Central Downtown Area Research Articles

Previously Incarcerated Transgender Women in Southwestern Pennsylvania: A Mixed Methods Study on Experiences, Needs, and Resiliencies

Transgender women are disproportionately incarcerated across the United States, placing a burden of adverse health outcomes on this marginalized population. This exploratory study was designed to document the experiences of transgender women experiencing the cycle of incarceration; explore the degree to which the lack of targeted re-entry services contributes to this cycle of incarceration; and identify structural and/or community-level points for advocacy, support, and programming. We use qualitative interviews and geospatial mapping to describe the lack of access to resources, as well as challenges regarding finding housing, accessing health care, and meeting probation and parole requirements. In 2017, we interviewed six transgender women, all of whom are previously incarcerated adults residing in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Additionally, we mapped mental health providers and transinclusive resources using geographic information system software to explore barriers related to transportation and access. Results indicate that access to health care, housing, transportation, and transinclusive community support is the most significant barrier to successful re-entry. These analyses suggest that transgender women residing outside the central downtown area of Pittsburgh have increased difficulty regarding access to probation and parole offices, trans-inclusive health care, and LGBTQIA+ community spaces. These preliminary data suggest that there are missed opportunities within re-entry services to change the social and health trajectories of transgender women who are returning to their communities from jail or prison. Future multilevel interventions should incorporate health care, transinclusive community support, stable housing, and the alleviation of transportation barriers. Colocation of re-entry services may increase access, support, and treatment for transgender women re-entering the community.

Urban Flood Loss Estimation and Evacuation Design Based on a 500-Year Extreme Flood Event in Syracuse City

To understand the potential risk of flooding in Syracuse City, New York State, USA, this research attempted to accomplish the flood hazard assessment for a simulated 500-year flood event in the downstream floodplain of Onondaga Creek within Syracuse. Based on the commonly used category of flood damages, the flood damage of Syracuse was divided into loss of buildings and loss of population. The results showed that the city’s center would have the highest damage rate for buildings and a total of 1139 buildings would be inundated, of which 326 buildings would be severely damaged by more than 80%. Furthermore, about 7390 people would be directly affected by the flood event, among which approximately 900 people might lose their lives. Communities near Onondaga Creek were assigned designated evacuation shelters based on the accessibility and distance to the shelters. The shortest available evacuation routes were calculated. More shelters should be provided in the central downtown area, with its large population, and distributed along the western bank of Onondaga Creek. This research offered a first approximate flood loss estimation that might lead to more attention and studies concerning a potential flood hazard in the future. It also provided science-based guidelines for city authorities to refer to in practical flood hazard mitigation.

Detecting the sinks and sources of transportation energy consumption and its forces driving at multiple spatiotemporal scales using trajectory data

Accurate and detailed transportation anthropogenic heat release (TAHR) datasets would benefit atmospheric research and public health. However, detailed temporal and spatial descriptions are yet to be obtained because of the low spatiotemporal resolution of basic data in previous studies. Therefore, we here developed a low-cost and efficient TAHR construction method by introducing trajectory data. Furthermore, we constructed an index to examine TAHR sinks and sources. This enabled the quantification of spatial associations between workplace/residential functional zones and TAHR sinks/sources. The results showed that TAHR varied dramatically at multiple temporal scales. Peak‒trough shapes of TAHR variations were found at hourly levels, while increasing trends were found at daily levels. Central downtown areas experienced significant variation trends at both hourly and daily levels. Sinks of TAHR were more closely associated with workplaces, while TAHR sources were more closely associated with residential functional zones at daily levels. This study provides a reference for the explanation of ecological scientific questions using spatiotemporal big data and provides insights into the mechanisms underlying urban energy consumption, urban planning, and energy conservation.

