Adequate Amenities Research Articles

Agritourism Development through Leveraging Financial Support within the 4As Framework

Abstract Financing is a crucial issue in agritourism development. Financial considerations play a significant role in the successful implementation and long-term sustainability of agritourism ventures. This research focuses on understanding the financial challenges that arise within each component of the 4As framework. The research methodology used is a literature study. This study emphasizes the financial challenges that emerge within each component of the 4As framework. Key financial factors for sustainable agritourism includes infrastructure investment, eco-friendly planning, cost management, effective marketing, training, and environmental preservation. Developing and managing attractions requires financial investment in creating and promoting unique experiences while ensuring cultural sustainability and integrity. Access involves infrastructure development and maintenance, transportation costs, and the need to reach remote rural areas. Providing adequate amenities requires financial resources for facility development, maintenance, and visitor service management. Ancillary services pose financial barriers in terms of initial investment, operational costs, and balancing authenticity with visitor expectations. Innovative financial approaches and support mechanisms are needed to foster agritourim development. These include accessing funding opportunities, exploring public-private partnerships, leveraging community-based tourism models, and volunteer tourism. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the importance of financial support programs through government grants and subsidies, incubators and accelerators programs, and tourism development funds.

Effects of Insecurity on Social Activities of Pastoralist Communities, A Case Study of Mandera County

The presence of an imminent threat to people's lives and property is referred to as insecurity. It might represent a threat, posing difficulties, and risks, and raising anxieties, which would have an impact on a nation's socioeconomic progress. The purpose of this study was to examine forms of insecurity among pastoralist communities and evaluate how insecurity affected the social activities of pastoralist communities in Mandera County, Kenya. A descriptive survey study design was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data using questionnaires, interviews and content analysis. A total of 399 household heads, 4 chiefs, 6 sub-chiefs, 10 religious leaders, and 6 members of civil society. A stratified method was used to ensure all the sub-counties were included in the study. Household heads, chiefs, sub-chiefs, religious figures, and members of civil society were sampled using purposive sampling. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS Version 25) computer software program to yield descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Verbatim quotes were used to analyse qualitative data. The findings of the study were presented using tables, figures, pie charts and bar graphs. The findings of this study indicated that Mandera experiences a variety of kinds of insecurity, such as livestock rustling, banditry, border conflicts, terrorism attacks, and inter-clan disputes. The study concluded that there was heightened insecurity in Mandera County caused by terrorism and cattle rustling. Based on the findings above, the study recommended that the county government of Mandera to provide adequate amenities and intensify security in the county in order to ensure the pastoral communities have access to social services

Green Grass in Urban Parks Are a Necessary Ingredient for Sedentary Recreation

Public health research tends to focus on park amenities that promote physical activity as an indicator of healthy community design. The leisure disciplines argue for a broader approach highlighting the physiological, psychological, and social benefits of park-based activities. We hypothesize that parks offering avenues for active recreation may be better utilized if they offer opportunities for relaxation before/after physical activity, as a standalone leisure activity, or other amenities for adults accompanying active children to relax and socialize. To test this hypothesis, in May 2016, we observed sedentary recreation (such as reading, lying down, or sitting) in a centrally located park based on colonial landscapes within the City of Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia using the validated System for Observing Play and Recreation in a Community (SOPARC) protocol; and an accompanying high-resolution landcover dataset to explore correlates of sedentary recreation. Specifically, we were interested in the demographic characteristics, the time, the place within the park, and landcover features of the places where people engaged in sedentary recreation. We found that 68% of adults visiting the park were engaged in sedentary recreation which peaked between 12-2 p.m. We also found that sedentary recreation was significantly associated (p<0.05) with a greater percent of grass in an area. Our findings are consistent with the propositions of attention restoration and socialization theories of greenspace utility. We conclude that parks should be designed to offer adequate amenities for leisure in addition to physical activity perhaps through the provision of adequate greenspaces.

Does access to assistive technologies enhance labour force participation amongst the disabled population? Evidence from India

PurposePersons with disabilities (PwD) are generally less likely to be employed than the general population. The paper aims to investigate whether access to assistive technologies (AT) impacts labour force participation in the disabled population.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilises the nationally representative survey on disability in India conducted in 2018 through multi-stage sampling by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), Government of India. The instrumental variable (IV) approach has been employed to infer causality between AT and labour market participation.FindingsThe study found that the labour force participation rate (LFPR) in India amongst the disabled population was 29% in the age group of 15–65 years in 2017–2018, as compared to 52% in the general population. Around two-thirds of the PwD respondents who were advised to acquire aid appliances acquired them, implying limited access to AT. The probability of LFPR in disabled population increases by 26.6% with access to AT particularly in urban areas.Practical implicationsPersistent issues such as lack of adequate amenities, poor literacy and a lack of vocational skills need to be addressed to improve labour market outcomes for the disabled population in rural areas.Originality/valueDespite its role in promoting distributive justice and inclusive development, research on equity gaps in access to AT and its impact on labour market outcomes is scant. This is the first paper that provides empirical evidence on the impact of access to AT on LFPR in the context of low- and middle-income countries.

