Residential Area Characteristics Research Articles

The Relationship Between Environment Characteristics and Old Citizen’s Physical Activates in Residential Area, Harbin, China

Walking is one of the main travel mode for old citizen (over 60 years old) in their daily life, so understanding how the environment characteristics of residential area could effect the old citizen’s physical activities could help the designer to work better on old citizen friendly urban plan. This study attempts to comprehensively and objectively research on the relationship between environment characteristics and old citizen’s physical activities in Harbin residential areas. Spatial feature and traffic management have been thought as the main determinate of walkability of urban space, however physical features and urban design details have been rarely mentioned. Old citizen’s perception has been examined in this study: 15 environment characteristics problems have been identified in the studied residential areas based on the understanding of pervious researches. Through observations and questionnaire surveys, the environment characteristics of each case study were evaluated and the physical problems were discovered. Additionally, old citizen’s perception on the identified problems and their effects on their physical activities of the studied areas were found and defined, in both high and low walkability residential area.

능선환경으로 본 천안 백석동 청동기시대 취락의 최적 입지환경 - 지형분석과 GIS분석을 이용한 주거지 입지 특성에 주목하여 -

능선환경으로 본 천안 백석동 청동기시대 취락의 최적 입지환경 - 지형분석과 GIS분석을 이용한 주거지 입지 특성에 주목하여 -

Built environment, non-motorized travel and overall physical activity

To increase overall psysical activity is seen as important health promoting strategy where characteristics of the built environment are found to play an important role. In this study, physically active lifestyle includes non-motorized travel and other physical activity apart from travel. Most earlier studies are limited to quantitative measurements of the built environment’s influence on either non-motorized travel or other physical activity at a neighborhood level. They do not give any clear indication of how people’s total amount of physical activity will vary with their intra-metropolitan residential location. The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent and in what ways peoples’ physical activities are influenced by the location and built environment characteristics of residential areas. Through a survey and 33 qualitative interviews conducted in two Norwegian city regions of different sizes and with distinct urban strutctures, Oslo and Stavanger, the study contributes with new knowledge about the link between built environment at a regional level and overall physical activity. The results show that non-travel-related physical activity among suburbanites seems to slightly outweigh higher levels of non-motorized travel among inner-city residents. The counteracting influences residential location and built environment characteristics seem to exert on physical activity may therefore lead to incorrect conclusions about the overall effect in studies only focusing on non-motorized travel. Improved accessibility by bike or foot in existing suburban areas and maintanance of inner-city green areas is important to enhance the overall level of physical activity.

Comparing Characteristics of Environmental Behaviors and Spatial Types in Open and Gated Housing Blocks: A Case Study of Changchun, China

Physical characteristics of residential areas affect many aspects of living sustainability, including the environmental behavior of residents. Based on the policy issued in China in 2016, the guideline of transforming existing gated housing blocks into open mode is being gradually implemented in some cities. However, the transforming of boundary walls and internal roads has changed the living environment such as the open space that residents have been accustomed to and has affected environmental behaviors correspondingly. From perspectives of spatial types and environmental behaviors, this research compared an open housing block (which is reconstructed from gated one) with a comparable original gated housing block. The Behavior Mapping Method was used to capture environmental behaviors in two housing blocks; factor analysis and cluster analysis were used to extract spatial characteristics and classify spatial types; and finally differences between the open housing block and the gated housing block were shown by comparing the distribution of environmental behaviors in each space type. The results indicate that the presence or absence of the enclosing walls affects the division of space types and environmental behaviors in housing blocks. For gated housing blocks, spaces with strong privacy attract various types of activities, which are overwhelming in categories and the number of people, while in the open housing blocks, this situation is not as obvious as in the former.

(SEMI AUTOMATION BUILDING AREA EXTRACTION USING HIGH RESOLUTION AERIAL PHOTO USING TRANSFERABLE GEOSPASIAL OBJECT BASED IMAGE ANALYSIS (GEOBIA) RULESET)

Residential area diversity became a challenge in building area information extraction especially when associated with the extensive space of residential areas formed in Indonesia. Using high resolution RGB aerial photographs with nDSM height data support, transferable GEOBIA developed to overcome the challenges and problems. Master rulesets arranged in the main area and applied to several test areas to compliment the characteristics as well as the stability of accuracy that can be produced. Segmentation and classification multilevel technique adapted in master ruleset to achieve best results with the lightest processing load. Transferable GEOBIA ruleset proved to provide accurate information of reliable building area on various characteristics of residential area. In the main area, the accuracy value reaches 91.25% while in other test areas the accuracy exceeds 85% which is 92.22%, 86.19% and 92.73%.

