Showing papers in "Environment and Planning B-planning & Design in 2006"
TL;DR: The ‘Mobile Landscapes' project is presented: an application in the metropolitan area of Milan, Italy, based on the geographical mapping of cell phone usage at different times of the day, which enables a graphic representation of the intensity of urban activities and their evolution through space and time.
Abstract: The technology for determining the geographic location of cell phones and other handheld devices is becoming increasingly available. It is opening the way to a wide range of applications, collectively referred to as location-based services (LBS), that are primarily aimed at individual users. However, if deployed to retrieve aggregated data in cities, LBS could become a powerful tool for urban analysis. In this paper we aim to review and introduce the potential of this technology to the urban planning community. In addition, we present the ‘Mobile Landscapes' project: an application in the metropolitan area of Milan, Italy, based on the geographical mapping of cell phone usage at different times of the day. The results enable a graphic representation of the intensity of urban activities and their evolution through space and time. Finally, a number of future applications are discussed and their potential for urban studies and planning is assessed.
857 citations
TL;DR: This paper introduces multiple centrality assessment (MCA), a methodology for geographic network analysis, which is defined and implemented on four 1-square-mile urban street systems and shows that, in the MCA primal approach, some centrality indices nicely capture the ‘skeleton’ of the urban structure that impacts so much on spatial cognition and collective behaviours.
Abstract: The network metaphor in the analysis of urban and territorial cases has a long tradition, especially in transportation or land-use planning and economic geography. More recently, urban design has brought its contribution by means of the ‘space syntax’ methodology. All these approaches-though under different terms like ‘accessibility’, ‘proximity’, ‘integration’ ‘connectivity’, ‘cost’, or ‘effort’-focus on the idea that some places (or streets) are more important than others because they are more central. The study of centrality in complex systems, however, originated in other scientific areas, namely in structural sociology, well before its use in urban studies; moreover, as a structural property of the system, centrality has never been extensively investigated metrically in geographic networks as it has been topologically in a wide range of other relational networks such as social, biological, or technological ones. After a previous work on some structural properties of the primal graph representation of...
679 citations
TL;DR: A key lesson from the New-Zealand-based evaluation is that implementation is somewhat weak, and if implementation is defined and measured in terms of conformance, plans and planners have an important influence on implementation success.
Abstract: Failure to implement plans has long been considered a significant barrier to effective planning. We examine two conceptions of success in plan implementation (conformance and performance), the effects of the implementation practices of planning agencies, and the capacity of agencies and permit applicants to bring about success. A key lesson from our New-Zealand-based evaluation is that implementation is somewhat weak. Another key point is that, if implementation is defined and measured in terms of conformance, plans and planners have an important influence on implementation success. Alternatively, if implementation is defined and measured in terms of performance, plans and planners are less influential in implementation. These lessons have broad implications for the theory and practice of plan implementation.
219 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the impact of spatial variables on e-shopping and found that people are more likely to adopt online shopping when their accessibility to shops is relatively low.
Abstract: Why consumers shop via the Internet, is a frequently asked question. As yet, the impact of spatial variables on e-shopping has received little attention. In this paper we report our investigation of the spatial distribution of Internet users and online buyers in the Netherlands for the time period 1996 – 2001 and the impact of spatial variables (residential environment and shop accessibility) on e-shopping. Two hypotheses are tested empirically. The first is that e-shopping is a predominantly urban phenomenon, because new technology usually starts in centres of innovation (innovation-diffusion hypothesis). The second is that people are more likely to adopt e-shopping when their accessibility to shops is relatively low (efficiency hypothesis). Our findings indicate that Internet use and online buying are still largely urban phenomena in the Netherlands, but that there is a trend towards diffusion to the weakly urbanised and rural areas. Not only the innovation diffusion hypothesis, but also the efficiency hypothesis is confirmed by our findings. People living in a (very) strongly urbanised area have a higher likelihood of buying online, but people with a low shop accessibility buy more often online. The analysis also shows that the support for the two hypotheses depends on the type of product. Airline tickets are still mainly bought in very strongly urbanised areas, whereas compact discs, videos, DVDs, and clothing are bought relatively more often in weakly urbanised areas. In conclusion, geography seems to matter for e-shopping.
162 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual framework is constructed, which constitutes crucial factors that influence the potential planning support roles of information, knowledge, and instruments, and with the help of this framework, a developmental overview is interpreted of the theoretical planning traditions that exerted an influence on planning practice.
