Measuring Visual Pollution Threshold along Kuala Lumpur Historic Shopping District Streets Using Cumulative Area Analysis

Visual pollution significantly affects public appreciation of the urban environment. Sources of visual pollution such as wastes, energy infrastructures, and advertising boards can cause discomfort towards one\u27s ability to enjoy a scene or view. Although visual pollution is prevalent in the urban environment, less is known regarding public acceptance and tolerance towards different levels of pollution. Therefore, from our point of view, determining the threshold level of visual pollution is essential in achieving visual quality in the urban environment. In this research, we have chosen a popular urban street in Kuala Lumpur as a case study to help us understand how people respond towards visual pollution within a historic shopping district. The study employed cumulative area analysis and photo booklet survey, and it was tested with students in the landscape architecture program at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Results show that the respondents have higher tolerance towards the level of visual pollution than what we had anticipated. Although we have thought that landscape architecture students should be more sensitive towards visual pollution, regular exposure towards pollutants in the urban environment probably has increased their level of tolerance. Nevertheless, this study has provided us with insight on demographic variables such as gender, education level and residential location, which may be meaningful for future research in identifying visual pollution threshold among the public in cities

Visual Quality Assessment of Historical Street Scenes: A Case Study of the First “Real” Street Established in Baghdad

Historical street scenes materialize essential cultural and artistic values for the cities in which they are located and their citizens. However, the visual quality of historical scenes is susceptible to a number of causes that could result in their deterioration. These causes can be environmental or man-made, with either generating elements that may influence the perceived visual quality of historical scenes. Therefore, this research is to assess the visual quality of historical street scenes and identify the elements that can potentially impact them. The study adopted a photo survey approach employing a Likert Scale as the main method to assess visual quality. In addition, a heatmap analysis technique was utilized to identify the elements that impact the visual quality of historical street scenes. The results indicate respondents’ high levels of dissatisfaction with the visual quality of Baghdad’s historical street scenes. The results also showed that modern facade materials, security concrete walls, and degraded buildings’ facades are elements that had a negative impact to the overall scenic quality. On the other hand, historical religious buildings, urban greenery, and unique historical buildings are elements that have a positive impact on the visual quality of historical street scenes. This research represents an approach for evaluating the visual impact and visual quality of historical street scenes, providing a quantitative tool for future initiatives focusing on the visual quality of historical legacy scenes. This research is a starting point for both researchers in urban conservation and architectural history, and municipal offices of improving the visual quality of historic streets scenes

A case study to examine undergraduate students’ intention to use internet of things (IoT) services in the smart classroom

Recently, the education sector has received increased interest in terms of the adoption of Internet of things (IoT) services for learning activities. However, despite this interest, empirical studies on the adoption of IoT services in the smart classroom are limited. Thus, the present study examines students’ intention to use IoT services in the smart classroom. Towards this end, an integrated model based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), technology readiness index (TRI), and external factors (enjoyment, compatibility, and self-efcacy) is proposed. A quantitative research design was therefore used to determine the factors that afect students’ intention to use IoT services in the smart classroom, using a sample of 230 participants. The fndings showed that compatibility, discomfort, enjoyment, and self-efcacy had a signifcant infuence on both perceived ease of use (PEoU) and perceived usefulness (PU). Furthermore, innovativeness had a signifcant efect on PEoU, and insecurity had a signifcant impact on PU. The results also revealed that PU had a signifcant infuence on the students’ behavioural intention to use. These fndings extend the understanding of students’ intention to use IoT services in the smart classroom. This study could be benefcial to researchers, educators, and IoT developers. However, it also presents a number of limitations, such as a lack of qualitative methods and the small number of theories applied

A User-Centered Evaluation of Wayfinding in Outpatient Units of Public Hospitals in Malaysia: UMMC as a Case Study

The difficulty of finding one’s way in a complex structure has been a long-standing issue of many buildings with highly institutionalized functions. This has been especially observed in hospital buildings as an issue that can cause various adverse outcomes for both the institution and the user. Therefore, regular evaluation of the existing wayfinding system and its efficacy is needed. This study aimed to evaluate the wayfinding system efficacy in an outpatient unit of a Malaysian public hospital in order to provide information that could help guide future upgrade initiatives for existing healthcare facilities’ wayfinding systems. This study employed a user survey questionnaire to evaluate the wayfinding system currently in use and investigate users’ needs for a better wayfinding system. The statistical analysis of the gathered data indicated a higher than average level of dissatisfaction regarding the existing wayfinding system. The findings of the study suggest the need for an upgrade in the physical environment. Furthermore, the results of this study suggest the need to devise a set of guidelines to be employed when designing wayfinding systems in Malaysia’s public hospitals

Assessment of Wayfinding Performance in Complex Healthcare Facilities: A Conceptual Framework

Wayfinding is considered to be one of the most demanding challenges to be performed by hospitals’ users. Wayfinding has been an interest among researchers from different fields, such as architecture, interior design, cognitive psychology, and facilities management, to name a few. Previous scholars have highlighted the need for a holistic framework taking into consideration both user and environmental factors. A narrative review of the literature was carried out to understand the full extent of the issue and address the ever-increasing demand for a holistic assessment framework. This article attempts to address the underlying gap by proposing a comprehensive framework that takes into account both facets of the issue through a narrative review of the literature to some of the most prominent research attempts to address the problem of wayfinding in complex healthcare settings. Furthermore, the proposed framework can assist both researchers and practicing professionals by providing a comprehensive understanding of the issue of complex wayfinding as well as of the variables to be investigated in the assessment process

