Council Districts Research Articles

Greater Glasgow pond amphibian surveys 2022

In 2019, Clyde Amphibian and Reptile Group (CARG) decided to organise a spring 2020 common frogspawn (Rana temporaria) survey of the Greater Glasgow area, Scotland. The COVID-19 lockdown postponed this project until 2022. The 2022 survey area was spread across four council districts: Glasgow City, South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire. The primary aim of the surveys was to collect records of amphibian breeding throughout the Greater Glasgow Area, with secondary aims of: (1) revisiting the ponds to see if the ponds supported the spawn through to tadpole and froglet stages; (2) assessing the condition of the ponds for amphibians; (3) identifying areas for habitat enhancement work; and (4) collecting data on breeding common toads (Bufo bufo) and newts (Lissotriton, Ichthyosaura and Triturus spp.). A total of 45 volunteers participated in the surveys. Surveys were completed between March and May 2022, with a primary focus between March and April in order to capture frog spawning data. Surveyors were asked to record amphibian population data, and habitat data in order to estimate Habitat Suitability Indices. In total 162 ponds were surveyed, with evidence of breeding common frogs found in 66.1% of ponds with 11,478 frogspawn clumps counted on the first set of surveys. Only 12.2% of ponds were found to contain common toads, and small newts (Lissotriton spp.) were identified in only 7.4% of ponds. In relation to the quality of breeding habitat, 24.5% of ponds were assessed as drying out annually, which significantly reduces the suitability of these ponds for breeding. This figure is predicted to increase with anthropogenic climate change reducing the number of breeding ponds available to amphibians in the absence of intervention. Furthermore, the majority of the ponds surveyed were assessed as offering poor or below average suitability for great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) and nearly half of the ponds surveyed were found to have poor or bad water quality, which can increase stress levels for larval amphibians and may adversely affect mortality levels. However, as the analysis of water quality was subjective, these findings should be treated with caution.

The Student Experience of a City-University-Community Service-Learning Classroom

The Austin City Hall Fellows Program at The University of Texas at Austin was a student civic leadership program designed to build Austin City Hall’s capacity to reach potential leaders in diverse new council districts. Undergraduate students in this program took a single-semester service-learning course that connected them with partners from the city, the community, and the university. Using Howard’s (1998) framework, our study analyzed student assessments from five cohorts of the class to understand how students experienced a service-learning class based around a multipartner community-university-city partnership. Our findings revealed that students experienced a nonlinear path to engagement in a synergistic classroom. This study offers implications for adjusting service-learning classes and projects to integrate and sustain relationships with multiple partners, even as the context of the service landscape and learning context are evolving.

Incorporating equity into active commuting to school infrastructure projects: A case study

• The 2016 Austin Mobility Bond provided funding for active transportation projects. • The SRTS process prioritized projects using demand, community input, safety, and equity. • Qualitative data highlighted inequities in fund allocation, though equity was a criterion in project prioritization. • Low-resource communities need significant funding to achieve optimal SRTS infrastructure. • Prioritizing equity over equality in distribution of funds for SRTS projects is important. The City of Austin, Texas, USA allocated significant funding for comprehensive Safe Routes to School (SRTS) infrastructure projects split equally across Council districts, but allocated funds using a scoring system incorporating demand, community input, safety, and equity. This case study describes the SRTS project prioritization process and provides a qualitative assessment of how well health equity was addressed. Data from City of Austin reports were combined with school-level demographic data to determine equity of need distribution; interviews were conducted with city-level stakeholders. Area- and school-level socioeconomic status represented equity measures in prioritization of projects for construction. Results indicate that council districts with the highest funding needs had an average of >80 % economically disadvantaged students, and qualitative data identified the equal, but inequitable nature of the funding among the council districts was a top concern. Lessons learned from this process can serve as an example for equity considerations in active transportation infrastructure.

Tourism potentials in the Karbi Anglong autonomous council districts (KAAC) of Assam

Tourism in common is referred to the movement of people outside their residence and visiting places beyond geographical boundaries of a country. It is considered as one of the largest industries in terms of foreign exchange earnings and employment generation. It is also an effective tool for bridging different cultures and communal conflicts. Many countries have embraced tourism as it serves the purpose of solving various economic and socio-cultural developments. The study area under Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council districts of Assam, India have been blessed by nature with bountiful natural beauty, rare flora and fauna, ethnic culture, heritage, unique cuisine, customs, fairs & festivals, mesmerizing waterfalls and appealing hills. Major part of the tourism resources available in the districts have not been tapped, remained untouched and undiscovered so far. The study area has the potential to be one of the major tourism hubs in Assam as well as North-East India. In the present context, this paper tried to examine and highlight the various tourism potentials and resources available in the study area which has remained undiscovered and unexplored till date.

