South Cities Research Articles

Citizen science reveals socio-economic influences on solitary bee abundance across multiple scales in a Global South city

ContextUrban ecosystems exhibit complex biodiversity patterns influenced by both socio-economic and ecological factors. While the role of ecological factors is widely recognised, the relationships between socio-economic and ecological factors, particularly across various spatial scales and considering both landscape composition and configuration, remains underexplored. This limits our understanding of urban environments as interconnected socio-ecological systems.ObjectivesWe examine the influence of socio-economic and ecological landscape factors on solitary bee abundance, aiming to elucidate the complex socio-ecological dynamics shaping urban biodiversity across multiple scales.MethodsData on solitary bee abundance were gathered through a citizen science campaign, supported by 347 participants from Johannesburg, South Africa. We explored the correlations and interactions between solitary bee abundance, socio-economic status (i.e. annual household income) and landscape composition and configuration (i.e. urban green cover and NDVI, and urban vegetation patch density and cohesion), assessing these relationships at 300 m, 2000 m, and 5000 m scales.ResultsAnnual household income was significantly positively correlated with solitary bee abundance across all spatial scales examined, likely due to increased investment in gardens with diverse floral resources in affluent areas. In contrast, our ecological factors, including both landscape composition and configuration metrics, exhibited negligible effects on solitary bee abundance across all spatial scales.ConclusionsThe strong positive relationship between annual household income and bee abundance across scales highlights potential disparities in access to biodiversity and ecosystem services within Johannesburg. Our results indicate the presence of environmental injustice in this African city and reflect the need for integrating socio-economic factors into landscape ecology. Policies on urban greening that consider both socio-economic and ecological factors are essential for equitable, sustainable urban ecosystems.

Spatial and Temporal Evolution of the Value of Ecosystem Services in Jiuquan, China, from 2005 to 2020

The aim of this study is to explore the spatiotemporal variation and the transfer of ecosystem service value (ESV) in Jiuquan City from 2005 to 2020 to help ecological development. Based on the equivalent factor method and the grid analysis, employed to analyze the spatial and temporal changes in ecosystem service values in Jiuquan City, the fracture point model and the field strength model were applied to calculate the transfer of ecosystem service value in seven districts and counties of Jiuquan City. The ESV of Jiuquan City showed an overall increasing trend, and all individual ESVs showed increasing trends, except for water supply, with the ESV of regulating services showing the most significant growth from 2005 to 2020. The top three secondary ESVs were hydrological regulation, climate regulation, and environmental purification, with regulatory services accounting for the largest proportion, followed by support services, supply services, and cultural services. From 2005 to 2020, the distribution of high and low ESV zones in Jiuquan City did not change significantly, with the high-value zones being mainly located in Suzhou District, south of Subei County and Yumen City, and the low-value zones being concentrated in Dunhuang City, Guazhou County, north of Suebei County, and Jinta County. The ESVs transfers from each district in the study area, in descending order, were Guazhou County, Subei County, Yumen City, Dunhuang City, Aksai County, Jinta County, and Suzhou District. Guazhou and Subei were the main ESV exporters. Areas with high ESV exports tended to have high ESV values. Hydrologic regulation is the service type with the largest transfer volume, accounting for 19.00% of the total ESV transfer in Jiuquan. Jiuquan possesses the highest ecosystem service value in the Gansu Province, China, indicating a superior ecological status.

Ethnomathematics in Traditional Farming Systems in Pegalongan Village, Patikraja

Pegalongan village is located in the south of Purwokerto city and the majority of the population work as farmers. Rice farming in this area is an important part of local culture and tradition, as well as a major source of livelihood for the local community. The purpose of this study is to find the mathematical elements hidden in the operation of rice farming and the philosophical value contained in it. To understand how rice farming communities use mathematics in their cultural context, this study used a descriptive qualitative ethnographic approach. The research involved farmers and farm labourers. The focus of the research includes the planting land, and the process of planting rice, the cultivation of the farmers in the form of mimiti and mbawoni. Data was collected through direct observation of farmers, documentation, and in-depth interviews. Data were analysed thematically to find key themes related to ethnomathematics in rice cultivation. These themes included the use of mathematics in agricultural activities, the use of traditional tools and units of measurement, and agricultural processes rooted in local culture. The study also emphasised that ethnomathematics should be part of the education curriculum to improve students' understanding. The results showed that mathematical concepts such as arithmetic, and measurement can be applied in land cultivation. The results show that local knowledge is critical to agricultural practices, and how ethnomathematics can be incorporated into the education curriculum to improve students' understanding of mathematics in a cultural context.

