Spatium

Editorial No. 52

Jasna Petrić — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

An investigation into the land use pattern of Dhaka: Identifying activity nodes for a compact city

Md. Muktadir Rahman, Farida Nilufar — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

With Dhaka’s urbanization, there is a need to develop policies aimed at respecting the city’s natural environment, preserving open spaces, and targeting new growth into a compact city, where promoting polycentric nodes could be one of the sustainable planning strategies. For such a strategy in Dhaka’s context, identifying the nodes that generate daily urban activities can provide useful directives, as they play crucial roles in facilitating accessibility to create dense, mixed-use, and pedestrian- and transit-friendly urban centres. With this rationale, this study investigated the land use pattern of Dhaka to identify potential activity nodes for compact city planning. At first, sixteen activity nodes were identified by analysing the city’s key land use distribution pattern, along with the existing transportation nodes. Then, the land use composition around the identified nodes was examined. The findings show that while most of Dhaka’s activity nodes exhibit moderate to reasonable levels of land use mix, they are mostly unplanned, and lack adequate planning and cohesive design to ensure a pedestrian- and transit-friendly compact city. The nodes identified and their attributes will help policymakers formulate specific urban design and planning strategies for Dhaka’s nodal development.

Cultural and therapeutic landscapes in the role of healthy cities

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Fast global changes affect cities from both economic and social standpoints. The COVID 19 pandemic has completely reshaped urban life and led to a greater respect for social connectedness, mental health and well-being. During the pandemic, people went to parks, green areas and picnic areas more regularly, which showed the importance of the availability of public areas for exercising, stress relief and social interaction. In addition to improving the environment, green areas are crucial for rest and relaxation from the fast pace of urban life. This paper explores the potential of specific areas to encourage citizens to adopt a healthier lifestyle and increase their well-being, focusing on the cultural landscape of the historic Srpske Toplice (Gornji Šeher) neighborhood in Banja Luka, a segment of urban and architectural heritage that has preserved elements of local traditional architecture and culture. This neighbourhood, known for its hot springs, was built under the Ottomans and has a unique combination of natural and architectural elements. The research discusses the importance of the connection between people and their environment, highlighting how cultural heritage and a sense of place can enhance citizens’ mental health and well-being when utilized for therapeutic purposes. The cultural landscape of Srpske Toplice was built between a green area (Starčevica Nature Park) and a blue area (Vrbas River). This paper presents a case study that aims to enhance our understanding of landscapes by considering the cultural, spiritual, emotional, physical and social well-being of communities.

Reshaping the built heritage of historical wineries and wine cellars: New programs and types of interventions

Ana Stanojević, Ljiljana Jevremović, Uroš Antić, Aleksandar Milojković — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Wine architecture is closely related to the ever-changing social, economic, environmental, and cultural context regarding winemaking activity. In the Middle Ages, spaces intended for wine production were first built as part of a complex of monasteries and castles and later, due to the improvement of winemaking techniques, as independent wine cellars. By the beginning of the 20^th century, the expansion of viticulture and winemaking led to the construction of wine caves, cellars, estates, villages, wine houses and cathedrals, creating a wide range of historical forms of wine architecture. The establishment of larger industrial plants and organized wine production in the first half of the 20^th century resulted in the abandonment of many old wine cellars. However, the turn of the 21^st century brought about a renewed appreciation for wine landscapes and architecture, leading to increased awareness of the importance of protecting and restoring the built wine heritage. Further, due to the rapid development of integrative design concepts that combine wine production and tourism, the need to expand the spatial capacities of historical wineries and wine cellars arose simultaneously. This paper delves into reshaping the built heritage of historic wineries and wine cellars in the 21^st century, analyzing different design principles. The research relies on the theoretical background of protecting built heritage regarding architectural interventions on historical buildings. The paper employs a comparative analysis of selected examples, in order to identify and classify new programs and architectural interventions resulting from the reshaping process.

