Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)最新文献

{"title":"Urban Quality of Life: A Systematic Literature Review","authors":"J. Wesz, L. Miron, I. Delsante, P. Tzortzopoulos","doi":"10.3390/urbansci7020056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020056","url":null,"abstract":"The built environment has great influence over the sustainability of societies as well as over people’s quality of life. Quality of life (QoL) is a broad concept that has different definitions across diverse bodies of knowledge. The social–cultural environment and the characteristics of the built environment influence people’s perception of QoL. This study aims to identify and analyse the factors that impact QoL and sustainable development in the urban context. A systematic literature review was developed to understand QoL concepts and to identify urban indicators that contribute to the multidimensional evaluation of urban QoL. The results include (1) a holistic overview of QoL concepts and indicators; (2) the proposal of a holistic urban QoL concept; (3) the identification of urban QoL dimensions and indicators that contribute to urban QoL evaluation. The main contribution of this study is its discussion of the multidimensional nature of QoL, including objective and subjective dimensions.","PeriodicalId":75284,"journal":{"name":"Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45698910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Customer Loyalty during Disasters: The Case of Internet Service Providers Amidst Typhoon Odette in Central Philippine Urban Districts","authors":"Roberto Suson, Donna Marie Rivero, A. Arnejo, Nadine May Atibing, Joerabell Lourdes Aro, Angelo O. Burdeos, Kafferine D. Yamagishi, L. Ocampo","doi":"10.3390/urbansci7020055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020055","url":null,"abstract":"The impact of service disruptions to critical utility services due to natural disasters is evident during delays in emergency responses and humanitarian relief, especially for urban populations with highly interdependent infrastructures. Aside from health and social impacts, failing to address these disruptions would inevitably lead to customer dissatisfaction and switching loyalty, adversely affecting service providers’ profitability. Thus, providers must effectively respond to this service failure resulting from disruptions to retain the loyalty of their existing customers. To this end, a theoretical model to explain customer loyalty to internet service providers amidst a disaster-induced disruption through integrating customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, service quality, service innovation, service recovery, perceived value, and brand image is proposed in this work. This study uses the case of a massive disruption caused by Typhoon Odette (Rai) in central Philippine urban districts to empirically test the efficacy of the proposed structural model. A total of 584 responses were utilized in the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to derive significant relationships between the constructs. The findings suggest that customer satisfaction strongly predicts customer loyalty during a disaster. Furthermore, efforts towards service recovery do not translate to customer loyalty, but negatively influence customer satisfaction. Moreover, service innovation significantly affects customer satisfaction but negatively influences customer loyalty. Additionally, perceived value does not support customer loyalty but positively affects customer satisfaction. Lastly, brand image and service quality influence both customer satisfaction and loyalty. These findings offer managerial insights for informing the design of a reliable service recovery system, efficient project management planning, practical service innovation, and comprehensive service design. The future research directions are discussed.","PeriodicalId":75284,"journal":{"name":"Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49091759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Particulate Matter Accumulation and Elemental Composition of Eight Roadside Plant Species","authors":"H. Bui, Jihye Park, Eunyoung Lee, Moonsun Jeong, Bong-Ju Park","doi":"10.3390/urbansci7020051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020051","url":null,"abstract":"Particulate matter (PM) is the most dangerous air pollutant that adversely affects health. Increasing PM in urban areas is a big problem that must be solved. This study analyzed the amount of PM that accumulated on plant leaves, as well as the leaf traits that contribute to PM accumulation, to determine the plant’s ability to accumulate PM and the impact of PM on the plants. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis were used to quantitatively assess metal concentrations in the particles that had accumulated on the leaf samples. Eight common plant species that grow on the roadside were used to analyze leaf traits using leaf samples. Specific leaf areas (SLA), leaf extract pH (pH), relative leaf water content (RWC), chlorophyll (Chl), and carotenoids were analyzed. PM accumulation and leaf traits varied among plant species, and Parthenocissus tricuspidata showed the highest PM accumulation on its leaf surface. The leaf’s elemental composition included C, O, Ca, K, Mg, S, P, Al, Si, Na, Cl, and Fe. Among these elements, Ca, K, and Cl made up a relatively large percentage. Fe was only detected in the leaves of Pachysandra terminalis and P. tricuspidata, while C and O were excluded as they are not relevant in determining PM metal content. Plants not only accumulate PM but also heavy metals from the atmosphere. This study found that plants with highly effective PM accumulation, such as P. tricuspidate, should be considered for optimizing the benefits of plants in improving air quality.","PeriodicalId":75284,"journal":{"name":"Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45763595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Promoting Urban Farming for Creating Sustainable Cities in Nepal","authors":"K. Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari","doi":"10.3390/urbansci7020054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020054","url":null,"abstract":"This paper responds to the research question, “can urban farming in Nepal help create sustainable cities?” Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, urban residents have begun to realize that food transported from long distances is not always reliable. Urban farming can help produce fresh food locally and help urban residents become self-reliant by engaging in healthy eating habits and practicing sustainable agricultural techniques in food-desert areas, while creating a positive impact on the environment through regenerative agricultural methods. In doing so, urban farms can help the growers save on food expenditures and even earn some additional income, while also improving air quality and minimizing the effects of urban heat islands. This practice also helps reduce greenhouse gases through plant carbon use efficiency (CUE), as vegetation carbon dynamics (VCD) can be adjusted while supporting the circular economy. As urban lands command higher prices than agricultural land, urban farming usually happens on residential yards, roofs, balconies, community gardens, and dedicated areas in public parks. Rainwater harvesting and redirecting can help irrigate urban farms, which can be part of rain gardens. The national census of 2021 identified that 66% of Nepal’s population lives in urban areas. However, the World Bank (2018) showed that only 21 of Nepal’s population was projected to live in urban areas in 2021. It is not debatable that the urbanization process in Nepal is on the rise. Thus, urban agriculture can play an important role in supplementing residents’ food needs. Many cities in Nepal have already successfully adapted to urban farming wherein residents grow food on their building sites, balconies, and rooftop, often growing plants in pots, vases, and other types of containers. The UN-Habitat, with the support of the European Union and local agencies, published a rooftop farming training manual (2014), showing the feasibility of urban farming in Nepal. This paper discusses how public-private partnership (PPP) can promote urban agriculture and make the process more effective and attractive to urban-farming households. It also analyzes how a PPP approach also facilitates the use of better technology, advisory support, and use of research extension activities. This paper draws on a literature review, uses remote-sensing imagery data and data from National Census Nepal 2021, and the authors’ professional experiences related to best practices in the areas to analyze the benefits and challenges related to urban farming both in Nepal and Arizona, USA. The paper provides recommendations for Nepali cities to maximize the benefit provided by urban farming. It is expected to be useful to Nepali policymakers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations which promote sustainability, and organic farming with a sustainable supply chain.","PeriodicalId":75284,"journal":{"name":"Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46113918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identifying Urban Heritage Facility Management Support Services Considering World Heritage Sites","authors":"B. N. Prabowo, A. Temeljotov Salaj, Jardar Lohne","doi":"10.3390/urbansci7020052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020052","url":null,"abstract":"Whether public sectors or private institutions, in-house or outsourced, building-level or urban-scale, the critical role of facility management (FM) is to support the core business activities of an organization in accomplishing its objectives. Through the services it manages and provides, FM impacts people’s health, well-being, and quality of life. While there is no difficulty in defining a corporation, organization, or institution’s core business, defining the core business of a city as an institution is not widely discussed in the urban-scale facility management literature. By using a narrative research approach from the available literature, this study seeks to shed light on potential justifications for a city’s “core business” and its possible support services. The context of the World Heritage site is used to provide a sharper perspective on the possible urban-scale support services customized for urban heritage areas. This study suggests that a city’s primary objective is to maintain and possibly attract new “desirable” citizens through the provision of excellent services, a quality-built environment, a sense of well-being, health, safety and security, and economic growth. Consequently, the integration of urban-scale support services must be aligned with the purpose of the city, or the World Heritage site, to be specific.","PeriodicalId":75284,"journal":{"name":"Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49430365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Phragmites australis for Environmental Sustainability in Bahrain: Photosynthesis Pigments, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn Content Grown in Urban Wastes","authors":"S. Perna, Zainab Ali AL-Qallaf, Q. Mahmood","doi":"10.3390/urbansci7020053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020053","url":null,"abstract":"Modern urban societies generate tremendous amounts of hazardous wastes, including toxic organics and metals. Toxic metals harm plants and pose a risk to human health; examples of them are copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), palladium (Pb), and cadmium (Cd). Wetland plants are excellent for the ecological restoration of toxic metal-affected environments. Phragmites australis (common reed) belongs to the family Poaceae and is a broadly distributed wetland grass that is native to Bahrain, Europe, and America. P. australis shows a high content of chlorophyll. This study aimed to assess percentages of water, chlorophyll, and toxic metal content using acetone extraction; the calculation of the concentrations was performed according to the equations proposed by Lichtenthaler and the percentage of water content was calculated. After the metal exposure, the reed plants were digested, and their total mineral analysis was accomplished by atomic absorption spectroscopy; statistical analysis was conducted by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. The results revealed that the immature stage showed the highest chlorophyll a (mean 1641.5 (µg/g)) carotenoids (mean 359.75 (µg/g)) and total chlorophyll (mean 2183.93 (µg/g)), and the mature flowering stem had the highest chlorophyll b (mean 676.45 (µg/g)). The mature flowering stem stage showed the highest Pb (mg/L) and Cd (mg/L) values; on the other hand, Cu was the highest in the fully elongated non-flowering stage (0.108 mg/L), and the highest Zn content was found in the immature stage (mean 2.083). Owing to its growth in contaminated environments, P. australis can be considered a potential source of phytonutrients; higher concentrations were mostly available in the immature and mature flowering stages, with a favorable immature stage. The use of such marginal wetland plants may be very useful in reducing the pollution burden of urban built environments. These plants offer a green and sustainable solution for the disposal of waste from urban areas. Hence, further planning and execution of such a green solution are pivotal for creating environmental