The accelerated densification of Western European cities driven by economic growth has major spatial implications for their overall livability. Often, new homes must be built within an existing urban fabric, creating higher density environments. However, the impact on the experience of these high-density environments at eye level remains unstudied and unknown. This chapter reviews two experiments that sought to understand the unconscious reception of streetscapes using eye-tracking technology to investigate the sequence of users’ (visual) experience, their behavior and perception. The research project seeks to establish more ‘evidence-based’ design guidelines for streetscapes in high-rise urban settings.This chapter reviews two experiments that sought to understand the unconscious reception of streetscapes using eye-tracking technology to investigate the sequence of users’ experience, their behavior and perception. Eye-tracking results of Experiment 1 show that the movement of pedestrians, cyclists and cars crossing the street created the most eye fixation for most participants. In general, the eye-tracking results from Experiment 2 show that participants’ eyes followed the length of the facades toward the end of the street and the horizon. The preliminary results suggest that the assessed design principles ‘Active ground floor’ and ‘Ornate facades’ might be important factors in predicting dominant eye patterns. The chapter explores the application of eye-tracking technology in urban design to gain a deeper understanding of the physical-behavioral interrelationship of streetscapes in European high-density built environments. The accelerated densification of Western European cities driven by economic growth has major spatial implications for their overall livability.
Accessibility and connectivity are essential for livability and economic growth throughout the world. Improving the accessibility of physical transport is important for achieving the social and economic inclusion of rural areas. In reality, rural areas lag behind with respect to physical accessibility and connectivity. The ambition of the ITRACT project (Improving Transport and Accessibility through new Communication Technologies) was to use ICT to create smart mobility services to improve accessibility and connectivity in rural areas.
ALE organised an event with Parktheater Eindhoven and LSA-citizens (the Dutch umbrella organisation for active citizens). Five ALE students from the minor Imagineering and business/social innovation took responsibility for concept and actual organisation. On Jan 18th, they were supported by six other group members of the minor as volunteers. An IMEM-team of 5 students gathered materials for a video that can support the follow-up actions of the organisers. The students planned to deliver their final product on February 9th. The theatre will critically assess the result and compare it to the products often realised by students from different schools or even professional ones, like Veldkamp productions. Time will tell whether future opportunities will come up for IMEM. The collaboration of ALE and IMEM students is possible and adding value to the project.More than 180 visitors showed interest in the efforts of 30 national and local citizen initiatives presenting themselves on the market square in the theatre and the diverse speakers during the plenary session. The students created a great atmosphere using the qualities of the physical space and the hospitality of the theatre. Chair of the day, Roland Kleve, kicked off and invited a diverse group of people to the stage: Giel Pastoor, director of the theatre, used the opportunity to share his thoughts on the shifting role of theatre in our dynamic society. Petra Ligtenberg, senior project manager SDG NL https://www.sdgnederland.nl/sdgs/ gave insights to the objectives and progress of the Netherlands. Elly Rijnierse, city maker and entrepreneur from Den Haag, presented her intriguing efforts in her own neighbourhood in the city to create at once both practical and social impacts on SDG 11 (sustainable city; subgoal 3.2). Then the alderman Marcel Oosterveer informed the visitors about Eindhoven’s efforts on SDGs. The plenary ended with very personal interviews of representatives of two impressive citizen initiatives (Parkinson to beat; Stichting Ik Wil). In the two workshop rounds, ALE took responsibility for two workshops. Firstly the workshop: Beyond SDG cherrypicking: using the Economy for the common good’, in cooperation with citizen initiative Ware winst Brabant en Parktheater (including Social innovation-intern Jasper Box), secondly a panel dialogue on local partnerships (SDG 17) for the sustainable city (SDG 11) addressing inclusion (SDG 10) and the livability (SDG 3) with 11 representatives from local/provincial government, companies, third sector and, of course: citizen initiatives.
The livability of the cities and attractiveness of our environment can be improved by smarter choices for mobility products and travel modes. A change from current car-dependent lifestyles towards the use of healthier and less polluted transport modes, such as cycling, is needed. With awareness campaigns, cycling facilities and cycle infrastructure, the use of the bicycle will be stimulated. But which campaigns are effective? Can we stimulate cycling by adding cycling facilities along the cycle path? How can we design the best cycle infrastructure for a region? And what impact does good cycle infrastructure have on the increase of cycling?To find answers for these questions and come up with a future approach to stimulate bicycle use, BUas is participating in the InterReg V NWE-project CHIPS; Cycle Highways Innovation for smarter People transport and Spatial planning. Together with the city of Tilburg and other partners from The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and United Kingdom we explore and demonstrate infrastructural improvements and tackle crucial elements related to engaging users and successful promotion of cycle highways. BUas is responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the project. To measure the impact and effectiveness of cycle highway innovations we use Cyclespex and Cycleprint.With Cyclespex a virtual living lab is created which we will use to test several readability and wayfinding measures for cycle infrastructure. Cyclespex gives us the opportunity to test different scenario’s in virtual reality that will help us to make decisions about the final solution that will be realized on the cycle highway. Cycleprint will be used to develop a monitoring dashboard where municipalities of cities can easily monitor and evaluate the local bicycle use.
In 2012 researchers from the professorship 'Krimp en Leefomgeving', together with the inhabitants of the village, created a longterm on how the village of Westerbroek would set its priorities concerning livability (facilities, health, environment, etc). This vision will be evaluated and used to work on a new longterm plan for the village together with all stakeholder inside and outside Westebroek.What is realized and what is not realized? Is this still important for the inhabitants or do they focus on new longterm targets?In 2012 researchers from the professorship 'Krimp en Leefomgeving', together with the inhabitants of the village, created a longterm on how the village of Westerbroek would set its priorities concerning livability (facilities, health, environment, etc). This vision will be evaluated and used to work on a new longterm plan for the village together with all stakeholder inside and outside Westebroek.
