Author = Ahmad Khalili
Number of Articles: 4
Explaining a conceptual framework of a healthy urban space based on smart city principles

Explaining a conceptual framework of a healthy urban space based on smart city principles

Volume 15, Issue 1, September 2024, Pages 141-160

https://doi.org/10.30475/isau.2024.472846.2177

Anahita Tabaeian, Seyed Ali Nouri, Mostafa Behzadfar, Ahmad Khalili

Abstract Extended Abstract
Background and Objectives: In the modern world, urban spaces, on the one hand, and contemporary citizens, on the other hand, are heavily influenced by the effects of smart and virtual spaces and technologies. Hence, it is pivotal to establish spaces that would simultaneously meet the health needs of contemporary humans and pay special attention to the smart dimensions of contemporary life. The concepts of a healthy city and a smart city are emerging ideas that were introduced towards the end of the twentieth century, driven by the rapid growth of urban populations and the resulting challenges, along with economic and technological changes brought about by globalization. The concept of healthy cities was developed within an initiative framework by the World Health Organization and was introduced in the wake of the search for promoting health by a general entity of the international sphere (Taylor, 2010). The concept of smart cities was also initiated by technological companies in the private sector and refers to the utilization of innovations and technological sources in urban infrastructure and services. Accordingly, just as there are a large number of innovative approaches, there are common indicators used both in healthy cities and in smart cities. Assuming a general health priority, the subject of smartization in urban space is regarded as a strategic objective, causing the fatality of pandemic and non-pandemic diseases to be fewer and thus helping to create a prosperous and competitive economy. The present study aims to explain the components affecting a smart and healthy urban space and to provide a general conceptual framework in this connection.
Methods: From a goal perspective, the study was applied, and from the nature of information and its analytical perspective, it was qualitative, falling under documentary research. The present study was also considered a mixed research method. In this direction, the dimensions and components of a healthy and smart city, raised by professionals and experts, were first collected and were then coded by using content analysis, leading to the determination of a general healthy and smart city framework. Next, the determined indicators were firstly incorporated and then scored and ranked by ten experts by using the five criteria of urban space scales, health and smartization relevance, easiness of access to information, measurability, and spatial diversity changes via the Goeller scorecard method. Because the five criteria are not equally important, the AHP method and Expert Choice software were used to assign weights to the criteria. To calculate the final score, the score of each indicator was multiplied by the weight of the relevant criterion, and then all the scores resulting from the indicators were added up, leading to a final score of 10. The indicators that received a score of higher than 5 were selected and the “general conceptual framework of a healthy city with a smart city approach” was explained. Finally, to control the quality of the extracted framework, the Cohen’s Kappa Index was used to compare the researcher’s view with an expert’s to finally provide an ID of indicators.
Findings: The explained conceptual framework consisted of 5 economic, social, managerial, physical and environmental dimensions, encompassing 12 components and 52 indicators of a healthy and smart urban space. The economic dimension consists of the component of economic prosperity and the indicators of strengthening local markets, tourism, and business diversity. The social dimension consists of the component of social communications with the indicators of social engagement, social and ethnic plurality, participation in social life, the component of social facilities with the indicators of accessibility and the awareness-raising of cultural events, accessibility and the awareness-raising of recreational events, access to sports amenities, access to welfare services, access to high-speed Internet, wireless coverage, and finally the component of health with the indicators of access to healthy food, promoting bodily exercises, awareness-raising and training health principles, and access to healthcare services. The managerial dimension consists of the component of urban management that involves the indicators of cultural heritage preservation (regeneration), citizens’ satisfaction with urban management performance, administrating the effective programs of garbage collecting and recycling and traffic management. The physical dimension consists of five components titled as accessibility with the indicators of access to public transportation, access to pedestrian zones, access to cycling paths, access to places of rest, access to green spaces, access to clean public spaces, access to washrooms, access to parking lots, safety with the indicators of the safety of cycling paths, the safety of pedestrian zones, traffic safety, the quality of urban pathways, security with the indicators of lighting and illumination of urban spaces, 24-hour land uses, the new generation of rescue police, social monitoring (urban smart cameras), transportation with the indicators of various and diverse options of vehicles, providing the Internet in public transportation, timers indicating the time of arriving at the destination, the applications showing the position of the public vehicles, the quality of public transportation (using sensors to improve public mobility), non-motorized public transportation (EVs, hybrids, and scooters), and environmental design with the indictors of land use diversity, design proportionate to peoples’ needs, diverse greenery, the quality of urban furniture, and place attachment. The environmental dimension consists of two components of energy with the indicator of using renewable sources and the environmental quality with the indicators of air, sound, and visual quality, water quality, and surface water collection and disposal.
Conclusion: According to the scores calculated, the environmental dimension with a score of 9.4 held greater importance than other dimensions and should be paid special attention in urban planning and designing. As all indicators of environmental quality received a score of 9.9, a key requirement for creating a healthy urban space with a smart city approach is to focus on air and water quality, reduce sound and visual pollution, and manage and collect surface waters effectively. The physical dimension with a score of 8.6 ranked second, followed by the social dimension (a score of 8), and economic and managerial dimensions with scores of 7.6 and 6.9, respectively.

