Mid-size Urban Areas Research Articles

Evidence of cloud and rainfall modification in a mid-sized urban area – A climatological analysis of Augusta, Georgia

Cloud and rainfall distributions in urban spaces have implications for planning, hydrological response, reservoir management, renewable energy generation, transportation, and agricultural productivity. Studies have confirmed that large urban areas can initiate or modify precipitation, but there are still questions about the role of city size and atmospheric interactions. The majority of case study approaches have focused on large cities or urban clusters and have largely ignored small to moderate sized cities. Herein, an analysis of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan statistical area is conducted. Using a gridded, daily multi-sensor precipitation dataset and satellite-based cloud cover climatology, the warm seasons (June, July, and August) covering the period from 2002 to 2019 were analyzed using spatial comparisons within an upwind-downwind framework and z-score statistics. Such methodologies have been published for larger urban areas. We confirmed that a moderate-sized city like Augusta, Georgia and neighboring Aiken, South Carolina is associated with spatial patterns consistent with the “urban rainfall effect” (URE) and possibly an “urban cloud effect” (UCE). Contextual analysis of other local mesoscale signatures related to nearby water bodies are also provided as a sanity check on process identification.

Causal identification of transit-induced property value uplift in Canada's Waterloo Region: A spatio-temporal difference-in-differences method application

Renewed interest in light-rail transit (LRT) in North America has heightened the need for an improved understanding of transit impacts on land value uplift (LVU). A number of studies have investigated the relationship, with findings varying with local contexts and estimation methods. Most of these studies focus on the aggregate effects of transit using cross-sectional models, but do not examine the spatial and temporal heterogeneity in transit impacts through quasi-experimental approaches. To bridge this gap, we build a set of spatio-temporal difference-in-differences (STDID) models for the causal identification of transit-induced land-value uplift, taking the new LRT line in Canada's Waterloo Region as the case study. The study contributes to the transit-induced LVU literature in several ways. First, we account for the space-time influence of recent comparable sales in price determination, a transaction data-generating process often excluded in hedonic studies. Second, our models reveal the disaggregate effects of transit policies in different station areas and transit phases. Third, we provide a pre-LRT analysis in a car-dependent mid-sized urban area, which offers insight into speculative investment in TOD areas and/or resident anticipation of future accessibility benefits. The findings can provide guidance for value-capture programs and cost-benefit analysis for transit-oriented development in mid-sized cities.

Planning for Post-pandemic Downtowns of Mid-size Urban Areas

ABSTRACT There is widespread consensus that the Covid pandemic has had significant negative effects on cities and city life. In an online survey, urban planners were asked to identify the attributes that contributed to the success of the downtowns of mid-size urban areas prior to the pandemic as well as the attributes that would facilitate their post-pandemic recovery. While some urban scholars expect that recovery will lead to a ‘new normal’, the planners surveyed here are largely focused on restoring the ‘old normal’.

Could there be spillover effects between recreational and utilitarian cycling? A multivariate model

Abstract The current study aims to investigate the impact of socioeconomic and bike infrastructure-related factors on the choice to cycle for different purposes (commuting, errands and leisure/sport) and explores the interplay between these three choices. We developed and estimated a multivariate ordered probit model that accounts for correlation effects among dependent variables, i.e. the three different frequencies of cycling for different purposes, and simultaneously controls for the impact of endogenous and exogenous variables. The data used in this study are drawn from a survey conducted by the University of Cagliari in two mid-size urban areas in Sardinia (Italy). We analysed a sample of 1,105 individuals with prerequisites useful for the study at hand. Model results show that different socio-demographic variables such as gender, age, level of education, household composition and vehicle ownership influence our dependent variables. The results are consistent with previous research, with males and younger individuals more likely to cycle, while people with children show a lower propensity to use the bike for both transportation and recreational purposes. Further, we show that, in the specific context of the analysis, unobserved effects between the three dependent variables exist and a higher frequency of cycling for leisure leads to a higher frequency of cycling for utilitarian purposes, suggesting the presence of a behavioral spillover effect. Finally, a policy simulation analysis is carried out to estimate the impact of the endogenous variable cycling for leisure on the probability of choosing to cycle for utilitarian purposes. In particular, we find that the adoption of an independent model that ignores the presence of unobserved effects among dependent variables leads to a small overprediction of the number of people cycling for utilitarian purposes.