The effect of fear of crıme on publıc space use: The case of Rüsumat

İsra Nur Alkan, Elif Kutay Karaçor — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The growing population of today's cities, as well as the increase in alienation, raises the perception of crime. People's desire for communal areas such as public spaces is reduced when they feel unsafe in urban places. This condition leads to social and political issues, such as a decline in democratic demands, tolerance, and empathy, as well as an increase in the broadness of criminal groups' action. To improve the idealized use of public space, it is vital to identify the variables that contribute to crime perception and to provide spatial suggestions. The aim of this study is to assess the perception of three different types of crime in various public spaces and to learn the causes for these differences using Rüsumat beach as an example. As a result, it is hoped that strategies will be developed that improve the utilization of public space. The perception of crime on the Rüsumat beach was quantified using cognitive maps, and the data was analyzed using ArcGIS. Spatial recommendations have been created according to the results.

Reflections of user satisfaction in public spaces: A structural equation modeling approach at Hasanpaşa Gazhane, Istanbul

Sezen Türkoğlu, Fatih Terzi — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the factors that influence user satisfaction with public spaces by using structural equation modeling (SEM). The case study focuses on Hasanpaşa Gazhane (Gashouse), a versatile public space located in a central area of Istanbul, attracting a diverse range of individuals from various demographic, social, and economic backgrounds. Using a random sampling technique, 203 face-to-face surveys were conducted to assess users’ perceptions of accessibility, use and activity, safety, comfort, and image indicators, as well as user satisfaction. Preliminary data analysis employed exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis methods. Subsequently, the relationship between the identified factors and user satisfaction was analyzed using structural equation modeling in Amos 24 software. The findings indicate that user satisfaction in public places is mostly influenced by the use and activities and image indicators. Accessibility, safety, and comfort factors have a relatively lesser impact on user satisfaction. The results focus on adapting public space design and management techniques to the needs and expectations of the community. This study makes a valuable contribution to the diversification of methodologies used in the study of site-specific attributes within public spaces, with a particular emphasis on optimizing their responsiveness to the needs and expectations of users.

An alternative model of social space: Research on the potential for cohousing in Serbia

Jelena Mitrović, Aleksandra Milošević Pantović — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper explores the social background of the contemporary community housing model (cohousing) whose representation in discursive theory is considered in relation to the crisis of the structural approach to housing issues. On the other hand, this model is investigated as a possible response of collaborative interdisciplinary practices to the volatile trends dictated by the market, aiming to achieve a socially sustainable urban form. In the first part of the paper, the concept of communal habitation is critically examined from the standpoint of the relationship between the private and public, through a comparative analysis of cohousing and residential models sharing similar spatial typology but having differing social profiles. This includes an overview of the broader circumstances related to spatial segregation issues and the aim to eliminate undesirable encounters. The second part of the paper relates to the specific professional and social context in Serbia, stemming from the gap between the mass implementation of socially-owned residential settlements and the interruption of planned urbanization amidst political and transitional crises. The analysis aims to identify problems affecting the largest segment of the population, considering the loss of neighborly connections, spatial stratification, growing social differences, and the deterioration of the housing fund due to construction speculation and the exclusivity of new residential complexes. The study results provide a foundation for the ongoing development of the idea of collaboration for the defense of shared space, forming a basis for investment and superstructure, gradually elevating quality towards socially sustainable urban development.

Development and validation of the Housing Environmental Quality Assessment Tool (HEQAT) for children with ADHD using the Delphi process

Sima Alizadeh, Catherine Bridge, Valsamma Eapen, Bruce Judd — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study aimed to establish a valid and purposeful evaluation tool for building professionals and designers to identify housing features that adversely impact children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). After a review of pre-existing tools, it was found that such a tool does not yet exist but is necessary for modifying, designing, and constructing residential environments of the future. Most environmental quality checklists or housing quality assessment tools lack specificity, development, and documentation of operational definitions. Therefore, we developed the Housing Environmental Quality Assessment Tool (HEQAT) based on pre-existing building tools in combination with identified aspects of environmental features associated with mental health and ADHD extracted from the literature. Using the Delphi process, we modified the tool based on the opinions of four groups of experts and stakeholders to establish the tool’s validity. The content validity index (CVI) was used to establish the overall content validity of the assessment tool. Of the tool’s 74 items reviewed and rated by a team of experts and stakeholders
over a 2-round Delphi process, 70 items were judged to be relevant, with a CVI of greater than 0.78. Consequently, the tool’s overall content validity was calculated as 95 per cent. The data obtained using this tool could contribute to the knowledge of how residential buildings can be designed and built to be suitable for individuals diagnosed with ADHD.