Increased mask adherence after important politician infected with COVID-19.

To quantify changes in adherence to mask and distancing guidelines in outdoor settings in Philadelphia, PA before and after President Trump announced he was infected with COVID-19. We used Systematic Observation of Masking Adherence and Distancing (SOMAD) to assess mask adherence in parks, playgrounds, and commercial streets in the 10 City Council districts in Philadelphia PA. We compared adherence rates between August and September 2020 and after October 2, 2020. Disparities in mask adherence existed by age group, gender, and race/ethnicity, with females wearing masks correctly more often than males, seniors having higher mask use than other age groups, and Asians having higher adherence than other race/ethnicities. Correct mask use did not increase after the City released additional mask guidance in September but did after Oct 2. Incorrect mask use also decreased, but the percentage not having masks at all was unchanged. Vulnerability of leadership appears to influence population behavior. Public health departments likely need more resources to effectively and persuasively communicate critical safety messages related to COVID-19 transmission.

How Successful is Participatory Budgeting in Promoting Social Equity? Evidence from New York City

This study examines how successful the NYC's participatory budgeting (PB) has been in promoting social equity in its city council districts. Drawing on secondary data coming from NYC council data and American Community Survey, this study specifically examines how successful PB has been in engaging under-represented groups in its decision-making process, and in allocating funds equitably. Findings suggest that districts with a higher percentage of Asian-American and mixed race residents have a higher percentage of PB voters. The study finds that African–Americans, residents of Hispanic origin and women were not significant predictors of PB voters. Additionally, results indicate that districts with a higher percentage of people living below the poverty level and more Asian-American residents allocate more funds to PB projects. Other under-represented groups such as foreign born population and youth between 14 and 18 years of age did not have a statistically significant relationship with neither PB voters nor funding.

Systematic observation of mask adherence and distancing (SOMAD): Findings from Philadelphia.

Adherence to guidelines for face coverings and physical distancing are critical strategies to stem the COVID-19 pandemic but are not uniformly followed. Understanding factors associated with adherence to mask-wearing and physical distancing may help guide future control efforts. We conducted an observational study using Systematic Observation of Mask Adherence and Distancing (SOMAD) in August 2020 in parks, playgrounds and commercial streets in each of 10 City Council Districts in Philadelphia, PA. Wearing a mask correctly varied by setting with highest adherence in commercial areas and lowest in playgrounds. Almost 17% wore visible masks that did not cover the nose and/or mouth. There were multiple disparities in correct mask use. Females had higher rates than males (unadjusted relative risk=1.40, p<.0001) and seniors higher than any other age group (unadjusted chi-square p<.0001). Asians wore masks correctly the most often [adjusted log odds ratio (LOR)=0.53 compared with non-Hispanic white, p=0.02]. Correct mask-wearing was higher in areas with a higher population density (adjusted LOR=0.03 per one thousand/square mile, p=0.02) and lower in higher poverty areas (adjusted LOR=-0.01, p=.03). Disparities in adherence to mask wearing and physical distancing likely reflect differences in perception of risk by gender, age group, and race/ethnicity. While the risk of COVID-19 transmission is lower in outdoor settings, it is unlikely to be zero. The lower rates of mask use by males and minority groups suggest increased efforts are needed to enhance adherence to recommended guidelines.

Toward a positive theory of public participation in government: Variations in New York City's participatory budgeting

AbstractNormative research on public participation in government related to desirable amounts and modes of participation has been flourishing. However, positive research explaining variations in real‐world participation processes, while gaining momentum, is still thin and fragmented. This article aims to further the positive perspective by examining differences in participatory budgeting (PB) and the reasons for these differences in six New York City council districts based on fieldwork and secondary sources. The evidence suggests that district offices were invested in PB to gain strategic advantages, such as answering calls for political renewal, recovering from a mismanagement scandal, and signaling progressive values. Similarly, civil society organizations steered their resources toward PB only if they were interested in agenda items and in doing work with as opposed to against public officials. In the end, this study discusses implications for positive research and possible external interventions to achieve more even participation standards.

