Open Streets Research Articles

A GIS-based earthquake damage assessment and settlement methodology

Earthquakes have a greater effect on society than most people think. These effects range from structural damages to economic impacts and fatalities. An earthquake only lasts for a few seconds and the aftershocks may continue for days, but the damage does continue for years. Residential site safety and earthquake damage assessment studies play a crucial role in developing reliable rehabilitation and development programs, improving preparedness and mitigating losses in urbanized areas. The extremely densely populated metropolis of Tehran, which totals of 7,768,561 for 22 districts (according to the 2006 population census), coupled with the fragility of houses and infrastructure, highlight the necessity of a reliable earthquake damage assessment based on essential datasets, such as building resistance attributes, building population, soil structures, streets network and hazardous facilities. This paper presents a GIS-based model for earthquake loss estimation for a district in Tehran, Iran. Damages to buildings were calculated only for the ground shaking effect of one of the region's most active faults, the Mosha Fault in a likely earthquake scenario. Earthquake intensity for each building location was estimated based on attenuation relation and the ratio of damage was obtained from customized fragility curves. Human casualties and street blockages caused by collapsed buildings were taken into account in this study, as well. Finally, accessibility verification found locations without clear passages for temporary settlements by buildings via open streets. The model was validated using the 2003 Bam earthquake damages. The proposed model enables the decision-makers to make more reliable decisions based on various spatial datasets before and after an earthquake occurs. The results of the earthquake application showed total losses as follows: structural damages reaching 64% of the building stock, a death rate of 33% of all the residents, a severe injury rate reaching 27% of the population and street closures upwards of 22% due to building collapse.

Ciclovìa in Chicago: a strategy for community development to improve public health

Ciclovìas create temporary spaces for physical activity by closing off streets to motorized traffic for short periods of time—typically a day at a time. In Chicago, these health promotion events are called “Open Streets” and follow a route through five diverse communities. We report findings for evaluation of 2008–2009 Open Streets events. The evaluation creates a framework for examining Ciclovìa outcomes and tracks attendance, participant characteristics, participant feedback, and community development outcomes. Evaluation data include attendance counts, participant surveys and semi-structured interviews with event organizers. Data analysis includes quantitative and qualitative methods.We use a capacity building conceptual model for interpreting community development outcomes. Contact with neighbors and exposure to new communities was a primary benefitof participation in Open Streets. These “exposures” contribute to the strengthening of social networks among Open Streets communities. Moreover, we found that planning for Open Streets has contributed to participating communities' and organizations' capacities to engage in further health promotion and community development work both across and within communities. We find that Open Street events have been successful in promoting inter-community organizational partnerships, community organizing and resident interaction—all contributors to increased community capacity for engaging in successful health promotion activities.

Tight Coupling of GPS and INS for Urban Navigation

A multi-sensor integrated solution that combines complementary features of the Global Positioning System (GPS), laser scanner, and inertial navigation system (INS) for navigation in challenging urban environments is developed. GPS and the laser scanner-based techniques exhibit complementary features in urban scenarios. The laser scanner-based navigation relies on the availability of structures (lines and surfaces) within the scan range (80 m, typically). Features (such as lines) are first extracted from laser scan images and then used for position and attitude determination. If there is a building wall that blocks the GPS signal, this wall creates a feature in the laser scan image. Vice-versa, for open streets with limited features, the GPS signal is generally unobstructed. Thus the GPS and laser data are combined into an integrated solution architecture. The system architecture developed also exploits INS navigation states for improved solution robustness, e.g., for robust feature association between scan images and for coasting through cases where an insufficient number of combined GPS/laser measurements is available. A tightly coupled GPS/laser scanner INS mechanization is developed and applied for trajectory reconstruction. Actual urban data is used to demonstrate performance characteristics of the multi-sensor integrated solution that is developed.

