Changes in neighbourhood walkability and body mass index: An analysis of residential mobility from a longitudinal multilevel study in Brisbane, Australia

This study examined associations between changes in neighbourhood walkability and body mass index (BMI) among 1041 residents who relocated within Brisbane, Australia between 2007 and 2016 over five waves of the HABITAT study. Measures included spatially-derived neighbourhood walkability (dwelling density, street connectivity, and land use mix) and self-reported height and weight. No associations were found between any neighbourhood walkability characteristics and BMI. Examining these associations over the life course, and the impact of residential relocation in the younger years, remains a priority for future research.

A National Study on the Comparative Burden of Pedestrian Injuries from Falls Relative to Pedestrian Injuries from Motor Vehicle Collisions

Pedestrian injuries from falls are an understudied cause of morbidity. Here, we compare the burden of pedestrian injuries from falls occurring on streets and sidewalks with that from motor vehicle collisions. Data on injurious falls on streets and sidewalks, and pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions, to which Emergency Medical Services responded, along with pedestrian and incident characteristics, were identified in the 2019 National Emergency Medical Services Information System database. In total, 118,520 injurious pedestrian falls and 33,915 pedestrians-motor vehicle collisions were identified, with 89% of the incidents occurring in urban areas. Thirty-two percent of pedestrians struck by motor vehicles were coded as Emergent or Critical by Emergency Medical Services, while 19% of pedestrians injured by falls were similarly coded. However, the number of pedestrians whose acuity was coded as Emergent or Critical was 2.1 times as high for injurious falls as compared with pedestrians-motor vehicle collisions. This ratio was 3.9 for individuals 50 years and older and 6.1 for those 65 years and older. In conclusion, there has been substantial and appropriate policy attention given to preventing pedestrian injuries from motor vehicles, but disproportionately little to pedestrian falls. However, the population burden of injurious pedestrian falls is significantly greater and justifies an increased focus on outdoor falls prevention, in addition to urban design, policy, and built environment interventions to reduce injurious falls on streets and sidewalks, than currently exists across the USA.

Design of public open space: Site features, playing, and physical activity

Not enough studies have examined how specific design features of public open space, such as movable site features, are associated with people's physical activity level or playfulness. To fill this gap, this study uses deep learning-based methods to extract visitors' movement trajectories (n = 18,592) from a time-lapse video of a promenade in Hong Kong. The trajectories are classified into different groups based on a set of movement indicators. Multinomial logistic regression is used to examine the relationship between trajectory types and the level of interaction with different site features. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) is also used to compare the average amount of physical activity among different trajectory types. The results show that interaction with semi-fixed or movable site features is associated with higher odds of people having "playful" trajectories than other types of trajectories. People with "sporty" trajectories and "playful" trajectories on average have the highest amount of physical activity.

Dataset of urban nature games to aid integrating nature-based solutions in urban planning

This dataset of Urban Nature Games provides information, ratings, and categorizations of different types of games that incorporate concepts of urban planning and ecosystem services or nature-based solutions. It consists of games retrieved from systematic searches on various search engines and public databases, using keywords related to: urban design and planning; ecosystem services and nature-based solutions; and game-based approaches. Recorded meta information includes game names, developers, links to each game's documentation, relevant publications, as well as generic playing information such as play duration, number of players, target group, distribution format, play mode, and costs. Of the 69 games compiled, 37 games have been rated of "high" to "medium" relevance based on their descriptions, and have been further assessed and categorized based on a framework incorporating concepts of urban planning and nature-based solutions, the game's scope, and practice. Among the 22 "high" relevance games, 41% can and have been used to engage multiple stakeholders, and 36% to engage citizens and communities. This data article relates to the research article entitled "Urban Nature Games for integrating nature-based solutions in urban planning: a review", and presents a more detailed, editable version of the dataset. The purpose is to provide a hands-on resource for educators, practitioners, and researchers to directly enable them to select their most suitable games linking ecosystem services and nature-based solutions with urban planning.

Associations between urban exposome and recurrence risk among survivors of acute myocardial infarction in Beijing, China

Few previous studies have investigated the impacts of coexposure to multiple urban environmental factors on the prognosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) events. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between the urban exposome and AMI recurrence. We used data from 88,509 AMI patients from a large cohort obtained from the Beijing Cardiovascular Disease Surveillance System between 2013 and 2019. Twenty-six types of urban exposures were assessed within 300-m, 500-m, and 1000-m buffers of patients' home addresses in the baseline and cumulative average levels. We used the Cox proportional hazard model along with the Elastic Net (ENET) algorithm to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) of recurrent AMI per interquartile range increase in each selected urban exposure. The increased risk of AMI recurrence was significantly associated with lower urban function diversity in the 500-m buffer, longer distance to subway stations and higher PM2.5 for both baseline and cumulative average exposure. The cumulative averages of two urban factors, including the distance to parks, and the density of fruit and vegetable shops in the 1000-m buffer, were also identified as significant factors affecting the risk of AMI recurrence. These findings can help improve the urban design for promoting human cardiovascular health.

Cognitive-Cultural Looping Mechanism of Urban Space Conceptualization

A crucial point for urban design is the acknowledgement that urban material structures are not only constituting a set of cognitive-cultural affordances that shapes people's behavior and experiential world, but likewise that the design process itself is an expression of cultural conceptualizations possibly evoked by ongoing cultural practices and perceptions, thus forming a dynamic loop. In this paper, we outline a framework for the study of material, cultural and social mechanisms interacting with human cognition, behavior and emotions. We attempt a conceptual model that integrates dynamic interactions between cognitive-cultural affordances and our conceptualization of the environment and provides a few illustrative case examples. The model proposes a set of dynamic relations between cognitive and cultural processes at shorter time scales modifying conceptualizations and environmental affordances on longer timescales, while these - in turn - come to guide and constrain processes at the shorter timescales. The model has important implications for our understanding of the role of environmental design, especially urban design, as bridging between aspects of human situated experience, behavior, social and cultural norms and material culture.

A multi-scale approach mapping spatial equality of urban public facilities for urban design

Spatial equality analysis is useful for urban designers and policy makers to produce and/or adapt urban services provision, while supporting the pursuit of the public interest in the urban design process. This research focuses on urban public facilities (UPFs), the most relevant physical elements serving the public interest, and proposes a multi-scale methodology from a practical perspective to understand and foster the spatial equality of UPFs. Using Shenzhen to test the approach, this research first investigates the density and aggregation of UPFs at the district level to recognize how developing differentiations and social context act on the spatial patterns in UPFs. Second, the accessibility of different types of UPF are measured at the sub-district level which emphasizes the spatial impedance between demand and supply and the availability of services. Then, we draw location-specific design strategies for better spatial equality at a site scale. The results show "cross-district impact" plays an important role in influencing overall spatial equality. Also, sufficient transportation networks, road configurations, and the diversity of UPFs could significantly improve service capacity and impact the achievement of spatial equality. This paper draws attention to the improvement of spatial equality and can contribute new insights to the interpretation and measurement of the spatial equality in urban design debates.

Cultural Niche Construction as a Framework for Reorienting Human-Environment Relations

In this paper, we argue that the theory of cultural niche construction provides a cogent and fruitful framework for studying and managing human-environment relationships, including our conceptualizations of them. We first review the development of the ideas of niche construction from evolutionary to social contexts. We then discuss how various human cognitive and affective goals are achieved through our engagement and interaction with the environment, as cognitive and affective niche construction. We extend this analysis to the built environment, as urban niche construction, and provide two examples of urban design for which niche construction provides useful theoretical and practical insights. We also discuss how different urban policy initiatives are related through the lens of cultural niche construction.