Conceptualization and presentation of a process model for implementation of urban development projects in the global literature

Conceptualization and presentation of a process model for implementation of urban development projects in the global literature

Volume 14, Issue 1, August 2023, Pages 401-423

https://doi.org/10.30475/isau.2023.396311.2040

Amirhousein Bakhshi, Ahmad Khalili

Abstract Extended Abstract Background and Objectives: In 1984, Pressman and Wildavsky conducted a study that directly discussed the implementation of urban development plans (Pressman & Wildavsky, 1984). Since then, the implementation of urban development plans has been studied extensively, with different researchers investigating four general categories of key issues in this field. The first category is the conceptual examination of program implementation based on compliance, performance, or a combination of both (Feitelson et al., 2017; Rudolf & Grădinaru, 2017). The second category includes the evaluation and different methods of urban development plans (Alfasi et al., 2012; Lyles et al., 2015). The third category is the identification of effective and influencing factors in the implementation process of urban plans (Loh, 2019; Chu, 2020). Finally, the fourth category, which has received the least attention, is the implementation system of urban plans, which examines implementation systems as a comprehensive and independent process (Suárez-Rocha et al., 2012; Hersperger et al., 2019; Nikolić et al., 2021). While research has been conducted in different sections, such as evaluation, effective factors, performance, and the role of people, the implementation system of urban plans has been limitedly studied. Thus, the main question of this research is “how to model the ideal system of implementation management” in urban development plans to achieve a general concept in the world. The purpose of this article is to identify and introduce an evaluation model and executive management for urban plans, which has not received much attention.
Methods: This research is a descriptive-analytical research in which, by reviewing the documents and the global literature of the investigated field of operationalization and implementation of urban plans, the indicators, systems, and elements of this subject in the global literature have been collected. The main method in this research is documentary studies. In the first stage, the indicators, pillars, definitions, and generality of the subject have been identified in the world literature, and then after identifying these indicators from the bibliographic method using text analysis techniques and the help of experts, in a workshop, a proposed system based on Global literature has been discussed for the implementation and operationalization of urban plans.
Findings: The research’s main question is “How to model the ideal system of implementation management” in urban development plans to achieve a general concept in the world? By reviewing the global literature on implementation management and operationalization of urban plans, 74 indicators divided into 17 sections have been identified. Based on the totality of urban plans, studies, and documents reviewed in this research, an 8-step general framework for the implementation management of plans for a city has been presented. The eight stages of the proposed model are respectively; “Initial review of the whole,” “Review of implementation conditions,” “Responsibility and rules,” “Time and resources,” “Operationalization program,” “Effectiveness,” “Implementation,” and “Evaluation and correction.” This model provides a comprehensive system for managing urban plans from preparation to final implementation to ensure complete and correct implementation. The eight main stages also have executive subsets that cover all 74 identified indicators and factors. In addition to the eight steps, this model requires 5 groups of implementation, evaluation, monitoring, training, and participation, which form the executive council of this model. The proposed model’s focus is on program implementation, whereas, in most similar studies, implementation is seen within the preparation of the program and alongside it. Hersperger et al. (2019) proposed a framework (SPlaMI) that represents current planning practices based on two stages of implementation and planning, including ten general frameworks. Although the research conducted by Hersperger et al. and the current research both seek to introduce a logical system for the optimal implementation of urban plans, there are some differences between them. Hersperger’s research was limited to a systematic review of the implementation based on specific and limited criteria, while the current research looked at the subject in a more general way.
Conclusion: Operationalizing urban plans is a crucial issue in the modern literature of urban planning worldwide. It is understood as a process in which plans are transformed into (urban) space changes to ensure controlled and anticipated change and development (Clifford & Tewdwr-Jones, 2013). If plans are not implemented, no development will take place. This research provides an initially proposed system by reviewing the world literature in this field. While some studies in this field, such as Hersperger et al. (2019), introduce proposed frameworks for the optimal implementation of urban plans, the focus is often on specific and limited criteria. In contrast, this research looks at the implementation process in a general sense. The current research provides an initially proposed system based on global literature to ensure the implementation and operationalization of urban plans. The proposed model provides a comprehensive system for managing urban plans, from preparation to final implementation to ensure complete and correct implementation. The proposed model can help policymakers and urban planners identify the key factors and indicators required for the optimal implementation of urban plans. The proposed model’s focus on program implementation can make it a valuable tool in improving the quality of life in urban areas.

Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review of Global Theoretical Context in the Field of Urban Health

Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review of Global Theoretical Context in the Field of Urban Health

Volume 13, Issue 2, February 2022, Pages 351-372

https://doi.org/10.30475/isau.2023.395942.2039

Marziyeh Fallah Barzeghar, Ahmad khalili

Abstract Extended Abstract
Background and Objectives: The definition of health has different meanings. In the simplest case, it is defined as the absence of any disease or illness. The evidence indicates the relationship between the components of the urban environment and health and related behaviors, which emphasizes the importance of urban planning and urban interventions in order to face health challenges. Nowadays, health promotion at the community level, considering a wide range of threatening factors in the field of urban health, the need to identify the effective components on human health is considered essential. Based on this, the link between the urban environment and urban planning is emphasized to achieve urban health and well-being. The purpose of this research is to analyze the scientometric analysis of urban health studies, to discover the main issues and developments, as well as to find the emerging performance trends of articles and magazines, to know the patterns of cooperation and research components, and to discover the intellectual structure of urban health in the world literature.
Methods: Bibliometric Analysis is a precise method for examining and analyzing a large amount of scientific data. This technique is intended to understand the interrelationship between scientific citations and to summarize the situation according to the current research topic. Researchers use scientometric analysis to find trends in the emerging performance of articles and journals, to recognize collaboration patterns and research components, and to discover the intellectual structure of a specific field in existing literature. In order to check the relationship between articles from a database and to classify different keywords based on their simultaneous citation by following clustering techniques, VOS Viewer software is used. Web of Science Core Collection has been used for the process of searching and extracting data from the Web of Science scientific database. The main focus of this research was scientific data regarding the subject of research with the term “urban health” in the title and abstract. On August 13, 2022, an initial search of 3,102 document titles was extracted, and for a more accurate analysis, among the 3,102 documents obtained, 2,581 documents including articles were extracted as main data, and other professors included books and conference articles, etc. It was removed from the total of primary data.
Findings: Co-occurrence results based on keywords show that the keyword “Urban Health” has the highest total link strength and the number of co-occurrences of two items. In other words, this keyword has been seen more times in an article and the probability of this keyword appearing with other keywords in an article is higher. “Mortality” and “prevalence” components are ranked second and third, respectively. The component of Covid-19, green space is one of the common components in the field of urban health, which has been the focus of researchers in recent years. Co-authorship analysis based on countries shows that Asian and African countries have the lowest amount of scientific participation and influence in the production of scientific documents in the field of urban health. Also, the results indicate that the authors of three countries, the United States, England, and Australia, respectively, have the highest level of cooperation with the authors of other countries in the production of scientific documents in the field of urban health. Finally, the co-citation analysis based on co-citations of the authors revealed that the World Health Organization has the highest number of citations.
Conclusion: A comprehensive review of global studies in order to discover the emerging performance of researchers in the field of urban health has been one of the study gaps in this field, and this research has tried to answer this need to some extent. This study is considered as a comprehensive review study with co-occurrence analyzes of the occurrence of two items (in three aspects of visualization, data density, network overlap), citation, bibliographic pair and authorship. Paying more attention and examining the individual components of health including healthy diet, life expectancy, body mass index in the search of scientific documents due to the increasing importance of physical health is felt in future studies. Urban health is related to various issues. However, from searching for the keyword of urban health and extracting the keywords of thermal islands, life expectancy, green space and pedestrian circulation using VOS, it can be seen that there are keywords whose publication year is related to the years after 2018, in other words, in the years The latter are still of interest to researchers, and they can be used in the future to expand the research topic as potential subject areas related to urban health. Also, in the future study, the sources of different scientific databases such as Scopus, Dimensions, Lens and PubMed should be used. Future researchers can use each of the existing keywords as potential subject areas of urban health. Henceforth, research will focus on opportunities and challenges, urban health efficiency, and possible solutions to emerging issues.