Housing supply and local political influence

ABSTRACT There is renewed interest in housing policy, but the role of local political factors has been understudied. Local elected officials—particularly city council members elected to represent specific geographic areas—are expected to exercise considerable discretion over development in their districts. This paper examines the influence of council district locations, neighborhood characteristics, and zoning in explaining housing growth in Los Angeles. We analyze all new housing and new multifamily housing in Los Angeles’s 15 council districts between 2000 and 2016. We specify negative binomial regression models that estimate the number of new housing units as a function of neighborhood and locational factors. We find limited evidence to define city council districts as consistently “anti-growth” or “pro-growth.” Rather, within-district factors—particularly single-family zoning and vacant land availability—are the most influential factors across our models. These results illustrate the importance of understanding the nuances of local characteristics that affect residential growth.

Testing the Participation Hypothesis: Evidence from Participatory Budgeting

This paper examines the impact of local participatory democracy initiatives on individual voter turnout in ordinary elections, using the example of participatory budgeting (PB). Such initiatives often aspire to create more activated citizens, but there is still limited empirical research validating these claims. We link participants in New York City’s participatory budgeting process to their state voter file records to test whether PB increases participants’ likelihood of voting in regular elections. We use coarsened exact matching to identify similar voters from council districts where PB was not implemented. Comparing PB voters to similar individuals who were not exposed to PB, we find that engaging with participatory budgeting increased individuals’ probability of voting by an average of 8.4 percentage points. In addition, we find that these effects are greater for those who often have lower probabilities of voting—young people, lower educated and lower income voters, black voters, and people who are the minority race of their neighborhood.

Health of Youth in Transition in Hong Kong.

This study aimed to examine the impact of individual (level of vigorous physical activity (VPA) and frequency of using sports and recreation facilities), interpersonal (perceived social cohesion (PSC)), and neighborhood environmental (availability of sports and recreation facilities) factors on youths’ health in transition in Hong Kong. A sample of 508 individuals aged 17–23 years from all Hong Kong council districts randomly completed validated questionnaires by telephone survey. Of 508,302 individuals with complete data pertaining to address geocoding were selected for further analyses. Overall, more than half of them (56.3%) used sports and recreation facilities once per month or less. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship among the studies’ constructs. The results indicated that the proposed model sufficiently fitted the data (χ2 (24) = 32.23, p < 0.12; CFI = 0.977; SRMR = 0.051; RMSEA = 0.034 (90% CI = 0.000 to 0.061). However, two items of PSC were sequentially removed due to their low standardized factor loadings (<0.3). A structural model was reinserted into data analyses, and the modified model fitted the data well as indicated by fit indices (χ2 (11) = 15.29, p < 0.17; CFI = 0.987; SRMR = 0.054; RMSEA = 0.036 (90% CI = 0.000 to 0.075). Only VPA (β = 0.27, p = 0.0005) and PSC (β = 0.12, p = 0.048) were significantly related to perceived health at an individual level. To promote youth health, the Hong Kong government may work with the business sector, community groups, or education institutions to develop community programs to keep youths active (especially VPA) and to build more cohesive, trustful relationships among youths in the neighborhood.

Shifting Priorities: Participatory Budgeting in New York City isAssociated with Increased Investments in Schools, Street andTraffic Improvements, and Public Housing

ABSTRACT In participatory budgeting (PB), residents instead of public officials decide how public money is spent. PB may reveal that residents prioritize different investments than public officials, which could lead to more socially just spending. However, little research has examined whether and how PB shifts spending priorities. This study leverages publicly available records on New York City council districts’ capital project allocations over ten years (2009 through 2018), comparing spending within and across PB and non-PB districts. Multi-level regression models show that, on average, when council districts adopted PB, greater proportions of their discretionary capital budgets were allocated to schools, streets and traffic improvements, and public housing. PB was associated with decreases in spending on parks and recreation projects and housing preservation and development projects. The article shows that priorities shift when residents are directly involved in budgeting. Implications for equity and community well-being, and directions for future research are discussed.

Does Participatory Budgeting Change the Share of Public Funding to Low Income Neighborhoods?

Using a newly compiled dataset, we measure the effects of participatory budgeting on the allocation of capital funding among areas of different income levels within New York City council districts. A difference‐in‐differences design compares changes in the allocation of funding in adopting districts before and after the adoption of participatory budgeting to changes over the same period among a control group consisting of later adopters. On average, adopting districts increase funding in the next to the lowest income census tracts more than the control group, but participatory budgeting does not redirect funds to the lowest income census tracts.