Evaluation of the factors affecting water-saving attitudes of urban life on the verge of the next century: a case study of the Mediterranean region of Turkey

AbstractThe World Food and Agriculture Organization claims the percentage of the overall world population that will suffer from water scarcity and water stress by 2025 is estimated as 34% and 15%, respectively. Accordingly, it can be estimated that 40% of the 9.4 billion estimated world population will face water shortages by 2050. In this case, the ownership and efficient use of water stand out as common concerns for all communities in the world for today and for the future. In this research, the attitudes of consumers towards water saving were identified and factors that affect these attitudes were analysed within a sample from the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The survey was conducted through a face-to-face survey with 965 households in three Turkish provinces in 2009. SPSS statistical package was used for factor analysis to determine the affecting factors. Variables affecting water-saving decisions were reduced to seven factors via 0.792 KMO value. These seven factors explained 62.18% of the total variation in water-saving consciousness of the target group. Accordingly, it was understood that marketing policies should focus on water crisis awareness, environmental awareness, anxiety about water shortage, residential area characteristics, water pricing, the current awareness level and social willingness on reduction of water use to cope with possible problems.

What Accounts for Racial and Ethnic Differences in Credit Use?

Credit use varies widely among U.S. households; racial and ethnic differences are particularly striking. We examine whether household and residential-area characteristics can account for differences in use of bank credit (e.g., credit cards) and nonbank credit (e.g., payday loans). We use a novel dataset with information on previously unexplored factors, including income volatility, households’ attitudes toward banks, proximity to bank and nonbank financial providers, and neighborhood attributes. Although we account for much of the raw differences in credit use, residual racial and ethnic disparities are large. We discuss factors likely to be driving the residual disparities, and implications for policy.

Measuring accessibility of sustainable transportation using space syntax in Bojonggede area

Changes in the physical structure of regional space as a result of the increase of planned and unplanned settlements in the Bojonggede area have an impact on the road network pattern system. Changes in road network patterns will have an impact on the permeability of the area. Permeability measures the extent to which road network patterns provide an option in traveling. If the permeability increases the travel distance decreases and the route of travel choice increases, permeability like this can create an easy access system and physically integrated. This study aims to identify the relationship of physical characteristics of residential area and road network pattern to the level of space permeability in Bojonggede area. By conducting this research can be a reference for the arrangement of circulation, accessibility, and land use in the vicinity of Bojonggede. This research uses quantitative method and space syntax method to see global integration and local integration on the region which become the parameter of permeability level. The results showed that the level of permeability globally and locally high in Bojonggede physical area is the physical characteristics of the area that has a grid pattern of road network grid.

The scales of the metropolis: Exploring cognitive maps using a qualitative approach based on SoftGIS software

The spatial dimension of daily mobility depends on where people choose to perform their daily activities in urban environments. This study explores the influence of multiple geographical scales, characterising metropolitan regions on the cognitive images of individuals, whose daily mobility is restricted by an interurban daily commute to a university campus in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona.To do so, a sample of 28 adults from the Barcelona Metropolitan Region (RMB) were asked to describe perceived activity spaces using a combination of SoftGIS technology and interviews. Results have shown that different individuals can perceive the same geographic context in several manners, differentiating their utilised space between spatial continuums, fragmented territories or overlaid territories. Furthermore, factors such as the different spatial scales that affect a territory, the morphological characteristics of residential areas or the transport infrastructures, have proven to influence cognitive maps of individuals. Finally, different methods utilised for the exploration of cognitive maps have provided variations in the resulting cognitive images of participants.

Residential area characteristics and disabilities among Dutch community-dwelling older adults.

BackgroundLiving longer independently may be facilitated by an attractive and safe residential area, which stimulates physical activity. We studied the association between area characteristics and disabilities and whether this association is mediated by transport-related physical activity (TPA).MethodsLongitudinal data of 271 Dutch community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older participating in the Elderly And their Neighbourhood (ELANE) study in 2011–2013 were used. Associations between objectively measured aesthetics (range 0–22), functional features (range 0–14), safety (range 0–16), and destinations (range 0–15) within road network buffers surrounding participants’ residences, and self-reported disabilities in instrumental activities of daily living (range 0–8; measured twice over a 9 months period) were investigated by using longitudinal tobit regression analyses. Furthermore, it was investigated whether self-reported TPA mediated associations between area characteristics and disabilities.ResultsA one unit increase in aesthetics within the 400 m buffer was associated with 0.86 less disabilities (95% CI −1.47 to −0.25; p < 0.05), but other area characteristics were not related to disabilities. An increase in area aesthetics was associated with more TPA, and more minutes of TPA were associated with less disabilities. TPA however, only partly mediated the associated between area aesthetics and disabilities.ConclusionsImproving aesthetic features in the close by area around older persons’ residences may help to prevent disability.

