City Streets Research Articles

Manhattan's Street Trees: An Unfinished Public Health Story.

Stephen Smith launched a 40-year effort to bring trees to New York City streets in 1872, the year he founded the American Public Health Association (APHA). Smith argued that street trees would mitigate the adverse health effects of Manhattan's summer heat and help purify the air. The young APHA endorsed Smith's position and gave trees a prominent role in urban sanitation, but public health turned away from trees and urban reform movements as it adopted a biomedical public health model in the late 19th century. Nevertheless, Smith wrote and campaigned for a successful 1902 law requiring the New York City Parks Department to assume management of street trees in the name of public health. He then led a 1914 campaign to force the department to uphold his law. New York's street tree program has had an erratic trajectory, but it now generally follows Smith's vision. Public health could play a bigger role in creating greener cities and mitigating climate change with more field research and the health in all policies approach that Smith used to bring trees to Manhattan's streets in 1914. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print October 31, 2024:e1-e9. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307856).

Understanding the Factors Affecting Traffic Danger for Children: Insights From Focus Group Discussions

Children’s safety on urban roads is a critical concern with young pedestrians and cyclists being among the most vulnerable groups to traffic-related dangers. The prioritization of motor vehicle traffic in road infrastructure poses significant risks to child pedestrians and cyclists navigating city streets. Furthermore, children’s independent mobility has been restricted due to traffic danger and their parents’ concerns about it. Given the important implications of this issue, a serious gap was identified in that no measure of traffic danger exists, with outcomes (e.g., collisions) being used as a proxy. Identifying factors contributing to traffic danger, how they interact, and how they impact traffic are imperative to identify where mitigation is needed to address these problems. This article delves into the complexities of traffic risks for children, focusing on intersections and streets. Six focus groups, including experts (<em>n</em> = 3), parents (<em>n</em> = 2), and children aged 8 to 12 (<em>n</em> = 1), were conducted to gather insights on factors impacting traffic danger. Thematic analysis revealed eight key themes, highlighting the importance of addressing traffic volume, speed, vehicle size, road design, driver behavior, visibility, and land use. These findings contribute to a comprehensive framework for understanding traffic danger for children. Additionally, the article examines how stakeholders’ perspectives align with standard measures of traffic danger in the literature.

Sanitary sewer overflows, household sewage backups, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria: the new frontier of environmental health risks and disasters

Abstract Untreated sewage discharges leading to environmental contamination are increasingly common in communities across the globe. The cause of these discharges range from sewer lines in disrepair, blockages, and in the era of more extreme wet weather events, the infiltration of stormwater into the system during heavy downpours. Regardless of the driver of these events, the aftermath results in raw sewage spilling into local waterways, city streets, and commercial and residential structures. Historical research in public health has thoroughly documented the connection between exposure to untreated sewage and waterborne disease. Recent research has detected antibiotic-resistant bacteria at wastewater treatment facilities at a time when deaths by antibiotic-resistant infections are on the rise. However, no research has explored the exposure pathways of antibiotic resistant bacteria during sanitary sewer overflows and household-level sewage backups. In this commentary, we aim to introduce this new frontier of environmental health risks and disasters. To do this we describe the history of modern sanitation and sewer infrastructure with a particular focus on wastewater infrastructure in the U.S. We also explore emerging risks and current methods for identifying antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. We end with future directions for interdisciplinary scholarship at the nexus of urban planning, engineering, and public health by introducing the Water Emergency Team (WET) Project. WET is a community-based multi-method effort to identify environmental risks in the aftermath of household backups through 1) residential surveys, 2) indoor visual inspections, 3) environmental sampling, and 4) laboratory processing and reporting. Our hope is that by introducing this comprehensive approach to environmental risks analysis, other scholars will join us in this effort and ultimately towards addressing this grand challenge of our time.

