Paysage et projets urbains

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Hypergraph formalism for urban form specification

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The stadium of Olympia : a dialogical composition

The article proposes a renewed interpretation of the relation of the antique stadium of Olympia with its built environment. It is argued that the stadium, far from being isolated from the city as commonly considered, was connected to the Altis through a series of visual relations, adopting principles of dialogical architecture: composition, significant location, functional routes, perceptions, role of architectonic elements and spatial characteristics. This argument is illustrated through computer-generated perspectives of the stadium.Peer Reviewe

An investigation into machine learning approaches for forecasting spatio-temporal demand in ride-hailing service

In this paper, we present machine learning approaches for characterizing and forecasting the short-term demand for on-demand ride-hailing services. We propose the spatio-temporal estimation of the demand that is a function of variable effects related to traffic, pricing and weather conditions. With respect to the methodology, a single decision tree, bootstrap-aggregated (bagged) decision trees, random forest, boosted decision trees, and artificial neural network for regression have been adapted and systematically compared using various statistics, e.g. R-square, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and slope. To better assess the quality of the models, they have been tested on a real case study using the data of DiDi Chuxing, the main on-demand ride hailing service provider in China. In the current study, 199,584 time-slots describing the spatio-temporal ride-hailing demand has been extracted with an aggregated-time interval of 10 mins. All the methods are trained and validated on the basis of two independent samples from this dataset. The results revealed that boosted decision trees provide the best prediction accuracy (RMSE=16.41), while avoiding the risk of over-fitting, followed by artificial neural network (20.09), random forest (23.50), bagged decision trees (24.29) and single decision tree (33.55).Comment: Currently under review for journal publicatio

Des quartiers durables en Wallonie. Etat d'avancement des travaux relatifs à l'évaluation des projets de quartiers durables.

Référentiel "quartiers durables

La prise en compte de la dimension urbaine dans les Programmes Opérationnels Feder 2007-2013

Le groupe « expertise ville » a été saisi de la demande suivante par l’administration : présenter et analyser la dimension urbaine dans les interventions du FEDER 2007-2013 dans le cadre des Programmes Opérationnels (POs) wallons « Convergence » et « Compétitivité régionale et emploi ».CPDT - Politique de la Vill

Architectural and Environmental Housing Typology Analysis in Huamachuco, Peru

peer reviewedThis work focuses on the city of Huamachuco, a town 3200 meters above sea level in Northern Peru. The main aim of this study is to share and disseminate technological knowledge on architecture, building technology and lifestyle of Huamachuco inhabitants. The paper objective is to (1) highlight the concept of architectural quality in Huamachuco, (2) compare the living environment of existing traditional dwellings in comparison with newly constructed concrete dwellings, and to (3) identify the reasons for neglecting ecological construction technologies and materials in the new built environment. The research methodology went through different phases that range from qualitative data collection and quantitative measuring, to data analysis and findings reporting. Firstly, a typological study was conducted visiting 110 houses. The typological study enabled us to describe and understand the housing typologies and classify those under four major typologies according to their construction techniques: 1) adobe, 2) rammed earth, 3) concrete and 4) mixed technique. Secondly, detailed field studies were conducted for representative houses representing the four categories. Finally, 10 houses have been thoroughly audited for using measuring equipment to collect data related to temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, lighting intensity, and envelope thermography

Sustainability and change in the institutionalized commute in Belgium: exploring regional differences

This paper examines regional differences in commute-energy performance in Belgium, and explores their relationships with spatial characteristics such as the distribution of population and housing, the metropolitan influence of the Brussels agglomeration, and the compactness of cities and towns. We also investigate contradictions between Belgian state-wide commute policy and regional differences in average commuting distance and mode choice. Against a background of long-term federal measures that traditionally encourage long-distance commuting in Belgium, we find striking discrepancies between the structure and the development of commuting patterns in the three administrative regions of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. Residents of Brussels show the most sustainable commuting patterns, due to the metropolitan spatial structure. Residents of Wallonia represent the least sustainable commute. Given the rather weak regional economy of Wallonia compared with Flanders, commuters must frequently seek employment far from their residence. Population changes and consequent developments in the housing market seem to exacerbate this competitive disadvantage, since most growth occurs in relatively remote rural areas that are nevertheless within reach of the main employment centres

Regulating urban densification: what factors should be used?

peer reviewedUrban densification is increasingly accepted as a necessity and is important for no-net land take. Densification occurs in many places, especially fast-growing cities with a combination of demographic change, economic pressure and large transport infrastructure projects. The costs and benefits of density require a nuanced understanding: potential direct, indirect and cumulative effects (environmental, economic and social), both on- and off-site. The optimisation of densities implies a need to identify the conditions that can create the most value for the city, specify the places most appropriate for future inhabitants and activities, and promote spatial justice. The papers published in this special issue converge in depicting urban densification as a complex, nonlinear process, which has to be addressed at various scales. Multifactorial metrics of density are superior to aggregated ones because they offer a better understanding of the urban forms and how they are experienced by inhabitants and users. Both hard and soft densification have to be duly monitored and regulated if cities are to avoid overcrowding of places and buildings, which can be detrimental to urban resilience. The relation between urban densification and housing affordability is a critical factor that policymakers must address