Urban Interventions Research Articles

Environmental and sociodemographic factors associated with zoonotic pathogen occurrence in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Windsor, Ontario.

Rat-associated zoonotic pathogen transmission at the human-wildlife interface is a public health concern in urban environments where Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) thrive on abundant anthropogenic resources and live in close contact with humans and other animal species. To identify potential factors influencing zoonotic pathogen occurrence in rats, we investigated associations between environmental and sociodemographic factors and Leptospira interrogans and Bartonella spp. infections in rats from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, while controlling for the potential confounding effects of animal characteristics (i.e., sexual maturity and body condition). Between November 2018 and June 2021, 252 rats were submitted by collaborating pest control professionals. Kidney and spleen samples were collected for L. interrogans and Bartonella spp. PCR and sequencing, respectively. Of the rats tested by PCR, 12.7% (32/252) were positive for L. interrogans and 16.3% (37/227) were positive for Bartonella species. Associations between infection status and environmental and sociodemographic variables of interest were assessed via mixed multivariable logistic regression models with a random intercept for social group and fixed effects to control for sexual maturity and body condition in each model. The odds of L. interrogans infection were significantly higher in rats from areas with high building density (odds ratio [OR]: 3.76; 95% CI: 1.31-10.79; p = 0.014), high human population density (OR: 3.31; 95% CI: 1.20-9.11; p = 0.021), high proportion of buildings built in 1960 or before (OR: 11.21; 95% CI: 2.06-60.89; p = 0.005), and a moderate number of reports of uncollected garbage compared to a low number of reports (OR: 4.88; 95% CI: 1.01-23.63; p = 0.049). A negative association was observed between median household income and Bartonella spp. infection in rats (OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.08-0.89; p = 0.031). Due to the complexity of the ecology of rat-associated zoonoses, consideration of environmental and sociodemographic factors is of critical importance to better understand the nuances of host-pathogen systems and inform how urban rat surveillance and intervention efforts should be distributed within cities.

Heat Exposure, Preterm Birth, and the Role of Greenness in Australia

Preterm birth (PTB) is associated with adverse health outcomes. The outcomes of heat exposure during pregnancy and the moderating association of greenness with PTB remain understudied. To investigate associations between heat exposure, greenness, and PTB, as well as interactions between these factors. Included in this cohort study were births occurring in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, between 2000 and 2020, retrieved from New South Wales Midwives Data Collection. Participants with incomplete or missing data on their residential address or those who resided outside of New South Wales during their pregnancy were excluded. Data were analyzed from March to October 2023. Greenness measured using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and tree cover derived from satellite images. Daily extreme heat and nighttime extreme heat were defined as above the 95th percentile of community- and trimester-specific daily mean temperatures and nighttime temperatures. Logistic regression models estimated the independent association of extreme heat with PTB, adjusting for individual- and area-level covariates, season of conception, and long-term trend. An interaction term between extreme heat exposure and greenness was included to explore potential modification. With a significant interaction observed, the number of preventable heat-associated PTBs that were associated with greenness was estimated. A total of 1 225 722 births (median [IQR] age, 39 [38-40] weeks; 631 005 male [51.5%]) were included in the analysis, including 63 144 PTBs (median [IQR] age, 35 [34-36] weeks; 34 822 male [55.1%]). Compared with those without heat exposure, exposure to daily extreme heat and nighttime extreme heat in the third trimester was associated with increased risks of PTB, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.61 (95% CI, 1.55-1.67) and 1.51 (95% CI, 1.46-1.56]), respectively (PTB rates: exposed, 4615 of 61 338 [7.5%] vs unexposed, 56 440 of 1 162 295 [4.9%] for daily extreme heat and 4332 of 61 337 [7.1%] vs 56 723 of 1 162 296 [4.9%] for nighttime extreme heat). Disparities in associations between extreme heat exposure and PTB were observed, with lower odds of PTB among pregnant individuals residing in greener areas. The associations between extreme heat exposure and PTB could be mitigated significantly by higher greenness. Improving NDVI and tree cover could reduce daily extreme heat-associated PTB by 13.7% (95% CI, 2.3%-15.1%) and 20.9% (95% CI, 5.8%-31.5%), respectively. For nighttime extreme heat-associated PTB, reductions were 13.0% (0.2%-15.4%) and 17.2% (4.1%-27.0%), respectively. Results of this large birth cohort study suggest that extreme heat exposure was adversely associated with PTB, with greenness playing a moderating role. Increasing greenness levels in residential communities could prevent heat-associated PTBs. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating heat mitigation strategies and improving green space in urban planning and public health interventions.