Active Living Logan Square: Joining Together to Create Opportunities for Physical Activity

The Active Living Logan Square target audience is the community of the southwest corner of Logan Square, an urban Chicago community of 84,466 residents, mostly Latinos. Through the Active Living by Design (ALbD) initiative, the Logan Square Neighborhood Association leveraged its 48 years of existence in the neighborhood to create opportunities and build partnerships. Activities addressed three primary goals: (1) enhance school environments and practices to support physical activity before, during, and after the school day; (2) encourage individuals and families to enjoy outdoor activities in their own communities; and (3) create safe, inviting places for activity that connect to surrounding communities. The partnership's participatory approach involved a variety of community stakeholders in developing and implementing affordable, accessible, culturally acceptable, and sustainable physical activities for children and their families. The partnership successfully piloted Open Streets (temporary street closures) and advocated for development of the Bloomingdale Trail, an elevated rails-to-trails project. In schools, the partnership changed the culture at McAuliffe Elementary to support healthy behaviors through new policies, physical projects, and programs. Vital components of the project's success included a full-time coordinator with strong community ties; time to build healthy relationships within the partnership and community; the use of culturally relevant strategies; and flexibility to welcome complementary opportunities. The partnership intentionally did not produce a single community-recognized campaign; instead, it chose to use limited resources to promote tangible programs and projects that led to sustainable and replicable changes that promote physical activity.

Slow Walk to Freedom

Slow Walk to Freedom Andie Miller (bio) I suppose by the law of averages it was my time. I was mugged again today. Though technically I'm not quite sure; like I assume rape means penetration, I always get the feeling mugged means there has to be actual—rather than just the threat of—violence involved. Is this accurate, or just South African perversity? The first time I was attacked was December 1996, in Hillbrow in Johannesburg, Sunday, 7:00 p.m. Preparing to go on holiday, I had been doing last-minute work that weekend. My friend David had too, and so on the Saturday evening we walked home together from the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in Braamfontein where we worked, to Yeoville, through Hillbrow. When we reached the park on the border of Hillbrow and Berea (most memorable at one time for the pigeon lady, who could be seen on any given day covered in the pigeons she was feeding), we debated whether it would be more sensible to walk through it or around it, and we decided that open streets were more conducive to safety than being fenced in. "What would you have to lose now if you were mugged?" David asked. "Oh, not much, just my life," I replied, thinking about the tedium of replacing ID documents and bank cards. But we reached our shared corner safely that evening, wished each other happy holidays, and went our separate ways. Perhaps because of that, a false sense of security, or invincibility, denial, foolishness, I reasoned that the biggest thing I had to fear was my own lack of trust, decided not to call a taxi the following evening, and walked home on my own. Stopping off at the Hare Krishna restaurant for a take-away, I continued on around the park. By the time I realized the three men were converging on me, it was too late. "We want money," the one with [End Page 44] the knife threatened. Midthirties, perhaps younger, prematurely aged. His accomplices holding me from behind, I didn't see more than their shapes. But his face was close to mine, as he broke the chain with the labradorite crystal (helps one remain calm within chaos) around my neck, and I screamed at his knife at my throat. They scattered, and I continued home with my curry, effectively shaken (can't walk alone after dark anymore, I thought), thinking about the month of paid leave ahead of me and about how the man with the dangerously desperate face now etched into my memory had in all likelihood never been and would never go on a holiday. (Was I being naïve?) I felt entangled in rage, and guilt, and a dark sadness. But that was a long time ago and had faded into a distant memory now, as I was confronted again with a knife in my ribs: "Give me your bag. Don't scream. Just cooperate, and we won't hurt you." Muggers seem to have become almost polite and more educated since my last encounter. And definitely more educated. And much younger. (But they still swarm, in threes.) Sixteen? Eighteen? It was hard to tell: disturbingly young. Of course I couldn't be sure if he would stab me or not, but this time I wasn't taking any chances. Last time my rage and pride got the better of me, and I was determined to be heard. This time I was sandwiched between the boys and the German shepherd screaming louder than I ever could, behind the suburban wall (must remember to walk closer to the road). It's a pity dogs don't protect you when you're on the outside. I had been happy this afternoon. I was walking home from a visit to the dentist, where thankfully she had managed to desensitize a tooth and avoid having to pull it. Just a few blocks from the dentist I encountered something unusual for the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, an elderly white lady walking down the road very slowly—looking vulnerable but self-assured—with an umbrella, as though on an outing. I don't...

