Living Environment Research Articles

Urban green spaces and public realm design in Cairo: Enhancing quality of life and environmental sustainability

The paper explores the pressing challenges and promising initiatives in enhancing urban green spaces and the public realm in Cairo, a metropolis grappling with rapid population growth and environmental degradation. As the city struggles with density, air pollution, and a shortage of green areas—far below the recommended standard for urban health—the article highlights key efforts to revitalize public spaces. Notable projects include the creation of large parks like Al-Azhar Park, the redevelopment of the Nile riverfront through projects such as Mamsha Ahl Misr, and the introduction of green infrastructure solutions like street trees, green roofs, and sustainable urban drainage systems. Despite these advancements, Cairo faces significant obstacles, including limited public land, budget constraints, and water scarcity. However, there are opportunities to address these challenges through innovative urban agriculture, public-private partnerships, and community participation in green space development. The paper suggests that through continued investment and thoughtful urban design, Cairo can foster a more sustainable, livable environment. By integrating green infrastructure into future development projects, the city holds potential to transform its landscape and improve the quality of life for its residents in the coming decades.

Smart Homes Facilitate Age-Friendly Home Design

With the development of advanced science and technology era and the intensification of population aging, people's demand for elderly living space is increasing. In order to improve the living space environment of the elderly, this paper aims to solve a series of obstacles in the living space for the elderly, improve the convenience and security of the living space for the elderly, and create a livable environment by taking the home-based elderly care group as the research object, combining the physiological activity characteristics and psychological needs of the group, integrating the concept of barrier-free and smart home technology. Actively respond to the problem of aging, and provide solid support for the construction of a livable environment for the elderly.

Recent investigation on VHF sound exposure sources around us

We have reported recent investigation of sound exposure sources in very-high frequency (VHF) region as the activities for research project of VHF sounds in Japan. Recently, the devices which utilize or generate VHF sounds as like rodent repelling devices, ultrasonic cleaning machines, IH cookers and corner sensors of automobile continue to increase in public space or our living environment. The VHF sounds in high level have physical or/and psychological effects for young people who can hear such sounds. So, in environment around us, we identified VHF sound sources using acoustic camera and measured the sound pressure level for such sources. In this paper, we introduce newly-discovered several VHF sounds: for example, ultrasounds from corner sensors of automobile car, VHF sounds from photovoltaic installation and VHF sounds of interior train, and so on. From both the results measured by acoustic camera and microphones show source positions and frequency characteristics of VHF sounds. However these play important role in our life environment, we need to note that these contain potential hazard for young people who can hear such VHF sounds.

Small-scale noise mapping for arbitrary regions using open source noise prediction module "NoiseModelling" and global databases

Extensive noise mapping has been crucial in shaping noise mitigation policies; however, assessing noise exposure in different scenarios remains challenging due to static maps that only represent pre-calculated sound levels. To fill this gap, this study introduces a novel noise mapping framework tailored to calculate sound levels in specific environments within small, arbitrary regions. Using the open-source noise prediction tool NoiseModelling and global databases of road networks, buildings, terrain, and population distribution on QGIS, this framework seamlessly integrates noise mapping procedures, including comprehensive data collection, receiver placement, sound level calculation, and visualization. The user-friendly graphical interfaces enable quick and easy generation of noise maps. The approach offers flexibility through customizable geometry and parameter settings to account for variations in noise sources and propagation characteristics, thereby providing stakeholders with valuable insights for policy formulation, environmental impact assessment, and community engagement. This methodology not only improves the accessibility and relevance of noise mapping but also empowers decision makers to implement tailored noise mitigation strategies that promote healthier and more livable environments.

