Discover cities最新文献

{"title":"Extreme heat disproportionately increases severe road traffic crashes in high conflict settings and among vulnerable road users in California.","authors":"Cheng-Kai Hsu, D Alex Quistberg, Carolina Pérez-Ferrer, Daniel A Rodríguez","doi":"10.1007/s44327-026-00248-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44327-026-00248-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Emerging evidence suggests that extreme heat elevates road-traffic injuries, undermining international road safety efforts like Vision Zero as global warming intensifies. However, the mechanisms underlying heat-related crashes remain poorly understood, with limited research linking heat exposure to specific crash types that may be driven by heat-induced unsafe road behaviors. Here, we analyzed temperature data and police-reported crash records-including detailed crash scene information-from 177 California cities (2012-2023) using a time-stratified case-crossover design, examining variations in risk by crash type and contextual factors. We observed that extreme heat was associated with elevated risks of fatal and severe crashes, with risk increasing monotonically at higher temperatures. Associations were more pronounced in high-conflict settings such as intersections; among vulnerable road users, including bicyclists and pedestrians; and in crashes involving driver-related violations common to these contexts, such as improper turning and failure to yield to pedestrians, and instances where pedestrians or bicyclists were themselves the at-fault parties. These patterns are consistent with the possibility that extreme heat may increase crash risk by influencing road behavior, reinforcing behavioral mechanisms as a plausible pathway. They also highlight potential disparities in road safety, particularly affecting individuals who continue to walk or cycle and remain mobile during extreme heat, such as low-income individuals without access to climate-controlled vehicles. Urban planning and transportation policies should integrate climate resilience into road safety strategies, such as shaded intersections, cooling interventions for vulnerable road users, enhanced right-of-way protections during extreme heat, and institutional recognition of heat as a situational risk factor.</p>","PeriodicalId":520231,"journal":{"name":"Discover cities","volume":"3 1","pages":"61"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13102899/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147794807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cultural diversity in urban park use and perception.","authors":"Tural Aliyev, Manuel Fischer, Janine Bolliger, Katrin Pakizer, Natascha Zinn, Noah Schmid","doi":"10.1007/s44327-026-00247-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44327-026-00247-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Given increasing migration and cultural diversification in urban contexts, understanding how people with different cultural backgrounds use and perceive urban green areas is relevant for inclusive planning. This exploratory, context-specific study examines how park users categorized as Swiss and non-Swiss report motivations, emotions, and ecological preferences in four public parks in Zurich, Switzerland. Based on 100 face-to-face go-along interviews, the study applies a mixed-methods design combining descriptive quantitative summaries with qualitative insights. Findings show shared appreciation for health-related benefits across both groups, alongside patterns of variation in reported motivations, emotional experiences, and preferences for vegetation structure. These patterns are discussed descriptively in relation to a simple Swiss vs. non-Swiss cultural background. The article contributes to urban studies by applying a three-dimensional framework-motivational, emotional, and ecological-that considers vegetation characteristics alongside reported user experiences, offering context-specific insights into culturally differentiated park use in Zurich.</p>","PeriodicalId":520231,"journal":{"name":"Discover cities","volume":"3 1","pages":"71"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13128745/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147825859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lessons from Denmark for community-based governance of urban heat networks.","authors":"Eirini Sampson, Zen Makuch","doi":"10.1007/s44327-026-00273-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44327-026-00273-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urban heat systems are pivotal to achieving climate-neutral, resilient, and equitable cities. Within the European Union's Green Deal and Fit-for-55 frameworks, the decarbonisation of heating and cooling (H&C) - which accounts for over 60% of EU energy use - remains a critical challenge for sustainable urban transitions. District heating networks, often described as a \"Swiss army knife for decarbonisation,\" provide a key pathway for cities to integrate renewable electricity, recover urban waste heat, and strengthen energy resilience. Yet their development depends on governance models that embed justice, participation, and local empowerment. This paper presents findings from a Rapid Evidence Assessment of Denmark's heating system, where two-thirds of domestic heat demand is met through district heat, and over 90% of networks are municipally or cooperatively owned. By analysing Denmark's socio-technical and legal frameworks, the research identifies three enabling conditions for decarbonised urban heat transitions: (1) stable rule of law through the Heat Supply Act, which delegates planning powers to municipalities; (2) sustained financial mechanisms that support non-profit, community-based infrastructure; and (3) participatory ownership models that foster \"innovative democracy\" in energy governance. These insights show that urban heat networks function as public infrastructures of resilience when underpinned by strong and participatory governance. The Danish experience demonstrates a community-oriented governance model that offers transferable lessons for European cities seeking to decarbonise heating systems in a just and climate-compatible way.