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Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Planning and Landscape Architecture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 43894

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maciej Lasocki

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Architecture, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-659 Warszawa, Poland
Interests: public realm design; spatial composition; pedestrian traffic; participatory planning; cultural influence on spatial management; ICT and new media technologies in urban design and education; interdisciplinary collaboration between architects, urban planners, sociologists, journalists, the environment, and computer specialists
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Prof. Dr. José Guadalupe Vargas Hernández‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

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Guest Editor

University Center for Economic and Managerial Sciences, University of Guadalajara, Jalisco 45100, Mexico
Interests: urban and organizational economics; strategic management
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Dr. Martina Koll-Schretzenmayr

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Guest Editor

Institute for Spatial and Landscape Development, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
Interests: urban transformation; planning history; participatory planning and community involvement; planning pedagogy; organizing multimedia exhibitions that address the public and involve planning students so they can build their capacity to communicate
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Justyna Zdunek-Wielgołaska

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Architecture, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-659 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: urban planning; history of urban form; spatial composition; suburbs; sustainability; urban ecosystems; urban green infrastructure

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The pandemic has brought the world to a halt. It is now time to rethink our cities—not only in relation to “lockdowns”, but first of all in terms of the goals we want to achieve in the future. In this issue, we would like to collect a wide range of reflections on the city’s structure in its spatial dimension and possible ways of its further development. We are more and more advanced in analyzing big data, which supports us in coping with the most complicated problems of urban life. We are fascinated by new digital technologies that bring innovation to urban planning. In all that, we may sometimes forget about the simple, ordinary, but so important delight and pleasure that comes from living in a beautiful environment. In the initiative of “New European Bauhaus”, one of the most important keywords is areas of reflection. Therefore, we are pleased to invite you to submit works that focus on reflections on urban spaces through an interdisciplinary approach, addressing all spheres and elements influencing our living spaces.

This Special Issue aims to offer insight into the newest research on the contemporary landscape of cities. We would like to study changes in the image of urban spaces that occur due to social, environmental, and economic challenges. How do we manage to control these changes and what do we assume to be a success of such attempts? Does our perception of a city’s aesthetics change together with trends of contemporary culture? What does “beautiful city” mean today? What has disappeared and what has emerged in the perspective view of a street? Which trend will shape the future of cityscapes?

In this Special Issue, we welcome architects, urban planners, landscape architects, artists, and all who care about the shape of our urban environment. Manuscripts can be theoretical or applied, state-of-the-science reviews or individual case studies. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Evolving aesthetics of contemporary city;
Perception of urban space among different groups of society;
Investigation on changes of city’s spatial structure;
Influence of climate change, the pandemic, and other challenges on a city’s structure development;
New tendencies in urban design, composition, new aesthetic trends;
New ideas on planning or legal regulations to shape the urban space;
Experiments with new technologies in shaping the city’s image;
The role of different spatial elements, e.g., green spaces, cultural heritage;
Virtual landscapes of the city.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Maciej Lasocki
Prof. Dr. José Guadalupe Vargas Hernández
Dr. Martina Koll-Schretzenmayr
Dr. Justyna Zdunek-Wielgołaska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

city’s spatial structure
cultural and heritage landscape
urban space perception
urban space aesthetics
urban space designing
urban space planning regulations
contemporary challenges for urban space
New European Bauhaus

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 3098 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Landscape Values in a Marina in Granada (Spain): Enhancing Landscape Management through Public Participation

by Ricardo Martín and Víctor Yepes

Land 2023, 12(2), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020492 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2248

Abstract

Landscape values are related to the attributes that people assign to a perceived landscape. They reflect marina user perceptions, thus representing a feedback tool for marina managers to use to verify the degree of user satisfaction. This study focused on identifying and assessing a marina’s landscape values. We took Marina del Este (Granada, Spain) as a case study. We considered interviews and a questionnaire to devise methods to enhance the participation of stakeholders and users. First, the SWOT analysis from stakeholder interviews enabled us to collect management’s perceptions. Second, the survey gathered the marina’s landscape values, comprising 104 respondents from visitors and users. ANOVA and PCA methods were applied to check the suitability of the values. The results showed that the marina should be in keeping with an atmosphere of tranquility and well-being. Nevertheless, there was a need to improve values related to nautical tourism, such as hospitality and maintenance, dealing with the lack of space and an excess of urbanization in the surroundings. Marina managers should consider these outcomes and analyze the points of improvement to establish the causes of these disagreements and propose solutions for the established management model. The perception of stakeholders and users can enable more consensual policies with greater levels of acceptance and involvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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27 pages, 11360 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regulating Façade Length for Streetscapes of Human Scale

by Marianne Gatti, Markus Nollert and Elena Pibernik

Land 2022, 11(12), 2308; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122308 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1929