Identifying patterns of change in traffic flows’ parameters depending on the organization of public transport movement

This study examines the issue of traffic organization on sections of city streets, in which there are public transport stop zones of different configurations (with a drive-in pocket and along a traffic lane). Accordingly, the object of research is the parameters of traffic flows; the subject is the regularities in their change on such specific sections of the street-road network, taking into account the configuration of stops, the number of traffic lanes, and priority conditions for the movement of public transport. The task addressed in this work was the quantitative assessment of the efficiency of traffic management in public transport stop zones. It was also important to compare different configurations of street segments in terms of their impact on delays of private and public transport. As a result of the research, the speed and time characteristics of the traffic flow and their dependence on its composition and intensity for different number and specialization of traffic lanes, as well as the location of the public transport stop, were determined. The resulting quantitative indicators of delays of all types of transport for each modeling option made it possible to determine the best of them according to the criterion of minimal time loss. This applies to both private and public transport, as the values of delays may differ from each other by 10–50 %. An applied aspect related to using the scientific result is the possibility of justifying the number of traffic lanes, or their allocation for public transport, as well as determining the appropriate configuration of stops. This constitutes the prerequisites for the transfer of the scientific results to the relevant interested structures in the field of transport, which are responsible for the organization and safety of traffic under urban conditions

Preferensi Masyarakat terhadap Tanaman Identitas di Jalur Hijau Tepi Jalan Kota Yogyakarta

Philosophical and native plants have ecological, aesthetic, and air pollution tolerant functions, and have historical value as constituents of Green Open Spaces (GOS). Plants in the green belt of the Imaginary Line of Yogyakarta are different from other green belt plants, because there are special features. the preferences of the Yogyakarta City community are carried out to choose the right plants, so as to create a good ecosystem on the green belt of Yogyakarta City roads. The purpose of this study was to identify plants to recommendations from people's preferences in choosing green belt plants in the City of Yogyakarta. the research method for selecting respondents used the Slovin method and in-depth interviews with cultural experts from the Yogyakarta Palace, and further tested using the Spearman correlation test. The results showed that of the 33 philosophical and native plants, the physiological characteristics of the plants had a percentage of 8.9%, namely Ficus benjamina L. as a philosophical plant and Chrysopyllum cainito L. 14.6% as a native plant. Visual plant characteristics that have a score of 7 are Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack and Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa.

Towards inclusive urban real estate: Innovative strategies for shaping urban real estate developments in South Africa

South Africa, like many emerging economies, grapples with the challenges of rapid urbanisation, unequal access to resources, and historical spatial inequalities. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach that reimagines urban real estate development as a catalyst for positive social change. This paper explores the imperative of inclusive urban real estate development in South Africa and presents innovative strategies to promote equity, accessibility, and sustainability in urban environments. Following a quantitative inquiry technique, primary data was gathered from 109 built environment professionals with experience in sustainable urban development. To support this, descriptive and inferential statistics, particularly exploratory factor analysis (EFA), were used. According to the descriptive analysis using the mean score (MS) ranking technique, the development of affordable housing was one of the higher up-front innovative strategies for reshaping real estate development. Ensuring objectivity in city planning, re-engineering the city streets and buildings to create a safer environment were among the highly ranked strategies. The EFA further demonstrated that “urban redevelopment”, “government regulations”, “spatial planning”, “urban policy” and “diversification” were the underlying groups of new approaches for inclusive development. Implementing these innovative strategies, South Africa can move towards a more inclusive and equitable urban landscape, where urban real estate development becomes a force for positive social change, fostering sustainable economic growth and improving the quality of life for all citizens. This research contributes to the ongoing dialogue on urban development in South Africa and offers actionable insights for policymakers, developers, and community stakeholders invested in shaping more inclusive cities.

Potential Application of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) on Bandung City Roads

This research investigates the potential implementation of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) in Bandung City, Indonesia, focusing on its effectiveness in reducing traffic congestion. The study employs a quantitative approach using a survey method, experiments, and statistical analyses to evaluate ERP's impact on road traffic performance and cost efficiency. The research design includes traffic volume analysis, vehicle operating costs, and data collection through questionnaires from Bandung residents selected randomly. The research subjects include frequent road users in congested areas, and the study was conducted in 2023. Using binary logistic regression, the results show significant shifts in road user behavior, with reductions in traffic volumes of 33% on Jalan Sukajadi, 38% on Jalan Dr. Djunjunan, and 23% on Jalan Terusan Jakarta. Additionally, ERP was found to improve cost efficiency in traffic management. The study concludes that ERP is a promising solution for managing congestion in Bandung, with broader implications for other congested cities in Indonesia.

