City-Level Digital Twin Experiment for Exploring the Impacts of Digital Transformation on Journeys to Work in the Cambridge Sub-region

The project explores the possible impacts of digital transformation on journeys to work through the development of a city-level digital twin (CDT) prototype that integrates data, models and insights from multiple disciplines and sectors. The research includes three work packages, 1) empirical investigation of key factors affecting worker’s choice on place of work (e.g. fixed workplace, work at/from home) and on travel mode in the Cambridge sub-region; 2) developing a digital twin prototype including a web-based interface for simulating journeys to work and testing two digital transformation scenarios (prevalence of teleworking, future charging demand of electric vehicles); 3) engaging with local authorities, modelling experts and other key stakeholders to collect feedback on the application and future development of CDT. The CDT prototype is co-developed with local authorities, through which a productive partnership has been established. The project also collaborates with academics across Cambridge and at UCL. Key research outputs are discussed in the report and a series of working propositions are proposed, which may guide the future research on CDT

Understanding urban sub-centers with heterogeneity in agglomeration economies-Where do emerging commercial establishments locate?

This paper investigates the formation of employment sub-centers from a new perspective of heterogeneity in agglomeration economies. Using highly granular commercial and residential land-use data (2001–2011) in Chicago, we measure how the locations of jobs, population, quality-of-life amenities, and transportation networks shape specific and heterogenous sub-centers. First, the results suggest that the CBD as it was traditionally defined is no longer the primary source of agglomeration externalities for the new economic sectors; sub-centers with sector-specific positive agglomeration externalities have stronger correlations with new commercial establishments. Secondly, residents appear to give the highest weight to quality-of-life amenities in choosing where to live. Both trends imply dis-incentives for CBD agglomeration. These findings connect the heterogeneous production theories with land use planning and urban design, through new empirical insights into how urban sub-centers grow. Furthermore, we put forward a method for forecasting of future sub-center growth through measuring changes in the probability of commercial development, and discuss its practical implications for planning and design in Chicago

Urban morphology and syntactic structure: A discussion of the relationship of block size to street integration in some settlements in the Provence

The paper discusses the relationship between the syntax of street networks and the differentiation of the size of urban blocks in a sample of small towns and settlements. he argument is in four parts. In the first part it is demonstrated, through design games, that the differentiation of streets by integration is linked to the differentiation of blocks by size. In the second part, it is shown that in a small sample of towns in the Provence, small blocks are not associated with more integrated streets but are distributed throughout the street network. The demonstration is based on an original method for studying the block size in relation to street integration. In the third part, the historic evolution of these particular towns is shown to involve the rationalisation of their integration core: integrated streets become better aligned and wider, and reach more directly into all parts of the town. However, the historic relationship between integration and block size is also based on mixture rather than a linear pattern of association. The final part uses these findings to advance a speculation about the origin of the syntax of these towns as compared to the syntax of the smaller settlements that Hillier and Hanson characterise as ‘beady rings’. This leads to a discussion of some of the abstract syntactic generators originally presented in The Social Logic of Space. In short, the final section of the paper argues that the lack of linear association between small blocks and integrated streets, in this particular sample, points to the emergence of gradually more complex generators of town form, generators which presuppose the ideas of the urban block and the street. These act upon the seeds of prior small aggregations, generated by simpler rules of adjacency

Long-term prospects of land value uplift in planned new urban centres: Measurement, modelling and predictions

