architecture eroding to the point where it has become absent in our everyday lives. With the expansion of Wellington during the 1800’s, cemeteries formerly on the outskirts (Mount and Bolton Streets) became engulfed by the sprawling city. Overflowing with corpses by the 1900’s, these sites now remain dormant, eliminating any opportunity for the public to ‘see’ death daily. Situating a crematorium within a Wellington urban context will not only address this issue, but also successfully meet the demand for more burial spaces, as Makara Cemetery is nearing capacity, and Karori Cemetery is already full. A site located in the ‘dead centre’ of Wellington’s central business district becomes the testing ground for a new urban crematorium – one that aims to reduce the anxiety around death by inclusion of it within people’s everyday lives. It aims to provide mourners with a more meaningful experience, and the general public a cosmopolitan necropolis. The presence of an urban crematorium and columbarium provides continual opportunities for people to reflect on their own mortality, honour and remember the dead, and be reminded to live while they can. A methodological approach of testing architectural sequences in relation to pattern language theory will allow for a thematic progression for mourners from sorrow to acceptance through the use of light, shadow, and sectional arrangements. This investigation into the meaningfulness of relationships between people and buildings, life and death, translates into spaces ready to be further invested with meaning by mourners.</p>

Dead Among the Living: Burning Bodies in Inner City Wellington

<p>The architecture of cremation has struggled to embrace an identity; it has remained ambiguous in its architectural typology and religious association since it was first introduced into western society. Additionally, the absence of a ritual place for death in urban life is one manifestation of the contemporary idea that death does not belong in the modern living city. Death is seen as having no place in a society obsessed with youth and vigour; it has become an architectural taboo. The increased reluctance to physically address death as the inevitable consequence to life has resulted in death associated architecture eroding to the point where it has become absent in our everyday lives. With the expansion of Wellington during the 1800’s, cemeteries formerly on the outskirts (Mount and Bolton Streets) became engulfed by the sprawling city. Overflowing with corpses by the 1900’s, these sites now remain dormant, eliminating any opportunity for the public to ‘see’ death daily. Situating a crematorium within a Wellington urban context will not only address this issue, but also successfully meet the demand for more burial spaces, as Makara Cemetery is nearing capacity, and Karori Cemetery is already full. A site located in the ‘dead centre’ of Wellington’s central business district becomes the testing ground for a new urban crematorium – one that aims to reduce the anxiety around death by inclusion of it within people’s everyday lives. It aims to provide mourners with a more meaningful experience, and the general public a cosmopolitan necropolis. The presence of an urban crematorium and columbarium provides continual opportunities for people to reflect on their own mortality, honour and remember the dead, and be reminded to live while they can. A methodological approach of testing architectural sequences in relation to pattern language theory will allow for a thematic progression for mourners from sorrow to acceptance through the use of light, shadow, and sectional arrangements. This investigation into the meaningfulness of relationships between people and buildings, life and death, translates into spaces ready to be further invested with meaning by mourners.</p>