Security Trends in Internet-of-things for Ambient Assistive Living: A Review

Abstract: The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized our society and become indispensable to modern existence. The IoT allows users to access their electronic gadgets from any location. The widespread adoption of IoT across sectors, from manufacturing to surveillance to elder care, has contributed to its rising profile. New security risks and challenges arise with the growth of the IoT. With the development of IoT, the likelihood of an attack by hackers has increased. The burden of addressing these dangers falls on researchers and security professionals. This article looks into the challenges of IoT security in a real-world Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) environment. This work discusses the numerous security attacks employed by cybercriminals in AAL IoT. In addition, this research investigates the varied responses to the risks. We discussed the state-of-the-art technologies available for protecting AAL IoT networks. This work analyses and compares the majority of the latest technologies available. In conclusion, we offer a few suggestions for where the field could go from the current scenario

Age-Friendly Urban Design for Older Pedestrian Road Safety: A Street Segment Level Analysis in Madrid

Walking benefits older pedestrians but exposes them to traffic crashes. With an aging population, designing age-friendly cities is crucial, yet research on older pedestrian safety at a micro-level is limited. This study aims to reduce older pedestrian–vehicle collisions and create more livable environments through infrastructure policies derived from statistical data analysis. Special attention is focused on collecting a holistic set of infrastructure variables to reflect most of the street built environment elements, which helps policymakers implement short-term safety measures. Using Bayesian Poisson regression, this study analyzes factors contributing to the occurrence of crashes involving older and non-older pedestrians on road segments in Madrid, Spain. The results indicate that different factors affect the occurrence of crashes for all pedestrians versus older pedestrians specifically. Traffic crashes involving all pedestrians are affected by leisure points of interest, bus stops, and crosswalk density. Older pedestrian traffic crashes are influenced by population density, the presence of trees and trash containers, and contour complexity. Proposed measures include relocating trees and trash containers, modifying bus stops, and adding crosswalks and traffic lights. This paper also shows that these countermeasures, aimed at creating age-friendly streets for older pedestrians, are not expected to worsen the road safety of other pedestrians.

Identification of a "Blue Zone" in the Netherlands: A Genetic, Personal, Sociocultural, and Environmental Profile.

"Blue Zones" (BZs) are regions with exceptionally high numbers of longevous inhabitants. Several factors have been suggested to promote longevity in BZs, but the evidence generally does not meet scientific quality criteria. We aimed to characterize a municipality as a "relative BZ," satisfying 3 criteria: compared to other municipalities, more exceptionally longevous inhabitants, a higher life expectancy, and a more stable population. The population-based Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam has been ongoing since 1992 in 11 municipalities across the Netherlands with 3- or 4-yearly measurement waves. Using all available waves, we included 39 genetic, personal, sociocultural, and environmental characteristics. One municipality satisfied the 3 BZ criteria. In comparison with participants in other municipalities in the same province and other provinces in the Netherlands, BZ-participants more often had a polygenic risk score linked to longevity, smoked less, consumed less alcohol and more fruit, biked more minutes, did more often paid work, practiced singing more often, attached higher importance to religion, and lived in a more walkable and livable environment. In contrast, BZ-participants had a slower walking speed, more depressive symptoms, felt less purpose in life, had a larger waist circumference, walked and did sports less often, consumed less vegetables, and exchanged less instrumental support. Other indicators of their physical and mental health and social connectedness did not substantially differ from non-BZ-participants. Rather than clues to healthy aging, our findings suggest factors conducive to longevity regardless of impaired health.

Exploring the Relationship Between Education, Living Environment, and Anxiety/Depression Among Stable Patients: Insights from the COPD-AD China Registry Study.

