Aura-Luciana Istrate
Biographic Data
| ID | 4417092 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Aura-Luciana Istrate |
| GIVEN NAMES | Aura-Luciana |
| FAMILY NAME | Istrate |
| SIGNATURE | ISTRATE A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College Dublin |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1832-8816 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 5 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 13 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
A geogame-based approach through Minecraft to children-centred participatory traffic safety planning
Traditional urban planning frequently overlooks Children’s Independent Mobility (CIM) – the developmental stage where children begin to navigate their environment without adult supervision. Current educational methods often fail to bridge the ‘knowledge-behaviour gap’ which represents the disconnect between knowing traffic safety rules and applying them in real-world situations. To address this, this study presents a site-specific geogame using a…
Assessing street vitality using functional density as a proxy
Maintaining street vitality, understood as a concentration of human activity, is a key priority for urban agendas, yet predicting and understanding it remains challenging. This paper examines street vitality in 10 European cities using functional density as a proxy, measured as the number of unique points of interest (POI) classes per street segment length. Leveraging OpenStreetMap (OSM) data and a spatial lag regression model with a log-transfor…
Mapping vitality–safety tensions with streetscape scores in Zagreb
Sense of belonging and attachment in urban green spaces
This study evaluates the place attachments of older adults in Hasht Behesht Park, Isfahan, using a qualitative approach and Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 19 participants aged 65–93. The research reveals that place attachment is a multifaceted phenomenon encompassing place identity, place dependence, nature bonding, and social bonding. Findings show that attachment is shaped not s…
Contrasts of liveability and vulnerability analysed spatially and non-spatially in a historical Chinese context
Contrasts of liveability and vulnerability remain underexplored in literature; this research aims to understand them through relational spatial and social patterns in a historical Chinese context. Spatial analyses of the built environment, transport, and green spaces were conducted using ArcGIS. Perceptions and mental maps from city centre residents and peripheral youth respondents were collected through survey questionnaires ( n = 184 and n = 31…
Comparative analyses of publicness in urban squares within a diversifying metropolis
Ensuring publicness and accommodating more diverse human activity in urban public spaces is necessary. This research analyses the relationship between human activities, ownership, and physical features encouraging or discouraging use within the city centre of Dublin (Ireland), a diversifying metropolis experiencing dereliction. Four urban squares were assessed through fieldwork, including direct observation and behavioural mapping. Results indica…
Nature-based design and planning
Reclassifying streets based on fine-grained functions
Urban Nature Games for integrating nature-based solutions in urban planning
Adopting nature-based solutions (NbS) in urban planning is not mainstream due to insufficient knowledge or incentives for implementation. Game-based approaches may increase NbS adoption by educating urban stakeholders and engaging them in the planning process. Here, we develop a conceptual framework for assessing various games’ main purpose (educational, interventional, or for research) and how they capture important concepts of NbS and urban pla…
Street Vitality
The presence of pedestrians is definitory for street vitality. This study employs statistical and geospatial analyses to explore how built environment factors explain changes in “pedestrian flows” and “stationary activities” on fifteen street segments in Shanghai, at a mesoscale. Detailed indicators were collected through field surveys, behavioral mappings, and counting. Changes in “pedestrian flows” are distinguished from those in “stationary ac…
Collaborative research for transitioning to Climate-Neutral Cities – contouring a prospective framework for integrated planning
Transitioning to climate-neutral cities is difficult in practice, depending on complex urban activities and involving a vast range of stakeholders. Cities need ongoing support for assessing and implementing climate-neutral solutions. Following multi-country, collaborative academic workshops on this topic, we debate the use of new technologies and integrated planning approaches. We contour a preliminary framework underpinned by five key dimensions…
Liveable streets in Shanghai
Developing an analytical framework for liveable streets in Shanghai
Collaborative research for transitioning to Climate-Neutral Cities – contouring a prospective framework for integrated planning
Transitioning to climate-neutral cities is difficult in practice, depending on complex urban activities and involving a vast range of stakeholders. Cities need ongoing support for assessing and implementing climate-neutral solutions. Following multi-country, collaborative academic workshops on this topic, we debate the use of new technologies and integrated planning approaches. We contour a preliminary framework underpinned by five key dimensions…
