Actual Mobility Research Articles

Detecting Urban Community Based on Urban Mobility Patterns From the Public Transportation Trip-Chain Data: A Case Study of Seoul, South Korea

Urban mobility has been studied in various areas of geography and related disciplines. Commuting patterns are highly linked to the spatial structure of functional districts in a city, which is substantially influenced by public transportation systems. Understanding urban mobility patterns are significant for revealing actual living districts and planning efficient transportation systems and infrastructure. This study aims to detect urban communities with spatially strong interaction based on similar mobility patterns. To extract homogeneous urban communities, we utilize a network community detection method, focusing on the multimodal transfer travels of the public transport system. As a case study, we examined urban communities in the Seoul metropolitan area of South Korea. The results showed newly detected living communities based on the actual mobility patterns of urban populations including multiple-choice behavior of transport mode. Such empirical findings depict more realistic dynamics of populations in large metropolitan areas and the significant influence of public transportation systems on urban mobility patterns.

Analysis of the inter-city shared mobility system based on autonomous electric vehicles

While autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs) have been preliminarily implemented in shared travel services from both technical and theoretical perspectives, challenges such as dispersed fleets, limited service quality, and travel safety concerns have confined existing research to intra-city shared mobility, with few studies focusing on inter-city shared mobility for AEVs. With China’s metropolitan regions expanding and intercity travel rapidly increasing, examining the use of shared autonomous electric vehicles (SAEVs) for intercity travel is essential for future transportation systems. To address this issue, this study models the inter-city shared mobility problem utilizing mixed integer linear programming. The problem is defined on a directed graph and addressed using a variable neighborhood search algorithm. Numerical experiments are designed based on the actual shared mobility data between Yinchuan and Shizuishan, Ningxia Province, China. From the perspective of the operating platform, the potential influencing factors of the inter-city shared mobility system are analyzed, including passenger travel demand, fleet size, vehicle range, and the number of charging stations. The results demonstrate that increasing temporal and spatial imbalance in passenger travel demand and excessive fleet size will lead to lower total revenue of the operation platform. Conversely, within certain thresholds, increasing the number of charging stations, vehicle range, and fleet size will increase the total revenue. Continuing to increase the number of charging stations and vehicle range has no significant effect on total revenue and service rate but will lead to a waste of basic resources. The study is expected to provide a solution for building an inter-city shared mobility system based on SAEVs. By fully understanding the system’s limitations and advantages, we aim to provide a reference template for constructing future inter-city shared mobility systems.

The Challenge of Attaining Resilient Local Structures in Grassroots Peacebuilding: A Study of Post-1994/95 Peacebuilding in Northern Ghana

ABSTRACT This article explores the nexus between grassroots peacebuilding and resilient local structures for sustainable peace in the Global South. The burgeoning critical peace scholarship has broadly established a positive link between bottom-up approaches to peacebuilding and the effective mobilisation of local actors and procedures, to promote participation and ownership, enabling the resilience of local structures for sustained peace. Yet, the related debates have yielded inadequate knowledge on the connection between the countless cases of grassroots peacebuilding and the potential for resilience in some of the most notorious conflict-affected and grassroots peacebuilding contexts. This article relies on resilience as a theoretical framework to examine semi-structured interviews and relevant literature on how grassroots peacebuilding processes in northern Ghana affect local institutions for peace. The central finding is that while the post-1994/1995 initiative of grassroots peacebuilding in northern Ghana laid a promising foundation of local infrastructure for peace, the potential link between bottom-up approaches and resilience is impeded because the civil society-led peacebuilding processes failed to establish a sustained local peace infrastructure beyond the negotiations and cessation of the conflict, which is understood within the prevailing complex local structures coupled with NGOs’ technical impediments. The article contributes theoretical and empirical understanding of the limited success of the decades of bottom-up peacebuilding efforts in northern Ghana. This provides a vital nuance to the growing discourses on grassroots peacebuilding in the area, while offering important lessons for similar Global South contexts.

