Apprendendo a guardare attraverso il paesaggio quotidiano

The way we understand landscape shows how we interpret reality and perceive everything around us. The first step in learning about concepts related to both landscape study and planning is to be proactive about how do we use our senses. This means becoming aware of the feelings and attitudes awakened by the spatial configuration of the places we frequent. Our introduction to Landscape Urbanism begins with a specific practical activity aimed at awakening the senses, with a two-fold purpose: analytical and design-based.Nuestra comprensión del paisaje muestra la manera en que interpretamos la realidad, es decir la manera en que percibimos aquello que nos rodea. Un primer paso en el aprendizaje de los conceptos relacionados, bien con el análisis, bien con el proyecto de paisaje, es poner nuestros sentidos a trabajar de manera proactiva, tomando conciencia de los sentimientos y actitudes que en nosotros despierta, en este caso, la configuración espacial de los lugares que recorremos. Inauguramos el curso de Urbanismo 4 con una práctica encaminada a despertar los sentidos, con una doble finalidad: analítica y proyectual

Aplicación de los indicadores de complejidad urbana a través de las redes sociales y TIG: El caso de los paseos marítimos de Levante y Poniente en Benidorm

La complejidad, entendida desde un punto de vista urbano y puesta en relación con la idea de conseguir ciudades más sostenibles, estudia la cantidad y diversidad de actividades que confluyen en un espacio urbano concreto. Con el fin de realizar un estudio aplicado de los indicadores de complejidad urbana en el ámbito turístico , dado el interés que este concepto tiene en relación a la mejora de la experiencia turística, se escoge la ciudad de Benidorm como ejemplo paradigmático del turismo de sol y playa en el litoral mediterráneo español. Así, se plantea el análisis de dos espacios funcionales relevantes en cuanto al turismo como son los paseos marítimos de Levante y Poniente. Como metodología se utiliza la información recogida en la red Google Places para elaborar un modelo descriptivo de la complejidad de dichas áreas y así poder comparar la complejidad funcional que configura ambos espacios. La obtención de información georreferenciada servirá para dos propósitos: en primer lugar, estudiar las pciones que existen de aplicar los indicadores urbanos elaborados para la ciudad convencional en base a los datos y; en segundo lugar, establecer una categorización que permita evaluar en qué medida existe diversidad de actividades. Los resultados obtenidos, en general, simplificarán el análisis de la complejidad urbana y, en particular, facilitarán, la toma de decisiones en cuanto a la planificación de usos turísticos

Poly-nuclear urban system, landscape identity and economic development: The Vega Baja of the Segura River (Alicante) case study

[EN] The geographical area of this study -the Vega Baja alluvial plainis characterized by its intensively irrigated agricultural pattern. It is one of the last remaining Huerta European landscapes identified in the Dobris Report and dates back to the ninth-century. Since the 1990s, the introduction of new land uses has modified the configuration patterns of otherwise stable traditional settlements. The exceptionally rapid pace of this process has had a significant impact on the landscape, the environment, and on how the local population relates to their surroundings. Moreover, in the last twenty-five years, the local economy has undergone restructuring, producing a mind-shift among local communities and resulting in a meaningful loss of crop production surface to make way for town-planning developments. The preservation of the Huerta’s landscape identity requires a comprehensive and integrated reference framework to ensure sustainable development which is a goal advanced by this work. To this end, four key categories -Landscape, Agriculture, Habitat and Tourism- are defined and analyzed over three separate time periods that reflect the evolution of the territory. The aim of this paper is to provide an analytical territorial framework that can inform and guide future decision making —in the context of sustainable economic development— that should embrace a comprehensive approach to Huerta landscape identity values.Garcia-Mayor, C.; Canales Martínez, G. (2018). Poly-nuclear urban system, landscape identity and economic development: The Vega Baja of the Segura River (Alicante) case study. En 24th ISUF International Conference. Book of Papers. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 47-53. https://doi.org/10.4995/ISUF2017.2017.5933OCS475

Social dynamics in cities: analysis through LBSN data

Location-Based Social Networks data —LBSN data— reveal, in essence, user preferences and patterns of use of urban space. This information plays a key role in research on social dynamics in cities. Today, social network applications are widely available and this digital data represents a complementary and inescapable source of data for the analysis of urban dynamics. Ten years ago, a handful of pioneering researchers paved the way to tackle city issues employing different types of LBSN data. The present work describes a series of case-studies that have contributed to a research methodology which, in turn, helps to unveil the traces of the city pulse lying hidden behind digital footprints. These cases exemplify how these sources help to gain a better understanding of social dynamics and can be used in urban interventions. The presented case studies were mainly data-sourced by Foursquare, Twitter, and Google Places, while other social networks such as Airbnb, Wikiloc, and Strava were used for the specific cases of tourism or sport-related topics. The case studies address urban issues based on multiscale approaches, using different LBSN datasets simultaneously in order to obtain a complex and accurate analysis, such as: a) the social dynamism at the neighborhood scale, searching for urban regeneration opportunities; b) tourism-related urban dynamics, both at the local and city scale, with a high granularity; c) user presence and preferences when assessing the city green infrastructure system; and, d) tracking informal sport activity in the urban periphery, connecting urban tissues and natural assets on the city borders