A Descriptive Study of Workplace Risk Assessment in the Automobile Sector of Uttarakhand, India

Aims: The auto sector in India contributes 7.1% of the country's GDP and is predicted to earn USD 810.3 billion by 2026. However, India has a greater death rate and poorer job safety than the United States, where industrial accidents happen 20 times more frequently. Musculoskeletal disorders are a significant cause of disability and accidents at work. The goal of the study was to evaluate the existing working conditions in the automobile industry, where mechanics play a crucial role in precision.
 Study Design: The present study was carried out in Uttarakhand at Udham Singh Nagar district, block Rudrapur; Nainital district, block Haldwani; and Almora district, block Dwarahat. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select the study area and samples. The total 75 respondents and 14 garages were selected.
 Methodology: A checklist was developed to get information about the health status of garage workers, awareness of occupational hazards, use of personal protective equipment, risk assessment, and workplace analysis.
 Results: The study reveals that Udham Singh Nagar garages provide cent per cent PPE to their workers, while Nainital and Almora districts lack proper facilities. Nearly half of workers lack worksite cleaning facilities, slip-resistant floors, spray booths, dip tanks, and clean toilets. Additionally, a quarter of garages require adjustments to work height, foot platforms, item holders, work-rotation systems, hanging toolboxes, and hazardous chemical container labeling.
 Conclusion: 7.1% of India's GDP is contributed by the auto industry, which is projected to generate $810.3 billion by 2026. In contrast to the US, the nation has a greater fatality rate and a worse level of workplace safety, and industrial accidents happen there 20 times more frequently. According to a survey conducted in Uttarakhand, whereas Nainital and Almora districts lack adequate amenities, Udham Singh Nagar garages offer cent per cent PPE to employees. There aren't enough clean restrooms, or there aren't enough slip-resistant floors for the majority of employees.

THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PUBLIC SPACE TO THE SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF TRADITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

Landscape is a dynamic system in geography that has a spatial structure created by natural and cultural causes. Landscapes are made up of geophysical, which are formed by physical terrain elements (mountains, hills and water bodies and streams), living elements (indigenous plants), man-made elements (land uses, buildings, and structures), and temporary elements such as lighting and weather conditions. Traditional settlements are one of the key cultural land-uses and landscape assets in terms of history, customs, culture, and architecture. Modernization and continuous development have sometimes radically altered the physical terrain environment over time, obliterating traditional settlements in favor of more modern land uses with public facilities. Will these facilities continue to operate as a social sustainability accelerator for residents living in traditional settlements? This research aims to address the roles of the public infrastructure in determining the social sustainability of the people in two traditional settlements in Kuala Terengganu. A mixed methods strategy was used in this study, which comprised of observation and survey questionnaires. To identify the important components that determine social sustainability, a questionnaire survey was employed that collected data from 400 residents. The major conclusions emphasize three most significant characteristics of public space under the most preferred public infrastructures selected by the residents: They are: (i) adequate amenities; (ii) public spaces that support a variety of activities; and (iii) public spaces that are accessible to the general public. The research implicates that a better socio-cultural and traditional heritage will be generated and preserved as a result of a more organised settlement, underlining the value of culture and history in developing a sense of community and belonging.

Development of Universitas Padjadjaran as Educational Tourism Destination

Discussion about educational tourism, not only about student exchange programs or study abroad activities. However, the packaging of education-based tourism activities in a destination is also included in the terminology of educational tourism. This study aims to identify the potential of educational tourist attraction and develop alternative educational tourism programs at UNPAD, Jatinangor. This study uses a method with a qualitative approach, with primary data collection techniques through field surveys and in-depth interviews with the management of UNPAD. Secondary data obtained through literature studies related to previous research and local government policy documents. The collected data is processed using descriptive analysis techniques. The study found that there is a potential educational tourism attraction in the form of 16 faculties which are divided into concentrations of natural and social sciences. Each faculty is supported by adequate amenities and accessibility. The educational tourism development program at UNPAD, Jatinangor is divided into four main programs, including educational tourist attractions development, human resources development, activities development and marketing.

The Impact of Individual Perception on the Utilization of a Recreational Urban Trail

Recreational opportunities are associated with increased physical activity if they are conveniently located and feature adequate amenities. A pilot study on an urban trail in Austin, Texas revealed that 40% of the popular trail was underutilized despite adequate access and amenities over the entire length of the trail. The purpose of this study was to expand this research to identify the perceptions that are causing users to avoid the underutilized sections. An online survey measured user perception of 11 trail characteristics and a trail user count sought to replicate earlier findings and supplement the online survey data. Results showed that perception of safety, trail continuity, and route flexibility impacted trail utilization.

