California Cities Research Articles

Differential synthetic aperture radar interferometric phase map despeckling in discrete Riesz wavelets domain

Phase extraction in differential synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (DInSAR) is an important tool used for detecting subcentimeter-level change in ground deformation. The evaluated phase map processing is conducted via two important and successive steps: phase denoising and phase unwrapping. We attack the first step and propose the performance of discrete Riesz wavelets transform to reduce the residual speckle noise from the generated DinSAR phase map. The performance of the proposed method is appraised using three important criteria such as peak-to-signal-noise ratio (PSNR), the quality index Q, and the edge preservation index. The obtained metric values reveal that this technique can improve the PSNR and Q in comparison with other famous techniques. Finally, we apply the algorithm to denoise a real DinSAR phase map generated with sentinel application platform software using three SAR data of the Napa city in California.

Adapting to shoreline retreat: Finding a path forward

Global sea level is rising at an increasing rate and communities and cities around the planet are in the way. While we know the historic and recent rates of sea level rise, projections for the future are difficult due to political, economic, and social unknowns, as well as uncertainties in how the vast ice sheets and glaciers of Antarctica and Greenland will respond to continued warming of the atmosphere and the oceans. It is clear, however, that sea level will continue to rise for centuries due to the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere as well as those we continue to produce. A rising ocean leads to a retreating coastline, whether gradual inundation of low-lying shoreline areas or increased erosion of cliffs, bluffs, and dunes. Coastal armoring and beach nourishment have been the historical approaches to address coastal or shoreline erosion, but these are laden with economic and environmental costs, often short-lived, and have significant impacts on beaches; their approval by permitting agencies is also becoming more difficult, at least in California (Griggs and Patsch 2019) but also in a number of other states. Coastal communities and cities are already experiencing the impacts of rising seas and more will experience these impacts in the decades ahead. Many cities in California are beginning to discuss, consider, and plan for how they will adapt to higher sea levels, but not without controversy, especially concerning managed retreat. However, over the long run, they all will respond through relocation or retreat of some sort, whether managed or unmanaged. Sea level rise will not stop at 2050 or 2100. Effective adaptation will require a collaborative process involving many stakeholders, including coastal home and business owners, local governments, and state permitting agencies in order to develop and implement policies, plans and pathways for deliberate adaptation to the inevitable future. For many reasons, this is a complex problem with no easy or inexpensive solutions, but the sooner the science is understood and all parties are engaged, the sooner plans can be developed with clear trigger points for adaptive action, ultimately relocation or retreat.

Recruitment and retention in randomized controlled trials with urban American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents: Challenges and lessons learned.

Although the majority of American Indians/Alaska Natives reside in urban areas, there are very few randomized controlled trials analyzing culturally centered substance use prevention interventions for this population. We describe methods employed to recruit and retain urban American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents into a randomized controlled trial, which was focused on testing the potential benefits of a substance use prevention intervention for this population. We also report challenges encountered in recruitment and retention of participants and strategies employed addressing these challenges. Data collection occurred from August 2014 to October 2017. We partnered with two community-based organizations in different cities in California. We utilized American Indian/Alaska Native recruiters from communities, placed flyers in community-based organizations, and asked organizations to post flyers on their web and social media sites. We also offered gift cards for participants. Our initial recruitment and retention model was moderately successful; however, we encountered five main challenges: (1) transportation, (2) increasing trust and interest, (3) adding research sites, (4) getting the word out about the project, and (5) getting youth to complete follow-up surveys. Strategies employed to overcome transportation challenges included shortening the number of sessions, offering sessions on both weekends and weekdays, and increasing bus tokens and transportation options. We hired more staff from American Indian/Alaska Native communities, added more research sites from our previously established relationships, and were more proactive in getting the word out on the project in American Indian/Alaska Native communities. We also utilized more field tracking and emailed and mailed survey invitations to reach more participants for their follow-up surveys. Because of our efforts, we were nearly able to reach our initial recruitment and retention goals. Although our research team had previously established relationships with various urban American Indian/Alaska Native communities, we encountered various recruitment and retention challenges in our study. However, by identifying challenges and employing culturally appropriate strategies, we were able to collect valuable data on the potential effectiveness of a substance use prevention intervention for urban American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents. Findings from this study assist toward the development of potentially successful strategies to successfully recruit and retain urban American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents in randomized controlled trials.