Reminiscences of Plains Archaeology, Pre- and Post-World War II

In my three early field seasons in the Plains, I had worked only in Nebraska. The summer of 1939 was with Carlyle Shreve Smith, the summer of 1940 was with Robert Cumming, Jr., and in 19411 worked under Marvin (Gus) C. Kivett (Figures 1 and 2). I returned to the Plains for a season 11 years later in 1952, this time under the auspices of the Smithsonian's River Basin Surveys Program. My introduction to Plains archaeology was foreordained through my Long Island friend Carlyle Smith. He was a student of William Duncan Strong, whose An Introduction to Nebraska Ar chaeology became the bible of pre-World War II Plains archaeologists. After World War II, when I enrolled in the graduate program at Columbia Uni versity, I had the pleasure of taking Dune's North American course, which naturally dealt heavily with the Plains in enthralling detail. My first trip west in the summer of 1939 was a tremendous experience. I joined Carlyle Smith at Wauneta, Nebraska, stepping off a tired old red bus on the last leg of a non-stop trip from New York, changing vehicles on the way. Alighting from the bus early in the morning, tired and sleepy, I saw chickens dusting themselves on the street, dogs, and wide open streets. Carlyle was a wel come greeting sight. We went straight to Ash Hol low Cave on the North Platte River, where John Champe was excavating (Figure 3). This was my first cave excavation, something we did not have on Long Island, and nothing like Long Island ar chaeology. We excavated the archaeological de posits in 3-inch levels. I am not sure how the se quence of deposition was resolved because arbi trary sectioning produces headaches for the per son researching the stratigraphy and trying to as semble the cultural material. The full realization that I was out in the Real West came when we went to see the wagon wheel ruts cut into the sod on the Oregon Trail nearby. We visited the 100-year-old grave markers and Windlass Hill, where the wagons were let down into the valley. I learned that the Platte was very much unlike the Hudson. It was said to be a mile wide and a foot deep. We slept in the cave on cots in a complete silence new to me, punctuated by the nocturnal yaps of coyotes, another novelty. The most impressive thing about the Plains is the vastness of the area. It was like looking over the sea, miles of wheat fields bowing under the wind. Coming from waterbound eastern Long Is land, the Plains represented a marked contrast. One of the things that thrilled me was standing on one of the hills in Nebraska, looking downriver, and seeing the weather coming up the valley. Dark thunder clouds would come boiling up from a far distance, while there was clear blue sky above. At other times in the summer heat, there were dust devils dancing over the fields. The local farmers spoke about the dangers of tornadoes?also new to me. At a site on Davis Creek near Genoa, Ne braska, I saw my first flash flood and what it could do. The creek, steeply banked in an erosional gully, was normally a moderate slow flowing stream. Since the trees growing along the stream provided some shade and it was considerably cooler by the stream bank, we had been using niches cut into the earth bank for food storage. On this particular day we had stored a couple dozen fresh eggs and other fresh produce, which had been brought to us by one of our local farmer neighbors. While the sky was serenely blue overhead, we noted some storm clouds upstream way off in the distance with

Medium Wave DRM Field Test Results in Urban and Rural Environments

This paper presents the results of the first Spanish field trial carried out to analyze a DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) system in the medium-wave band. A 4-kW average power omni directional ground-wave experimental DRM transmission at a frequency of 1359 kHz was surveyed by means of a measurement vehicle for fixed and mobile reception. Several radial routes starting from the transmitter site provided rural and suburban behavior features of the system. Urban reception trials were performed in several dense and open streets of Madrid, within the expected coverage area. Field strength threshold values were determined for the tested transmission configurations and compared with the AM ground-wave ITU model predictions. Reliability versus distance from the transmitter is stated in this paper for different transmission configurations and the causes of dropouts for different reception conditions are explained. This analysis took into account subjective quality features of each configuration, providing practical planning parameter values.

Prevalencia de helmintos intestinales en caninos del departamento del Quindío.

Intestinal helminths are pathogens for domestic animals and provide a source of potential infection for humans. The prevalence of intestinal helminths in domestic dogs was determined in a province-wide survey in Quindío Province, Colombia. The sample size was calculated based upon the data of the 2003 antirabies vaccination program in Quindio. Information in the form of an epidemiological questionnaire was provided by dog owners. Fecal samples from dogs were analyzed by Ritchie's concentration method. Of 324 samples, 67.6% were from purebred dog races and 32.4% were mongrels. A 22.2% prevalence for intestinal helminthes was found. Ancylostoma caninum was the most prevalent parasite (13.9%), followed by Trichuris vulpis (4.3%), Toxocara canis (2.5%), and Strongyloides stercoralis (4.0%). Multiparasite infestations were observed in 2.46% of the dogs. Presence of parasites was strongly correlated with age and degree of association with the open streets. Control programs are recommended for helminth surveillance in human and canine populations.

