bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disaster, Vulnerability, and Violence Against Women
Authors: Nishat Khandakar Josia , Rahman Md. Shafiqur
Published: July 2018

Studies of natural disasters have adequately focused on gendered aspect of disaster and women's vulnerability and offered suitable suggestions though only few of these have focused on the issue of the relation between disaster and violence against women. By undertaking meta-analysis of cross-cultural studies, this paper aims to provide an overview of connections between disaster, women's vulnerability and violence against women and to highlight the importance and the relevance of similar researches in Bangladesh. Natural threats are real and moderated by existing socio-economic arrangements and cultural norms in Bangladesh where gender relationships are unequal and violence prone. Therefore it is expected that the lessons of international experiences and insights will help to develop a gendered research framework to understand ‘how violence against women is increasing following disasters' in the context of Bangladesh. And finally, that would pave the way for policy options to form a better co-existence for both men and women which would be more equal, dignified and violence free.
Health Systems and Citizenship
Authors: Matos Ana Raquel , Serapioni Mauro
Published: July 2018

This chapter presents the characteristics of the southern healthcare systems, namely of Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece. It briefly identifies the main processes of health reform so that readers can understand the context in which experiences of participation in the health domain were developed.
Case Study
Authors: Darcy Niamh , Perera Sriyanjit , Stanley Grades , Rumisha Susan , Assenga Kelvin , Polycarp Faustin , Sijaona Angelina , Msechu Esther , Mzeru Marcos , Kumalija Claud , Kambenga Michael , Mayala Benjamin , Elias Mturi , Biondich Paul , Kalungwa Zaharani , Mwamafupa Japhal , Kipilyango Nseya , Teesdale Scott
Published: July 2018

In 2009, the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) counted over 10 different health facility lists managed by donors, government ministries, agencies and implementing partners. These function-specific lists were not integrated or linked. The ministry's Health Sector Strategic Plan included the development of an authoritative source for all health facility information, called the Master Facility List (MFL). During development, the ministry adopted the term Health Facility Registry (HFR), an online tool providing public access to a database about all officially recognized health facilities (public and private). The MFL, which includes the health facility list at any specific point in time can be exported from the HFR. This chapter presents the Tanzanian case study describing the work and lessons learned in building the HFR—focusing on software development, introducing geographic positioning systems and harmonizing MFL data. MoHCDGEC launched the HFR public portal in September 2015.
An Assessment of Media Contribution to Behaviour Change and HIV Prevention in Nigeria
Authors: Elegbe Olugbenga
Published: July 2018

This chapter explores media influence on behaviour change and its implication for HIV prevention programmes in Nigeria. Using the agenda setting, and the uses and gratifications theories, it analyzes how the media set agenda for public opinion and the gratification that audience receive from media information vis-a-vis behaviour change initiatives in reducing HIV epidemic in Nigeria. The chapter through a descriptive and literature review approach assesses effective communication framework for behaviour change and some of the factors contributing to HIV prevalence in Nigeria. The chapter sums up case studies of interventions that have documented the effectiveness of the media in HIV prevention initiatives. The chapter concludes on the positive influence of media intervention in sexual behaviour change programmes but notes that behaviour change still lies with individual decisions. Therefore it recommends other forms of communication like interpersonal communication, community mobilization and advocacy to support media strategies for effective HIV prevention initiatives in Nigeria.
Health Guidance Provision Infrastructure for Personalized Diabetes Management
Authors: Giokas Kostas , Iliopoulou Dimitra , Koutsouri Georgia , Koutsouris Dimitris
Published: July 2018

Over the last 30 years, diabetes mellitus has changed from being seen as a relatively mild ailment associated with ageing and the elderly (‘just a touch of sugar') to one of the major contemporary causes of premature mortality and morbidity in most countries. HealthDiab aims at proposing the development of an innovative personal health management system overcoming the current limitations patients and their physicians find at managing the disease. The central element for such system will be patient's own daily health records, as base for the provision of personalised and real-time guidance in the treatment of diabetes. The proposed solution could easily be adopted as a commercial product by a company willing to bring an innovative and effective Personal Health Management technology platform into market. Such a platform could help reduce the risks for the patient by getting new comorbidities associated to their disease while helping decrease the billionaire public costs linked with health assistance in our European welfare states
Health Information Systems, eHealth Strategy, and the Management of Health Records
Authors: Katuu Shadrack
Published: July 2018