Computational decision-support tools for urban design to improve resilience against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases: A systematic review

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for decision-support tools to help cities become more resilient to infectious diseases. Through urban design and planning, non-pharmaceutical interventions can be enabled, impelling behaviour change and facilitating the construction of lower risk buildings and public spaces. Computational tools, including computer simulation, statistical models, and artificial intelligence, have been used to support responses to the current pandemic as well as to the spread of previous infectious diseases. Our multidisciplinary research group systematically reviewed state-of-the-art literature to propose a toolkit that employs computational modelling for various interventions and urban design processes. We selected 109 out of 8,737 studies retrieved from databases and analysed them based on the pathogen type, transmission mode and phase, design intervention and process, as well as modelling methodology (method, goal, motivation, focus, and indication to urban design). We also explored the relationship between infectious disease and urban design, as well as computational modelling support, including specific models and parameters. The proposed toolkit will help designers, planners, and computer modellers to select relevant approaches for evaluating design decisions depending on the target disease, geographic context, design stages, and spatial and temporal scales. The findings herein can be regarded as stand-alone tools, particularly for fighting against COVID-19, or be incorporated into broader frameworks to help cities become more resilient to future disasters.

Neighborhood environment and socioeconomic inequalities in cancer admissions: a prospective study using UK Biobank and linked hospital records

PURPOSE

Neighborhood environments may influence cancer risk. Average population effect estimates might mask differential effects by socioeconomic position. Improving neighborhood environments could inadvertently widen health inequalities if important differences are overlooked.

METHODS

Using linked records of hospital admissions in UK Biobank, we assessed associations between admission with a primary diagnosis of cancer (any/breast/colorectal), and exposure to neighborhood greenspace, physical activity facilities, and takeaway food stores, and whether household income and area deprivation modify these associations. We used adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, and estimated relative excess risks due to interaction (RERI) to assess effect modification.

RESULTS

Associations between neighborhood exposures and cancer-related hospitalizations were weak to null overall, but with some evidence of effect modification. Most notably, more greenspace near home was associated with 16% lower hazard of cancer-related hospital admission in deprived areas (95% CI 2-29%). This was further pronounced for people in low-income households in deprived areas, and for breast cancer.

CONCLUSION

In deprived neighborhoods, increasing the amount of greenspace may help reduce cancer-related hospitalizations. Examining effect modification by multiple socioeconomic indicators can yield greater insight into how social and environmental factors interact to influence cancer incidence. This may help avoid perpetuating cancer inequalities when designing neighborhood environment interventions.

Nationwide equity assessment of the 20-min neighbourhood in the scottish context: A socio-spatial proximity analysis of residential locations

The 20-min neighbourhood (20 MN) is a method of designing neighbourhoods in such a way that individuals can meet the majority of their daily needs within a 10-min walk (therefore a 20-min return trip) of their home. The Scottish Government have committed to apply the 20 MN concept nationwide, focusing on disadvantaged communities. The aims of this study were to: (1) create 20 MN catchment areas for health, transport, education, social and recreational domains; (2) describe the number of residential locations within 20 MN domain catchment areas; and (3) describe variation in access to 20 MN domains by area-level socioeconomic status and urbanicity. 20 MN catchment areas (800-m) were created for 10 domains using road and path network analysis. All Scottish residential locations (n:146,190) were plotted, assigned area-level socioeconomic status and urbanicity. A dichotomised (yes/no) variable was created to identify whether it was within a 10-min walk of individual 20 MN domains. One in five residential locations had access to all 10 20 MN domains (Urban: 28%, Rural: 5%). There was variation in proportion of residential locations that has access to at least one facility by domains; 91% had access to at least one public transport stop and 84% a public open space. There was poorer access to primary care services (42%) and healthy food retailers (50%). Across all domains, access to at least one facility was greater within the most deprived areas. Access to 20 MN domains was greatest in areas where individual health status tends to be worse. A policy focusing solely on improving access to key facilities and amenities for deprived areas may be ineffective in reducing health inequalities. Future studies should assess the quality of facilities and co-location with health damaging facilities, particularly within more deprived areas. Alternative policy approaches may be required for improving access to facilities and amenities for rural communities.

Perceived environmental barriers and facilitators of refugee children's physical activity in/around refugee accommodation: a qualitative case study in Berlin

BACKGROUND

Previous research have identified built environmental attributes associated with refugee children's physical activity (PA); however, there is a lack of research focusing on refugee children's environmental perceptions at the individual level. We examined the perceived environmental barriers and facilitators of refugee children's PA.

METHODS

Perceptions of PA environments by refugee children (n = 15, 6 to 13 years old) and their parents (n = 10) were captured by questionnaires and drawing workshops from one refugee accommodation in Berlin. Besides, photovoice was conducted with three children to obtain an in-depth understanding of their experiences of existing environments for PA. Research was applied between June and July 2019. All research material was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Refugee children and their parents identified micro-environments as the centre of children's daily PA, they usually played indoors but most parents perceived there was no spaces. In meso environments, children and parents thought there were insufficient spaces and were worried about neighbourhood safety. Furthermore, parents concerned more about 'space accessibility' for their children's playing purposes instead of 'space quality (e.g., equipment)' . Children also indicated the importance of informal spaces for their PA.

CONCLUSIONS

Refugee children perceive a lack of space and safety when attempting to play in the existing micro and meso environments. Related practitioners should focus on providing more play spaces in micro environments and safe access to existing neighbourhood playfields. These efforts can augment much-needed research on strategies to better integrate refuge facilities to their urban context and essential in minimising current health and spatial inequality issues these vulnerable groups face across Germany and worldwide.

Exploring the Driving Factors that Influence the Design, Function, and Use of Urban Wetlands in the United Kingdom

This paper aimed to investigate the driving factors for the creation of urban wetlands and their functions and uses. A mixed methods approach was used, comprising an online survey for the general public and structured interviews with four urban wetland 'experts'. Quantitative data was obtained from the survey, and cross tabulation was used to analyse relationships between variables. Thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data from the interviews. It was found that one of the urban wetlands was created for flood control and to create an amenity space, whilst the driving factors for the other three urban wetlands were associated with biodiversity and habitat creation, which was also perceived as the most important function of an urban wetland from the survey participants. Three themes emerged from the thematic analysis: 'wildlife conservation interest'; 'landscape character development'; and 'urban wetland as an amenity space'. The survey found that participants perceived climate resiliency as an important function of wetlands, despite this not being a driving factor for the four wetlands in the interviews. Survey participants would be willing to invest time in visiting a non-local wetland landscape to encounter nature and contribute to their quality of life and wellbeing. The results of this research may be useful to inform the planning, design and management of urban wetlands as they evolve towards being a multi-use spaces. More education and awareness are needed about the benefits of these landscapes to wildlife, the environment and local communities.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13157-022-01610-1.

