Well-being Of Inhabitants Research Articles

Cultivating Wellbeing - Sheltering of the Global Displaced Population.

The global issue of displacement presents significant challenges, particularly concerning the provision of adequate shelter for affected communities. The correlation between inadequate shelters and the wellbeing of displaced populations is a critical area of concern. Recognizing the urgent need for improved understanding, the study examines the connection between sustainable housing, wellbeing, and the unique challenges faced by displaced communities worldwide. Employing a mixed-method approach, including fieldwork in the humanitarian field or sheltering, expert interviews, and case studies, the study aims to shed light on the possibility of empathic design principles for improvements. The paper proposes key design principles for the process of sheltering the displaced population, emphasizing principles such as inclusive participation, cultural sensitivity, flexibility, and environmental consciousness. By prioritizing the overall health and wellbeing of inhabitants, these principles seek to address the complex challenges associated with sheltering and contribute to the advancement of humanitarian architecture, ultimately improving the lives of displaced populations globally.

Revealing disparities in different types of park visits based on cellphone signaling data in Guangzhou, China

Urban parks play a crucial role in promoting the urban ecological environment and the health and well-being of dwellers. However, existing research on park visits and drivers has largely ignored the classification of parks. Using the four-level park system in Guangzhou as a case, this study first measured park visits based on cellphone signaling data. Then, the independent and interactive influences of driving factors on the visits of four types of parks were investigated and compared comprehensively based on the geographical detector model. The factor detector model preliminarily distinguished the functional and role differences of various park types. Nature and urban parks are more functional, and community and pocket parks mainly provide nearby residents with convenient relaxation spaces. The interaction detector further revealed the disparities in park visit drivers between four types of parks. The most significant finding is that nearby recreational facility is the key to the use of natural and urban parks, while the determining factor for the visits of community and pocket parks is the surrounding population. Based on these findings, the study recommends tailored strategies for each type of park, to promote effective management and increased utilization. In particular, the study highlights the importance of understanding the differences between park types and developing customized strategies to maximize the benefits of urban parks and foster a healthy and sustainable urban environment.

Electrodermal activity: A continuous monitor of well-being

A smart society should not only support the efficiency and effectiveness of processes, they should also have the ability to comprehend and support its inhabitants well-being. To enable this, we need continuous information on individual’s well-being. As a first step, we suggest to evaluate people’s long term stress level, as it sheds light on their well-being. We propose using the biosignal Electrodermal Activity (EDA), a proven measure of people’s arousal or stress. Moreover, EDA can be measured continuously, in real-time, and unobtrusively via wearables. To assess this idea’s feasibility, the CASE, CEAP-360VR, and K-EmoCon datasets, including both continuous EDA recordings and continuous subjective self-reported arousal, were analyzed. With CASE and CEAP-360VR, a multilevel analysis unveiled that the frequency and amplitude of EDA’s non-specific skin conductance responses significantly correlated with the self-reported arousal. With K-EmoCon, this correlation was absent, which can be explained by the low arousal condition of this dataset. The latter also signals a main limitation: the lack of sensitivity of the proposed signal. Nevertheless, the results are promising as they show potential for EDA as a continuous stress monitor. Therefore, we are optimistic that a future smart society can be enabled to monitor and improve their inhabitant’s well-being.

