Atlanta Research Articles

Assessing the impact of bicycle infrastructure on safety and operations using microsimulation and surrogate safety measures: A case study in Downtown Atlanta

This research assessed the impact of efficiently expanding the biking network in Atlanta, Georgia, using dedicated lanes for bicycles. A total of three different conditions: existing, proposed (by the authors), and alternative (suggested by the City of Atlanta) conditions were modeled to see the effectiveness of bike infrastructure design improvement and expansion. Trajectory data collected from the VISSIM simulation model was used in FHWA’s Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) to analyze the safety effect on the bike infrastructure improvement and expansion. Based on the results, both the proposed and alternative conditions resulted in safer travel through the network during the peak hour period without any apparent deterioration in delays. For instance, compared to the existing condition, the average stop delays decreased from 190 s to 164 s for the proposed and the alternative conditions. These findings showed that the introduction of bicycle lanes and narrower lanes for automobiles may not adversely affect the peak hour congestion. Also, fewer conflicts were observed in the simulated network of proposed and alternative conditions compared to existing conditions. Conflicts involving bicyclists were also reduced since the bicyclists can use their own lanes and do not have to interact with automobile traffic in the sharrows.

Symmetry breaking in optimal transport networks

Engineering multilayer networks that efficiently connect sets of points in space is a crucial task in all practical applications that concern the transport of people or the delivery of goods. Unfortunately, our current theoretical understanding of the shape of such optimal transport networks is quite limited. Not much is known about how the topology of the optimal network changes as a function of its size, the relative efficiency of its layers, and the cost of switching between layers. Here, we show that optimal networks undergo sharp transitions from symmetric to asymmetric shapes, indicating that it is sometimes better to avoid serving a whole area to save on switching costs. Also, we analyze the real transportation networks of the cities of Atlanta, Boston, and Toronto using our theoretical framework and find that they are farther away from their optimal shapes as traffic congestion increases.

Path-Based Formulations for the Design of On-demand Multimodal Transit Systems with Adoption Awareness

This paper reconsiders the On-Demand Multimodal Transit Systems (ODMTS) Design with Adoptions problem (ODMTS-DA) to capture the latent demand in on-demand multimodal transit systems. The ODMTS-DA is a bilevel optimization problem, for which Basciftci and Van Hentenryck proposed an exact combinatorial Benders decomposition. Unfortunately, their proposed algorithm only finds high-quality solutions for medium-sized cities and is not practical for large metropolitan areas. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a new path-based optimization model, called P-Path, to address these computational difficulties. The key idea underlying P-Path is to enumerate two specific sets of paths which capture the essence of the choice model associated with the adoption behavior of riders. With the help of these path sets, the ODMTS-DA can be formulated as a single-level mixed-integer programming model. In addition, the paper presents preprocessing techniques that can reduce the size of the model significantly. P-Path is evaluated on two comprehensive case studies: the midsize transit system of the Ann Arbor – Ypsilanti region in Michigan (which was studied by Basciftci and Van Hentenryck) and the large-scale transit system for the city of Atlanta. The experimental results show that P-Path solves the Michigan ODMTS-DA instances in a few minutes, bringing more than two orders of magnitude improvements compared with the existing approach. For Atlanta, the results show that P-Path can solve large-scale ODMTS-DA instances (about 17 millions variables and 37 millions constraints) optimally in a few hours or in a few days. These results show the tremendous computational benefits of P-Path which provides a scalable approach to the design of on-demand multimodal transit systems with latent demand. History: Accepted by Andrea Lodi, Design & Analysis of Algorithms—Discrete. Funding: This work was partially supported by National Science Foundation Leap-HI [Grant 1854684] and the Tier 1 University Transportation Center (UTC): Transit - Serving Communities Optimally, Responsively, and Efficiently (T-SCORE) from the U.S. Department of Transportation [69A3552047141]. Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2023.0014 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2023.0014 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .

The Former and the Forthcoming Apocalypse. Refl ection of Civilization Downfall in the Silver Age Fiction

The fi rst third of the twentieth century was the time of fundamental changes in Russian history, which many perceived as the death of civilization. At the same time, the presentiment of tragic events was typical for many cultural fi gures of the Silver Age. That is why the description of the doom of Atlantis became a widespread subject, which was present in the works of various genres, including fantasy. But if initially the interpretation of the myth of Atlantis was within the classical tradition, then gradually it began to be used as an allegorical description of the Russian Revolution, the Civil War and emigration. The general sense of impending anxiety was also refl ected in the works related to the prediction of the future, which was often seen as tragic. In a number of works the destruction of civilization was described through the destruction of the capital - either as the result of a natural cataclysm, or due to the actions of people, which was akin to the descriptions of the doom of Atlantis. Thus in the fi ction of the Silver Age the eschatological expectations characteristic of all society of this era were refl ected.