Trends and inequalities in distance to and use of nearest natural space in the context of the 20-min neighbourhood: A 4-wave national repeat cross-sectional study, 2013 to 2019

The 20-min neighbourhood is a policy priority for governments worldwide; a key feature of this policy is providing access to natural space (NS) within 800 m of home. The study aims were to (1) examine the association between distance to nearest NS and frequent use over time and (2) examine whether frequent use and changes in use were patterned by income and housing tenure over time. Bi-annual Scottish Household Survey data were obtained for 2013 to 2019 (n:42128 aged 16+). Adults were asked the walking distance to their nearest NS, the frequency of visits to this space and their housing tenure, as well as age, sex and income. We examined the association between distance from home of nearest NS, housing tenure, and the likelihood of frequent NS use (visited once a week or more). Two-way interaction terms were further applied to explore variation in the association between tenure and frequent NS use over time. We found that 87% of respondents lived within 10 min walk of a NS, meeting the policy specification for a 20-min neighbourhood. Greater proximity to NS was associated with increased use; individuals living a 6-10 min walk and over 10 min walk were respectively 53% and 78% less likely to report frequent NS use than those living within a 5 min walk. Housing tenure was an important predictor of frequent NS use; private renters and homeowners were more likely to report frequent NS use than social renters. Our findings provide evidence that proximity to NS is a strong predictor of frequent use. Our study provides important evidence that time-based access measures alone do not consider deep-rooted socioeconomic variation in use of NS. Policy makers should ensure a nuanced lens is applied to operationalising and monitoring the 20-min neighbourhood to safeguard against exacerbating existing inequalities.

Urban Determinants of COVID-19 Spread: a Comparative Study across Three Cities in New York State

The ongoing pandemic is laying bare dramatic differences in the spread of COVID-19 across seemingly similar urban environments. Identifying the urban determinants that underlie these differences is an open research question, which can contribute to more epidemiologically resilient cities, optimized testing and detection strategies, and effective immunization efforts. Here, we perform a computational analysis of COVID-19 spread in three cities of similar size in New York State (Colonie, New Rochelle, and Utica) aiming to isolate urban determinants of infections and deaths. We develop detailed digital representations of the cities and simulate COVID-19 spread using a complex agent-based model, taking into account differences in spatial layout, mobility, demographics, and occupational structure of the population. By critically comparing pandemic outcomes across the three cities under equivalent initial conditions, we provide compelling evidence in favor of the central role of hospitals. Specifically, with highly efficacious testing and detection, the number and capacity of hospitals, as well as the extent of vaccination of hospital employees are key determinants of COVID-19 spread. The modulating role of these determinants is reduced at lower efficacy of testing and detection, so that the pandemic outcome becomes equivalent across the three cities.

Use and design of public green spaces in Serbian cities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Since December 2019, the global community has been challenged by managing the COVID-19 health crisis. Some governments have restricted the use of public green spaces (PGS), as part of measures for limiting the spread of the virus. Although many scholars studied the changing perception of using PGS during the pandemic, the extent to which the planning and design of new PGS recognize new realities and lessons learned from the ongoing pandemic including requirements for social distancing is less illuminated. Against this background, this article seeks to assess the intersection between the institutional responsibility in planning, designing and managing PSG, and the corresponding perception by PGS users in the two Serbian cities Belgrade and Novi Sad during the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, the paper surveyed 400 respondents about their perception of introduced measures and physical settings of PGS including their specific suggestions concerning which features, if included, would help them remain vigilant during a pandemic. The findings suggest that people have very clear and diverse ideas about the planning, design and management of PGS during a health crisis adapted to their individual needs but also beneficial to the whole local community. In reviewing public green space design competition calls and results published from 2019 to 2021, this study finds that the global lessons learned about the use of public green spaces during the pandemic were not considered by local governments and professionals in Serbia when planning and designing them. In addition, residents are less likely to request changing ways of implementing, designing or managing PGS from their local government. These two aspects are striking in successfully shaping and managing PGS as a crucial resource in cities and communities bouncing back after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evidence of alliesthesia during a neighborhood thermal walk in a hot and dry city

Designing cities for thermal comfort is an important priority in a warming and urbanizing world. As temperatures in cities continue to break extreme heat records, it is necessary to develop and test new approaches capable of tracking human thermal sensations influenced by microclimate conditions, complex urban geometries, and individual characteristics in dynamic settings. Thermal walks are a promising novel research method to address this gap. During a thermal walk in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, we examined relationships between the built environment, microclimate, and subjective thermal judgments across a downtown city neighborhood slated for redevelopment. Subjects equipped with GPS devices participated in a 1-hour walk on a hot sunny day and recorded their experience in a field guide. Microclimate measurements were simultaneously collected using the mobile human-biometeorological instrument platform MaRTy. Results revealed significant differences in physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) and modified physiologically equivalent temperature (mPET) and between street segments with more than 18 °C (25 °C mPET) between the maximum and minimum values. Wider range of mPET values reflected the inclusion of individual level data into the model. Streets with higher sky view factor (SVF) and east-west orientation showed a higher PET and mPET overall. Furthermore, we showed evidence of thermal alliesthesia, the pleasure resulting from slight changes in microclimate conditions. Participants' sense of pleasure was related to the mean PET of the segment they just walked, with linear regression explaining over 60% of the variability. We also showed that estimated percent shade was significantly correlated with SVF, PET, mPET, and pleasure, indicating that participants could sense minor changes in microclimate and perceived shade as pleasant. Although generalization of results is limited by a low sample size, findings of this study improve the understanding of dynamic thermal comfort in complex urban environments and highlight the value of thermal walks as a robust research method.

Evaluation of water footprint of urban renewal projects. Case study in Seville, Andalusia

This publication presents a methodology for the evaluation of the water footprint of urban renewal projects. The indirect water footprint is obtained by adding together the embodied or virtual water of the materials incorporated in the 12-month project, while the direct footprint is mainly due to the green areas and rainwater collection system over its 40-year life span. The methodology, originally defined for the agricultural sector, is adapted to an urban system that includes gardens and sustainable urban drainage systems. In an innovative way, the present work analyses the amortisation of the indirect water footprint of the construction products by improvements in the city water cycle. The project involves street renewal with water-sensitive criteria, with five green areas, and road and pavement construction. The methodology identifies changes in garden designs, soil drainage, and rainwater-collecting systems in terms of blue, green, and grey water footprints. Five scenarios of a project in Seville, Spain are studied. The indirect water footprint of the project is 2.6 times higher than that in a standard project, but, due to annual savings of 65% in its direct water footprint, the breakeven point is reached in the 10th year.

Respiratory pandemics, urban planning and design: A multidisciplinary rapid review of the literature

COVID-19 is the most recent respiratory pandemic to necessitate better knowledge about city planning and design. The complex connections between cities and pandemics, however challenge traditional approaches to reviewing literature. In this article we adopted a rapid review methodology. We review the historical literature on respiratory pandemics and their documented connections to urban planning and design (both broadly defined as being concerned with cities as complex systems). Our systematic search across multidisciplinary databases returned a total of 1323 sources, with 92 articles included in the final review. Findings showed that the literature represents the multi-scalar nature of cities and pandemics - pandemics are global phenomena spread through an interconnected world, but require regional, city, local and individual responses. We characterise the literature under ten themes: scale (global to local); built environment; governance; modelling; non-pharmaceutical interventions; socioeconomic factors; system preparedness; system responses; underserved and vulnerable populations; and future-proofing urban planning and design. We conclude that the historical literature captures how city planning and design intersects with a public health response to respiratory pandemics. Our thematic framework provides parameters for future research and policy responses to the varied connections between cities and respiratory pandemics.

How can the built environment affect the impact of autonomous vehicles' operational behaviour on air quality?