Quantifying urban heat island and pollutant nexus: A novel geospatial approach

The interaction between Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects and air pollution in urban areas significantly impacts both the well-being of inhabitants and the delicate balance of urban ecology and climate. This study investigates the interactions between UHI effects and pollutants (CO, HCHO, aerosols, NO2, O3, and SO2) distribution in Hyderabad over four years (2019–2022) within spatial and thermal interfaces. The study identified that there is a significantly higher concentration of pollutants in the urban areas compared to the rural areas. In urban areas, the UHI indicator shows a strong positive correlation with pollutants like CO, NO2, and O3, a weaker positive correlation with HCHO, and aerosols, and a weak negative correlation with SO2. A comprehensive framework to analyse the combined impact of pollutants, yielding insights into cumulative atmospheric pollution levels - UPI indicator is proposed in this study. The subsequent generation of pollution risk map identified that around 80 % of the urban expanse is highly contaminated zones. The conjunction of thermal hotspots and high contamination zones highlights nuanced UHI-pollution associations, unveiling high-risk zones with elevated temperatures and pollutants. The high-risk zones exhibit elevated annual average concentrations of NO2, aerosols, HCHO, and CO, surpassing the non-high-risk zone by 53.535 %, 21.707 %, 7.561 %, and 1.194 %, respectively. Additionally, the high-risk zones experience a temperature higher than the non-high-risk zone by 2.601 °C. This research informs urban planning and policies, contributing to a holistic understanding of UHI-pollution dynamics and their implications.

The architecture of accounting and the neoliberal betrayal of life

This paper identifies the way in which accounting practices reinforced the increasing influence of the intolerant financial emphasis of the market on the quality of social housing under neoliberalism when successive British governments gave little importance to the impact of aesthetic and ethical qualities of social housing on the well-being of inhabitants. Social values, most especially safety and beauty, were able to be reinterpreted according to economic logic, thereby denying the need for them to be explicitly considered in any social housing decisions. The study emphasises the way in which the austerity and deregulation agenda of neoliberal policies that had a significant impact on building and fire safety regulations were ultimately justified by financial criteria. The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 belatedly exposed the way in which the financial and operational visibilities created by accounting practices had become crucial to the successful implementation of the economic logic of the neoliberal agenda and related market priorities of successive British governments, irrespective of the consequences. The paper demonstrates how the Grenfell Tower refurbishment was the apotheosis of neoliberalism; a toxic mix of austerity, outsourcing and deregulation. The focus on value for money in the refurbishment led ultimately to the betrayal of life of the residents.

Sustainable Water Management in a Krakow Housing Complex from the Nineteen-Seventies in Comparison with a Model Bio-Morpheme Unit

Cities grow through the addition of new housing structures, but the existing tissue is also modernized. Krakow, like any city with a historical origin, has typologically varied housing tissue. A large area of the city is occupied by multi-family panel-block housing estates which are being revitalised and the scope of this revitalization should include sustainable design elements. This paper determines the potential for implementing integrated water management, that utilizes rainwater in an existing basic urban unit that is a housing estate from the nineteen-seventies, located in Krakow (Poland), in conjunction with the Bio-Morpheme—the fractal reference model unit. The parameters of the Bio-Morpheme were established by earlier research as the optimum for a housing unit with regards to the circular economy and improving water use efficiency. The study covers the need to improve the quality of the housing environment, linked with the presence of natural elements, including a water reservoir, in the direct vicinity of the development. The analyses explored the potential to employ integrated water management with rainwater reuse in a basic urban unit (Krakow-Morpheme) and then compared the findings with the outcomes obtained by the proposed Bio-Morpheme complex. The results indicate that the potential to achieve a lower demand of water from the water supply system and to lower wastewater production were obtained, with a simultaneous opportunity to lay out an open water reservoir into the Krakow-Morpheme urban interior for improvement of the health value and well-being of inhabitants.

An overview of indoor air pollution in the Malaysian kindergarten environment

Abstract The components of indoor air determine the quality of the indoor environment, which affects the health and well-being of inhabitants. Exposure to high levels of indoor air pollution in a kindergarten environment has a detrimental influence on children’s learning performance and increases the risk of respiratory problems that could lead to absenteeism. This paper explores and summarises the literature on indoor air pollution in kindergartens in the Malaysian environment. A review was done by analyzing papers taken from four electronic databases: Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar. Information on indoor pollution levels and determinants sources were extracted from 17 studies. The most investigated pollutants were carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), fungi and bacteria. Inadequate ventilation systems and overcrowded classrooms all contributed to excessive CO2 levels. Indoor PM2.5 sources are generated from cooking activities while cleaning, opening windows and movement activities of children were the primary sources of coarse particles. High concentrations of VOCs are emitted from a wide variety of indoor sources. Mobile vehicles and the proximity of kindergartens to busy roads were key contributors to higher CO concentrations. The findings highlight the importance of interventions to improve indoor air pollution in kindergarten premises in various settings.