South Africa's health sector faces two main transformation challenges: inequity and a legacy of fragmentation. This chapter traces the history of health policy development in the country in seven phases from the 17th century to the present time. It describes the efforts in transformation made through the promulgation of the National Health Act in 2003 and the eHealth Strategy in 2012. The chapter explores the utility of maturity assessment in assessing whether transformation goals through an analysis of five maturity models: Digital Preservation Capability maturity model, eHealth maturity model, Enterprise Content Management maturity model, Health Normative Standards Framework maturity model, and Records Management Capacity Assessment System. South Africa is already using two of the five models demonstrating that is not just reliant on technology but has developed strategies and principles to guide the transformation process. The chapter argues for more expansive adoption of maturity assessment to cover the full records lifecycle.
Geographic Information System Applications in Public Health
Authors: Yasobant Sandul , Vora Kranti Suresh , Upadhyay Ashish
Published: July 2018

Geographic information systems or geographic information science is a combination of computer-mapping capabilities with additional database management/data analysis tools. GIS is widely used in various sectors such as environmental science, urban planning, agricultural applications etc. Public health is another focus area, where GIS has been used for research and practice areas such as epidemic surveillance and monitoring, among others. The journey of use of GIS in public health spans more than a century and GIS application in public health has evolved from the simple maps to the higher level geostatistical analysis and interactive WebGIS in recent times. GIS is an analytical tool which differs from conventional computer-assisted mapping and any statistical analysis programs in its ability to analyze complex data and visual presentation of spatial data. Specialized GIS techniques such as network analysis, location-allocation models, site selection, transportation models, and geostatistical analysis are well established and used in many developed and developing nations. Unfortunately owing to the high cost of licensed software and specialized skills for advanced data analysis, use of these techniques is limited mainly for the research and by few experts. GIS is proved to be useful for various public health practices and research purposes including epidemiological surveys/investigation, implementation research, program/policy decision making and dissemination of information. The advantage of using GIS is that maps provide an added dimension to data analysis, which helps in visualizing the complex patterns and relationships of public health issues, thus many unanswered questions in public health, can be understood well through use of GIS techniques. Use of GIS in public health is an application area still in its infancy. Wider use of GIS for public health practice such as program planning, implementation and monitoring in addition to building evidence base for the policy making will help reduce inequities in health and provide universal healthcare. Overall, GIS is a helpful and efficient tool especially for public health professionals working in low resource settings. In the future with inclusion of advanced GIS technology like WebGIS can help reach the goal of optimal health care services globally.
Exploring Opportunities in Health Science Information Instructional Outreach
Authors: Esposito Tia
Published: July 2018

The scope of library service in the health sciences has changed dramatically in recent years. Beyond the typical library instruction service which has commonly been viewed as requiem for academic classroom teaching, the advent of distance education in the health sciences and cohorts at hospitals has called for academic health science librarians to explore new opportunities in health science instruction outreach and delivery of instructional service in a multitude of creative ways. This chapter will report on an actual case study of a health science librarian at an academic institution who targeted a specific group of users, designing and offering library instruction to remote students in regional hospitals and online distance education classes. The case study will present the challenges and successes of a new health sciences librarian performing outreach through various marketing and relationship building efforts in an academic library that services health science students in cohorts at six regional hospitals as well as nationally online in a distance education program.
Looking at the Other Side
Authors: English Rebecca , Nykvist Shaun
Published: July 2018

The choice to vaccinate or not to vaccinate a child is usually an ‘informed decision', however, it is how this decision is informed which is of most importance. More frequently, families are turning to the Internet, in particular social media, as a data source to support their decisions. However, much of the online information may be unscientific or biased. While issues such as vaccination will always see dissenting voices, engaging with that ‘other side' is difficult in the public policy debate which is informed by evidence based science. This chapter investigates the other side in light of the growing adoption and reliance on social media as a source of anti-vaccine information. The study adopts a qualitative approach to data collection and is based on a critical discourse analysis of online social media discourse. The findings demonstrate the valuable contribution this approach can make to public policy work in vaccination.
Records Management and Open Data in Healthcare Provision in Africa
Authors: Sebina Peter Mazebe II Mothataesi , Grand Balulwami
Published: July 2018

Governments in Africa have made huge ICT investments which have been intended to improve the governance process hence their uptake of e-government. One of the benefits derived from all this has been the open data initiative through which some countries in Africa have empowered citizens to better inform themselves and others through access, harnessing and reusing government held data. Another of the benefits has been enhanced open government which has an array of access to information platforms. While indications are that open data can lead to improvements among lives in the Continent arising from availability and access to healthcare data, this chapter advances that a critical element of open data which is often overlooked and little regarded most times, is records management. Arising from the fundamental role of records management in open data, the Republic of Ireland through the Programmable City Working Paper 3 avers that open data must among others be seen as a component part of records management (Lauriault, 2014). The chapter argues that the key elements of open data notably: availability of data, in other words information content in the form of data must be available on platforms which are easily accessible and easy to manipulate for purposes of use and reuse; transparency of the open data process; information security; information privacy, and finally trust which could lead to acceptance, reuse of data and also emerging encouragement among citizens that data is worth accessing, using and reusing, are all made possible by good public sector records management. Records management, this chapter shows, is a clear means through which effective open data especially in healthcare may be achieved. While the chapter draws out lessons which Botswana could learn from and makes recommendations for workable open data in the country's public health sector, these are nonetheless applicable to many African countries and others in the developing world.
Notifiable Disease Databases for Client Management and Surveillance
Authors: Jolly Ann M. , Logan James J.
Published: July 2018