“Social Elevator”: Research of Affirmative Action Program

This work investigates the academic performance of students enrolled in the “Social Elevator” program at Higher School of Economics (HSE University), which operates under the principle of affirmative action and aims to assist those students who have lower chances of admission due to various social reasons in a highly competitive environment. Objective admissions in Russian universities and the high selectivity of the HSE University, discussed in this paper, do not confidently allow the application of conclusions from foreign studies to the Russian experience. The program had not been previously researched. It was assumed that students of the program would show higher performance than their peers admitted on a general basis – this assumption follows from qualitative research that found that students of this program possess a progressive narrative of overcoming inequality. Regression with dummy variables based on administrative data on student performance and survey data on the socio-economic status of students are used for the analysis. According to the regression analysis results, all else being equal, students of the “Social Elevator” program demonstrate lower performance than students admitted on budgetary places on general grounds, although they average grades at the “good” level and therefore have a chance to get a return to education and overcome inequality. Further research on the topic is required to separate the secondary effects of inequality, as well as to assess the actual social mobility of students participating in the program. The results can be useful in designing educational policy in the field of expanding access to higher education.

Mobility ideation due to water problems during historic 2022 drought associated with livestock wealth, water and food insecurity, and fingernail cortisol concentration in northern Kenya

Climate change is triggering environmental mobility through chronic water problems and punctuated events. Thinking about moving locations, or “mobility ideation”, is the precursor to migration intentionality and actual migration. Drawing on the embodiment construct, this study examines how the worst drought in recent history in the Horn of Africa affected water-related mobility ideation and, in turn, fingernail cortisol concentration (FCC), a chronic stress biomarker, among Daasanach semi-nomadic pastoralists in northern Kenya. To address these questions, we primarily draw on survey, anthropometric, water quality, and biomarker data among 175 adults living in seven communities in 2022. We used mixed-effects ordered logistic regression to test how livestock wealth, water insecurity, food insecurity, and anxiety/depression symptom scores were associated with household mobility ideation. We then used generalized linear models to test the association between mobility ideation on FCC. Thinking about moving at least once due to water problems increased from pre-drought in 2019 (55%) to during the drought in 2022 (92%), while actual mobility declined. Livestock wealth, while associated with actual mobility in the prior year, was protective against increased mobility ideation, while water insecurity, food insecurity, and anxiety/depression symptoms were associated with greater odds of thinking of leaving in 2022. Compared to adults who did not consider moving, those who considered moving rarely, sometimes, and often had FCC levels 18.1% higher (95% CI, 1.01–1.38; p = 0.039), 19.4% higher (1.01–1.41; p = 0.040), and 32.3% higher (1.01–1.73; p = 0.039), respectively, with results consistent in sensitivity analyses. Extreme climatic events in water scarce regions may increase mobility ideation through worsened experiential indicators of well-being and resource insecurity. Mobility ideation may capture measures of adversity suffered by pastoralists and signify climate distress. This research broadens understanding of how droughts get under the skin by leading to resource insecurity and triggering thoughts of moving, which increases chronic stress.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) for university communities: Modeling preferences for integrated public transport bundles

In order to investigate the role that Mobility as a Service (MaaS) could play in university communities to reduce car dependency and moderate car-oriented travel behavior, this paper examines individuals’ stated interest in adopting MaaS bundles in academic environments, where its potential is still largely underexplored. The study involves a large-scale survey campaign carried out within a university community in Milan (Italy), comprising 1873 answers from faculty members, technical-administrative staff, and students. The paper discusses the factors affecting behavioral intentions towards a potential MaaS adoption on the basis of aggregate statistics and discrete choice models estimates. This research highlights that there is a real opportunity to market MaaS in university communities, but an accurate user-centered design of the MaaS solutions is needed, based on individuals’ preferences and actual mobility needs. Results suggest that MaaS has a broader potential user base among individuals under 35 years old and Public Transport subscribers, and that MaaS bundles involving shared mobility services are attractive by residents in the city center, while reserved parking at interchange facilities is more attractive to commuters coming from suburban areas.

