This study examined
neighborhood satisfaction in relation to
naturalness and
openness. It used Geographic Information System (GIS) and Landsat satellite imagery to physically measure the ...environmental attributes. Through path analysis it examined the relationship among the attributes, resident ratings of those environmental attributes, their satisfaction with them, and their overall neighborhood satisfaction (
n
=
725). We expected
overall neighborhood satisfaction to relate to the
resident's ratings of the environmental attributes and to the
physical measures of them. The path model showed that
overall neighborhood satisfaction was associated directly with the physical measure of
building density and indirectly with the physical measure of
vegetation rate through
perception and evaluation of them. The
perceptions and
evaluations of the attributes related to one another. With refinements, GIS and Landsat data geo-related to survey data can offer a powerful tool for understanding the complex nature of
neighborhood satisfaction and behavior.
Fracking is used in the extraction of crude oil and natural gas from deep seated sedimentary rocks. The ubiquitous use of heavy trucks in fracking leads to traffic congestion and damages to the ...existing infrastructure in energy producing corridors. This makes driving hazardous for drivers of both commodity and passenger carriers, leading to traffic crashes near fracking sites. In this exploratory study, the case of Eagle Ford Shale of Texas has been analyzed to determine the impacts if any, of the variables of energy production, truck vehicle miles traveled, and other socio-economic factors on traffic crashes. Using both descriptive and statistical analyses of data, it has been found that some of the aforementioned variables have an impact on traffic crashes in the energy producing corridor. Based on the study’s findings, appropriate recommendations to reduce traffic crashes in this energy corridor have been made.
In this study, we empirically model the interactions between 2D and 3D geospatial information and both daytime and nighttime urban heat islands, and estimate the relative importance of various urban ...heat islands drivers. While previous studies have explored the relationship between the urban heat islands and 2D urban features, the interactions with 3D urban features and neighboring surface characteristics have not been adequately explored. This paper specifies the impacts of these urban features on the urban heat islands intensity during daytime and nighttime, which tend to be quite different. The empirical evidence from this study suggests that while vegetation is the dominant factor for urban heat islands intensity during daytime, the urban canyon has stronger impacts on the urban heat islands than vegetation at night. In addition, adjacent surfaces are more likely to influence nighttime surface temperatures. These results could be used to develop urban design solutions for mitigating the urban heat islands.
•A spatial regression was required to explain the spatial pattern of PM 2.5 level.•Scenario analyses were employed to predict a potential PM 2.5 reduction by several planning strategies.•Multifaceted ...strategies could effectively reduce PM 2.5 level.•The result can be used as a benchmarking tool to get insights into combating PM 2.5 pollution.
Rapid urban expansion and active economic development significantly contribute to increased levels of PM2.5, which degrades the urban environment. This study aims to establish a foundation for practical policy guidance on the impact of urban factors on PM2.5 concentrations in Seoul, South Korea. To achieve this objective, we utilized various urban factors, including socio-demographic data, three-dimensional urban geometry, land use, and traffic volume, in conjunction with PM2.5 concentrations estimated by satellite images. According to our statistical models, all urban development-related factors, except for Forest and Open Space (FOS), showed a statistically significant increase in PM2.5 concentration. However, FOS demonstrated an effective mitigation capability, with a 1% increase in FOS corresponding to an approximate 5% decrease in PM2.5 levels. In addition, five scenario analyses based on statistical results were conducted to evaluate the potential reduction of PM2.5 and associated spatial implications resulting from the removal of batching plants, decreased traffic volume, and the substitution of transportation network with green spaces in Seoul. They highlighted the importance of reducing traffic and increasing green spaces in order to lower PM2.5 levels. The findings suggest that a multifaceted strategy is necessary to develop efficient policies for mitigating PM2.5 for a sustainable environment.
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Intensive urbanization has led to the depletion of vegetation and its replacement by impervious surfaces, resulting in the accumulation of thermal energy, with urban areas becoming warmer than ...peripheral areas, a phenomenon known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI). Much of the literature has focused on the relationship between the UHI and urban factors at peak summer times, without considering seasonality effects. There is, however, clear evidence that the UHI varies over the year, with implications for greening mitigation strategies, as green spaces are known to help reduce summer local temperatures, but also reduce exposure to winter cold, thus increasing local winter temperatures. Both effects are likely to generate, in varying extents, benefits in terms of better health and reduced energy usage and pollution emissions. This paper addresses the seasonality of the impacts of building rooftop and façade areas, urban canyons, water bodies, vegetation, and solar radiation, on UHI intensity. In a case study of the central area of Columbus, Ohio, these various 2D and 3D inputs, as well as land surface temperatures estimated with remotely-sensed imagery, are captured within a spatial grid, and used in spatial regression analyses. The estimation results confirm the opposite effects of greenery, measured by the NDVI, on summer and winter temperatures. The estimated models are then used to simulate the seasonal changes in temperatures resulting from a potential urban greening strategy involving green roofs, the greening of parking lots and other vacant spaces, and vegetation densification. The results show that increased greenery reduces temperatures in summer and increases them in winter, thus demonstrating that greening and land-use policies designed to mitigate the UHI must account for seasonal effects to achieve year-long effectiveness.