Tempo-spatial thermal comfort analysis of urban heat island with coupling of CFD and building energy simulation

Outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) directly impacts on health and wellbeing of inhabitants while it increases cooling energy demand of buildings. In this regards, different computational models and tools are developed to investigate the impact of built environments on pedestrian thermal comfort. However, in most of these models, the coeffects of solar radiation and local wind velocity are not simultaneously investigated where models are either simplified on solar calculations when are focused on wind or vice versa. This paper proposes a novel simulation framework to develop a high-resolution, but computationally efficient procedure, to couple radiative and convective fluxes in outdoor environments using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and building energy simulation (BES) approaches. The workflow is implemented in Grasshopper platform fed by outputs of ANSYS-Fluent as the CFD tool and EnergyPlus as the BES tool. The performance of the framework is evaluated using a case study, representing a simplified neighbourhood on a typical hot day. In comparison with the traditional models, results highlight on a considerable change in the OTC values using the proposed model. Results show that the alteration is highly related to the temporal aspects and OTC results experience changes from 5% to 40% in compared to the original OTC values.

STRATEGIE ARCHITEKTONICZNE PROMUJĄCE TWORZENIE WIĘZI SPOŁECZNYCH NA TERENIE EKOOSIEDLI

Modern eco-neighbourhoods are designed to implement the 3e principles: ecology – equality - economy. The ecological aspects require harmony with nature and people. The equality concept stipulates living together in the environment which stimulates individual growth and well-being. The economic aspects encompasses promotion of short-distances circular economy, securing employment for the inhabitants and limiting wasteful spending. The goal of those principles is to create the neighbourhoods, where the well-being of inhabitants is promoted. This paper discusses how the designed environment based on 3e principles can influence the creation of community engagement, social bonds and social capital.

Evaluating the Impact of Drone Signaling in Crosswalk Scenario

The characteristic pillars of a city are its economy, its mobility, its environment, its inhabitants, its way of life, and its organization. Since 1980, the concept of smart city generally consists of optimizing costs, organization, and the well-being of inhabitants. The idea is to develop means and solutions capable of meeting the needs of the population, while preserving resources and the environment. Owing to their little size, their flexibility, and their low cost, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are today used in a huge number of daily life applications. UAV use cases can be classified into three categories: data covering (like surveillance and event covering), data relaying (like delivery and emergency services), and data dissemination (like cartography and precise agriculture). In addition, the interest to Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS) has risen in these recent years, especially in the context of smart cities. In such systems, both drivers and traffic managers share the information and cooperate to coordinate their actions to ensure safety, traffic efficiency, and environment preservation. In this work, we aimed at introducing a UAV in a use case that is likely to happen in C-ITS. A conflict is considered involving a car and a pedestrian. A UAV observes from the top of the scene and will play the role of the situation controller, the information collector, and the assignment of the instructions to the car driver in case of a harmful situation to avoid car-pedestrian collision. To this end, we highlight interactions between the UAV and the car vehicle (U2V communication), as well as between the UAV and infrastructure (U2I communication). Hence, the benefit of using UAV is emphasized to reduce accident gravity rate, braking distance, energy consumption, and occasional visibility reduction.

Religion, Health, Social Capital and Place: The Role of the Religious, Social Processes and the Beneficial and Detrimental Effects on the Health and Wellbeing of Inhabitants in Deprived Neighbourhoods in Malta.

