Gould Gallery was featured in the June issue of the University of Washington Magazine. Read the full story here.
Research Theme: Design & Building
Built environment scholarship at the scales of the interior space to the building
Higher Depression Risks in Medium- Than in High-Density Urban Form Across Denmark
Chen, T.-H. K., Horsdal, H. T., Samuelsson, K., Closter, A. M., Davies, M., Barthel, S., Pedersen, C. B., Prishchepov, A. V., & Sabel, C. E. (2023). Higher depression risks in medium- than in high-density urban form across Denmark. Science Advances, 9(21), eadf3760–eadf3760. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adf3760
Abstract
Urban areas are associated with higher depression risks than rural areas. However, less is known about how different types of urban environments relate to depression risk. Here, we use satellite imagery and machine learning to quantify three-dimensional (3D) urban form (i.e., building density and height) over time. Combining satellite-derived urban form data and individual-level residential addresses, health, and socioeconomic registers, we conduct a case-control study (n = 75,650 cases and 756,500 controls) to examine the association between 3D urban form and depression in the Danish population. We find that living in dense inner-city areas did not carry the highest depression risks. Rather, after adjusting for socioeconomic factors, the highest risk was among sprawling suburbs, and the lowest was among multistory buildings with open space in the vicinity. The finding suggests that spatial land-use planning should prioritize securing access to open space in densely built areas to mitigate depression risks.
A House Deconstructed
Jarzombek, M. & Prakash, V. (2023). A House Deconstructed. Actar Publishers.
Summary
We would like to think that we ‘know’ what goes into making a modern building. But the truth is that no one, not even architects, knows. The OUR [Office for Uncertainty Research] spent three years studying a single, relatively modest modern house located in Seattle, WA. The research focused on four vectors: Atomic Consciousness that dates back to the Big Bang and the earliest Super Novas: Production Consciousness that involves a vast array of ingredients that are combined to make architectural products: Labor Consciousness that spans a wide spectrum of temporal and economic conditions; and Source Consciousness that is multilayered and global in its reach. Though much was learned, it became clear that a huge proportion of what we ‘know’ about the house was unknowable, not because our epistemological instruments aren’t strong enough or calibrated precisely enough, but because things themselves are indeterminate, uncertain. This begs the question about agency. If we are to critique our profession and even improve some of its claims about Sustainability, then we must develop a more robust understanding of the building industry and the sourcing and making of materials. We must even develop a stronger awareness of the history of atoms and how architecture brings that history into a remarkable focus.
Scaling Down from the Neighborhood in Urban Planning Research and Practice: The Potential Benefits of a Micro-Scale Focus
Walter, R. J., Tillyer, M. S., Ramiller, A., & Acolin, A. (2023). Scaling Down from the Neighborhood in Urban Planning Research and Practice: The Potential Benefits of a Micro-Scale Focus. Journal of Planning Education and Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X231175593
Abstract
The neighborhood has been the dominant spatial unit in urban planning since the early 20th century. Criticisms of the neighborhood unit include disagreements about defining boundaries, methodological challenges in capturing neighborhood effects, and negative impacts on communities. With advancements in data management, and public data available at smaller units (street block or property), quantitative analyses are possible at the micro-scale. This commentary draws on crime research and prevention to illustrate the benefits of micro-scale approaches to quantitative analyses in the field of urban planning, arguing that the devolution to smaller scales may be a vehicle for efficient resource allocation.
