Road traffic is among the main sources of atmospheric pollution in cities. Maps of pollutants are based on geostatistical models using a digital model of the city along with traffic parameters allowing for ongoing analyses and prediction of the condition of the environment. The aim of the work was to determine the size of areas at risk of carbon monoxide pollution derived from road traffic along with determining the number of inhabitants exposed to excessive CO levels using geostatistical modeling on the example of the city of Bydgoszcz, a city in the northern part of Poland. The COPERT STREET LEVEL program was used to calculate CO emissions. Next, based on geostatistical modelling, a prediction map of CO pollution (kg/year) was generated, along with determining the level of CO concentration (mg/m3/year). The studies accounted for the variability of road sources as well as the spatial structure of the terrain. The results are presented for the city as well as divided into individual housing estates. The level of total carbon monoxide concentration for the city was 5.18 mg/m3/year, indicating good air quality. Detailed calculation analyses showed that the level of air pollution with CO varies in the individual housing estates, ranging from 0.08 to 35.70 mg/m3/year. Out of the 51 studied residential estates, the limit value was exceeded in 10, with 45% of the population at risk of poor air quality. The obtained results indicate that only detailed monitoring of the level of pollution can provide us with reliable information on air quality. The results also show in what way geostatistical tools can be used to map the spatial variability of air pollution in a city. The obtained spatial details can be used to improve estimated concentration based on interpolation between direct observation and prediction models.
Road transport is one among the sources of air pollution in a city, which results in lowering the comfort of life and increases the occurrence of respiratory diseases. The level of pollutants emitted in the city is variable, and it depends on the type and nature of the source and the manner of land development. For this reason, the purpose of the article is an attempt at a spatial (inner) diversification of a city in terms of air quality, using a study of perception and semantic differentials (SD). The research, which covered the period from June to November 2021, was performed in Kielce—the Polish Smart City—among local experts, people well acquainted with the city and knowledgeable about air quality and the impact of pollution on human health. The results allowed the demarcation of areas with the best and the worst parameters in terms of air quality within the city. Verification of the survey was carried out using the ADMS-Roads (Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling System) software for modeling pollution levels and GIS software, using data on road traffic. The verification allowed checking whether the respondents participating in the research accurately evaluated the city space. The modeling proved that within the two selected areas, the pollution level is similar, and it does not exceed the permitted values. This might indicate that in society there is still low awareness of air quality, particularly in terms of knowing the sources of pollutants and their impact on human health, and perception of areas with the best and the worst air quality was the result of an analysis of the manner of land development and its morphology.
1 June 2020 in Real Estate Management and Valuation
Noise as a form of environmental pollution negatively affects the attractiveness of residential areas. Its adverse effect is particularly noticeable in the vicinity of roads with high traffic volume. Along with the dynamic development of roads, the problem of the impact of traffic noise on the prices of residential real estate is now common. The purpose of this article was to determine the impact of road traffic noise from a busy route on residential property prices using strategic noise map (SNM) resources as a source of information on real estate. Housing estate was identified in the area of the Polish city of Bydgoszcz. Assuming that the prices of real estate reflect its characteristics, the article attempts to verify the following hypothesis: for residential premises located at Kujawska St., noise is a feature that reduces their price. SNM resources, statistical analyses and econometric modelling were used in the research. The studies show that housing prices vary with acoustic zones, but differences in prices in the areas surveyed are not statistically significant. In addition, the undertaken research has shown that SNM resources can be a source of information on real estate, especially in the context of environmental factors.
20 December 2019 in Geomatics and Environmental Engineering
Road transport in cities is one of the main sources of air and noise pollution, lowering the attractiveness of areas of sensitivity, influencing the quality of life and the ability to meet the basic needs of users. The reconstruction of the existing road network and introduction of a new, alternative type of transport can radically change the acoustic conditions occurring in a city. As a result of this, an assessment of the noise nuisance of a fragment of the city of Bydgoszcz – a city located in the northern part of Poland – which had undergone changes connected with transportation, was carried out in the work. The influence of a newly-built tram route “Bydgoszcz-Fordon” on the acoustic conditions occurring in its surroundings was assessed. The studies were carried out in two periods of time (2012 and 2019), corresponding to various spatial states of the terrain. The results confirm that the introduction of an alternative transport solution contributed to a decrease in the level of road traffic noise. This occurs as a result of improved road conditions on modernized road segments, the integration of transportation networks and a decrease in the share of individual road vehicle transport. It was also confirmed that a well-designed tram route can influence changes in transportation habits of users and have a positive effect on the attractiveness of residential areas. This is in line with the concept of sustainable urban transport.
1 March 2016 in Real Estate Management and Valuation
Testing what factors create the market value of real estate is key information when preparing property valuations as well as other opinions and professional evaluations on the basis of which court verdicts or administrative decisions are made. One of the factors influencing the value of some real estate is the level of noise present in the surroundings, which can lead to the occurrence of noise nuisance negatively affecting social relations. Due to the fact that the analysis of the attractiveness of a location is the basis for properly determining the market value of real estate, the present article is dedicated to the methodology of assessing the noise nuisance of real estate surroundings. Four methods of assessment are proposed in the work: two of an objective nature, based on the measurements of noise and spatial analyses of data included in a strategic noise map, as well as two of a subjective nature, accounting for, among others, the individual perceptions of real estate users. The results of studies using the above methods can serve as a source of information on real estate as well as aid decision processes in the scope of real estate management. Theoretical deliberations were supported by a sample assessment of the noise nuisance of real estate surroundings carried out using two of the presented study methods.
Road traffic noise, as a form of environmental pollution, is an important element causing discomfort among inhabitants and leading to the emergence of noise nuisance influencing the shaping of urban space. The basic tool in combating noise is a Strategic Noise Map (SNM), which, understood as a system, constitutes an element of a city’s information layer. The system, illustrating the noise situation within a city, is prepared by means of a calculation measurement method using specialized computer programs. The assessment of road traffic noise begins by defining the amount of noise emissions coming from acoustically-homogenous sections (emission map), and ends with determining the extent of noise propagation in urban space (immission map). The above process is based on the analysis of actual input data describing, in a detailed manner, the analyzed road infrastructure in terms of the characteristics of the road section, information on the volume and type of traffic, and data on the organization of traffic. Under such extensive analysis of the condition of the environment, it is appropriate to apply GIS data as a methodological basis for creating SNMs. GIS data make it possible to unify the rules for collecting and archiving values characterizing the condition of the environment, as well as parameters influencing the level of noise. The aim of work is create a theoretical road traffic noise model with the help of GIS. The scope of information in attribute tables of acoustically-homogenous road sections comprising a GIS thematic layer was described in detail. The above information are the basis for generating digital road traffic noise emission maps as well as being the starting point for assessing road traffic noise in the area of a city in the form of immission maps. The article additionally analyzes the results of data derived from the first phase of noise mapping in Europe, as well as familiarizing the reader with the procedure of modelling road traffic noise emission in accordance with the CNOSSOSEU which will become binding as of 31 December 2018 throughout the European Union, and which was introduced by the provisions of the new noise directive – Directive 2015/996 of 19 May 2015.