Research on Social Service Effectiveness Evaluation for Urban Blue Spaces—A Case Study of the Huangpu River Core Section in Shanghai

Abstract

Urban blue spaces (UBSs) hold significant value in terms of public health, tourism economy, and residents’ well-being. The Huangpu River in Shanghai, renowned as a global urban blue space, currently faces challenges such as unequal service capacity across sections and varying levels of spatial vitality. This study incorporates the concept of “service effectiveness” into public space evaluation. Drawing inspiration from the 4E (economics, efficiency, equity, and effectiveness) principles of effectiveness evaluation, a social service effectiveness evaluation system is constructed to measure service efficiency and effect. Through the literature research, 6 primary indicators and 12 secondary indicators are set to investigate the utilization rate and realization effect of the UBS. The evaluation system utilizes field surveys, text analysis, and remote-sensing techniques to collect relevant data. Through standardized calculations, different aspects of the indicators are integrated into a single evaluation criterion. The “overall effectiveness index” and the “efficiency–effect balance index” is introduced to quantitatively analyze the overall effectiveness characteristics, including spatial characteristics and time-varying characteristics, as well as efficiency–effect balance and imbalances. The evaluation located three low-effectiveness sections and three imbalanced sections at the north and south ends of the core section of the Huangpu River. The influence factors of effectiveness are analyzed through correlation test and literature studies, mainly including the urban hinterland, service facilities, environmental quality, and management publicity factors. This study aims to provide research ideas and methods for waterfront area planning and city-refined management.

Exploring the Influence of Dynamic Indicators in Urban Spaces on Residents’ Environmental Behavior: A Case Study in Shanghai Utilizing Mixed-Methods Approach and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Modeling

“…Gaining an understanding of how dynamic indicators linked to urban spaces affect residents' pro-environmental behavior is essential for fostering sustainability [1][2][3]. A hybrid approach incorporating geographical mapping and field observations has been employed to explore the relationship between these indicators and environmental behaviors [4][5][6]. With urbanization posing significant environmental challenges, investigating the connection between urban spaces and environmental behavior is vital [1][2][3].…”

“…With urbanization posing significant environmental challenges, investigating the connection between urban spaces and environmental behavior is vital [1][2][3]. This introduction focuses on dynamic indicators in urban spaces and their potential to inform sustainable urban design, particularly in Shanghai-a rapidly evolving metropolis that is facing environmental issues [4][5][6][7]. Creating urban environments that encourage sustainable practices can mitigate the negative effects of urbanization and enhance the wellbeing of residents [8][9][10][11].…”

Recovery of an Abandoned Singular Infrastructure as a Key Factor for Regional Sustainable Development; A Study Case: “El Caminito del Rey” [“The King’s Little Path”]

“…The increasing interest in the so-called blue-green infrastructure facilities [6], urban blue spaces [7], and some other similar projects [8][9][10][11], which are different but complementary to this one, as well as in their excellent degree of implementation, fully comparable with "El Caminito del Rey", make us think that it is time to implement a decided policy on different conceptions of infrastructure facilities even if they have different nature and utilities.…”