Education and living environment are related to mental health. But the independent and combined effects of them on mental health among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are uncertain. The independent and combined effects of education and living environment on mental health were assessed by binary logistic regression in 1064 COPD patients. Additive interaction was assessed with the relative excess risk ratio (RERI), attribution percentage (AP), and synergy index (SI). Our results shown that low education level and urban living environment were independently associated with higher risks for anxiety (odds ratio [OR]: 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-2.29 and OR:2.15, 95% CI 1.51-2.05) or depression (OR:1.62, 95% CI 1.17-2.27 and OR: 2.01, 95% CI 1.46-2.75) among COPD patients. The combination effect of them was also associated with higher risks for anxiety (OR: 7.90, 95% CI 3.83-16.29, P < 0.001) or depression (OR: 11.79, 95% CI 5.77-24.10, P < 0.001) among these patients. Furthermore, we observed strong synergistic additive interactions between them for anxiety (SI: 11.57, 95% CI 1.41-95.27; RERI: 6.31, 95% CI 1.60-11.01; AP: 0.8, 95% CI 0.66-0.94) and depression (SI: 31.31, 95% CI 1.59-617.04; RERI: 10.44, 95% CI 2.66-18.23; AP: 0.89, 95% CI 0.8-0.97). Low education levels and living in urban areas had an independent and synergistic effects on mental health among COPD patients.

Enhancing Urban Livability with Vertical Gardens in Mexico City Strategies for Sustainable Urban Development

This thesis explores the implementation of vertical gardens in Mexico City as a strategic approach to enhance urban livability and promote sustainable development. Faced with environmental challenges such as severe air pollution and the urban heat island effect, coupled with limited availability of green space due to high urban density, Mexico City requires innovative solutions to improve its urban ecosystem. This research examines the role of vertical gardens in addressing these challenges by purifying air, reducing temperatures, and supporting urban biodiversity. Additionally, it investigates the socio-economic and psychological impacts of increased greenery on the community. The study draws on case studies from cities with similar challenges and proposes tailored implementation strategies for Mexico City, assessing the potential benefits and impacts of vertical gardens on property values, community well-being, and public health. This thesis contributes to the field by providing a comprehensive framework for integrating vertical gardens into urban landscapes, potentially transforming them into more sustainable and livable environments.

Relationship among residential satisfaction, social ties, place attachment and perceived disaster risk in the off-site reconstruction area—Evidence from an earthquake-stricken county in southwestern China

After a large-scale hazard, residents in the off-site reconstruction area need to reestablish their place attachments after facing devastating damage to both physical and psychological environments. Therefore, investigating the satisfaction of residents who migrate to a new environment is essential. An explorative research in new Beichuan was conducted with 416 responses in 2022, which was the only off-site reconstruction county in 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. This study aims to investigate residential satisfaction and social ties and explore the pathway of external environmental perception, place attachment, and perceived geological disaster risk by the structural equation model. Results revealed that residents in new Beichuan were generally satisfied with their residential environment, which was positively related to place attachment. Social ties positively predicted place attachment and negatively predicted perceived disaster risk. Place attachment mediated the relationship between residential satisfaction and perceived geological disaster risk, and the relationship between social ties and perceived disaster geological risk. Policymakers should carefully consider residents’ requirements and lifestyles during the reconstruction after geological disasters and create a livable environment and social space to help post-disaster migrants rebuild their place attachments.

International and national legal guarantees for the realization of the status of groups of people with low mobility

The article analyses the international and national legal guarantees for the implementation of the status of groups of people with low mobility. The article identifies the key principles of international normative acts in the field of rights and freedoms of groups of people with low mobility. Their significance lies in guaranteeing the relevant areas of activity of Ukraine as a State party to create legal, economic, social, and other conditions for ensuring the rights and opportunities of persons with low mobility on an equal footing with other participants in legal relations. The status of implementation of international guarantees of the status of groups of people with low mobility in national legislation is analysed. The Constitution of Ukraine, the primary laws of Ukraine ‘On the Fundamentals of Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine’, ‘On the Status of War Veterans, and Guarantees of Their Social Protection’, normative acts of the President of Ukraine “On the National Program of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities for 2001-2005”, “On Measures to Strengthen Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities; the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine’s regulations on Measures to Improve the Situation of Persons with Disabilities, On Approval of the Action Plan for Creating an Unhindered Living Environment for Persons with Disabilities and Other Low-Mobility Groups for 2009-2015 ‘Barrier-Free Ukraine’, and many others are studied. The implementation of the regulations has resulted in the creation of an unhindered living environment for groups of people with low mobility, the functioning of training courses on creating an unhindered environment for the life of people with disabilities, etc. The author substantiates the view that the provisions of the analysed current legal acts are the basis for the further formation and implementation of the State policy on the development and adoption of State social guarantees in general and for groups of people with low mobility in particular, national standards and technical specifications, and also for conducting research and development and research work on the implementation of the principles of reasonable accommodation and universal design.