Effects of Leadership on the Work Performance of Nurses in a Private Hospital in Laguna: A Basis for Leadership Guidelines for Better Work Performance

Leadership is essential in nursing and healthcare management since it influences team dynamics, job satisfaction, and patient outcomes. Effective leadership can foster a collaborative environment, enhance work performance, and mitigate challenges such as staff burnout and high workloads. This study examines the impact of different leadership styles on the work performance of nurses at The Medical City South Luzon and aims to develop leadership guidelines to enhance nurse performance and workplace engagement. A correlational research design was mployyed to analyze the relationship between leadership styles and nurse performance. Data were collected from 64 staff nurses through a structured survey, measuring perceptions of leadership styles and work performance. Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation, t-tests, and ANOVA, were used to determine significant differences and relationships between leadership styles and work performance indicators. Findings revealed that Laissez-faire leadership received the highest perception rating (M = 3.29, SD = 0.44), followed by Democratic leadership (M = 3.09, SD = 0.54), indicating a preference for flexible and participatory leadership styles. Work performance analysis showed that task performance (M = 3.67, SD = 0.57) was rated higher than contextual performance (M = 2.80, SD = 0.45), suggesting that nurses excel in their core job responsibilities but have room for improvement in teamwork and workplace engagement. Among demographic factors, sex was the only significant variable influencing work performance (p = 0.034, F = 4.71), while age, marital status, education, and experience showed no significant differences. A moderate positive correlation (r = 0.4866, p < 0.001) was found between leadership styles and work performance, confirming that leadership has a meaningful impact on nurse performance. The results suggest that transformational and democratic leadership styles should be encouraged to enhance nurse engagement and work performance. The study highlights the need for structured leadership training, mentorship programs, and incentive-based recognition to improve both task and contextual performance. Additionally, addressing gender disparities in leadership and work performance through equitable policies is recommended. These findings provide a foundation for developing evidence-based leadership guidelines to optimize nurse performance and improve healthcare outcomes.

A geophysics-informed pro-poor approach to earthquake risk management

Recent earthquake disasters have highlighted an urgent need for continuous advancements in approaches to reducing seismic risk. Decision-making on such strategies should consider subsurface geophysical information (e.g., seismic site response), given its direct link to seismic hazard. This may be particularly important in regions where the poorest in society often reside in areas with softer soils that lead to higher ground-motion amplifications. In this context, we propose a framework to support decision-making on earthquake risk policies, which explicitly integrates information on the geophysics of an urban system as well as its physical and social environment. The framework is based on the Tomorrow’s Cities Decision Support Environment, which was designed to support urban planning with a focus on pro-poor disaster risk reduction in countries of the Global South. It is further underpinned by a cost–benefit analysis, which facilitates the assessment of potential policies in terms of both their ability to reduce earthquake risk as well as their value for (often limited) money. We illustrate the framework using a well-established virtual urban testbed based on Global South cities, which reveals that geophysics-informed policy making can successfully lead to pro-poor earthquake risk reduction.

Radiolarian and planktonic foraminiferal biochronology of the Soğukçam Limestone Group, Elmadağ Olistostrome, and Unaz Formation (Ankara region, central Türkiye): Insights into the Cretaceous evolution of the Sakarya Continent and overlying units

