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1 – 10 of over 25000Provide a general contemporary overview of street vending around the world, focusing on the major issues underlying its permanence as a phenomenon, and the ambivalent attitudes…
Abstract
Provide a general contemporary overview of street vending around the world, focusing on the major issues underlying its permanence as a phenomenon, and the ambivalent attitudes displayed towards it by governments and off‐street business communities. Focuses on street vendors as an occupational group ad includes arguments for and against their existence, the impact of their geographical and economic location, and role of the government.
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Fodei M. Conteh and Derya Oktay
With increasing urbanisation in developing countries and the concomitant overcrowding on streets, serious questions remain about the liveability of inner-city…
Abstract
With increasing urbanisation in developing countries and the concomitant overcrowding on streets, serious questions remain about the liveability of inner-city residential-commercial streets. This paper contends that lively streets are not necessarily liveable streets. Liveability is defined by other criteria that take cognizance of human comfort and capabilities within living environments. Observations suggest an uneasy relationship between a crowded public space and the private residential spaces that sit next to them. The paper’s focus is to measure the liveability of a lively but overcrowded street and how its everyday use affects the physical characteristics of buildings, the activities, and the wellbeing of residents. Employing a mixed-method strategy, the study draws on observations, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaire survey of residents, shopkeepers, and street traders. The findings suggest that an overcrowded street space has a negative effect on the liveability and quality of living of residents and other users but that this is tempered by intra-dependency amongst the users and the negotiation of the rights accruing to all as individuals and as groups.
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Yasmine Sabry Hegazi and Mohanad Fouda
The purpose of this paper is to develop strategies of re-imaging the Rosetta historic district through choosing the suitable uses and their specific locations in compliance with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop strategies of re-imaging the Rosetta historic district through choosing the suitable uses and their specific locations in compliance with the urban design fabric of the historic core. These strategies are to be fulfilled using Space Syntax as an urban analysis tool, in the context of “connectivity analysis.”
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodology follows the combined strategy between three methods of research: a SWOT analysis, to reveal the historic core status; an experimental research approach, which stimulates the chosen area via Space Syntax; and the third is a case study of the Rosetta historic core.
Findings
The re-usage of the Rosetta old core was not originally planned as commercial and to host movable vendors, but the core was forced to adapt afterwards to suit this usage, while the Souk and those big new residential building urban blocks have clearly deformed the historic image of the Rosetta historic core. Moving from one space to another, it was found that well-connected spaces have higher movement density, such as Al Souk Street, while less dense spaces can tolerate more movement without conflicting with highly dense ones. The existing commercial activities can be classified into movable activities – which can be easily relocated – and shop-based, which need a developmental approach in their original locations. The disconnected district can be used as a commercial zone for the movable vendors, to which human flow can be successfully directed in order to reduce the density in the more connected spaces.
Originality/value
The research value lies in exploring how to re-image urban heritage via relocating the places reused with unsuitable activities through Space Syntax.
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Sucharita Srirangam, Sujatavani Gunasagaran, TamilSalvi Mari, Veronica Ng and Camelia May Li Kusumo
There is an urgent need to develop a systematic tool for urban design in the cities of the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG11) proposes ideas to make…
Abstract
Purpose
There is an urgent need to develop a systematic tool for urban design in the cities of the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG11) proposes ideas to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. This paper approaches this goal through land use, integrated into an effective connectivity network. It offers a scientific and systematic approach. The research employs Space Syntax of the University College London as a tool for urban analysis and the principles of Sustainable Street Networks developed by the Congress of New Urbanism to respond to connectivity issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper employs empirical research through case studies. A systematic literature review is conducted on the diversified applications of the Space Syntax correlations, which steered the fundamental analysis of the elements of deconstruction to structure and land use. Space Syntax and Sustainable Street Network characteristics were the essential research methods. It is important to note that these data a new finding on the Syntactic Maps of the two case study cities.
Findings
The paper summarises a set of results on (1) international comparison of spatial intelligence, (2) patterns from the Eastern cases and (3) theoretical guidelines for spatial intelligence through the Syntax by offering key characteristics of the New Urbanism principles, which could be considered, while revitalising the cities in the Klang Valley, Malaysia.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are specific and applicable to the oriental contexts. However, such results have been further compared to the Western context.
Practical implications
The study develops a toolkit for urban planners and designers and architects in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
Social implications
The research has focused and will add value for SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Theoretically, the paper offers insights to urban design readers.