This paper emphasises the important role that place has in determining how religious social processes operate and impact on health and wellbeing. It draws upon evidence through qualitative in-depth interviews with families (both parents and children) living in two deprived neighbourhoods in Malta, a 'traditional' and a 'modern' one. It emerged that religious faith and practices can generate normative and resource-based social capital which can positively impact on health and wellbeing. However, some individuals found this social capital constraining and this had detrimental effects on their wellbeing. The context, composition, history and norms of the place emerge as highly important. This study emphasises that religious social processes operate in a highly complex manner, and 'adherents' and 'disaffiliates' are likely to enjoy positive or negative health and wellbeing according to where they live and according to important persons living in the neighbourhood such as the parish priest. This study contributes to the research gap between religion, social capital and health and the complex, social processes that operate at the local level of place.

Assessing environmental impacts of urban growth using remote sensing

ABSTRACTThis paper provides a study of the changes in land use in urban environments in two cities, Wuhan, China and western Sydney in Australia. Since mixed pixels are a characteristic of medium resolution images such as Landsat, when used for the classification of urban areas, due to changes in urban ground cover within a pixel, Multiple Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (MESMA) together with Super-Resolution Mapping (SRM) are employed to derive class fractions to generate classification maps at a higher spatial resolution using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) predicted Wavelet method. Landsat images over the two cities for a 30-year period, are classified in terms of vegetation, buildings, soil and water. The classifications are then processed using Indifrag software to assess the levels of fragmentation caused by changes in the areas of buildings, vegetation, water and soil over the 30 years. The extents of fragmentation of vegetation, buildings, water and soil for the two cities are compared, while the percentages of vegetation are compared with recommended percentages of green space for urban areas for the benefit of health and well-being of inhabitants. Changes in Ecosystem Service Values (ESVs) resulting from the urbanization have been assessed for Wuhan and Sydney. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for urban areas are being assessed by researchers to better understand how to achieve the sustainability of cities.

Rescuing Public Spaces for Organic Food Production and Its Economic, Social, and Environmental Impact

Economic difficulties and hostile environments are elements that are constantly affecting inhabitants of marginalized areas. Unemployment, poverty, and insecurity are part of the everyday life in these neighborhoods. However, this study observes that engaging in gardening activities can offer the inhabitants of these areas a relief of their distressed life. The objective of this paper is to analyze a successful case of abandoned areas that were revitalized into urban gardens. Moreover, the impact on the well-being of inhabitants from an economic, sociological, and environmental perspective will be presented with the example of the collective Organic Eden in the city of Guadalajara in Mexico.

People Centric Smart Cities

Smart Cities Project is been undertaken in mission mode by the Government of India. The endeavor is to plan and build / rebuild pollution free, eco friendly living spaces with the efficient means of Transportation, Communication, Governance, Health Services and other civic requirements. There is also an emphasis on giving identity to these cities based on its main economic activity. The aspects of peaceful and happy living with regard to values and universal common good of mankind does not come out clearly in the definition and other mission statements. This paper endeavors to highlight the importance of the Culture and Spirituality in creating the cities that will promote Peace, Harmony, Happiness and the Virtue of co-existence amongst the dwellers in keeping with the rich traditions and value systems inherited from the glorious past. It is emphasized that the Smart City be given the identity which is representative of its character, culture and the unique value that it offers. The quest to build smart cities from the standpoint of enhanced economic activity and operational efficiency with the use of High-end integrated technologies for automation, Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things the importance of “Culture” as bedrock of “Smartness” has been subdued. It is proposed that the richness of Culture, strength of Spirituality and importance of Identity based on values and character be emphasized in planning and building smart cities. A framework to assess the contribution of a People Centered Smart City in its role as “Culture Transmitter” in influencing the growth, sustainability and wellbeing of inhabitants is also presented.