The spread of certain infectious diseases, many of which are preventable, is widely acknowledged to have a detrimental effect on society. Reporting cases of these infections has been embodied in public health laws since the 1800s. Documenting client management and monitoring numbers of cases are the primary goals in collecting these data. A sample notifiable disease database is presented, including database structure, elements and rationales for collection, sources of data, and tabulated output. This chapter is a comprehensive guide to public health professionals on the content, structure, and processing of notifiable disease data for regional, provincial, and federal use.
Health Information System
Authors: Tyagi Aman , Singh Preetvanti
Published: July 2018

Information systems (IS) help in managing healthcare costs and in improving the quality of care. IS are uniquely positioned to capture, store, process, and communicate timely information to decision makers for better coordination of healthcare at both the individual and population levels. One of the most interesting aspects of HIS (Health Information System) is how to manage the relationship between healthcare providers and patients. The main focus of this Chapter is a brief overview of Health Information Systems and the description of the techniques that can be used to develop the health information systems. There are various emerging tools and technologies in creating and managing HIS like data mining and geographical information system. Developing HIS can improve access for geographically isolated communities; provide support for health care workers; aid in data sharing; provide visual tools linking population and environmental information with disease outbreaks.
The Transformative Role of Institutional Repositories in Academic Knowledge Management
Authors: Sabharwal Arjun
Published: July 2018

Institutional repositories (IRs) play a significant and transformative role in academic knowledge management (KM) focused on sharing, disseminating, reusing, and preserving knowledge. The contents of IRs span faculty research, Open Access (OA) publications, electronic theses and dissertations, graduate research projects, departmental reports, institutional records (with archival finding aids), operational and research data, and digital heritage collections. Academic KM extends KM in the academic environment and focuses on the creation, sharing, dissemination, and preservation of scholarly and operational knowledge. This chapter explores the role of IRs in academic KM through an analysis of knowledge architectures, knowledge activities, and digital curation. The analysis of the Digital Curation Centre's (DCC) content lifecycle model presents KM in the context of lifecycle actions and highlights the relationship of KM, IRs, and digital curation.
Expressing Needs of Digital Audio-Visual Applications in Different Communities of Practice for Long-Term Preservation
Authors: Kumar Naresh , Casarosa Vittore
Published: July 2018

Lack of awareness on preservation tools and applications is a big issue today. To solve it European Commission has initiated research project, Presto4U that aimed to enable semi-automatic matching of preservation tools with audio-visual needs. To express the audio-visual needs formally it has mapped a knowledge schema. The knowledge schema was first cut and needed evaluation in terms of its ability to represent the Needs of different communities of practice, classes, their association and ability to represent requirements of Audio-visual community through properties of its classes. This evaluative study is conducted through Qualitative research approach using Interview and Questionnaire. Open Archival Information System reference model is used as theoretical framework. Fourteen members from Europe of three communities of practice have provided their needs for analysis. Data was analysed through six stages. The study found that knowledge schema is useful to express the needs of communities of practice but collected data should easily fit into the structure of knowledge schema.
Digital Preservation Challenges in Nigeria Libraries
Authors: Atanda Sambo Saliu
Published: July 2018

The population consists of 172 participants that were presence at 2nd Conference of Certified Librarians by Librarians' Registration Council of Nigeria held in Abuja, 2015.The instrument used to generate data is the questionnaire and data generated was analyzed using frequency, bar charts, percentages and mean. The outcome of the study revealed that many librarians do not have training on digital preservation management despite the awareness of digital preservation challenges. The findings revealed major challenges such as hardware and software obsolesces, lack of training, lack of backup/standard, lack of strategy policy, lack of fund and lack of legal right. Recommendations were made to protect and safeguard digital preservation challenges in the libraries. Such as training and retraining of librarians on new technology/ trend in managing library digital content, software and hardware technology should be improved, Nigerian Library Association (NLA) should create a standard policy and ensure compliance by all libraries for them to enjoy increased funding. Among others.
Exploring the pregnant women’s perspective of late booking of antenatal care services at Mbekweni Health Centre in Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: Kaswa Ramprakash , Rupesinghe George F.D. , Longo-Mbenza Benjamin
Published: July 2018