北京市景观格局演变及其对多种生态系统服务的影响

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 北京市景观格局演变及其对多种生态系统服务的影响 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202107272042 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 城市与区域生态国家重点实验室开放基金项目（SKLURE2020-2-1）；国家自然科学基金青年科学基金项目（41901227） Changes of landscape pattern and its impacts on multiple ecosystem services in Beijing Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:景观格局是人与自然共同作用的结果，深刻影响着区域的生态系统服务及可持续发展。以高度城市化地区——北京市为案例，选取了粮食生产、水质净化、空气净化、气体调节、生境质量以及休闲娱乐6项重要生态系统服务，采用InVEST （Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs）、ROS （Recreation Opportunity Spectrum）等模型定量评估了1980-2018年生态系统服务时空分布。通过对北京市景观组成与景观配置指数进行定量分析，进一步探索了景观格局演变对生态系统服务的影响。结果表明：（1）北京市1980-2018年建设用地扩张了120%，建设用地扩张是耕地面积减少的主要原因。景观格局总体上趋于破碎化，斑块形状复杂化，斑块异质性增加；（2）时间上，北京市1980-2018年粮食生产、水质净化、气体调节、生境质量、休闲娱乐5项生态系统服务均呈现下降趋势；空间上，粮食生产呈现东南部较高，西北部较低的分布特征，其余生态系统服务均呈现西北部较高，东南部较低，市中心最低的分布特征；（3）景观水平上，林地、建设用地等景观组成变化对生态系统服务影响最为显著。破碎化指数、多样性指数等景观配置指数对生态系统服务影响最为显著；类型水平上，平均斑块面积、斑块聚集度对生态系统服务影响相对最为显著。总体来讲，通过分析景观格局演变如何影响生态系统服务，为如何通过设计和优化景观格局来提升生态系统服务提供了定量依据，从而为促进区域的景观可持续规划提供理论依据和案例参考。 Abstract:Landscape pattern is the result of the interaction between human and nature. During the urbanization process, the landscape pattern had changed significantly, which affected the ecological process and thus threatened ecosystem services. The assessment of the impacts of landscape pattern on ecosystem services is crucial for regional sustainable development. Taking Beijing as a case study, we quantified the spatiotemporal changes of six selected ecosystem services, including food production, water purification, air quality regulation, carbon storage, habitat quality, and recreation opportunity from 1980 to 2018 by using the InVEST and Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) models. In addition, we analyzed changes of landscape patterns in Beijing, and explored the impacts of landscape patterns on ecosystem services. The results showed that:1) the landscape pattern in Beijing experienced dramatically changes from 1980 to 2018. The build-up land expanded by 120%, which mainly resulted in the reduction of cropland. The overall landscape pattern tended to be fragmented, the patch shape index became more complicated and the heterogeneity of the patches also increased. 2) Food production, water purification, carbon storage, habitat quality, and recreation opportunity showed a decreasing trend from 1980 to 2018. Spatially, food production was higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest. For the other ecosystem services, they were higher in the northwest, lower in the southeast, and the lowest in the central downtown area. During the past 38 years, the food production decreased the most in the central region of Beijing, while the air quality regulation, carbon storage, habitat quality, and recreational opportunity decreased the most in the eastern and southern regions. 3) At the landscape level, changes in land-use types, such as woodland, grassland, and build-up land had the most significant impacts on ecosystem services. Landscape metrics, such as the fragmentation index and diversity index influenced ecosystem services more obviously. At the class level, the mean patch area and the patch aggregation index had the most significant impacts on ecosystem services. Among them, the mean patch area and aggregation index of woodland showed positive effects on air quality and carbon storage. However, the aggregation index of built-up land showed a negative effect on habitat quality. In general, this study focused on analyzing the impacts of landscape pattern changes on ecosystem services, which can help decision makers to improve the ecosystem services by optimizing landscape patterns. The results of this study also can provide theoretical and practical basis for promoting regional landscape sustainable planning. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Characteristics of runoff pollution in a highly urbanized region: A case study in the Dongguan City

Urban runoff pollution has become one of the major sources of water pollution. Rapid urbanization process in China has led to a significant increase in the pollution loads, which has posed great threats on the regional water environmental safety. Thus, it is of great importance to systematically analyse the characteristics of runoff pollution in some typical highly urbanized regions. Taking the Dongguan City in South China as the study area, output and spatial characteristics of the pollution emissions were investigated through a GIS-based empirical model. The results showed that the annual pollution loads of chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids (SS), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) exported from the city were approximately 338489, 613175, 28292 and 2824 t/a, respectively. In particular, the Songshan Lake Area in the city had the largest pollution loads, while the Water Town New Area had the least. In terms of pollution export fluxes unit area, they were highest in the Central Downtown Area (i.e. 2124, 3450, 145 and 16 kg/hm2 a for COD, SS, TN and TP, respectively) and relatively lower in the Southeastern Bordering Shenzhen Area. Enhancing the environmental management and improving the public environmental protection awareness are necessary for mitigating runoff pollution.

