Publications de Jérôme Chenal

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Urban sprawl is nowadays a pervasive topic that is subject of a contentious debate among planners and researchers, who still fail to reach consensual solutions. This paper reviews controversies of the sprawl debate and argues that they owe to a failure of ...

The increasing complexity and dynamism of urban environments necessitate advanced tools for comprehensive and timely diagnostics. Traditional methods are often labor-intensive, fragmented, and struggle to synthesize the vast, heterogeneous data streams generated by modern cities. This paper presents a novel theoretical framework for a multi-agent system that synergistically integrates Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to deliver automated and customizable urban diagnostic

Urbanization markedly influences the microclimatic conditions in semi-arid regions by elevating land surface temperatures (LST) and contributing to ecological degradation. This study examined the spatial and temporal evolution of LST and urban heat island (UHI) effects in Benguerir, Morocco, over a 30-year period (1994–2024), employing high-resolution satellite imagery and in situ sensor data. Urban expansion was quantified using thermal bands from Landsat imagery, the Normalized Difference Built-up Index (

If environmental factors are important determinants of health, then universal access to adequate housing is key to tackle urban health inequities. Yet, with over one billion urban dwellers having no other choice than living in so-called slums, the provision of sufficient housing units that are both adequate and affordable remains a global challenge. In fact, we argue that the inability to access adequate housing is at the root of inequitable urbanization processes, and constitutes a global health challenge

Urban planning increasingly faces the dual challenge of heterogeneous data sources and the complex realities of fast-growing cities, particularly in Africa. Conventional decision-support systems often rely on structured indicators, neglecting the richness of unstructured textual data such as citizen feedback, local reports, and narratives. This paper proposes a hybrid architecture for urban planning decision support, combining data warehousing, data mining, and natural language processing (NLP) to integrate

Coastal cities are facing a rise in groundwater levels induced by sea level rise, further triggering saturation excess flooding where groundwater levels reach the topographic surface or reduce the storage capacity of the soil, thus stressing the existing i ...

Digital connectivity depends not only on infrastructure, but also on the material devices used to access networks. This study examines electronic devices’ availability and prices in Saint-Louis, a mid-sized Senegalese city, to address the lack of empirical research on African digital markets. With data on material connectivity being scarce, this paper provides a baseline description as grounds for future research. Using a participatory mapping approach over three weeks in September 2024, the research assess

Unlike water and sanitation infrastructures or socio-economic indicators, landscape features are seldomly considered as predictors of diarrhoea. In contexts of rapid urbanisation and changes in the physical environment, urban planners and public health man ...

Global phenomena such as nationalism, extremism and xenophobia are related today to discourses on autochthony and citizenship. Given current processes of democratisation and economic liberalisation, and the scarcity of natural resources, interaction between people of diverse origins is becoming increasingly violent. In West Africa, the declining resource base and power relations are important factors in conflicts between different communities. Many outbreaks of violence are caused by attempts on the part of

This study integrates deep learning and geospatial analysis to enhance soil loss estimation in the Moulouya Watershed, a region prone to erosion due to diverse topography and climatic conditions. Traditional models like the Universal Soil Loss Equation (US ...

In existing scientific literature, numerous investigations have elucidated the correlation between nitrate contamination within groundwater and the corresponding agricultural zones above them. However, a discernible dearth of studies exists concerning the association between these agricultural domains and the resultant products derived therefrom. This cross-sectional study, conducted between 2021 and 2023 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, investigated the toxicity of vegetables from urban agriculture (UA) concern

Togolese agriculture is vulnerable to climate variability. In this context, this study aims to analyze the seasonal variability of climatic parameters and its effects on food production in the western Plateaux region. To achieve this, climatic data (from stations in Agou-Gare, Adéta, Amou, Badou, Kouma Konda, and Atakpamé) and agricultural data (yields, production, and areas of maize, rice, cowpea, cassava, and yam) from 1991 to 2020 were processed using RStudio 4.4.0. A methodology integrating both daily r

There is a pressing need for transitional water infrastructures in rapidly growing cities where conventional infrastructures lag behind human settlement expansion. In Kenya, sectoral innovations have addressed local socioeconomic challenges, but empirical ...