Walkability Infrastructures and Urban Rebalancing: The Case Study of L’Aquila City under Post-Earthquake Reconstruction

This paper describes the first results of the application of an innovative methodology for the development of a walkability overall index for urban street infrastructure, aimed at the application of urban design techniques to improve the urban form and its use by pedestrians. The general objective of the research is to identify the performance of the current city walkable network, to structure public policies and strategies consistent with it aimed at rebalancing settlements and infrastructure, and above all at the development of active mobility. The methodology defined integrates three approaches on walkability analysis: geometric–morphological, proximity, and sociality. In this paper, the analysis process related to the geometric–morphological component and partly to that of proximity will be described. It will be applied to the case study of the city of L’Aquila (Italy), a city undergoing reconstruction after the 2009 earthquake. From the first results of the application of the methodology to the case study, it emerges that the urban area analyzed is not capable of hosting walkable infrastructures unless urban design interventions are aimed at structuring an efficient network of pedestrian paths. In the future development of the study, it is expected to conclude the analysis of the proximity and social components, the other two groups of analysis considerations for walkability, which will complete the experimentation of the general methodology.

Finding Satoyama – Forest bathing as a creative practice of knowledge creation and healing in/with/through damaged landscapes

Many people in the Western world are estranged from the more-than-human world, which negatively impacts their health and well-being. This article investigates the effect of forest bathing as an intervention on how designers and other citizens can reconnect with nature. Walking, talking, and sitting spot practices are not only research methods that help to understand the histories and interdependencies of a landscape and contribute to society and science, but can also be used as mental health promotion tools to generate self-care, especially when dealing with the experience of wounds through the inner and outer landscapes in which we engage. This article is based on an extensive review of a multidisciplinary body of literature. Although mainly conceptual, this article is empirically informed and illustrated by my experiences in Japan. By sharing an autoethnography of experiencing a Japanese landscape through five walks along the same trail over 1.5 years while exploring the deepening journey into the forest bathing practice, this article illustrates the opportunities and benefits of deploying forest bathing in landscape architecture and other regional and urban planning interventions. It also examines the concept of self-care and environmental citizenship and how they emerge in the forest bathing practice.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Prediction of Land Use and Carbon Stock in Shanghai

Soil organic carbon (SOC) constitutes a critical component of carbon reservoirs within terrestrial ecosystems. The ramifications of urban land use transitions on SOC dynamics, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions such as Shanghai, remain insufficiently elucidated. This investigation synergizes a predictive land use change model (Logistic-CA-Markov) with an ecosystem service quantification framework (InVEST), aiming to delineate the interplay between SOC variability and Land Use and Land Cover Change (LUCC) under natural development and ecological protection scenarios. Empirical observations from 2010 to 2020 reveal a contraction in Shanghai’s agricultural land of 34,912.76 hectares, juxtaposed with an expansion of urban built-up areas of 36,048.24 hectares. Projections for 2030 under an ecological protection scenario indicate a moderated urban sprawl, reducing built-up area expansion by 13,518 hectares relative to the natural development scenario. Notably, the net carbon sequestration capacity of Shanghai is anticipated to diminish by approximately 0.418 million tons between 2020 and 2030. This trend is observed under both considered scenarios, forecasting a cumulative reduction in SOC stocks exceeding 1 million tons by 2030. The natural development pathway portends a more pronounced and accelerated depletion of SOC reserves. Although ecological conservation measures show the potential to decelerate this loss, they appear insufficient to reverse the ongoing decline in SOC stocks. This study advocates for strategic urban planning interventions focused on constraining the growth of building densities and augmenting the preservation and management of eco-lands. Such measures are imperative for bolstering Shanghai’s carbon sequestration capacity.