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) services are the gateway for integrated management of several conditions that adversely affect the mother and foetus. More stillbirths than neonatal deaths in South Africa are a reflection of poor quality ANC services. Aim: The primary aim of this study was to explore the reasons for late booking, and also to determine pregnant women’s knowledge, perceptions and attitude towards antenatal care services they receive in Mthatha area in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Setting: This was a qualitative study, conducted at Mbekweni Health Centre in the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) subdistrict municipality of the Eastern Cape Province. Methods: This qualitative study consisted of selected pregnant women who presented after 19 weeks of gestation at Mbekweni Health Centre. Data were collected through two different methods, namely, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were used until saturation of the themes were reached. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analyses were undertaken. Results: Twenty women participated in the study. They were diverse in terms of age 18–41 years, gravidity 1–6 and time of ANC booking 20–28 weeks. The interviews identified a variety of personal, service and organisational reasons for late ANC booking. The themes identified for late ANC bookings were: health care system related issues, socio-economic factors, women’s perceptions and knowledge, and failure of family planning services. Conclusions: Women’s beliefs, knowledge and perceptions regarding antenatal services outweigh the perceived benefit of early ANC visit. The majority of women had lack of knowledge of contraception, early signs of pregnancy, purpose, timing and benefits of ANC visit.
A Basis Theorem for the Degenerate Affine Oriented Brauer–Clifford Supercategory
Authors: Brundan Jonathan , Comes Jonathan , Kujawa Jonathan Robert
Published: July 2018

We introduce the oriented Brauer–Clifford and degenerate affine oriented Brauer–Clifford supercategories. These are diagrammatically defined monoidal supercategories that provide combinatorial models for certain natural monoidal supercategories of supermodules and endosuperfunctors, respectively, for the Lie superalgebras of type Q. Our main results are basis theorems for these diagram supercategories. We also discuss connections and applications to the representation theory of the Lie superalgebra of type Q.
Important Clinical Features of Japanese Spotted Fever
Authors: Noguchi Masamitsu , Oshita Shizuka , Yamazoe Naohisa , Miyazaki Mitsukazu , Takemura Yousuke C.
Published: July 2018

Japanese spotted fever (JSF) is a zoonosis transmitted by ticks carrying the pathogen Rickettsia japonica. The classic triad of JSF symptoms is high fever, erythema, and tick bite eschar. About 200 people in Japan develop the disease every year. Japanese spotted fever is also a potentially fatal disease. At Minami-Ise Municipal Hospital in Japan, 55 patients were diagnosed with JSF from 2007 to 2015, which was equivalent to 4.3% of the total JSF cases in Japan. In this retrospective study, we examined the medical records of these 55 JSF cases. Fever, erythema, eschar, and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) are characteristic clinical features of the disease. We confirmed four of these in the reviewed cases; however, eschar was not present in occasional cases. We confirmed that eosinopenia appeared in nearly all cases. Using fever, erythema, elevated CRP, and eosinopenia in diagnostic screening, our positivity rate was 90.9%. In our clinical practice, including eosinopenia improves the initial diagnosis of JSF.
Spatial Structure in Chinese and Japanese Cities: A Comparative Study of the Supergrid and Superblock Structure
Authors: Chen Xiaofei
Published: July 2018

Title: Spatial Structure in Chinese and Japanese Cities: A Comparative Study of the Supergrid and Superblock StructureAuthor Name: Xiao Fei Chen Affiliation: Faculty of Architecture Design and Planning, The University of Sydney Address: The Wilkinson Bldg G04, 148 City Rd, Darlington NSW 2008 Email Address: xche3951@Sydney.edu.au Mobile: 61 (02) 0450875226 Keywords: Supergrid and Superblock, Urban Morphology, China and JapanAbstract:Supergrids and Superblocks form an urban structure that extends across large areas of many Chinese and Japanese cities. The grid structures consist of wide roads at a city scale and define Superblocks, each with a network of narrower streets. My paper investigates the form-function interrelationships of these structures from morphological perspectives against a backcloth of theory that stresses an integrated network of streets as the prerequisite for a convenient and synergetic environment, with a specific focus on road/street networks, and mix and distribution of functional activities. Both qualitative and quantitative methods (including space syntax) are used to investigate four Superblocks from two pairs of Chinese and Japanese cities: Xi’an and Kyoto, and Nanjing and Osaka, from three aspects: integration, connection and interaction. Here I focus on the Nanjing-Osaka pair and the findings demonstrate clear but divergent patterns between the two cities, which are indicative of general differences between Chinese and Japanese Superblocks: there are very strong interrelationships between the street network and distribution of activities in the Japanese Superblocks, but these are much less evident in the Chinese Superblocks and this results largely from the extensive Chinese cultural practice of building walls around compounds. It reveals some structural disadvantages, leading to congestion of traffic and functional activities in some strategic locations in Chinese Superblocks. It also highlights some crucial qualities in the structures of many Japanese Superblocks that can provide inspiration for China’s future urban development and possibly for cities in other parts of the world.Reference:Alexander,  C. (1965) ‘A city is not a tree’, Architectural Forum 122, 58-62. Ashihara, Y. (1983) The Aesthetic Townscape, US: Massachusetts Institute Technology Press Halliday Lithograph. Bentley et al., (1985) Responsive environments: a manual for designers (London: Architectural Press). Hillier, B. (1996) Space is the machine (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge). Jacobs, J. (1961) The death and life of great American cities (New York: Random House). Marshall, S. (2005) Streets & Patterns, (Spon Press, Taylor & Francis Group). Shelton, B. (2012) Learning from the Japanese City: Looking East in Urban Design (Routledge imprint of Taylor & Francis, London). Zhu, W.Y. (2010) Space, Symbol and City: a Theory of Urban Design (China Architecture & Building Press, Beijing.
The exploration and application of urban profile in city analysis, illustrated by the case of Chongqing.
Authors: Mengyuan Zhu , Jiawei Leng
Published: July 2018