Population growth in Grand Lomé is increasing households’ dependence on food markets in a context of rising prices. This study analyzes the price instability of staple foods, its determinants, and its effects on the coping strategies of urban households. It is based on a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative surveys of 245 traders, 210 buyers, and 310 households, as well as interviews with institutional stakeholders. The results reveal price increases of up to 79% and non-stationarity in the price s

Urban food markets play a strategic role in food supply, economic stability, and the promotion of local produce in Togo. This study analyzes he functioning of urban food markets located in the western part of the Plateaux region. A methodology based on documentary research, ‎data collection, and data processing was adopted. A total of 150 food traders were surveyed in urban markets across four prefectures in the ‎study area, representing 51.72% of the target population. The results reveal that the structure

Housing informality (HI), and particularly unauthorized modifications, are a widely spread phenomenon in Morocco’s rapidly growing coastal suburb of Harhoura, Rabat. While previous research has already focused on the socio-economic aspects of informal adap ...

Little is known about the impacts of morphological indicators that can be derived from the physical environment on the risk of diarrhoeal diseases. Given Africa’s recent explosive urbanisation rates and rapid changes in landscape, coupled with a high burden inflicted by diarrhoeal diseases, urban planners and public health officials in that region can benefit from a deeper understanding of the relation between urban morphology and diarrhoeal diseases. This work presents a large-scale ecological analysis bas

Access to safe water sources, whenever needed, is a human right. However, attending to this fundamental right remains challenging in informal settlements. Consequently, these settlements are more exposed to risk factors of several diseases related to the lack of safe water, notably diarrheal diseases. Transitional water distribution systems are needed as “conventional” distribution systems fail to expand as fast as human settlements. In Nairobi, Kenya, alternative systems have emerged, both in the formal an

Water is a crucial resource for all forms of life, yet it is becoming increasingly scarce. A significant portion of water loss in urban and industrial areas is attributed to leaks. Addressing this issue is critical for enhancing efficiency, sustainability, ...

Urban data strongly favored by urban digitization and web 2.0 constitute the raw material whose sources often diverge. However, as far as we know, little or no work has been done to explore the sources and targeted applications for urban planning indicator ...

Jérôme Chenal

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Addressing Urban Sprawl from the Complexity Sciences

Towards a Multi-Agent System Based on LLM and RAG for Automated and Customizable Urban Diagnostics

Temporal Analysis of Land Surface Temperature Variability and Urban Climate Dynamics: A Remote Sensing Use Case in Benguerir City, Morocco

The question of housing at the center of urban health inequities

A Hybrid Architecture for Urban Planning Decision Support Using Data-Driven Analysis and NLP: A Use Case in Nouakchott, Africa

Nature-based solution enhances resilience to flooding and catalyzes multi-benefits in coastal cities in the Global South

Electronics Shops in Saint-Louis: A Participative Mapping of Value, Quality, and Prices Within the Market Hierarchy in a Secondary Senegalese City

Using Open-Access Data to Explore Relations between Urban Landscapes and Diarrhoeal Diseases in Côte d’Ivoire

Autochthony, natural resource management and conflicting rights in West Africa

Application of Deep Learning and Geospatial Analysis in Soil Loss Risk in the Moulouya Watershed, Morocco

Examining Potential Spatial Planning Influences on Nitrate Contamination in Urban Agriculture: A Cross-Sectional Study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Seasonal Variability of Climatic Parameters and Impacts on Food Crop Yields in the Western Plateau Region of Togo

Transitional Infrastructures Extending Access to Safe Water in Informal Settlements: A Cross-Sectional Study in Nairobi, Kenya

Food Price Instability and Adaptation Strategies of Urban Households: An Empirical Analysis Based on the Perception of Market Actors in Grand Lomé, Togo

Functioning of Urban Food Markets in The Western Plateau Region of Togo, West Africa

Housing Informalities Between Formal Designs and Informal Reality

Using open-access data to explore the relationship between urban morphology and diarrhoeal diseases in Côte d’Ivoire

Efficacy and health benefits of different water distribution systems in informal settlements: a cross-sectional study in Nairobi, Kenya

A two-phase approach for leak detection and localization in water distribution systems using wavelet decomposition and machine learning

Urban Data: Sources and Targeted Applications for Urban Planning Indicators Modelling