Age Patterns of Mortality During the Black Death in London, A.D. 1349-1350

This paper examines adult age-specific mortality patterns of one of the most devastating epidemics in recorded history, the Black Death of A.D. 1347-351. The goal was to determine whether the epidemic affected all ages equally or if it targeted certain age groups. Analyses were done using a sample of 337 individuals excavated from the East Smithfield cemetery in London, which contains only individuals who died during the Black Death in London in 1349-1350. The age patterns from East Smithfield were compared to a sample of 207 individuals who died from non-epidemic causes of mortality. Ages were estimated using the method of transition analysis, and age-specific mortality was evaluated using a hazards model. The results indicate that the risk of mortality during the Black Death increased with adult age, and therefore that age had an effect on risk of death during the epidemic. The age patterns in the Black Death cemetery were similar to those from the non-epidemic mortality sample. The results from this study are consistent with previous findings suggesting that despite the devastating nature of the Black Death, the 14(th)-century disease had general patterns of selectivity that were similar to those associated with normal medieval mortality.     

HOW THE VISUAL IS SPATIAL: CONTEMPORARY SPATIAL HISTORY,NEO-MARXISM,AND THE GHOST OF BRAUDEL

Contemporary spatial history is founded on the potential for maps and other visualizations to show the historical constructedness of space, usually in broadly neo-Marxist terms, yet neo-Marxist geographical theory is famously critical of visual representation, especially mapping. At stake in this contradiction isn't just the relationship between digital enthusiasm and spatial theory (or the wider spatial turn), but the theoretical status of the visual itself in spatial scholarship. It raises a crucial question: how does visual material—everything from today's statistical maps and cutting-edge data graphics to the broader use of primary-source photographs or drawings—in fact shape our understanding of space, and what theoretical work does it do? By extension, how can humanists make critical theoretical interventions through their own visual production? This article proposes an analytic vocabulary of “visual argument” grounded in an image-focused rereading of two canonical bodies of work: the neo-Marxist theory most cited by spatial history (Henri Lefebvre, David Harvey, Doreen Massey, and Edward Soja) and the conspicuously uncited work of Fernand Braudel. By focusing on how these authors’ illustrations make claims about spatial subjectivity and the historicity of space—especially through visual relationships of background and foreground—I argue for a new way of understanding and responding to this work and to the visual project of spatial history today. A visual analysis highlights not only the limitations of neo-Marxism but also the pervasiveness of certain assumptions—shared across the neo-Marxists, Braudel, and digital visualization—about temporality, the natural/human dichotomy, and the methodological tensions between argument and visualization. I present my own mapping of Phoenix as one possibility for an argument-driven rethinking of familiar visual commitments, which also suggests a broader meditation on the relationship between visual and textual scholarship.     

Mapping the spatial pattern of the uncertain data in urban areas: The disadvantaged predict global nonresponse rate in the National Household Survey

High levels of survey nonresponse potentially produce unreliable data due to the often indeterminable possibility of such data being subject to nonresponse bias. In this paper, spatial patterns of global nonresponse rate are analyzed in order to identify whether systemic bias exists across urban spaces with regard to survey nonresponse. Forward stepwise regression is used in combination with spatial regression analysis to build models enabling the prediction of global nonresponse rates in the voluntary 2011 National Household Survey based on explanatory employment, housing, income, and other variables within 11 Canadian cities. The modelling process underscores the inequity of global nonresponse rates; places with high unemployment, high rates of rental properties, a higher proportion of Aboriginal residents, and lower educational attainment have lower compliance with the voluntary survey. Such a pattern has the potential to dramatically influence the ability of government, non-governmental organizations, and other service providers to address the needs of residents of such urban areas.     

Time for tools: A review on geospatial tools and their role in co-management

The overall goal of this study was to conduct an extensive literature review to characterize how geospatial tools are being applied in co-management contexts globally. This was accomplished through two objectives: (i) to investigate the use and applications of geospatial tools in cases of natural resource co-management; and (ii) to identify benefits and challenges associated with the use of these technologies. A total of 26 articles met the inclusion criteria for review; these encompassed a range of contexts, but were predominantly focused on co-management of fisheries, protected areas, and forests. Case studies were analyzed through the lens of four tool-based categories: participatory mapping, spatial data collection, remote sensing, and modelling. Findings suggest a wide range of applications, demonstrating the versatility of these tools including those used to measure the efficacy of co-management. Frequently cited geospatial tool benefits included identifying space-use patterns, determining the state of resources, capacity building, and monitoring change over time. Challenges with geospatial tools included issues of scale and generalization, data uncertainty, incomplete or poor data, and lack of trust. A primary conclusion from this study is that geospatial tools tend to be used in a participatory fashion, thereby contributing to key elements of co-management such as trust building and knowledge co-production.     