Based on the theory of urban morphology, traditional approahes usually focus on planar exploration, which have limitations and errors for mountainous cities. Began with urban profile, this essay aims to provide a new perspective in urbanization reinterpretation. As a case, a typical region in Chongqing, a famous mountainous city of China, from Shibati road to Hongyadong historical district is chosen for the urban profile line. Two aspects, including space construction and social humanistic environment are emphasized in prototype extraction in the urban profile. The final target is to provide some theoretical methods for urban design with regional features.
The effect of buildings on atmospheric turbulence in open spaces in Western São Paulo State, Brazil.
Authors: Machado Antonio Jaschke
Published: July 2018

This paper seeks to identify a pattern of air turbulence that reflects the effect of buildings on air turbulence characteristics measured in open spaces in Western São Paulo State, Brazil. Atmospheric turbulence was estimated using high-frequency observations of the three orthogonal wind components (u, v, w). A CSAT3 sonic anemometer from Campbell Scientific Inc. (CSI) was deployed on the roof of a building, and the turbulent components (u', v', w') were systematically measured and recorded at 0.1 s and 5 min intervals, respectively, over 100 days between the end of summer (March 2015) and beginning of winter (July 2015) with a CR3000 automatic data acquisition system (CSI). The data analysis took into account the diurnal and nocturnal variability of the turbulence, and the experimental results revealed the existence of a daily vertical circulation pattern. The w component varied between 15 and 45 cm.s-1 on average, and the turbulent fluctuations observed indicated that an ascending component with a speed of up to 1 m.s-1 predominated during the middle of the day and early afternoon. Throughout the night until the early hours of the morning, a less robust, subsiding component with a speed of up to 0.5 m.s-1 was observed. The mean horizontal flow (u, v) was low-speed (around 1 m.s-1) and predominantly from the southeast. There was a consistent change in the direction of this wind, which changed to easterly during the morning as the ascending branch developed. We propose a model for air circulation close to the surface in which this change in direction of the wind is the main effect of the building on the observed turbulence.
Social Risk Map. The design of a complementary methodology to vulnerability indexes applied to urban rehabilitation activity
Authors: Ruiz-Varona Ana , León-Casero Jorge
Published: July 2018

Conception of urban intervention in the city is increasingly mutating from a physical urban renewal to an integrated urban approach. That is to say, measures concerning physical urban renewal should be combined with measures promoting education, economic development, social inclusion and environmental protection (European Commission, 2014). Current methodologies applied to the analysis of potential distressed areas are based on quantitative variables. The combination of these variables into a matrix characterizes the areas of the city that are subjected to different grades of intervention in terms of urban vulnerability and social exclusion. However, literature demonstrates that there are still few tools capable of measuring spatially which areas are the most sensitive to the decline in social relations within the city. Research on social maps suggests that potential attractors and risk areas can be identified from the design of a methodology based on the social perception of the public space. The application of this methodology to different case studies at the neighborhood level shows the correlation between urban vulnerability approach (quantitative) and social perception (qualitative). Indeed, perception and characterization of social risk areas empowers current urban vulnerability indicators for the integrated urban approach. Findings validate the utility of this methodology for the implementation of this model to cities and illustrate the social sphere of analysis as a platform from which to assess risk in urbanized areas
Transition in Spaces of Power: An analysis on public buildings in Ankara, Turkey.
Authors: Orhan Nalbantoglu Ezgi
Published: July 2018