주택바우처 수혜자의 주거지 특성 분석 - 서울시를 중심으로

주택바우처 수혜자의 주거지 특성 분석 - 서울시를 중심으로

Different social drivers, including perceptions of urban wildlife, explain the ecological resources in residential landscapes

The conservation value of residential landscapes is becoming increasingly apparent in our urbanizing world. The ecological characteristics of residential areas are largely determined by the decisions of many individual “managers.” In these complex socio-ecological systems, it is important to understand the factors that motivate human decision-making. Our first objective was to quantify wildlife resources and management activities in residential landscapes and compare vegetation in front and back yards. Our second objective was to test three hypotheses linked with variation in yards: socioeconomic characteristics, neighborhood design factors, and perceptions of neighborhood birds. We conducted surveys of over 900 residents in 25 Chicago-area neighborhoods to examine the wildlife resources contained in front and back yards and the social factors associated with variation in yards. We used a multi-scalar approach to examine among-yard and among-neighborhood variation in residential landscapes. Results indicate that back yards contain more wildlife resources than front yards, including greater vegetation complexity, more plants with fruit/berries, and more plants intended to attract birds. Furthermore, different hypotheses explain variation in front and back yards. Perceptions of birds were most important in explaining variation in back yard vegetation and wildlife-friendly resources per parcel, while neighbors’ yards and socioeconomic characteristics best explained front yard vegetation. This study demonstrates the importance of back yards as an unexplored and underestimated resource for biodiversity. In addition, the results provide insight into the complex factors linked with yard decisions, notably that residents’ connections with neighborhood birds appear to translate to on-the-ground actions.

Comparison of Preferred Features in Spatial Composition for Shared Housing between Rural and Urban Elderly

Shared housing for elderly people, where several elderly people live together, gains attention as a means to prevent the lonely death of elderly people and continuously maintain their social relations. The purpose of this study is to compare the characteristics planned through rural and urban areas-residing elderly people's participation in the shared housing spatial composition by area. This study conducted a small scale workshop panel method that targeted small group, but through which extensive information can be acquired, as a qualitative method. This study targeted 16 elderly people aged 65 and over living in rented apartments in rural and urban areas by dividing them two groups by area, namely into four groups. A total of 12 workshop sessions were held with three sessions at a time through a certain time interval. As a result of the study, the elderly people showed positive responses to the shared housing, irrelevant of area. As time went on, the workshop panel method's effect was revealed through consolidated positive attitude and agreement of different opinions. The shared housing for elderly people is valuable as a residential alternative for elderly people, and differentiated supply of the shared housing for elderly people, according to residential area's characteristics, is suggested.

Study on a Stratified Sampling Investigation Method for Resident Travel and the Sampling Rate

This text first dissected the relationship between average travel frequency, trip mode structure, and the characteristics of residential areas. The results showed that conducting a stratified resident travel investigation in accordance with the characteristics of residential areas will yield samples with much smaller differences and reduce the investigation sampling rate. Accordingly, a new type of resident travel investigation method was put forward based on the above ideas. The stratified sampling rate formula and the sampling rate of each layer have been derived in detail according to Probability Theory and Mathematical Statistical Methods. Finally, for the main urban area of Kunshan City in Jiangsu province, China, we discussed the reasonable values of parameters in the formulas and obtained sampling rates for travel surveys in different residential areas. Theory and case studies illustrated the operability of this method and its advantages compared to random sampling.

Characteristics of residential areas and transportational walking among frail and non-frail Dutch elderly: does the size of the area matter?