Street Vitality
The presence of pedestrians is definitory for street vitality. This study employs statistical and geospatial analyses to explore how built environment factors explain changes in “pedestrian flows” and “stationary activities” on fifteen street segments in Shanghai, at a mesoscale. Detailed indicators were collected through field surveys, behavioral mappings, and counting. Changes in “pedestrian flows” are distinguished from those in “stationary ac…
Developing an analytical framework for liveable streets in Shanghai
Liveable streets in Shanghai
Urban Nature Games for integrating nature-based solutions in urban planning
Adopting nature-based solutions (NbS) in urban planning is not mainstream due to insufficient knowledge or incentives for implementation. Game-based approaches may increase NbS adoption by educating urban stakeholders and engaging them in the planning process. Here, we develop a conceptual framework for assessing various games’ main purpose (educational, interventional, or for research) and how they capture important concepts of NbS and urban pla…
Street Vitality
The presence of pedestrians is definitory for street vitality. This study employs statistical and geospatial analyses to explore how built environment factors explain changes in “pedestrian flows” and “stationary activities” on fifteen street segments in Shanghai, at a mesoscale. Detailed indicators were collected through field surveys, behavioral mappings, and counting. Changes in “pedestrian flows” are distinguished from those in “stationary ac…
Collaborative research for transitioning to Climate-Neutral Cities – contouring a prospective framework for integrated planning
Transitioning to climate-neutral cities is difficult in practice, depending on complex urban activities and involving a vast range of stakeholders. Cities need ongoing support for assessing and implementing climate-neutral solutions. Following multi-country, collaborative academic workshops on this topic, we debate the use of new technologies and integrated planning approaches. We contour a preliminary framework underpinned by five key dimensions…
Comparative analyses of publicness in urban squares within a diversifying metropolis
Ensuring publicness and accommodating more diverse human activity in urban public spaces is necessary. This research analyses the relationship between human activities, ownership, and physical features encouraging or discouraging use within the city centre of Dublin (Ireland), a diversifying metropolis experiencing dereliction. Four urban squares were assessed through fieldwork, including direct observation and behavioural mapping. Results indica…
Nature-based design and planning
Reclassifying streets based on fine-grained functions
A geogame-based approach through Minecraft to children-centred participatory traffic safety planning
Traditional urban planning frequently overlooks Children’s Independent Mobility (CIM) – the developmental stage where children begin to navigate their environment without adult supervision. Current educational methods often fail to bridge the ‘knowledge-behaviour gap’ which represents the disconnect between knowing traffic safety rules and applying them in real-world situations. To address this, this study presents a site-specific geogame using a…
Assessing street vitality using functional density as a proxy
Maintaining street vitality, understood as a concentration of human activity, is a key priority for urban agendas, yet predicting and understanding it remains challenging. This paper examines street vitality in 10 European cities using functional density as a proxy, measured as the number of unique points of interest (POI) classes per street segment length. Leveraging OpenStreetMap (OSM) data and a spatial lag regression model with a log-transfor…
Mapping vitality–safety tensions with streetscape scores in Zagreb
Sense of belonging and attachment in urban green spaces
This study evaluates the place attachments of older adults in Hasht Behesht Park, Isfahan, using a qualitative approach and Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 19 participants aged 65–93. The research reveals that place attachment is a multifaceted phenomenon encompassing place identity, place dependence, nature bonding, and social bonding. Findings show that attachment is shaped not s…
Contrasts of liveability and vulnerability analysed spatially and non-spatially in a historical Chinese context
Contrasts of liveability and vulnerability remain underexplored in literature; this research aims to understand them through relational spatial and social patterns in a historical Chinese context. Spatial analyses of the built environment, transport, and green spaces were conducted using ArcGIS. Perceptions and mental maps from city centre residents and peripheral youth respondents were collected through survey questionnaires ( n = 184 and n = 31…
Geography (6 works) · Urban Design and Spatial Analysis (6 works) · Urban Transport and Accessibility (6 works) · Civil engineering (5 works) · Engineering (5 works) · Environmental planning (5 works) · Urban Green Space and Health (5 works) · Urban planning (5 works) · Place Attachment and Urban Studies (4 works) · Political science (4 works)