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are pointed out as the technology that will reshape the concept of mobility, with significant implications for the economy, the environment, and society. This fact will bring new challenge to cities urban planning. Research to anticipate the AVs impacts, maximizing their benefits and reduce trade-offs are currently crucial. This work investigates the potential challenges and benefits of gradually replace internal combustion engine human driven vehicles with different penetration rates of AVs - 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90%, and 100% - in urban roads of different characteristics, either in terms of traffic singularities or volumes, and its related implications on air quality. For that purpose, two urban areas with distinct features, Porto and Aveiro, were selected as case studies, and a modelling setup composed of a traffic model, an emission model, and a local air quality model was applied. The results revealed that the AVs benefits are directly linked with the urban design and the road characteristics. In the Aveiro case study, the AVs promoted positive changes with average reductions in daily NOx emissions (compared with the baseline scenario, without AVs) ranging between -2.1% (for C10%) and -7.7% (for C100%). In line with the emissions impacts, positive effects were found on air quality, with average reductions of NO₂ concentrations up to -4% (for C100%). In Porto urban area, slight differences in NOx emissions were obtained (<2%), which implied no changes in the air quality levels. The distinct impact of AVs in the study areas is mostly explained by the traffic light coordination system and directional split distributions in the main roads. These results provide valuable insights to support decision-makers in the definition of strategies that allow the integration of these new emerging technologies in the road infrastructure, considering the features of the urban design, traffic profile and road characteristics.

The association between the built environment and intervention-facilitated physical activity: a narrative systematic review

Background

A diverse range of interventions increase physical activity (PA) but few studies have explored the contextual factors that may be associated with intervention effectiveness. The built environment (BE) may enhance or reduce the effectiveness of PA interventions, especially interventions that encourage PA in neighbourhood settings. Several studies have investigated the effects of the neighbourhood BE on intervention-facilitated PA, however, a comprehensive review of evidence has yet to be conducted. In our systematic review, we synthesize evidence from quantitative studies that have examined the relationships between objectively-measured neighbourhood BE and intervention-facilitated PA in adults.

Method

In October 2021, we searched 7 databases (Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, Environment Complete, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) for English-language studies reporting on randomized and non-randomized experiments of physical activity interventions involving adults (≥18 years) and that estimated the association between objectively-measured BE and intervention-facilitated physical activity.

Results

Twenty articles, published between 2009 and 2021, were eligible for inclusion in the review.

Among the 20 articles in this review, 13 included multi-arm experiments and 7 included single-arm experiments. Three studies examined PA interventions delivered at the population level and 17 examined interventions delivered at the individual level. PA intervention characteristics were heterogeneous and one-half of the interventions were implemented for at least 12-months (n = 10). Most studies were undertaken in North America (n = 11) and most studies (n = 14) included samples from populations identified as at risk of poor health (i.e., metabolic disorders, coronary heart disease, overweight, cancer, high blood pressure, and inactivity). Fourteen studies found evidence of a neighbourhood BE variable being negatively or positively associated with intervention-facilitated PA.

Conclusion

Approximately 70% of all studies reviewed found evidence for an association between a BE variable and intervention-facilitated PA. The BE’s potential to enhance or constrain the effectiveness of PA interventions should be considered in their design and implementation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12966-022-01326-9.

Compact cities and the Covid-19 pandemic: Systematic review of the associations between transmission of Covid-19 or other respiratory viruses and population density or other features of neighbourhood design

Living in compact neighbourhoods that are walkable, well connected, with accessible green space can benefit physical and mental health. However, the pandemic raises concern up to what extent features of compact neighbourhood design affect transmission of viral respiratory infections. We conducted a systematic review to identify, appraise and synthesise evidence reporting associations between transmission of respiratory viruses, including Covid-19, and dwelling or population density or other features of neighbourhood design. Twenty-one studies met our inclusion criteria. These studies used different measures of neighbourhood design, contributing to inconsistent findings. Whereas no convincing conclusion can be drawn here, the outcome of this review indicates that robust, global evidence is warranted to inform future policies and legislation concerned with compact neighbourhood design and transmission of respiratory and viral infection.

Schoolyard Biodiversity Determines Short-Term Recovery of Disturbed Skin Microbiota in Children

Creating biodiverse urban habitat has been proposed, with growing empirical support, as an intervention for increasing human microbial diversity and reducing associated diseases. However, ecological understanding of urban biodiversity interventions on human skin microbiota remains limited. Here, we experimentally test the hypotheses that disturbed skin microbiota recover better in outdoor schoolyard environments and that greater biodiversity provides a greater response. Repeating the experiment three times, we disturbed skin microbiota of fifty-seven healthy 10-to-11-year-old students with a skin swab (i.e., cleaning), then exposed them to one school environment-either a 'classroom' (n = 20), 'sports field' (n = 14), or biodiverse 'forest' (n = 23)-for 45 min. Another skin swab followed the exposure to compare 'before' and 'after' microbial communities. After 45 min, the disturbance immediately followed by outdoor exposure, especially the 'forest', had an enriching and diversifying effect on skin microbiota, while 'classroom' exposure homogenised inter-personal variability. Each effect compounded over consecutive days indicating longer-term exposure outcomes. The experimental disturbance also reduced the core skin microbiota, and only outdoor environments were able to replenish lost species richness to core membership (n species > 50% prevalent). Overall, we find that environmental setting, especially including biodiversity, is important in human microbiota recovery periods and that the outdoors provide resilience to skin communities. This work also has implications for the inclusion of short periods of outside or forest exposure in school scheduling. Future investigations of the health impacts of permanent urban biodiversity interventions are needed.

Urban design and adolescent mental health: A qualitative examination of adolescent emotional responses to pedestrian- and transit-oriented design and cognitive architecture concepts

With the continued migration of people into cities, urban environments are becoming increasingly important determinants of health. However, the study of how precise environmental designs are linked to mental health are generally lacking, especially among adolescent populations. Using a qualitative approach featuring 23 go-along interviews with adolescents, we investigated the relationships between specific urban designs as outlined in pedestrian- and transit-oriented design (imageability, enclosure, scale, transparency, complexity) and cognitive architecture (biophilic architecture, symmetries, fractals) concepts and adolescent mental health indicators (i.e., emotional responses). Central findings from the subsequently undertaken framework analysis include considerably different perceptions regarding natural versus built enclosure and landmarks, significantly more expressed emotional engagement with visually rich and transparent urban designs relative to grey/concrete and windowless designs, and strong positive reactions to the three cognitive architecture concepts. Additional exploratory gender-based analyses were conducted and found potential differences in perceptions of design concepts between boys and girls. We note the broader relevance of these findings by discussing their implications for practitioners and suggesting how they can advance certain UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Associations of public open space attributes with active and sedentary behaviors in dense urban areas: A systematic review of observational studies

In the context of rapid urbanization, public open spaces in dense urban areas are critical built environment elements to support active lifestyles. Several reviews have explored the associations of public open space attributes with physically active and sedentary behavior. However, few reviews have included studies from Asia, and no studies have focused on dense urban areas. This systematic review analyzed 18 observational studies investigating associations between public open space attributes with physical activity and sedentary behavior in dense urban areas of East Asian countries, including Japan, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong. We found that closer distance to and a greater number of public open spaces and features within them were positively associated with leisure-time physical activity. Places near water features and corridors within public open spaces were associated with more sedentary behavior. These findings inform landscape and urban design guidelines for (re)designing public open spaces to support active lifestyles in high dense urban areas.