METHODS AND EVALUATION IN THE HISTORICAL MAPPING OF CITIES

Abstract. Through a (re)mapping and spatial modeling of a city’s past, exploratory web applications can be built to examine urban histories and dynamically engage scholars and the public. Working on Emory University’s OpenWorld Atlanta project (OWA), researchers used geospatial technologies and methods to extract data from archives and other sources to build historical data models, geodatabases, and geocoders that enabled the development of web-based dynamic map interfaces. With a focus on the early stages of urban development of the city of Atlanta in the southeastern United States, this platform provides exploratory visualizations of city history along with a wealth of detail for specific time periods, specifically circa 1878 and 1928, given the opportunity provides by key map publications of the city. These dynamically enabled historical maps were then connected to digital images, geospatial vector data, descriptive text, and labels and then structured in a content management system.While this project began as a digitization project centered on two atlases in the Rose Library collection at Emory University, it has grown to include contributors from several partner institutions. Therefore, this paper outlines the OWA project within a larger consortium of institutions and researchers focusing on production methods, platform development, interface design, and evaluation using open-data and open-source methods and software in cities' historical mapping and modeling. Drawing upon historical maps, city directories, archival collections, newspapers, and census data, projects like OWA allow researchers to analyze spatially grounded questions. In addition, they may serve the public as a valuable informational resource to learn about their neighborhood’s past and even contribute materials from family archives or stories.

0556 Simultaneous comparison of unedited and manually edited HSAT with level 1 PSG in persons with hospitalized TBI

Abstract Introduction Previous studies have shown automatic scoring of portable level 3 sleep study provides similar findings when compared to polysomnography (PSG), establishing home sleep apnea tests (HSAT) as an adequate screening tool for OSA. Accuracy of level 3 studies with Nox T3 portable sleep studies (Noxturna Inc., Atlanta GA) may improve with manual editing to include total sleep time (TST). No other studies have compared unedited versus manually edited HSAT with level 1 in-lab PSG performed simultaneously. This study evaluates if added manual editing optimizes the diagnostic accuracy of HSAT in classifying the severity of OSA, using both AASM and CMS criteria. Methods Secondary analysis of six-center (n=206) sleep apnea diagnostic comparative effectiveness trial. Participants underwent simultaneous administration of level 1 PSG (Philips Alice 6 LDx Diagnostic Sleep system) and Nox T3 portable sleep study with centralized scoring using AASM and CMS criteria. All HSAT were autoscored and then edited by the registered polysomnographic technician. Editing entailed establishing start and stop recording times based on accompanying actigraphy data (reduction in movement) in the portable device and elimination of recording artifact. Results Using AASM criteria, poor sensitivity OSA (AHI≥5) was observed using unedited vs PSG (p=.01) compared to manually edited HSAT vs. PSG (p=.06). No statistically significant difference was observed using AHI≥15 or via categorization across four levels of OSA (none, mild, moderate, or severe). In contrast, CMS criteria comparisons to PSG showed poor specificity of OSA (AHI≥5) for unedited (p=.003) compared to edited (p=.372) HSAT studies. As expected, total sleep time was overestimated using T3 actigraphy devices compared to the criterion standard across both edited and unedited studies (p=.001, .001 respectively). Conclusion Improvements in sensitivity and specificity of OSA were noted using edited versus unedited T3 HSAT when compared to Level 1 PSG using both AASM and CMS criteria. Results support need for manualized editing of HSAT in persons with hospitalized TBI. Support (if any) PCORI (CER-1511-33005), GDHS (W91YTZ-13-C-0015)