Originality/value
It is important to note that the data itself is a new finding on Syntactic Maps of the two case study cities. The investigated setting is unique, and the first attempt in generating a Space Syntax map to the cities of Klang Valley, and the findings, therefore, offer a new set of knowledge-base to the city planners, urban designers, researchers and architects.
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Catering for the distribution needs of a wide range of clients, from the smaller retailer and supplier to the major High Street multiple, NCL includes amongst its clients…
Abstract
Catering for the distribution needs of a wide range of clients, from the smaller retailer and supplier to the major High Street multiple, NCL includes amongst its clients Woolworth, Boots, Carrington Viyella, and Marks & Spencer. Originating from British Railways and a subsidiary of the National Freight Corporation, NCL has the advantage of more than a hundred depots located in town centres, and a back‐up of 7,000 vehicles. Its latest venture is the launch of Fashionflow, a specialised distribution operation for hanging garments.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the West Quay shopping centre development on the city of Southampton.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the West Quay shopping centre development on the city of Southampton.
Design/methodology/approach
The West Quay scheme parallels recent high‐profile openings of “regional shopping centres” in city centre locations (e.g. Birmingham's Bullring and Reading's Oracle), and like those centres has had a significant impact on the image and external appeal of the city. Using a combination of material from personal interviews with key players in the Southampton retail scene, statistical data collected by Hammerson (the owners of West Quay), and city centre health check information, the paper offers an assessment of the impact of the regional in‐town centre on Southampton more broadly and on the city centre specifically.
Findings
Evidence suggests that the local effects of the centre's opening have not been as detrimental as was feared and that West Quay appears to be generating considerable synergy with Southampton's existing city centre. In addition, there are a number of important developments in the pipeline that owe their raison d'être to West Quay.
Research limitations/implications
The paper does not record the views of consumers and a future task must be to document and evaluate consumer's opinions of West Quay and incorporate these insights into future assessments of regional in‐town centres.
Originality/value
The paper provides a benchmark of “impacts” to date and a resource for other cities with similar in‐town schemes moving forward.
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Sarah Wise and Sue Bond
Policies which help employees balance their work and non‐work priorities have become increasingly popular among UK employers in recent years. Along with a legislative imperative…
Abstract
Policies which help employees balance their work and non‐work priorities have become increasingly popular among UK employers in recent years. Along with a legislative imperative for family leave‐related policies, employers are being encouraged to introduce work‐life policies and make them more inclusive in order to enhance their business performance. This paper looks at how four financial services organisations have approached the work‐life balance agenda and examines the fit between the organisational intentions for work‐life policy and actual outcomes for both organisations and employees. Culture played a large part in determining the experience of policies but so did resources. What managers were being asked to achieve in the business was often incompatible with formal work‐life policies. Despite the rhetoric, work‐life balance was still viewed as a tool for, and was used by female parents, limiting its potential to achieve the promoted business benefits.
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This paper seeks to investigate the use of town centre guides as a device for the representation of urban shopping destinations.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to investigate the use of town centre guides as a device for the representation of urban shopping destinations.
Design/methodology/approach
Following a review of the relevant academic literature in the areas of cartography and place marketing, the paper considers the use of graphic interface elements of scale, projection and symbolisation in the specific context of maps in town centre guides. The guides are drawn from various UK locations reflecting different levels of the retail hierarchy and different locational “archetypes” as identified by URBED.
Findings
The level of detail and content of maps in town centre guides studied varied significantly. All the graphic interface elements of scale, projection and symbolisation were incorporated. Projection was usually oblique, and in some maps isometric. Regarding symbolisation, the most important variables were shape and hue.
Research limitations/implications
This is an exploratory investigation using a limited number of town centre guides. An agenda for further research, focusing on issues in relation to the production and consumption of maps in this context, is presented.
Practical implications
The paper provides place marketing practitioners with guidance as to the development of town centre marketing/promotional material, which may incorporate maps.
Originality/value
Town centre guides are an important and commonly used promotional mechanism for urban retail provision. This paper considers issues relating to the use of a crucial component of these guides, namely cartographic representations of the town cente.