Effects of a Community-Level Intervention on Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes in California Cities: A Randomized Trial

This trial assesses the effects of a community-level alcohol prevention intervention in California on alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. The study is a group RCT with cities as the unit of assignment to condition and as the unit of analysis. A total of 24 California cities with populations between 50,000 and 450,000 were chosen at random and roughly matched into pairs before randomly assigning 12 each to the intervention and control conditions. The intervention, aimed at reducing excessive drinking among adolescents and young adults, included driving under the influence sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and undercover operations to reduce service of alcohol to intoxicated patrons in bars, all including high visibility so the public would be aware of them. A measure of overall intervention intensity or dosage was created. The outcome was a monthly percentage of all motor vehicle crashes that were single vehicle nighttime crashes for drivers aged 15-30 years. Multilevel analyses were conducted to examine intervention effects on alcohol-related crashes among drivers aged 15-30 years. Crash data were obtained in 2018 with data preparation and analysis conducted in 2019. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated a 17% reduction in the percentage of alcohol-involved crashes among drivers aged 15-30 years relative to controls, which translates to about 310 fewer crashes. Dosage was found to have a statistically significant effect on crashes among this age group, although not in the expected direction. Enhanced alcohol enforcement operations involving both community health and law enforcement agencies can help to reduce alcohol-impaired driving and related consequences among young people. Including measures of intervention dosage raises interesting questions about the understanding of the impact of the community intervention. Future studies should continue to further develop implementation strategies that may more effectively and efficiently reduce community alcohol-related harm.

Effect of Pod e-Cigarettes vs Cigarettes on Carcinogen Exposure Among African American and Latinx Smokers

Fourth-generation nicotine salt pod system (NSPS) electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are the leading class of e-cigarettes. They contain high nicotine concentrations, which may facilitate switching among smokers, but could also lead to increased exposure to nicotine and biomarkers of potential harm. African American and Latinx smokers experience significant tobacco-related health disparities. The potential of NSPS e-cigarettes to reduce smoking-related harm among these groups is unknown. To compare the harm reduction potential of NSPS e-cigarette vs combustible cigarettes. This unblinded randomized clinical trial compared 6 weeks of e-cigarette use vs cigarettes as usual from to 2018 to 2019 among smokers in the San Diego, California, and Kansas City, Missouri, areas. Participants included African American and Latinx adult combustible cigarette smokers who smoked at least 5 cigarettes/d on at least 25 of the past 30 days for at least 6 months and were interested in switching to e-cigarettes. Data were analyzed from September 18, 2019, to September 4, 2020. 6 weeks of e-cigarette use in a choice of pod flavors (5% nicotine) along with brief education, training, and action planning to completely switch to e-cigarettes from combustible cigarettes. The control group smoked combustible cigarettes as usual. The primary outcome was reduction in urinary 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) concentration at week 6. Secondary outcomes were change in urinary cotinine, expired carbon monoxide (CO), respiratory symptoms, lung function, blood pressure, past 7-day consumption of combustible cigarettes, and switching rates (e-cigarette group only) at weeks 2 and 6. This study included 186 participants, including 92 African American participants and 94 Latinx participants. The mean (SD) age was 43.3 (12.5) years, and 75 (40.3%) were women. Participants smoked a mean (SD) of 12.1 (7.2) cigarettes/d on 6.8 (0.6) d/wk at baseline. A total of 125 participants were randomized to the e-cigarette group and 61 were randomized to the control group. At baseline, median (interquartile range) NNAL was 124 (45-197) pg/mL in the e-cigarette group and 88 (58-197) pg/mL in the control group. At week 6, the e-cigarette group had significantly greater reductions in NNAL (relative risk [RR], 0.36 [95% CI, 0.23-0.54]; P < .001), CO (RR, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.42-0.68]; P < .001), respiratory symptoms (RR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.47-0.85]; P = .002), and number of cigarettes smoked in the past 7 days among those still smoking (RR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.20-0.43]; P < .001) than the control group and maintained their cotinine levels (RR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.58-1.10]; P = .17). Lung function and diastolic and systolic blood pressure remained unchanged and did not differ between groups. For participants randomized to receive e-cigarettes, 32 participants (28.1%) were exclusively using e-cigarettes at week 6, while 66 participants (57.9%) were dual using and 16 participants (14%) resumed exclusively using cigarettes. These findings suggest that e-cigarettes may be an inclusive harm reduction strategy for African American and Latinx smokers. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03511001.