BackgroundA residential area supportive for walking may facilitate elderly to live longer independently. However, current evidence on area characteristics potentially important for walking among older persons is mixed. This study hypothesized that the importance of area characteristics for transportational walking depends on the size of the area characteristics measured, and older person’s frailty level.MethodsThe study population consisted of 408 Dutch community-dwelling persons aged 65 years and older participating in the Elderly And their Neighborhood (ELANE) study in 2011–2012. Characteristics (aesthetics, functional features, safety, and destinations) of areas surrounding participants’ residences ranging from a buffer of 400 meters up to 1600 meters (based on walking path networks) were linked with self-reported transportational walking using linear regression analyses. In addition, interaction effects between frailty level and area characteristics were tested.ResultsAn increase in functional features (e.g. presence of sidewalks and benches) within a 400 meter buffer, in aesthetics (e.g. absence of litter and graffiti) within 800 and 1200 meter buffers, and an increase of one destination per buffer of 400 and 800 meters were associated with more transportational walking, up to 2.89 minutes per two weeks (CI 1.07-7.32; p < 0.05). No differences were found between frail and non-frail elderly.ConclusionsBetter functional and aesthetic features, and more destinations in the residential area of community-dwelling older persons were associated with more transportational walking. The importance of area characteristics for transportational walking differs by area size, but not by frailty level. Neighbourhood improvements may increase transportational walking among older persons, thereby contributing to living longer independently.

The Relationships between Social Determinants of Health and Health-related Quality of Life among the Community-dwelling Elderly

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the social determinants of health (SDH) associated with health-related quality of life (HQOL) among the community-dwelling elderly, based on the conceptual framework of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). Methods: A survey was conducted with 199 elders aged 65 years or older sampled through convenient sampling. Data were collected through face to face interviews by trained interviewers using a structured questionnaire, which included scales of the residential area, social support, sense of community, social network, health behaviors, and HQOL. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and stepwise multivariate regression. Results: Major SDH affecting HQOL included the participants’ residential area, sense of community, and health behavior. The HQOL of the elderly residing in the B area with a low rate of basic livelihood security recipients was higher than that of those residing in other areas. Conclusion: CSDH framework was useful to determine the factors associated with HQOL among the community-dwelling elderly. In addition to their health behavior, their sense of community was found to be a SDH of HQOL, indicating the need of health promotion programs tailored to the characteristics of residential areas and strategies to enhance involvement in community activities.

高齢者日常利用施設に対する生活利便性に関する研究：千葉県内市町村の場合

This study aims to understand accessibility of residential area to daily-use local facility of elderly people, and clarifies the characteristics of municipality in Chiba prefecture.We estimate the number of people who can access to the nearest facilities on foot. Then by applying these data to cluster analysis, we classify municipalities into 7 clusters in which to describe their characteristics.If the population density decreases, accessibility of residential area to local facility becomes worse. Particularly, the characteristics of residential area relate to the proximity of clinic, community center or library.

The Spatial Context of Social Integration

Social integration is the harmonious and coherent processing of the structures of a social system and refers to the degree to which people are integrated to the systems of a social structure. Although social integration issue is often considered on a regional scale and especially in association with the migration literature, it is also associated with urban dynamics. Especially in metropolitan cities, it is a process that shapes the opportunities and resources of urban life, such as socio-cultural life, the built environment and urban services. This paper aims to analyze the spatial differentiation of the interactive dimension of social integration in the case of Istanbul. It describes different forms and levels of social relations of the residents of Istanbul while also depicting the interaction between social integration and location, particularly in terms of residential area characteristics. With this aim, different types of social relations are analyzed using statistical and spatial analysis methods. The results of the study indicate that different social groups which are integrated into the macro structures of the society with different degrees produce different forms of social relations and they also live in residential areas which differ with their environmental quality.

Socioeconomic characteristics of residential areas and risk of death: is variation in spatial units for analysis a source of heterogeneity in observed associations?

ObjectivesEvidence on the association between the adverse socioeconomic characteristics of residential area and mortality is mixed. We examined whether the choice of spatial unit is critical in detecting this association.DesignRegister-linkage...

The association between residential area characteristics and mental health outcomes among men and women in Belgium.

AimRecently, interest has grown in the association between contextual factors and health outcomes. This study questions whether mental health complaints vary according to the socio-economic characteristics of the residential area where people live. The gender-specific patterns are studied.MethodsComplaints of depression and generalized anxiety were measured by means of the relevant subscales of the Symptoms Checklist 90-Revised. Multilevel models were estimated with PASW statistics 18, based on a unique dataset, constructed by merging data from the Belgian Health Interview Surveys from 2001 and 2004 with data from 264 municipalities derived from Statistics Belgium and the General Socio-Economic Survey.Main findingsThe results of this exploratory study indicate that the local unemployment rate is associated with complaints of depression among women.ConclusionThis study suggests that policy should approach the male and female population differently when implementing mental health prevention campaigns.