Social cohesion as a mechanism behind neighbourhood effects on mental or physical health

Abstract Background The neighbourhood where an individual resides have become a relevant element in the study of health inequalities. While there is substantial evidence that environmental factors affect health, far less evidence of the hypothesised role of social mechanisms in the causal chain between neighbourhood characteristics and health is available. Methods Using data from the longitudinal German SOEP panel, we built measures of perceived neighbourhood characteristics and a measure of social cohesion for participant living in urban areas. Participants were included in a longitudinal cohort of 4 year observation time starting in 2004. Using linear regression models, we tested the role of social cohesion as a mediator between the neighbourhood characteristics at baseline and a health outcome (mental and physical component of the SF-12) at the end of follow-up adjusted for socio-economic variables. Results For the 4 year follow-up 10 665 participants were included. There was no evidence of a mediation effect of our measure of social cohesion between geographical or institutional characteristics and physical health. The effect of social cohesion on mental health was 2.03 ([1.44, 2.59]) and on physical health 1.78 ([1.27, 2.29]). Social cohesion mediated associations between biological (17%, 11%) or built (11%, 14%) characteristics and both physical and mental health and association between institutional characteristics and mental health (7%). Discussion We found evidence for a possible role of social cohesion in the pathway between neighbourhood characteristics and health. Only perceived characteristics have been used in this work and the respective role of objective and subjective measures of neighbourhood characteristics should be further investigated. Moreover, validated measures of social cohesion should be developed. Key messages The perception of social cohesion mediates the effect of specific perceived characteristics of neighbourhood on mental and physical health. Interventions seeking to improve social cohesion in neighbourhoods might have positive consequences on the health and wellbeing of inhabitants.

A learning automated 3D architecture synthesis model: demonstrating a computer governed design of minimal apartment units based on human perceptual and physical needs

ABSTRACTThis paper presents a learning model for the automated generation of built environments, demonstrated by the creation of minimal apartments situated in dense urban settings. The research utilizes the techniques of parametric modelling, multi-criteria optimization and supervised machine learning to provide 3D configurations of minimal apartments with improved visibility from significant viewpoints, and with a functional layout defined by ‘the wisdom of the crowd’. The model seeks to maximize the measured 3D visibility in generated units – an attribute associated with low perceived density, recognized as having a positive effect on the well-being of dwellers. Simultaneously, the model engages a learning process, through which the classification of the suitability of each apartment is refined through ‘the wisdom of the crowd’, collected through an open web-simulation. This automated design model, regarding both perceptual and physical needs, demonstrates its potential for future use in the development of larger-scale densified urban environments.

Introducing nature-based solutions into urban policy – facts and gaps. Case study of Poznań

Cities often don’t appreciate the benefits of green infrastructure (GI) enough. To recognise the extent to which green infrastructure and nature-based solutions (NbS) are present in the urban policy, we conducted a review of planning, strategic and programming documents of Poznań City as a Case Study. The study is aimed at 1) diagnosing of current position NbS in the tasks and directions of planning, strategic and programming documents; 2) characteristic of activities related to NbS according to the form of human-nature interaction; 3) determining the potential of including NbS in the local policy; 4) identifying the role of NbS in facing 4 main challenges in urban policy: resilience and climate change adaptation, health and well-being, social cohesion, economic development potential. The results show that a significant number of actions focus on GI changes towards its multifunctionality and better quality, while there are not many actions towards supporting citizens in using it. Also, despite urban pressure, new green spaces are still planned to be created. The role of NbS within GI in urban resilience is well recognised. Yet, the adaptation to climate change has gained a low priority so far. Linkages between GI and the wellbeing of inhabitants are well understood. However, the possibility to build and strengthen social cohesion based on GI is rather marginally noticed. The least recognised is the influence of NbS on the economic development potential. It is an area that still needs to be investigated to bring evidence in this field. We conclude that to support large-scale, nature-based solution implementation in cities, the crucial step is to bring them into the local urban agenda. An evaluation of urban policy documents based on the presented approach can serve as a guideline for identifying gaps and potentials for NbS inclusion. As a result, it can help the better organisation of urban policy and harmonisation of different sectors through NbS.