20-Year trend of high prevalence of zero coronary artery calcium in beach cities of Southern California: A blue zone?

BackgroundBlue zones are longevity hotspots around the world characterized by highest concentrations of healthy centenarians. Certified blue zone communities are designed by implementation of environmental and policy changes that promote healthy behaviors. ObjectiveTo examine the trends of prevalence of zero CAC, a marker of ideal cardiovascular and overall health status and burden of cardiovascular risk factors in Beach Cities/certified blue zones of Southern California and rest of California. MethodsThis is a population-based cohort study of persons aged 50 years or older in California, who underwent CAC screening between 2000 and 2019. A total of 3864 participants from Beach Cities of Southern California were identified by Zip Codes and compared with 35,537 participants from rest of California. We compared trends of prevalence of zero CAC and cardiovascular risk factors between the two groups, in 5-year intervals. ResultsAmong 39,401 participants (mean age, 58.1 years; 36% women), 13,374 (34%) had zero CAC. The prevalence of CAC ​= ​0 was significantly higher in Beach Cities compared to the rest of California (p ​< ​0.001). Across the study period, the prevalence of cardiac risk factors including obesity, smoking, diabetes and hypertension remain significantly lower in Beach Cities. (p ​< ​0.001) ConclusionsThis study, shows for the first time, that higher prevalence of zero CAC in Beach Cities of California, adds validity to excellent prognosis and longevity in these areas. The impact of policy implementation and environmental changes on lifestyle patterns, cardiovascular health and healthy ageing needs to be evaluated.

Rainfall Intensity-Duration-Frequency Relationship. Case Study: Depth-Duration Ratio in a Semi-Arid Zone in Mexico

Intensity–Duration–Frequency (IDF) curves describe the relationship between rainfall intensity, rainfall duration, and return period. They are commonly used in the design, planning and operation of hydrologic, hydraulic, and water resource systems. Considering the intense rainfall presence with flooding occurrences, limited data used to develop IDF curves, and importance to improve the IDF design for the Ensenada City in Baja California, this research study aims to investigate the use and combinations of pluviograph and daily records, to assess rain behavior around the city, and select a suitable method that provides the best results of IDF relationship, consequently updating the IDF relationship for the city for return periods of 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. The IDF relationship is determined through frequency analysis of rainfall observations. Also, annual maximum rainfall intensity for several duration and return periods has been analyzed according to the statistical distribution of Gumbel Extreme Value (GEV). Thus, Chen’s method was evaluated based on the depth-duration ratio (R) from the zone, and the development of the IDF relationship for the rain gauges stations was focused on estimating the most suitable (R) ratio; chosen from testing several methods and analyzing the rain in the region from California and Baja California. The determined values of the rain for one hour and return period of 2 years (P12) obtained were compared to the values of some cities in California and Baja California, with a range between 10 and 16.61 mm, and the values of the (R) ratio are in a range between 0.35 and 0.44; this range is close to the (R) ratio of 0.44 for one station in Tijuana, a city 100 km far from Ensenada. The values found here correspond to the rainfall characteristics of the zone; therefore, the method used in this study can be replicated to other semi-arid zones with the same rain characteristics. Finally, it is suggested that these results of the IDF relationship should be incorporated on the Norm of the State of Baja California as the recurrence update requires it upon recommendation. This study is the starting point to other studies that imply the calculation of a peak flow and evaluation of hydraulic structures as an input to help improve flood resilience in the city of Ensenada.

Sources of Information and Health Care Experiences Related to COVID-19 among Women Involved in Criminal Legal System in Three U.S. Cities.

