With the urbanization and expansion of cities, which have taken place over recent decades, new demands and problems are emerging, among which is the problem of inadequate transport infrastructure. The number of motor vehicles is growing, while transport infrastructure is not following that growth fast enough. One of the problems that arises is the insufficient number of garages and parking lots, causing an increase in illegal parking on sidewalks, which impedes and endangers pedestrian traffic. This paper proposes a new decision support concept (DSC) for the management of illegally parked cars in urban centers, which offers a method that can contribute to solving this problem and improving the flow of pedestrians on city roads. Due to its complexity, the problem addressed in this research is recognized as a multicriteria one and therefore the proposed model is based on the use of multicriteria analysis methods—more precisely, the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation—PROMETHEE, and the analytic hierarchy process—AHP. The proposed DSC is validated in the city of Split (Croatia), more precisely in the neighborhood of Sućidar, which shows that this methodology is applicable and effective for finding not a temporary but a permanent solution to the problem described.
The phenomenon known as urban heat islands (UHIs) is becoming more common and widespread, especially in large cities and metropolises around the world. The main cause of these temperature variations between the city center and the suburbs is the replacement of large tracts of natural land with artificial (built-up) surfaces that absorb solar heat and radiate it back at night. UHIs have been the subject of numerous studies, most of which were about defining the main characteristics, factors, indexes, etc., of UHIs using remote sensing technologies or about determining mitigating activities. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the literature, as well as a bibliometric analysis, to discover research trends related to the application of decision support systems and multi-criteria decision-making for UHI management, with a special emphasis on fuzzy theory. Data collection is conducted using the Scopus bibliographic database. Throughout the literature review, it was found that there were not many studies on multi-criteria analysis and decision support system applications regarding UHIs. The fuzzy theory application was also reviewed, resulting in only a few references. However, this topic is current, with an increase in published papers, and authors see this as an opportunity for improvement and further research.
Urban heat islands (UHIs) are a phenomenon of temperature rising within urban areas relative to their rural counterparts. UHIs are becoming an increasingly common problem in large cities, which appear due to excessive urbanization and reductions in natural cover and vegetation. This phenomenon negatively affects the quality of life of the residents of the affected city, causing discomfort, reducing air quality, and increasing energy demand. In this study, UHIs were detected and analyzed in the city of Split, Croatia, using data from the Landsat 8 and 9 satellite missions and ground-based measurements of air and land surface temperatures, which were conducted in July, August, and September 2024. This research compares ground-based and sensor-based temperatures, and their analysis results in the proposal of a new index: the Combined Thermal Index. The main feature of this new index, which combines measured and perceived temperature, is to improve the understanding of the impact of UHIs in the city (Split), compared to existing indices. So far, LST and air temperature have not been combined, nor have they been combined with human perception of temperature, which is important in the case of UHIs because it is these people who will ultimately feel a rise in temperature.