Land value uplift and its ‘capture’ enable local communities to invest in public infrastructure, facilities and services. This topic is trending among fast-growing cities in most countries. Areas that already show high demand for development receive particular attention due to good prospects of land value capture (LVC). However, cities anticipating fast growth frequently desire to plan new urban centres in currently low-demand areas where the potential for radical urban transformation is high, but the prima facie prospects of LVC are poor. Urban planners often recognise that good land value gains could eventually arise in low-demand areas, but there are few existing methods to help cities estimate when and under what conditions LVC would become a real prospect in the planned new urban centres. This research aims to develop a new modelling approach that starts to fill this gap. It develops an extended spatial equilibrium model capable of systematically measuring, modelling and predicting the financial and economic prospects of land value gains alongside changes in social costs and benefits. To see how alternative policy measures affect land values, particularly in and surrounding the planned new urban centres, the modelling method combines spatial equilibrium simulation of business and household activities with spatio-temporal scenarios of land use and transport supply. The scenario designs can consider all the main types of planning and transport infrastructure decision levers relevant to specific stages of development and their impacts on land value changes. The model is tested in Greater Shanghai, which is chosen as the case study area. Shanghai’s expanding mega-city region has a long tradition of planning new urban centres since the 1980s, with both successes and failures, thus providing the necessary data for model building. The mega-city region represents a middle level of data availability, which provides a typical setting to test the multi-source data method for model calibration and validation. The case study model has been used to test a range of future scenarios within the broad development targets of the Shanghai 2035 Plan. Retrospective measurements (2000–2015) show that despite long-standing efforts to promote new urban centres, Shanghai has so far remained a monocentric city regarding land prices. A spatial equilibrium model built on the empirical data of this period indicates that insufficient job opportunities in the planned subsidiary centres are a central challenge in turning Shanghai into a polycentric metropolis. The modelled scenarios for 2015–2035 show, for instance, that annual land prices in the subsidiary centres would rise by 0.5% if they were pure residential developments, and by 14.2% if they were focused on employment growth. The model results also show the critical importance of coordination between jobs, housing and transport development in generating land value uplift. This is because LVC initiatives that are principally aimed at financial gains may conflict with residents’ well-being. A series of scenarios exploring locations for the new subsidiary urban centres relative to the historic core indicate that there could be difficult trade-offs in designing LVC. Compared with the currently planned sub-centres at 40 km from the historic core, a closer ring of subsidiary centres at 30 km could generate significant additional economic gains locally (i.e. public profits from LVC – equivalent to 0.5% of Shanghai’s gross domestic product (GDP) per year), but this would be at the cost of consumer utility losses (equivalent to –0.3% of GDP per year). This research provides city leaders, urban planners, urban designers, developers, businesses and local communities a new approach to measure, model and predict the effects of urban interventions. The approach allows stakeholders to explore together how to develop and fund sustainable urban development outside the traditional LVC geographies, particularly in the long term.The Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust Lincoln Institute of Land Polic

In Vitro growth of human ovarian follicles for fertility preservation

Young female cancer survival rates significantly increased due to the great progress of cancer therapy. In fact, cryostorage and transplantation of ovarian tissue have already resulted in the birth of healthy babies. Follicle in vitro growth (IVG) has the great potential of restoring fertility by achieving functional oocytes from the most immature stages to maturation. This is suitable for a wide range of patients, from pubertal to perimenopause women. Notable achievements have been achieved in human follicle IVG in the past decade. Mature oocytes have been successfully collected from long-term sequential follicle IVG. However, it is still a major challenge to establish a stable and efficient follicle IVG system able to generate mature and competent oocytes. Hereby, we review the approaches being taken so far using ovarian tissue to support follicle growth at different stages in vitro. © 2019 Reproductve and Developmental Medicine | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow

Progress towards dog-mediated rabies elimination in PR China: a scoping review

Abstract Background Rabies continues to be a serious threat to global public health endangering people’s health and public health safety. In the People’s Republic of China, multi-sectoral and comprehensive prevention and control strategies have aimed to extensively curb human rabies transmission. Here, we examine the current state of rabies infection in China, explore strategic interventions put in place in response to WHO’s ambition of “Zero rabies deaths by 2030” and critically assess the constraints and feasibility of dog-mediated rabies elimination in China. Methods This study analyzed and evaluated the process towards dog-mediated rabies elimination in China from five perspectives: namely, human, dog, policy, challenge, and prospects. Evidence-based data on progress of dog-mediated rabies elimination in China was derived from a number of sources; a literature search was undertaken using PubMed, Web of Science and CNKI databases, distribution data for human rabies cases as derived from the Data-center of the China Public Health Science and policy and document data were obtained from official websites of the relevant China ministries and commissions. Results The incidence of human rabies cases in China have shown a downward trend year-on-year since 2007. Implementation of a government-led, multi-sectoral “One Health” approach to combating rabies has driven down the total number of rabies deaths nationwide to around 200 in 2020. The number of provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) reporting human cases of rabies has also decreased to 21 in 2020, 13 of which reported less than 10 cases. Furthermore, the number of outpatient visits seeking rabies post-exposure prophylaxis has risen dramatically over the past two decades, with demand being 15 times higher than it was initially. There remain however, significant gaps in rabies elimination outcomes across the different regions of China. To date the target of achieving a canine rabies vaccination rate of > 75% has not been met. The challenges of rabies immunization of dogs and dog management in underdeveloped cities and rural areas need to be addressed together with more effective animal surveillance and rabies risk from and too wildlife and livestock. Conclusions The Chinese government-led, multi-sectoral “One Health” approach to combating rabies and has made significant progress over the past decade. Development and adoption of more cost-effective One Health strategies can achieve more nationally beneficial rabies elimination outcomes. The ambitious target of “Zero rabies deaths by 2030” can be met through establishment of long-lasting herd immunity in dogs by means of dog mass vaccination campaigns, dog population management, epidemiological surveillance and the application of large-scale oral rabies vaccine to eliminate rabies in wild animals coupled with deployment of cost-effective human post-exposure prophylaxis, and community education. Graphical Abstrac

City Branding Evaluation as a Tool for Sustainable Urban Growth: A Framework and Lessons from the Yangtze River Delta Region

