Topic
Urbanity
About: Urbanity is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 962 publications have been published within this topic receiving 14816 citations. The topic is also known as: urban life.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
TL;DR: This research shows that the percentage of green space in people’s living environment has a positive association with the perceived general health of residents, and green space seems to be more than just a luxury and consequently the development of greenspace should be allocated a more central position in spatial planning policy.
Abstract: Study objectives: To investigate the strength of the relation between the amount of green space in people's living environment and their perceived general health. This relation is analysed for different age and socioeconomic groups. Furthermore, it is analysed separately for urban and more rural areas, because the strength of the relation was expected to vary with urbanity. Design: The study includes 250 782 people registered with 104 general practices who filled in a self administered form on sociodemographic background and perceived general health. The percentage of green space (urban green space, agricultural space, natural green space) within a one kilometre and three kilometre radius around the postal code coordinates was calculated for each household. Methods: Multilevel logistic regression analyses were performed at three levels—that is, individual level, family level, and practice level—controlled for sociodemographic characteristics. Main results: The percentage of green space inside a one kilometre and a three kilometre radius had a significant relation to perceived general health. The relation was generally present at all degrees of urbanity. The overall relation is somewhat stronger for lower socioeconomic groups. Elderly, youth, and secondary educated people in large cities seem to benefit more from presence of green areas in their living environment than other groups in large cities. Conclusions: This research shows that the percentage of green space in people's living environment has a positive association with the perceived general health of residents. Green space seems to be more than just a luxury and consequently the development of green space should be allocated a more central position in spatial planning policy.
1,754 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a multilevel analysis was conducted by combining Dutch data on the self-reported health of over 10, 000 people with land-use data, on the amount of greenspace in their living environment.
Abstract: Are people living in greener areas healthier than people living in less green areas? This hypothesis was empirically tested by combining Dutch data on the self-reported health of over 10 000 people with land-use data on the amount of greenspace in their living environment. In the multilevel analysis we controlled for socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, as well as urbanity. Living in a green environment was positively related to all three available health indicators, even stronger than urbanity at the municipal level. Analyses on subgroups showed that the relationship between greenspace and one of the health indicators was somewhat stronger for housewives and the elderly, two groups that are assumed to be more dependent on, and therefore exposed to, the local environment. Furthermore, for all three health indicators the relationship with greenspace was somewhat stronger for lower educated people. Implications for policymaking and spatial planning are discussed briefly.
1,326 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that a number of engrained attitudes to city planning (and indeed city life) persist which together might undermine attempts to stimulate more active and culturally confident cities.
Abstract: Following decades of both planned and market-driven decentralization of cities and city-regions, urban policy makers are now extolling the virtues of the compact city. The model which is held up as a good example is that of the traditional European city which is relatively dense and fine-grained. The model that is no longer considered sustainable (economically and socially as well as environmentally) is the sprawl, strip or edge city, more often than not planned around the automobile. One question is the extent to which this European model of the good city transfers to the UK context. The author would argue that a number of engrained attitudes to city planning (and indeed city life) persist which together might undermine attempts to stimulate more active and culturally confident cities. Nevertheless, if we are to have more active and better cities, we need to know how best to manage, develop and design them. This paper argues that the city is a phenomenon of structured complexity. Good cities tend to be a balance of a reasonably ordered and legible city form, and places of many and varied comings and goings, meetings and transactions. What might appear to some as disorder is very often simply the everyday rhythm of city life. In the absence of such activity, cities can lose their urbanity and eventually become suburban in character. The large part of this paper contains an exposition of the principles of good city form, activity, street life and urban culture. That is to say, urbanity itself. By reference to a number of cities, the intention is to show that it is perfectly possible to plan for and design the active city.
1,087 citations
Book•
1 Jan 1987
TL;DR: In this article, London: Birthplace of Suburbia, Building the Bourgeois Utopia, The Suburb and the Industrial City: Manchester, UK and the United States, Urbanity versus Suburbanity: France and United States, The Classic Suburb: The Railroad Suburbs of Philadelphia, Los Angeles: Suburban Metropolis.
Abstract: * Introduction * London: Birthplace of Suburbia * Building the Bourgeois Utopia * The Suburb and the Industrial City: Manchester * Urbanity versus Suburbanity: France and the United States * The Classic Suburb: The Railroad Suburbs of Philadelphia * Los Angeles: Suburban Metropolis * Beyond Suburbia: The Rise of the Technoburb
787 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the social and spatial implications of new lifestyles, values, attitudes to nature and sustainability, and the models for future city life and the patterns of urban open space that might accommodate these.
784 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 |
| 2024 | 48 |
| 2023 | 113 |
| 2022 | 127 |
| 2021 | 47 |
| 2020 | 41 |