Identifying latent demand for transit-oriented development neighbourhoods: Evidence from a mid-sized urban area in Canada

Many studies have provided strong evidence of residents' support for the characteristics of transit-oriented development (TOD) neighbourhoods, but few have explicitly investigated the question of whether these preferences translate into their actual choices. How many households are experiencing a state of residential mismatch between preferred and actual neighbourhoods? What trade-offs have they made in residential location choices? We draw on data from a 2017 residential location choice survey in Kitchener Waterloo (KW), Canada, and employ latent class analysis (LCA) to address these questions. The light-rail transit (LRT) corridor encompassing the area that is 800 m surrounding LRT stops is defined as the TOD area. This study finds empirical evidence of TOD preferences in mid-sized cities and further uncovers latent demand for TOD neighbourhoods during the LRT construction phase. 37% of respondents hold strong TOD preferences but purchased outside TOD areas. These households are primarily young families (aged 25–34) with children and represent a possible missing target in TOD housing supply in our study area. Our findings provide support for building more “missing middle” intensified family housing in TOD areas of mid-sized cities.

Anthropogenic Factors Control the Distribution of a Southern Conifer Phytophthora Disease in a Peri-Urban Area of Northern Patagonia, Argentina

Several mid-sized urban areas have established boundaries overlapping with the distribution of Austrocedruschilensis (D.Don) Pic.Serm. & Bizzarri forests in Patagonia. These forests suffer a disease whose primary cause is the aggressive pathogen Phytophthora austrocedri. This study analyzes the factors related to Austrocedrus disease in an urban and peri-urban environment, showing that anthropogenic factors related to Phytophthora dispersion predominantly influence the disease distribution. The study was developed in urban and suburban areas of San Carlos de Bariloche county (Río Negro Province, Argentina). A database of requests to fell A. chilensis trees, from the Forest Department of Río Negro Province, was cleaned up and improved through satellite images analysis and field sampling. Data were analyzed in order to set up a layer of Austrocedrus disease presence. From this layer, and from anthropogenic and environmental layers (distance to houses, distance to roads, precipitation, slope, aspect, altitude, distance to water courses), a risk model was developed using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm. In turn, data from the field sampling were assessed by contingency tables and chi square analysis. The results show that disease occurrence in San Carlos de Bariloche county is associated with the insertion of the urban network over areas of native forests. Distance to houses, distance to roads and distance to gardens with irrigation were the most important variables associated with the disease occurrence. A risk model was generated for the study area, which shows the current risk situation for the disease. Urbanization’s advance over the forest modifies key variables related to Phytophthora dispersion, such as the distance from cypress trees to houses and roads, thus progressively increasing the area at risk of becoming diseased. Based on these results, plausible measures and actions are proposed.

DO POST-SOCIALIST URBAN AREAS MAINTAIN THEIR SUSTAINABLE COMPACT FORM? ROMANIAN URBAN AREAS AS CASE STUDY

The compact city is regarded as an important concept in promoting sustainable development, especially within the European Union. The socialist urban planning system maintained a high compactness of the urban areas through almost exclusive predominance of the public sector in housing provision, and ideological nature of the planning strategies. After the 1990’s, the administrative decentralization allowed local authorities to adopt particular urban development strategies. However, development was directly influenced by the importance of the urban administrative centre. The aim of the paper is to determine if post-socialist urban areas maintained their compact urban form or they encountered different evolution trajectories. We determined the type of changes by calculating urban form indicators at two time moments: 1990 and 2006. Furthermore, the two-way repeated-measurement ANOVA was used to identify significant changes, and to assess the effect of the development level of the urban area on the variance of form indicators. The results show that Romanian post-socialist urban areas either shifted from the compact form, "inherited" after the collapse of socialism, to more dispersed patterns, either expanded in a compact manner. Moreover, as development level got higher, urban areas were more likely to be affected by suburbanization and periurbanization. In order to respond to these challenges, new instruments such as setting of metropolitan areas or spatial framework plans could be used. Furthermore, planning should be adapted to local circumstances and to the different development trajectories of big and mid-sized urban areas.