Women in the United States criminal legal (CL) system are at the nexus of several drivers of the COVID-19 pandemic, including incarceration, poverty, chronic illness and racism. There are 1.25 million women incarcerated or on community supervision (probation or parole) in the U.S. We present findings regarding the impact of COVID-19 on women in the CL system (N=344) during the early days of the pandemic. Participants were drawn from community settings in an ongoing study of cervical cancer risk in three U.S. cities: Birmingham, Alabama, Oakland, California and Kansas City, which straddles the states of Kansas and Missouri. Regional differences were found in COVID-19 testing and perceived susceptibility to the virus, but not in COVID-related disruptions to health care. We found differences by race/ethnicity in trusted sources of information about COVID. Black women had higher odds of choosing TV as their most trusted source of information, while White women were more likely to cite government or social service agencies as their most trusted source. Notably, 15% of women said they did not trust any source of information regarding COVID-19. COVID-19 disproportionately impacts populations with high levels of mistrust towards medical and government institutions, a result of the twin legacies of medical mistreatment and structural racism. Our findings underscore the need for innovative strategies to reach these groups with accurate and timely information.

Linking political and bureaucratic representation: Does minority representation on city councils affect the outcomes of street‐level service?

AbstractThis study examines whether minority representation in democratic institutions impacts frontline public service outcomes, investigating specifically the association between the shares of ethnic minorities on California city councils and the measured level of racial disparities practised by the police in the corresponding jurisdictional areas. The findings suggest that an increase in ethnic minority council members is associated with a respective decrease in racial disparities against ethnic minority groups only if ethnic minority groups are well represented in police forces. This study is among the first to empirically examine the link between political representation and bureaucratic behaviours at the street level. The findings have implications for understanding how political representation can contribute to the democratic accountability of street‐level bureaucracy and how political and bureaucratic representations can complement each other.

What explains the concentration of off-premise alcohol outlets in Black neighborhoods?

IntroductionGreater availability of commercial alcohol is associated with increased alcohol use and related public health problems. Greater alcohol outlet density, a marker of alcohol availability, is associated with poorer and predominantly minority neighborhoods. However, poorer populations, African Americans, and Latinxs report using less alcohol compared to Whites and wealthier groups. We consider the role of structural racism in the social ecology of alcohol availability. Specifically we examine racist urban land use practices in the USA which became codified in the 1930s through Federal Home Owner Lending Corporation (HOLC) designations for assigning parcel values, known as “redlining.” Redlining demarcated low-density residential zones for wealthy Whites which excluded poor and non-White people as well as certain businesses, including alcohol retailers. We assessed the impacts of historic redlining on present day risks for exposure to retail alcohol availability in urban Northern California.MethodsFor six contiguous and demographically diverse Northern California cities we obtained digital renderings of HOLC maps (1937) which demarcated exclusions of people and businesses for 119 neighborhood areas across four land valuation zones. We then identified the most prevalent HOLC rating for each of 520 current Census block groups in the six cities, including a residual category for areas not rated by HOLC. We geolocated all current (2016) off-premise alcohol sales outlets operating in the six cities (N = 401). We used Bayesian spatial Poisson models to relate current alcohol outlet densities and Census-based estimates of neighborhood characteristics to historic HOLC classifications.ResultsSpatial Poisson analyses found far greater contemporary off-premise outlet densities in the lowest-valued HOLC zones than in the highest (median relative rate [RR] 9.6, 95% CI 4.8–22.1). The lowest-valued HOLC zones were also characterized by far higher current percentages of both Black residents (RR 30.4, 95% CI 17.0–54.6) and Hispanic residents (RR 9.7, 95% CI 7.2–12.9).ConclusionsPresent day risks for exposure to retail alcohol availability were delimited by historic exclusionary land use practices. Current inequitable health risks may be founded on racist spatial projects of past decades.

Impacts of confounding roadway characteristics on estimates of associations between alcohol outlet densities and alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes.