sustainability.","PeriodicalId":75284,"journal":{"name":"Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44088666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Testing the Informal Development Stages Framework Globally: Exploring Self-Build Densification and Growth in Informal Settlements","authors":"Jota Samper, Weichun Liao","doi":"10.3390/urbansci7020050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020050","url":null,"abstract":"This article challenges the narrow definition of informal settlements as solely lacking a formal framework, which overlooks the dynamic city-making and urban design processes within these areas. Communities’ self-building processes and areas’ constant growth are indeed informal settlements’ most salient morphological features. The study builds upon the informal development stages (IDS) framework and explores how it applies globally. The research follows a sample of fifty informal settlements with a high change coefficient from the Atlas of Informality (AoI) across five world regions to explore how change and urban densification across IDS can be mapped in such areas using human visual interpretation of Earth observation (EO). The research finds evidence of IDS framework fitment across regions, with critical morphological differences. Additionally, the study finds that settlements can pass through all IDS phases faster than anticipated. The study identifies IDS as a guiding principle for urban design, presenting opportunities for policy and action. The study suggests that integrating IDS with predictive morphological tools can create valuable data to refine identification models further. Finally, the article concludes that an IDS approach can anticipate development and integrate into an urban design evolutionary process that adapts to the deprived areas’ current and future needs.","PeriodicalId":75284,"journal":{"name":"Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44748016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Not All Social Capital Is Equal: Conceptualizing Social Capital Differences in Cities","authors":"M. Wesselow","doi":"10.3390/urbansci7020049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020049","url":null,"abstract":"Social capital is the basis of community-based action and constitutes an important resource for the poor in urban areas. However, social class, age, ethnicity and gender play an important role in shaping social capital outcomes. This article provides a literature-based framework for the qualitative analysis of the differences in social capital between social groups. This study defines and distinguishes social capital functions and resources and highlights the importance of taking negative effects of social capital and social capital needs into account. To test the framework, the social capital portfolios of two exemplary social groups, namely young people and ethnic minorities in urban areas, are presented. The analysis shows that the social capital resources and functions of the different groups as well as the specific needs vary in quality. The study provides a conceptual enhancement to the concept of social capital and recommends that strategies aiming at improving social capital must acknowledge the differences in social capital according to specific groups and environments.","PeriodicalId":75284,"journal":{"name":"Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45326929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Formulating a Railway Station Accessibility (RsAI) Model for Station Hierarchy Classification","authors":"Rahul Vardhan Bhatnagar, S. Ram","doi":"10.3390/urbansci7020048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020048","url":null,"abstract":"The accessibility of railway stations plays a crucial role in assessing service quality, predicting travel patterns, and developing infrastructure in the surrounding areas. This paper proposes a railway station accessibility index (RsAI) (external) that incorporates various parameters, including network performance, into a weighted measure. We reviewed different methods for measuring accessibility levels for transit systems to identify the most suitable models for this study. The primary objective of this paper is to classify railway stations into different hierarchies based on their accessibility levels and to develop an external accessibility index to measure their performance. With increasing urbanization and congestion, accessing railway stations has become more challenging, impacting railway efficiency and leading to modal shifts to other transportation systems. This paper not only identifies critical parameters but also emphasizes the need to measure and improve last-mile network performance to enhance station accessibility, thereby benefiting both passengers and the railway industry.","PeriodicalId":75284,"journal":{"name":"Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44214450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emerging Transformations in Material Use and Waste Practices in the Global South: Plastic-Free and Zero Waste in India","authors":"Katie Conlon","doi":"10.3390/urbansci7020047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020047","url":null,"abstract":"This study uses a qualitative approach to address limitations and blockages to current plastics reduction via semi-structured interviews with zero waste business practitioners in India. Although they are nascent, India is home to a budding zero waste community that is grappling with how to reduce plastics—via trial and error—and these stakeholders hold insights from lived experience on how plastic reduction can actualize in the Indian subcontinent. This research involved interviewing zero waste businesses and consultants and makers of plastic alternatives in India to understand their experiences with plastic reduction strategies. The key stakeholder interviews reveal key insights for moving forward with plastic reduction initiatives, including challenges faced at government, business, and social levels; considerations regarding plastic waste generation; motivations for starting zero waste businesses and organizations; how it will be possible to operationalize plastic bans in India; appropriate actions for plastic waste reduction; elements that would help India shift into a more circular, regenerative economy; and locally appropriate alternatives to plastics. The discussion further delves into caveats with various alternatives to plastic materials, economic considerations, and characteristics of the zero waste network, and provides next steps for action at the government, business, and civil levels for reducing plastic waste generation in India and minimizing plastic pollution.","PeriodicalId":75284,"journal":{"name":"Urban science (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45223196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}