Conceptual Development of Urban Super-blocks Model in Urban Planning Based on Content Analysis Method

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Seyyed Jamaluddin Asadabadi University, Asadabad, Iran.
Abstract
The superblock model is one of the urban models that have been proposed in response to climate change and expansion of walkability. Based on this, current research purpose is conceptual development of urban superblocks model for the use of urban planners and policy makers of the country.The current research is applied-developmental in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of data collection method. The current research method is qualitative and based on content analysis. The statistical community includes various sources including articles, books, and theses, which were used to select the sources using available and snowball sampling methods. The sample size includes 35 sources consisting of articles, books and theses. The statistical community includes various sources such as articles, books, and theses, which have been used to select sources using available and snowball sampling methods. The sample size includes 35 sources consisting of articles, books and theses. According to the research results, in terms of typology, 74% of research sources are related to articles. In terms of time, the largest amount of research resources is related to the years 2022 and 2023, which is equivalent to 49% of the resources. The most sources are from Science Direct and MDPI, ProQuest and ResearchGate databases, which is equivalent to 74% of research sources. The approach of most sources is quantitative and qualitative (71 percent). The most methods of data collection are related to field studies, literature review, observation, interviews, spatial data and document analysis, which account for 84% of the research resources. The research method of most of the sources includes explanation, case study, descriptive-analytical method, which account for 80% of the sources. Based on the analysis and synthesis of the findings, 101 open codes have been identified regarding the unique characteristics of urban superblocks, which have been classified into 31 core codes. Axial codes in six selected codes are classified including background conditions (superblock and mini-block environment), causal conditions (field of urban action, land use and urban morphology, urban function, urban complexity, biodiversity and urban green, metabolic efficiency , social unity, human-centered street, complete streets, healthy streets and sustainable streets), mediating conditions (good urban governance and mixed use), central category (biological and physiological needs, security needs, belonging needs, respect needs, cognitive needs, aesthetic needs and self-fulfillment needs), strategies (green space redesign, space reassignment and restrictions and active transportation) and consequences (environmental improvement, traffic reduction, air pollution reduction, social cohesion, health promotion, economic). The selected codes form the conceptual model of the urban superblock.

Keywords

Subjects


  • مؤمنی، اکبر. علی‌آبادی، خدیجه. فردانش، هاشم. مزینی، ناصر .(1392). تحلیل محتوای کیفی در آیین پژوهش: ماهیت، مراحل و اعتبار نتایج. فصلنامه اندازه­گیری تربیتی، 4(14)، 222-187.

https://jem.atu.ac.ir/article_92.html

  • Abd El-Bakey, T. M. T. F., Abdou, A. A., & Morsi, A. A. (2023). The Potential of Implementing Superblocks in Nasr City, Journal of Al-Azhar University Engineering Sector, 18( 68), 608 - 623.

https://dx.doi.org/10.21608/auej.2023.310343

  • Amati, M., Stevens, Q., Rueda, S. (2023). Taking Play Seriously in Urban Design: The Evolution of Barcelona’s Superblocks. Space and Culture, 27(2), 156-171

https://doi.org/10.1177/12063312231159229

  • Anabtawi, R., & Scoppa, M. (2022). Measuring Street Network Efficiency and Block Sizes in Superblocks— Addressing the Gap between Policy and Practice. Buildings, 12(10), 1-17.

https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101686

  • Brenner, A.K., Haas, W., Rudloff, C., Lorenz, F., Wieser, G., Haberl, H., Wiedenhofer, D., Pichler, M. (2023). How Experiments with Superblocks in Vienna Shape Climate and Health Outcomes and Interact with the Urban Planning Regime. SSRN Electronic Journal. 1(1), 1-23.

http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4357823

  • Caballero, H., Hidalgo, L., & Quijada-Alarcon, J. (2022). Study of Pedestrian Zone According to Superblock Criteria in the Casco Antiguo of Panama. Sustainability, 14(6), 1-16.