The anti-gender movement and the populist radical right in Italy: a symbiotic relationship

The political landscape of Italy experienced a seismic shift in the September 2022 elections, marking a watershed moment. Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the populist radical right party (PRRP) Brothers of Italy, was elected as Italy’s head of government. This event highlighted a significant development in the country’s gender politics, reflecting the ascent of PRRPs across Europe, marked by their reactionary politics, emphasis on traditional values and staunch opposition to gender equality. This study focuses on the dynamics between PRRPs (Brothers of Italy and the League) and the anti-gender movement in Italy. Through a qualitative content analysis of the primary sources of political parties and movements, the research explores their symbiotic relationship, the linkage and adjustment mechanisms employed by both actors, and the political outcomes of their interactions, offering insights into the mobilization of anti-gender actors and their alliance with PRRPs. It contributes to understanding how the organized opposition to gender equality is mainstreamed within political spheres, especially in contexts where right-wing populists hold power.

Independent mobility and physical activity among children residing in an ultra-dense metropolis

Abstract Objectives Independent mobility (IM), which is defined as the freedom of children moving without adult supervision, has been found to be positively associated with physical activity (PA). This study explored IM by sociodemographic factors and type of neighborhoods and its association with PA among children in Hong Kong. Methods A convenience sample of 330 children aged 8–12 years and their parents was recruited. The children wore an ActiGraph accelerometer for eight consecutive days to measure PA and sedentary time (ST). Parents reported parents’ license and children self-reported their actual mobility. Generalized estimating equations were conducted to examine the associations of IM with sociodemographics (e.g., children’s age, sex, body weight status, parents’ age, sex, maternal education) and type of neighborhood. Linear mixed models were performed to determine the associations of IM with PA and ST. Results Valid data from 296 children (8.8±0.6 years old, 42.2 % boys) were included in analysis. Children residing in sprawl and rural areas had greater parents’ license and actual mobility than those in urban areas. Greater parents’ license was associated with more moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) on weekend days (β=1.33, 95% CI: 0.15–2.51), while children’s actual mobility was positively associated with MVPA on weekdays (β=1.14, 95% CI: 0.10–2.18). Conclusions In densely populated metropolis, children living in highly urbanized areas with higher SES experienced reduced parental license and actual mobility compared to their peers in less affluent neighborhoods, irrespective of the level of urbanization.

An integrated approach to analyze equitable access to food stores under disasters from human mobility patterns.

Limited access to food stores is often linked to higher health risks and lower community resilience. Socially vulnerable populations experience persistent disparities in equitable food store access. However, little research has been done to examine how people's access to food stores is affected by natural disasters. Previous studies mainly focus on examining potential access using the travel distance to the nearest food store, which often falls short of capturing the actual access of people. Therefore, to fill this gap, this paper incorporates human mobility patterns into the measure of actual access, leveraging large-scale mobile phone data. Specifically, we propose a novel enhanced two-step floating catchment area method with travel preferences (E2SFCA-TP) to measure accessibility, which extends the traditional E2SFCA model by integrating actual human mobility behaviors. We then analyze people's actual access to grocery and convenience stores across both space and time under the devastating winter storm Uri in Harris County, Texas. Our results highlight the value of using human mobility patterns to better reflect people's actual access behaviors. The proposed E2SFCA-TP measure is more capable of capturing mobility variations in people's access, compared with the traditional E2SFCA measure. This paper provides insights into food store access across space and time, which could aid decision making in resource allocation to enhance accessibility and mitigate the risk of food insecurity in underservedareas.

Capturing patient mobility levels in the hospital: An examination of nursing charting and behavioural mapping.

Our study aimed to (1) validate the accuracy of nursing mobility documentation and (2) identify the most effective timings for behavioural mapping. We monitored the mobility of 55 inpatients using behavioural mapping throughout a nursing day shift, comparing the observed mobility levels with the nursing charting in the electronic health record during the same period. Our results showed a high level of agreement between nursing records and observed mobility, with improved accuracy observed particularly when documentation was at 12 PM or later. Behavioural mapping observations revealed that the most effective timeframe to observe the highest levels of patient mobility was between 10 AM AND 2 PM. To truly understand patient mobility, comparing nursing charting with methods like behavioural mapping is beneficial. This comparison helps evaluate how well nursing records reflect actual patient mobility and offers insights into the best times for charting to capture peak mobility. While behavioural mapping is a valuable tool for auditing patient mobility, its high resource demands limit its regular use. Thus, determining the most effective times and durations for observations is key for practical implementation in hospital mobility audits. Nurses are pivotal in ensuring patient mobility in hospitals, an essential element of quality care. Their role involves safely mobilizing patients and accurately charting their mobility levels during each shift. For nursing practice, this research underscores that nurse charting can accurately reflect patient mobility, and highlights that recording the patient's highest level of mobility later in the shift offers a more precise representation of their actual mobility. Strobe. No Patient or Public Contribution.

