City Residents Research Articles

“No Foreigners”: Migrants’ Experiences of Urban Bordering in the City of Zagreb

ABSTRACT This article examines the interplay between non-European migration in the Balkans and the securitization of the European Union’s borders, highlighting the diffusion of bordering practices into urban spaces. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in Zagreb, Croatia, we explore how migrants’ encounters with urban bordering contribute to their experiences of differentiation and exclusion. The article engages with the narratives of migrants and city residents, focusing on examples from Zagreb’s Dugave neighborhood. We delve into processes surrounding fencing, policing, spatial segregation, and nightclub bans and highlight that encountering the border plays a crucial role in migrants’ urban lives. Ultimately, the article sheds light on the dynamics of urban bordering and social hostility, revealing how the confluence of policies, social attitudes, and physical barriers shapes migrants’ experiences and decisions within the urban context of a new transit and arrival city in the European border regime.

Internet of thing integration in green fintech for enhanced resource management in smart cities

The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Green Fintech in smart cities represents a transformative approach to resource management, addressing the inefficiencies and sustainability challenges posed by rapid urbanization. IoT technologies, through interconnected sensors and real-time data processing, enable precise monitoring and management of urban resources such as energy, water, waste, and transportation. Concurrently, Green Fintech leverages financial innovations to support environmental sustainability, including sustainable investments, green banking, and carbon credit trading. This paper explores how the synergy of IoT and Green Fintech can enhance resource management in smart cities, offering dynamic pricing models, financial incentives for sustainable practices, and improved transparency. Case studies from Amsterdam and Singapore demonstrate the practical applications and benefits of this integration. Despite challenges related to data privacy, costs, and regulatory frameworks, the potential for IoT and Green Fintech to revolutionize urban resource management is substantial, promising increased efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and improved quality of life for city residents.

StreetTalk: exploring energy insecurity in New York City using a novel street intercept interview and social media dissemination method

This study introduces StreetTalk, an original qualitative research methodology inspired by social media influencers, to investigate perceptions and experiences of energy insecurity among New York City (NYC) residents. Briefly, energy insecurity is defined as difficulty meeting household energy needs due to affordability, housing quality, outages and coping strategies. This present study employs dynamic short-form interviews with 34 participants from all five NYC boroughs of diverse economic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds. Thematic analysis of video-recorded interviews revealed six major energy insecurity-related categories: (1) conservation and trade-offs, (2) physical inefficiencies, (3) thermal agency, (4) response to the bill, (5) disappointment and distrust in energy-related authorities, and (6) desire for and barriers to clean energy adoption. These themes provide insight into NYC residents’ experiences with energy insecurity and are consistent with prior research. Beyond new scholarly insights, this study introduces StreetTalk, an innovative qualitative research methodology emphasizing rapid data collection and dissemination through social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube (@hotandcold_nyc). Taking advantage of modern technology and modes of communication, the research team was able to effectively break down barriers to academic research consumption as the videos achieved substantial engagement, with almost 200,000 views and impressions within the first year of launching this novel street-based data collection and social media dissemination campaign.

Monitoring Soil Copper in Urban Land Using Visibale and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy with Spatially Nearby Samples.

Soil heavy metal contamination in urban land can affect biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and the health of city residents. Visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy is fast, inexpensive, non-destructive, and environmentally friendly compared to traditional methods of monitoring soil Cu, a common heavy metal found in urban soils. However, there has been limited research on using spatially nearby samples to build the Cu estimation model. Our study aims to investigate how spatially nearby samples influence the Cu estimation model. In our study, we collected 250 topsoil samples (0-20 cm) from China's third-largest city and analyzed their spectra (350-2500 nm). For each unknown validation sample, we selected its spatially nearby samples to construct the Cu estimation model. The results showed that compared to the traditional method (Rp2 = 0.75, RMSEP = 8.56, RPD = 1.73), incorporating nearby samples greatly improved the model (Rp2 = 0.93, RMSEP = 4.02, RPD = 3.89). As the number of nearby samples increased, the performance of the Cu estimation model followed an inverted U-shaped curve-initially increasing and then declining. The optimal number of nearby samples is 125 (62.5% of the total), and the mean distance between validation and calibration samples is 17 km. Therefore, we conclude that using nearby samples significantly enhances the Cu estimation model. The optimal number of nearby samples should strike a balance, covering a moderate area without there being too few or too many.

