#10/2025
ISSN-L 2501-5591 (Online)=ISSN 2559-4141
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NCHIMBI, Y.I., KAZAURA, W.G., and MCHOME, E.E. - Analysing Challenges of Using Non-Motorized Transport in Rapidly Growing Cities: The Case of Dodoma City, Tanzania
Abstract
This study investigates the infrastructure and usability of non-motorized transport in Dodoma, Tanzania, amidst increasing urbanization and mobility challenges. The primary objective was to assess the conditions of pedestrian pathways and cycling infrastructure, focusing on user experiences and safety concerns. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through questionnaires, field observations, and remote sensing, involving 151 respondents. Results indicated that 85.4% of respondents primarily use walking as their mode of non-motorized transport, while 14.6% utilize cycling. However, 81.5% reported the absence of separated pedestrian pathways, with only 18.5% acknowledging their existence. Of those, a mere 2 out of 28 respondents confirmed that these pathways connect to bus stops. Moreover, all respondents indicated that there are no dedicated cycling tracks in the central business district. The size and condition of pathways were rated as poor by 63.6% of participants, highlighting significant infrastructure deficiencies. Additionally, 66.2% felt there were insufficient traffic signs to guide non-motorized users. Findings reveal that the lack of infrastructure contributes to safety risks and deters active transport use. These outcomes align with global studies demonstrating that inadequate facilities impede non-motorized transport adoption. The research highlights the necessity for local governments to prioritize the development and maintenance of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, ensuring integration into urban planning strategies. This research emphasizes the urgent need for improved non-motorized transport infrastructure in Dodoma. The findings are significant for policymakers, providing a framework for enhancing urban mobility and public health by promoting active transport modes. Enhanced infrastructure not only improves safety but also fosters a more sustainable urban environment.
Keywords: community engagement; infrastructure development; pedestrian safety; traffic management; urban mobility.
MACAPAYAD, K. L. and SALAPA, A. - Clustering-based approaches for assessing service access inequality: a systematic literature review of household and community microdata studies
Abstract
Clustering-based methodologies are crucial for studying inequitable access to services in rural contexts. Following the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, we assessed 30 empirical papers out of an initial 253. With a focus on access to basic services, the inclusion criteria were set to the strictest parameters within the boundary of using clustering techniques on granular household or community-level microdata. Of the 83 records that passed the title/abstract screening stage, 30 were retained in the final set after reviewing the full text. The results of the studies demonstrate the ability of clustering techniques to reveal and better describe geographical concentrations in service deficits that are otherwise not visible through analytical means of aggregate data or are often overlooked. Regarding the systematic empirical clustering of service access, this is highly useful for evidence-based planning of public services, particularly in lower- and middle-income countries with a specific geographical focus.
Keywords: clustering methods, service access inequality, household microdata, spatial analysis, CBMS, poverty mapping, geographic targeting, PRISMA systematic review
CHMIELEWSKI, S. - From bird atlases to planning layers: integrating avifauna data into city-region spatial planning
Abstract
Spatial planning and strategic environmental assessment frequently rely on coarse biodiversity descriptions that are insufficient to locate high-value habitats and to anticipate ecological consequences of land-use change along the urban-rural gradient. Birds respond rapidly to habitat configuration and management, and avifauna datasets can serve as an operational indicator for diagnosing ecological sensitivity in urban regions and peri-urban cultural landscapes. Using three regional Polish avifauna monographs that differ in scale and mapping approach as comparative knowledge products, the paper shows how their outputs can be translated into planning-relevant environmental information: baseline layers, constraints and opportunity maps, alternatives appraisal and monitoring indicators. It then synthesises recurrent barriers that limit uptake of biodiversity data in planning practice (data access and licensing, lack of standardisation, scale mismatch, limited institutional capacity and uncertainty management) and proposes a minimum evidence standard for integrating avifauna data into planning documents and SEA workflows. High-quality regional syntheses that separate historical and contemporary records and provide reproducible cartography can act as boundary objects linking ornithology with planning practice and supporting biodiversity-inclusive development.