THE DEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES OF ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS OPERATION THROUGH THE EXAMPLE OF THE CITY OF DEBRECEN

In this research material, I review the energy policy of the municipality of Debrecen today and its impact on the future. Compliance with the Environmental Protection Programs is important for the municipality of Debrecen, in which a new environmental protection policy was developed for the city in addition to the existing ones. At the end of 2023, the city of Debrecen established the Green Working Group, the task of which is to operate an environment-conscious, climate-friendly and family-friendly environment in addition to the structure and operation of companies settling in Debrecen. Recently, the Green Code was created in the city of Debrecen, which envisages a livable environment for the residents so that economic development goals can also be achieved. In my research, I cover the Civaqua program, green urban mobility, the topic of carbon neutrality, and the development of a green approach in Debrecen city management. Since several well-known foreign companies have settled in Debrecen in the past short period (battery factory and its subcontractor groups, automotive factories, etc.), I think it is appropriate to examine the role of the Debrecen Municipality in remedying the situation. The topics mentioned in my presentation regarding Debrecen are the following: waste collection, water use, climate, industrial water supply, air cleanliness, and the examination of the concentration of carbon monoxide in the air.

The Importance of Childrens Living Environment in Building Childrens Character

Children's psychology and behavior development are closely related to their family environment during childhood. Parental companionship and the relationship between the parents are pretty crucial to the development of the children. Existing a good family environment and favorable family relationships will give children a more well-rounded, harmonious, upbeat personality. This essay will use a literature review by collecting information to explore the importance of the family environment to the character and behavioral development of left-behind children in China. The author will analyze the importance of the family environment and children's self-perception to provide a reference to improving the focus of China's children's education. To promote the early integrated development of the children and ensure the development of the family, the children can grow up at the same time. This essay will show the reason causes the childs bad personality and the feasible methods to resolve these problems.

Post-COVID-19 Era, 15th Minutes City New Urban Model Changing Housing Design and Models

This research centered on the transition from sustainability to the post-COVID-19 era, significantly altered and transformed cities, city plans, and housing models holistically approach. Although the academic world concentrating on sustainable urban and housing design since the 1990s, the pandemic has emerged as a critical paradigm shift in context since 2019. During the COVID-19 period the Paris city 15 minutes concept, first introduced by Paris Mayor A. Hidalgo initially sparked controversy as temporary now considered permanent in Paris recently, Oxford. In the post-pandemic era, sustainability has become significant on the global agenda, shaping cities, city models, and residences through profound and radical changes. Some efforts are supported by Climate-change conferences in the world and subsequently some determinations like the Paris Agreement and UN declarations that guide more livable environments and houses. Due to COVID-19 the newly emerged conditions and compulsory changes that have taken place in the cities the social isolation, distance living, and remote working led to radical changes in the living style, environment, city plans, housing models, and typologies holistically. Although many publications have been published in the last few years about the pandemic and the Paris City 15 minutes concept, they only address the city and urban scale solutions. There is no research with a holistic approach that relates the subject from the urban scale to the architectural scale, housing, and blocks. Within the 15-minute concept, searched, developed, innovative, and sustainable urban and housing-oriented suggestions for cities in the future are presented at the end of the research. In conclusion, it is revealed that the issue of sustainability has gained importance with an increasing momentum in the world agenda, witnessed the radical changes in cities and residences, in the post-COVID-19 period in the last 2-3 years.

