Targeted interest-driven advertising in cities using Twitter

Targeted advertising is a key characteristic of online as well as traditional-media marketing. However it is very limited in outdoor advertising, that is, performing campaigns by means of billboards in public places. The reason is the lack of information about the interests of the particular passersby, except at very imprecise and aggregate demographic or traffic estimates. In this work we propose a methodology for performing targeted outdoor advertising by leveraging the use of social media. In particular, we use the Twitter social network to gather information about users’ degree of interest in given advertising categories and about the common routes that they follow, characterizing in this way each zone in a given city. Then we use our characterization for recommending physical locations for advertising. Given an advertisement category, we estimate the most promising areas to be selected for the placement of an ad that can maximize its targeted effectiveness. We show that our approach is able to select advertising locations better with respect to a baseline reflecting a current ad-placement policy. To the best of our knowledge this is the first work on offline advertising in urban areas making use of (publicly available) data from social networks

The Life and Afterlife of Gay Neighborhoods

This open access book examines the significance of gay neighborhoods (or ‘gayborhoods’) from critical periods of formation during the gay liberation and freedom movements of the 1960s and 1970s, to proven durability through the HIV/AIDS pandemic during the 1980s and 1990s, to a mature plateau since 2000. The book provides a framework for contemplating the future form and function of gay neighborhoods. Social and cultural shifts within gay neighborhoods are used as a framework for understanding the decades-long struggle for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. Resulting from gentrification, weakening social stigma, and enhanced rights for LGBTQ+ people, gay neighborhoods have recently become “less gay,” following a 50-year period of resilience. Meanwhile, other neighborhoods are becoming “more gay,” due to changing preferences of LGBTQ+ individuals and a propensity for LGBTQ+ families to form community in areas away from established gayborhoods. The current ‘plateau’ in the evolution of gay neighborhoods is characterized by generational differences—between Baby Boom pioneers and Millennials who favour broad inclusivity—signaling various possible trajectories for the future ‘afterlife’ of these important LGBTQ+ urban spaces. The complicating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic provides a point of comparison for lessons learned from gay neighborhoods and the LGBTQ+ community that bravely endured the onset of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in various disciplines—including sociology, social work, anthropology, gender and sexuality, LGTBQ+ and queer studies, as well as urban geography, architecture, and city planning—and to policymakers and advocates concerned with LGBTQ+ rights and social justice

Videogame cities in motion

Videogame cities are 'real-and-imagined' spaces whose ubiquity as a setting for games illustrates the persistent fascination with the opportunities for play in urban space. In order to describe these videogame cities, we need a framework that considers them as they relate not only to one another, but to other material and immaterial cities as well. Cities, according to landscape architect Douglas Allen, have a constitutional order that describes their structure and a representational order that fills this space with activity. While these concepts are useful for thinking about the way space organizes and afford certain activities, I pose that the addition of an experiential order better addresses the 'specificity' that makes each real-and-imagined city unique. The experience of these videogame cities primarily emerges from the movement of the player as they are embodied as something acting in the space. The videogame city in motion brings to life the 'spaces of flows' - sequences of exchange and interaction ﾖ that sociologist Manuel Castells argues characterize the city in the information/computer age. Thus, not only do videogame cities draw on existing architecture, narratives, and mediations, they exhibit the traits of networked cities in their coordinated processes. By looking at the history of the development of the open-world city, its architectural organization, visual representations, algorithmic infrastructures, and how players traverse space, it is possible to paint a picture of what kinds of places these videogame cities are and how they allow us to reflect on urban form.Ph.D

Feature Papers "Age-Friendly Cities & Communities: State of the Art and Future Perspectives"

The "Age-Friendly Cities & Communities: States of the Art and Future Perspectives" publication presents contemporary, innovative, and insightful narratives, debates, and frameworks based on an international collection of papers from scholars spanning the fields of gerontology, social sciences, architecture, computer science, and gerontechnology. This extensive collection of papers aims to move the narrative and debates forward in this interdisciplinary field of age-friendly cities and communities