Appropriateness Analysis of the Cluster Approach in Knowledge-Based Urban Development of Isfahan

Appropriateness Analysis of the Cluster Approach in Knowledge-Based Urban Development of Isfahan

Volume 11, Issue 2, December 2020, Pages 205-222

https://doi.org/10.30475/isau.2020.250746.1531

Ahmad Khalili, Mostafa Dehghani

Abstract Extended Abstract
Background and Objectives: Knowledge-Based Urban Development (KUBD) can be considered a new form, approach, or paradigm of sustainable urban development in the knowledge age. Knowledge-based clusters (e.g., knowledge locations and technopoles) assume that the proximity of knowledge-based and innovative activities reinforces the value chain, establishes knowledge worker-innovator interaction, facilitates knowledge and experience sharing, and leads to a synergistic ability for the development of self and the city. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to test the use of the cluster approach in KBUD in Isfahan before adopting measures based on the cluster approach by analyzing the communication, trust, and participation networks of the key stakeholders of KUBD in Isfahan that provide the basis for knowledge transfer.
Method: This study was carried out in two steps by adopting a quantitative approach with the purpose of descriptive-exploratory operations in a case study framework. In the first step, the key stakeholders are identified through theoretical and non-probability sampling (i.e., snowball), and referring to KBUD experts in Isfahan, using the fuzzy screening method and power-interest matrix model. In this step, 14 key stakeholders were identified. The second step involves analyzing the structure of stakeholder relationships network using the "social network analysis (SNA)" method. The purpose of this study is to examine correlations rather than to analyze the internal patterns of three separate networks, namely communication, trust, and participation. Therefore, the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) index was used. The sample population in this step consisted of 157 members of the main KBUD stakeholders. Network data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using UCINET6.
Findings: The results of the linear regression relationship between the three networks of communication, trust, and participation of Isfahan KUBD stakeholders based on the QAP index indicate a significant positive correlation between communication, trust, and participation networks. The trust-participation link has a high correlation coefficient (0.74), indicating that trust is where knowledge-based interactions start and lays the groundwork for stakeholder participation. Nevertheless, the trust-relationship link and the relationship-partnership link have a fairly low correlation coefficient (<0.5). That is, simply increasing the relationship between stakeholders does significantly increase participation or mutual trust. Consequently, despite the high correlation between trust and participation networks, simply increasing the relationship between stakeholders does not significantly increase participation or mutual trust. Hence, it defies the theory of clustering businesses and knowledge-based centers toward realizing KBUD. This is because the mere buildup of such activities and their working relationships does not build mutual trust. It also does not result in their widespread involvement in producing, sharing, and applying knowledge toward urban development.
Conclusions: It is vital to promote stakeholder trust and participation in moving towards KBUD. The findings of this study are consistent with those of Story and Teters (1998) on questioning the role of clusters in technology transfer, Wested and Story (1995) on considering the importance of the actual links between universities and companies situated in science parks as exaggerated, and Messi et al. (1992) on the unavailability of significant evidence confirming the effects of geographical proximity of universities and science parks on promoting technology transfer and synergistic production support. Accordingly, a consensus can be reached with critics of the cluster theory at founding KBUD that knowledge cities should act as places for intellectual development, environmental sensitivity, social inclusion and cohesion, and participatory and transparent governance. This consensus can also be on the fact that knowledge and innovation clusters can succeed by providing a range of high-quality, attractive, and diverse places to live and work. Hence, knowledge-based production does not necessarily require constructing special technological places, e.g., science parks, but it can also occur in public urban spaces and informal places. Indeed, the knowledge required for urban development should not be regarded as technologically limited to which a specific urban space is allocated. Instead, the stage must be set to produce, share, and apply local tacit knowledge all over the city. Citizens' local tacit knowledge can be exploited to facilitate their participation in the development process.