Plato: The Philosopher as Prenate

Two formerly unrelated academic fields, prenatal science and mythological studies, are quietly merging under the heading of a new theory: mythobiogenesis. One need not be a philologist to tease out the meaning of the word: Myth has a biological genesis. According to this conceptual model, much of what we call mythology, fairy tales, and sacred scripture derives from a fundamental impulse to retell in culturally specific ways the universal intrauterine experience of life before birth. Plato himself has provided an example of such a narrative. His written record of his intrauterine experience is contained in one of his later dialogues, the Critias (1), a text which includes the famous story of Atlantis. The Atlantis myth, I shall argue, is pure embryology, recounting in symbolic language Plato’s development from ovulation through fertilization, implantation, differentiation, organogenesis, and gestation. The idea that consciousness could be present at the level of a single cell is a stumbling block to the western science tradition which typically describes consciousness as no more than an emergent property of matter. And yet, many eastern spiritual traditions take non-local consciousness (a state of awareness independent of the body) for granted. The Yoga-Sūtra of Patañjali (2), a fourth century Sanskrit text, describes pure awareness as independent from the fundamental qualities of nature. Similarly, the Bardo Thodol (or Tibetan Book of the Dead) (3) follows the path of human psyche as it survives physical death reemerging with a new social identity attached to a reincarnated human being. East and West are not easily reconciled but there is movement in this direction. Some one hundred years ago, Otto Rank (4) faced outright hostility (particularly from his mentor, Freud) for suggesting that consciousness is very much present at birth with lifelong consequences arising from that primal trauma. Psychiatrists and psychologists who regress patients to birth and pre-birth times often report experiences that appear to go back even as far as conception lending credibility to S. Cosier’s theoretical model in which consciousness resides in the cell nucleus (5). And researchers such as Jon RG and Troya GN Turner-Groot (6) direct us to look for prebirth memories arising before conception when an individual’s consciousness is energetically attracted to that of the Mother-to-be. With this in mind, consider: Atlantis may not be a place at all, so best to stop looking for it. Instead, look to Plato who, though unaware of the theory of mythobiogenesis, is profoundly under its influence.

Letting Papi stay home.

Journal of the American Geriatrics SocietyEarly View OLD LIVES TALE Letting Papi stay home Elena Cabb DO, MPH, Corresponding Author Elena Cabb DO, MPH [email protected] Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Correspondence Elena Cabb, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1833 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta GA 30329, USA. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author Elena Cabb DO, MPH, Corresponding Author Elena Cabb DO, MPH [email protected] Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Correspondence Elena Cabb, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1833 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta GA 30329, USA. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 25 April 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.18387Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue RelatedInformation

The Urban Lightning Effect Revealed With Geostationary Lightning Mapper Observations

AbstractWithin the Charlotte, North Carolina, to Atlanta, Georgia, megaregion (Charlanta), the Atlanta metropolitan area has been shown to augment proximal cloud‐to‐ground (CG) lightning occurrence. Although numerous studies have documented this “urban lightning effect” (ULE) with regard to CG lightning, relatively few have investigated urban effects on distributions of total lightning (TL). Moreover, there has yet to be a study of the ULE using TL observations from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). In an effort to fill this gap, we investigated spatial distributions of TL around the cities of Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Charlotte, NC, using GLM data collected during the warm seasons of 2018–2021. Analyses reveal augmentation of TL intensity and frequency over the major cities of Atlanta and Charlotte, with a diminished urban signal over the smaller city of Greenville. This work also demonstrated the potential efficacy of the emerging satellite‐based TL climatology in ULE studies.

The Future of Pharmacist-Delivered Status-Neutral HIV Prevention and Care.

The Future of Pharmacist-Delivered Status-Neutral HIV Prevention and Care Paul J. Weidle PharmD, MPH, John T. Brooks MD, Sheila Salvant Valentine JD, and Demetre Daskalakis MD, MPH Affiliation Paul J. Weidle, John T. Brooks, Sheila Salvant-Valentine, and Demetre Daskalakis are with the Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD & TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA. Note. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CDC. CopyRightCorrespondence should be sent to Paul J. Weidle, PharmD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, MS USB-5, Atlanta GA, 30329 (e-mail: [email protected]gov). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the “Reprints” link. CONTRIBUTORS All authors contributed to the writing and provided critical review of the editorial. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307190 Accepted: November 23, 2022 Published Online: January 05, 2023

Subverting geopolitics: The reinvention of geography in post‐revolutionary Mexico