Research on Smart City Road Network Capacity Optimization Configuration Based on Deep Learning Algorithms

At present, the urban traffic system is faced with the problems of congestion and low efficiency, and the traditional methods have certain limitations when dealing with the complex urban road network. This paper aims to explore a new method of capacity Optimization of Road Networks in a Smart City environment and proposes a method based on a Graph Neural network, named “Smart City Road optimization Graph Neural Network” (SCRO-GNN). SCRO-GNN first collects and preprocesses multi-source data, including road network data, traffic flow, accident records, environmental factors, etc. The key node and edge features, including the number of lanes at the intersection, the traffic flow of the section, and the adjacency matrix of the road network are defined to characterize the structure of the road network. Then, the graph neural network model is constructed and trained to predict the traffic flow of different sections and evaluate the road capacity by using the graph structure of the road network. This paper tests the performance of SCRO-GNN on real road networks in multiple cities. The results show that, compared with the traditional traffic flow prediction model, SCRO-GNN can significantly improve the prediction accuracy, especially when dealing with the highly complex urban road network structure. Based on these predictions, the proposed optimization strategy performed well in reducing traffic congestion and improving the efficiency of road use. The research in this paper not only demonstrates the potential of graph neural networks in smart city road network optimization, but also provides a new direction for future traffic system research. The successful implementation of the SCRO-GNN approach is expected to provide more efficient and intelligent solutions for urban traffic management and planning.

How “helping” can sustain the stigmatization of homeless people

Summary The article presents findings of an ethnographic study carried out in Poland with homeless people living on the street and in a hostel. Interpretative orientation was used to ensure the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about their perspectives. The paper has two aims. First, it reconstructs the limits and risks of “(un)helpful help” and its impact on experiences of stigma. Second, it addresses how good intentions and policy efforts can have negative consequences, drawing on data from two separate research studies. The first research included seven male homeless people living on city streets. The second was carried out with 20 homeless people served by an agency working for homeless people. A qualitative methodology was employed for this critical ethnography, according to which the authors analyzed the data using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Findings The research revealed a number of support measures which, instead of positively changing their situation from the participants’ points of view, can exacerbate it by further stigmatizing homeless people with support based on helpers’ stigmatizing approaches which can compound homeless people's negative experiences of “help.” Applications An understanding of the mechanisms of structural and systemic stigmatization from the participants’ perspectives can help shift responsibility for their situation away from homeless people themselves toward society's responsibility as a whole. It highlights how there needs to be a change of consciousness and approaches within assistance systems, shifting the balance from an asymmetrical to a symmetrical relationship based on partnership and collaboration.

Microbiological assessment of bioaerosols in the residential areas of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

This study looked at particulate matter (PM10) in terms of its microbiological features and how bacterial populations are related to PM10. It also tested the antibiotic resistance of different types of microbes that live in PM10. We conducted the study in six different locations (Badda, Chittagong Road, Basabo, Jurain, Mirpur, and Gulshan) of Dhaka city, taking into account residential and commercially important areas, traffic congestion, and infrastructure development. The microbiological study revealed that Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. were primarily present in PM10. The study also revealed that the total bacterial count (46585±1226.8 CFU/m3) of the Badda zone is higher than in another area. Similar findings were also observed in the case of Bacillus spp. (15625±5729 CFU/m3), Staphylococcus spp. (18518±5730 CFU/m3), and total fungal count (726852± 98209 CFU/m3). Moreover, a positive correlation was observed among Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. vs. mean PM10 concentration, which implies that airborne microbes in Dhaka city are likely to propagate with the increase of dust concentration. The antibiotic sensitivity assay of Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. revealed that all the Bacillus spp. (n=16) and Staphylococcus spp. (n=3) were resistant to Ceftazidime (30 µg), Oxacillin (1 µg) and Cefixime (5 µg). So, the research findings highlighted the increased levels of Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. than the international standard in PM10 of Dhaka city, suggesting potential health risks and indicating antibiotic resistance among these bacterial strains.