</p>","PeriodicalId":520231,"journal":{"name":"Discover cities","volume":"3 1","pages":"105"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13253888/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148255352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of pluvial flash flood loads on overpasses for the city of Montreal.","authors":"Oveys Ziya, Laxmi Sushama, Husham Almansour","doi":"10.1007/s44327-025-00172-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44327-025-00172-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Warmer temperatures in a future climate can lead to more frequent high intensity short-duration rainfall events, which can lead to frequent and severe flash floods. Such events pose significant threats to urban infrastructure, including urban overpasses, which have not been adequately explored. This study combines high-resolution (4 km) regional climate simulations from the Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model with two-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling, based on HEC-RAS, at 25 m spatial resolution to assess vulnerability of overpasses in Montreal, the second-largest city in Canada, under flood-induced hydrostatic, drag, and debris impact loads for different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. HEC-RAS simulations for design storms, developed following the Huff curve and Chicago methods, corresponding to 100-year return levels of 15-min, 1-h, and 6-h rainfall events for current and future climates obtained from GEM, suggest future increases in inundated areas by 13 to 31%, with higher changes being associated with shorter-duration events. Moreover, classification of overpasses into various risk categories (i.e., low, medium, and high) based on flood loads indicates potential increases in the number of overpasses in both high- and medium-risk categories in future climate. Risk categorization shows that 6-h duration events in current climate have the highest number of overpasses (30) in the high-risk category, with far future projections indicating increases of 17-200% in the number of high-risk overpasses across all storm durations. This foundational work will form the basis for detailed investigations focused on individual overpasses and infrastructure design considerations that account for the intensification of flash flood loads under future climate conditions to ensure climate resiliency.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44327-025-00172-1.</p>","PeriodicalId":520231,"journal":{"name":"Discover cities","volume":"2 1","pages":"130"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12740967/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145852135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing Urban Climate Resistance Through the Application of Selected Strategies and Technologies.","authors":"Caroline Hachem-Vermette","doi":"10.1007/s44327-024-00018-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44327-024-00018-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adapting cities for climate resilience is crucial as climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. This study outlines a comprehensive set of resilience strategies aimed at enhancing urban resilience across four key domains: water, food, shelter, and energy. These strategies, applicable to both new and existing neighborhoods, range from simple, short-term measures to complex, long-term initiatives. A three-pronged evaluation framework, consisting of three platforms, is introduced to assess these strategies where criteria are initially selected based on their impact on strategy adoption and implementation. This framework employs hypothetical scores and weights that can be adjusted for specific urban contexts through detailed studies. Key outcomes of the evaluation conducted in the first platform include a systematic method to rank strategies based on six criteria: cost, infrastructure impact, scalability, regulatory and zoning challenges, community acceptance, and maintenance needs. For example, community gardens and rainwater harvesting systems are highly scalable and accepted, whereas green roofs require more investment and maintenance. The second and third platform of the framework facilitate the identification of strategies that enhance resilience across each of the resilience domains, as well as across several domains. The results highlight the top-performing strategies under different weighted scenarios. Strategies like green roofs strategy scores high in domains like water management, due to its capacity to absorb and manage stormwater, and energy, by providing natural insulation that reduces heating and cooling demands. Additionally, green roofs contribute to food production when utilized for urban agriculture and enhance shelter by improving building durability and increasing biodiversity This data-driven framework supports the strategic prioritization of resilience strategies, enhancing urban planning and investment decisions globally. Its modularity ensures adaptability to diverse urban settings and climatic issues.</p>","PeriodicalId":520231,"journal":{"name":"Discover cities","volume":"1 1","pages":"17"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11428680/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142336205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}