Analyzing the relationship between street hierarchy and land use functions in Dire Dawa City, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study delves into the correlation between street width and land use patterns in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, analyzing their relationship across various developmental stages, including organic and planned areas. Employing a mixed-methods case study approach, the research identifies four land use categories and examines their association with street width. Results highlight the nuanced connection between street hierarchy and land use intensity, influenced by the city’s morphological period and urban planning interventions. The findings underscore the importance of tailored land use policies that accommodate both formal and informal developments, emphasizing the necessity for further research.

Nature for resilience reconfigured: global-to-local translation of frames in Africa

Globally, various frames of urban nature circulate, each emphasising particular challenges and natural solutions in the climate context. Yet which actors and dynamics shape their translation to the African context remains unclear. This paper explores the global-to-local translation process of frames through interventions funded by transnational actors, conceptualised as agents of policy transfer. Critical scholarship has observed that urban adaptation and resilience interventions in Africa are often characterised as technocratic and top-down approaches, hence it is vital to understand whether these are replicated through proliferating nature-based solutions (NBSs). The study of a resilience-building intervention in Lilongwe, Malawi, reveals that transnational actors play important roles by deploying frames of urban nature through funding projects. However, rather than involving a top-down imposition of particular solutions, this sets in motion dynamics: in the competition for resources that frames generate, various actor constellations of transnational actors, subnational governments and local NGOs reconfigure or relabel strategies and associated (nature-based) practices to suit global frames and the resources they generate. This shapes who is included or not, and what kinds of NBS are being developed, for and by whom. There is a risk that priorities of communities get lost in translation. Policy relevance Frames of urban nature shape global agendas but also matter locally in the design of programmes and projects. This study provides key insights of relevance for policymakers. First, external funding for climate and resilience is unpredictable and insufficient to address manifold urgent local priorities. It is important that actors at all levels strive to align resources to holistic strategies of local governments and do not impose certain visions for urban nature. For this to happen, and second, it is key that local governments and communities are empowered to create forms of nature that are built around diverse forms of local knowledge and expertise, to cater to values and priorities of the communities. Third, proponents of NBSs highlight their potential to address interlinked climate-, biodiversity- and society-related challenges. However, unless funding allocation puts emphasis on the interlinkage of goals, the potential for NBSs to reach multiple goals can get lost. Fourth, there is a need to disrupt the persisting scepticism concerning the feasibility of NBSs in informal settlements and forge collaborations that realise interventions closely linked to the priorities of disadvantaged groups in African cities, to leverage the power of nature for more just societies.

Enhancing Public Space Accessibility and Inclusivity in Residential Neighbourhoods: A Methodological Framework and Pilot Application

The paper adds to the debate on urban transformation, which plays a significant role in improving quality of urban life and liveability of public spaces, as also stated in UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 11. The research aims to test a methodology for identifying an abacus of urban regeneration interventions to enhance attractive and critical nodes through accessibility and inclusivity. The quality of the system of connections between polarities, the promotion of active mobility, zero soil consumption and the renaturalisation of urban spaces are fundamental criteria to define urban regeneration solutions. The proposed approach develops on two levels: a GIS-based spatial analysis of urban data and a participatory process. The innovative planning process is tested on the San Leonardo neighbourhood in the Municipality of Parma, Italy, which allows us to verify the potentials and limitations of the procedure, identifying future work perspectives. Moreover, the application allows us to check the replicability in other urban contexts, possibly envisaging other applications to more case studies. Our results consist of the identification of the vocations and the critical aspects of nodes and axes to regenerate urban space in medium-sized and large cities’ suburbs.