Spaces Eliciting Negative and Positive Emotions in Shrinking Neighbourhoods: a Study in Seoul, South Korea, Using EEG (Electroencephalography)

Although shrinking neighbourhoods are places where urban citizens experience negative emotions, some evidence suggests that people in some shrinking neighbourhoods feel less negative emotions than in other areas. Nevertheless, empirical studies that analyse environmental and personal elements that affect people's emotions in a shrinking neighbourhood remain insufficient. This is rather surprising, considering an increasing interest in the effects of negative emotions on individuals' health. Thus, this study used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine the impacts of environmental and personal characteristics on people's emotional levels in a shrinking area of Seoul, South Korea. A multilinear regression model was used to analyse emotional valence levels between sites with different urban designs and management levels. The results revealed that people felt positive emotions at sites where both urban design factors and their management were both satisfactory at appropriate levels. The results also found that people who had lived or worked in the neighbourhood for a long time and were women experienced more positive emotions than visitors and men. This finding implies that a shrinking neighbourhood can maintain a sense of satisfaction as long as the area is carefully managed. Revealing the emotional effects of environmental and personal characteristics in a shrinking neighbourhood can be used for planning practices and policy-making to create healthy and liveable urban neighbourhoods.

Public transit infrastructure and heat perceptions in hot and dry climates

Many cities aim to progress toward their sustainability and public health goals by increasing use of their public transit systems. However, without adequate protective infrastructure that provides thermally comfortable conditions for public transit riders, it can be challenging to reach these goals in hot climates. We took micrometeorological measurements and surveyed riders about their perceptions of heat and heat-coping behaviors at bus stops with a variety of design attributes in Phoenix, AZ, USA, during the summer of 2018. We identified the design attributes and coping behaviors that made riders feel cooler. We observed that current infrastructure standards and material choices for bus stops in Phoenix are insufficient to provide thermal comfort, and can even expose riders to health risks. Almost half of the study participants felt hot or very hot at the time they were surveyed, and more than half reported feeling thermally uncomfortable. On average, shade reduced the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) by 19 °C. Moreover, we found significant diurnal differences in PET reductions from the shade provided by various design attributes. For instance, all design attributes were effective in reducing PET in the morning; however, a vegetated awning did not provide statistically significant shade reductions in the afternoon. Temperatures of sun-exposed surfaces of man-made materials exceeded skin burn thresholds in the afternoon, but shade was effective in bringing the same surfaces to safe levels. Aesthetically pleasing stops were rated as cooler than stops rated as less beautiful. We conclude that cities striving to increase public transit use should prioritize thermal comfort when designing public transit stops in hot climates.

Neighbourhood Walkability and Risk of Diabetes: Causal Relationship or Epidemiologic Association?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We aim to evaluate whether the current literature supports (i) a causal relationship between neighbourhood walkability and risk of diabetes or instead (ii) a strictly epidemiologic association.

RECENT FINDINGS

Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have reported that neighbourhoods that are scored as having higher levels of walkability have lower rates of prevalent and incident diabetes, respectively. However, other studies have been inconclusive, with more nuanced findings suggesting that this association may be limited to particular demographic groups defined by age and socio-economics. Key factors limiting this literature include disparities in the measurement of walkability, the necessary reliance on observational study designs (recognizing the infeasibility of randomized controlled trials for addressing this question), and the difficulty of disentangling the potential concomitant effects of other components of the built environment. At this time, causality cannot be ascertained in the relationship between neighbourhood walkability and risk of diabetes.

Impacts of partial to complete COVID-19 lockdown on NO2 and PM2.5 levels in major urban cities of Europe and USA

SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) coronavirus has been causing enormous suffering, death, and economic losses worldwide. There are rigorous containment measures on industries, non-essential business, transportation, and citizen mobility to check the spread. The lockdowns may have an advantageous impact on reducing the atmospheric pollutants. This study has analyzed the change in atmospheric pollutants, based on the Sentinel-5Ps and ground-station observed data during partial to complete lockdown period in 2020. Results revealed that the mean tropospheric NO₂ concentration substantially dropped in 2020 due to lockdown against the same period in 2019 by 18-40% over the major urban areas located in Europe (i.e. Madrid, Milan, Paris) and the USA (i.e. New York, Boston, and Springfield). Conversely, urban areas with partial to no lockdown measures (i.e. Warsaw, Pierre, Bismarck, and Lincoln) exhibited a relatively lower dropdown in mean NO₂ concentration (3 to 7.5%). The role of meteorological variability was found to be negligible. Nevertheless, the reduced levels of atmospheric pollutants were primarily attributed to the shutdown of vehicles, power plants, and industrial emissions. Improvement in air quality during COVID-19 may be temporary, but regulatory bodies should learn to reduce air pollution on a long-term basis concerning the trade-offs between the environment, society, and economic growth. The intersection of urban design, health, and environment should be addressed by policy-makers to protect public health and sustainable urban policies could be adopted to build urban resilience against any future emergencies.

Moderation effect of urban density on changes in physical activity during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Various social distancing measures were carried out in many cities worldwide during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (COVID-19). These measures have led to decreased physical activity levels and higher health risks among urban populations. Strong evidence has been established that built environment characteristics can stimulate physical activity and thus improve public health during non-pandemic periods. Urban density was arguably one of the most important built environment characteristics. However, little is known about whether high urban density amplifies or attenuates the decline in physical activity during the pandemic. Based on two-wave physical activity data collected before and during the pandemic (in January and May 2020, respectively), we used moderation analysis to compare the changes in physical activity levels between people living in low- and high-density neighborhoods. Our results showed that people living in low-density areas have a smaller decrease in physical activity conducted in neighborhood, compared to those living in high-density areas. Our findings suggest that a flexible and porous urban development strategy could enhance the resilience of a city during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.

Urban Aerobiomes are Influenced by Season, Vegetation, and Individual Site Characteristics

Exposure to biodiverse environments such as forests can benefit human well-being, and evidence suggests exposure to high microbial diversity may improve mental and immune health. However, the factors that drive microbial community assembly are poorly understood, as is the relationship between exposure to these communities and human health. We characterized airborne bacterial communities in two disparate types of urban greenspace (forest and grass) in late-spring 2017 at sites previously sampled in late-summer 2015 in Eugene-Springfield, Oregon, using high-throughput metabarcode sequencing. While all sites shared a core aerobiome in late-spring consisting of plant- and soil-associated genera, forests had significantly higher diversity than grass sites (F = 12, P = 0.004). Vegetation type explained 14% of the difference between forest and grass aerobiomes, yet individual site location explained 41% of the variation. These results were similar to but amplified over those from late summer, suggesting that both aerobiome diversity and vegetation-driven effects are higher when deciduous foliage is fresher and more active, temperatures cooler, and humidity higher. Continued exploration and hypothesis-driven research will enable development of mechanistic theory describing key drivers of urban aerobiome assembly and its relationship to human health, which, in turn, will help urban designers and planners create evidence-based salutogenic cities for future generations.

The urban public realm and adolescent mental health and wellbeing: A systematic review

Adolescent mental health is becoming a critical concern. Mental illness rates are rising and many psychological disorders first present symptoms during teenage years. Studies consistently show associations between the built environment and mental health, including internalising mental health disorders in adults, but the evidence for adolescents is less robust and few studies attempt to isolate causality. This review examines the relationship between the urban public realm and adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Our search yielded 24 studies for inclusion. We undertook qualitative synthesis of 20 cross-sectional studies and conducted a separate quality analysis of four longitudinal studies. Greenspace and neighbourhood quality are associated with adolescent mental health and wellbeing although this may be due more to residual confounding, selection effects and same-source bias than evidence for a causal effect. Furthermore, the few longitudinal studies that seek to test causality remain prone to these biases. Overall, we find little evidence of an effect of the urban public realm on adolescent mental health and wellbeing, which, we argue, reflects the difficulty of researching complex pathways between environments and health and highlights a challenge to the field. To address this challenge, we propose a research agenda that prioritises more and better data drawn from diverse study designs, and more and better theories developed from diverse epistemologies.