Efficient Mako Shark-Inspired Aerodynamic Design for Concept Car Bodies in Underground Road Tunnel Conditions.

The automotive industry continuously enhances vehicle design to meet the growing demand for more efficient vehicles. Computational design and numerical simulation are essential tools for developing concept cars with lower carbon emissions and reduced costs. Underground roads are proposed as an attractive alternative for reducing surface congestion, improving traffic flow, reducing travel times and minimizing noise pollution in urban areas, creating a quieter and more livable environment for residents. In this context, a concept car body design for underground tunnels was proposed, inspired by the mako shark shape due to its exceptional operational kinetic qualities. The proposed biomimetic-based method using computational fluid dynamics for engineering design includes an iterative process and car body optimization in terms of lift and drag performance. A mesh sensitivity and convergence analysis was performed in order to ensure the reliability of numerical results. The unique surface shape of the shark enabled remarkable aerodynamic performance for the concept car, achieving a drag coefficient value of 0.28. The addition of an aerodynamic diffuser improved downforce by reducing 58% of the lift coefficient to a final value of 0.02. Benchmark validation was carried out using reported results from sources available in the literature. The proposed biomimetic design process based on computational fluid modeling reduces the time and resources required to create new concept car models. This approach helps to achieve efficient automotive solutions with low aerodynamic drag for a low-carbon future.

Personal life environment within the socio-political context of modern Russia: status according to the attribute of certainty

The subject of the article relates to the sociological discourse on the category of uncertainty at the personal level of analysis. The uncertainty of the environment inherently contains risks as a potential possibility of damage from an adverse outcome of events, phenomena, processes. The strategy of the analysis presented in the article takes as the initial and independent position of the study the fact that there is such a context in the environment, such conditions that can serve as sources of risks of various levels. In the research proposed in the article, the author proceeds from the fact that a fundamentally risky socio-political context at the country level (SMO, increasing sanctions pressure) by a particular person may not be perceived as causing uncertainty in the space of his personal life environment. The empirical basis of the analysis is data from a representative survey of the Russian population conducted on a quota sample in June 2023. A methodological approach is applied, the peculiarity of which is the formation within the sample the target groups according to the criterion corresponding to the main goal of the analysis – self-determination of the living environment status. The data was rearranged and analyzed under an intelligence strategy aimed at identifying similarities and differences between those who positively and clearly see their life prospects and those who are in a situation of uncertainty about the future and the present. The analysis of those resources and features that have the greatest weight in differentiating the selfdetermination of the living environment status within the risky external environment made it possible to assess their internal relationship and carry out an empirical (real), as opposed to a priori (theoretical) grouping. The empirical grouping revealed three blocks of resource determinants of differences between target groups in determining the adaptive status of the living environment, which correlate with the components of subjective intelligence: emotional as the ability to recognize, understand and use emotions, with social as skills and experience of communication with the institutional environment, rationality as the presence of skills of self-organization and self-control.

INTEGRITY OF VARIOUS ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABILITY

In an era of rapid scientific and technological progress, the concept of sustainable development has become an important framework for addressing the multifaceted problems of resource scarcity, environmental degradation and social inequality. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution, principles and practical application of the concept of sustainable development, emphasising the interconnectedness of its three main dimensions: environmental, economic and social. The paper explores the integrity of the concept of sustainable development in different dimensions. The goal of the study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the evolution, principles and practical application of the concept of sustainable development, emphasising the interconnectedness of environmental, social and economic aspects and their impact on sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development has evolved from early forestry practices to a broader encompassing of environmental, social and economic aspects. The concept gained prominence in the 20th century with the Club of Rome report and the Rio Earth Summit, leading to the widespread adoption of sustainable development as a guiding principle for global development. Central to sustainable development is the idea of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The article identifies three traditional components of sustainable development: environmental, social and economic, and explores their interrelationship. Environmental sustainability focuses on the responsible use of natural resources and pollution management. Economic sustainability emphasises the importance of long-term economic stability and growth, while social sustainability addresses issues of equality, social justice, well-being and quality of life. The intersection of these pillars shows how integrated approaches can contribute to a resilient, equitable and livable environment. The publication highlights the role of sustainable development goals and standards in various areas. By harmonising environmental, economic and social goals, sustainable development offers a pathway to a resilient and prosperous global society. This holistic approach is essential to ensure the well-being of present and future generations in an increasingly interconnected world. The article emphasises the need for coordinated efforts at the local, national and global levels.

