Papers by Kheir Al-Kodmany
The Urban Book Series
This chapter examines the Magnificent Mile, one of the most popular commercial places in North Am... more This chapter examines the Magnificent Mile, one of the most popular commercial places in North America. The chapter first offers a brief history of its development and the factors that made it significant. Visual and spatial analysis indicates that tall buildings along this vital path create two remarkable clusters, the “Grand Gateway” and the “City’s Signature.” Near the intersection of the Chicago River with Michigan Avenue, an outstanding group of tall buildings forms one of the most elegant urban spaces in the city. Similarly, a group of tall buildings near the historic Chicago Water Tower forges a unique place. In both cases, tall buildings exhibit authentic architectural styles and exceptional spatial compositions, which collectively evoke a strong sense of place and identity. Overall, a provocative spatial mosaic of vibrant public plazas, vital commercial activities, and iconic buildings along the Magnificent Mile contribute to splendid placemaking.
Journal of Urban Technology
The concept of sustainability continues to be of paramount importance to our cities (United Natio... more The concept of sustainability continues to be of paramount importance to our cities (United Nations, 2015; Zolli, 2012). Planners, architects, economists, environmentalists, and politicians persist in using the term in their conversations and writings. The term “sustainability” frequently appears in academic literature, professional conferences, and organizations, as well as in practice. For example, the American Planning Association (APA) continues to use this term in its discussions, publications, and programs. The APA’s Sustaining Places Initiative, a program dedicated to promoting sustainability in human settlements, has recently released several important reports that center on sustainability. Among these reports is Sustaining Places: Best Practices for Comprehensive Plans by David R. Godschalk and David C. Rouse (2015). It offers planners, urban designers, and architects a detailed guide to creating comprehensive sustainable plans. Similarly, the United Nations’World Urban Forum (WUF), the world’s premier conference on urban issues, uses “sustainability” as a guiding theme to its myriad activities. Since its first meeting in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002, through the latest in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the WUF uses the concept of “sustainability” as central to its agenda. Importantly, WUF uses the term “sustainable” in each of its objectives as follows (https:// unhabitat.org/wuf/):
Buildings
This paper explores a blend of digital and traditional methods to inform about a city’s popular s... more This paper explores a blend of digital and traditional methods to inform about a city’s popular spaces. Using locational data from social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, along with using participatory field surveys and direct observations and combining insights from architecture and urban design literature, this study reveals popular socio-spatial clusters in the city of Chicago. The locational data of photographs were visualized by using geographic information systems, and they helped in producing heat maps that showed the spatial distribution of posted photographs. The geo-intensity of photographs illustrated the areas that are the most visited in the city. The study’s results indicate that the city’s most popular places include Millennium Park, Maggie Daley Park, Navy Pier, the Magnificent Mile Gateway, the Inner Loop, the Water Tower Area, the River Confluence, Museum Campus, Urban Giants, Grant Park, and the River City complex. The findings elucidate...
Socio-Economic Applications of Geographic Information Science, 2002
Asynchronous Learning Networks …, 1999
Berkeley Planning Journal, 1999
eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing services to the University of California ... more eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing services to the University of California and delivers a dynamic research platform to scholars worldwide.
Socio-Ecological Practice Research
Community Participation and Geographical Information Systems, 2002
ICTs for Urban Development and Monitoring, 2010
... overnight. • Day Two: In the morning, the pilgrims de-part for Arafat, about 7 miles southeas... more ... overnight. • Day Two: In the morning, the pilgrims de-part for Arafat, about 7 miles southeast of Mina. ... events. For example, the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, which happens every 12 years, has a different agenda of activities andrituals. ...
International Journal of E-Planning Research, 2012
This article explores how community-based organizations working in low-income residential neighbo... more This article explores how community-based organizations working in low-income residential neighborhoods of U.S. cities employ e-tools and social networking platforms to engage the youth. The authors interviewed representatives of community organizations that work with young adults from lower-income groups in Chicago to comprehend their actual usages and perceptions of electronic tools. These organizations facilitate a wide-range of initiatives including political and after-school education, gang-free spaces, crime intervention and prevention, and arts and media. They found that the organizations have internalized the idea of employing e-Engagement techniques to enhance communication with their constituents but use new technologies and social media in multiple ways. Many respondents posit that the presently available e-tools enable certain forms of civic engagement but require sustained resources. Also stressed is the roles of face-to-face communication, offline-meetings, and other t...
Landscape Research, 2000
... Digital images of a node were taken across from each corner. These images were then imported ... more ... Digital images of a node were taken across from each corner. These images were then imported into a computer, retouched, and assembled along with the street layout using Adobe Photoshop. ... Here we introduced a new tool, 3D modelling. ... GIS in the Urban Landscape 19 ...
Journal of Urban Technology, 1999
Journal of Planning Literature, 2002
... participants would become so involved in the discussion that they would walk up to the ... In... more ... participants would become so involved in the discussion that they would walk up to the ... Interchange Format (GIF), or HyperText Markup Lan-guage (HTML) for direct publishing on the Web. ... However, the concept of public participation GIS (PPGIS) is a new and growing area of ...
Journal of Planning Education and Research, 1996
Buildings Journal, 2018
The first two decades of the twenty-first century represent a major milestone in skyscraper devel... more The first two decades of the twenty-first century represent a major milestone in skyscraper developments. By analyzing extensive data, the research presented here contrasts building activities of skyscrapers before and after the turn of the 21st century. It examines tall buildings in the world’s major continents (Asia, Europe, North America, Oceana, Middle East, South America, Central America, and Africa) and their respective cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Bangkok, London, Moscow, New York, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, Melbourne, Sydney, Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Tel Aviv, São Paulo, Panama City, Mexico City, and Nairobi. By using nearly 40 tables and 80 maps, the paper highlights the rapid activities of building significant skyscrapers at greater heights, elucidates the changes in functions and services, and delineates shifts in spatial patterns and visual impact.
BOOK: The Vertical: A Sustainable Development Model, 2018
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Papers by Kheir Al-Kodmany