A study on job satisfaction of family physicians in Basrah

Background: Job satisfaction is a reflection of interaction of the physicians and all the components of the surrounding environments. A high level of satisfaction is desirable and may contribute to better workers performance.Objectives: To explore the degree of satisfaction of family physicians in Basrah with their jobs. Methods: A cross-sectional study targeting all family physicians who were working in Basrah at the time of the study (2018) was carried out. A total of 67 out of 74 physicians were successfully interviewed according to a special questionnaire form that was prepared in the light of selected readings and guided by the researchers view on areas of interest. The data collection phase lasted for four months (April-August 2018). Results: A good proportion (43.3%) of family physicians in Basrah were posted in places other than family medicine practice. The majority were young, females, and reasonably lived close to their work sites. Family physicians were very satisfied with the supervisors (95.5%), colleagues (97.0%) and clients (86.6%). They were also satisfied with their competence in handling their daily tasks and fairly satisfied with their postgraduate training and in-services training. They were very unsatisfied with their income, their work conditions in terms of amenities and staffing, with respect to specialty under two thirds (61.2%) expressed their satisfaction with their status as family physicians but 38.8% were not satisfied and this was reflected on their desire to quit to other specialty (55.2%). A big problem is the perception that the specialty is not respected by the public (85.1%), not respected by other clinical specialties (95.5%), not supported by mass media (95.5%), and the specialty is not optimally utilized (79.1%). However, 67.2% reported that the specialty improved care delivery at primary health care centres. Conclusions: Mostly family physicians were happy with competence required to handle tasks. Except for the overall work environment, participants denied to have adequate amenities. Most positive points were related to humanities. Most of negative points were related to income, recognition and amenities. They expressed negative views on all aspects of salary valuation and most of them wanted to change specialty.

Shifting parental roles, caregiving practices and the face of child development in low resource informal settlements of Nairobi: experiences of community health workers and school teachers

Approximately, 42% of the Kenyan population live below the poverty line. Rapid growth and urbanization of Kenya’s population have resulted in a changing poverty and food security environment in high-density urban areas. Lack of basic food needs in Kenya affects approximately 34.8% rural population and 7.6% of its urban population. Using multi-community stakeholders such as teachers and community health workers (CHWs), this paper examined food insecurity and its consequences on caregiving practices and child development. A qualitative study design was utilized. Key informant interviews and focused-group discussions with four primary school teachers and three CHWs and a nurse in-charge working within Kariobangi and Kangemi were applied to elicit various perspectives from family-, school- and community-level challenges that influence caregiving practices and child development. Grounded theory method was applied for qualitative data sifting and thematic analysis. Our findings exposed various challenges at the school, family and the community levels that affect caregiving practices and consequent child development. School-level challenges included lack of adequate amenities for effective learning, food insecurity, absenteeism and mental health challenges. Family-level barriers included lack of parenting skills, financial constraints, domestic violence and lack of social support, while community challenges such as unemployment, poor living conditions, cultural practices, lack of social support and poor community follow-up mechanisms contributed to poor parenting practices and child development. Parenting practices and holistic child development strategies in resource poor settings should focus on parenting skills, food security, quality education and addressing parents and children’s mental health challenges.

The Influence of Sustainable Physical Factors on Hajj Crowd Perception among Internal Pilgrim Group in Mina

Devotional and ritual observance by internal pilgrims to Hajj presents a constant journey towards fulfilling the fifth pillar of Islam. Although, internal pilgrims are within their geographical domain, the large number of pilgrims visiting Mina at a given time stimulates crowding perception. Internal pilgrims perform such rituals in Mina for a minimum of three days. The local authorities are constantly expected to provide adequate amenities which require constant assessment to enable internal pilgrims perform their rituals without the stress of feeling crowded. In the quest for sustainable best practices, this paper examines the effects of sustainable physical factors (coding and signage, disorientation cause, spatial anxiety, orientation strategies and routing strategies) on perceived crowding levels among internal group of pilgrims in Mina. Data was collected via self-administered questionnaire from 473 internal pilgrims to Hajj. The data was analysed using SPSS for descriptive analysis and AMOS for Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Internal consistency of the developed research instrument, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and exploratory factor analysis revealed that the research instrument was suitable. The internal pilgrim group measurement model revealed that orientation strategies and routing strategies had the highest correlation. Furthermore, disorientation cause (0.63), spatial anxiety (-0.59), orientation strategies (0.60) and routing strategies (-0.61) were all significantly affecting level of crowding perception except coding and signage (-0.52). In summary, the findings will aid in directing policies aimed at improving crowd control by authorities in Mina.