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The purpose of this paper is to provide a qualitative explanation, understanding, and policy suggestions on the socio‐economic causes, effects, and challenges facing nomadic rural…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a qualitative explanation, understanding, and policy suggestions on the socio‐economic causes, effects, and challenges facing nomadic rural girls' street hawking in cities of Northern Nigeria. The aim is to present the paper as a source of literature that will serve as a future document in formulating inclusive policies for the girls as explained in the section on educational policy options.
Design/methodology/approach
Research orientation and design involved qualitative phenomenology that explored girls' street hawking experiences. Study sites included three major Nigerian cities and three villages of the girls. Purposeful sampling was used to select 20 girls between ages eight and 15 and female parents as primary participants, while two traditional and religious leaders from each of the villages, and one administrator of the local state nomadic education commission served as secondary participants. Snowball samples of three male parents of the girls in each village were used as part of data validity. Data collection technique involved unstructured focus group interviews, participant observations, and video recording of the girls at home, at markets, and at streets in the cities. Ethical issues were addressed by obtaining oral and written consent of participants orally and in writing using the native language for clarity and understanding of their role. Data analysis of interview involved transcription and the repeated reading of the transcripts that identified major themes. Observational data were converted to field notes and analyzed for patterns of ideas that support major themes of the analyzed interview data for validity. Triangulation process of checking validity was used with sample of snowball participants as state educational administrators of nomadic education, religious leaders, amongst others.
Findings
Major findings are presented as themes on major economic causes of the girls' street hawking of dairy products as a part of family gender division of labor, poverty level of most families, preparing girls for self‐reliance and economic independence, and to augment family income. Social causes include Islamic religious pressure of teaching youth self‐reliance in preparation for early marriage, to finance wedding expenses, to acquire material possessions as child brides, for family honor, to accrue income to maintain their bodily aesthetic needs, group street hawking as a means to girls socialization, and exposing girls to suitors as future husbands, amongst others. Challenges facing the girls include lack of safety, exposure to forms of abuse, and being left behind in basic literacy, amongst others.
Originality/value
This paper is of significant value due to its novelty. It will serve as primary literature on minority West African pastoral girls' impact on rural‐urban migration, their challenges, and their position in the current world social policy of the Department for International Development and UNICEF Girls Education Project.
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Sam Sarpong and Ibrahim B. Nabubie
The paper aims to focus on how the dualism “petty trading and traffic” exacerbates the development of a social bond among traders from various communities and ethnic groups in…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to focus on how the dualism “petty trading and traffic” exacerbates the development of a social bond among traders from various communities and ethnic groups in Ghana. As understood in their normal innocuous sense, “traffic and petty trading” independently mark off two generally distinguishable exclusive partners. However, both petty trading and traffic now denote essential aspects of contemporary Ghana’s new social order shared uniquely among informal traders. The paper dilates on this phenomenon.
Design/methodology/approach
The theory underpinning this study is social constructionism. Social constructionism is part of a post-modern understanding of the nature of reality. It is a strand of sociology, pertaining to the ways in which social phenomena are created, institutionalised and made into tradition by humans. The core idea of constructionism, therefore, is that some social agent produces or controls some object. ’s (1967) situational constraints thesis also provides an important element to this paper. The thesis maintains that the poor in society are constrained by the facts of their situation; hence, the poor are unable to translate many of their ideals into reality in view of the considerable poverty that engulfs them. The thesis, reiterates that once the constraints of poverty are removed, the poor would have no difficulty adopting mainstream behavioural patterns and seizing available opportunities. The thesis is significant in exploring the objectives of this paper.
Findings
The paper finds that petty trading has given its adherents a new wave of life. The picture that emerges is that, although street hawkers are seen as a nuisance, a failure in society and lacking knowledge, they have become mindful of what society thinks about them. As a result, some have devised means to cope with what they do and also to find new ways to address the challenges facing them. The findings confirmed that people are self-reflexive beings and that they shape their own behaviour despite the influence of a variety of social factors that may constrain them. The study found that street hawkers have found a way to make life more meaningful for themselves than are actually perceived.
Originality/value
The paper seeks to discover the daily lives of petty traders, which have been stealthily tied in to urban development and planning. It brings a new dimension to the issue of petty trading. The fundamental argument of the paper is that the multidimensional nature of poverty is leading petty traders to a new consciousness which bodes well for them. These traders are shaping their own behaviour despite the influence of a variety of social factors that may constrain them. The social bond and interrelationship that permeate their working relationship has created a basis for which they now forge close ties that promote an inclusion from the exclusion that they are generally enjoined to.
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