The characteristics of heavy metal pollution in surface dust in Tangshan, a heavily industrialized city in North China, and an assessment of associated health risks

With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, surface dust has an increasing impact on people’s living environment and human health. Tangshan is an important heavily industrialized city in North China. To understand the heavy metal pollution associated with surface dust in Tangshan City, and its health risks, a total of 162 surface dust samples were collected in the central downtown area of Tangshan City. The concentrations of eight heavy metals were measured (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni). The results indicate that the heavy metals show different degrees of enrichment. As, Hg, Cr, and Ni in surface dust are mainly sourced from fuel coal and industrial production activities, while Zn and Cu are mostly sourced from metal smelting and urban transportation. Pb is associated with urban transportation, and Cd is associated with industrial activities such as metal smelting, and urban transportation. The pollution levels of As, Cr, Cu, and Ni in surface dust range from the non-pollution to moderate pollution classifications, while Hg and Pb are classified as moderate pollution, Zn ranges from moderate pollution to strong pollution, and Cd concentrations are classified as strong pollution. The total ecological risk level of surface dust is very high, with a high ecological risk posed by Cd, a very strong ecological risk posed by Hg, and slight ecological risks posed by As, Cr, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ni. The total non-carcinogenic risk (HI) for children and adults is ranked As > Pb > Cr > Cd > Zn > Ni > Cu > Hg. The HI of children through different exposure pathways is higher than that for adults. Hand–mouth intake is the largest contributor to the HI. The HI of children for hand–mouth intake is higher than adults. Ni, Cr, As, and Cd in surface dust do not pose a carcinogenic risk through respiration pathways.

Mental Map Preservation for Progressively Labeling Railway Networks

Schematizing railway networks for better readability is often achieved by aligning railway lines along the octilinear directions. However, such railway map layouts require further adjustment when placing station name labels. In this article, the authors present a novel approach to automating the placement of station names around the railway network while maximally respecting its original layout as the mental map. The key idea is to progressively annotate stations from congested central downtown areas to sparse rural areas. This is accomplished by introducing the sum of geodesic distances over the railway network to properly order the stations to be annotated first, and then elongating the line segments of the railway network while retaining their directions to spare enough labeling space around each station. Additional constraints are also introduced to restrict the aspect ratios of the region confined by the railway network for better preservation of the mental map.

Transmission of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Shanghai: roles of residential status.

Shanghai is a mega city where 39% of the population comprises internal migrants. To examine the different roles played by migrants and permanent residents in the transmission of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). We conducted a population-based cohort study to assess MDR-TB transmission in Shanghai between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2012 using genotyping and geospatial analyses. A total of 367 MDR-TB cases formed the study cohort. Significant differences between MDR-TB cases who were internal migrants and those who were permanent residents were found with regard to age, sex, region, genetic characteristics and treatment outcomes. Permanent residents had a higher transmission rate than internal migrants (OR 3.36, 95%CI 1.86-6.09). Permanent residents and genotypic clustering cases had similar clusters in central downtown and some parts of suburban areas. Most of the clusters of internal migrants were found in rural areas bordering suburban areas. Clusters of genotypic non-clustering cases showed patterns that closely matched those of internal migrants, suggesting acquired drug resistance in migrants. In Shanghai, permanent residents were significantly associated with recent transmission of MDR-TB in central downtown areas. Clustered cases of internal migrants in rural areas were most likely to have contracted MDR-TB through acquired resistance.

An optimization approach for the placement of bicycle-sharing stations to reduce short car trips: An application to the city of Seoul

Substantial motor vehicle exhaust, a primary cause of air pollution, is emitted on short car trips of three miles or less. Bicycles have been considered an optimum means of completing these short trips because the bicycle is an environmentally friendly, economical, and convenient vehicle. Accordingly, many countries have adopted public bicycle-sharing systems to reduce the use of private vehicles for short trips in central downtown areas. In this paper, we propose a new framework, based on taxi trajectory data, for locating bicycle-sharing stations most efficiently to replace short automobile trips. The proposed framework is applied to Gangnam-gu, a district within the city of Seoul, Korea. Results using two different location-allocation models are demonstrated. As expected, when the p-median model was implemented, the selected stations were more scattered over the whole district, whereas when the MCLP model was implemented, the stations were more concentrated on central areas. Our approach is applicable to any city considering a bicycle-sharing system and can contribute to the system’s efficiency in improving environmental conditions in a central downtown area.

Sequel to suburbia: glimpses of America's post-suburban future

In the years after World War II, a distinctly American model for suburban development emerged. The expansive rings of outer suburbs that formed around major cities were decentralized and automobile oriented, an embodiment of America’s postwar mass-production, mass-consumption economy. But alternate models for suburbia, including “transit-oriented development,” “smart growth,” and “New Urbanism,” have inspired critiques of suburbanization and experiments in post-suburban ways of living. In Sequel to Suburbia, Nicholas Phelps considers the possible post-suburban future, offering historical and theoretical context as well as case studies of transforming communities. Phelps first locates these outer suburban rings within wider metropolitan spaces, describes the suburbs as a “spatial fix” for the postwar capitalist economy, and examines the political and governmental obstacles to reworking suburban space. He then presents three glimpses of post-suburban America, looking at Kendall-Dadeland (in Miami-Dade County, Florida), Tysons Corner (in Fairfax County, Virginia), and Schaumburg, Illinois (near Chicago). He shows Kendall-Dadeland to be an isolated New Urbanism success; describes the re-planning of Tysons Corner to include a retrofitted central downtown area; and examines Schaumburg’s position as a regional capital for Chicago’s northwest suburbs. As these cases show, the reworking of suburban space and the accompanying political process will not be left to a small group of architects, planners, and politicians. Post-suburban politics will have to command the approval of the residents of suburbia.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of the urban sprawl in a typical urban agglomeration: a case study on Southern Jiangsu, China (1983–2007)

