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作者

Irene Gómez-Varo;Xavier Delclòs-Alió;Carme Miralles-Guasch

来源

CITIES,Vol.123,Issue1,Article 103565

语言

英文

关键字

Urban vitality;Built environment;GIS;Peripheral;Low-income district;Mediterranean city

作者单位

Grup d'Estudis en Mobilitat, Transport i Territori (GEMOTT), Departament de Geografia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona – Edifici B, Campus de Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;Research Group on Territorial Analysis and Tourism Studies (GRATET), Department of Geography, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Vila-seca, Spain;Grup d'Estudis en Mobilitat, Transport i Territori (GEMOTT), Departament de Geografia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona – Edifici B, Campus de Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;Grup d'Estudis en Mobilitat, Transport i Territori (GEMOTT), Departament de Geografia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona – Edifici B, Campus de Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;Research Group on Territorial Analysis and Tourism Studies (GRATET), Department of Geography, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Vila-seca, Spain;Grup d'Estudis en Mobilitat, Transport i Territori (GEMOTT), Departament de Geografia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona – Edifici B, Campus de Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain

摘要

The theories of Jane Jacobs have gained momentum as a framework to address the challenges faced by present-day cities. Of special relevance is the concept of urban vitality as an indicator of street vibrancy and quality of life among city residents. This study aims to revisit her principles from an applied perspective by developing an updated index that measures the conditions for urban vitality as described in her most celebrated book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), and by also incorporating contemporary contributions made by recent literature on the topic. We develop a composite measure of 22 variables of the built and social environment, and we test it in the urban context of a peripherical and low-income district in Barcelona (Spain). Results show that urban vitality can be found in a wide variety of urban spaces such as compact fabrics and even housing projects, only when population density is combined with physical features that promote intense and diverse human activity. The methodological tool developed in this paper is intended to serve as a basis for future research as well as to guide public policies that aim to address some of the key challenges of contemporary urban agenda.