Обгрунтування доцільності влаштування саморегульованих кільцевих розв’язок на вулично-дорожній мережі міста

Introduction. In the modern world, the transport infrastructure of cities faces significant challenges related to the growth of traffic intensity, congestion and the need to ensure road safety. Among the wide range of engineering solutions and technologies aimed at solving these problems, it is worth highlighting the issue of justifying the choice of planning solutions in places of the highest concentration of traffic flows - transport hubs. International experience shows that the construction of roundabouts is one of the ways to optimize traffic, reduce congestion and improve road safety. Therefore, it is important to consider this type of planning solutions for transport hubs in terms of the feasibility of their use on the city's street and road network.

Підвищення колієстійкастосування армуючих синтетичнихості та довговічності асфальтобетонних покривів на автомобільних дорогах і автодорожніх мостах з допомогою з матеріалів ADFORS GLASGRID

Introduction. One of the most common defects in the asphalt concrete pavements of highways and highway bridges that arise during their operation is the formation of ruts. The problem of increasing the rut resistance and durability of asphalt concrete pavements of highways, city streets and roads, at intersections, in front of traffic light intersections, at public transport stops and on the right lanes of bridges and overpasses is very relevant all over the world. One of the effective means of solving this problem is to increase the rut resistance and durability of asphalt concrete pavements by reinforcing them with Adfors GlasGrid® reinforcing synthetic materials.

Law’s role in fostering inclusive and accessible pedestrian environments: insights from a multinational study

Law’s role in fostering inclusive and accessible pedestrian environments: insights from a multinational study This project aims to strengthen initiatives to use law, policy and awareness-raising to enhance the accessibility of city streets, particularly for disabled and older pedestrians. It focuses on five countries and, within each of them, two cities. It draws on law/policy analysis, qualitative data from interviews and street-filming with city-based pedestrians, and interviews with national stakeholders.

Noise reduction design of new residential buildings along urban roads-taking a residential district in Foshan as an example

Taking a residential district in Foshan along the city road as an example, the impact of urban road traffic noise on it is studied. Firstly, the data is monitored in the noise field, then three-dimensional simulation models of residential buildings and road distribution are established in Cadna/A software, and noise simulation prediction is carried out according to the actual situation and relevant norms and standards. The predicted noise values of the exterior surface of residential buildings are obtained, which has exceeded the permissible interior noise level for residential buildings. By comparing the application effects of noise reduction measures in buildings, the noise reduction design scheme of new residential buildings along urban roads is finally proposed: the sound insulation doors and windows that meet the requirements are adopted. After the completion of the house, the indoor background noise and the sound insulation performance of the doors and windows are measured. The measured results show that the selection of sound insulation doors and windows is suitable and the indoor noise environment meets the design requirements of noise reduction. The results are helpful to provide technical reference for the noise reduction design and renovation of other residential buildings along urban roads.