Abstract: Over the course of many years, professional planners have used a plethora of methods and tools to support their planning activities. Nevertheless, it can be argued that planning practioners have never fully embraced the much wider diversity of available methods, techniques, and models developed in the research laboratories. On the basis of this observation, this study poses several questions about why there is an apparent mismatch in planning practice between supply, demand, and applications of planning-support instruments (including ‘planning support systems’) and their outcomes (dedicated information and knowledge), and how this mismatch can be solved. In order to arrive at an answer, a conceptual framework is constructed, which constitutes crucial factors that influence the potential planning support roles of information, knowledge, and instruments. With the help of this framework, a developmental overview is interpreted of the theoretical planning traditions that exerted an influence on planning pract...
129 citations
TL;DR: This article examined intrametropolitan and intermetropolitan variations in job accessibility by commuting mode as an indicator of auto-oriented urban structure, selecting Boston, Los Angeles, and Tokyo as study areas.
Abstract: Studies suggest that sprawling and auto-oriented development patterns present more difficulties for people without cars to access economic opportunities. We examine intrametropolitan and intermetropolitan variations in job accessibility by commuting mode as an indicator of auto-oriented urban structure, selecting Boston, Los Angeles, and Tokyo as study areas. Although in both US and Japanese metropolitan areas, job accessibility is significantly lower for public transit users than for auto users, job accessibility for public transit users in the US cases is strikingly lower than in Tokyo. The international comparison provides a clear picture of the significant disadvantage in accessing job opportunities encountered by US workers who are unable to use private vehicles. The empirical results uncover an important dimension of urban structure that deserves much attention from planners and policymakers.
129 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a contract (4806X37) from the US General Services Administration (USGSA) was used for the development of a system that can be used in the medical field.
Abstract: This research was made possible by a contract (4806X37) from the US General
Services Administration.
121 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the development of quantitative, spatially explicit, and alternative scenarios of future urban land use in Europe based on three steps: (1) an interpretation of four global-scale storylines describing in qualitative terms alternative urban-development pathways, (2) the development and application of a simple statistical model to estimate the future demand for urban land, and (3) rules to allocate this urban demand geographically through the consideration of land-use planning goals.
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to present the development of quantitative, spatially explicit, and alternative scenarios of future urban land use in Europe. The scenario-construction methodology is based on three steps: (1) an interpretation of four global-scale storylines describing in qualitative terms alternative urban-development pathways, (2) the development and application of a simple statistical model to estimate the future demand for urban land, and (3) the development of rules to allocate this urban demand geographically through the consideration of land-use planning goals. The qualitative part of the analysis is based on an interpretation of the four storylines of the Special Report on Emission Scenarios by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This interpretation describes the principal driving forces that are specific to the European region and to the urban sector on the basis of the theoretical principles of urban economy. The urban-demand model includes two driving forces: (a) the population, representing demographic trends and the demand for housing; and (b) the gross domestic product, reflecting the economic level and dynamism. A further three variables are used as drivers of spatial patterns: (c) accessibility to the transport network; (d) the degree of restriction arising from land-use planning policy, and (e) the relative attractiveness (in terms of residential-location choice) of small, medium, and large cities. Thus, the urban-land-use change model is based on a multilevel analysis, which integrates theory and empirical evidence. The results are original urban-land-usc maps of Europe for each of the four scenarios on the basis of a 10' (latitude and longitude) geographic grid. The comparison of these alternative views of the future and the transparency of the development of these views provide a rich and consistent method for understanding the relationships between driving forces, their intensity, and their consequence for geographic space. Scenario analysis is a useful tool to test incentives, measures, or planning regulations according to different policy objectives.
110 citations
TL;DR: The claim that the compact-city paradigm contributes to sustainable development has received increased attention worldwide for its ability to achieve sustainable development as discussed by the authors, however, the claim that compact-cities contribute to sustainabil...
Abstract: The compact-city paradigm has received increased attention worldwide for its ability to achieve sustainable development. However, the claim that the compact-city paradigm contributes to sustainabil...
89 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors test the efficacy of land-use planning and plan implementation in Florida by measuring the degree to which wetland development over a ten-year period conforms to the original design of adopted comprehensive plans.