•The spatial and temporal impacts of urban morphology and land uses on the urban heat island (UHI) are analyzed.•Spatial regressions are used to account for spatial autocorrelation and neighborhood effects in urban thermal patterns.•The impacts of building rooftop and façade areas, urban canyons, water bodies, and vegetation vary over the seasons.•Vegetation reduces temperature in the warmer months and increases it in the colder ones.•Greening strategies must account for seasonal effects for year-long effectiveness.
This study explores the spatial effects of two- and three-dimensional (2-D, 3-D) urban features in the formation of daytime and nighttime surface urban heat islands (SUHIs) with the help of satellite ...imagery and LiDAR. Spatially rectified statistical models are used to estimate parameters and understand the spatial spillover effects of urban drivers of SUHIs. In addition, nonlinear relationships among surface temperatures and urban features were included to improve the model fit. The empirical evidence from this study of Atlanta, Georgia, suggests that urban drivers of SUHIs exhibit different and contrasting effects depending on the time of day and their 3-D geometries. The study informs SUHI mitigation efforts by demonstrating that land use policies need to consider the differential effects of land use drivers over the diurnal cycle.
•Generation of a PM 2.5 map over the Texas Triangle by satellite imagery.•Implementation of spatial statistics for spatial spillover effect.•Elasticity analyses for key variables with respect to the ...PM 2.5.
Particulate matter (PM), coming from various human activities involving the burning of fuels, has many negative effects on human health. Through measurements of PM data at sparsely distributed monitoring stations across a given area, many studies have examined the simple relationship between PM and either of two urban characteristics: land cover and transportation. However, the studies of PM data from a limited number of monitoring stations have not fully accounted for variations in regional PM concentration. Furthermore, consideration of only one of two key urban characteristics may not provide a complete picture of the relationship. Hence, the primary goal of this study is to estimate the effects of both land cover and transportation on the PM 2.5 concentration indicated by satellite imagery. Focusing on the Texas Triangle region, we implemented diverse transportation measures with Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques and land cover measures with remotely sensed imagery at the census tract level. With these measures, we developed spatial regression models to examine spatially correlated effects on PM 2.5. We then used the estimated models to conduct elasticity analysis, thus helping to design an environmental policy to alleviate PM 2.5 and achieve long-term regional sustainability.
This study aims to analyze bike-sharing information and related urban factors to promote bike-sharing utilization in Houston, Texas. The research was initiated with a descriptive analysis, where the ...hourly and daily variations in bike demand are investigated, thereby revealing the time-related patterns of bike tours. The models included data on socio-demographics, public transportation availability, land use patterns, tree canopy coverage, bike routes, and job density within 0.25-mile and 0.5-mile buffer zones around each bike-sharing station. Stepwise regression was utilized to examine the effects of urban factors on bike-sharing ridership, and the explanatory power of the model was enhanced by selecting meaningful variables. The analysis found that tree canopy coverage was a significant factor in influencing bike-sharing ridership. Expansion of tree coverage can help make biking a sustainable mode of transportation. These findings have the potential to guide the development of practical policies that aim to promote sustainable urban mobility through bike-sharing programs.
The loss of green spaces in urbanized areas has triggered a potential thermal risk in the urban environment. While the existing literature has investigated the direct relationship between urban ...temperatures and health risks, little is known about causal relationships among key components of urban sustainability and health risks, through a pathway involving urban temperature. This study examined the multiple connections between urbanized land use, urban greenery, urban temperatures and health risks in Harris County, Texas. The census tract-level health data from the 500 Cities Project (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is used for analysis. Structural equation model analyses showed that the urban temperature played a mediating role in associations between urbanized land use, urban greenery and health risk. Urban vegetation is associated with a decrease in health risks, while urban land use has associations with an increase in health risks. Findings suggest that proactive policies tailored to provide rich urban greenery in a neighborhood can alleviate urban land use effects on health risks.
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