A Study on Consumer Awareness Regarding Non-dairy Products

The focus of this paper is to explore how a well-known cooperative organization in the dairy industry can increase customer awareness of non-dairy products. The study comprised 104 participants, and data was collected through a questionnaire. The results show that Anand City residents have a positive attitude towards non-dairy products offered by the cooperative organisation. To increase sales, the company's promotional strategies can be improved. Ready- to-eat, ready-to-cook, and ready-to-serve food products have become increasingly popular due to changes in eating habits and culinary techniques because of urbanisation, cultural shifts, and societal development.

Constructing Soils to Mitigate Land Occupation by Urban Expansion and Metabolism to Improve Healthy Cities

The number of city residents worldwide is increasing at the same that soil consumption around cities, which can be mitigated using technosols. Urban areas need to provide a healthy environment for residents, but this is threatened by climate change. Mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change does not involve one-size-fits-all global solutions; cities face varying economic and social contexts. Cities need to offer ecosystem services in order to operate as healthy urban ecosystems. The urban soils’ environmental services are often overlooked, leading to public administrations having little to no awareness about land management policies and ecosystem services. Technosols, artificial or human altered soils, have the potential to provide the same ecosystem benefits as natural soils and do not require as much time to develop in order to perform their functions. Additionally, technosols have the potential to enhance the circular economy using waste materials. In this sense, policy makers should incorporate urban technosols as a strategy to enhance the health of cities and address climate change. Our perspective on soils in urban areas needs to be altered, as technosols should be included in urban policies, have the potential to serve as a crucial component in providing ecosystem services and acting as a carbon sink and enhance urban well-being.

Exploring the drivers of residents’ identification and green citizenship behavior in green cities: a multicountry study

PurposeThe fundamental mission of every green city is to harmonize urban living with environmental preservation. However, a critical challenge arises when the residents of such cities do not share the same level of environmental consciousness, potentially eroding the integrity of the green city’s brand identity. Hence, this study aims to explore the factors influencing residents’ identification with green city branding and assesses how this identification subsequently affects their green citizenship behaviors.Design/methodology/approachA survey of 1,217 residents from 15 green cities across six countries was conducted and analyzed using SPSS 28.0 for descriptive statistics and PLS-SEM for measurement and structural model analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that green city-self connection, green city distinctiveness and environmental benefits significantly impact GCRI, which, in turn, significantly influences green city protection, loyalty and advocacy behaviors. However, green city social and economic benefits did not affect resident identification.Practical implicationsThe results of this study provide valuable managerial insights for city brand managers, green city developers and governmental representatives. The study underscores the importance of considering residents as crucial internal stakeholders in the creation of a green city identity that effectively promotes sustainable urban living and an eco-friendly culture.Originality/valueThis study provides theoretical insights into the relationship between green identification and residents’ willingness and commitment to act as ambassadors and promote their city’s green values.

Digital Reimbursement Systems in a Student-Run Clinic.

The increasing reliance on digital tools for standard healthcare practices in uninsured populations is poorly understood. This study aims to assess the impacts of a newly implemented digital reimbursement system at a student-run primary care clinic associated with an academic medical institution serving uninsured New York City residents. Pharmacy records of 94 unique patients receiving a total of 2770 reimbursements between October 17th, 2016, and May 18th, 2023, were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups (in-person vs. digital) based on their reimbursement preferences type. Demographic analyses were performed in addition to assessing reimbursement volumes, number of refunds, and duration until receipt of payment for each group. The clinic's total monthly reimbursement volume, number of prescriptions, and number of patients for the period before introduction of digital refunds was compared to the period after. The mean age (in-person = 52.7 ± 14.7 years, digital = 54.9 ± 12.9 years) was not statistically different between the groups. Patients in the digital group requested on average more refunds (digital = 47 refunds, in-person = 14 refunds), received higher total reimbursement amount (digital = $1131.24, in-person = $289.36), and they were reimbursed faster (digital = 56 days, in-person = 62 days). Since the introduction of the digital reimbursement option, our three-month reimbursement volume more than doubled from $481 to $1298. The average number of monthly reimbursements increased from 27 to 45 refunds, and the number of monthly patients increased from 6 to 9 patients. In summary, digital reimbursement options can facilitate medication reimbursement among uninsured patients. These results suggest that digital reimbursement systems result in higher utilization, faster refunds, and larger total reimbursements amount for uninsured and underserved patients.

INFLUENCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES ON THE CYTOKINE CASCADE IN THE POPULATION OF A LARGE INDUSTRIAL CITY (BASED ON THE EXAMPLE OF CHELYABINSK)

Rationale. The steady increase in the number of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in large industrial cities necessitates the study of the immune response to this disease. The goal is to study the cytokine profile of residents of a large industrial city (using the example of Chelyabinsk) depending on the presence of type 2 diabetes. Methods. The cross-sectional study included 61 people, including 39 people with type 2 diabetes and 22 clinically healthy volunteers. The concentrations of 11 cytokines in blood serum were assessed using the multiplex assessment method: GM-CSF, IFNγ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, IL-12 (p70), IL-13, IL-17A, MIP- 1β, TNFα (pg/ml). Results. Determination of the concentration of cytokines in the blood serum of patients with type 2 diabetes in Chelyabinsk revealed a number of features consisting in the predominance of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-8, MIP-1β, IL-12p70, IL-17A) and a shift in the Th1/Th2 balance towards a pro-inflammatory Th1 phenotype. When conducting a correlation analysis of a group of patients with type 2 diabetes, no statistically significant relationships were identified between the concentration of proinflammatory cytokines and glucose-lowering therapy. Conclusion. The results obtained confirm the presence of inflammation in type 2 diabetes in the population of Chelyabinsk and are not corrected by the glucose-lowering therapy received.

Demographics and wildlife value orientations: insights for managing wildlife in the Alps

ABSTRACT Wildlife value orientations affect how people connect with animals. Traditionalists primarily consider wildlife as a source of sustenance. Societal values, however, are shifting toward mutualism, which sees wildlife as deserving of rights and care. This article examined factors that influence wildlife value orientations of tourists (n = 420) in an Alpine region in Italy, where human-wildlife conflicts are common. The questionnaire included 14 wildlife orientation statements coded on 7-point scales. Three quarters of respondents held a mutualism value orientation, and 7% were traditionalists. The remaining sample was either distanced (people who do not care about wildlife–10%) or pluralist (respondents with no clear orientation–8%). Mutualism was explained by demographics; women and urbanites tended to be mutualists. In particular, women and residents in big cities are more likely to be mutualists compared to male and rural-resident respondents.

Mechanic citizenship: Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics and the constitution of digital citizens

Projects to integrate digital technologies into the fabric of city life depend upon specific visions of politics and technology. In the process of their realization, they re-constitute the identities, agencies, and relations of human inhabitants, re-defining what it means to be a citizen. This article draws on the idiom of co-production and framework of constitutionalism from Science and Technology Studies (STS) to analyze the coming into being of a form of citizenship with smartphone technologies in Boston in the 2010s. When the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM) used newly available smartphone apps to reconfigure the connection among city residents and government, they brought into being a specific mode of citizenship. I term this mode of citizenship “mechanic” to draw attention to the qualities of passivity, infrastructure, and connectedness that characterized MONUM’s early digital citizenship projects. I argue that recognizing that the constitution of the human, and specifically of citizens, is at stake in smart city projects entails re-thinking ethical analysis in contexts of smart cities. Instead of seeking to perform ethical assessments of technological consequences (“ethics of” approach), scholars might begin with a situated analysis of how humans as citizens are constituted through smart city projects (“ethics in” approach). By identifying the political affordances and commitments of the emergent digital citizenship models, scholars can make visible alternative forms of living and engaging politically in the city.

Remoteness-attributable financial inequality in dental service utilization in Australian older adults: A Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition.