The Ankara region (central Türkiye) comprises a part of the Sakarya Terrane and the accretionary remnants inherited from the Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan (IAE) branch of the Northern Neotethys. The Sakarya Terrane is characterized by a pre-Jurassic basement overlain by Jurassic-Cretaceous sedimentary assemblages, collectively known as the Sakarya Continent Cover. In this study, we aim to elucidate the Jurassic-Cretaceous evolution of the Sakarya Terrane through detailed geological mapping in the regions of Haymana, Yakacık, north of Alagöz and west of Memlik, located to the west and southwest of Ankara city, central Türkiye. By analyzing radiolarian and planktonic foraminiferal assemblages, we provide precise dating for three key lithological units: the Soğukçam Limestone Group (part of the Sakarya Continent Cover), the Elmadağ Olistostrome, and the Unaz Formation (from the overlying units). The oldest rock unit exposed in the Haymana region, south of Ankara city, is the Bilecik Limestone Group, consisting of Tithonian to lower Berriasian platform carbonates. A drowning unconformity separates the Bilecik Limestone Group from the overlying middle Berriasian-uppermost Albian Soğukçam Limestone Group, which has been elevated to "group" status in this study. The Soğukçam Limestone Group is subdivided into two formations -the Seyran Formation and the Akkaya Formation- separated by a disconformity surface. The Seyran Formation, at the base, consists of middle Berriasian limestone breccia in a micritic pelagic matrix, and upper Berriasian-lower Aptian micritic clayey, cherty pelagic limestones with abundant and diverse radiolarians in its upper part. The disconformity between the Seyran and Akkaya formations represents a small depositional gap corresponding to the middle to late Aptian. The lower part of the Akkaya Formation contains lower to middle Albian debris flow deposits while the upper part is composed of clayey pelagic limestones rich in glauconite and planktonic foraminifers, dating to the latest Albian. Overall, the Akkaya Formation is roughly assigned to the Albian stage. The Akkaya Formation within the Soğukçam Limestone Group is unconformably overlain by the Coniacian Elmadağ Olistostrome, which also covers the ophiolitic mélange of the IAE Ocean (containing Turonian radiolarian blocks) to the west of the Memlik region. The basal part of the Elmadağ Olistostrome is characterized by an unstratified, loosely-packed, gray- to beige-colored carbonate matrix, while its upper part features stratified, highly-sheared gray- to beige-colored clayey carbonate/marl matrix with embedded carbonate blocks. These blocks, dated through radiolarians and planktonic foraminifers, range from the early Callovian to Coniacian. These blocks, observed in the Haymana, north of Alagöz, and Yakacık regions, primarily originated from the underlying Soğukçam Limestone Group. The Elmadağ Olistostrome was likely deposited in a peripheral foreland flysch basin, resembling trench-like settings, in front of the southward-moving nappes derived from the Neotethys Intra-Pontide Ocean. This olistostrome is unconformably overlain by the Unaz Formation, which represents the lowermost unit of the fore-arc basin within the Galatean Arc and is present in all four studied regions. The Unaz Formation mainly consists of thin-bedded, gray- to red-colored clayey limestones with abundant planktonic foraminifers, along with red- to pink-colored marls. In the northern part (west of Memlik), the Unaz Formation also includes basal clastics. Based on its characteristic planktonic foraminiferal assemblages, the formation is dated to the late Santonian and correlates well with the type locality in the Pontides, northwestern Türkiye. Following this sequence, a brief period of continental arc magmatism occurred in the Santonian-Campanian, accompanied by the deposition of fore-arc sediments (the Haymana Formation, consisting of clastics) during the Campanian-Maastrichtian interval. In this study, an abundant, well-preserved, and diverse radiolarian microfauna (146 taxa, including fourteen new species and four new subspecies from the early Hauterivian to early Aptian, Early Cretaceous) were recovered from the clayey micritic limestones of the Seyran Formation in the Soğukçam Limestone Group. The vertical distributions of these radiolarians and their age correlations with previous studies are also documented.

Transportation usage and perceptions among older adults in Mexico City: a qualitative study

Abstract Transportation plays a vital role in meeting the daily activity needs of individuals, including older adults. One major gap in the existing ageing and mobility literature is that most studies are situated in the Global North despite Global South cities facing comparatively faster ageing. This article’s primary purpose is to examine the daily lived experiences of transportation use among older adults in Mexico City. Secondarily it explores contextual differences among individuals living in two neighbourhood types – those with high or low access to public transportation networks. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 older adults and isolated four central themes that encapsulate their experiences of transportation in Mexico City. The extensive and well-run structured-transit system in central Mexico City was the source of many positive experiences for older adults, especially regarding affordability, high network connectivity and overall sense of safety and comfort. This was true for most participants across neighbourhood types and socio-economic statuses. Conversely, in peripheral neighbourhoods dominated by less-structured transportation modes, negative experiences included complaints about vehicle drivers, crime and safety, comfort and convenience. This article’s contributions are showing (1) consistency with existing Global South literature whereby older adults tend to use public transportation more widely and hold similar complaints related to poor experiences as older adult passengers; (2) that Mexico City exemplifies older adult transportation experiences that are dramatically different from car-dependent societies in the Global North; and (3) how older adults’ experiences with public transportation can vary significantly based on residential location within the city.