Abstract

This paper starts from the hypothesis that streetscapes with shorter façade lengths are more pleasant for pedestrians than long and monotonous façades. It analyses four case studies where short façade lengths were implemented by applying different means of regulation and gives insight into an experimental planning example from Schlieren, Switzerland. Through the investigation of these cases, different possibilities to regulate façade length were revealed and categorised. The applied comparative case study analysis and comparative approach showed that most case studies are project-based solutions, either by applying text-based regulations or by reducing parcel size. The experiment in Schlieren offered a possibility to reduce façade length to a maximum value within the standard building regulations (Rahmennutzungsplanung) and therefore make it applicable to more than just singular projects. This approach failed, since it falls into the category of form-based codes, which in the canton of Zurich are by law not allowed in all zones. The experiment showed, however, that form-based codes can act as a powerful alternative to reduce façade length if parcel size cannot be influenced and more than just one single project perimeter is to be regulated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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23 pages, 46076 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conducting Heritage Tourism-Led Urban Renewal in Chinese Historical and Cultural Urban Spaces: A Case Study of Datong

by Hao Lei and Youmei Zhou

Land 2022, 11(12), 2122; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122122 - 24 Nov 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 8250

Abstract

Heritage tourism-led urban renewal and regeneration has recently become a critical way of creating a city brand, designing tourism destinations, and attracting property developers and investors to cities. However, current practice points to a lack of proper understanding and consideration in preserving and interpreting elements of authentic identity in the Chinese historic urban landscape. In this study, we used the ancient city of Datong, China, under urban regeneration as a case study to explore how urban history and cultural resources are manifested in preserving and reconstructing historic urban landscapes. The methods included in-depth interviews with multiple stakeholders and groups, integrated with the analysis of planning documents and field observations. By categorising and evaluating the research data, we developed a new conceptual framework with applicable measures, contributing to heritage-tourism urban regeneration and shaping place identity in both theoretical and practical aspects. The conceptual framework and its corresponding concepts and measures developed from this research could provide guidelines for academics and practitioners to explore more potential aspects and concepts that focus on the research and development of Chinese cities with historic urban landscapes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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25 pages, 12792 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Attitudes and Perceptions of Community Gardens: Making a Place for Them in Our Neighborhoods

by Sinan Kordon, Patrick A. Miller and Cermetrius L. Bohannon

Land 2022, 11(10), 1762; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101762 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3179

Abstract

Although community gardens provide numerous economic, environmental, and social benefits, some have been lost to other land uses due to the lack of organized and effective public support. Knowledge about people’s attitudes and perceptions towards these landscapes is important to achieve greater public support. This study used a scene rating survey to investigate attitudes and perceptions of four different groups (community gardeners, community and home gardeners, home gardeners, and non-gardeners) in Roanoke, Virginia. Content analysis, factor analysis, descriptive statistics, customized Kruskal- Wallis test (ANOVA) and content identifying method (CIM) procedures were used. All statistical analyses were completed at a 95% significance level using SPSS version 21. Results showed that there are seven dimensions important to participants’ preferences in community gardens including “Gathering and Seating”, “Plots with Boundaries”, “Focal Points”, “Plots without Boundaries”, Garden Entrance”, Untidy Space”, and “Composting Structures”. Excluding the “Gathering and Seating” dimension, a significant difference was detected between participant groups. Based on these dimensions, this study provides design recommendations for community garden projects to minimize possible opposition between gardeners and non-gardeners and to develop more successful community garden programs for the long-term survival of these landscapes in cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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23 pages, 13959 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study on the Cognition of Urban Spatial Image at Community Scale: A Case Study of Jinghu Community in Zhengzhou City

by Xiaowen Zhou, Hongwei Li, Huili Zhang, Rongrong Zhang and Huan Li

Land 2022, 11(10), 1654; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101654 - 25 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2622

