Loading...
6 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
- An energy-based pedestrian accessibility indicatorPublication . Sousa, Nuno; Moreira, Florbela; Rodrigues, João CoutinhoThis article presents an approach to pedestrian accessibility based on human effort rather than distance. By measuring effort as the muscular energy required to traverse network arcs with slopes, it is possible to derive an accessibility indicator that takes relief into account. A case study in the city of Coimbra, Portugal, shows that while relief does have a considerable impact on the accessibility thus measured, that impact is global and not local. When accessibility to all types of opportunities are considered, the influence of relief ultimately dilutes due to the geographical scattering of those opportunities.
- Filling in the spaces: compactifying cities towards accessibility and active transportPublication . Monteiro, João Pedro Medina; Para, Marvin; Sousa, Nuno; Jesus, Eduardo Natividade; Ostorero, Carlo; Rodrigues, João CoutinhoCompactification of cities, i.e., the opposite of urban sprawl, has been increasingly presented in the literature as a possible solution to reduce the carbon footprint and promote the sustainability of current urban environments. Compact environments have higher concentrations of interaction opportunities, smaller distances to them, and the potential for increased active mode shares, leading to less transport-related energy consumption and associated emissions. This article presents a GIS- based quantitative methodology to estimate on how much can be gained in that respect if vacant spaces within a city were urbanized, according to the municipal master plan, using four indicators: accessibility, active modal share, transport energy consumption, and a 15-minute city analysis. The methodology is applied to a case study, in which the city of Coimbra, Portugal, and a compact version of itself are compared. Results show the compact layout improves all indicators, with averages per inhabitant improving by 20% to 92%, depending on the scenario assumed for cycling, and is more equitable.
- Pedelec on a hilly city: a case study in CoimbraPublication . Sousa, Nuno; Gonçalves, Ana Esmeralda; Rodrigues, João CoutinhoThe pedelec is a basic type of electrically-assisted bicycle, designed to help cyclists overcome most slopes. This article presents a theoretical case study of a pedelec on the city of Coimbra, Portugal, which shows that even a low-end model provides enough power and autonomy for the daily transportation needs of a regular cyclist. It is only if battery wear is considered that a model of higher battery capacity is recommended, and even then only if the cyclist uses the pedelec very intensively. By overcoming what is arguably one of the greatest deterrents to cycling, the pedelec contributes towards materializing the concept of sustainable mobility. Overcoming the other major deterrent, safety concerns, is thus passed to the political decision makers, which will need to build and improve the urban infrastructures necessary for citizens to safely exercise their choice for this transport mode.
- Metodologia em ambiente SIG para localizar dispositivos de auxílio ao ciclista em cidades declivosasPublication . Tralhao, Lino; Ribeiro, Nuno; Rodrigues, João Coutinho; Sousa, NunoPreocupações de sustentabilidade relacionadas com o uso intensivo de energia, e o congestionamento de tráfego, têm levado decisores a procurar soluções alternativas, e à emergência de uma mudança para modos de transporte suaves/ativos. A bicicleta é um modo de transporte suave e muito eficiente. No entanto, há também fatores dissuasores do uso da bicicleta - entre estes, é reconhecida a importância do declive na escolha deste modo. Uma das formas de contornar esta limitação consiste na construção de dispositivos mecânicos de auxílio (e.g. elevadores, teleféricos). Apresenta-se neste trabalho uma metodologia que, usando tecnologia SIG, ajuda a identificar potenciais locais para a colocação desses dispositivos, de forma a não só minorar a extensão e número destes, mas também conseguir uma maior permeabilidade da cidade à bicicleta. A metodologia, baseada essencialmente na obtenção de áreas de serviço adequadas, permitirá também identificar arcos críticos à conexão ciclável da rede viária urbana. Acompanha a abordagem um estudo de caso para a cidade de Coimbra, Portugal, onde, para além da aplicação da metodologia, se considera um circuito para bicicletas e se estuda a permeabilidade ciclável da rede com e sem elevadores, com o circuito, bem como formas de acesso ao local mais importante da cidade.
- The impact of city form and active modes of transport on urban mobility energy consumptionPublication . Rodrigues, João Coutinho; Monteiro, João Pedro Medina; Sousa, Nuno; Jesus, Eduardo NatividadeThe transport sector is vital in any modern economy, but, during the past century, dependence on vehicles burning petroleum- based fuels has become a defining component of modern societies. Transport share of final global energy consumption is very important - for example, in the EU it accounts for about 32%. On the other hand, sustainable mobility issues, particularly urban mobility, are on the agenda, and it is even predicted that by 2050 there will be no cars running on conventional fuels in cities. The layout, or form of the city has a decisive impact on energy consumption in urban mobility and the modes of transport used. Active modes of transport, in particular, contribute to reduce transport energy requirements, making it important and timely to consider them in city planning. Estimations using computer models of cities implemented in a GIS environment allow the calculation and comparison of transport energy needs associated with different city forms and allow important conclusions to be drawn about the positive impact of adopting active modes of transport. This research presents test energy calculations carried out both for the current configuration of the city of Coimbra, Portugal, using real georeferenced data of buildings, facilities, jobs, transport infrastructure network, etc., and its redraft as other city forms (e.g., garden city, transit-oriented development city, compact city, 15-minutes city, etc.). Results allow conclusions to be drawn about the associated transport energy needs and modal share, and can provide valuable information to decision makers, infrastructure managers, and planners of more sustainable cities. In practice, the study reveals that in cities with planned urbanism, mobility requires significantly less energy.
- Multi-attribute classification of housing conservation status in urban regeneration actionsPublication . Jesus, Eduardo Natividade; Rodrigues, João Coutinho; Tralhao, Lino; Sousa, NunoUrban regeneration is more and more a “universal issue” and a crucial factor in the new trends of urban planning. It is no longer only an area of study and research; it became part of new urban and housing policies. Urban regeneration involves complex decisions as a consequence of the multiple dimensions of the problems that include special technical requirements, safety concerns, socio-economic, environmental, aesthetic, and political impacts, among others. This multi-dimensional nature of urban regeneration projects and their large capital investments justify the development and use of state-of-the-art decision support methodologies to assist decision makers. This research focuses on the development of a multi-attribute approach for the evaluation of building conservation status in urban regeneration projects, thus supporting decision makers in their analysis of the problem and in the definition of strategies and priorities of intervention. The methods presented can be embedded into a Geographical Information System for visualization of results. A real-world case study was used to test the methodology, whose results are also presented.