https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063459

  • Camerin, F. (2023). Urban Governance in Post-pandemic Barcelona: A Superblock-Based New Normal?. In: Lissandrello, E., Sørensen, J., Olesen, K., & Steffansen, R.N. (Eds). The ‘New Normal’ in Planning, Governance and Participation. The Urban Book Series., Cham: Springer. 287–299.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32664-6_22

  • Chen, X. (2017). A Comparative Study of Supergrid and Superblock Urban Structure in China and Japan Rethinking the Chinese Superblocks: Learning from Japanese Experience. Ph.D Thesis. Faculty of Architecture, Design & Planning, The University of Sydney. Sydney, Australia.

http://hdl.handle.net/2123/17986

  • De Boeck, S. (2021). Barcelona's Superblocks. Iterations between concept and realization. Thesis Master of Human Settlement. Faculty of Engineering Science, Department of Architecture, Kasteelpark Arenberg.

http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.13039.65441

  • Eggimann, S. (2022). The potential of implementing superblocks for multifunctional street use in cities. Nature Sustainability, 5(5), 406–414.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-00855-2

  • Eggimann, S., Lischer, P., & Bolliger, J. (2021). Evaluating superblock design to enhance urban greening. Journal of Physics, 2042(1), 012005.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2042/1/012005

  • Fabris, L.M.F., Camerin, F., Semprebon, G., Balzarotti, R.M. (2023). How 15-min City, Tactical Urbanism, and Superblock Concepts Are Affecting Major Cities in the Post-Covid-19 Era?. In: Allam, Z. (Eds) Sustainable Urban Transitions. Urban Sustainability. Springer, Singapore.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-2695-4_10

  • Filasto-Buzzolan, B. N. (2022). Are superblocks the super solution to social problems? Assessing social sustainability of the Superblock pilot project in Vienna. Master Thesis, Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University, Vienna, Austria.

https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2022/filasto_bianca.pdf

  • Ge, X., & Han, D. (2020). Sustainability-oriented configurational analysis of the street network of China’s superblocks: Beyond Marshall’s model. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 9(4), 858-871.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2020.07.001

  • Holanda, F. (2021). Brasília: Superblocks in perspective. Journal of Design for Resilience in Architecture and Planning, 2(1), 34 – 55.

https://doi.org/10.47818/DRArch.2021.v2si034

  • Jovanović, P. R., & Stupar, A .B. (2022). The emerging community planning in the super‑blocks of New Belgrade. URBAN DESIGN International, 27(1), 275–287.

https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-021-00169-3

  • Kan, H. Y., Forsyth, A., & Rowe, P. (2017). Redesigning China’s Superblock Neighbourhoods: Policies, Opportunities and Challenges. Journal of Urban Design, 22 (6) , 757–777.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2017.1337493

  • Li, K., & Wilson, J.P. (2023). Modeling the Health Benefits of Superblocks across the City of Los Angeles. Applied Sciences. 13(4), 1-13.

https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042095

  • Lischer P. (2021). Multi-criteria evaluation of superblock sites in Zurich for greening urban neighborhoods. Master's thesis in Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Switzerland, Zurich.

https://www.wsl.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/WSL/Ueber_die_WSL/Forschungsprogramme_Initiativen/Zentrum_Landschaft/Masterarbeiten_Zentrum_Landschaft/Lischer_Philipp_Master_Thesis.pdf

  • Lopez, I., Ortega, J., & Pardo, M. (2020). Mobility Infrastructures in Cities and Climate Change: An Analysis Through the Superblocks in Barcelona. Atmosphere Journal, 11(4), 1-16.

https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11040410

  • Maing, M. (2022). Superblock transformation in Seoul Megacity: Effects of block densification on urban ventilation patterns. Landscape and Urban Planning, 222(­104401), 1-15.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104401

  • Maritz, A. (2019). Pre-Feasibility Model for the Creation of Green Pedestrian Zones. Thesis Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/44701ad6-d884-4dad-ac0e-3209988793d1/content

  • Mehdipanah, R., Novoa,A. M., León-Gómez, B. B., López,M. J.,  Palència, L., Vasquez, H., DÍez, È., Borrell, C., & Pérez, K .(2019). Effects of Superblocks on health and health inequities: a proposed evaluation framework. Epidemiol Community Health, 73(7), 585-588.