Evaluative Performance Program E-Tilang di Simpang Raya Kota Surabaya

ETLE (Electronic Traffic Law Enforcement) is a set of electronic devices that use Automatic License Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology in the form of cameras that automatically detect motorized vehicles and cars with traffic violations E-TLE system, which is part of law enforcement efforts, this system aims to reduce problems caused by traffic violations, such as congestion and accidents, and ensure order on the highway. The e-Tilang system was pioneered by the East Java Regional Police, especially the Surabaya Police, which has this innovation as a crucial role in improving safety and regularity of electronically based traffic, the implementation of ETLE tickets in Surabaya City has increased in 2022 and 2023 compared to 2021. Which in 2021 the ETLE program was intensified due to the Covid-19 pandemic in order to increase the efficiency of technology-based services. The ETLE camera system uses CCTV cameras that are monitored directly by Police Officers with a total of 22 monitoring camera points in several parts of Surabaya City. where each officer oversees 4 areas with 8 CCTVs on the monitoring screen. Although it has had a positive impact on the implementation of ticketing, there are many things that should be evaluated from the process of running E-TLE at Surabaya Police Station. Mainly in the process of implementing and providing maximum fines, as well as the limited number of employees and time in ETLE supervision. So that the Process on Performance and the Facilities used should be evaluated in the running of the ETLE system in Surabaya City. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative. The focus of this research is to find out the results of the Evaluation of the E-Ticket Policy Program (E-TLE) at the Surabaya City Road Intersection The theory used in the research is Gupta & Jana's Evaluative performance theory. There are 4 indicators from this theory, namely total costs and fines, quality of planning and control, quality of decision making and system characteristics. The data collection technique in this study is by conducting interviews, observation and documentation. In this research, from these 4 indicators, some are quite appropriate, but there are still many shortcomings that should be evaluated from the system and the quality of performance of the Surabaya police litas unit. The performance evaluation of the E-Tilang program in Surabaya shows success in managing total costs and fines, the quality of planning and control, and the quality of decision making. This program includes the use of 40 CCTV camera units and fiber optic networks that support the effectiveness of law enforcement, as well as the management of fair fines. Careful planning and better coordination after the evaluation ensured efficiency in recording violations using gadgets and the E-Tilang application.

A multiple asset-type, collaborative vehicle routing problem with proximal servicing of demands

This research examines the problem of routing multiple assets of different types over a network to service demands in a collaborative manner. The servicing is collaborative in that, when servicing a demand, the different types of assets must do so nearly simultaneously. Moreover, whereas some asset types must service demands by visiting them, other asset types may provide service proximally. This study sets forth a mixed-integer linear program to model this variant of a vehicle routing problem. In addition to directly solving problem instances via a commercial solver, this research proposes two permutations of a model decomposition heuristic, as well as two preprocessing techniques to impose instance-specific bounds on selected decision variables. Comparative testing on mesh networks evaluates nine combinations of solution methods and preprocessing options to solve a set of 216 instances that vary significant parameters. Results manifest trade-offs between the likelihood of finding a feasible solution with bounded computational effort and the relative quality of solutions identified. For larger networks, the preprocessing technique leveraging a nearest neighbor heuristic in combination with any solution method most frequently identified feasible solutions for the set of test instances (i.e., ∼90% of instances), with lesser solution quality (i.e., within 15% of the best solutions identified, on average). Worst performing for larger networks was a model decomposition technique that first routes assets providing service proximally, and omitting either preprocessing technique; although this combination yielded the best solutions when it identified a feasible solution, it only did so for ∼55% of instances. Other solution method performances exhibit noteworthy nuance, as detailed herein. Further testing of the solution procedures on 216 additional instances for a scenario motivated by a disaster relief using a city road network yielded relatively consistent results; the superlative method leveraged model decomposition and a nearest neighbor preprocessing heuristic, albeit when routing proximally-serving assets first.

Analysis of influencing factors of traffic accidents on urban ring road based on the SVM model optimized by Bayesian method.

Based on small scale sample of accident data from specific scenarios, fully exploring the potential influencing factors of the severity of traffic accidents has become a key and effective research method. In order to analyze the factors mentioned above in the scenario of urban ring roads, this paper collected data records of 1250 traffic accidents involving different severity on urban ring road of a central city in northwest China in the past 3 years. Firstly, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) model of non-parametric method is utilized to analyze the data above, and three kernel functions of linear, inhomogeneous polynomial and Gaussian radial basis are constructed respectively. Considering comprehensively 16 potential influencing factors covering the driver-vehicle-road-environment integrated system, the SVM models of above three kernel functions are verified, accuracy reaches 0.771 and F1 reaches 0.841. Then, Bayesian Optimization (BO), Grids Search (GS) and Rough Set (RS) are utilized as optimizer to adjust the parameters of Gaussian radial basis function SVM model, the performance of BO-SVM is further improved and reaches the optimum, with an average accuracy of 0.875 on the test set and a F1 of 0.886, completely outperforming the benchmark models of GS-SVM, RS-SVM, Bilayer-LSTM and BP. Finally, the sensitivity analysis method is utilized to quantify the sensitivity of the potential influencing factors to the severity of road accidents, and the backward selection method is utilized to screen the core influencing factors that influence the severity of accident, concluded that core influencing factors are age, driving mileage and vehicle type. This paper will provide reference for the analysis of the significant influencing factors for road accidents severity, and to provide theoretical support for the precise formulation of accident improvement strategies.