Abstract

The community is the basic spatial unit for urban residents to live and rest. It is a crucial direction of city image research to explore people’s cognitive characteristics of community space image. Aiming at the lack of cognitive quantification of community spatial images, a new method that can quantify community spatial data into cognitive results is proposed. By employing spatial analysis tools, eleven spatial indicators from the perspective of community spatial form and spatial services are selected, and an image structure is constructed based on the characteristics of the indicator results. The results of multiple indicators are organized through the improved technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and overlay analysis method to produce a spatial image map of the community. The study displays that the spatial image characteristics of the community scale can be comprehensively expressed through three types of elements: district, path (edge), and node (landmark). These three types of elements constitute the image structure at the community scale and present apparent elements’ characteristics. This scrutiny is also aimed to demonstrate the construction and use process of the methodology and to provide new ideas for the cognitive research of urban spatial image at the community scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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20 pages, 7977 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Future of City Squares: Robotics in the Urban Design of Tomorrow

by Karolina Dąbrowska-Żółtak, Jerzy Wojtowicz and Stefan Wrona

Land 2022, 11(7), 1055; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071055 - 12 Jul 2022

Viewed by 2664

Abstract

Technological development generates social changes while providing new tools that can be implemented in the fields of architecture and urban design. It creates the need to enrich architects’ competencies with knowledge and experience, enabling the conscious use of technology in designing future functional solutions for responsive space and the optimization of accessibility for various groups of users. This paper presents a teaching method developed to study the integration of architecture, urban planning and mechatronics to create a dynamic common space, responding to changing user needs and environmental conditions. Four experimental projects for a chosen public space were designed by students in order to investigate research by design and as an agenda for further design research. In the final part of the article, we present predictions for the future development of kinetic and responsive architecture in public spaces, including potential opportunities and challenges. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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19 pages, 3988 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Skyscraper as a Component of Public Space—The Case of Warsaw

by Marcin Goncikowski

Land 2022, 11(4), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11040491 - 29 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3401

Abstract

The following paper is devoted to the problem of relations between public space and high-rise buildings which were constructed in Warsaw in the years 1989–2022. The location of twenty-three high-rise buildings with a minimum height of one hundred meters was examined in terms of their role as basic elements of the city image and urban composition. According to the theory of K. Lynch and K. Wejchert, there were examined: multifunctionality of the space available in the public space in buildings, number of building users, parameters of the nearest neighboring public space including its area and width, and the visibility of buildings from the public space. Research shows that the high-rise buildings in Warsaw are located adjacent to public space that does not correspond to their scale and the generated traffic in the public space. Most of the analyzed buildings do not have a multifunctional ground floor, or offer more than three functions of public space. Most of the buildings are located at streets or traffic junctions while only two buildings are located at urban squares, and one at the closure of the streets. It is not possible to distinguish a coherent planning strategy related to the location of such facilities in Warsaw. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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27 pages, 27372 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Morphology of Warsaw City Structure Using Urban Indexes and GIS Tools

by Anna Małgorzata Jachimowicz

Land 2022, 11(1), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010135 - 15 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2841

Abstract

The article presents the process of creating a tool using GIS systems to describe the city’s spatial structure. Therefore, the subject of this research was the method of describing the city structure using non-functional zoning, in conjunction with the use of urban indicators. Using the relationships between the values of urban indicators and individual typologies of buildings, they can be assigned to subsequent zones from the Rural-to-Urban Transect methodology. Therefore, in this article, urban indicators have been defined, thanks to which it is possible to distinguish different typologies of buildings. Next, the relationships between selected indicators and transect zones have been examined, and thanks to the obtained conclusions, transect zones for Warsaw have been defined. Finally, the spatial structure of a selected part of Warsaw has been described using these zones. The purpose of this study is also to initially assess the usefulness of the developed tool for the needs of urban planners. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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20 pages, 3124 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Add, Transform, and Utilize. Possibilities of Applying Druot, Lacaton, and Vassal’s Modernization Strategies and Solutions in Polish Large-Panel Housing Estates

by Milena Trzcińska

Land 2021, 10(12), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10121308 - 27 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4252