China has experienced urbanization at an unprecedented rate over the past decades. Against this background, this paper demonstrates the multi-level spatiotemporal urban sprawl process from 1983 to 2007 on the perspective of urban agglomeration with a case study in Southern Jiangsu. Based on a combination of eight rounds of satellite images from 1983 to 2007, the presented results suggest the following three main findings: (1) At the prefecture-city level, the urban sprawl in Southern Jiangsu has presented significantly divergent growth patterns, with more than half of this vast growth occurring in the Suzhou prefecture-level city. (2) At the county level, clear spatial differentiations exist in the direction of the urban sprawl. The centroids of all county seats in the Suzhou and Wuxi prefecture-level cities have an eastward tendency (Shanghai oriented), while those of the county seats in the Changzhou prefecture-level city tend to be westward (Nanjing oriented). (3) At the township level, two convergent groups have gradually formed over time; namely, the low density urban zone in the western hilly land and the high density urban zone around the three central downtown areas. The urban areas close to urban cores tend to merge, showing a high-density convergent growth pattern, as do the western and southwestern townships in Southern Jiangsu, showing a low-density convergent growth pattern. All of these findings may be valuable for researchers and local authorities in providing reference for regional coordinated growth, environmental management, and urban planning decision-making.

Picturing filth and disorder: Photography and urban governance in Toronto

In July of 1911, just nine months after his appointment to the post of Medical Health Officer for the City of Toronto, Dr Charles Hastings issued a report on an investigation of slum conditions in the city. 1 The investigation found that Toronto had many of the conditions that were associated with the slums of 'great cities' in Europe and America: tenement houses, overcrowding, dark rooms, filthy yards and lanes and outdoor privies. The central downtown area around City Hall and the business district, referred to as ‘The Ward’, was overcrowded with poor and working-class immigrants, and in this area alone, sixty-three tenement houses were discovered, and 108 houses were declared unfit for habitation.2 The investigators discovered common lodging houses where sometimes more than twenty 'foreigners' lived under conditions that were described as a threat to the sanitary welfare of the city. They also reported on areas where outdoor privies overflowed into nearby yards and lanes. Photographs of dilapidated houses, narrow, muddy back lanes and backyards littered with refuse were included in the report as evidence of the written descriptions and statistical data. Both the public and city council recognised the thirty-two page document as a thorough and significant study of one of the city's most pressing concerns (figure 1).3

Influence of expanding ring roads on traffic noise in Beijing City

The road network in Beijing is expanding in the form of loop-lines. Following the 2nd and 3rd ring roads, the 4th has been completed and come into operation in 2002. Traffic noise surveying and analysis was performed along four main roads in the Beijing urban area—the 2nd, 3rd and 4th ring roads circling the central downtown area and Chang-An Avenue, a major east–west corridor through the heart of the city. Measured noise data along the 2nd, 3rd and Chang-An Avenue were compared with the data surveyed before the completion of the 4th ring road for determining influence of expanding ring roads on traffic noise pattern in Beijing City. The results indicate that these main roads remain overloaded by traffic flow during daytime, and noise levels due to road traffic along these roads exceeds relavent environmental standards by 5 dBA. Reduced traffic noise level was observed along the northern half of the 2nd and 3rd ring roads, and along the central section of Chang-An Avenue. Increased traffic noise level was observed along the southern half of the 2nd and 3rd ring roads, and along the non-central section of Chang-An Avenue. Expanding ring roads mitigate heavy traffic flow in the central part of Beijing City, but spread high traffic noise outwards at the same time.

Evaluation and analysis of traffic noise from the main urban roads in Beijing

Traffic noise surveying and analysis was performed along three main roads in the Beijing urban area—the 2nd and 3rd ring roads circling the central downtown area and Chang-An Avenue, a major east—west corridor road through the heart of the city. The results indicate that these main roads are overloaded by traffic flow during daytime and noise levels due to road traffic along these roads are above relevant environmental standards by 5 dBA. The spatial variance of traffic noise was also analyzed, with the results indicating that the spatial differences result primarily from the unbalanced development of Beijing's urban districts.