Determination of the binding constants and ionic mobilities of diquat complexes with randomly sulfated cyclodextrins by affinity capillary electrophoresis.

The enantiomers of diquats (DQs), a new class of functional organic molecules, were recently separated by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with high resolution up to 11.4 within 5-7 min using randomly sulfated α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins (CDs) as chiral selectors. These results indicated strong interactions between dicationic diquats and multiply negatively charged sulfated CDs (S-CDs). However, the binding strength of these interactions was not quantified. For that reason, in this study, affinity CE was applied for the determination of the binding constants and ionic mobilities of the complexes of DQ P- and M-enantiomers with CD chiral selectors in an aqueous medium. The non-covalent interactions of 10 pairs of DQ enantiomers with the above CDs were investigated in a background electrolyte (BGE) composed of 22mM NaOH, 35mM H3PO4, pH 2.5, and 0.0-1.0mM concentrations of CDs. The average apparent binding constant and the average actual ionic mobility of the DQ-CD complexes were determined by nonlinear regression analysis of the dependence of the effective mobility of DQ enantiomers on the concentration of CDs in the BGE. The complexes were found to be relatively strong with the averaged apparent binding constants in the range 13600-547400 L/mol.

An application of LASSO and multiple imputation techniques to income dynamics with cross‐sectional data

This paper introduces, validates, and applies a Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator with multiple imputation by Predictive Mean Matching (LASSO‐PMM) method to estimate intra‐generational income dynamics from cross‐sectional data. We validate the method using 36 harmonized panel data sets in four Latin American countries and apply it to cross‐section data from 43 countries across the world. Results show that LASSO‐PMM predictions are statistically indistinguishable from actual household poverty rates, mobility indicators, and income or consumption changes. These findings suggest that estimating economic mobility using a LASSO‐PMM approach may accurately approximate actual income dynamics when panel data are unavailable.

Make-or-Buy Policy Decision in Maintenance Planning for Mobility: A Multi-Criteria Approach

The ongoing technical innovation is fully involving transportation sector, converting the usual mass-transit system toward a sustainable mobility. Make-or-buy decision are usually adopted to assess different solutions in terms of costs-benefits to put in place strategic choices regarding in-house production or from an external supplier. This can also be reflected on maintenance operations, thus replicating a similar approach to transport companies involved. This paper aims to present a decision-making model by means of a multi-criteria analysis to lead make-or-buy choices adapted to maintenance. A brief introduction into the actual mobility context is provided, evaluating global and national trends with respect to the mobility solutions offered. Then, a focus is set on maintenance approaches in mobility sector and the need of a make-or-buy decision process is considered. The decision-making path is developed through a multi-criteria framework based on eigenvector weighing assessment, where different Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are identified and exploited to assess the maintenance approach at stake. Results allow to compare the solution offered by the different scenarios considered. In particular, for the case study of interest a −35% decrease in maintenance specific cost and −44% in cost variability were found. Reliability of the fleet was kept at an acceptable level compared to the reference in-house maintenance (≥90%) while an increase in the Mean Time Between Failure was observed. For the purposes of a small company, the method can address the choice of outsourcing maintenance as the best. Finally, a general trend is then extrapolated from the analysis performed, in order to constitute a decision guideline.