Synergy, inteligibility and revelation in neighbourhood places

In architectural and urban design the notion of place is highly desired, or in its absence, strongly criticised. Yet what is place and how might it be engendered by design? Over the last 30 years an extensive body of research on place has emerged, largely based on phenomenological approaches. This work gives rise to the question of whether place is a purely social concept completely divorced from physical space, or is linked to space and therefore amenable to design based intervention. Talen and Relph, for example, assert that there is no link between space and the social notion of place. This thesis attempts to approach place from a highly empirical and positivist methodology grounded in the theories known as space syntax but inspired by phenomenological approaches to place. The hypothesis presented here is that neighbourhoodplace, or sense of the genius loci of a place, is partially dependent on the global homogeneity of the relationships between spaces defining a region (the neighbourhood) combined with a local heterogeneity of the spatial properties that create a place’s identity. Results from a study show that a measure of total revelation (a measure of the difference in information content between a space and its immediately adjacent spaces) is consistent with the degree to which participants would locate a café/place, reinforcing other work done in the area and by environmental psychologists such as Kaplan and Kaplan. Total revelation serves as a powerful measure of the local heterogeneity of a location and hence a place’s identity. In further experiments presented in this thesis, neighbourhood boundaries were compared to the areas reported by inhabitants and against new measures of point synergy and point intelligibility, as well as a number of methods suggested by Raford and Hillier, Read, Yang and Hillier, and Peponis, along with a ‘null’ control measure. Evidence is presented suggesting that point synergy is the most effective method for predicting a neighbourhood’s extent from its spatial configuration, hence making it a suitable method to define the global homogeneity of a named district. This work concludes by suggesting that that while place may be unrelated to geographic location there is evidence to suggest that it is related to space (in the configurational or architectural sense) which would appear to contradict those who assert that the notion of place is wholly unrelated to the physical aspects of space. From an architectural perspective this thesis suggests that certain key aspects of spatial design are present in the affordance of social neighbourhoods

Jane Jacobs is still here: Jane Jacobs 100 Her legacy and relevance in the 21st Century

On the occasion of Jane Jacobs’ 100 anniversary, the chair of Spatial Planning and Strategy of the Delft University of Technology, together with the OTB Research Institute for the Built Environment and the Rotterdam Erasmus University College organised a two-day conference on Jane Jacob’s legacy at TU Delft on 24-25 May 2016. This event was complemented one year later by a ‘Jane Jacobs Year’ closing event. We wished to celebrate the life and accomplishments of one of the most important urban thinkers of our time, someone who has influenced generations of designers and planners and others concerned with the built environment: the great Jane Jacobs.  Jacobs’ theories and ideas are seminal to many different academic fields: urban design, planning, architecture, sociology, human geography, environmental psychology, economic geography and many more. Her writings have been influential for more than five decades. This alone tells us of her importance for urban studies and for understanding the complex relationship between urban space and society. This is reflected, among other things, in the immense popularity of Jane’s ideas among young planners and designers. A simple Google search of the term “urban planner†yields the following results: A line-up of male planners is headed by a woman, the most relevant of them all (at least according to Google’s algorithms), Jane Jacobs! This is ironic since Jane Jacobs would hardly see herself as a planner. Maybe, like Roberta Gratz (who was a friend of Jacobs’), she was an ‘anti-planner’, someone with a keen eye for careful empirical observation, for whom cities ought to be understood from the careful exploration of how the built environment influences and is influenced by human life. Jacobs was an astute observer of the life of cities and the processes that produce both cities and citizenship. In their contributions, the authors of the texts included in this book demonstrate how Jacobs is still relevant as a theorist in the realms of politics, economics and design, and how she can also help us understand how urban form yields meaning. But they also criticise and review her ideas in light of the experiences accumulated in more than 50 years since her main works were published, and the perspectives of places that have little similarity to New York or Toronto. This is relevant because indeed Jane Jacobs’ ideas are being reviewed reinterpreted and reinvented, and occasionally refuted, in contexts as diverse as Cairo, São Paulo or Addis Ababa. And it’s high time this happens. The conference aimed to explore those new insights on Jacobs’ legacy and to take her ideas forward in the context of globalisation, internationalisation and accelerated urbanisation in places like China, India and Brazil. The intensity and scale of current urbanization are unprecedented and new challenges have emerged since she published her texts. How are the ideas of Jane Jacobs still relevant for the understanding of the interplay between urban space and society? Or do we need new theories? To what extent have Jacobs’ ideas inspired today’s urban leaders and thinkers? How are they tackling urban issues such as growing inequality, spatial fragmentation, street life, safety in the public space and environmental decline? We discussed Jacobs’ ideas critically and to take stock of how those ideas have been used, misused and hopefully updated. We invited abstract submissions for six different tracks, exploring essential aspects of Jacobs’ ideas: Track 1: Jane Jacobs, ethics, and the just city Track 2: Jane Jacobs and Street Spaces – Streets as public places Track 3: Jane Jacobs and the dynamics of neighbourhoods Track 4: Jane Jacobs and the Reshaping old urban fabrics in Chinese cities Track 5: Jane Jacobs and organised complexity Track 6: Jane Jacobs and safety in public space The conference was organised by Roberto Rocco (TU Delft Urbanism), Brian Doucet (University of Waterloo, Canada, then Erasmus University College in Rotterdam) and Andre Ouwehand (TU Delft OTB)