Unequal access to cultural ecosystem services of green spaces within the city of Rome – A spatial social media-based analysis

This groundbreaking study sheds new light on the unequal distribution of cultural ecosystem services (CES) within Rome's urban green spaces (UGS). Employing a novel methodology, we assess UGS quality through georeferenced social media data from Twitter, evaluate the green cover of UGS, and assess accessibility to these spaces using network analysis in a GIS environment. This unique methodology allows us to unveil marked disparities in both UGS accessibility and the provision of CES. Unlike traditional approaches, our analysis provides a more nuanced understanding of UGS quality and accessibility. Our findings reveal areas with high UGS accessibility, yet limited CES provision. These insights are crucial for targeted urban planning interventions, advocating for a more equitable distribution of UGS benefits. This research challenges traditional green space planning with a focus on green space availability. Importantly, our study goes further by identifying specific disadvantaged areas, offering valuable insights for promoting equity in urban areas, emphasizing the importance of UGS quality and accessibility. Thereby, this research provides a foundation for a more nuanced, equal, and quality-driven approach to UGS planning.

A Study on the Impact of Air Pollution on Health Status of Traffic Police Personnel in Kolkata, India

The global concern of escalating ambient air pollution and its profound impact on human health is paramount. While traffic police personnel are critical for maintaining the road safety and transportation system of any city in India, they are susceptible to occupational health risks due to ambient air pollution. This study investigated health challenges faced by traffic police personnel due to prolonged exposure to air pollutants prevalent in traffic-congested areas, including particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. The first phase of this study collected and analyzed secondary air quality data over five years (2019–2023) across six locations in Kolkata, India. The second phase employed a questionnaire-based survey to assess the health implications of air pollution exposure. The survey questionnaire captured information on physical health symptoms, stress-related indicators, lifestyle habits, and work hours of around 100 police personnel from Kolkata with indoor (control group) and outdoor (exposed group) work responsibilities. The results of this study established a strong positive correlation between air pollution and a range of health issues experienced by the exposed group. The outcome of this study is significant for urban planning, policy formulation, and public health interventions geared toward minimizing the adverse impacts of air pollution on traffic police personnel.

Machine learning-based techniques for land subsidence simulation in an urban area

Understanding and mitigating land subsidence (LS) is critical for sustainable urban planning and infrastructure management. We introduce a comprehensive analysis of LS forecasting utilizing two advanced machine learning models: the eXtreme Gradient Boosting Regressor (XGBR) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). Our findings highlight groundwater level (GWL) and building concentration (BC) as pivotal factors influencing LS. Through the use of Taylor diagram, we demonstrate a strong correlation between both XGBR and LSTM models and the subsidence data, affirming their predictive accuracy. Notably, we applied delta-rate (Δr) calculus to simulate a scenario with an 80% reduction in GWL and BC impact, revealing a potential substantial decrease in LS by 2040. This projection emphasizes the effectiveness of strategic urban and environmental policy interventions. The model performances, indicated by coefficients of determination R2 (0.90 for XGBR, 0.84 for LSTM), root-mean-squared error RMSE (0.37 for XGBR, 0.50 for LSTM), and mean-absolute-error MAE (0.34 for XGBR, 0.67 for LSTM), confirm their reliability. This research sets a precedent for incorporating dynamic environmental factors and adapting to real-time data in future studies. Our approach facilitates proactive LS management through data-driven strategies, offering valuable insights for policymakers and laying the foundation for sustainable urban development and resource management practices.

Digital Participatory Model as Part of a Data-Driven Decision Support System for Urban Vibrancy

Digital participation relies on computational systems as the instruments for expert engagement, data-driven insight, and informed decision-making. This study aims to increase expert engagement with the Bayesian-based decision support model in evaluating urban vibrancy decisions. In this study, urban vibrancy parameters are defined using “economic, use, and image value” measures. This article focuses on the visual aspect of vibrancy, defined as the image value of place. The image value is evaluated through likability and likability features. The case study area is the Eminönü Central Business District in the Istanbul Historic Peninsula due to its distinctive urban dynamics derived from the duality of being a cultural and cosmopolitan city center. This research presents a method as a decision support system (DSS) model based on the Bayesian belief network (BBN) and spatial BBN for supporting urban vibrancy decisions. The spatial BBNs monitor spatial outcomes of variables’ dependencies that form through the BBN relationship network. Spatial BBN tools monitors the spatial impact of decisions for informed urban interventions. The results demonstrate that urban greening, pedestrianization, and human-scaled streetscapes should be prioritized to make streets more likable. The most significant intervention areas are Tahtakale for signboard regulation, Sultanahmet and Vefa for cultural landscape improvement, and Vefa and Mahmutpaşa for planning building enclosures. The participation is achieved by evaluating urban vibrancy with what-if scenarios using BBN. The developed DSS model addresses which parameters should be prioritized, and what are their spatial consequences. The use of spatial BBN tools presents certain limitations in terms of interoperability and user interaction. Overall, this research contributes to participatory urban planning by incorporating both conditional and spatial dependencies. This unique approach not only promotes a more holistic understanding of urban vibrancy but also contributes to the advancement of digital participation in urban planning decisions.