Sociomaterial networks for a systemic circular economy transition in an intermediate Global South city

Sociomaterial networks for a systemic circular economy transition in an intermediate Global South city

“Our Country First, then Greenville”: A New South City During the Progressive Era and World War I

“Our Country First, then Greenville”: A New South City During the Progressive Era and World War I

Human sensors in the city of super apps: mobilizing people as infrastructure for smart city development in Jakarta, Indonesia

In this paper, we argue that contextual factors such as the availability of infrastructure, sociocultural characteristics of users, governance style, and the regulatory environment in global south cities create opportunities for public and private sector actors to come up with innovative strategies for smart city development and the platformization of services. Despite different objectives, operationalization strategies, and expected outcomes between the public and private sectors, both sectors learn from one another to come up with innovative solutions for navigating contextual contingencies. Due to limited infrastructure and contextual diversities in global south cities, digital platforms require significant and specific forms of groundwork by humans that leverage their everyday networks and interactions with their surroundings. In the process of platformization, both governments and private entities strategically employ the discourse of smart, responsible citizenship to promote the innovative co-creation of platform services, thereby extending biopolitical control over citizens’ bodies and interactions. In this process, citizens are engaged as sensing nodes to support smart city development in global south cities. This paper examines two distinct cases of public and private sector ‘human sensing’ experiments in Jakarta: Jakarta Smart City’s JakLapor platform and Grab's human mapping initiative. In these experiments, ‘peopled collaborations’ (Simone 2021) between citizens are deployed by the government and the platform company as innovations where urban infrastructure is inadequate, or to fill gaps that cannot be filled by conventional digital infrastructure.

Dispossession and beyond: Politics of rural land conversion in China's tourism villages

Dispossession and beyond: Politics of rural land conversion in China's tourism villages

‘Taming’ a Wicked Problem: Selective Problematisation of Issues of Urban Water Supply in Mumbai

The lack of universal urban water access in the cities in the global south is a wicked problem. Using the case of Mumbai, this paper illustrates how consistently this wicked problem was chiselled and selectively problematised to turn it into a tame problem – a problem of water shortages at the city level. The chiselling included neglecting the essential aspects of urban water supply, such as supply coverage, pressure and leakages, which define the quality of urban water service received by citizens. Through chiselling and selective problematisation, the paper illustrates how the problem of providing universal urban water access in Mumbai was ignored for decades and the issues of water shortages were emphasised alone to justify and prioritise the development of dams.

Decentralized sanitation alternatives in cities of the global south—A case of constructed wetlands in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Constructed wetlands have emerged as a sustainable alternative for decentralized wastewater treatment in developing countries which face challenges with urbanization and deteriorating infrastructure. This paper discusses the key factors affecting the implementation of constructed wetlands in developing countries. A case study research design was adopted, which focused on Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. A mixed-method approach was adopted for the study. Spatial analysis was conducted to identify potential sites for constructed wetlands in the city of Bulawayo. Semi structured interviews were conducted, with relevant stakeholders, such as town planners, civil engineers, NGO representatives, community leaders, and quantity surveyors. The findings reveal that political reforms, public acceptance, land availability, and funding are crucial for the successful implementation of constructed wetlands. Additionally, four sites were identified as the most favorable preliminary locations for these systems. The paper captures all the key factors relevant to the implementation of constructed wetlands (CWs) with a closer look at policy and the role it plays in the adoption of decentralized wastewater treatment systems. Formulating policy around the decentralized sanitation systems was considered imperative to the success of the systems whether in implementation or in operation. The paper adds to knowledge in the subject of sustainable wastewater treatment alternatives for developing countries. However, further research can be conducted with a different methodology to ascertain the applicability of the systems in developing urban cities considering other important aspects in the implementation of wastewater treatment systems.

Pengaruh Kegiatan Menggunting Terhadap Kemampuan Motorik Halus Anak Kelompok B di TK Negeri Pembina KH Dewantoro Kota Selatan Kota Gorontalo

This study aims to investigate the effect of cutting activities on the fine motor skills of Group B children at TK State Pembina KH Dewantoro Kindergarten, South City, Gorontalo City. An experimental method with a one-group pretest-posttest design was used. The study was conducted over two months, involving 21 children as the sample. Data collection was carried out using a performance test. A pre-test was performed to measure fine motor skills before the intervention, followed by the implementation of a cutting activity with paper for eight sessions. After the intervention, a post-test was conducted to assess changes in the children's fine motor skills. The results showed that the average score of fine motor skills before the intervention was 56.75, which increased to 88.76 after the intervention. The t-test revealed a t-statistic value of -24.720 and a p-value of 0.000, indicating that the p-value is less than the established significance level (0.05). Thus, the null hypothesis is rejected, and the alternative hypothesis is accepted, indicating that the cutting activity had a significant effect on improving the children's fine motor skills. These findings confirm that the cutting activities applied were effective in improving the fine motor skills of children at TK State Pembina KH Dewantoro Kindergarten.