Abstract: Although the components of plan quality are well defined, little empirical research has been conducted to understand the degree to which policies are being implemented after plan adoption and the factors contributing to the variation in plan implementation. The authors test the efficacy of land-use planning and plan implementation in Florida by measuring the degree to which wetland development over a ten-year period conforms to the original design of adopted comprehensive plans. First, they spatially identify concentrated areas of wetland alteration permits and compare these locations with the adopted future land-use maps for county and city jurisdictions in the southern portion of the state. Second, they examine the major factors influencing nonconforming development patterns across the study area. Results indicate a well-defined spatial pattern of nonconforming wetland development and isolate specific socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic variables impacting these deviations from the original spati...
73 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a comprehensive appraisal framework to measure the accessibility impacts and related user benefits of land-use and transportation policy strategies, focusing on location-based and utility-based approaches, rather than infrastructure-based frameworks.
Abstract: This article considers the accessibility appraisal of integrated land use and transportation strategies in the Randstad area of the Netherlands. The authors present a comprehensive appraisal framework to measure the accessibility impacts and related user benefits of land-use and transportation policy strategies, focusing on location-based and utility-based approaches, rather than infrastructure-based frameworks. They then apply the appraisal framework in a case study. The case study examines the accessibility benefits and related user benefits of intensive mixed-use strategies aimed at increasing the density and diversity of activities around railway stations for the Randstad area of the Netherlands for the 1996 – 2030 period. They found that a heavy concentration of activities near railway stations is shown to result in decreasing marginal returns for public-transport users and disbenefits for car users. They conclude by describing in detail some of the drawbacks to conventional accessibility measures, stressing that accurate accessibility appraisal must include all feedback mechanisms between land use, travel demand, and accessibility.
TL;DR: The study suggests that the urban cluster approach can be used as a tool to study urban phenomena and it is hoped that through them it shall be able to investigate economic and social phenomena as well.
Abstract: In this paper we suggest an approach for understanding the spatial behavior and structure of cities. It views cities as physical objects and is based on urban morphology alone. The units of examina...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that conformance and performance are independent criteria for measuring planning success, and that plans (as set out in the “Fourth Memorandum on Spatial Planning-plus”) perform well according to the plan but perform poorly in terms of improving current decision-making on the stagnation of housing production in the Netherlands.
Abstract: There are a number of different criteria for measuring the success of plans in planning. In the planning literature there is a debate about the criterion of conformance (that is, whether spatial development is according to plan) as opposed to performance (that is, whether the plan has shown the way to better decisionmaking), which is, in fact, different from performance measurement. In this paper both criteria are applied to measure the success of Dutch national concentration policies in the “Fourth Memorandum on Spatial Planning—Plus”. The author shows that the urban containment policies conform well to the plan but perform badly in terms of improving current decisionmaking on the stagnation of housing production in the Netherlands. Moreover, the present stagnation of housing production is planned stagnation. With this result, the author shows that conformance and performance are independent criteria for measuring planning success, and that plans (as set out in the “Fourth Memorandum on Spatial Planning—...
TL;DR: The rural-urban fringe has been identified as an interface between town and country as mentioned in this paper, where less favoured urban uses (sewage works, mental institutions, asylum centres, breakers' yards, etc) have been pushed away from residential areas.
Abstract: Planning at the edge of cities has, in the past, largely been concerned with containment, with the promotion of more compact urban form, and with the planned separation of rural and urban land use and activities. However, there has been some inevitable blurring of these uses, to create a unique landscape—an interface between town and country—sometimes labelled the rural–urban fringe. This landscape has been created more by fortune than design: less favoured urban uses—sewage works, mental institutions, asylum centres, breakers' yards, etc—have been pushed away from residential areas. Rural uses, mainly farming and forestry, have become mingled with this particular assemblage of urban activities to create a hybrid landscape. Planning, however, has been a relatively inert force at the edge: seeking to contain (perhaps through greenbelts) but not seeking to improve or to manage. In England, our principal focus in this paper, a number of commentators have expressed a concern for this apparent inertia, arguing...
TL;DR: In this paper, a recursive simultaneous-equations model is used to examine how the political landscape (urban development patterns) at time t − 5 affects spatial outcomes (municipal fragmentation).