Ankara, the capital of Turkey, experienced a fundamental spatial structuring process after the proclamation of the Republic. The vision of modernity and protective economic structure of the Early Republican era determined the spatial configuration of the city and produced public buildings as the icons of the young regime. City planning and architecture had been used as the instruments of the new regime in making itself visible, concrete, and symbolized. The buildings and urban plans transmitting the foundation ideals of Republic together with modernity have contributed to the creation of national sovereignty and a modern society. After the span of eighty years, the new politic-economic climate of Turkey redesigned the urban regime of Ankara and its symbols. One of the most concrete transformations is observed in the public offices which convey the political and economic intents of each period through their spatial and architectural organizations, and symbolic meanings. This study examines the change in the urban symbols with an emphasis on public offices; their spatial organization, their archistar buildings, and their messages conveyed to public with respect to the change in political and economic systems. This article concludes that public offices and their relations with urban space and public are considered as the icons in representing the dominant political power in both the early republican period and post-2000s; the former period benefited them as the visual representations of national sovereignty while the latter used them as the landmarks of the authoritarian and neoliberal political power over the nation.
The dual nature of land parcels: exploring the morphological and juridical definition of the term.
Authors: Bobkova Evgeniya , Marcus Lars , Berghauser Pont Meta
Published: July 2018

The importance of the parcel (also referred to as ‘plot’ or ‘lot’) as one of the fundamental elements of urban form is well recognized within the field of urban morphology. It has been described as a basic element in the pattern of land divisions that works as an organizational grid for urban form. One of the distinctive features of the parcel is its dual character: it means both a legal unit defining property rights and a physical entity. In urban fabrics, these dimensions act together to drive the evolution of built space. In this paper, we will investigate the entanglements of the morphological and the legislative definitions of the term, with the aim to resolve these, we better can address and compare the vital layer of parcels in different urban contexts, by both identifying common properties of the notion parcels, and dealing with variations in its legal framework in different countries. What we aim to capture with such a comprehensive definition is the relation between urban form and generic functions, which mainly concerns the functions of occupation and movement, where the system of parcels can be identified as spaces that embed an affordance for occupancy in cities of most kinds. The intended outcome of the paper is to unveil the power of the dual nature of the parcel, bridging between spatial and non-spatial dimensions of cities, that is, more precisely, a potential to establish a stronger interface between urban design and planning practice. References Conzen, M., 1960. Alnwick, Northumberland: a study in town-plan analysis. London: Institute of British Geographers. Kropf, K., 1997. When is a plot not a plot: problems in representation and interpretation. Unpublished. Birmingham, University of Birmingham. Marcus, L., 2000. Architectural knowledge and urban form. The functional performance of architectural urbanity. Stockholm Marcus, L., 2010. Spatial Capital. A proposal for an Extension of Space Syntax into a More General Urban Morphology. The Journal of Space Syntax, pp. 30-40. P.Panerai, J. Castex, J.-C. Depaule, 2004. Urban forms. The death and life of urban block. Oxford: Architectural press.
The transformations of the peripheral urban form in Brazilian listed heritage coastal cities and their morphological typologies: classification and concepts
Authors: Gomes Ramon Fortunato
Published: July 2018

This paper presents the results of my PhD research in architecture and urbanism, which analyzes an urban form and its use as a territorial planning tool. The object of study was the protected historic cities listed on the Brazilian coast, which have restrictions on building construction. These cities are influenced by urban flows, the impact of the metropolitan dynamics, and contemporary transformations. The research discusses the rigidity of the building legislation in the urban perimeter of these cities, while urban transformations and informal growth take place in peripheral areas in varied forms, types and arrangements. It aims to identify, classify and conceptualize the morphological types that appear as urban occurrences and consolidate as dispersed informal nuclei. Such urban occurrences are due to the building restrictions, the lack of territorial planning, and the contemporary globalized model of life, which shapes social inequality in urban expansion. The research methodology consisted of a perimeter survey of the 27 heritage listed cities on the Brazilian coast, according to the parameters obtained by Brazilian Forest Law (12.651/2012) and Brazilian Urban Land Parceling Law (Law 6.766/1979). Also, imagery collected by Google Earth was used to identify urban formations that deviate from legislation, similarly to the object of study. As a result, 16 types of urban forms were classified, which consolidated as nuclei of dispersed formations and were linked to an informal urban structural network. Also, territorial planning guidelines were designed, using the analysis of urban forms as a tool for urban transformation.
Urban form and vacant shops: can one explain the other? – a case study in Portugal
Authors: Saraiva Miguel , Marques Teresa Sá , Pinho Paulo
Published: July 2018