Residential Neighborhood Amenities and Physical Activity Among U.S. Children with Special Health Care Needs.

Objectives Children with special health care needs (SHCN) have or are at elevated risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and therefore require specialized health care services. This study examines the relationship between residential neighborhood amenities and physical activity among U.S. children with SHCN. Methods A nationally representative sample of 113,767 children aged 6-17 years was taken from National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) 2007-2008 and 2011-2012. Residential neighborhood amenities were defined by parent-reported presence or absence of sidewalks, parks/playgrounds, and recreation center. Physical activity was measured by parent-reported number of physically active days (0-7), defined as 20min or longer during the past week. Negative binomial regressions were performed to estimate the associations between residential neighborhood amenities and physical activity among U.S. children with and without SHCN, adjusting for various neighborhood (detracting condition and safety) and individual characteristics and NSCH sampling design. Results Approximately 23% of young children aged 6-11 years and adolescents aged 12-17 years had SHCN. Number of weekly physically active days was both 4.8 among young children with and without SHCN, and 3.7 and 4.1 among adolescents with and without SHCN, respectively. Among young children with SHCN, neighborhood availability of a recreation center was associated with increased weekly physically active days by 0.23; whereas among young children without SHCN, number of weekly physically active days was not associated with the availability of any amenity. Among adolescents with SHCN, neighborhood availability of parks/playgrounds was associated with increased weekly physically active days by 0.33, whereas neighborhood availability of sidewalks was associated with reduced weekly physically active days by 0.21. Conversely, among adolescents without SHCN, neighborhood availability of a recreation center was associated with increased weekly physically active days by 0.22. Conclusions for Practice Vulnerable health status and high dependence on health care may prevent children with SHCN from being physically active. Provision of adequate amenities in residential neighborhoods could be essential in promoting physical activity and preventing obesity among children/adolescents with SHCN.

Assessment of Socio-economic Impacts of Urban Expansion: A Study of Dilla Town Administration in Gedeo Zone

This study was conducted in Dilla Town Administration at Gedeo Zone, SNNPRS, Ethiopia. The objectives of this study were to assess the socio-economic impacts of urban expansion. The study is based on both primary and secondary data. The primary data has been collected by questionnaires and interviews with 99 respondents of Dilla Town Administration in Gedeo Zone. Even though the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) constitution ensures provision of adequate amenities to the people. This study showed that the Dilla town has been facing lack of various basic amenities, which include insufficient public facilities, acute shortage of houses, poor sanitation, and employment, etc.; all these, in fact are manifested in deprived poverty of the metropolis. To challenge these problems, an enormous effort has so far been exercised by the Town Administration, even though these are not adequate. Based on the data analysis and interpretation, particularly the major findings, the conclusion drawn is that waste management system of the town was poor, there was lack of awareness of education, the level of primary education was low. Most of the households do not have their ownership right of housing and do not have their own water pipe. The expansion of town is making a positive impact on residents with job opportunity. Due to these reasons, the researcher concluded that most of the households were dissatisfied by waste management system, lack of primary education, and ownership right of housing as well as their own water pipe. Most of the respondents were satisfied by access of roads in the town. Based on the identified findings, the researcher recommends that the administration should provide basic amenities and facilities like building of new primary schools, arrangements of waste collection trucks and maintain residential areas for the societies.

Emergent Local Initiative and the City: The Case of Neighbourhood Associations of the Better-off Classes in Post-1990 Urban Turkey

This article investigates the voluntary local organisations of the better-off classes in the Turkish urban context. Based on empirical research conducted with four neighbourhood associations (NAs), information is provided regarding their process of establishment, leadership, autonomy, goals and projects, resources and obstacles, which points to the significance of context. The research demonstrates that Turkish NAs differ from those in the West in terms of their commitment to ideological as much as pragmatic issues. In their response to the 'Islamist' versus 'secularist' polarisation in society, they seek to create their own localities as the places of secular and cosmopolitan people; and in their response to the increasingly unregulated and poorly serviced city, they struggle to create orderly localities protected from unlawful rent-seeking practices and equipped with adequate amenities. The NAs may be regarded as civic initiatives that empower the locality. Yet, by doing so, they may cause uneven development in urban space.

Alternative lifestyle or having no alternative? ‐ Families living permanently in caravan parks in Australia

An estimated 300,000 families in Australia are living in small caravans located in caravan parks, which are designed for short‐term occupancy and lack adequate amenities and services for long term residency. Families face problems of eviction, isolation and inadequate provision of community facilities such as play areas for young children and study areas for school age children. Itinerance becomes a necessity rather than an alternative lifestyle. This report considers some options from service provision to community mobilization in a project in New South Wales.