Wstępna ocena potencjału bioklimatycznego uzdrowiska Nałęczów w półroczu ciepłym

<p>Celem pracy jest wstępna analiza bioklimatu Nałęczowa za pomocą wybranych charakterystyk bioklimatycznych, m.in. bodźcowości termicznej, międzydobowych zmian temperatury i ciśnienia, fal upałów, dni parnych i wskaźnika UTCI. Dane meteorologiczne wykorzystane w pracy pochodzą ze stacji automatycznej Davis oraz czujników HOBO, zlokalizowanych na terenie Miejskiej Oczyszczalni Ścieków w Nałęczowie. W pracy wykorzystano dane z półrocza ciepłego (kwiecień – wrzesień 2014 r.). Dotyczą one: temperatury i wilgotności względnej powietrza, kierunku i prędkości wiatru oraz całkowitego promieniowania słonecznego. Półrocze ciepłe (kwiecień – wrzesień 2014 r.) w Nałęczowie charakteryzowało się stosunkowo dużą częstością występowania ostrych i silnie odczuwalnych bodźców termicznych (lipiec, czerwiec), które niekorzystnie wpływają na zdrowie i samopoczucie człowieka. Na przełomie lipca i sierpnia (31.VII-04.VIII) pojawiła się 5-dniowa fala upałów, osiągając w czasie kulminacji temperaturę 33,7°C. Liczba dni upalnych wyniosła 10, przy średniej dla wielolecia 1971-1989 wynoszącej 4 dni. Były to warunki wysoce niekorzystne dla kuracjuszy ze schorzeniami kardiologicznymi (które są głównym profilem leczniczym Nałęczowa). Dni parne pojawiły się już w maju, natomiast ich maksimum przypada na lipiec. Międzydobowe zmiany ciśnienia, wpływające niekorzystnie na człowieka, w Nałęczowie pojawiały się sporadycznie, co sprzyja klimatoterapii. Wstępne badania bioklimatu Nałęczowa bazujące na wskaźniku UTCI wykazały, iż w okresie obserwacyjnym dominowały warunki korzystne dla kuracjuszy („brak obciążeń cieplnych” i „umiarkowany stres ciepła”). </p>

Interior Courtyard and its Impact on the Well-being of Inhabitants

The aim of the present study has been to investigate the impact of the interior courtyard and garden on the wellbeing of inhabitants in Kuwaiti houses. The study seeks to test public acceptance of the courtyard house form and to measure public views of the advantages and disadvantages of implementing the courtyard house. The Kuwaiti public holds the courtyard house type near and dear to their hearts; courtyard houses are among the traditional house types in Kuwait. In fact modern, contemporary free standing houses lack many of the strong elements embedded in the courtyard house. This research paper introduces the courtyard house with its definition and an overview of the historical development of the courtyard house form. The introduction also gives an overview of the courtyard house in the Arab world. As well, some advantages and disadvantages of courtyard houses are provided. Next, this paper establishes a relation between the concept of wellbeing and the interior design of the house lived in. The definition of the concept of the wellbeing is presented and therefore confirms that the building environment has a large impact on inhabitants and users both physically and psychologically. Applying the descriptive approach, this paper uses qualitative descriptions to explain the studied phenomenon. Jointly, this research paper employs the quantitative method to test public views and preferences. Questions for purposes of the research were designed and distributed to a sample of the Kuwaiti public. The responses were collected and analyzed from the sample which were studied to arrive at the general findings. The findings of this research are valuable to planners, designers, and decision makers who deal with housing and development in the state of Kuwait.

The merits of teaching local history: Increased place attachment enhances civic engagement and social trust

Low levels of civic engagement and social trust in post-communist countries constitute an important limitation to national economic growth and the well-being of inhabitants. In the current paper we propose that discovering local history should result in greater place attachment which constitutes a viable strategy for stimulating indicators of social capital. Specifically, we tested the influence of teaching local history on the development of interest in history, place attachment, and civic engagement. Two intervention studies (N1 = 486; N2 = 1098) confirmed that young people who learned about local history displayed increased interest in that history, greater place attachment, civic engagement intentions, and generalized social trust. We also demonstrate the relevance of place attachment as a link between greater interest in local history and increased civic engagement. The importance of stimulating youth civic engagement and generalized social trust are discussed.