\u201cWe give water or porridge, but we don\u2019t really know what the child wants:\u201d a qualitative study on women\u2019s perceptions and practises regarding exclusive breastfeeding in Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania

BackgroundWorld Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) as the optimal way to feed infants below 6 months of age. The benefits of EBF are well documented. However, in Tanzania, EBF is still rarely practised. This study explored the knowledge, attitudes and practises of EBF among mothers in Kilimanjaro region of northern Tanzania.MethodsThis is a qualitative research study. The three districts in Kilimanjaro region namely Same, Moshi Municipal Council and Rombo districts were selected. In each district, three focus group discussions (FGDs) with mothers of infants aged 0–12 months were conducted. A total of 78 mothers participated in the focus group discussion.ResultsThe main result is that most of the mothers had a theoretical knowledge of the benefits of EBF but were not able to practise this knowledge for a range of reasons. The reasons for not practising EBF in real life included poor maternal nutrition, the pressure for women to return to work, inadequate knowledge about expressing breast milk, and perceived insufficiency of milk supply. Additionally, mothers received conflicting advice from a range of sources including close relatives, community members and health care providers, and they often choose the advice of their elders. Mothers also offered suggestions on ways to improve EBF including educating the community on the benefits of EBF.ConclusionThe results show that the women need support from close relatives and employers to successfully practise EBF. This presents a need for involving close relatives in EBF interventions, as they are important sources of breastfeeding information in the community. Additionally, behavioural interventions that promote optimal breastfeeding practises might help to improve exclusive breastfeeding.

Impact of physical and social environments on the walking behaviour of Hong Kong's older adults

Abstract Introduction This study examined the associations between physical environment (facilitators and barriers), social environment, and walking among older adults in Hong Kong. Methods Between April and December 2016, a sample of 679 adults aged 65 years or above was recruited in Neighbourhood Elderly Centres from across the 18 council districts of Hong Kong. Participants were asked to complete validated questionnaires that were used to assess the above constructs; participants were asked to track their daily step counts over 7 days using an accelerometer. Structural Equation Modelling was performed to examine the studied relationships by using maximum likelihood estimation in LISREL 9.3. Results The initial model did not fit the data adequately. The item ‘companionship’ was deleted because of its low standardised factor loading. A standardised residual of items was correlated with reference to the modification indices and high standardised residuals. The data were analysed again. The modified structural model fitted the data sufficiently, as indicated by the fit indices. Only physical environment–facilitators (i.e., land use mix, access, street connectivity, infrastructure, indoor facilities, presence of people, and easy access to residential entrances) were predictive of older adults’ steps per day. The findings provide a reference for policy makers seeking to provide supportive physical walking environments and promote active ageing among older adults.

Impacts of the Physical and Social Environment on Walking Behavior of Older Adults in Hong Kong

Background Sizable research studies have spawned to study the association between physical environment and walking, rather than that of social environment and walking. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations between walking, social environments, physical environment – facilitators and barriers among older adults in Hong Kong. Methods In the period of Apr – Dec 2016, a sample of 679 older adults aged 65 yr. or above was recruited from elderly centers situated in 18 council districts. The participants were asked to complete validated questionnaires assessing the above constructs and measure their walking steps per day over seven days using accelerometers. Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine the relationships between walking and physical and social environments using maximum likelihood estimation in LISREL 9.2. The facilitators of Physical environment consist of 7 factors (Land Use Mix, Access, Street Connectivity, Infrastructure, Indoor Facilities, Presence of People, Entrance) while the Barriers consist of 5 factors (i.e., Crowdedness, Traffic Hazards, Speed, Social Disorder, Crime). The Social environment consists of 4 factors, including companionship, Social Cohesion, Encouragement, and Role model. Results The initial model did not fit data well (χ² (109) = 249.06, p Conclusions The findings provide an informative reference to the government on the way in providing supportive physical environments (Land Use Mix, Access, Street Connectivity, Infrastructure, Indoor Facilities, Presence of People, and Entrance) to promote walking among the older adults in Hong Kong. Keywords: Physical activity, environment, elderly *The study was funded by the Public Policy Research Fund (PPR) from Central Policy Unit of Hong Kong SAR government (2014.A1.020.15B).

Abstract P341: Community Environment Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Hospitalization Rates in Denver, Colorado

