Cities have had to deal with complex and unforeseen challenges. While some, like the COVID-19 pandemic, can be more unanticipated, many are related to urbanisation and population expansion, which affect transportation and energy patterns crucial to reaching global climate targets (Mukim and Roberts, 2023). Cities are intricate systems where residents’ views have an impact. As a result, creating integrated solutions while involving citizens is crucial (Kummitha, 2024). When it comes to creating such solutions, civil engineers are essential (ICE Community Blog, 2023).
This issue of Municipal Engineer features four publications that address city challenges, namely urban planning (incorporating lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic), commercial buildings’ energy consumption reduction (using vegetated façade systems), and traffic-related issues (traffic calming measures and urban cyclists’ risk). The articles’ key themes are outlined below, and I encourage people to read them.
The paper by Kwak et al. (2024) explores the future urban planning directions regarding spatiotemporal changes in population using the COVID-19 experience from Seoul. The authors use the bid rent theory to study urban structure, the de facto population to analyse urban activities, and the cluster analysis to distinguish areas with similar population distribution. Comparing the population before and after COVID-19, the de facto population showed an evident decline after 2020, particularly in high land-value central areas, since a non-contact culture increased after COVID-19. The authors emphasise that it is necessary to understand the changes in people’s lifestyles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for the post-coronavirus era. It encompasses changes in urban spatial structure to create urban environments where regular activities with minimal contact are conducted, even in high-density environments.
The following paper explores and quantifies the effect of commercial buildings’ vegetated façade systems on energy usage reduction by investigating the feasibility of implementing these systems in terms of construction cost versus energy usage reduction in the Australian context. Their technical aspects are also presented to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms behind them. Moore et al. (2024) assessed insulation factors using equations, tests and readings on existing buildings or scale models to determine the potential energy usage reduction. They concluded that a typical green wall can reduce the energy usage of a commercial building by up to 12%.
The last two papers aim to create a safer urban atmosphere for all road users where citizens’ role is essential; the first one (Jassal and Sharma, 2024) deals with traffic calming measures (TCMs) installed in urban areas. TCMs reduce traffic speed, providing a safer urban atmosphere for all road users. Speed bumps, one of the TCMs used, although effective in reducing traffic speed, pose several problems. The paper presents a pilot study inside an educational institute in India where bumps were disregarded and vandalised. As a solution, they were removed or replaced by permanent barriers in the shape of chicanes, which also proved adequate for reducing traffic speed. A microsimulation tool was used to validate the chicane’s design and compare it with bumps. It highlights the importance of involving citizens in TCM definition and design. The other one (Abdolrazaghi and Mirbaha, 2024) addresses the perception of urban cyclists’ risk, considering both environmental and behavioural factors. The risk perception was quantified using the heart rate of 26 cyclists riding standard bicycles in typical urban areas of a large city (Qazvin, Iran). Repeated measures on each participant were performed. The results show that both factors impact risk perception, and consequently, both factors should be considered when promoting the use of the bicycle for urban commuting.
Note that the journal publishes its most recent articles Ahead of Print on its Virtual Library homepage. This allows the community quicker access to fresh content.