Teardowns,popups, and renovations: How does housing supply change?

Cities grow in layers over time. As population and land values increase, older, smaller buildings are replaced with higher density, higher value structures. However, direct costs of redevelopment and institutional barriers such as zoning may constrain replacement of older structures, leading to alternate forms of supply adjustment. In this paper, I use data on building permits in Washington DC to examine three different forms of residential investment: new construction, expansion of existing structures, and renovation. Results suggest that new construction accounts for a relatively small part of residential investment and is highly concentrated in a few neighborhoods. Expansions and alterations of existing structures are more frequent and more evenly dispersed across space. Recent increases in housing values are correlated with more new construction, but only among neighborhoods with relatively more permissive zoning. Additions and alterations are more prevalent in neighborhoods with high property values, older housing, and more restrictive zoning.     

Investigating space-time patterns of regional industrial resilience through a micro-level approach: An application to the Italian wine industry

This paper introduces a new methodology to identify space-time patterns of regional resilience using a micro-level approach. The novel empirical tool combines geographically weighted regression with panel stochastic frontier analysis with endogenous covariates. The analysis is implemented on a panel of farm holdings operating in the Italian wine industry, focusing on the impact of a major institutional change. The results show the effectiveness of the new procedure in identifying geographical clusters of wine producers who reacted to the shock in similar ways. The responses are found to be homogeneous within specific territories and heterogeneous between regions.     

城市少数民族社区地方认同的消解与重构

在城市空间生产与再生产过程中,城市少数民族社区空间形态及功能的重大改变,需通过地方重构以维系少数民族地方特色及文化传承。开封善义堂回族社区案例研究发现,城市少数民族社区的地方形成以及地方认同建构,依赖于自身独特的居住环境及文化传统。少数民族社区由聚居转变为散居的地方变迁,对居民的地方感知及地方归属感具有重要影响。集中代表地方意义的独特空间,有助于地方及认同的重构。城市少数民族社区中被赋予特殊意义的空间,对地方的建构及文化的传承具有关键作用。     

空间隔离视角下中西方城市社会排斥研究述评

空间已成为社会排斥研究的重要维度。本文通过梳理国内外相关文献,重点对空间隔离与社会排斥的内在逻辑及其重点研究领域进行阐述。总体上,社会排斥研究的空间维度聚焦于资源和机会的非均衡配置及流动性障碍导致的边缘化过程。具体来讲,从邻里结构性特征中辨识潜在的被排斥主体,强调了社会排斥产生的物质基础;厘清不同尺度、不同空间类型下空间隔离与社会排斥相互作用机制,为消除空间隔离产生的社会排斥障碍提供实践基础。基于社会融合发展目标,提出融贯社会空间隔离到社会空间融合的分析框架,为建构多尺度社会融合路径提供理论支持。     

基于POI的城市影子教育机构空间格局及其影响因素——以兰州市主城区为例

影子教育作为普遍而又特殊的人文社会现象尚未引起空间科学的关注。本文基于POI数据,融合GIS空间分析及地理探测器等方法,探究了兰州市影子教育机构空间分布特征及影响因素。结果表明：①兰州市影子教育机构总体表现出“西疏东密”的河谷带状分布,并呈现“一主多次”的组团式空间结构;②内部差异较大且不同类型机构的分布特征不同,区位选择的尺度差异明显且集聚形态各异;③不同类型机构的专业化水平差异显著,形成了不同功能型的专业化空间单元;④城市居住小区、商服环境、主流教育机构及交通可达性是影响影子教育空间布局的重要因素,由此驱动形成了不同类型的空间布局模式。     

水平地震作用下大式带斗栱木结构古建筑的抗倒塌性能分析

基于根据宋代《营造法式》制作的某单层单开间殿堂式木结构振动台模型,建立了考虑柱础滑移隔震、榫卯半刚性连接及斗栱减震性能的空间杆系有限元模型。通过模型的数值计算值与振动台实测数据之间的对比分析,验证了建模方法的正确性。提出了柱脚滑移倒塌的相对位移判定准则及柱架层间倒塌的最大层间位移角判定准则,并采用增量动力分析(IDA)方法对这两种倒塌机制进行研究。结果表明:木结构古建筑在普通地震波作用下不易出现柱脚滑移倒塌;层间倒塌为长周期地震波作用下最易出现的倒塌机制;相对于普通地震波而言,木结构古建筑受长周期地震波作用的影响更大。