Abstract: The political and spatial dimensions of US metropolitan areas are eminently interconnected through a recurring cycle of fragmentation and sprawl. In this paper we demonstrate the cycle at work by refining a land-use model developed in a previous paper and applying it to a national dataset of metropolitan counties. The recursive simultaneous-equations model is structured around five-year intervals, and enables us to observe how the political landscape (urban development patterns) at time t − 5 affects spatial outcomes (municipal fragmentation) at time t. The results suggest that regulatory failure may bear as much fault for urban sprawl as the more commonly cited market failures, and that it may therefore be worthwhile to shift the focus of the sprawl/antisprawl debate from its physical to its political dimensions. Future research should focus on identifying the systematic nature of sprawl and, as an extension, the various policy levers that may be used to mitigate its negative consequences. The paper impr...
TL;DR: The aid and complexity of the use of metaphors are explored in the different phases of the design process, which deal with the definition of design concepts and framing of design situations, the generation of goals and constraints, and the mapping and application of structural relationships to the design problem.
Abstract: Metaphors enable the understanding of a concept in terms of another concept which is generally not associated with it. In problem-solving tasks, reasoning by metaphors has a significant influence in the development of innovative ideas. In the design domain metaphors help to structure thinking, and represent situations from a new viewpoint. Despite the frequent use of metaphors in design practice, no empirical work has studied in depth the role played by metaphors during the whole design process. In this research the aid and complexity of the use of metaphors are explored in the different phases of the design process. These phases deal with the definition of design concepts and framing of design situations, the generation of goals and constraints, and the mapping and application of structural relationships to the design problem.
TL;DR: This work solves the CCC-location problem through the use of a framework based on value-focused thinking and quantitative decision models, and identifies sites in high-amenity neighborhoods which are argued to be associated with beneficial CCC client outcomes.
Abstract: Community corrections centers (CCCs, or ‘halfway houses’) represent a community-based justice strategy intended to reintegrate offenders into civil society. Site selection for these facilities is complicated by negative perceptions of CCC impacts on the part of potential host communities. I solve the CCC-location problem through the use of a framework based on value-focused thinking and quantitative decision models. The first of two mathematical models for CCC location is a novel integer programming formulation that incorporates neighborhood characteristics and equity considerations; the second is a straightforward application of the analytic hierarchy process. These models are applied to a case study in the city of Pittsburgh, PA. In contrast to traditional dispersion models, the mathematical programming model identifies sites in high-amenity neighborhoods which are argued to be associated with beneficial CCC client outcomes. Also, I find that sites selected using multicriteria decision models are relati...
TL;DR: This paper presents a theoretical framework for understanding the roles of visual mediation in map-supported human–human dialogues, and a computational approach for enabling such roles in collaborative spatial decisionmaking contexts.
Abstract: Geospatial information is a fundamental component of many crisis management activities. However, current geospatial technologies do not support work by crisis management personnel, most of whom are not technology specialists—a key impediment is that the technologies require the user to learn the system's language. In addition, geospatial technologies are not ‘collaboration friendly’—they impede rather than facilitate group work. In this paper we address both issues by presenting (1) a theoretical framework for understanding the roles of visual mediation in map-supported human–human dialogues, and (2) a computational approach for enabling such roles in collaborative spatial decisionmaking contexts. Building upon our initial implementation of a map-mediated collaborative environment, the DAVE_G system [a natural, multimodal, dialogue-enabled interface to geographical information systems (GIS)], we model human–GIS and human–GIS–human dialogues as complex visual-cognitive signification processes in which maps...
TL;DR: In this paper, the basic rules of central place networks are abstracted and formulated as three geometric series scaling laws, which can be transformed into several power laws associated with fractal structure.
Abstract: The basic rules of central place networks are abstracted and formulated as three geometric series scaling laws, which can be transformed into several power laws associated with fractal structure. The scaling laws might be the Rosetta Stone to understand the complexity of human geographical systems because they take the form of Horton and Strahler's laws in geomorphology and Gutenberg and Richter's laws in seismology indicative of fractals and self-organized criticality (SOC). An empirical analysis is conducted with the use of data from southern Germany, given by Christaller. The fractal dimensions, Df, of four systems are calculated as follows: Df is 1.733 for Munich, 1.685 for Nuremberg, 1.837 for Stuttgart, and 1.481 for Frankfurt. SOC theory is employed to interpret the fractality of central places, and the power laws are seen as signatures of feasible optimality, thus yielding further support to the suggestion that optimality of the system as a whole explains the dynamic origin of fractal forms in nature.
TL;DR: In this article, a study of residential location and travel in the Copenhagen metropolitan area, the authors address the phenomenon of compensatory travel and find that inner-city living appears to have a certain compensatory effect in the form of a higher frequency of medium-distance leisure trips.