With the rising tide of globalization, urban branding campaigns have become the focal points of decision makers and planners aiming to establish city reputations and to achieve long-term urban prosperity. This paper, therefore, aims to develop a sustainability-oriented city branding framework that incorporates (1) comprehensive perceptions from various stakeholders through questionnaires and (2) empirical applications that evaluate the city-level potentials for a global mega-region in support of its sustainable growth. Seven major aspects, i.e., economic development, environment, potential, pulse, people, infrastructure, and governance, have been identified and assessed in the context of 26 prefecture cities in the Yangtze River Delta region. Moreover, a cluster analysis differentiated these cities into four groups with distinct characteristics and development paths. Through the framework and evaluation outputs, local planners, researchers, and decision-makers would be better placed to design and implement sustainable policy packages and incentives, with a quantitative insight into current strengths and weaknesses

Exploring Resilient Observability in Traffic-Monitoring Sensor Networks: A Study of Spatial–Temporal Vehicle Patterns

Vehicle mobility generates dynamic and complex patterns that are associated with our day-to-day activities in cities. To reveal the spatial−temporal complexity of such patterns, digital techniques, such as traffic-monitoring sensors, provide promising data-driven tools for city managers and urban planners. Although a large number of studies have been dedicated to investigating the sensing power of the traffic-monitoring sensors, there is still a lack of exploration of the resilient performance of sensor networks when multiple sensor failures occur. In this paper, we reveal the dynamic patterns of vehicle mobility in Cambridge, UK, and subsequently, explore the resilience of the sensor networks. The observability is adopted as the overall performance indicator to depict the maximum number of vehicles captured by the deployed sensors in the study area. By aggregating the sensor networks according to weekday and weekend and simulating random sensor failures with different recovery strategies, we found that (1) the day-to-day vehicle mobility pattern in this case study is highly dynamic and decomposed journey durations follow a power-law distribution on the tail section; (2) such temporal variation significantly affects the observability of the sensor network, causing its overall resilience to vary with different recovery strategies. The simulation results further suggest that a corresponding prioritization for recovering the sensors from massive failures is required, rather than a static sequence determined by the first-fail−first-repair principle. For stakeholders and decision-makers, this study provides insightful implications for understanding city-scale vehicle mobility and the resilience of traffic-monitoring sensor networks

City Intelligence Quotient Evaluation System Using Crowdsourced Social Media Data: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta Region, China

Despite the trending studies on smart city development, how to evaluate the smartness of a city remains unclear. This research aimed to design a smart city evaluation system, named the City Intelligence Quotient (CityIQ) evaluation system, which considers both the hard (e.g., physical infrastructure) and soft sides (e.g., citizens’ perspectives) of smart city development. Based on the two-level structure of the CityIQ evaluation system (i.e., five dimensions and twenty indicators), a list of keywords was defined for automated information scraping in leading social media platforms to obtain volunteered geographic information. Semantic analysis was then used to update the CityIQ evaluations in a timely manner. Fifteen major cities in the Yangtze River Delta region, China, were selected for the empirical study, in which their smartness indices were calculated, traced and compared. Finally, suggestions for collaborative smart agglomerations were put forward. With the CityIQ evaluation system, policy makers can be informed of up-to-date changes in urban smartness levels and, thus, design context-specific collaborative policies to promote smart agglomerations

Exploring Resilient Observability in Traffic-Monitoring Sensor Networks: A Study of Spatial–Temporal Vehicle Patterns

Vehicle mobility generates dynamic and complex patterns that are associated with our day-to-day activities in cities. To reveal the spatial–temporal complexity of such patterns, digital techniques, such as traffic-monitoring sensors, provide promising data-driven tools for city managers and urban planners. Although a large number of studies have been dedicated to investigating the sensing power of the traffic-monitoring sensors, there is still a lack of exploration of the resilient performance of sensor networks when multiple sensor failures occur. In this paper, we reveal the dynamic patterns of vehicle mobility in Cambridge, UK, and subsequently, explore the resilience of the sensor networks. The observability is adopted as the overall performance indicator to depict the maximum number of vehicles captured by the deployed sensors in the study area. By aggregating the sensor networks according to weekday and weekend and simulating random sensor failures with different recovery strategies, we found that (1) the day-to-day vehicle mobility pattern in this case study is highly dynamic and decomposed journey durations follow a power-law distribution on the tail section; (2) such temporal variation significantly affects the observability of the sensor network, causing its overall resilience to vary with different recovery strategies. The simulation results further suggest that a corresponding prioritization for recovering the sensors from massive failures is required, rather than a static sequence determined by the first-fail–first-repair principle. For stakeholders and decision-makers, this study provides insightful implications for understanding city-scale vehicle mobility and the resilience of traffic-monitoring sensor networks