Experiences of war and peace in public spaces—Aleppo city case study

Urban public spaces are the interface of any city that could tell about the city’s dynamic and status quo. In addition, Urban public spaces play a pivotal role in shaping societies’ dynamics and can significantly affect conflict and peacebuilding initiatives. In a context marked by Conflict’s profound impact, this article aims to contribute to the knowledge base for informed urban interventions that foster positive interactions and reconciliation in post-conflict cities. The article seeks to explore the intricate relationship between urban spaces and their influence on war or to promote sustainable peacebuilding through investigating the various roles of the urban public spaces during the war and peacetimes via residents’ experiences of the diverse spaces’ functions that shaped the city’s status quo. In addition, considering the interplay of social dynamics, conflict history, and the mental spatial map of cities in public urban spaces can influence lasting peace or upcoming conflicts. This article focuses on Aleppo as a case study, understanding the positive and negative experiences from the residents’ perspective before and during the current war in Syria, and even distinguishes between two periods during the recent war, which are the active violence and after the end of the direct active violence, where it could inform the decision-makers and urban planners on the areas of focus while developing post-war urban public spaces to ensure its positive role in fostering peace and be able to deal with the social dynamic and the mental spatial map that developed along with the conflict history. The paper utilised a mixed-methods approach, encompassing a case study review of Aleppo City from an urban perspective and fieldwork involving focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with Aleppian from different backgrounds and geographic areas that represent the social dynamic of the city, as well as approached Aleppian who are still in living in the city and those who flee out of it to ensure the coverage of different political direction in addition field work engaged with academia and technical from the city who shared their knowledge and experiences working in the city. Participants were prompted to reflect on their pre-war familiarity with public places and share their experiences. These experiences were categorized by enabling a comprehensive understanding of how conflict context influenced these spaces. The article results offer an understanding of the peace-guiding functions of the urban public spaces based on the city residents’ experiences that could inform architects and urban planners in designing spaces conducive to sustainable peacebuilding. The article’s findings underscore the importance of strategically designed urban public spaces in promoting peace and social cohesion.

Route to nowhere: assessing the failure of the Ave Basin Industrial Heritage Route (Portugal)

ABSTRACT Implemented in the early 2000s by the Ave Basin Regional Development Agency (ADRAVE), the Ave Basin Industrial Heritage Route (IHR) was deactivated without fully establishing a lasting circuit to showcase the region’s industrial history. This paper aims to identify and critically analyse the contributing factors to the IHR’s inability to create a sustainable industrial heritage circuit. Drawing insights from industrial heritage tourism studies and examining academic papers produced by members of ADRAVE during the IHR implementation to publicise the route, as well as an urban intervention in one of its hubs (Sampaio, Ferreira & Co. Riba d’Ave), the study reveals missed opportunities and challenges in the IHR’s implementation, calling for a revaluation of strategies to effectively preserve and promote industrial heritage in Portugal. The analysis highlights the impact of dominant memory narratives shaped by local political and economic powers, hindering community engagement, and discouraging local involvement. The findings extend beyond Ave Basin, emphasising the importance of more inclusive approaches that involve local communities in heritage conservation initiatives.

Urban living labs as innovation infrastructure for local urban intervention acceleration and student social learning: the impacts on community wellbeing in Heerlen.