Previous research on alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes (AMVC) share a substantial limitation: sources of geographic variations in background crash risks may confound estimated spatial relationships between alcohol outlets and AMVCs. The aim of this study was to address this concern by examining, spatial-temporally, relationships between alcohol outlets and AMVCs adjusting for a set of six roadway characteristics that may be, independently, related to crash risks. While most similar studies focus on one metropolitan area, we use a unique sample of 50 cities. The spatial sample for this study consisted of 8726 Census 2000 block groups representing 50 mid-sized California cities. Dependent measures were counts of crashes located within Census block groups. Independent measures included socio-demographics, social disadvantage, alcohol outlets and roadway characteristics. We assessed relationships of crashes to independent measures using hierarchical generalised linear models. Greater roadway length, greater percentage of highways, greater average speeds, fewer T-intersections, greater curviness and less fragmentation were related to greater numbers of crashes as was alcohol outlet density. Above and beyond alcohol outlet type and density, we found that roadway characteristics were related to AMVC risks across a sample of 50 mid-sized cities. Measures of roadway characteristics are an essential component of any model of motor vehicle crashes that attempts to assess impacts of alcohol outlets on motor vehicle crashes risks.

Building Volume Per Capita (BVPC): A Spatially Explicit Measure of Inequality Relevant to the SDGs

Building Volume Per Capita (BVPC - cubic meters of building per person) is presented as a proxy measure of economic inequality and a direct measure of housing inequality. The Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities) is synergic for achieving SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities. Access to safe and affordable housing, transport systems, and public spaces are some of the targets of SDG 11 that mostly link with reducing inequalities. The Habitat III New Urban Agenda sets equal access to urban spaces, infrastructures and basic services as crucial for developing sustainable cities. Earth Observation (EO) data including remotely sensed satellite data, airborne data, and model outputs, in combination with demographic, and other statistical data, have been gaining importance for monitoring progress of the SDGs. High spatial resolution building footprint data derived from aerial photographs, stereo imagery, and LIDAR data, obtained for the cities of California, between 2010-2015, were used in this study. These measures of building volume were rasterized and juxtaposed with (divided by) a variety of demographic data including vector-based census data of 2015 and LandScan raster data of population counts of 2015. The National Landcover dataset of 2011 was used to characterize the land cover variability of the cities. Using these datasets, the spatial pattern and distribution of BVPC for nine cities in California were studied. The results showed that BVPC was inversely related with intensity of development, and positively related with median household income within cities. A BV-GINI was also developed to characterize the variability of the BVPC at the census tract level and the pixel level. The results were inconclusive and require further investigation.

Street Food Vending as a Public Health Intervention

The research aims to inform broader policies about healthy food access by focusing on the overlooked potential of street food vending. To reveal the spatiality and contents of street food vending regulations across Californian cities and counties, we reviewed municipal codes for all 58 counties and 213 cities in California. Recent legislation (SB 946, 2018) mandates that ordinances cannot regulate street food vendors for reasons beyond public health concerns. We found that the majority of California cities and counties are out of compliance and will need to update regulations. The majority of California cities (85% of those reviewed) and counties (75%) include street food vending regulations that go beyond public health rationale and include labor laws and restrictions on time and hours of operation. Previous studies have noted that such restrictions negatively impact the health of street food vendors while also potentially jeopardizing the health vending customers. This research highlights the need for policy change, and notes that broader legalization of street food vending offers a unique opportunity to reassess the associated health benefits reviewed in prior literature.

Exploring household energy rules and activities during peak demand to better determine potential responsiveness to time-of-use pricing

The success of time-of-use (TOU) pricing, where consumers are charged higher rates during peak usage windows, depends on consumer flexibility—an assumption that may not be true for all households or activities. We draw on concepts from social practice theory to explore the flexibility of residential electricity consumption, examining both household rules that govern energy conservation and activities that comprise the peak demand period. Surveying 337 households in a Northern California city slated for TOU rates, our goal was to better understand household energy rules and peak activities; willingness-to-shift peak activities; and relationships between household rules, willingness-to-shift and electricity usage. While respondent demographics and estimated monthly electricity bill (our proxy for usage) were associated with following energy rules, motivations for following rules (e.g., environmental, monetary) dominated. For respondents’ willingness-to-shift peak activities, square footage, number of household members, and smart technology were important, along with energy rule participation and the number of peak activities. Energy rule participation was also associated with lower bills, while number of household members and peak activities were associated with higher bills. Our findings provide insights into pathways for modifying energy use during peak to allow for easier integration of renewables into the grid.