Do psycho-attitudinal factors vary with individuals’ cycling frequency? A hybrid ordered modeling approach

The purpose of the present study was to investigate specifically whether psycho-attitudinal factors could differ for people with different cycling frequency levels and to quantify the determinants influencing the propensity to cycle. To perform our analysis, we developed a hybrid choice modeling approach with a generalized ordered probit choice kernel, using the information collected in 2016 for 2128 individuals in two mid-size urban areas in Sardinia (Italy). Our results indicate that the latent variables Perception of cycling benefits, Perception of cycling comfort and Perceived importance of bike infrastructure positively influence the propensity to cycle, supporting the idea of a relationship between attitudes and cycling frequency. In addition, the model shows a link between different socio-demographic variables (gender, age, Body Mass Index, education level, number of cars per household, number of household members), built environment characteristics and bike usage. Computation of the pseudo-elasticity effects indicates that strategies focusing only on the physical part of the problem, such as the expansion and improvement of proper infrastructure, might not be sufficient to encourage bike use. At the same time our findings stress the importance of considering people’s psychological characteristics when implementing policies aimed at promoting cycling. This can be helpful for identifying, depending on the population segment that is targeted, the most appropriate advertising/information strategy for convincing people to cycle, as well as the most effective marketing messages.

Air pollution in Kigali, Rwanda: spatial and temporal variability, source contributions, and the impact of car-free Sundays

Ambient air pollution, particularly fine particulate mass (PM2.5) and ozone (O3), is associated with premature human mortality and other health effects, but monitoring is scarce to non-existent in large parts of Africa. Lower-cost real-time affordable multi-pollutant (RAMP) monitors and a black carbon monitor were deployed in Kigali, Rwanda to fill the air quality data gap here. PM2.5 data were corrected using data from a coincident, short-term campaign that used standard filter-based gravimetry, while gas data were verified by collocation with reference carbon monoxide (CO) and O3 monitors at the Rwanda Climate Observatory at Mt Mugogo, Rwanda. Over March 2017-July 2018, the ambient average PM2.5 in Kigali was 52 µg/m3, significantly higher than World Health Organization (WHO) Interim Target 1. Study average BC was 4 µg/m3, comparable to mid-sized urban areas in India and China and significantly higher than BC in cities in developed countries. Spatial variability across Kigali is limited, while PM2.5 at Mt Mugogo is moderately correlated with PM2.5 in Kigali. A sharp diurnal profile is observed in both PM2.5 and BC, with the Absorption Angstrom Exponent (AAE) indicating that the morning peak is associated with rush-hour traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) while the late evening peak can be attributed to both traffic and domestic biofuel use. PM2.5 in the dry seasons is almost two times that during the following wet seasons while BC is 40-60% higher. Local sources contribute at least half the ambient PM2.5 during wet seasons and one-fourth during dry seasons. Vehicular restrictions on some Sundays appear to reduce PM2.5 and BC by 10-12 µg/m3 and 1 µg/m3 respectively, but this needs further investigation. Dry season ozone in Kigali can exceed WHO guidelines. These lower-cost monitors can play an important role in the continued monitoring essential to track the effectiveness of pollution-control policies recently implemented in Rwanda.

An evaluation of in-service infrastructural facilities of walk-access feeder paths to urban local bus stops

The work documents an experience in evaluation of the in-service infrastructural facilities of walk-access feeder paths to urban local bus stops in the city of Bhubaneswar, India. The work follows a rational approach, whereby both the in-service condition and relative importance of the walk-access infrastructures are considered, by taking into account the perception of those bus commuters, who usually undertake walk-mode to access bus stops. This approach allows determination of the relative priority among improvement areas of the existing walk-access infrastructural facilities, by focusing on those aspects where the perceived in-service condition is poor, but the importance is high. In view of this, a set of walk-access infrastructural items are identified existing in the study area, and bus commuters’ perception on their in-service condition and their importance is recorded. Thereafter, a two-dimensional fuzzy C-means algorithm is employed in order to identify the improvement areas. The work identifies a set of 5 major improvement areas of walk-access infrastructure, such as presence of dedicated sidewalk facility, width of sidewalk, presence of crosswalks, quality of road surface, and presence of street lights on access path. Overall, the work documents valuable insights in the context of infrastructural facility improvements in walk-access feeder paths with regard to a mid-sized urban area.