Long-term association between urban air ventilation and mortality in Hong Kong

While associations between population health outcomes and some urban design characteristics, such as green space, urban heat islands (UHI), and walkability, have been well studied, no prior studies have examined the association of urban air ventilation and health outcomes. This study used data from Hong Kong, a densely populated city, to explore the association between urban air ventilation and mortality during 2008-2014. Frontal area density (FAD), was used to measure urban ventilation, with higher FAD indicating poorer ventilation, due to structures blocking wind penetration. Negative binomial regression models were constructed to regress mortality counts for each 5-year age group, gender, and small area group, on small area level variables including green space density, population density and socioeconomic indicators. An interquartile range increase in FAD was significantly associated with a 10% (95% confidence interval (CI) 2%-19%, p = 0.019) increase in all-cause mortality and a 21% (95% CI: 2%-45%, p = 0.030) increase in asthma mortality, and non-significantly associated with a 9% (95% CI: 1%-19%, p = 0.073) in cardio-respiratory mortality. Better urban ventilation can help disperse vehicle-related pollutants and allow moderation of UHIs, and for a coastal city may allow moderation of cold temperatures. Urban planning should take ventilation into account. Further studies on urban ventilation and health outcomes from different settings are needed.

The impact of the city skyline on pleasantness; state of the art and a case study

The research deals with the effect of skylines on citizens' pleasantness. The research method is based on the respondents' judgment of the color images of the skylines. 360 citizens were asked to complete a questionnaire to express their opinions and preferences along with the reasons. Three types of nature, traditional, and contemporary skylines were identified as the dominant skylines. The results showed that people prefer the nature and the traditional skyline over the contemporary skyline. They introduced some features as peacefulness, memorability, and distinctiveness as the reasons for their choice. The people's residence place could influence their attitudes toward the skyline, and most of those living in the areas with contemporary contexts selected the skyline of their contemporary context as the favorite skyline. They did not look for the sense of peacefulness in the skyline, but they underlined attractiveness. Variables of age and gender had no effect on the preferences; however, by an increase in education level, the tendency to select the traditional and contemporary skyline increased.

The relationship between walk score® and perceived walkability in ultrahigh density areas

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Walk Score® was positively correlated with several perceived walkable environmental attributes.

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There was a large correlation between Walk Score® and access to shops.

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There was a medium correlation between Walk Score® and overall perceived walkability.

Walk Score® is a free web-based tool that provides a walkability score for any given location. A limited number of North American studies have found associations between Walk Score® and perceived built environment attributes, yet it remains unknown whether similar associations exist in Asian countries. The study’s objective is to examine the covariate-adjusted correlations between the Walk Score® metric and measures of the perceived built environment in ultrahigh density areas of Japan. Cross-sectional data were obtained from a randomly selected sample of adult residents living in two Japanese urban localities. There was a large correlation between Walk Score® and access to shops (0.58; p < 0.001). There were medium correlations between Walk Score® and population density (0.38; p < 0.001), access to public transport (0.34; p < 0.001), presence of sidewalks (0.41; p < 0.001), and access to recreational facilities (0.37; p < 0.001), and there was a small correlation between Walk Score® and presence of bike lanes (0.16; p < 0.001). There was a small negative correlation between Walk Score® and traffic safety (-0.13; p < 0.001). There was a medium correlation between Walk Score® and overall perceived walkability (0.48; p < 0.001). This study's findings highlight that Walk Score® was correlated with several perceived walkable environment attributes in the context of ultrahigh density areas in Asia.

Walking-friendly built environments and objectively measured physical function in older adults

BACKGROUND

Few studies have examined the associations between urban design attributes and older adults' physical function. Especially, it is not well known how built-environment attributes may influence physical function in Asian cities. The aim of this study was to examine associations between objectively measured environmental attributes of walkability and objectively assessed physical function in a sample of Japanese older adults.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data collected in 2013 from 314 older residents (aged 65-84 years) living in Japan were used. Physical function was estimated from objectively measured upper- and lower-body function, mobility, and balance by a trained research team member. A comprehensive list of built-environment attributes, including population density, availability of destinations, intersection density, and distance to the nearest public transport station, were objectively calculated. Walk Score as a composite measure of neighborhood walkability was also obtained.

RESULTS

Among men, higher population density, availability of destinations, and intersection density were significantly associated with better physical function performance (1-legged stance with eyes open). Higher Walk Score was also marginally associated with better physical function performance (1-legged stance with eyes open). None of the environmental attributes were associated with physical function in elderly women.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that environmental attributes of walkability are associated with the physical function of elderly men in the context of Asia. Walking-friendly neighborhoods can not only promote older adults' active behaviors but can also support their physical function.

Innovative solutions to enhance safe and green environments for ageing well using co-design through patient and public involvement

BACKGROUND

There is a need to develop innovative solutions to enhance safe and green physical environments, which optimise health, wellbeing and community participation among older adults. To develop solutions that meet the needs of a diverse ageing population, an interdisciplinary approach is needed. Our aim was to identify the needs of older people in relation to ageing well in the environment by bringing together knowledge from different perspectives using Patient and Public Involvement.

METHODS

An international consortium (Retrofit living For ageing well through Understanding and Redesign of Built environments consortium: ReFURB) was established in April 2018, including ten core members, to (i) explore cutting-edge solutions to safe living for ageing populations and (ii) develop innovative approaches to everyday physical environments, which bring about health benefits. We used a co-design, interdisciplinary framework involving older adults, carers, physiotherapists, geriatricians, engineers, human movement experts, geographers and psychologists from the UK and Australia. This engaged people in a 1 day workshop that comprised a series of presentations from international speakers on urban design, social connectedness, hazards and injury prevention, and the physical environment. Small group discussions (facilitated by consortium members) followed presentations to consider the opportunities, challenges and barriers encountered with ageing, which included the use of creative engagement activities (LEGO® Serious Play, mind maps, poster gallery walk), to help participants share personal stories and reflect on the issues raised. Thematic coding was used to synthesise the outputs of the small group work.

RESULTS

Five themes were identified across the workshops: access and transport; involvement of the whole community; restoration rather than redesign; assistive and digital technology; and intergenerational approaches. These dimensions related to the physical, social and nature-based qualities of everyday environments, as they pertain to ageing well.

CONCLUSIONS

Co-design was a valuable tool that helped understand the perceptions of participants and essential to develop effective interventions and solutions. Participants highlighted several issues affecting people as they age and key environmental considerations to promote wellbeing, activity, and participation. The consortium identified gaps in the existing evidence base and are now planning activities to further develop research ideas in collaboration with our co-design participants.

COVID-19 Challenge, Information Technologies, and Smart Cities: Considerations for Well-Being

Coronavirus (COVID-19) raises an essential debate about implementing the ideas and insights of smart technology in the fields of urban planning and design. This commentary sheds light on considerations and challenges in the area of knowledge in these fields as consequences of the recent pandemic. The concluded remarks cover issues with a specific focus on accelerating the digital transformation in education and a typo-morphological analysis that ends with revisiting the norms and standards of social distancing. Besides, this commentary recommends research directions to follow after the pandemic recedes, tackling the multidisciplinarity between fields of specialisation.