Assessment of Incorporation of Lessons From Tobacco Control in City and County Laws Regulating Legal Marijuana in California

As marijuana continues to be legalized in many states, little is known about best regulatory practice, exposing the population to significant potential harm. To assess the extent to which potential best practices, including those from tobacco control, were incorporated into state and local marijuana policies in California. California legalized medical marijuana in 1996 and adult recreational use in 2016, effective in January 2018. A cross-sectional study with data collection and analysis from February 1 to November 30, 2019, measured the adoption of potential demand reduction and youth protection best practices, including restrictions on sales, products, marketing, warnings, and taxation. Laws in effect by January 31, 2019, were verified and all 539 California local jurisdictions were studied. Adoption of potential best practices in marijuana laws for demand reduction and youth protection. The laws of 534 of California's 539 jurisdictions (99%) were successfully identified; 263 of these 534 jurisdictions (49%) allowed any retail sale of marijuana, covering 57% of the state's population. More than one-third of jurisdictions allow sales of marijuana for adult recreational use (203 of 534 [38%]); of those, 122 allow storefront dispensaries and 81 allow sales by delivery only. A total of 257 of 534 jurisdictions (48%) allow medical sales. Of 147 jurisdictions allowing medical or adult use dispensaries, 93 (63%) limited the number of licenses, with a mean of 1 store for every 19 058 residents (range, 154-355 143). The state imposed no limits on number of dispensaries or deliverers. Forty-two jurisdictions increased the state-specified distances required between dispensaries and schools. Only 8 jurisdictions allowing retail sales imposed restrictions on products exceeding state regulations; 1 prohibited sale of flavored products, 3 prohibited sale of marijuana-infused beverages, and 5 imposed additional restrictions on edible marijuana products. No jurisdictions limited potency of products sold, although 1 established a potency-linked tax. The state did not limit or tax potency, except for establishing a standard 10-mg dose of tetrahydrocannabinol for edible marijuana products, nor did they limit manufacturing or sale of flavored products. The state required only a health warning in 6-point font on packages. Twenty-seven jurisdictions required additional health warnings in stores or on packages, 27 allowed onsite consumption of marijuana products, and 13 allowed marijuana-related events. More than half of jurisdictions legalizing any cannabis commerce (154 of 289 [53%]) did not tax marijuana locally and little revenue was captured for prevention. Much of the state excise and cultivation taxes is slated for youth substance use prevention and treatment. In implementing legalization of marijuana in California, local policies varied widely. Where marijuana was legalized, many lessons from tobacco control to reduce demand, limit harm, and prevent youth use were not adopted, potentially creating greater risk of harm.

Retailer perspectives on sugar-sweetened beverage taxes in the California Bay Area.

The sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) industry has claimed that food and beverage retailers are opposed to SSB taxes. In 2018 and 2019, we formally evaluated retailers’ perceptions of SSB taxes using semi-structured interviews (including open- and closed-ended questions) with 103 randomly selected retailers (50 corner and liquor stores; 28 chain convenience, drug, and mass-merchandise stores; 18 chain supermarkets and discount supermarkets; and 7 independent supermarkets) across 3 cities with SSB taxes (Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco); interviews occurred in 2018 and 2019 (approximately 3 years, 1 year and 6 months post tax-implementation, respectively). A majority of both small and large retailers reported the tax had only a minimal effect on their business (70%). About half of retailers believed that other cities should adopt SSB taxes (53%), and were supportive of a statewide SSB tax (53%), noting it would level the playing field and better support health in their communities. Retailers’ responses did not differ based on neighborhood income, and only 2 responses differed significantly between large and small retailers. Only 2 of 103 retailers reported raising the price of a non-beverage product in response to the tax, specifically raising the price of snack foods of low nutritional quality and alcoholic beverages. A majority of retailers in 3 California cities with SSB taxes have no concerns regarding the tax, endorse the health goals of SSB taxes and support statewide expansion of SSB tax policies.