AbstractWithin the enduring effort to rethink geography from multiple viewpoints and new conceptual categories, critical geographers have recently sought to ‘decentralise geopolitics’ (An, Sharp, and Shaw, 2021, Dialogues in Human Geography, 11(2), 270) by proposing alternative analyses that can tackle the Eurocentric stance that has largely defined the field. This paper contributes to this decentralising effort by bringing to light, historically, an anti‐imperial discourse that took the form of a proper geographical invention. Specifically, the paper analyses the thought of the Mexican intellectual José Vasconcelos – who acted as Secretary of Public Education in the aftermath of the Revolution (1921–1924) – and argues that Vasconcelos' discourse represents a ‘subaltern’ intervention against the imperial presuppositions of the new‐born discipline of geopolitics. The paper contends that Vasconcelos' thought constitutes a conscious attempt, although clearly imbued with ‘postcolonial’ tensions and contradictions, to challenge the ‘scientific’ basis of the emerging geopolitical discourse at that time. By analysing Vasconcelos' geographical and geo‐social imagination through his recuperation of the myth of Atlantis and the idea of Cosmic Race, the paper illuminates an early operation of ‘subaltern geopolitics’ (Sharp, 2011, Geoforum, 42, 271) that aimed to contrast the new wave of Western imperialism which, intensively nurtured by socio‐environmentalist narratives, defined the turn of the twentieth century.

Abstract B085: Shifting sociodemographic characteristics of a phase 1 oncology clinical trial population at an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Southeast in comparison to its catchment area

Abstract Background: Racial and ethnic minority populations are consistently under-represented in oncology clinical trials despite comprising a disproportionate share of cancer burden. Due in part to difficulties associated with participation, phase 1 (P1) oncology trials pose a unique challenge and opportunity for minority inclusion. Here we examine the sociodemographics of P1 cancer clinical trial patients at an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center compared to all patients treated at the center, patients with new cancer diagnoses in metropolitan Atlanta (ATL), and the state of Georgia (GA). Methods: Patients enrolled on P1 trials at the Winship Cancer Institute (WCI) from 2015- 2020, identified from a data warehouse, were compared to new patient registrations at WCI from 2015-2020. Patients with cancer in metro ATL and GA were identified from the SEER Nov 2018 Submission. Covariates for the P1 and WCI institutional cohorts included sex, race, insurance, zip code. Covariates for SEER patients included sex and race. Median income by zip code per Census 2020 data was divided in quartiles per Census 2020 GA income distribution. Summary statistics are reported for categorical variables using frequencies and percentages. Comparisons between groups were conducted using one-sample proportion tests. Trends were assessed using the Cochran-Armitage test. Results: From 2015-2020, 2325 patients (43.4% F, 56.6% M) signed consent for P1 trials. Grouped race distribution was 70.3% White, 26.2% Black, 3.5% Other. Insurance distribution was 42.9% private, 48% government, 9.1% uninsured/other. Of new patient registrations at WCI from 2015-2020 (N=107497) (50.0% F, 50.0% M), grouped race distribution was 63.3% W, 32.0% B, 4.7% O. ATL 2015 SEER patients (N=31101) (50.3%F, 49.7%M) showed grouped race distribution 58.4% W, 37.2% B, 4.3% O. GA 2015 SEER patients (N=99487) (48.6%F, 51.4%M) showed grouped race distribution 71.2% W, 26.7% B, 2.1% O. Race and sex distribution of P1 patients was significantly different than WCI and ATL SEER patients (p< 0.001). Comparing the P1 and WCI groups from 2015-2020, percent female did not change over time in either group (p=0.54 P1; p=0.063 WCI). Percentage of white patients did decrease over time in both groups (p=0.009 P1; p<0.001 WCI). Percent of P1 patients with private insurance was higher than the WCI group (p<0.001). Percent of P1 and WCI patients living in zip codes with lower median household income (Q1 & Q2) were 19.6% and 20.4%, respectively (p=0.41). Conclusions: Although P1 patients at WCI were more likely to be white, male, and privately insured, from 2015-2020, the percentage of white patients in P1 oncology clinical trials and amongst all new cancer patients treated at WCI decreased significantly. This data serves to initially characterize the existing racial disparities in oncology clinical trials in metro ATL and GA, and will lead to further understanding to ultimately improve representation of patients from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds in P1 clinical trials in our catchment area. Citation Format: Chloe S. Lalonde, Jeffrey M. Switchenko, Madhusmita Behera, Mehmet A. Bilen, Taofeek K. Owonikoko, Colleen M. Lewis, Elise Hitron, Hannah Collins, Tracy B. Goodale, Emma C. Judson, Ludimila Cavalcante, R. Donald Harvey, Jennifer W. Carlisle. Shifting sociodemographic characteristics of a phase 1 oncology clinical trial population at an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Southeast in comparison to its catchment area [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B085.

