محمد باسم محمد بصراوي

As cities prioritize transit-oriented development (TOD) to reduce automobile dependence and promote sustainable urban growth, the role of rail stations is evolving from mere transportation nodes to vibrant social hubs. This research addresses the gap between the functional role of rail stations and their capacity to foster third places, using Istanbul as a case study. Employing the Node-Place-Third Place-Ridership-Time (NPTPRT) model, the study provides a multidimensional framework to evaluate the integration of rail stations with surrounding land uses, ridership trends with temporal dynamics, and social engagement. The research examines 29 stations across diverse urban and suburban settings to analyze the influence of station characteristics on ridership dynamics and community interactions. A comprehensive methodology was developed, incorporating field observations, geospatial analysis, and institutional data to measure the node, place, and third-place attributes of each station. The findings reveal that stations with high accessibility and integrated land-use characteristics not only attract greater ridership but also foster stronger community engagement, validating the hypothesis that TOD strategies enhance urban vitality when stations function as third places. Moreover, the study identifies stations where performance and ridership trends, influenced by temporal dynamics, deviate from the balance of integration, providing valuable insights for transit planning and station design. By incorporating the concept of third places into traditional TOD frameworks, this research highlights the potential for rail stations to act as centers of social life, extending their utility beyond transit. This study contributes to the TOD literature by demonstrating the dual role of rail transit stations as transportation nodes and community spaces. It underscores the importance of designing rail stations with a social dimension to create more sustainable and inclusive urban environments. While focused on Istanbul, the findings offer broader insights for cities worldwide navigating the challenges of rapid urbanization and expanding transit networks. By emphasizing the intersection of mobility and livability, this research presents actionable recommendations for enhancing urban vitality through integrated station planning and management.

The expansion of Istanbul’s rail transit network from 2013 to 2023 has significantly reshaped the city's transportation landscape. This study explores how station characteristics and network growth have influenced changes in rail transit ridership over this period, offering valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers. By examining station location, line type, ridership levels, and opening dates, the research aims to uncover the key factors driving these shifts. The analysis focuses on five phases of network growth, using non-parametric statistical methods to assess the impact of these variables on ridership patterns. In this context, the study aims to define the relationship between station characteristics and ridership trends and highlight the main factors contributing to ridership changes. The findings reveal that station location played a critical role, with European-side stations initially experiencing higher ridership due to their proximity to economic hubs. However, as the network expanded into suburban areas, particularly on the Asian side, ridership growth in these stations accelerated, narrowing the gap. Additionally, the research explores the roles of metro, tram, and commuter rail lines, each contributing to distinct ridership behaviors due to their varying speeds, frequencies, and service areas. Notably, ridership demand levels revealed a widening disparity, with high-demand stations experiencing significant increases while low-demand stations stagnated. This phenomenon can likely be attributed to factors such as network expansion, urban development, and shifting travel patterns favoring heavily used stations. Newly opened stations also exhibited initial fluctuations in ridership, while older stations showed steady, moderate growth. The study concludes that understanding these factors is essential for optimizing future transportation planning in rapidly expanding cities like Istanbul. The insights from this research provide a framework for enhancing rail infrastructure, improving connectivity, and promoting sustainable urban mobility, with direct implications for planners, designers, and city officials.

As COVID-19 wreaks havoc on cities and neighborhoods, the globe is learning new methods to solve issues and prevent the potential repercussions of pandemics of revolutionary proportions and negative effects on people and well-being in the future. It therefore becomes extremely important to consider re-examining how regions and cities are planned, designed, built and maintained. As the problem of the study crystallized (the lack of measures and treatments used for cities that make them flexible in light of the great challenges As a result of the spread of epidemics), the study adopted a hypothesis indicating that (there is a link between urban planning and achieving health in cities during and after the epidemic). The primary goal of the research is to (identify the treatments and planning mechanisms used within the city to reduce the spread of epidemics in cities and to reach healthy cities). Through a review of the published literature, we hope to present an overview of COVID-19 research connected to cities in this paper. To present approaches and treatments for the development of healthy urban planning practices, Providing examples of cities using a healthy city strategy and standards of human behavior to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

The new visions for planning and designing future cities stem from the need to avoid the problems that plague our cities today. This they address by developing new future centers or cities that integrate technology, sustainability, and lifestyle enhancement to make people’s lives simpler and less difficult over decades or centuries. Therefore, the research problem appeared (the cities of the world today face huge challenges related to overcrowding and population density and the growing pressures on various infrastructures). The primary goal of this research was (the use transport technologies that provide equitable access to all elements of urban life and to centralize social stability to create a better urban future). Consequently, The research assumes (that cities that use advanced transportation technology are considered a means of urban sustainability in pursuit of an administrative and organizational vision to achieve the goals of future cities). This research study is devoted to presenting an overview of technology with a sign of its impact on the different sectors of the city’s future. It also clarifies the significance of transportation technology in an effort to take advantage of it in creating urban areas and changing the future of lifestyle, work, and mobility. by looking at some examples of cities and reviewing research literature to see the most notable features which will shape the city’s future.