Shopping is much more than a wealth-generator in post-modern societies; it is intrinsically linked with the way people experience the city and an indivisible part of their day-to-day social experiences. Consequently, the literature has gradually recognized that commercial geographies are not just a consequence of economic market logics. It has been proven that there is a relationship between store-types and urban morphology, and that commerce is an important catalyst for urban regeneration and revitalization. Thus, the urban form can also be a cause for the lack of success of a shop. The amount of vacant shops has been signaled as an important problem in urban areas, affecting the structure and the identity of neighborhoods, and reflects the negative effects of the economic-crisis. Strategies to overcome this problem are usually economically-oriented and fail to capitalize on the new-found relationships between store-success and urban morphology. Thus this research wishes to test whether there are indeed correlations between specific morphological features and the existence of vacant shops, and consequently to propose how changes in the urban environment can contribute to overcome, and even prevent, such cases. The geographical distribution of vacant shops in a sample of Portuguese cities was set against morphological variables such as building age or centrality in the network (Space Syntax). Positive association was found, for example, between new developments and vacant shops, questioning the need for more store space in certain areas; and, particularly outside central neighborhoods, between open shops and high ‘choice’ (rather than high ‘integration’) axes.
Spatial integration processes of mass housing estates. The case of Madrid.
Authors: García-Pérez Sergio , Ruiz-Apilánez Corrochano Borja
Published: July 2018

Deprived urban areas regeneration is one of the most important challenges of our cities, which interest is recognised by International Urban Guidelines (ONU), as well as Leipzig Charter and Toledo Declaration (European Union). At this respect, systematic analysis of built city obsolescence is crucial to propose improvement strategies. In particular, mass housing estates, characteristic urban form from modern urbanism, have been detected by several studies as one of the most vulnerable urban forms. Moreover, several studies had determined the systemic nature of problems that this urban form has develop, where physical, social, and economic dimension are strongly related. The low level of spatial integration of the housing estate in the city urban structure could be one of the problems and, in part, responsible of that urban obsolescence. In addition, fifty years after its construction, the continued growth of cities sometimes has modified initial conditions and consequently study the integration evolution of mass housing estates is needed. At this sense, it has been shown that Space Syntax methodology could be a useful tool. The aim of this study is, on the one hand, study criteria to apply Space Syntax methodology to the integration evolution study, and on the other hand, know the integration processes of mass housing estates to propose improvement strategies. Methodology includes, data collection and definition of analysis scenarios adapted to Spanish dataset, Space Syntax methodology in a evolutive approach in two stages: 1970s and 2010s, and interpretation of evolution results. The methodology is tested for Madrid mass housing estates.
From the so-called Islamic City to the Contemporary Urban Morphology: the Historic Core of Kermanshah City in Iran as a Case Study
Authors: Pakseresht Sahar , Guardia Bassols Manel
Published: July 2018

Sahar Pakseresht¹, Manel Guàrdia Bassols¹ ¹ Department of Theory and History of Architecture. Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). Av. Diagonal, 64908028 Barcelona, Tel:93-4017874
E-mail: sahar.pakseresht@estudiant.upc.edu, manel.guardia@upc.edu Keywords: Iranian city, Kermanshah, urban morphology, Islamic city, urban transformation, Modernisation Conference topics and scale: City transformations, urban form and social use of space     Pre-1920 cities in Iran are characterized by a number of features considered to be typical of the so-called “Islamic city”. A set of features are shared by traditional cities where dominated by Islam religion. The notion of “Islamic city”, often criticised for its Eurocentric nature, has guided most studies of these traditional cities. The modernisation process in so-called Islamic cities is crucial due to its serious impacts on the traditional morphology and transformation of their urban structure. We, thus, need more holistic and integrated understanding about changes of these cities derives from the modernisation process.  In order to explore the broad and wide-spread changes due to modernisation process in the traditional cities in Muslim world, it is more enlightening if we study second order cities, rather than studying the transformations of major capitals such as Cairo, Istanbul or Teheran, where interventions are goal to approach a more exceptional and rhetorical characters. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to study the historic core of Kermanshah city, to understand the link between urban transformations and social due to modernisation process by tracing it historically. We will focus, particularly, on studying the stages of urban transformation and changes of urban morphology as well as conflict and differences between traditional urban features with the modern ones. For example, we are interested in understanding how traditional morphology and structure of residential and commercial zone are affected by the opening of new and wide boulevards in course of modernisation process, and how these changes influence everyday people life.   References Kheirabadi, M. (2000). Iranian cities: formation and development. Syracuse University Press. Clarke, J. I., & Clark, B. D. (1969). Kermanshah: an Iranian provincial city (No. 10). University of Durham, Department of Geography. Bonine, M. E. (1979). THE MORPHOGENESIS OF IRANIAN CITIES∗. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 69(2), 208-224. Stefano Bianca. (2000). Urban form in the Arab world: Past and present (Vol. 46). vdf Hochschulverlag AG. Habibi, M. (1996). Az shar ta Shahr (de la Cite a la Ville). Analytical review of the city concept and its physical image in the course of time), Tehran: University of Tehran. (In Persian)
Energy Efficiency in the Urban Scale: Case Study – Prague, Czech Republic
Authors: Yunitsyna Anna , Shtepani Ernest
Published: July 2018