Urban Restructuring in Atlanta: A Nexus of Race, Class, Power, and Growth

The terms urban restructuring and growth are political economy terms meant to signify positive recreation of urban space within the urban imaginary. While this idea may actually produce positive benefits for some, the urban restructuring products like urban renewal for low-income people of color, have come to represent the way in which inequality is spatially articulated in the urban landscape. Using the city of Atlanta as a case study, four examples of urban restructuring in the last century is explored to further this argument: segregation and zoning (1913–1931); The Downtown Connector (1946–1950); Federal Urban Renewal (1950's – 1960's); and the 1996 Summer Olympics (1990–1996). Here, I will discuss how power and capital interact with race and class to determine how these restructuring projects differentially affect spatial arrangements along class and racial lines in Atlanta. In doing so, the article will consider how urban restructuring has been a mechanism of power by the state and the private sector to advance capitalists interests of growth and profit, and while also to achieving goals of racial and class segregation, thereby displacing low-income people, often of color, with little to no access to power in order to advance their own economic interests.

Ridesharing accessibility from the human eye: Spatial modeling of built environment with street-level images

Scholarly interest in the accessibility of ridesharing services stems from debates within the transportation and planning communities on the inequality of access to transit and the growing digital divide embedded within novel forms of transit services. Contributing to such discussions, this paper considers the city of Atlanta as a case study and explores the links between the spatial disparity of accessibility to different Uber ridesharing products and features of the built environment extracted from Google Street View (GSV) imagery. The variability of wait time for an Uber service is used as a proxy of accessibility, while semantic image segmentation is performed on GSV imagery using a deep learning model DeepLabv3+ to identify notable spatial features captured at the eye-level perspective around service pick-up points. Results from spatial models show that proportions of built environment features such as buildings, vegetation, and terrains are associated with longer waiting times. In contrast, larger salient regions with foreground features are associated with shorter waiting times for several Uber service products.

Heat exposure and resilience planning in Atlanta, Georgia

The City of Atlanta, Georgia, is a fast-growing urban area with substantial economic and racial inequalities, subject to the impacts of climate change and intensifying heat extremes. Here, we analyze the magnitude, distribution, and predictors of heat exposure across the City of Atlanta, within the boundaries of Fulton County. Additionally, we evaluate the extent to which identified heat exposure is addressed in Atlanta climate resilience governance. First, land surface temperature (LST) was mapped to identify the spatial patterns of heat exposure, and potential socioeconomic and biophysical predictors of heat exposure were assessed. Second, government and city planning documents and policies were analyzed to assess whether the identified heat exposure and risks are addressed in Atlanta climate resilience planning. The average LST of Atlanta’s 305 block groups ranges from 23.7 °C (low heat exposure) in vegetated areas to 31.5 °C (high heat exposure) in developed areas across 13 summer days used to evaluate the spatial patterns of heat exposure (June–August, 2013–2019). In contrast to nationwide patterns, census block groups with larger historically marginalized populations (predominantly Black, less education, lower income) outside of Atlanta’s urban core display weaker relationships with LST (slopes ≈ 0) and are among the cooler regions of the city. Climate governance analysis revealed that although there are few strategies for heat resilience in Atlanta (n = 12), the majority are focused on the city’s warmest region, the urban core, characterized by the city’s largest extent of impervious surface. These strategies prioritize protecting and expanding the city’s urban tree canopy, which has kept most of Atlanta’s marginalized communities under lower levels of outdoor heat exposure. Such a tree canopy can serve as an example of heat resilience for many cities across the United States and the globe.

Exploring Transiency in Four Urban Forest Patch Neighborhoods: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

This exploratory study begins to unpack the association between involuntary neighborhood transiency (i.e., forced household moves) and civic environmental stewardship, focusing on four neighborhoods adjacent to urban forest patches in the City of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The patches emerged on the sites of former public housing communities after the city razed housing projects in the first decade of the 2000s. Given intense competition for city land, e.g., affordable housing needs versus greenspace preservation, we might expect neighborhood-level inquiry regarding plans for these properties; however, there is no indication of popular interest in the sites. We suggest that such engagement is inhibited, in part, by involuntary neighborhood transiency as the neighborhoods surrounding the patches are inhabited mostly by low-income African American renters, a highly transient population. This is the first phase of a study that will eventually examine the association between transiency and greenspace civic engagement. In this exploratory step, we examine involuntary neighborhood transiency as an a priori social condition that necessarily influences people’s engagement with urban greenspaces. Building on input from community members, research by Stephanie DeLuca and colleagues, and Matthew Desmond’s work on evictions in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we operationalize transiency in terms of Housing Choice Voucher units and eviction rate to assess the extent to which these indicators localize in the four urban patch neighborhoods. A geospatial cluster analysis indicated that both measures concentrate in the neighborhoods adjacent to the forest patches, and they are positively associated. Given these associations, we recommend further research examining how various forms of involuntary moving may ultimately inhibit civic environmental stewardship.

