Several tasks in urban and architectural design are today undertaken in a geospatial context. Building Information Models (BIM) and geospatial technologies offer 3D data models that provide information about buildings and the surrounding environment. The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and CityGML are today the two most prominent semantic models for representation of BIM and geospatial models respectively. CityGML has emerged as a standard for modeling city models while IFC has been developed as a reference model for building objects and sites. Current CAD and geospatial software provide tools that allow the conversion of information from one format to the other. These tools are however fairly limited in their capabilities, often resulting in data and information losses in the transformations. This paper describes a new approach for data integration based on a unified building model (UBM) which encapsulates both the CityGML and IFC models, thus avoiding translations between the models and loss of information. To build the UBM, all classes and related concepts were initially collected from both models, overlapping concepts were merged, new objects were created to ensure the capturing of both indoor and outdoor objects, and finally, spatial relationships between the objects were redefined. Unified Modeling Language (UML) notations were used for representing its objects and relationships between them. There are two use-case scenarios, both set in a hospital: “evacuation” and “allocating spaces for patient wards” were developed to validate and test the proposed UBM data model. Based on these two scenarios, four validation queries were defined in order to validate the appropriateness of the proposed unified building model. It has been validated, through the case scenarios and four queries, that the UBM being developed is able to integrate CityGML data as well as IFC data in an apparently seamless way. Constraints and enrichment functions are used for populating empty database tables and fields. The motivation scenarios also show the needs and benefits of having an integrated approach to the modeling of indoor and outdoor spatial features.

Finding a method to evaluate people’s emotional responses to urban spaces in a valid and objective way is fundamentally important for urban design practices and related policy making. Analysis of the essential qualities of urban space could be made both more effective and more accurate using innovative information techniques that have become available in the era of big data. This study introduces an integrated method based on geographical information systems (GIS) and an emotion-tracking technique to quantify the relationship between people’s emotional responses and urban space. This method can evaluate the degree to which people’s emotional responses are influenced by multiple urban characteristics such as building shapes and textures, isovist parameters, visual entropy, and visual fractals. The results indicate that urban spaces may influence people’s emotional responses through both spatial sequence arrangements and shifting scenario sequences. Emotional data were collected with body sensors and GPS devices. Spatial clustering was detected to target effective sampling locations; then, isovists were generated to extract building textures. Logistic regression and a receiver operating characteristic analysis were used to determine the key isovist parameters and the probabilities that they influenced people’s emotion. Finally, based on the results, we make some suggestions for design professionals in the field of urban space optimization.

This paper strives to enhance the inclusivity of urban public spaces, which play a crucial role in providing essential services for all citizens, including community building, physical and mental well-being, social interaction, civic engagement, citizen participation, and economic vitality. Despite the importance of these spaces, as recognized by the UN’s 2030 sustainability goals, the 2023 UN sustainable development report and scholars have drawn attention to their low availability, particularly for low-income individuals, women, children, and people with disabilities. To improve the inclusivity of public spaces, this paper offers the following contributions. (i) The establishment of a comprehensive framework for assessing public space inclusivity. This framework incorporates eight indicators: spatial distribution, typology, facilities and services, green and humid areas, governance and management, safety, user categories, and user satisfaction. (ii) The utilization of the framework to assess the inclusivity of public spaces in Nablus, a major Palestinian city. This assessment confirms the observations made by the UN and scholars regarding the low inclusivity of public spaces; in particular, a lack of public space, poor spatial distribution, and user dissatisfaction with safety conditions and services. (iii) The introduction of the concept of smart public space, which involves citizens in the governance of this space and leverages smart technology for monitoring, providing real-time information and services to citizens, improving facility efficiency, and creating an eco-friendly environment that preserves resources and biodiversity. By addressing these aspects, this paper enhances inclusivity. It promotes the development of an urban public space that caters to the diverse needs of the community, fostering a sense of belonging and well-being for all.

The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology has facilitated storage and reuse of information throughout the lifecycle of construction projects. Despite its benefits, construction industry has witnessed several obstacles in adopting BIM technology in terms of people management. This paper investigates how ADKAR model (an acronym for five stages of effective lasting people change: awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement) can contribute to successful adoption of BIM in construction sector. This study was conducted in two main stages: a rigorous literature review process followed by data collection using eight in-depth interviews with construction project managers. Data was analyzed following Bryman and Bell’s [(2007). Business Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press] steps for thematic analysis. The results from interviews combined with results of literature review contribute to the development of an integrated conceptual model of change management. The conceptual model identifies two main phases of determinants for successful change management process towards the adoption of BIM technology using ADKAR model. Firstly, engineers as designers with different specialist (i.e., architectural, civil, electrical, mechanical), engineers as contractors, and clients require the enhancement of all five dimensions of ADKAR for a lasting change. Secondly, government requires the enhancement of three main dimensions of ADKAR model, namely awareness, desire, and reinforcement.

This paper presents two complementary methods: an approach to compute a network data-set for indoor space of a building by using its two-dimensional (2D) floor plans and limited semantic information, combined with an optimal crowd evacuation method. The approach includes three steps: (1) generate critical points in the space, (2) connect neighbour points to build up the network, and then (3) run the optimal algorithm for optimal crowd evacuation from a room to the exit gates of the building. Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) is used in the first two steps. The optimal evacuation crowd is not based on the nearest evacuation gate for a person but relies on optimal sorting of the waiting lists at each gate of the room to be evacuated. As an example case, a rectangular room with 52 persons with two gates is evacuated in 102 elementary interval times (one interval corresponds to the time for one step for normal velocity walking), whereas it would have been evacuated in not less than 167 elementary steps. The procedure for generating the customized network involves the use of 2D floor plans of a building and some common Geographic Information System (GIS) functions. This method combined with the optimal sorting lists will be helpful for guiding crowd evacuation during any emergency.

Assessing urban service locations is a key issue within city planning, integral to promoting the well-being of citizens, and ensuring effective urban development. However, many current approaches emphasize spatial analysis focused solely on physical attributes, neglecting the equally vital social dimensions essential for enhancing inhabitants’ comfort and quality of life. When social factors are considered, they tend to operate at smaller scales. This paper addresses this gap by prioritizing integrating social factors alongside spatial analysis at the community level. By employing space syntax theory, this study investigates urban service suitability in Hajjah, a Palestinian urban community, presenting a novel approach in the literature. The research identifies good spots for essential governmental facilities like health clinics and fire stations using axial map analysis. It also suggests reallocation for some schools. Additionally, it shows ways to improve the placement of community amenities, finding ideal park locations but suboptimal mosque placements. Commercial services also exhibit areas for enhancement including gas stations and shops. The insights from this research can offer policymakers and planners insights to create more efficient, equitable, and accessible cities. The research approach incorporates social behavior dynamics into spatial analysis, promoting inclusive urban planning.