The interface between politics, ethics and urban planning: The case of land and space barons in Harare, Zimbabwe

The ideals and fundamentals of urban planning are largely to ensure habitable and liveable environments for the citizens. However, while planning is an apolitical profession that is supposed to advance human well-being and urban liveability, we argue that the planning process has been compromised by political interference that jeorpadises the realisation of the envisaged planning outcomes. Applying an exploratory qualitative research design in the context of Harare, Zimbabwe, this article interrogates the nexus between politics, ethics and urban planning, focusing on the provision of land and space. The article uses a desktop study with literature and document review as the major methods of reference to explore the nexus in land provision and ethics. The findings of the study show that land barons are exploiting the hard-earned monies of the desperate Harare residents together with the space barons who take advantage of the street vendors. Therefore, this article recommends the resuscitation of ethics and values in urban management to foster fairness and satisfy the public good.

Determination of The Most Livable Subsidized Housing In Karang Joang Village Balikpapan City

Every individual or group essentially wants to have a house that is livable, both in terms of physical and residential environment. when choosing a house, people are also influenced by preference factors related to physical and non-physical comfort and security. In this case, low-income people have very little information regarding references about cheap houses but with good physical and non-physical environmental quality even though the price is cheap. Therefore, this research aims to provide references to the community regarding subsidized housing for low-income communities that have the most livable environment physically and non-physically. This research is using Geographic Information System (GIS) to know the liveable areas and suitable with the location of subsidized housing. The Geographis Information System (GIS) that used in this research is using ArcGis wich is the tools that we used is Buffering and Overlay Analysis. After the analysis the result was carried out, and the result is the high liveable area in Karang Joang Village is 177.43 Ha, then the medium liveable area is 2,098.74 Ha, and the low liveable area is 7,956.19 Ha. And then, it is known that there is only 1 subsidized housing in the medium liveable area, and no subsidized housing in the high liveable area.

The impact of rural living environment improvement programs on the subjective well-being of rural residents in China

Increasing people’s subjective well-being (SWB) remains a critical challenge for all countries. However, few studies have been dedicated to examining the influence of environmental governance programs on SWB, especially in developing and non-democratic societies. This paper aims to fill this void by taking the Rural Living Environment Improvement (RLEI) program in China—the largest rural living environment governance program in history, as an example to understand the role of environmental governance programs in SWB in the world’s biggest developing and non-democratic country. Based on 3747 individual samples from the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey database, we found that RLEI can significantly improve rural residents’ SWB. This effect remains significant after using the propensity score matching method and the instrumental variable approach to address potential selection bias and endogenous problems. The indirect analysis shows that RLEI can increase rural residents’ SWB mainly through improving their income, consumption expenditure, and health. Compared with rural sewage and livestock manure RLEI programs, rural waste RLEI program has a greater enhanced impact on rural residents’ SWB. The monetary value of RLEI based on the life satisfaction approach shows that the resulting improvement in rural residents’ SWB created by RLEI is almost equivalent to the effect of household income. While the monetary value of rural sewage, livestock manure, and rural waste RLEI program is equivalent to 1.2, 3.67, and 1.1 times the effect of household income. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that RLEI has a greater positive impact on SWB for junior and old-aged, low-educated, Midwestern and Northeastern, and working rural residents.