Border-making as illiberal politics

Abstract Radical Right-wing populism frequently involves ‘divide and rule’ strategies as a means to attain and consolidate political power. In the cases of Viktor Orban’s political regime in Hungary and Donald Trump’s four-year presidency (and its aftermath), we find a pronounced attempt to create narrative hegemony of a sense of nation built upon Christian civilization and foundationalist understandings of national identity. Moreover, both cases reveal processes of social border-making that are reflected in norming and the creation of distinctions based on degrees of national authenticity. Applying an ontological security and critical borders studies approach, this paper will specifically focus on the different ways in which border-making processes, or bordering, are implicated in the exercise of illiberal political power in the Hungarian and US cases. Despite many similarities, the actual mobilization of popular support reflects local conditions and has resulted in rather different political outcomes.

Serious games and transport justice: Examining redistributive issues through classification and dictator games

IntroductionSerious games can provide an important contribution to grasp how people perceive certain social issues related to transport and what factors are more relevant for them. The paper examines the use of serious games as tools to understand how citizens perceive possible inequalities related to urban mobility and what factors they consider relevant for (re)distributing resources among different social groups experiencing such inequalities. MethodsTwo serious games, a classification game and a dictator game, are applied in Santiago de Chile, a city characterised by significant inequalities that affect also transport. The games are tested in seven focus groups involving 33 participants, arranged according to their socioeconomic conditions. In the games, participants have to rank six fictional characters and distribute among them resources to finance their mobility needs. ResultsParticipants tend to privilege socioeconomic variables such as income, rather than considering other significant individual features or the actual mobility needs of different characters. The resources are distributed focusing on the characters perceived as disadvantaged. Such perception of mobility-related inequalities does not show significant differences between participants from different social backgrounds. ConclusionsSerious games can be helpful to anticipate how the general public may perceive controversial policy measures and to plan measures to avoid discontent, providing relevant elements to enhance the social acceptability of certain transport policy decisions. Their relevance is significant in the face of pressing societal issues, also in relation to health, although their implementation can be quite time- and money-consuming.

Patient, surgical and hospital factors predicting actual first-day mobilisation after hip fracture surgery: An observational cohort study.

To examine patient, surgical and hospital factors associated with Day-1 postoperative mobility after hip fracture surgery in older adults. A cohort study using Australia and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry was conducted. Participants were aged older than 50 years and underwent hip fracture surgery between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020 inclusive. The outcome was standing and step transferring out of bed onto a chair and/or walking Day-1 after hip fracture surgery. Mean age was 82 years and 68% were women. Of 12,318 patients with hip fracture, 5981 (49%) actually mobilised Day-1. Odds of actual first-day mobilisation were lower for individuals usually walking with either stick or crutch (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.62-0.82) or two aids or frame (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.52-0.64) or wheelchair/bed bound (OR = 0.24, 95% CI 0.17-0.33); who had impaired cognition preadmission (OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.51-0.64); from aged care facilities (OR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.52-0.67); had an American Society of Anaesthesiologists grade 2 (OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.41-0.97), 3 (OR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.20-0.47) or 4 or 5 (OR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.14-0.32); surgery delay >48 h (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.71-0.91); and restricted/non-weight-bearing status immediately postoperatively (OR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.42-0.67). Both non-modifiable and modifiable patient and surgical factors influence first-day mobilisation after hip fracture surgery. Reducing time to surgery might assist future quality improvement efforts to increase Day-1 postoperative mobility.

Place-leadership and power in the futures domain: the case of Euskadi 2040

ABSTRACT In an era when uncertainty and complexity are more tangible than ever, decision-makers are under pressure to turn from short-term politics and departmentalization to safeguard not only current wellbeing but also the wellbeing of future generations via longer term planning and visioning. In regions, as multilevel governance systems, no actor has the power to determine the decisions of others. Place leadership demands the mobilization of different actors to define an effective strategy for future development, by combining institutional, interpretive and network power in a dynamic manner. This paper reflects on how leadership and power shape shared vision in regional foresight processes, and the role of academic knowledge. We conduct an in-depth single case study analysis of ‘Euskadi 2040’, the visioning initiative launched by the Basque regional government in collaboration with the research institute Orkestra. We articulate five main contributions of research institutes: facilitating the systemic character of the vision; incorporating academic action-oriented knowledge; supporting the divergence from traditional linear planning paradigms towards flexible learning-centred approaches to policy; promoting an interinstitutional and multi-agent shared discourse; and lastly, leveraging knowledge transfer within international networks.