Cities are championing urban experiments in order to address societal challenges and increased urban complexity. In fact, and following fellow researchers, urban experiments are used as a method in a broader trend in public policy to align urban planning with citizen needs by viewing cities as platforms for societal transformation that require, and should draw on, active involvement of residents. In this study, we demonstrate the impacts of placemaking and Urban Living Labs not only for healthy environments but also in facilitating transdisciplinary learning. Therefore, we elaborate on the Aurora transformation process in the neighborhood GMS in Heerlen-North as being one of the 16 Dutch neighborhoods that need extra attention to its socio-urban challenges due to the historical context and consequent local development. Hence, providing two main results for ULLs as infrastructure for innovation for community wellbeing. First, as an alternative spatial planning approach for urban contexts with extreme social-urban conditions that draw on the multitude of local values to generate and accelerate urban transformations going beyond the traditional impacts of urban transformations including public health equity, health outcomes, and addressing social-economic determinants of community wellbeing. Second, as an infrastructure for education innovation encompassing and operationalising social learning theory. Subsequently, it addresses societal issues in these neighborhoods, such as loneliness, social exclusion, or democratic decision-making more appropriately and enhances student, and urban stakeholder, learning through transdisciplinary collaboration among those involved and by connecting education, research methods and questions, and real-life socio-urban challenges. We conclude the article by emphasizing its novelty, providing a discussion, and enumerating implications for theory, practice, policy, and research.

“From IT Hubs to Slum Pockets Bangalore's Urban Disparities”

This paper delves into the urban disparities of Bangalore, India, focusing on the transformation from IT hubs to slum pockets. The city’s rapid growth as a technology and innovation hub has brought economic prosperity, but it has also magnified social and spatial inequalities. Through an interdisciplinary analysis, this paper explores the root causes, manifestations, and consequences of these urban disparities, shedding light on the challenges faced by marginalized communities within the city. The study employs a combination of qualitative research, statistical data analysis, and case studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics at play. The findings underscore the need for equitable urban development strategies and policy interventions to bridge the gap between Bangalore’s contrasting realities.

Urban green spaces and behavioral and cognitive development in children: A health impact assessment of the Barcelona “Eixos Verds” Plan (Green Axis Plan)

BackgroundUrban environments lack natural features, while nature exposure in cities has been associated with health benefits, including children's neurodevelopment. Through extensive street greening, Barcelona's Eixos Verds (Green Axis) Plan enhances safety, environment, and climate resilience. We aimed to assess the Eixos Verds Plan's potential impact on children's behavioral and cognitive development due to the increased green space expected under the Eixos Verds implementation. MethodsWe performed a quantitative health impact assessment for Barcelona children at census-tract level (n = 1068). We assessed the Eixos Verds Plan's impact by comparing baseline green space distribution with the proposed plan, translating it into percentage green area (%GA) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). By combining these exposure metrics with child-specific risk estimates and population data, we estimated potential improvements in children's behavioral and cognitive development due to full Eixos Verds implementation. ResultsWith the full Eixos Verds implementation, citywide, %GA increased by 6.9% (IQR: 6.4%; range: 0–23.1%) and NDVI by 0.065 (IQR: 0.083; range: 0.000–0.194). Child behavioral and cognitive development outcomes are expected to improve compared to the baseline. Based on NDVI increases, children's Total Difficulties and Hyperactivity/Inattention scores, based on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), are projected to decrease by 5% (95% CI: 0–15%) and 6% (95% CI: 0–17%). Working Memory and Superior Working Memory scores are expected to increase by 4% and 5%, respectively, based on the computerized n-back test, while the Inattentiveness score could be reduced by 1%, based on the computerized attentional test (ANT). InterpretationUrban greening as planning tool can improve behavioral and cognitive development in city children. Methods and results of our study are applicable to many cities worldwide, and similar results for children of real-life urban greening interventions can be expected.

Demographic change and urban health: Towards a novel agenda for delivering sustainable and healthy cities for all.