Introduction: Hospitalization rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke have decreased over time, although trends are debatable for heart failure (HF). These trends are unequally distributed. There is a growing literature documenting the relationship between social and economic characteristics of people’s communities and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Based on a social ecological model of health through the life course, we descriptively examined associations between CVD hospitalization rates and patient characteristics and census tract (CT)-level community environment. Hypothesis: CVD hospitalization rates will be higher in community environments with higher percentages of individuals living below the federal poverty level, racial/ethnic minority groups, and non-residential (i.e., commercial/office, industrial, open space, public/civic, vacant, and miscellaneous space) vs. residential land use. Methods: Colorado Hospital Association (2009-2013) data were used to measure ICD-9 coded hospitalization rates (per 1,000) for Denver, Colorado residents ≥20 years. Data were merged with American Community Survey (2009-2013) and Denver County land use (2010) data. Using chi-square analysis, we examined associations between age-adjusted CVD hospitalization rates (N=15,521) and CT-level community environment (in quartiles) (N=144). Results: Denver’s annual CVD hospitalization rate was 6.6. Patient-level AMI (1.7), CHD (2.8), and HF (2.2) rates were higher among men. Women had higher stroke-related rates (2.4). Across CVD types, rates for those ≥65 years (6.5-13.5) were higher than middle-aged groups (2.1-3.4). Average annual age-adjusted AMI hospitalization rates were higher in CTs with the highest quartile of Hispanic Americans (2.0), Native Americans (1.9), and individuals below poverty (1.9). CHD rates were higher in CTs with higher percentages of Hispanic Americans (3.1), individuals below poverty (3.1), and Native Americans (3.1). HF rates were higher in CTs with higher percentages of industrial/office land use (3.5), individuals below poverty (3.3), and Hispanic Americans (3.2). Stroke rates were higher in CTs with higher percentages of Native Americans (3.0), industrial/office land use (3.0), and African Americans (3.0). The largest disparities for rate ratios comparing the highest to the lowest quartiles for each exposure by CVD outcome were the percentage of individuals below poverty (AMI 2.2; CHD 2.1; HF 2.4; Stroke 1.7), non-Hispanic Whites (AMI 0.7; CHD 0.7; HF 0.7; Stroke 0.7), Hispanic Americans (AMI 1.5; CHD 1.5; HF 1.5), and Native Americans (Stroke 1.30). Conclusions: In conclusion, associations exist between community environment and CVD hospitalization rates, suggesting opportunities for health policy development in Denver’s city government, council districts, and neighborhoods .

Trust Matters: Enhancing Government Legitimacy through Participatory Budgeting

Legitimacy is a problem of contemporary governance. Communities lack trust in elected officials—in their effectiveness, fairness, and representation of the public interest. Participatory budgeting (PB)—a set of democratic processes where residents determine how to spend a public budget—helps bridge that distance by letting the public make spending decisions. Since 2011, some of New York City’s (NYC) council members have been implementing PB with their capital budget—setting aside a million dollars in their districts each budget cycle for PB. Participatory budgeting has the potential to rebuild relationships between government and communities. Using data from over eighty interviews conducted by New York University (NYU) graduate students in 2013 and 2014 with PBNYC participants over two years, this article suggests that in council districts using PB, residents have greater feelings of access to and voice in local government, and better understanding of the complexities of spending public monies, often leading to a more positive view of government officials, and bolstering legitimacy of local government.

Growing Grassroots Democracy: Dynamic Outcomes in Building New York City’s Participatory Budgeting Program

Within five years of its launch, Participatory Budgeting in New York City (PBNYC) spread from four to thirty-one of New York’s fifty-one council districts, enabling city residents to directly allocate thirty-eight million dollars in public funds. During this period, PBNYC’s neighborhood-level forums remained largely unchanged, but, in order to sustain growth, administrative shifts altered the institution’s basic design. This article examines how and why this transition affected the degree of popular control afforded by PBNYC, specifically within its cross-district Steering Committee. Analysis of original interviews and organizational documents indicates that the transition brought important, if modest, gains but impeded aspects of community empowerment through bureaucratic resistance and imbalanced governmental-civil society roles. Key players responded by reforming PBNYC’s internal governance. This case sheds light on the factors that shape participatory institutions and their impacts, emphasizing the dynamic interactions between actors and the resulting gains and losses that aggregate toward longer term outcomes.

Motivational interviewing: Experiences of primary care nurses trained in the method

Motivational interviewing is a person-centered counseling style used to promote behavioral change regarding a wide variety of lifestyle problems. Use of motivational interview is growing worldwide and among many different healthcare professions, including primary care nursing. The study aim was to describe motivational interview trained nurses' experiences of motivational interviewing in primary care settings. The study had a qualitative descriptive design. It was carried out in Swedish primary care settings in two county council districts, with 20 primary care nurses trained in motivational interviewing. Half of them used the method in their work, half did not. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The nurses experienced that openness to the approach and an encouraging working climate are required to overcome internal resistance and to increase use of motivational interviewing. They also experienced mutual benefit: motivational interviewing elicits and develops abilities in both nurses and patients. For the nurses using it, motivational interviewing is perceived to facilitate work with patients in need of lifestyle change. Lack of training/education, support, interest and appropriate work tasks/patients are reasons for not using motivational interviewing.