Combined Sewer Overflows and Gastrointestinal Illness in Atlanta, 2002-2013: Evaluating the Impact of Infrastructure Improvements.

Background:Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) discharge untreated sewage into surface and recreational water, often following heavy precipitation. Given projected increases in frequency and intensity of precipitation due to climate change, it is important to understand the health impacts of CSOs and mediating effects of sewerage systems.Objectives:In this study we estimate associations of CSO events and emergency department (ED) visits for gastrointestinal (GI) illness among City of Atlanta, Georgia, residents and explore how these associations vary with sewerage improvements.Methods:We estimate associations using Poisson generalized linear models, controlling for time trends. We categorized CSOs by overflow volume and assessed effects of CSO events prior to ED visits with 1-, 2- and 3-wk lags. Similarly, we evaluated effects of weekly cumulative precipitation greater than the 90th percentile at the same lags. We also evaluated effect modification by ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA)-level poverty and infrastructure improvement period using interaction terms.Results:Occurrence of a large volume CSO in the previous week was associated with a 9% increase in daily ED visits for GI illness. We identified significant interaction by ZCTA-level poverty, with stronger CSO–GI illness associations in low than high poverty areas. Among areas with low poverty, we observed associations at 1-wk and longer lags, following both large and lower volume CSO events. We did not observe significant interaction by infrastructure improvement period for CSO– nor precipitation–GI illness associations; however, the number of CSO events decreased from 2.31 per week before improvements to 0.49 after improvements.Discussion:Our findings suggest that CSOs contribute to acute GI illness burden in Atlanta and that the magnitude of this risk may be higher among populations living in areas of low poverty. We did not find a protective effect of sewerage system improvements. Nonetheless, observed reductions in CSO frequency may lower the absolute burden of GI illness attributable to these events. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10399

Atlanta’s Carnival as Cultural and Spatial Practice

This essay focuses on the socio-spatial significance of Atlanta’s Caribbean Carnival. I describe how members of the Caribbean diaspora use the annual parade as an assertion of belonging that expands the boundaries for black community life. Based on participant observation and analysis of parade routes over the last decade, I argue that Carnival is an example of creative place-making that reveals how Caribbean residents lay claim to places. In the context of the ongoing displacement of blacks from the City of Atlanta and the spatial re-ordering of the population in the metro area, Carnival affirms new sites of black joy.

Darktown: Newspaper Coverage of Atlanta’s First Black Police, 1930–1960

When the city of Atlanta hired its first Black police officers in 1948, the milestone was covered by the city’s Black newspaper, the Atlanta Daily World, and by the city’s mainstream newspapers, the morning Atlanta Constitution and the afternoon Atlanta Journal, but in starkly different ways. 1 This study explores what each newspaper omitted and included, and what each emphasized or otherwise deemed important, an examination that also seeks to draw attention to the many roles of the Black press beyond reporting the news. Special attention is given to the strategies and tactics used to argue for and against the Black patrols. Finally, these first Black hires and the newspaper coverage of the integration of Atlanta police are placed into historical context, one that juxtaposes shame and pride, degradation and achievement, fealty to Jim Crow and progress with respect to civil rights.

Learning to Navigate Sidewalks in Outdoor Environments

Outdoor navigation on sidewalks in urban environments is the key technology behind important human assistive applications, such as last-mile delivery or neighborhood patrol. This letter aims to develop a quadruped robot that follows a route plan generated by public map services, while remaining on sidewalks and avoiding collisions with obstacles and pedestrians. We devise a two-staged learning framework, which first trains a teacher agent in an abstract world with privileged ground-truth information, and then applies Behavior Cloning to teach the skills to a student agent who only has access to realistic sensors. The main research effort of this letter focuses on overcoming challenges when deploying the student policy on a quadruped robot in the real world. We propose methodologies for designing sensing modalities, network architectures, and training procedures to enable zero-shot policy transfer to unstructured and dynamic real outdoor environments. We evaluate our learning framework on a quadrupedal robot navigating sidewalks in the city of Atlanta, USA ( <xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Fig. 1</xref> ). Using the learned navigation policy and its onboard sensors, the robot is able to walk 3.2 kilometers with a limited number of human interventions.