Vertical dispersion of suspended particulates in urban area of Hong Kong

Field data are used to evaluate the vertical distribution of suspended particulates at different height levels in an urban area of Hong Kong. Four buildings in different street configurations and street environments were selected. According to the street configuration, they are classified into two groups: street canyon and open street. In street canyon, TSP and PM 10 concentration varies with height exponentially. However, the rate of TSP, PM 10 and PM 2.5 decrease with distance from the ground floor is in decreasing order of TSP, PM 10 and PM 2.5. The particulate matter dispersion in street canyon is affected by the prevailing wind direction and the street configuration in particular the height-to-width ratio. In open streets, the vertical concentration depends on the vertical mixing, local dilution and other external factors such as sea breeze, as well as the proximity of trunk road and construction activity. Fine particulates contribute a major part of suspended particulates in Hong Kong and the impact can penetrate to the tenth floor and above. The PM 2.5 level is high in Hong Kong and above 80% of the PM 2.5 recorded in this field study exceeded the EPA NAAQS standards.

HIV testing among injecting drug users in Glasgow

The use of saliva rather than blood for epidemiological studies of HIV prevalence, especially among injecting drug users, has several practical advantages. In a cross-sectional, behavioural and prevalence study among drug users in Glasgow during 1990, salivary samples were therefore obtained by the use of salivettes. Such samples were requested for anonymous anti-HIV testing from 498 persons in locations varying from residential rehabilitation centres to the open streets. Of this number, 35 refused to give a sample, resulting in a compliance rate of 93%. Of the 463 salivettes received by the laboratory, eight were found to be dry. Of the remaining 455 specimens, eight were found to be positive for HIV-1 antibody by means of an IgG antibody capture ELISA, so giving a prevalence rate of 1.8%. The results of testing saliva and blood spot samples collected at the same time on filter paper from 98 persons for HIV-1 antibody were 100% concordant. The study confirms the experience of others that specimens of saliva are easy to collect under variable conditions by non-medical staff and demonstrates that the salivette can provide an HIV antibody test result the same as that obtained from a blood spot. The prevalence of HIV antibody determined in this study is similar to that of other studies taking place in the city during the same period of time.

British Food Journal Volume 7 Issue 5 1905

With the beginning of the twentieth century, preventive medicine is entering upon a new era. We are now confronted by a set of problems which are different in many respects from the problems so successfully attacked by the great masters of preventive medicine of the last century, and which call for the application of different preventive measures. The objects which Edwin Chadwick, John Simon, and our other great forerunners of the last century, sought to attain, and which to a large extent they did attain, may, I think, not unfairly be described by the phrase “ civic cleanliness.” They sought to provide pure water supplies ; to remove refuse and filth from the vicinity of human beings by establishing improved systems of drainage and sewerage, and better methods of dust collection ; to provide open spaces and wider streets; to pave streets, yards, etc.; to raise the sanitary standard of building construction; to provide proper burial grounds ; to regulate offensive trades ; and to abate the smoke nuisance and the pollution of rivers. Of course we all know that they did very much more than this. Their work was too great and its effect too far‐reaching to be described by any single phrase. Still, I think it not unfair to say that, broadly speaking, we may regard the attainment of civic cleanliness as the great object of cur public health administration in the nineteenth century. It cannot be said that this object has been wholly attained. In a country whose capital is still supplied with something like filtered sewage as drinking water, it is obvious that there is much yet to be done to secure civic cleanliness. But the point is that any further progress in this direction must, or should, take place on the lines already laid down by our predecessors. Their methods of civic sanitation have stood the test of experience, and all that is wanted is a further development on existing lines. It is otherwise with the new problems that now press for solution. These are problems of a different nature, and demand new methods of treatment, although the principles underlying the methods will be found, probably, to be the same. Preventive medicine in the nineteenth century was chiefly occupied with problems of civic cleanliness ; in the twentieth century we are confronted with the problems of personal hygiene, and the three problems of this kind which appear to me to call most urgently for solution at the present time are: (1) The problem of infantile mortality; (2) The problem of school hygiene; (3) The problem of the milk supply.