Tobacco industry and public health responses to state and local efforts to end tobacco sales from 1969-2020

In June 2019, Beverly Hills, California, became the first American city in the 21st century to pass an ordinance ending the sale of most tobacco products, including cigarettes, and it is unlikely to be the last. Knowledge of previous efforts to ban tobacco sales in the US, both successful and unsuccessful, may help inform tobacco control advocates' approach to future efforts. We retrieved and analyzed archival tobacco industry documents. We confirmed and supplemented information from the documents with news media coverage and publicly available state and local government materials, such as meeting minutes and staff reports, related to proposed bans. We found 22 proposals to end the sale of cigarettes or tobacco products from 1969-2020 in the US. Proposals came from five states, twelve cities or towns, and one county. Most came from elected officials or boards of health, and were justified on public health grounds. In opposing tobacco sales bans, the tobacco industry employed no tactics or arguments that it did not also employ in campaigns against other tobacco control measures. Public health groups typically opposed sales ban proposals on the grounds that they were not evidence-based. This changed with Beverly Hills' 2019 proposal, with public health organizations supporting this and other California city proposals because of their likely positive health impacts. This support did not always translate into passage of local ordinances, as some city council members expressed reservations about the impact on small businesses. Tobacco control advocates are likely to encounter familiar tobacco industry tactics and arguments against tobacco sales ban proposals, and can rely on past experience and the results of a growing body of retail-related research to counter them. Considering how to overcome concerns about harming retailers will likely be vital if other jurisdictions are to succeed in ending tobacco sales.

Place management in off-premise alcohol outlets: Results of a multi-methods study in a six-city California area

BackgroundAssociations between neighborhood crime and alcohol outlets are often theorized as resulting from poor place management. Barriers and supports to place management have been examined for on-premise (bars, restaurants) but not for off-premise alcohol outlets. Few studies have assessed place management issues across a range of off-premise outlet and neighborhood types, and none have included the perspectives of off-premise outlet managers themselves. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods within an ethnographic approach, we investigated barriers and supports to place management across off-premise outlets in a large urban area. MethodsWe unobtrusively assessed outlet operating characteristics including crime prevention strategies at all 403 off-premise outlets in six contiguous California cities; interviewed managers in 40 outlets; and conducted extensive naturalistic observations in 15 of these 40 outlets. We analyzed data for frequencies and thematic content. ResultsSmall and independently operated off-premise outlets were the most common type of outlet in our study, but demonstrated fewer resources and more challenges to place management compared to large and chain establishments. Security guards were more observed in large and chain outlets. Small and independent outlets were more likely to post signs prohibiting loitering and to enable surveillance of interior spaces. Problems most commonly cited by managers were theft and loitering. Challenges to place management included physical and verbal threats from customers and intoxicated persons, and insufficient law enforcement. Managers evidenced some ability to assert authority over interior, private space, but less so over exterior, public space. ConclusionsAlthough tasked with maintaining public health and safety, small and independent store managers reported challenges that are seldom acknowledged in policy or research literature. Managers may provide valuable insights on preventing and reducing neighborhood-level problems associated with off-premise alcohol outlets. Local communities should consider enhancing place management resources for managers of small and independent outlets.

Urban Water Revolution: Sustainable Water Futures for California Cities

AbstractCalifornia has consistently altered natural water resources to provide water for its growing population and to support the fifth largest economy in the world. However, the old ways of copin...

Asociaciones de inmigrantes, reproducción cultural y agencia entre inmigrantes mexicanos indígenas en Estados Unidos

En este artículo, examinamos la labor de preservación cultural desarrollada por las asociaciones de inmigrantes indígenas mexicanos en California, Estados Unidos, con el fin de mostrar la capacidad organizativa de las comunidades inmigrantes. Nuestro estudio se enfoca en los festivales culturales que llevan a cabo varias asociaciones de este tipo en diversas ciudades californianas. El texto muestra, por un lado, la importancia de las actividades culturales en la consolidación de las comunidades inmigrantes en sus lugares de llegada. Por otro lado, la puesta en marcha de dichas actividades ilustra también la capacidad colectiva que demuestran dichas comunidades a través de estas formas asociativas, a pesar de estar integradas por inmigrantes indígenas que enfrentan las peores condiciones tanto laborales como sociales y que se sostienen de los recursos que generan entre sus propios miembros y comunidades. Concluimos señalando que este estudio contribuye a ilustrar la importancia de la dimensión cultural en el análisis de los procesos migratorios.