Planning cities for the post-carbon age : a metabolic analysis of the urban form

[Resumen] El siglo veinte ha sido la edad de las ciudades, en la cual han experimentado la mayor expansión de su historia. La concentración de personas y actividades ha permitido un avance tecnológico sin precedentes, una larga etapa de prosperidad económica y el desarrollo de la actividad cultural. Cada día, miles de personas emigran desde sus hogares rurales en busca de las oportunidades que ofrece la metrópolis. Sin embargo, el triunfo de la ciudad ha sido a costa de la degradación de otros parajes, externos a ella, ya que absorben recursos desde distancias cada vez más lejanas. Las ciudades han crecido como sistemas voraces, basadas en el consumismo, por lo que requieren un suministro constante de materiales, agua, alimentos y energía para sostener su actividad y economía. Como tema central de investigación, las ciudades han sido estudiadas desde casi todas las perspectivas posibles. Algunas investigaciones previas han propuesto una analogía ecológica para medir los flujos del sistema urbano, lo que supone entender la ciudad como un ecosistema con un metabolismo característico. Este sería un primer paso para discernir las variables espaciales que influyen en el consumo urbano de recursos externos. Sin embargo, estos estudios todavía no han podido establecer de forma inequívoca la conexión entre la estructura física de la ciudad y su comportamiento ambiental. La abstracción de los postulados teóricos y las interferencias de múltiples factores en el análisis empírico han limitado el número de certezas en la ciencia urbana. El objetivo de esta tesis es explorar los vínculos entre forma urbana y los patrones de demanda de energía, mediante la combinación de la capacidad de exploración de modelos teóricos con el pragmatismo derivado del estudio de casos reales. Para ello, se ha elaborado un modelo de evaluación energética a escala urbana, tratando de responder a la carencia de instrumentos específicos que permitan integrar análisis y el diseño. Esta aplicación se prueba y aplica en diferentes escenarios derivados de los casos de estudios. Las experiencias de regeneración en los Docklands de Londres y el Poblenou de Barcelona proporcionan un marco real para entender la lógica de las transformaciones morfológicas en las ciudades existentes, introduciendo nuevas variables y aspectos, aunque manteniendo el foco principal de la investigación en la relación entre energía y forma urbana.[Resumo] O século vinte foi a era das cidades, na cal experimentaron a maior expansión da súa historia. A concentración de persoas e actividades permitiu un avance tecnolóxico sen precedentes, unha longa etapa de prosperidade económica e o desenvolvemento da actividade cultural. Cada día, miles de persoas emigran dende os seus fogares rurais, en busca das oportunidades que ofrece a metrópole. Non obstante, o triunfo da cidade produciuse a custa da degradación ambiental doutros paraxes, externos a ela, xa que absorben recursos dende distancias cada vez máis afastadas. As cidades creceron como sistemas voraces, baseadas no consumismo, e requiren un fluxo constante de bens, auga, alimentos e enerxía para soster as súas actividades e a súa economía. Como tema central de investigación, as cidades foron analizadas dende case todas as perspectivas posibles. Algunhas investigacións previas propuxeron unha analoxía ecolóxica para medir os fluxos do sistema urbano, o que supuso entender a cidade coma un ecosistema cun metabolismo característico. Este sería un primeiro paso para discernir as variables espaciais que inflúen no consumo urbano de recursos. Non obstante, estes intentos de establecer unha conexión entre o comportamento das cidades e a súa estrutura física non son aínda concluíntes. A abstracción dos postulados teóricos e as interferencias de múltiples factores na análise empírica limitaron o número de certezas na ciencia urbana. O obxectivo desta tese é explorar os vínculos entre a forma urbana e os patróns de demanda de enerxía mediante a combinación da capacidade de exploración dos modelos teóricos coas aprendizaxes derivadas do estudio de casos reais. Elabórase un modelo de análise enerxético urbano para responder á carencia de instrumentos específicos de planificación que permitan integrar a análise e o deseño. Esta aplicación próbase e aplícase en diferentes escenarios de forma urbana derivados dos casos de estudos. As experiencias de rexeneración nos Docklands de Londres e o Poblenou de Barcelona proporcionan un marco real para entender a lóxica das transformacións morfolóxicas nas cidades existentes, introducindo novas variables e aspectos máis amplos, ainda que mantendo o foco principal da investigación na relación entre enerxía e forma urbana.[Abstract] The 20th century has been the age of cities, as they have experienced their greatest expansion over history. The concentration of people and activities has enabled unprecedented technological advance, economic prosperity and the enhancement of culture. Thousands of people move every day from their rural homes, looking for the opportunities provided in the metropolis. However, the triumph of the city has been achieved at the expense of external environments, as they draw to themselves resources from further and further distances. Cities have grown as voracious systems, highly based on consumerism thus requiring massive flows of goods, water, food and energy to sustain their activities. As a central field of research, cities have been studied from all possible perspectives. Previous investigations have proposed an ecological analogy to measure the flows of the urban system, understanding the city as an ecosystem with a characteristic metabolism. It was meant as a first step to discern the spatial variables that influence urban consumption patterns. Nevertheless, these attempts to establish a connection between the performance of cities and their physical structure have been inconclusive so far. The abstraction of theoretical postulates and the interferences of multiple factors in empirical observations have limited the number of certainties in current urban science. The aim of this thesis is to explore the links between the urban form and energy demand patterns by combining the exploratory capacity of theoretical models with the learning outcomes from real case studies. As new planning instruments are needed to integrate analysis into design, an urban energy mode and tool has been worked out. The application was then tested and applied on alternative urban form scenarios, derived from the case studies. The regeneration experiences in London Docklands and Barcelona Poblenou provide a framework to understand the logic of morphological transformations in existing cities, introducing further variables and broader issues while keeping the control on the primary focus of the investigation: the relation between energy and urban form