Oral health is often overlooked in ageing health issues, despite its impact on overall health and quality of life. Older Australians, especially those in rural and remote areas, face difficulties accessing oral health services. The aim of the study was to investigate the factors that contribute to financial barriers to accessing dental services among the ageing population in Australia in relation to their residential location. The study included a weighted sample of Australian adults aged 65 years and over from a population-based survey called the National Study of Adult Oral Health (NSAOH) conducted in 2017-18. Descriptive analysis was conducted and generated cross-tabulation tables to investigate the distributions of the outcome, exposure and covariates, including Sex, Education level (the highest level of education), Equivalised household income, Dental insurance, Concession card ownership, Difficulty paying a dental bill and last dental visit. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition counterfactual analysis was used to explore the potential impact of a person's residence on their financial difficulty accessing dental services. The findings showed that 26.2% (95% CI: 24.3-29.3) of major city residents and 30.1% (95% CI: 26.9-33.3) of rural residents avoided or delayed dental visits due to cost. The decomposition analysis indicated that 53.8% of the disparities in the prevalence of avoided or delayed dental visits due to cost were explained by the selected variables, while 46.2% remained unexplained. The explanatory variable with the largest contribution was difficulty paying a $200 dental bill, accounting for 62.4% of the differences, followed by dental insurance, last dental visit and equivalised household income, which explained 42.1%, 20.8% and 14.9% of the differences, respectively. Regional/remote populations experience more financial barriers to accessing dental care than major city populations and the identified factors explain a significant proportion of these disparities. Based on the study findings, recommendations include expanding public dental service coverage, evaluating concession card mechanisms and advocating for regular dental visits to mitigate disparities in dental care access.

Biodiversity offsetting as a form of depoliticised nature: Social aspects of a pilot project in Lahti, Finland

We examine the public perceptions of an urban biodiversity offsetting pilot project and the implications of such a project for conflicts in urban planning. The City of Lahti was the first in Finland to pilot biodiversity offsetting in its urban planning in 2021. This pilot project demonstrates the contradictions of depoliticised nature, which the urban context makes visible. We draw on interviews with city planners and other city officials, residents and stakeholders, workshops, and documents tracing the pilot project. The case study shows how biodiversity offsetting risks rendering urban planning and its inherent conflicts over preserving greenspaces and enabling development to a set of technical measurements and valuation, while “the social” in urban planning becomes secondary. The theoretical framework of depoliticisation highlights the tensions between the biodiversity offsetting scheme and the participatory planning processes. The former is presented as depoliticised and incontestable, while the latter are overrun by a technocratic measuring of ecological values. We conclude that the contradictions of depoliticised nature are built into the core of biodiversity offsetting and consider ways to improve the social fairness of offsetting in urban contexts.

Technology-enhanced environmental learning: A practical guide to educational areas for urban educators

Abstract Mobile applications are utilized by urban educators as a means to encourage environmentally friendly behaviours among city dwellers. To enhance their effectiveness, they should meet the needs of their potential users. This qualitative survey research studied urban population of the Tricity metropolitan area intended identify the perspective of residents regarding the areas that require intervention. It focuses in the potential of mobile applications in promoting pro-environmental education, particularly in areas deemed sensitive by city residents and city users. The research framework is founded on action research. The data collection technique used a survey conducted through a research panel among 821 residents and users of the Tricity metropolitan area. The data was analysed by looking at the relevance of urban challenges and related areas of support. The results of the research were that 12 areas of city functioning perceived as needing improvement were identified and emotionally relevant among the 13 indicators analysed. In conclusion, 12 educational areas of city functioning were identified as relevant for the design of mobile applications related to environmental education. The results may also serve as a basis for developing instructional environmental education for urban educators to support local policies to address the climate crisis and encourage pro-environmental behaviour among urban residents.

Growing gardens into neighborhoods through transdisciplinary research

The increasing densification of urban spaces can negatively impact biodiversity in the city, but the diversity of green spaces also offers new opportunities to implement biodiversity conservation interventions. Urban community gardens are social-ecological systems that support biodiversity, ecosystem services, and positive human-nature interactions. In turn, community gardens can provide ideal “real-world labs” to co-create, test, and collectively implement biodiversity conservation strategies with gardeners that can be transferred to and mainstreamed across other urban ecosystems. This is important because the impact of biodiversity-friendly gardening strategies is not yet systematically researched, nor how this knowledge can be transferred to other urban ecosystems. In our transdisciplinary research, we are developing, implementing, and testing biodiversity conservation interventions focused on promoting insect diversity with gardeners and neighborhood residents from Berlin and Munich, Germany. Our aim is to engage with and support city residents in biodiversity-based urban greening. To do so, we work at the nexus between civil society (gardeners, neighborhood residents, ecologically oriented organizations) and relevant city actors (city council, district committees, city administration) to anchor the participation of civil society in the ecological transformation of the city. In this communication article, we present our transdisciplinary research concept, participatory methods, and experience thus far in translating research to practice, and supporting the role of city residents to implement biodiversity interventions in their gardens and in their neighborhoods.