The construction of working-class neighbourhoods: an approach to the urban debate in Spain, 1881-1907

Entre los siglos XIX y XX, se desarrolló en España una intensa polémica sobre la conveniencia o no de construir barrios obreros. La Sociedad Central de Arquitectos -SCA- asumió inicialmente un papel protagonista, incluyendo el debate en el programa de su primer Congreso Nacional y liderándolo durante una década. Conforme avanzó la política social del Estado, el Instituto de Reformas Sociales - IRS- confirió al debate una mayor proyección internacional. La revisión y análisis de los argumentos publicados en la Revista de la Sociedad Central de Arquitectos y Resumen de Arquitectura, así como en los informes sobre los Congresos de Casas Baratas compilados en la Preparación de las bases para un Proyecto de Ley de casas para obreros, nos proporciona una clara visión de la evolución del debate, así como de los intereses y preocupaciones de la SCA y el IRS, respectivamente.Between the 19th and 20th centuries, a controversial debate has arisen as to whether the development of working-class neighbourhoods in Spain was advisable or not. At the beginning, the Sociedad Central de Arquitectos -SCA- took a leading role. The SCA included the discussion in the first National Congress of Architects agenda and led the debate for a decade. As the State’s social policy progressed, the Instituto de Reformas Sociales -IRS- gave the debate international exposure. The review and analysis of the arguments published in the magazines Revista de la Sociedad Central de Arquitectos and Resumen de Arquitectura, as well as in the reports on the International Congress of Housing compiled in the Preparación de las bases para un Proyecto de Ley de casas para obreros reports, not only provides a clear overview of the evolution of the debate, but also the SCA and IRS interests and concerns, respectively

Urban Tattoos for new Landscape narratives. Exploring Urban Art Role into Contemporary City Context

El estudio de la ciudad contemporánea ha evolucionado en las últimas décadas, incorporando a la descripción morfológica de datos objetivos y elementos que configuran la escena urbana, otros factores subjetivos como son el comportamiento, la experiencia y las preferencias de los usuarios. En el espacio público urbano se contextualizan y suceden los procesos sociales, multiculturales e intergeneracionales, que conciernen a una colectividad. De todas las posibles formas de expresión pública, la práctica ancestral de escribir en las paredes —hoy denominado graffiti— ha sido el modo de expresión libre, reivindicativo y anónimo que, combinado con las técnicas de diseño gráfico, difundía de forma transgresora y espontánea un mensaje a la vista de todos. Asimilable a la manera en que los tatuajes se imprimen en la piel, el graffiti lo hace sobre la envolvente del espacio público —Urban Tattoo—; y aunque no modifica la geometría del lugar incide en la percepción espacial; se establece, así, un diálogo con el observador activando nuevas narrativas, comparable al efecto que puede tener un tatuaje como proyección de la personalidad de quien lo lleva. El presente artículo analiza cómo el graffiti y su evolución en imagen mural de arte urbano transforman la interpretación del espacio público contemporáneo; muestra las diferencias entre las iniciativas de carácter individual y las que están organizadas a través de instituciones públicas o privadas; y, finalmente, reflexiona sobre alguno de los efectos derivados de la instrumentalización de la técnica por intereses ajenos a la libre expresión creativa.The study of contemporary city has evolved during the last decades introducing subjective factors: user’s preferences, behavior and experience, into the traditional morphological description to achieve a complete understanding of an urban public scene. This article analyses the transformation of contemporary public space narratives through mural art. The mural is tattooed onto the façade surface and surrounds the public space scene. Without altering the dimensions of the open public space, this urban art provides a new perception of place. Graphics and images generate new spatial narratives that become part of the urban landscape. Public urban space supports exchange and spontaneous communication of a cross-cutting nature among people in all communities — including intergenerational and multicultural exchanges—. In this spatial context, the urban mural art —"Urban Tattoo" — acts as a symbol of free expression and is available for all to see, providing an additional dimension of communication. This study makes a distinction between art created by individual initiative and art that is institutionally promoted. The art of the individual street artist is daring, spontaneous, genuine, and commonly underlays a specific meta-language only completely understood by insiders; but, at the same time, there is a graphic symbolism that connects easily with the public. By contrast, art that is sponsored by an institution is created with the objective of regenerating bland areas in the urban fabric. The same artistic techniques are used but the artist is constrained by a creative brief which is drafted by the sponsoring organization. Some unexpected consequences have resulted from these novel initiatives that promote the regeneration of urban areas using art to convert urban spaces into an open-air museum