Social sustainability of neighbourhood parks in India - instrument content validity

Neighbourhood parks are the most proximate public spaces that promote physical and mental health, well-being and happiness, social cohesion, a sense of community, etc. This vital resource can help create socially sustainable neighbourhoods in global south cities. This paper aims to develop a validated assessment framework for the social sustainability of neighbourhood parks in India. Thematic literature analysis is used to construct an assessment instrument consisting of ten variables and eighty-one indicators related to the social sustainability of neighbourhood parks. The instrument is checked for content validity through expert review using the Content Validity Index. Use of parks by people engaged in informal economic enterprises in neighbourhoods and by non-residents, the significance of ‘third places’ in park use, safety concerns, and sociocultural aspects of perception of safety emerge as essential variables to be considered in the Indian context. The high CVI of the developed instrument indicates excellent content validity. The instrument is designed to assess the provision, user perception and social use of neighbourhood green spaces in Indian cities to promote social sustainability.

Urban green space in transition: A cross-continental perspective from eight Global North and South cities

Urban green space in transition: A cross-continental perspective from eight Global North and South cities

Origin, distribution, fate, and risks of potentially toxic elements in the aquatic environment of Bengaluru metropolis, India

Origin, distribution, fate, and risks of potentially toxic elements in the aquatic environment of Bengaluru metropolis, India

Social class and lunch: differences in midday meal format in Santiago, Chile

PurposeThe social sciences have extensively studied meals; nonetheless, a few have investigated the menu format, with all the data originating from European countries. Within this framework, the novelty of this research is that it analyses the relationship between social class and lunch structure among adults in a Global South city: Santiago, Chile.Design/methodology/approachThe study worked with data from the Survey of Commensality in Adults (>18) of the Metropolitan Region, which used a questionnaire and a self-administered eating event diary. The analysis unit was lunches (n = 3,595). The dependent variable was the structure of the lunches (single course, starter with a main course, a main course with dessert or a full-course menu with starter, main course and dessert). The independent variable was the individual’s social class (either the working, intermediate or service class).FindingsThe data showed that lunches are mostly semi- or fully structured (only 44.5% of the lunches reported by the participants contained a single course). The odds of eating a single course were lower in the service class than the working one and the odds of eating a full-course meal were higher in the service class than the working one.Originality/valueThe results provide new quantitative evidence from a representative sample of a Global South city about the relevance of social class as a differentiating factor in food, specifically regarding the existence of simpler meals among the lower classes.

Difference between Global South cities: Mexico City, Freetown and the global division of urban informal labour

This work pursues a new explanatory framework for understanding some of the variance and homogeneity of informal work between cities in the Global South. Rooted in a materialist approach to informality, it seeks to explain the dynamics of informal work in different urban contexts via a novel application of the global division of labour, termed the global division of urban informal labour. Through a comparative analysis of the urban labour regimes of Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Mexico City, Mexico, the work argues that each city’s respective location within the global capitalist system largely determines the nature of their informal economies. It posits that a city’s informal labour regime is shaped by whether a city’s economy is predominantly defined by financial, industrial or extractive capital, and explores the ramifications of the financialised economy of Mexico City and the extractivist economy of Freetown for shaping informal work in each city. Such an approach attempts not only to explain urban and labour regime variance but also to highlight the essential and foundational nature of informal work in global capitalism today. It also seeks to aid in the task of recentring capitalism and class considerations into understandings of the internal and external dynamics of Global South cities in general.

Mapping mobility in Namibia’s secondary cities informal settlements: a case study of rehoboth

ABSTRACT Many cities in Africa are experiencing rapid urbanization where mobility is a catalyst for change. Road infrastructure, especially highways, is being constructed and expanded to ease the flow of motorized traffic especially in primary cities. Little attention, however, is given to the mobility of inhabitants in secondary cities and more so in informal settlements located in these secondary cities. This research explores how the inhabitants of Block H settlement in Rehoboth navigate their daily mobilities. Rehoboth is a satellite city south of Windhoek in Namibia, that is currently experiencing rapid urbanization and demographic change. Through a participatory mapping approach, the study identifies key areas of access for the inhabitants, the challenges they face in accessing these areas, and the opportunities that present themselves for a better mobility landscape within the settlement and around Rehoboth. Journeys to work and shopping are characterized by longer distances, primarily due to their location in the town center, while journeys to school and leisure activities are relatively shorter, benefiting from their proximity to the Block H settlement. Public transport is provided by individuals who operate shared taxis within the town, although these have limitations in terms of accessibility, affordability, and coverage within the settlements, making mobility altogether costly.