Changing Priorities. 3rd VIBRArch

In order to warrant a good present and future for people around the planet and to safe the care of the planet itself, research in architecture has to release all its potential. Therefore, the aims of the 3rd Valencia International Biennial of Research in Architecture are: - To focus on the most relevant needs of humanity and the planet and what architectural research can do for solving them. - To assess the evolution of architectural research in traditionally matters of interest and the current state of these popular and widespread topics. - To deepen in the current state and findings of architectural research on subjects akin to post-capitalism and frequently related to equal opportunities and the universal right to personal development and happiness. - To showcase all kinds of research related to the new and holistic concept of sustainability and to climate emergency. - To place in the spotlight those ongoing works or available proposals developed by architectural researchers in order to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. - To underline the capacity of architectural research to develop resiliency and abilities to adapt itself to changing priorities. - To highlight architecture's multidisciplinarity as a melting pot of multiple approaches, points of view and expertise. - To open new perspectives for architectural research by promoting the development of multidisciplinary and inter-university networks and research groups. For all that, the 3rd Valencia International Biennial of Research in Architecture is open not only to architects, but also for any academic, practitioner, professional or student with a determination to develop research in architecture or neighboring fields.Cabrera Fausto, I. (2023). Changing Priorities. 3rd VIBRArch. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/VIBRArch2022.2022.1686

Full Proceedings, 2018

Full conference proceedings for the 2018 International Building Physics Association Conference hosted at Syracuse University

Sustainability in design: now! Challenges and opportunities for design research, education and practice in the XXI century

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