Multi-taxonomic diversity patterns in a neotropical green city: a rapid biological assessment

The growing number of urban ecology studies has raised concern about the importance of comprehending the ecological patterns and processes of urban areas in order to manage and plan them properly. In this study, we performed a rapid descriptive ecological assessment of the biodiversity patterns in a neotropical mid-sized urban area from a multi-taxonomic approach, contrasting seven taxonomic groups (i.e., vascular plants, fungi, ants, butterflies, beetles, amphibians, birds) in areas with different degree of urbanization intensity. Results of this study show that diversity patterns differ depending on the taxonomic group; thus, it was not possible to generalize specific trends in species richness, abundance, and species composition because each taxon seems to respond differently to the process or level of urbanization. Our results also highlight the relevance of using multi-taxonomic approaches to understand the relationship between biodiversity and urban environments, and underline potential benefits and limitations of using each of the studied groups when considering rapid biodiversity assessments. Based on our results, we suggest the following recommendations when performing rapid biological assessments in urban areas: evaluate as many taxa as possible, choosing the set of taxonomic groups in relation to the objectives of the study, wide the temporal and spatial survey window as much as possible, focus on several biodiversity measures, and interpreting results cautiously, as rapid assessments do not necessarily reflect ecological patterns, but just part of the history.

New economy jobs and economic health, prosperity in Canada's mid-size urban areas

Many large North American metropolitan areas are becoming increasingly reliant on services (financial, health and education) and high tech manufacturing as local economic drivers. Have mid-size metropolitan areas (population 50,000 to 500,000) been able to similarly restructure their economies to remain prosperous and competitive? This paper examines the recent changes in the economies and prosperity of mid-size Canadian urban areas, comparing them to the Canadian economy as a whole. Mid-size urban areas are found to have had mixed success in economic restructuring and attracting New Economy jobs. Overall, this decade has seen a substantial decline in the average Economic Prosperity Index of these communities, relative to the nation as a whole.In many cases, Economic Prosperity appears to be path dependent: prosperous communities with substantial proportions of New Economy jobs are likely to remain prosperous and to attract more such jobs. There are, however, few significant correlations between metropolitan employment profiles and maintaining or increasing prosperity. Higher levels of economic prosperity are found in urban areas with a well-educated, diverse population.

The implicit price of urban public parks and greenways: a spatial-contextual approach

This paper examines the value residents place on public parks in a mid-sized urban area. The analysis makes a direct contribution to the literature by examining the extent to which spatial and neighbourhood context is related to the house price premium or discount associated with public recreational opportunities, natural resource areas and urban greenways. The analysis shows that the value of public parks and greenways varies across space, neighbourhood context and park type. Community area fixed-effects are included to bolster the findings. The findings indicate that park and greenway investment should be planned and managed contextually in urban areas. Park planners can use these findings to inform public policy debates over park investment and, perhaps, support efforts focused on comprehensive neighbourhood planning.

Analyzing temporal changes in land-use–transportation relationships: A LEHD-based approach

Over the last decades there has been intense focus on better understanding land-use–transportation relationships. One prominent research area within this nexus has examined whether urban structural characteristics, such as the balance of jobs and housing, impacts broader transportation patterns, particularly commuting outcomes. Researchers have sought to quantify relationships in comparative studies across space and time, without fully realizing the latter due to sparse data availability, mainly due to reliance on government census type products which often lack adequate temporal resolution. This research utilizes a relatively new database from the U.S. Census known as Longitudinal Employer–Household Dynamics (LEHD) to explore temporal commuting–land-use relationships. This database has a high degree of spatial and temporal resolution, with worker information reported annually from 2002 to 2010. Locations of workers, jobs, and their commute flows are resolved to the census block scale. We analyze LEHD data over a 9-year period from 2002 to 2010 for a mid-sized urban area. Estimation of several commuting and jobs–housing metrics lends insights into growth and decline that have occurred in the recent housing boom and bust, and their broader implications for travel patterns.

The Role of Public Health Inspectors in Maintaining Housing in Northern and Rural Communities: Recommendations to Support Public Health Practice

Objective: Although there is much evidence about the effects of particular housing conditions on health, less is known about the practices of public health inspectors (PHIs) in relation to minimizing or eliminating potential housing health risks. The purpose of this qualitative study was to illuminate the practices of PHIs in relation to types of biological and physical housing risks. Method: This study used photo vignettes to focus on PHIs’ perceptions, options, and resultant interventions with regards to typical housing risks encountered by PHIs in northeastern Ontario. The vignettes represented two general categories of potential housing risks: biological exposures, and physical characteristics of housing. During a semi-structured interview, 34 PHI participants viewed the vignettes, assessed the housing hazard depicted in each, and described the most appropriate intervention. Traditional content analysis methods were used. Results: The assessment of the physical housing hazards was fairly consistent among the PHIs. There seemed to be more variation in their assessment of risk associated with biological factors. Variation in responses was often explained by their different interpretations of the scope of the provincial legislation as well as local public health unit policies and practices. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that PHIs’ assessment and responses to potential physical housing hazards were influenced by an interplay between variables related to residents, local service partners, organizational culture, and policy. The recommendations for action also range from specific public health unit protocol to broader research and policy advocacy initiatives. Collectively, the recommendations focus on strategies for optimizing the role of PHIs in reducing housing health risks in mid-size urban or rural areas.