https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2018-211738

  • Müller, J., Straub, M., Stubenschrott, M., Graser, A. (2023). Simulation of a full-scale implementation of Superblocks in 15th ITS European Congress, Lisbon, Portugal, 22-24 May.

https://publications.ait.ac.at/ws/portalfiles/portal/37905147/ITS_European_Congress_2023_Lisbon.pdf

  • Mueller, N., Rojas-Rueda, D., Khreis, H., Cirach, M., Andrés, D., Ballester, J., Bartoll, X., Daher, C., Deluca, A., Echave, C., Milà, C., Márquez, S., Palou, J., Pérez, K., Tonne, C., Stevenson, M., Rueda, S., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2020). Changing the urban design of cities for health: The superblock model. Environment International, 134(­105132­), 1-13.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105132

  • Nello-Deakin, S. (2022). Exploring traffic evaporation: Findings from tactical urbanism interventions in Barcelona. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 10(4), 2430-2442.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2022.11.003

  • Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J.(2021). New urban models for more sustainable, liveable and healthier cities post covid19; reducing air pollution, noise and heat island effects and increasing green space and physical activity. Environment International.157, (106850), 1-8.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106850

  • Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., & Khreis, H. (2016). Car free cities: pathway to healthy urban living. Environment International. 94(1), 251-262.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.05.032

  • Palència, L., León-Gómez, B. B., Bartoll, X., Carrere, J., Díez, E., Font-Ribera, L., Gómez, A., López, M.J., Marí-Dell’Olmo, M., Mehdipanah, R., Olabarría, M., Pérez, G., Puig-Ribera, A., Rico, M., Rojas-Rueda, D., Vásquez-Vera, H., & Pérez, J. (2020). Study Protocol for the Evaluation of the Health Effects of Superblocks in Barcelona: The “Salut ALS Carrers” (Health in the Streets) Project. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(8), 1-14.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082956

  • Puig‑Ribera, A., Arumí‑Prat, I., Cirera, E., Solà, M., Codina‑Nadal, A., Palència, L., Biaani, B., & Pérez, K. (2022). Use of the Superblock model for promoting physical activity in Barcelona: an one‑year observational comparative study. Archives of Public Health, 80(257), 1-12.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-022-01005-y

  • Speranza, P. (2018). A human-scaled GIS: measuring and visualizing social interaction in Barcelona’s Superilles. Journal of Urbanism International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, 11(1), 1-22.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17549175.2017.1341426

  • Rueda, S. (2018). Superblocks for the Design of New Cities and Renovation of Existing Ones: Barcelona’s Case. In Nieuwenhuijsen, M., & Khreis, H. (Eds). Integrating Human Health into Urban and Transport Planning. Springer, Cham.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74983-9_8

  • Scoppa, M., & Anabtawi, R. (2021). Connectivity in Superblock Street Networks: Measuring Distance, Directness, and the Diversity of Pedestrian Paths. Sustainability, 13(24). 1-18.

https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413862

  • Scoppa, M., Bawazir, K., & Alawadi, K. (2018). Walking the superblocks: Street layout efficiency and the sikkak system in Abu Dhabi. Sustainable Cities and Society, 38(1), 359-369.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2018.01.004

  • Scudellari, J., Staricco, L. & Vitale Brovarone, E. (2020). Implementing the Supermanzana approach in Barcelona. Critical issues at local and urban level, Journal of Urban Design, 25(6), 675–696.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2019.1625706

  • Stupar, A., Jovanović, P., & Vojvodić, J. I. (2020). Strengthening the Social Sustainability of SuperBlocks: Belgrade's Emerging Urban Hubs. Sustainability. 12(3), 1-24.

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030903

  • Zografos, C., Klause, K.A., Connolly, J.J., & Anguelovski, I. (2020). The everyday politics of urban transformational adaptation: struggles for authority and the Barcelona superblock project. Cities, 99, 1-17.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2020.102613