Revealing Urban Color Patterns via Drone Aerial Photography—A Case Study in Urban Hangzhou, China

Abstract

Urban color, primarily emanating from building façades and roofs, plays a pivotal role in shaping a city’s image and influencing people’s overall impression. Understanding the nuances of color patterns contributes significantly to unraveling the uniqueness and identity of a city. This study introduces a statistical method for the systematic analysis of urban color and macroscopic urban structure. Specifically, we employ drones to collect and extract building roof and façade colors in the main urban area of Hangzhou, mapping these colors to the HSV color space. Subsequently, we establish a random walk model and an origin–destination trip model within the urban transportation network to simulate the movement of people. Our experiments reveal robust correlations between façade and roof values and passing frequency (with the Pearson correlations reaching 0.70). Through a rigorous statistical analysis, we gain insights into the distribution of urban color and the impact of architectural structures on color variations, identifying potential patterns or trends. By integrating color data with architectural structure data, our systematic research method deepens the understanding of the visual features that define cities. Beyond theoretical exploration, this approach offers practical insights for building planning and design. This study not only sheds light on the relationship between architectural structures and urban color but also provides valuable guidance for future urban development initiatives.

Comprehensive Investigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): An In-Depth Analysis of Avionics Systems

“…Forwardly, building inspection operations [10] and oil and gas infrastructure monitoring [11] can also be leveraged by means of UAVs for the commercial and industrial sectors [12]. For the part of mapping and surveying applications [13], terrains can be efficiently mapped, construction sites can be better monitored [14], and aid in urban planning [15] can be as well granted with high-resolution cameras and Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) sensors embedded in UAVs [16]. The ongoing innovation in UAV technologies, which is mainly based on advances in artificial intelligence [17], communication systems [18], and swarm technology [19], will eventually yield a continuous integration of UAVs into daily lives and industries [20].…”

Exploring the Impact of Facade Color Elements on Visual Comfort in Old Residential Buildings in Shanghai: Insights from Eye-Tracking Technology

“…Of all the factors that influence visual information, color accounts for the largest percentage, followed by shape and form [8]. Thus, urban color plays a key role in shaping the city's image and influencing people's overall impression of the city, and understanding the nuances of color patterns can help reveal a city's uniqueness and identity [9].…”