The role of public health inspectors in maintaining housing in northern and rural communities: recommendations to support public health practice.

Although there is much evidence about the effects of particular housing conditions on health, less is known about the practices of public health inspectors (PHIs) in relation to minimizing or eliminating potential housing health risks. The purpose of this qualitative study was to illuminate the practices of PHIs in relation to types of biological and physical housing risks. This study used photo vignettes to focus on PHIs' perceptions, options, and resultant interventions with regards to typical housing risks encountered by PHIs in northeastern Ontario. The vignettes represented two general categories of potential housing risks: biological exposures, and physical characteristics of housing. During a semi-structured interview, 34 PHI participants viewed the vignettes, assessed the housing hazard depicted in each, and described the most appropriate intervention. Traditional content analysis methods were used. The assessment of the physical housing hazards was fairly consistent among the PHIs. There seemed to be more variation in their assessment of risk associated with biological factors. Variation in responses was often explained by their different interpretations of the scope of the provincial legislation as well as local public health unit policies and practices. This study demonstrated that PHIs' assessment and responses to potential physical housing hazards were influenced by an interplay between variables related to residents, local service partners, organizational culture, and policy. The recommendations for action also range from specific public health unit protocol to broader research and policy advocacy initiatives. Collectively, the recommendations focus on strategies for optimizing the role of PHIs in reducing housing health risks in mid-size urban or rural areas.

Investigating the Impact of Interpretive Signs at Neighborhood Natural Areas

Designing interpretive signs for community natural areas is often an expensive endeavor, sometimes requiring the largest portion of an already small budget, but what do we know about the impact of these signs? How do visitors to neighborhood natural areas interact with and use the signs? This multiple-method study investigated how visitors interacted with interpretive signs in two neighborhood natural areas in a mid-sized urban area. Results of this study indicate that a majority of natural area visitors were repeat visitors; however, when tested, first-time visitors scored higher on a knowledge assessment of information presented on the interpretive signs than repeat. Similarly, visitors’ appreciation for the signs varied whether they were running, biking, or walking. This insight may be helpful as natural areas invest in interpretive signage during a time of tight budgets.

Dropping out of mental health treatment among patients with depression and anxiety by type of provider: results of the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders

Dropping out from mental health treatment is a major problem because mental health treatments delivered for inadequate durations are ineffective. The aim of this study was to compare treatment dropout rates by type of provider, dropout risk by number of visit, and to ascertain factors associated with treatment dropout. A cross-sectional household survey of a representative sample of 626 out of 21,425 non-institutionalized adults from the general population of six European countries was carried out. Dropout was defined as terminating treatment before recommendation. Dropout from all treating providers during a 12-month period was 14%. Among psychiatrists, psychologists, and general practitioners figures were: 19.6, 20.3, and 20.3%, respectively. While the hazard risk for dropping out was higher during the first three visits to GPs and psychologists, it was stable for psychiatrists. Older age, female gender, and living in large or midsize urban areas were associated with a decreased risk of dropping out. Efforts for increasing patients' proportion completing adequate courses of care for mental disorders in Europe should focus on the first visits, especially those made to the general medical care.

Urban and rural variation in walking patterns and pedestrian crashes

Objective:To examine the urban and rural variation in walking patterns and pedestrian crashes.Design:The rates of pedestrians being struck by motor vehicles was estimated according to miles walked and resident years.Setting:New...

No finer place: planning core areas in mid-sized Canadian cities

In mid-sized urban areas in North America, the downtown core plays a significant role in efforts to sustain and enhance the community. Most core areas of cities in this size range, however, no longer have reputations for being healthy and vibrant. Planners’ attempts at downtown revitalization have often been disappointing. Comparison of three highly regarded mid-sized Canadian city centers with three less successful ones leads to the conclusion that there is no unique strategy or combination of public policies sufficient to ensure the success of revitalization efforts. Indeed, some of the more commonly employed strategies appear counter-productive. Planners may have to define a new paradigm of success, if their downtown cores are to contribute to sustainable regions.