[Designing healthy mobility in cities: how urban planning can promote walking and cycling]

Mobility is a prerequisite for satisfying essential human needs. Work, education, social participation: all these activities generate regular journeys. Particularly in cities, however, the "side effects" of mobility such as traffic jams, traffic accidents, air pollution, noise and the resulting health effects are also evident.The planning of settlement structures, the necessary infrastructures, and the design of urban spaces are tasks of urban planning. Urban planning can have a decisive influence on the means of transport people choose, the distances they travel, and the environmental and health effects associated with these choices.This article examines how urban planning can promote alternatives to motorized individual travel. It focuses in particular on active mobility, such as cycling and walking. The paper begins by presenting the fundamental effects of everyday mobility and the resulting traffic on health. It then gives an overview of the potential for promoting active mobility in Germany and how urban planning and the factors it regulates, such as settlement density or mix of uses, influence mobility decisions. An overview of current initiatives and an in-depth presentation of planning strategies in the cities of Barcelona and Bogotá will be used to show which instruments and measures are being used.The article emphasizes that urban planning and the built environment it creates can promote walking and cycling. The examples show, however, that promising initiatives are not realised through spatial planning and the creation of infrastructure alone. Rather, they are cross-sectoral measures aimed at changing the mobility culture in cities.

Suburb-level changes for active transport to meet the SDGs: Causal theory and a New Zealand case study

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a historic global linking of health, equity and environmental sustainability. Accumulated evidence suggests that improving urban neighbourhoods to make them safer and more attractive for walking and cycling can accelerate progress towards the SDGs. The pathways to change are complex, non-linear and involve multiple pathways and multiple SDG outcomes, yet the SDG goals are often considered in isolation. Further, there have been few studies of environmental interventions for healthier transport that foreground equity. The aim of this paper is to describe and demonstrate practically how integrated interventions for placemaking and active transport can contribute to a wide range of SDG targets. First, we take an evidence-based approach to describing how such interventions are connected to targets within the SDGs. Second, we propose a complex causal theory of the pathways to change and the inter-relationships between SDGs. Third, we show, with concrete examples, how a case study project in Auckland, New Zealand illustrates these pathways, contributing to achieving the SDG targets, including barriers and challenges. We find that by addressing Goal 11 in particular ways that focus on equity (Goal 10), eight of the other goals can also be advanced. Our causal theory describes one balancing and 12 reinforcing patterns of behaviour that link interventions improvements to neighbourhoods with ten of the SDGs in a complex system. Our case study demonstrates that it is possible to successfully put this causal theory into practice through interventions, but these require strong partnerships between researchers, public health practitioners, policy-makers and communities, long-term evaluation and addressing both physical and social environments.

Particulate matter inside and around elevated walkways

A number of cities have developed an elevated walkway network within street canyons in order to alleviate pedestrian congestion. Naively one may expect lower pollutant concentrations inside elevated walkways, on account of the increased distance from traffic-related emissions, but this hypothesis has received little critical attention. The primary objective of this study is to determine whether pedestrians on the elevated walkway experience lower exposure than those utilizing the sidewalk below. Measurements of particulate matter (PM) inside and around elevated walkways in Hong Kong indicate that this is not always true. Nevertheless the variation in the ratio of sidewalk to walkway concentrations is relatively narrow (typically lying between 1 and 1.5). The robustness of the walkway-sidewalk ratio for PM_2.5, i.e. PM with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm, is verified by examining the horizontal dependence, influence of traffic volume and diurnal cycle. This work highlights the importance of urban design, as well as the complex factors influencing PM concentrations.

Dog-walking in dense compact areas: The role of neighbourhood built environment

There is a dearth of evidence about how high-density living may influence dog-walking behaviour. We examined associations between neighbourhood built environment attributes and dog-ownership and dog-walking behaviour in Japan. Data from 1058 participants were used. The dog-ownership was 18.8%. All neighbourhood built attributes (excluding availability of parks) were negatively associated with dog-ownership. Among dog-owners, these same attributes were positively associated with any dog-walking in a usual week and with achieving 150-min per week of physical activity through dog-walking alone. These findings provided evidence on the importance of neighbourhood built environment attributes on dog-ownership and dog-walking behaviour in dense and compact areas. The urban design and public health implication of these findings is that the built environment attributes in high-density living areas may have different impacts on dog-ownership and dog-walking: while living in a walkable neighbourhood may not be conducive to dog-ownership, it may support dog-walking in such areas. Programs targeting dog-owners in high-density areas might be needed to encourage them to walk their dogs more. If successful, these programs could contribute to higher physical activity levels among dog-owners.

Verification of a bioclimatic modeling system in a growing suburb in Melbourne

Urban climate knowledge has been increasingly integrated into urban design and planning practices. Numerical modeling systems, such as climatic and bioclimatic tools, are currently more popular than onsite field measurements. This higher popularity is mainly due to the complicated interactions in 3D urban environments and the spatial distribution of various climatic parameters that cannot be captured thoroughly via on-site measurements alone. Such modeling systems also offer better solutions to overcome the nonlinearity of urban climate in forecasting different "what if scenarios." This paper provides an overview of different types of climatic and bioclimatic modeling systems and presents their main benefits and shortcomings. In the second part of this study, one of the most commonly used tools in urban climate studies, namely, ENVI-met, was selected, and its reliability in different contexts was investigated by reviewing past researches. The applicability of ENVI-met in accurately simulating the influence of future urban growth on one of the fastest growing suburbs in Melbourne, was tested by conducting a sensitivity analysis on inputs and control parameters, backed up with a series of field measurements in selected points. RMSE value was calculated for different runs of the initial ENVI-met model with adjusted control parameters (e.g., factor of short-wave adjustment, initial air temperature, relative humidity, roughness length, wind speed, albedo of walls, and albedo of roofs). The model achieved the optimum performance by altering the short-wave adjustment factor from 0.5 to 1; therefore, ENVI-met was considered a reliable tool for relative comparison of urban dynamics. The findings of this study not only help planners select the most practical modeling systems that address project objectives but also educate them on limitations associated with using ENVI-met.

Differences in transportation and leisure physical activity by neighborhood design controlling for residential choice

BACKGROUND

Cross-sectional studies provide useful insight about the associations between the built environment and physical activity (PA), particularly when reasons for neighborhood choice are considered. Our study analyzed the relationship between levels of weekly transportation and leisure PA among 3 neighborhood designs, statistically adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and reasons for neighborhood choice.

METHODS

A stratified random sample of adults (age ≥20 years) living in Calgary (Canada) neighborhoods with different neighborhood designs (grid, warped-grid, and curvilinear) and socioeconomic status completed a self-administered questionnaire capturing PA, sociodemographic characteristics, and reasons for neighborhood choice (response rate = 10.1%; n = 1023). Generalized linear models estimated associations between neighborhood design and transportation and leisure PA outcomes (participation (any vs. none) and volume (metabolic equivalent: h/week)), adjusting for neighborhood socioeconomic status, sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, ethnicity, education, household income, marital status, children, vehicle access, dog ownership, and injury), and reasons for neighborhood choice (e.g., proximity and quality of recreational and utilitarian destinations, proximity to work, highway access, aesthetics, and sense of community).

RESULTS

Overall, 854 participants had resided in their neighborhood for at least 12 months and provided complete data. Compared with those living in curvilinear neighborhoods, grid neighborhood participants had greater odds (p < 0.05) of participating in any transportation walking (odds ratio (OR) = 2.17), transportation and leisure cycling (OR = 2.39 and OR = 1.70), active transportation (OR = 2.16), and high-intensity leisure PA (≥6 metabolic equivalent; OR = 1.74), respectively. There were no neighborhood differences in the volume of any transportation or leisure PA undertaken. Adjustment for neighborhood selection had minimal impact on the statistical or practical importance of model estimates.

CONCLUSION

Neighborhood design is associated with PA patterns in adults, independent of reasons for neighborhood choice and sociodemographic factors.

