Humanizing Cities Through Car-free City Development and Transformation (Advances in Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering)

The heavy dependency on private cars has shaped the design of cities. While offering fast, comfortable, and convenient commutes, cars have become the most popular method of transportation, but are also a health crisis due to the toxic emissions they release into the atmosphere as well as the high death toll from traffic accidents. For these reasons, there is a need to minimize the use of cars within cities in favor of greener and humanized urban design that would improve the quality of life and reduce the global threat of climate change. Humanizing Cities Through Car-Free City Development and Transformation is an essential publication that explores the concepts of car-free cities and city humanization as possible solutions to reduce the deteriorating effect on the environment and the community. The publication discusses the urban initiative to implement pedestrianization and humanization of cities and public spaces to promote the concept of car-free living. Featuring coverage on a wide range of topics including city humanization, smart mobility, and urban policies, this book is ideally designed for urban planners, environmentalists, government officials, policymakers, architects, transportation authorities, researchers, academicians, and students.

Rahma Doheim is an assistant professor in Architecture and the Built Environment. She received her Ph.D. in the Built Environment from the University of Ulster, UK. And, she holds a Master’s in Safety management from the University of West Virginia, USA. Dr. Doheim's research interest falls under two research areas: urban ecology and architectural pedagogy. Her recent research focuses on Futur cities and has published recently a book chapter entitled: 'Smart city vision and practices across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia―a review' Elsevier. She has a long track record of publications participating in international and Scopus indexed conferences, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and writing several book chapters. Dr. Doheim is a registered architect in Egypt, and a member at the Charted Institute of Building Services Engineering (CIBSE), UK. She has taught and practiced architecture in the USA, the Middle East, and the UK. She was a Senior Designer with BONIAN Architects Firm, Egypt, and an Architect at the Herberger Centre for Design Excellence, Arizona State University, USA.

Alshimaa Aboelmakarem Farag is a researcher, educator, and urban designer, who has a special passion for creating smart cities that are inclusive, livable, healthy, and people-oriented. Her research interest lies in the Ecological Psychology that concerns human behaviors and their responsive reactions to the built environment, especially in the Middle East and Northern Africa Region (MENA). Also, she has a special interest in Urban Sustainability; therefore, she got the certificate (LEED AP ND) and (LEED AP Home). She is an Assistant Professor at Zagazig University, Egypt, in which she got her Ph.D. in Urban Design. She holds a Master degree from Cairo University, Egypt. Dr. Alshimaa is a member of the Editorial Review Board for the International Journal of Urban Planning and Smart Cities, in addition to participating in reviewing research works for several indexed journals, books, and conferences. She has taught and practiced Urban Design and Architecture in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where she recently got the Queen Effat Award for Excellence in Teaching for the Academic Year 2018-2019.

Ehab Kamel is a senior lecturer and active researcher in architecture and urban design, with over twenty years of experience in both academia and practice. He is a registered architect (in Egypt and MENA countries) and an urban designer. Since 1998, he has worked on several urban and architectural design projects in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and Europe, leading design teams through several projects and winning architectural and urban design competitions. He taught architecture at top universities across three different continents. Just after completing his PhD at The University of Nottingham (UK), Ehab moved to China to establish the first international architecture course at the University of Nottingham’s campus in Ningbo, China, before he started his work at UCLan in 2014. Ehab studies the relation between city cultures, and users' perception and wellbeing, which investigates how design for culturally rich sites learn from the past to create sustainable environments and people-focused public spaces. Ehab’s work engages the study of urban spaces and architecture within, and in relation to, cultural heritage contexts. His research concerns the understanding of heritage as an asset to promote better sustainable urban development and city wellbeing.