Abstract

In 2004, in response to France’s 1960s and 1970s urban regeneration program proposing the demolition and redevelopment of large scale social housing developments, Frédérik Druot, Anne Lacaton, and Jean-Philippe Vassal created their PLUS theory (PLUS—Les grands ensembles de logements–Territoires d’exception). Its main aim was to modernize the existing buildings, and to add extra living space, functional freedom, and comfort. This essay examines the PLUS strategy and two of the architects’ projects: the Bois le Prêtre Tower in Paris and the Grand Parc housing estate in Bordeaux. Its aim is to examine the tools used by the architects and investigate the purposefulness and potential of using their solutions in Polish large-scale prefabricated housing estates. Combining the categories of luxury and saving in redevelopment of housing estates paves the way for a new outlook. Maximizing living space, quality, and freedom of living in housing facilities that are not part of the commercial luxury segment of the housing market may prevent potential gentrification and homogenization of the social structure in individual city districts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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23 pages, 3999 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Form-Based Regulations to Prevent the Loss of Urbanity of Historic Small Towns: Replicability of the Monte Carasso Case

by Paweł Pedrycz

Land 2021, 10(11), 1235; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10111235 - 12 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3458

Abstract

Small towns are a significant component of the landscape in Europe and a key element of its cultural heritage. Currently, they face socio-economic crisis and spatial disintegration. Against this background, the spatial transformation of the Swiss town of Monte Carasso is of particular interest. It was initiated in the 1970s as a design intervention made by the architect Luigi Snozzi and eventually constituted a local spatial policy with a scope to maintain or even restore town urbanity and identity. This paper describes the case through its decomposition into primal elements such as context, main procedure elements, supplementary action, and obtained results. The results were measured by calculating urban parameters and observations compared with the adjacent town of Sementina, whereby they proved that the policy is effective. In the next step, a synthetic diagram was proposed that describes the interrelation between specific elements of the procedure. It was then modified to serve as a model for other possible contexts. Finally, its main potentials and limitations were described. It was concluded that the construction of the Monte Carasso urban regulatory mechanism has the potential to be replicated elsewhere. However, some of its features need to be rethought—mainly the role of an individual architect, which was highly exposed in the original case. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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Review

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14 pages, 2275 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review of Cityscape Research Based on Dynamic Visual Perception

by Xin Jin

Land 2023, 12(6), 1229; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061229 - 14 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2783

Abstract

Dynamic visual experience is the most common way for people to perceive a cityscape. Previous research reviews on cityscapes have mainly focused on spatial planning, social culture, economic development, ecological protection, etc., with little consideration of the impact of dynamic visual perception on the formation of cityscapes, which hinders the provision of references for the practice of people-centered urban design concepts. Therefore, this article selected 94 works in the relevant literature from 1940 to 2022 to conduct a critical review. First, we conceptualized the cityscape in light of earlier substantial discussions on the intimate relationship between dynamic visual perception and the cityscape. Then, we divided the relevant research from the past century and a half into three periods and summarized theoretical and practical research on the cityscape in these different periods from the perspective of dynamic visual perception. Among these, the refined research on interdisciplinary methods, including Visual Quality Assessment based on dynamic visual perception and visibility analysis algorithms based on digital technology, is emphatically described and discussed. Based on a comprehensive review, this article concludes that the main application scenarios for the existing research on dynamic visual perception are cityscape assessment and decision making. Finally, three avenues for future research are proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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23 pages, 9358 KiB

Open AccessReview

Connecting Urban Green Spaces with Children: A Scientometric Analysis Using CiteSpace

by Yunlong Niu, Mastura Adam and Hazreena Hussein

Land 2022, 11(8), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11081259 - 6 Aug 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3670

Abstract

In recent years, the interaction between urban green spaces (UGS) and children has been a popular direction in research on child-friendly cities. Keeping up with emerging trends and key turning points in the development of collective knowledge is crucial. In this study, a quantitative analysis of publications related to UGS and children published in the Web of Science (WoS) core collection between 1980 and February 2022 was conducted by means of scientometric methods. Then, it using CiteSpace (5. 8. R3, Chaomei Chen, Philadelphia, the U.S.) to visualize collaborative networks, co-citation networks, document clustering, and bursts of keywords in the database literature. The study results show a rapid increase in the number of publications in this field in recent years. The main driving forces in these studies were from the United States (262 publications), China (68), and Australia (65). A scientometric analysis of the literature on UGS and children’s studies provides a unique and exciting snapshot of this field of knowledge. The findings offer the readers a general preliminary grasp of the research in the field. Research findings suggest that collaboration and analysis involving multiple disciplines, specialties, and perspectives will become a mainstream trend in the field. Our results may help researchers further identify potential views on collaborators, research frontiers, and topical issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Cityscape—Structure, Aesthetics, Perception)

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