Taking the urban tourist activity pulse through digital footprints

An insight on urban tourism-related phenomena is provided in this study by analysing open and volunteered user generated content. A reference framework method is proposed and applied to an illustrative case study to meet a twofold objective: to identify Tourist Activity Centre – TAC – areas based on their functional character – sightseeing, shopping, eating and nightlife; and, to obtain an up-to-date fine-grain characterization of the most dynamic zones in an urban context. Instasights Heatmaps and data from Location Based Social Networks – Foursquare, Google Places, Twitter and Airbnb – were used to depict tourist urban activity. This reproducible method transcends Instasights generic visualization of popular areas by exploiting the benefits of overlapping LBSN data sources. This method facilitates a granular analysis of tourism-related places of interest and makes headway in bridging the gap between traditional approaches and user preferences, revealed through digital footprints, for urban analysis. The results indicate the potential of this method as a complementary tool for urban planning decision-making.This research was funded by the Vice-rectorate of Research and Knowledge Transfer of the University of Alicante, in the context of the Program for the promotion of R+D+I. This work was developed within the scope of the research project entitled: "[LIVELYCITY] Interdisciplinary methods for the study of the city through geolocated social networks", reference GRE18-19

Urban Transformation, Public Space and Social Perception. The River Segura as it Passes Through Orihuela and Rojales

El río Segura en su tramo final, la Vega Baja en la provincia de Alicante, atraviesa las ciudades de Orihuela y Rojales, que se caracterizan por ser las dos únicas de esta zona en las que el cauce recorre su casco urbano. Se parte de las obras de remodelación del cauce con el Plan de Defensa contra Avenidas en la Cuenca del Río Segura, concluido en 1994, en el que la solución adoptada para el encauzamiento en los tramos urbanos es similar en ambos municipios. Esta investigación expone en qué medida dichas actuaciones han tenido un refl ejo directo en la imagen de la ciudad, en las actividades en el espacio público urbano y en la manera que es percibido por los ciudadanos. Finalmente, se ponen en evidencia resultados coincidentes y divergentes, pese a la similitud del contexto de las actuaciones.The final part of the Segura River’s course flows through the region of the Vega Baja in the province of Alicante. In this area, the river crosses the town centre of Orihuela and Rojales, the only two cities with this condition. In 1994, works of redesign of the route of the Segura River were finished. The aim of these works was to improve the security and protection against flooding. In both cases the channel was re-built following the same constructive solution. This research exposes the way these measures have had a direct impact on the image of these cities, in urban public space activities and in the manner that these interventions were perceived by citizens. Despite the similar context, the results of the research show coincidences and differences between the two cities.El presente texto se incardina en el proyecto de investigación Las ciudades españolas en la etapa autonómica (1978-2012). Dinámicas, procesos y políticas (URBSPAIN), financiado por el Plan Nacional de Investigación I+D+i del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad para el período 2010-2013 (Código CSO 2009-11261-Subpr. GEOG)

ColloCaid: a tool to help academic English writers find the words they need

This short paper summarizes the development of ColloCaid (www.collocaid.uk), a text editor that supports writers with academic English collocations. After a brief introduction, the paper summarizes how the lexicographic database underlying ColloCaid was compiled, how text editor integration was achieved, and results from initial user studies. The paper concludes by outlining future development

Scoping out urban areas of tourist interest though geolocated social media data: Bucharest as a case study

Social media data has frequently sourced research on topics such as traveller planning or the factors that influence travel decisions. The literature on the location of tourist activities, however, is scarce. The studies in this line that do exist focus mainly on identifying points of interest and rarely on the urban areas that attract tourists. Specifically, as acknowledged in the literature, tourist attractions produce major imbalances with respect to adjacent urban areas. The present study aims to fill this research gap by addressing a twofold objective. The first was to design a methodology allowing to identify the preferred tourist areas based on concentrations of places and activities. The tourist area was delimited using Instasights heatmaps information and the areas of interest were identified by linking data from the location-based social network Foursquare to TripAdvisor’s database. The second objective was to delimit areas of interest based on users’ existing urban dynamics. The method provides a thorough understanding of functional diversity and the location of a city’s different functions. In this way, it contributes to a better understanding of the spatial distribution imbalances of tourist activities. Tourist areas of interest were revealed via the identification of users’ preferences and experiences. A novel methodology was thus created that can be used in the design of future tourism strategies or, indeed, in urban planning. The city of Bucharest, Romania, was taken as a case study to develop this exploratory research.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This research has been partially funded by the Valencian Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital, Generalitat Valenciana and the European Social Fund (ACIF/2020/173); and by the University of Alicante—Vicerrectorado de Investigación (GRE 21-15)