Abstract: Studies in several cities have shown that inner-city residents travel shorter distances and use cars less for local transport than suburbanites do. However, according to some authors, a low daily amount of travel is likely to be compensated through more extensive leisure mobility at weekends and on holidays. On the basis of a study of residential location and travel in the Copenhagen metropolitan area, this paper addresses the phenomenon of compensatory travel. For travel within ‘weekend trip distance’ from the residence, inner-city living appears to have a certain compensatory effect in the form of a higher frequency of medium-distance leisure trips. Probably, this reflects a shortage of nature in the immediate surroundings of the dwelling as well as less leisure time tied to gardening and house maintenance. These compensatory trips imply a slight reduction of the transport-reducing effect of inner-city living, but are far from sufficient to change the overall tendency towards less travel and reduced car...
TL;DR: In this paper, different land-use planning models have been reviewed; within this review, techniques and methodologies with different objectives, applications, and land uses have been identified. T...
Abstract: In this paper, different land-use planning models have been reviewed; within this review, techniques and methodologies with different objectives, applications, and land uses have been identified. T...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the developments of European building regulatory systems and place them within the context of general trends in the regulatory sciences, particularly with reference to Europeanisation studies.
Abstract: In this paper we describe the developments of European building regulatory systems and place them within the context of general trends in the regulatory sciences, particularly with reference to Europeanisation studies. Within the regulatory sciences there is broad consensus about the trend towards deregulation and privatisation in recent decades. Studies conducted under the rubric of ‘Europeanisation’ analyse the effects of European policies on the policy frameworks of the member states in more detail. Are the systems converging or diverging? Although the history of this kind of research is short, most authors agree that European policies have had a profound impact on the policies of the member states, but that this impact has not been uniform. In this paper, we analyse privatisation and deregulation trends within the building regulatory systems of eight European countries, and we consider whether the systems appear to be converging or diverging. We focus on three elements: the scope of the technical requ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors attempt to develop a comprehensive, robust model of urban morphology from a phenomenological and behavioral perspective, by comparing the findings of two extensive empirical studies of urban environments.
Abstract: In this paper I attempt to develop a comprehensive, robust model of urban morphology from a phenomenological and behavioral perspective. I do so by comparing the findings of two extensive empirical...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report the results of a study on residential parcel design and development-induced stormwater runoff in the City of Madison, Wisconsin, and assess the influence of municipal zoning and subdivision regulations on residential stormwater production, high-resolution aerial photography and property tax data for over 38000 single-family residential parcels were used to measure the impervious cover and modeled runoff associated with a typical two-year storm.
Abstract: This paper reports the results of a study on residential parcel design and development-induced stormwater runoff in the City of Madison, Wisconsin. To assess the influence of municipal zoning and subdivision regulations on residential stormwater production, high-resolution aerial photography and property tax data for over 38000 single-family residential parcels were used to measure the impervious cover and modeled runoff associated with a typical two-year storm. The results of the analysis suggest that stormwater runoff volumes could be significantly reduced with only modest changes to municipal land-development regulations and with no reduction in the size of the residential structure. Following the presentation of the methodology and findings, the paper concludes with a discussion of targeted revisions to zoning and subdivision regulations that, if implemented, could reduce the runoff volume from new residential parcels in Madison by over 30%.
TL;DR: In this paper, a study of visual privacy, family intimacy, and building elements of two-storey low-cost terrace housing in an urban area in Malaysia was conducted.
Abstract: The authors report on a study of visual privacy, family intimacy, and building elements of two-storey low-cost terrace housing in an urban area in Malaysia. They examine behavioural and physical regulating mechanisms used to achieve privacy among Malay Muslim inhabitants of the housing units studied. They also look at the consequences of the lack of privacy on the inhabitants over a period of time. Their findings support the premise that cultural values influence housing and that religious understanding influences mechanisms used to regulate visual privacy and intimacy.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the application of multispectral remote sensing from the Landsat ETM+ and IKONOS satellite sensors for the mapping of urban environmental quality (UEQ) in urban Hong Kong at a detailed level, using the measurable, image-based parameters of temperature and biomass, and examined the relationship between these and air quality in selected study districts.