Population Health Initiative awards multiple College of Built Environments teams planning grants
The Population Health Initiative announced 12 climate change planning grant awardees. Of those 12 teams, 4 include College of Built Environments researchers. Descriptions of their projects are below. Read the CBE News story here. Linking Climate Adaptation and Public Health Outcomes in Yavatmal, Maharashtra Investigators Sameer H. Shah, Environmental and Forest Sciences Celina Balderas Guzmán, Landscape Architecture Pronoy Rai, Portland State University Project abstract This proposal collects primary interview data with landed and landless agriculturalists in Yavatmal district in…
Campus Sustainability Fund selects College of Built Environments researchers for 2022-2023 work
The Campus Sustainability Fund selected College of Built Environments PhD student Daniel Dimitrov, along with Associate Dean for Research Carrie Sturts Dossick, to receive funding for the project described below. Energy, Information, and the New Work of Building Operations in the Digital Age Amount Awarded: $19,833 Funding Received: 2022-2023 Project Summary: The built environment industry is in the midst of a data revolution paired with a drive for sustainable campus operations. Innovation, information, communication access, and integration provide an opportunity…
Utilizing Fractal Dimensions as Indicators to Detect Elements of Visual Attraction: A Case Study of the Greenway along Lake Taihu, China
Fan, R., Yocom, K. P., & Guo, Y. (2023). Utilizing Fractal Dimensions as Indicators to Detect Elements of Visual Attraction: A Case Study of the Greenway along Lake Taihu, China. Land (Basel), 12(4), 883–. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040883
Abstract
It is widely acknowledged that the quality of greenway landscape resources enhances the visual appeal of people. While most studies have evaluated visual perception and preference, few have considered the relationship between the distribution of greenways in relation to the proximity of water bodies such as lakes and rivers. Such an investigation requires an in-depth analysis of how to plan and design greenways in order to better enhance people's willingness to access and utilize them. In this research we propose specific color brightness and contour visual attraction elements to further discuss the quality of greenway landscape resources in the rapidly urbanizing Lake Taihu region of China. Specifically, we utilize a common method in fractal theory analysis called counting box dimension to calculate and analyze the sample images. The method generates data on fractal dimension (FD) values of two elements; the optimal fractal dimension threshold range; the characteristics exhibited by the maximum and minimum fractal dimension values in the greenway landscape; and the relationship between the two visual attraction elements allowing us to derive distribution of the greenway and water bodies. The results reveal that greenway segments with high values of the visual attraction element of color brightness fractal dimension (FD) are significantly closer to the lake than those subject to high values of the visual attraction element. Some segments are even close to the lake surface, which is because the glare from the direct sunlight and the reflection from the lake surface superimposed on each other, so that the greenway near the lake surface is also affected by the brightness and shows the result of high color brightness values. However, the greenway segments with high values of contour element FD are clearly more influenced by plants and other landscape elements. This is due to the rich self-similarity of the plants themselves. Most of the greenway segments dominated by contour elements are distant from the lake surface. Both color brightness and contour elements are important indicators of the quality of the visual resources of the Lake Taihu Greenway landscape. This reveals that the determination of the sub-dimensional values of color brightness (1.7608, 1.9337) and contour (1.7230, 1.9006) visual attraction elements and the optimal threshold range (1.7608, 1.9006) can provide theoretical implications for the landscape planning and design of lake-ring type greenways and practical implications for assessing the quality of visual resources in greenway landscapes.
Keywords
color brightness; contour; visual attraction; fractal dimension (FD); boxplot; Lake Taihu
Towards a “Positive Landscape”: An Integrated Theoretical Model of Landscape Preference Based on Cognitive Neuroscience
Yan, L., Winterbottom, D., & Liu, J. (2023). Towards a “Positive Landscape”: An Integrated Theoretical Model of Landscape Preference Based on Cognitive Neuroscience. Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), 15(7), 6141–. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076141
Does Compact Development Mitigate Urban Thermal Environments? Influences of Smart Growth Principles on Land Surface Temperatures in Los Angeles and Portland
Won, Jongho, and Meen Chel Jung. 2023. Does Compact Development Mitigate Urban Thermal Environments? Influences of Smart Growth Principles on Land Surface Temperatures in Los Angeles and Portland. Sustainable Cities and Society 90.
Abstract
The smart growth paradigm has emerged as a major planning framework to respond to the adverse outcomes of reckless development, but its influences on urban thermal environments are underexplored in the scholarly literature. Since elevated land surface temperature (LST) is closely related to the physical expansion of developed areas, it is necessary to identify the effects of smart growth strategies on LST. This study, therefore, investigated the relationships between LST, landscape variables, and smart growth variables at the census block group level in two distinct urban locales: the City of Los Angeles, California, and the City of Portland, Oregon, from 2010 to 2018. Through multivariate analyses—including the principal component analysis (PCA), K-means clustering, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and regression models—this study revealed the potential of urban forms promoted by the smart growth principles comprehensively to mitigate LST. Given the different features of built environments and planning systems between the two cities, the results of this study also indicate the necessity of considering local contexts rather than suggesting a “one-size-fits-all” policy.
Keywords
Smart growth; Compact development; Land surface temperature; Urban form; Landscape
Selection of Wearable Sensor Measurements for Monitoring and Managing Entry-Level Construction Worker Fatigue: a Logistic Regression Approach
Lee, Wonil; Lin, Ken-Yu; Johnson, Peter W.; Seto, Edmund Y.W. (2022). Selection of Wearable Sensor Measurements for Monitoring and Managing Entry-Level Construction Worker Fatigue: a Logistic Regression Approach. Engineering, Construction, and Architectural Management, 29(8), 2905–23.
Abstract
The identification of fatigue status and early intervention to mitigate fatigue can reduce the risk of workplace injuries. Off-the-shelf wearable sensors capable of assessing multiple parameters are available. However, using numerous variables in the fatigue prediction model can elicit data issues. This study aimed at identifying the most relevant variables for measuring occupational fatigue among entry-level construction workers by using common wearable sensor technologies, such as electrocardiogram and actigraphy sensors.
Keywords
Technology, management, construction safety, information and communication technology (ICT) applications