Cities are a complex mass of morphological properties of many city fragments, which play a major role in energy consumption. Urban form, urban patterns, or city fragments can also be seen as defined by algorithms or form generators.  Cities are designed taking into account infrastructure, city standards and land use regulations. Energy efficiency of the urban form may be understood as the balance between gains and losses of energy, which may depend on a set of parameters mostly defined by the geometrical shape of the buildings and the distance between them. The study starts from the development and analysis of 60 hypothetical models in order to evaluate their energy efficiency potential. The Galapagos Evolutionary Solver is used as a tool in order to find the set of parameters, which brings to the morphological properties the optimal combination of density and surface-to-volume ratio. At the final stage morphological properties of 64 Prague’s patterns were selected.  Computer simulation and analysis is performed using the models extracted from the virtual Google Earth model of Prague. During the process of evaluation of the samples, the relationship between the urban form and such parameters as plot coverage, surface-to-volume ratio and the incident solar radiation was established and potentially higher energy efficient structures were indicated. As the result of analysis the interrelation between urban form and energy efficiency was established, which allowed to identify the urban patterns with the higher potential of energy efficiency.
Exploring Patterns of Socio-spatial Interaction in the Public Spaces of City through Big Data.
Authors: Iranmanesh Aminreza , Alpar Atun Resmiye
Published: July 2018

Research on socio-spatial aspect of cities has never been so vibrant and exciting. The form of urban life is changing and evolving with new advancements in communication and technology.  Digital communication and social media has reshaped the way people as the actors of society interact with each other and with the network of city. New social networks and widespread of mobile devises can be used to create and reinforce existing social ties. Mobile devises also change the role of citizens from consumers into producers of data; they are the new reporters, photographers, videographers of everyday life. This production creates large quantities of data known as the “Big Data”. Big data has opened up many doors for researchers to investigate new aspects of cities.  This paper aims to explore how people access urban public spaces through social media by taking the parameter of distance and physical proximity into account. We tried to investigate if different levels of accessibility effects the way people interact with space through social media. Through this process the study explored different socio-spatial patterns in the city that are being affected by social media.  The research data was collect in two layers of Nicosia in Northern Cyprus: first, the geo-tagged social media data was collected from the target group, and it was located on the map. Twitter as a microblogging medium was selected for data collection due to its public nature, geo-tagged abilities, and manageable short content. Second, degrees of accessibility in local and global scale were calculated using Space Syntax. The data was analyzed using regression analysis, scatter plot, and outlier detention. The result shows various patterns in correlation of interactions between society and space; it illustrates the importance of exploring the outliers when reading big data on the city. The result shows clear importance of local accessibility even when social media is the effective variable.
Valencia: the territorial structures of the Roman city substratum.
Authors: Mas Vicente , Cataldi Giancarlo
Published: July 2018

Authors: Giancarlo Cataldi. Via dei Rustici 8, 50122 Firenze +39 055295380 Vicente Mas Llorens. Plaza de José María Orense 5 pta. 2. +34 629629226.   Keywords: Roman Valencia, substratum permanent structures, city planning, historical transformations   Text abstract: The shape of the territory and the urban settlement of numerous Valencian cities were strongly conditioned by the original imprinting of Roman planning, characterized –as it is known- by large scale infrastructures, by settlements of orthogonal axes and by the allocation of the plot division into square modular divisions called centuriae. All the later interventions took necessarily into account such structures, which underwent numerous transformations over time, especially from the second half of the twentieth century. Then innovations and developments in modern technology contributed –more than in any other period– to neglect and override the traces of the original configuration. Territorial and urban research into Roman structures in the Italian peninsula has allowed the recognition of a sufficiently large number of plans, thus allowing the development of a complete general research method to read analogous structures in different Romanized territories. The authors now propose to apply this method to the territory of the Valencian Community. The rectilinear outline of Via Augusta with its forking side paths, the orthogonal signs of the agrarian fabric, the military milestones and the administrative divisions suggest, also in this case, the possibility of retracing the original pattern. Its structure could contribute, among other things, to explain the logic of the expansions outside the walls of the historic centre of Valencia that might otherwise seem arbitrary and meaningless.