Recognising motivation in others: the effectiveness of using social proof to change driving behaviour

PurposeThis paper aims to extend the literature on social proof by looking at the effectiveness of social proof on behaviour change for environmental benefit.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on real case studies currently intended to encourage behaviour change among residents of a large UK city. An initial study assesses the motivation displayed within each case study. A second study then examines whether recipients recognise their own motivation in each case study.FindingsResults indicate that participants did not recognise their own motivation in the case studies that were expected to be most similar to them, suggesting that recipients do not recognise “social proof” according to motivation. However, a relationship is observed between recipients’ gender and the gender of the case studies.Research limitations/implicationsDemographics appear to be a better basis for social proof than motivation. This paper recommends several future avenues for further exploration, including using case studies that represent a wider range of characteristics (such as demographics). The current range of stimulus materials is limited, as these are real materials currently being used in a large UK city.Practical implicationsThe results indicate that portraying motivation is not a good basis for using the social proof principle. Instead, social marketers ought to focus on representing similarity to the intended audience based on other characteristics such as gender.Originality/valueThe research contributes a new direction in this field, using Self-determination Theory to match social proof examples to recipients.

THE EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT HEALTH PROGRAMS ON PEOPLE'S WELFARE IN THE CITY OF MEDAN

The formulation of the problem that arises from this research is how the variables of the role of health workers and social status affect the welfare of the people of Medan City through income as an intervening variable. The subject of this research is the people of Medan City (residents) of Medan City, where the variables in this study are independent variables, namely the role of health workers and social status, dependent variables, namely community welfare variables and intervening variables are income variables. The results of data analysis used using SEM analysis using SMART PLS 3.0 software. as for data collection techniques with questionnaires and observational studies. The research method uses a quantitative descriptive method of data analysis using the structural equation model (SEM) method, where the results of data processing with the SEM method are carried out with the PLS 4.0 application. From the results of the study, the conclusion is that partially, only the variable role of health workers has an effect on community welfare and affects community income. Simultaneously, the variables of the role of health workers and social status affect the improvement of community welfare through the variable of community income as an intervening variable. From the results of this study, the conclusion that exists, namely partially partially only the variable role of health workers that affects community welfare and affects community income. Simultaneously, the role of health workers and social status variables affect the improvement of community welfare through the variable of community income as an intervening variable.

On the Problems in Implementing Provisions of Article 41 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation in Ensuring the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare of Residents of Cities with Federal Status (on the Example of Sevastopol)

On the Problems in Implementing Provisions of Article 41 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation in Ensuring the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare of Residents of Cities with Federal Status (on the Example of Sevastopol)

Descriptive Epidemiology of New York City Older Adult Patients With Multiple Chronic Conditions.

We characterized comorbidity profiles and cardiometabolic risk factors among older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) in New York City using an intersectionality approach. Electronic health record data were obtained from the INSIGHT Clinical Research Network on 367,901 New York City residents aged 50 years or older with MCCs. Comorbidity profiles were heterogeneous. The most common profile across sex and racial and ethnic groups was co-occurring hypertension and hyperlipidemia; prevalence of these 2 conditions differed across groups (4.7%-7.3% co-occurrence alone, 65.1%-88.0% with other conditions). Significant sex and racial and ethnic differences were observed, which may reflect accumulated disparities in risk factors and health care access across the life course.

A starting framework for urban AI applications

There has been a growing concern about the ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in urban environments. Scholars have highlighted the dual nature of AI, which can both enhance urban sustainability and pose significant privacy risks. The literature acknowledges that AI introduces specific challenges in urban contexts. However, there remains a gap in comprehensive sector-specific ethical frameworks tailored to the unique challenges posed by AI applications in cities. This study aims to fill this gap by proposing a starting framework for the ethics of Urban AI applications, providing principles to guide responsible AI development and deployment in urban settings. The study employed a two-phase methodology: a content analysis of 100 AI ethics documents to develop a preliminary framework, followed by a survey of experts and stakeholders to validate and expand this framework by identifying urban-specific risks and ethical considerations. The developed ethical framework for Urban AI applications provides a starting point to pave the way for ethical and sustainable urban AI systems that enhance the quality of life for all city residents.