Keywords: spatial planning, avifauna, birds, peri-urban landscapes, biodiversity data, strategic environmental assessment
CHUKWURAH, G.O., AGHOLOR, H., IYORAKPO, J., ENOGUANBHOR, E., UCHENNA CHUKWURAH, U - Sustainable Retirement Functional Housing For The Catholic Diocese Of Enugu, Nigeria: A Patterned Community Approach PLEASE FOLLOW THE EDITORS INSTRUCTIONS
Abstract
This study aimed to examine indoor and outdoor environment suitable for the patterned life of a priest taken special cognizance of their age and targeted towards improving the health condition of the retired priests of the Catholic Church using the diocese of Enugu as a case study. This study analyzed a questionnaire survey of 50 senior and retired priest in the Roman catholic diocese of Enugu, Nigeria using descriptive statistics. The findings show that there is no retirement home for the retired priest, and the parish house is not conducive for retirement home. The result revealed that only about (18%) of respondents will like to be in retirement home when they retire, while (27%) of the respondents will prefer to remain in parish house which was informed by poor orientation of a retirement home. The study shows the life pattern of the priest and the functional space that should be provided however, library and study should be given prominence in the design, followed by chapel among others. The following, viewing green landscape/ relaxation, rearing animals, sports and games, gardening, strolling in the garden, and chatting with friends are the outdoor activities/ environment suitable for the aged priest. The provision of a conducive and sustainable functional retirement home with green architectural design is recommended for a healthy environment and welfare of the aged. Further study should consider care of the aged priest.
Keywords: Retirement home, Patterned community, Indoor Outdoor Environment, Sustainable building, Health environment.
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FARZAD BEHTASH, M. and MIRZAEE, F. - Religion, Secularism, and Urban planning: a postsecular synthesis through grounded theory and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) PLEASE FOLLOW THE EDITORS INSTRUCTIONS
Abstract
This article investigates the relationship between religion, secularism, and urban planning through a postsecular lens. It challenges the notion that planning is a neutral, technocratic discipline by showing how secular assumptions have historically shaped planning institutions and erased or misrepresented religious presence in urban space. Drawing on grounded theory and a crisp-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (csQCA), the study analyzes twelve peer-reviewed articles to identify five conceptual patterns that describe how religion functions as a spatial, ethical, and political force in the city. The findings demonstrate that religious actors contribute not only to the shaping of space but also to urban imaginaries, ethical claims, and justice-oriented practices. The csQCA approach reveals that religion becomes visible in planning not simply through legal frameworks, but through the combination of ethical framing, pluralism, and political engagement. Rather than proposing a return to religious dominance, the article advocates for a postsecular approach to planning that engages with faith-based knowledge as a source of ethical reasoning and civic imagination. It calls for a rethinking of urban planning that moves beyond accommodation toward deeper forms of cohabitation and epistemic pluralism.
Keywords: Secularism, Planning, Religion, Postsecular
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WANG, J. - Semiotics and Dynamic Mechanisms in Climate Change Data Narratives: A Theoretical Framework for Urban Ecological Spaces of Resistance) PLEASE FOLLOW THE EDITORS INSTRUCTIONS
Abstract
This study explores the semiotics and dynamic mechanisms of data narratives in revealing climate impacts within urban ecological resistance spaces. Drawing from semiotic theory, environmental communication, and urban ecology, it develops a conceptual framework that connects symbolic representation with real-time interactive processes. Methodologically, the research combines semiotic analysis with case studies of interactive visualizations, examining how data symbolization and dynamic visual forms shape public perception of ecological resistance in urban contexts. The framework identifies three key mechanisms—symbolic condensation, temporal layering, and feedback adaptation—that collectively enhance the communicative power of climate-related narratives. Findings suggest that integrating semiotic structures with real-time interaction can transform abstract climate data into accessible, emotionally resonant, and spatially situated experiences. This approach not only enriches the cultural interpretation of urban ecological resilience but also offers design strategies for creating more engaging and politically meaningful environmental communication. The study contributes to the discourse on design, culture, and urban ecology by foregrounding the role of symbols and dynamic media in shaping collective environmental imagination.
Keywords: semiotics, data narrative, dynamic visualization, urban ecological resistance, climate communication
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