The focus is on the demographic drivers and demographic implications of urban health and wellbeing in towns and cities across the globe. The aim is to identify key linkages between demographic change and urban health - subjects of two largely disparate fields of research and practice - with a view to informing arguments and advocacy for urban health while identifying research gaps and priorities. The core arguments are threefold. First, urban health advocates should express a globalized perspective on demographic processes, encompassing age-structural shifts in addition to population growth and decrease, and acknowledging their uneven spatial distributions within and between urban settings in different contexts. Second, advocates should recognize the dynamic and transformational effects that demographic forces will exert on economic and political systems in all urban settings. While demographic forces underpin the production of (intra)urban inequities in health, they also present opportunities to address those inequities. Third, a demographic perspective may help to extend urban health thinking and intervention beyond a biomedical model of disease, highlighting the need for a multi-generational view of the changing societal bases for urban health, and enjoining significant advances in how interested parties collect, manage, analyse, and use demographic data. Accordingly, opportunities are identified to increase the availability of granular and accurate data to enable evidence-informed action on the demographic/health nexus.

Valuation of urban nature-based solutions in Latin American and European cities

The potential of urban nature-based solutions (NBS) to provide significant benefits to citizens and to address societal challenges is undervalued, yet the valuation of NBS impacts remains contentious. Further development of monetary and non-monetary valuation of the costs and benefits of urban NBS is required, and effective knowledge exchange on these themes is required at the international level. However, an important gap in research relates to the uptake and application of existing techniques for monetary valuation. This research explored how monetary values of urban NBS are assessed, and how NBS valuation is viewed by city government authorities in particular. Results are presented from a review of peer-reviewed articles reporting urban NBS valuation techniques development and application. Over 200 articles relating specifically to urban NBS interventions were reviewed. The literature indicates that many valuation techniques have been researched, but most studies tend to address just a few indicators of NBS impacts, which are mainly physical-environmental in their focus. To generate deeper insights into perceptions of monetary valuations in NBS impact assessments and their application, focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with local and regional government staff in seven cities in Latin America and Europe. Although a wide range of economic valuation tools exist and can be applied to support NBS development, limited evidence was found for their uptake and application in practice across the contexts examined. We discuss potential reasons for limited uptake, which may include overburdensome data demands, incommensurability with existing decision-making and accounting practices, and limited staffing, financial and technical capacity - even within large cities. Results suggest that successful NBS interventions may portray economic impacts, but NBS propositions should not depend upon monetary valuations alone; social and ecological criteria remain centrally important. Participatory impact assessment methods may support improved business cases and monetary valuations for urban NBS.

Urban sustainable intervention to address the physical factor for degradation of visual place quality in the hilly urban region: A case of Manali town, Himachal Pradesh.

The depletion of urban aesthetics is a major issue in the urban hill town due to the rapid growth in urban infrastructure. The potential for growth in the urban hill town is at a very rapid state, which affects the local population and its ecological environment. Urban sustainable development in urban hill towns is a crucial challenge. This type of uneven development leads to a degradation of the visual quality of place in hill towns, which defines the overall evaluative image of the town’s urbanscape. Manali is located in the northern part of the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India. This study intends to investigate the physical parameters of this decline and assess possible solutions for improving hill towns’ visual quality. The study’s thorough grasp of the problem and its possible solutions is based on the author’s integration of concepts from several different domains, such as urban design, planning, and architecture. This research emphasises the vital role of visual aesthetics in enhancing quality of life of both inhabitants and visitors to the region. Furthermore, it determines the adverse effects of decreased perception. The research proposes approaches to enhance the deteriorated visual quality of the urban environment in Manali, a hilly town. These strategies comprise augmenting public spaces, giving priority to pedestrian infrastructure, and encouraging community participation in the design procedure. The research is based on enhancing the visual place quality of areas within Manali town, including Manali town, old Manali, the ISBT, the Tibetan colony, and the mall area, utilising surveys based on questionnaires and dimensions of visual place quality. The study implemented the Analytic Hierarchy Process methodology to evaluate and rank various physical factors. The results yielded viable solutions, such as the enhancement of street squares, sidewalks, and widths, as well as the revision of planning and development regulations and legislation. The findings of the research may have potential applications in identical topographically undulating areas.