Abstract: Urban environmental quality (UEQ) is a complex and spatially variable parameter of increasing concern, especially in densely populated cities of the tropics and subtropics where climate, air quality, and the urban infrastructure may interact to produce uncomfortable and hazardous effects. The study investigates the application of multispectral remote sensing from the Landsat ETM+ and IKONOS satellite sensors for the mapping of UEQ in urban Hong Kong at a detailed level, using the measurable, image-based parameters of temperature and biomass, and examines the relationship between these and air quality in selected study districts. Multiple-criteria queries on these two parameters show that spatial variations in UEQ are closely related to natural topographic factors and urban morphology. The amount of biomass, as opposed to total area of vegetation, is also shown to be an important factor in the spatial variation of UEQ. The data permit visualisation of the relationship between the human and natural factors ...
TL;DR: An important finding is that various patterns in the reliability envelope can be influenced by factors such as network structures, hub structures, and geographical locations.
Abstract: Peering between network providers is modeled as a set of interconnections at hub nodes. The paper employs probabilistic methods to determine the likelihood of a path between nodes, under a variety of simulated disruptions or failures of parts of a network. Reliability is measured as the probability of withstanding failure of network components such as nodes or linkages. A reliability envelope is devised in order to define a range of impacts—with the recognition that the damage to subsets of the network can vary from a relatively benign effect to a much more critical or lethal impact. Thus, we describe a range of scenarios from best to worst, within the same level of infrastructure loss. With the use of simulation data for the United States, results show the critical role of major hubs in sustaining communication among cities. In the paper we highlight especially reliable nodes (for example, Chicago and Atlanta) and those that are most susceptible (for example, Birmingham, Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee...
TL;DR: The aim of the comparison is to verify, thanks to a special spatial reconstruction set, Jeu de reconstruction spatiale (JRS), whether the difficulties often encountered by unskilled persons when asked to draw a sketch map can be avoided and if so, the JRS could help to improve comparisons between different social groups.
Abstract: In this paper we compare the sketch-map technique with a spatial modelling task based on a set of eight separate items. The aim of the comparison is to verify, thanks to a special spatial reconstruction set, Jeu de reconstruction spatiale (JRS), whether the difficulties often encountered by unskilled persons when asked to draw a sketch map can be avoided. If so, the JRS could help to improve comparisons between different social groups. Thirty university students majoring in geography and twenty-one unskilled staff members were asked to represent the centre of Strasbourg both by drawing a sketch and with the JRS. The results show that, on one hand, the difference between the two groups regarding the number of items mentioned is smaller with the JRS than with the sketch map. On the other hand, in both groups, the same proportion of respondents increased the number of urban elements produced in the second trial with the JRS. This was not the case with the sketch map. Also, the JRS is more stable than the ske...
TL;DR: In this paper, residential segregation is reconceived as a scale-dependent social phenomenon and a multiscale, lacunarity-based segregation measure is developed, inspired by new metrics employed by landscape ecologists to measure landscape heterogeneity.
Abstract: The role of race versus class in shaping residential segregation patterns has been a contentious issue in segregation studies for decades. Despite the voluminous, interdisciplinary literature, scholars have reported conflicting evidence on the role of race versus class in residential segregations. We attribute the current inconclusive literature partially to the failure to consider scale explicitly in residential segregation measures, and partially to the growing complexity of a multiethnic melting pot in most cities in the United States. Inspired by new metrics employed by landscape ecologists to measure landscape heterogeneity, residential segregation is reconceived as a scale-dependent social phenomenon in this paper. We also present an alternative to existing structural or spatial segregation measures, considered as less efficient because most of the existing indices measure only a few dimensions of segregation at a single scale. We have developed a multiscale, lacunarity-based segregation measure, an...
TL;DR: In this paper the authors review the recent history of policy formulation by city officials on ‘security access restriction’ in Johannesburg, highlighting how policy has emerged in a profoundly controversial and contested terrain.
Abstract: Local officials attempt to resolve deep contradictions in most urban settings. The gating of sections of cities provides a notable example, setting fear of crime against rights of movement and access. Johannesburg, South Africa, reveals just such challenges. In this paper the authors review the recent history of policy formulation by city officials on ‘security access restriction’ in Johannesburg. They note the diverse and shifting views and behaviour of various actors and the difficulties faced by policymakers. They highlight how policy has emerged in a profoundly controversial and contested terrain, showing how Johannesburg, at least, has attempted to manage the conflicts. However, the policy environment remains unstable, and existing policy may be only a partial and temporary resolution to a deep contradiction.