The European Union's governance of teachers and the evolution of a bridging issue field since the mid-2000s.

Concerned with European Union (EU) governance of teachers since the mid-2000s, this paper makes an empirical as well as theoretical contribution to education policy studies in the context of EU governance. Drawing on neo-institutional field theory and an empirical material of policy documents and interviews, the paper analyses the consolidation and evolution of a field at the EU level that is focused on the governance of the teaching profession. We argue that this field constitutes a bridging issue field, spanning several policy domains, including education, employment and economy, and characterised by non-linear and relatively slow change. We demonstrate how the field since the mid-2000s has become elaborated via the strategic framing of teacher skills and careers as policy issues, the mobilisation of actors and networks, and an expanding institutional infrastructure of mechanisms and policy instruments. Theoretically, the paper advances the debate on EU governance by highlighting the epistemic gains of neo-institutional field theory in making sense of soft governance contexts and their trajectories as an outcome of the interplay between issue framings, different types of actors, and institutional infrastructure.

Coalitions and repertories in the strategic action field of the people affected by the Rio Doce disaster

The collapse of the Fundão dam of the Samarco, Vale, and BPH Billiton mining companies in 2015 resulted in the spillage of unprecedented tailings in the Rio Doce Basin, Brazil. It was a disaster of multiple dimensions, generating conflicts between the affected community, mining companies, the government, and the justice system in the search for solutions to recover and repair the damage. Meanwhile, a governance system was created to conduct disaster responses and conflict resolution between those actors. In this article, we investigate how skilled actors in the affected field act to influence disaster governance by producing consequences for policy decisions. The analysis highlights the role of coalitions and action repertories in cooperative and conflicting relationships in the affected people's field. Through mixed-method research, four years of the socio-environmental disaster (2015–2019) were examined through interviews with activists, documentary research, and analysis of protest events. The main argument is that the mobilization of non-state actors in the affected field has influenced disaster governance and the content of compensation policies. Mobilization combined social skills and action repertoires and formed political coalitions to influence decision-making processes. The article contributes to expanding the understanding of the dynamics of political disputes among non-state actors, proposing to broaden the understanding of the repertoires of non-state actors in coalitions to generate consequences for political decisions.

The paradox of pandemic mitigation? Moderating role of pandemic severity on the impact of social distancing policies: a cultural value perspective

BackgroundSocial distancing policies were of utmost importance during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. These policies aimed to mitigate the severity of local outbreaks by altering public behavior. However, if the severity of the pandemic reduces, the impact of these policies on actual behavior may decrease. This study aims to examine, from a global perspective, whether the impact of social distancing policies on actual mobility is moderated by local pandemic severity and whether this moderating effect varies across cultural value contexts.MethodsWe combined multiple publicly available global datasets for structural equation model analysis. 17,513 rows of data from 57 countries included in all databases were analyzed. Multilevel moderated moderation models were constructed to test the hypotheses.ResultsMore stringent policies in a region mean less regional mobility (β = -0.572, p < 0.001). However, the severity of local outbreaks negatively moderated this effect (β = -0.114, p < 0.001). When the pandemic was not severe, the influence of policy intensity on mobility weakened. Furthermore, based on Schwartz’s cultural values theory, cultural values of autonomy (β = -0.109, p = 0.011), and egalitarianism (β = -0.108, p = 0.019) reinforced the moderating effect of pandemic severity. On the other hand, cultural values of embeddedness (β = 0.119, p = 0.006) and hierarchy (β = 0.096, p = 0.029) attenuated the moderating effect.ConclusionsSocial distancing policies aim to reduce the severity of local pandemics; however, the findings reveal that mitigating local pandemics may reduce their impact. Future policymakers should be alert to this phenomenon and introduce appropriate incentives to respond. The results also show that the moderating role of pandemic severity varies across cultures. When policies are promoted to deal with global crises, policymakers must seriously consider the resistance and potential incentives of cultural values.