The Effects of Colour Content and Cumulative Area of Outdoor Advertisement Billboards on the Visual Quality of Urban Streets

Visual comfort has a critical effect that significantly influences public appreciation of urban environments. Although colour is an integral part of billboard design, little empirical evidence exists to support some of the popularly held ideas about the effects of colour on task performance and human psychological wellbeing. Thus, attempting to set a threshold level of allowed undesirable visual stimuli in each urban setting is considered to be essential in achieving a satisfactory level of visual quality. Therefore, this research investigates the effects of colour content of outdoor advertisement billboards on the appreciation of urban scenes by the public. This research utilises pictorial survey, R.G.B bivariate histogram technique, and an areal cumulative analysis of a group of collected pictures within one of Kuala Lumpur’s high streets. Results of the pictorial survey are cross analysed against the results of the pictorial RGB content analysis and pictorial outdoor advertisement (OA) cumulative areal analysis to indicated a strong correlation between environmental colour content, OAs’ cumulative area, and visual comfort. The study suggests that the lack of guidelines and regulations of the color content of outdoor billboard advertisement design could potentially be detrimental for the public’s appreciation of urban environments. Future research initiatives are encouraged to develop a visual quality assessment framework that contributes to the image and identity of the city of Kuala Lumpur

Enhancing Wayfinding Performance in Existing Healthcare Facilities Using Virtual Reality Environments to Revise the Distribution of Way-Showing Devices

Wayfinding is the process of navigating the environment by using the available environmental cues. The issue of wayfinding difficulty in large healthcare facilities has grabbed the attention of many researchers in terms of its potential taxing effects on both users and institutions alike. While the challenge of regulating the process of designing wayfinding systems is still an active field of investigation, there has been a paucity of research addressing the challenge of distributing way-showing items based on users’ performance within healthcare environments. This study proposes a wayfinding enhancement scheme whereby users’ wayfinding performance data forms the basis of the process of distributing way-showing items within an outpatient unit in Malaysia. Furthermore, two virtual reality experiments were carried out, the first representing the existing wayfinding system and the second representing the new distribution. A cross-comparison between the two sets of results was conducted to evaluate the effect resulting from altering the as-built wayfinding system. The results indicated an overall reduction of time consumed to reach the same destinations as well as lesser distances traveled within the environment resulting from the implementation of the new distribution. This study puts forward the concept of implementing virtual reality environments to address wayfinding systems’ design challenges in healthcare facilities rather than relying on designers’ intuition

Visual aesthetic quality assessment of urban forests: a conceptual framework

Visual aesthetic quality is the visual pleasure level that attracts people and makes them prefer certain areas. Visual aesthetic quality is valued and considered for urban forests but remains challenging. This could be due to a lack of understanding of visual aesthetic quality assessment variables based on visual aesthetic theories. This study supports an integrated conceptual framework based on the result of a systematic literature review study to describe and measure aesthetics that incorporates objective and subjective factors through urban forest visual character and urban forest visual quality. The results include defining and understanding a description of visual aesthetic factors and variables as well as a thorough explanation of visual aesthetic theories to comprehend how to assess the visual aesthetic quality of urban forests. This study agrees with and supports the visual aesthetic theoretical framework, and we believe that due to our shared evolutionary history, humans have a standard set of urban forest visual aesthetic features with preferences that change according to cultural and personal variances. Furthermore, this research provides a foundation of visual aesthetic variables of urban forests that will assist urban forest researchers, urban forest managers, and decision-makers in managing and protecting the visual aesthetics of urban forests

Exploring Awareness and Public Perception towards the Importance of Visual Aesthetics for Preservation of Permanent Forest Reserve (PFR) in Malaysia

Malaysia has suffered a significant loss of forest cover over the years, mainly due to logging and land clearance for agriculture activities. Although the forest legislation has long been established and continuously enforced, it was not inclusive enough to protect the local natural resources. This study aims to identify public perception and awareness regarding values and essential aspects that affect the preservation of permanent forest reserves (PFR) in Malaysia. In particular, this study investigated the values of visual aesthetics to promote the preservation of Malaysian PFR within the existing legal framework. Results from the survey revealed that the public strongly perceived ecology and research education as the two most important aspects of preserving Malaysian PFR. The study also confirmed that visual aesthetics are considered a crucial aspect of forest classification and preservation beyond people’s health, safety, recreational, and economy. Interm of PFR functions, aesthetic is aslo the third most important factors after protection and research/education

Visual Aesthetic Quality Assessment of Urban Forests: A Conceptual Framework

Visual aesthetic quality is the visual pleasure level that attracts people and makes them prefer certain areas. Visual aesthetic quality is valued and considered for urban forests but remains challenging. This could be due to a lack of understanding of visual aesthetic quality assessment variables based on visual aesthetic theories. This study supports an integrated conceptual framework based on the result of a systematic literature review study to describe and measure aesthetics that incorporates objective and subjective factors through urban forest visual character and urban forest visual quality. The results include defining and understanding a description of visual aesthetic factors and variables as well as a thorough explanation of visual aesthetic theories to comprehend how to assess the visual aesthetic quality of urban forests. This study agrees with and supports the visual aesthetic theoretical framework, and we believe that due to our shared evolutionary history, humans have a standard set of urban forest visual aesthetic features with preferences that change according to cultural and personal variances. Furthermore, this research provides a foundation of visual aesthetic variables of urban forests that will assist urban forest researchers, urban forest managers, and decision-makers in managing and protecting the visual aesthetics of urban forests