Experimental Evaluation of Damping and Stiffness in Optimized Active Sport Utility Vehicle Suspension Systems

On a flat city road, the specificity of the suspension poses a challenge. Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have less flexibility compared to regular cars, despite providing a firm grip on asphalt and concrete. Constant adjustments to the center of gravity of SUVs are necessary. Surprisingly, they are less reliable and stable in urban settings due to this characteristic. In this study, a mathematical model of the suspension system of SUVs based on the Newtonian approach is introduced and validated with data from experiments carried out by the MTS machine system on the mono-tube (oil/air) mixed damper element. The model accurately predicts the performance of this damper, commonly used in SUVs, across various operating conditions, including different frequencies. A coil spring element, serving as a passive suspension unit with this damper, is also tested experimentally under similar conditions. By integrating passive suspension elements with the active actuator, the proposed modified design reduces the power consumption needed for the actuator to function and ensures a certain level of reliability. The effectiveness and performance of the modified active suspension system in comparison to the traditional passive suspension system are assessed using three different strategies: hybrid PID-LQR, linear quadratic regulator (LQR), and proportional-integral-derivative (PID). The genetic algorithm is utilized to determine the optimal parameter values for each controller by minimizing a cost function, maximizing performance, and minimizing energy consumption. Simulation results demonstrate that the active suspension system controlled by the PID-LQR controller offers significantly improved ride comfort and vehicle stability compared to other systems. This suggests that the performance of the active suspension system is greatly enhanced by the combined application of the hybrid PID-LQR controller compared to other systems.

Expanding Ground Vehicle Autonomy into Unstructured, Off-Road Environments: Dataset Challenges

As with the broad field of deep learning, autonomy is a research topic that has experienced a heavy explosion in attention from both the scientific and commercial industries due to its potential for the advancement of humanity in many cross-cutting disciplines. Recent advancements in computer vision-based autonomy has highlighted the potential for the realization of increasingly sophisticated autonomous ground vehicles for both commercial and non-traditional applications, such as grocery delivery. Part of the success of these technologies has been a boon in the abundance of training data that is available for training the autonomous behaviors associated with their autonomy software. These data abundance advantage is quickly diminished when an application moves from structured environments, i.e., well-defined city road networks, highways, street signage, etc., into unstructured environments, i.e., cross-country, off-road, non-traditional terrains. Herein, we aim to present insights, from a dataset perspective, into how the scientific community can begin to expand autonomy into unstructured environments, while highlighting some of the key challenges that are presented with such a dynamic and ever-changing environment. Finally, a foundation is laid for the creation of a robust off-road dataset being developed by the Engineer Research and Development Center and Mississippi State University’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems.

PDAC-SL: A PUF-enabled drone access control technique for smart logistics

The conventional logistics’ paradigm is being replaced with smarter ways of supply chain management to readily serve the customers with quick modes of delivery in affordable operational costs. The weak infrastructure in rural terrain and congested roads in urban cities act as a big impediment in the successful accomplishment of last mile delivery down the lane across the complete chain of logistics. The traditional logistics has been evolved and improved in many respects, the last mile delivery is still plagued by security and privacy risks in logistics. The use of drones for package deliveries may offer promising gains in terms of efficiency. Nonetheless, drones undergo security and privacy risks besides physical threats for being deployed in public places communicating on open channels. Thus, more efforts are needed to secure the communication of inducted drones in delivery assignments. We propose a novel PUF-enabled drone access control mechanism PDAC-SL for smart logistics. By the careful employment of symmetric crypto-primitives, the contributed protocol not only supports low end devices but stands resistant to physical drone and other known threats besides preserving anonymity and untraceability features. The RoR model-based formal security analysis and performance analysis demonstrate distinct security properties and applicability of the PDAC-SL.