Development of a Neighborhood Walkability Index for Studying Neighborhood Physical Activity Contexts in Communities across the U.S. over the Past Three Decades

To examine how urban form shapes physical activity and health over time, a measure of neighborhood walkability is needed that can be linked to cohort studies with participants living across the United States (U.S.) that have been followed over the past decades. The Built Environment and Health-Neighborhood Walkability Index (BEH-NWI), a measure of neighborhood walkability that can be calculated for communities across the United States between 1990 and 2015, was conceptualized, developed, and tested using data from the New York City Tri-State Area. BEH-NWI measures were created for 1990 and 2010 using historical data on population density, street intersection density, density of rail stops, and density of pedestrian trip generating/supporting establishments. BEH-NWI scores were calculated for 1-km buffers around the 1990 residences of NYU Women's Health Study (NYUWHS) participants and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Physical Activity and Transit (PAT) survey participants enrolled in 2011. Higher neighborhood BEH-NWI scores were significantly associated with greater self-reported walking per week (+ 0.31 MET-hours/week per unit BEH-NWI, 95% CI 0.23, 0.36) and lower body mass index (- 0.17 BMI units per unit BEH-NWI, 95% - 0.23, - 0.12) among NYUWHS participants. Higher neighborhood BEH-NWI scores were associated with significantly higher accelerometer-measured physical activity among PAT survey participants (39% more minutes of moderate-intensity equivalent activity/week across the interquartile range of BEH-NWI, 95% CI 21%, 60%). The BEH-NWI can be calculated using historical data going back to 1990, and BEH-NWI scores predict BMI, weekly walking, and physical activity in two NYC area datasets.

Title: Can changing the physical environment promote walking and cycling? A systematic review of what works and how

Environmental changes aimed at encouraging walking or cycling may promote activity and improve health, but evidence suggests small or inconsistent effects in practice. Understanding how an intervention works might help explain the effects observed and provide guidance about generalisability. We therefore aimed to review the literature on the effects of this type of intervention and to understand how and why these may or may not be effective. We searched eight electronic databases for existing systematic reviews and mined these for evaluative studies of physical environmental changes and assessed changes in walking, cycling or physical activity. We then searched for related sources including quantitative or qualitative studies, policy documents or reports. We extracted information on the evidence for effects ('estimation'), contexts and mechanisms ('explanation') and assessed credibility, and synthesised material narratively. We identified 13 evaluations of interventions specifically targeting walking and cycling and used 46 related sources. 70% (n = 9 evaluations) scored 3 or less on the credibility criteria for effectiveness. 6 reported significant positive effects, but higher quality evaluations were more likely to report positive effects. Only two studies provided rich evidence of mechanisms. We identified three common resources that interventions provide to promote walking and cycling: (i) improving accessibility and connectivity; (ii) improving traffic and personal safety; and (iii) improving the experience of walking and cycling. The most effective interventions appeared to target accessibility and safety in both supportive and unsupportive contexts. Although the evidence base was relatively limited, we were able to understand the role of context in the success of interventions. Researchers and policy makers should consider the context and mechanisms which might operate before evaluating and implementing interventions.

A sustainable urban design framework for the suburbanisation of coastal southeaster Australia

The suburbanisation of modern cities has forced many people in locations that are far less accessible than their prior residences, requiring motorised massive transport. Sustainable suburban development characteristics proposed to be relevant to transit-oriented development (TOD) are defined, including walking and cycling, population density, employment opportunities, urban form, open space and mixed-use land. In the study, an urban design proposal of Reedy Creek Town Centre is intended to guide the sustainable development of the outlying community as an integrated and dense urban centre based around the new rail station. Moreover, a range of residential development choices and commercial office uses supported by convenience retailing and associated services are providing for a diverse range of people having varying incomes and social interests who live and work in suburban area. This paper, which builds on the work of transit-oriented community proposal by dissecting the principles and approaches of TOD, establishes an urban design framework for suburban development to reveal the key sustainability strategies. The result concludes that transit-oriented development holds considerable promise for placing rapidly suburbanising cities on more comprehensive sustainable strategies, which give a basis to guide appropriate growth, change and development, and to prevent development inconsistency.

Effects of deciduous shade trees on surface temperature and pedestrian thermal stress during summer and autumn

In a context of urban warming, the effects of trees on outdoor thermal stress are important even during the increasingly hot autumn season. This study examines the effects of a deciduous tree species (Tilia x europaea L) on surface temperature over different ground materials and in turn on human thermal comfort, with a particular focus on tree shade variation due to leaf fall. Grass, asphalt, and gravel-covered ground surfaces, both sun-exposed and under the Tilia, were monitored in Florence, Italy, during the summer (2014) and autumn (2017) seasons. The Index of Thermal Stress (ITS) was used to gauge the micrometeorological effects of the changing tree canopy, with tree defoliation quantified by the Plant Area Index. On clear summer days, thermal discomfort was especially pronounced over exposed asphalt, and even more intense above exposed gravel due to its higher reflectivity-while shaded surfaces showed large reductions in thermal stress. Even though incoming solar radiation decreases over the course of the fall season, the direct radiation under the gradually defoliating tree canopy actually increases. Due to this diminished shading effect, the differences in surface temperature between exposed and shaded asphalt shrink dramatically from about 20 to 3 °C. However, since ambient conditions become milder as the season progresses, the Tilia demonstrated a double benefit in terms of ITS: providing thermal comfort under its full canopy at the beginning of autumn and maintaining comfort even as its canopy thins out. At the same time, tree species with earlier defoliation may be unable to replicate such benefits.

Planning for spectator thermal comfort and health in the face of extreme heat: The Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathons

The 2020 Olympic Games marathon will be run through the streets of Tokyo on the mornings of August 2nd and 9th, a time of year that is typically hot, sunny, and humid. Few studies have assessed the potential impact of extreme heat along the marathon course to understand the multiple factors (e.g., radiation, wind flow) affecting human thermal comfort (TC) as influenced by urban design and vegetation. The current research establishes a baseline of microclimate conditions and scenarios to estimate the projected TC along the marathon route for spectators. Mobile microclimate data (air and surface temperatures, solar radiation, humidity, wind speed) were collected along the marathon course over 15 periods in the summer of 2016 and aligned with sky view factors (SVF). Human energy budget modeling was applied to provide spatially-explicit heat budget and TC information along the route. Conditions are expected to create the most discomfort along open, sun-exposed locations, with ~50% of the area along the second half of the course resulting in 'Hot' (budget > 200 W m^-2) or 'Very hot' (budget > 295 W m^-2) conditions. The heat strain index frequently rises above 80% in these locations, with high humidity and low wind flow exacerbating discomfort. Buildings and trees producing a low SVF over roads and sidewalks protect spectators from the morning radiant heat, but such locations should be balanced with wind flow to optimize comfort. The modeling and spatial information can aid in preparing for and mitigating heat stress during the Olympics. Potential solutions can be implemented in collaboration with local organizers and government. This 'research through design' strategy can aid in preparing for and mitigating heat illness during the Olympics. Knowledge gained can be extended to other areas of Tokyo to reduce urban heat, and further provide targeted guidance for effective environmental cooling techniques for human health.

Natural movement: A space syntax theory linking urban form and function with walking for transport

Walking to get to and from local destinations including shops, services, and transit stops is a major source of adults' health-related physical activity. Research has been using space syntax measures in examining how urban form is related to such routine walking for transport. This paper proposes to apply a theory of space syntax, natural movement, which posits street layout as a primary factor influencing pedestrian movement. Discussing how this theory can link urban form (street layout) and function (land use) with walking for transport, we propose a research agenda to produce new insights and advance methods in active living research.