Urban Lifestyle Research Articles

Association of Kawasaki disease with urbanization level and family characteristics in Taiwan: A nested case-control study using national-level data.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an inflammatory vasculitis disorder of unknown etiology. It is a rare but fatal disease and the leading cause of acquired coronary heart disease in children under the age of 5 years. We examined the association of KD with the demographics of family members, parents' characteristics, and perinatal factors in Taiwanese children. This nested case-control study used data from Taiwan's Health and Welfare Data Science Center and initially included children born in Taiwan between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2015 (n = 1,939,449); the children were observed for KD development before the age of 5 years (n = 7870). The control group consisted of children without KD who were matched with each KD case by sex and birth date at a ratio of 8:1. The odds ratio (ORs) of the aforementioned associations were estimated using conditional logistic regression. The risk of KD decreased in children with younger parents [<25 years; younger maternal age, OR = 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.66-0.79; younger paternal age, OR = 0.68, 95% CI, 0.59-0.78], lower socioeconomic status, more than 2 siblings (OR = 0.80, 95% CI, 0.73-0.89), and siblings with a history of KD (OR = 4.39, 95% CI, 3.29-5.86). Children living in suburban (OR = 0.95, 95% CI, 0.90-1.00) and rural (OR = 0.81, 95%CI, 0.74-0.90) areas exhibited a lower risk of KD than children living in urban areas. In conclusion, a higher incidence rate of KD was observed in children aged <5 years who had an urban lifestyle, had siblings with KD, were born to older mothers, and belonged to high-income and smaller families. Parental allergic or autoimmune diseases were not associated with the risk of KD.

Авантюрно-приключенческое немое кино и советский антропологический проект

The article aims to explore the role of national cinema in the early 20th century and its contribution to the development of the Soviet anthropological project. Any significant transformation of society involves the human factor. This factor can be observed in two ways: as a consequence of changes, which shape the new social experiences acquired through individual socialization, and as the unique qualities of those organizing the transformations. The beginning of the 20th century marked a period of active formation of mass society, urban lifestyles, and entertainment industries. Within this landscape, cinema held a special, perhaps even crucial, position—probably due to its accessibility and the condensed intensity of content presentation. The adventure genre, in particular, played a dominant role and greatly contributed to the success of film distribution. The interplay between commercial and creative aspects has been influential in shaping the development of cinema from its inception. However, during the Soviet era, the balance between entertainment and creativity began to shift, influenced by socio-political circumstances. Firstly, there was an increasing emphasis on social themes in films. Secondly, by the 1930s, these circumstances had evolved into direct political pressure, significantly impacting the content requirements for films and even the fate of their creators. This resulted in a clear contradiction: while cinema content portrayed the ideal of an initiative, responsible, and creative individual, in reality, individuals, including film authors, were expected to conform to ideological requirements. This contradiction between the broadcast content and the real lives of people led to the squandering of the resources of the anthropology project and the creative potential of cinema. Nonetheless, it did not impede the development of models and technologies that shaped the personalized power of mass society, which have retained their significance to this day. Hence, cinema, which initially emerged as a form of entertainment with adventure genre for a dominant, not only played a role in shaping the concept of the “mass man,” but also laid the groundwork for the models and technologies that defined a “person in power.”

Scientific approach in justification of monitoring and bioremediation of natural reservoirs in the suburban area

The relevance of the study is explained by the need to form a scientific approach to monitoring and bioremediation of pond reservoirs located in suburban areas. Further climate change, population growth, and excessive water intake lead to a decrease of restoration functions of water bodies and an increase of the HAB (Harmful Algal Bloom) effect. Suburban areas combine features of rural and urban lifestyles. At these territories, pond fish farming is intensively developed, and a space-time continuum with Push-pull strategies is being formed. The fishery complex of the Russian South is on the rise. It constantly requires applying of innovations. The essence of the research hypothesis was to define economic motivators for the development of pond fish farming in a suburban area, and to substantiate scientific approach to monitoring and bioremediation of water bodies. The represented materials reveal the tools for the development and using of automated devices and smart technologies in biosphere monitoring. Also the materials describe the tools for promotion of environmentally friendly technologies (bioremediation in the pond business). It is shown that such key requirements as mobility, efficiency, and using of green technologies, including bioremediation, become more and more significant for the development of pond fish farming in suburban areas. =

Tracing the Pioneers: Ballroom Dance Instructors and “Taxi-dance Girls” in Modern Chinese Leisure Sports

This research examines the introduction and development of ballroom dancing in Modern China, focusing on the cultural clashes, professional evolution, and survival strategies of pioneers like instructors and “Taxi-dance Girls.” It shows ballroom dancing epitomized tensions between Chinese traditions and Western modernity. The transformations of dancing and its pioneers provided insights into China’s socioeconomic transition, urbanization, and modernization. The shift from foreign to Chinese instructors reflected tensions between westernization and localization, as well as China’s cultural awakening. Case studies on instructors enabled nuanced analysis. As commodified entertainers, “Taxi-dance Girls” gained economic sustainability and social mobility through talents and gender charm, though their glamorized images provoked debates on gender relations. By exploring multifaceted roles and experiences of pioneers, this research enriches understanding of entertainment consumption, urban middle-class lifestyles, and Eastern-Western cultural integration in Modern China. It provides new historical materials and perspectives, unveiling complex interplay between cultural globalization and localization.

Towards a Healthy Urban Lifestyle: Examining Residents’ Motivators to Outdoor Recreation in Nassarawa-Kano

Outdoor recreation is currently one of the most influential domains where participation directly affects individual health, families, and communities. This expectation can motivate individuals in many ways to engage in outdoor recreation activities. This paper investigates residents’ motivators for outdoor recreation in Nassarawa, Kano, as stimuli for promoting a healthy urban life. The study employed a descriptive survey design to collect information from residents using a structured questionnaire (n=400). Cluster and systematic random sampling techniques were utilized to administer the questionnaires to target respondents. A total of 386 completed questionnaires were retrieved and used for the analysis, resulting in a response rate of 96.5%. Data collected were analyzed using frequencies, mean scores, ranking, and cross-tabulation. The findings revealed that maintaining good health condition (M=4.15), keeping physically fit (M=4.09), and having fun (M=3.92) were the most agreed-upon motivators for participation in outdoor recreation in the study area, ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively. The study asserts that these motivators influence residents’ participation in outdoor recreation in Nassarawa, Kano metropolis across different age groups and have significantly impacted the physical, mental, and social health of the residents. The study concludes by recommending that greater participation would contribute to more vibrant and healthy communities. Therefore, efforts should be made to enlighten people further about the importance of outdoor recreation participation as a promoter of social cohesion.

TÜRKİYE’NİN METROPOL ŞEHİRLERİNDEKİ BAZI ALIŞVERİŞ MERKEZLERİNİN IPA VE IPCA YÖNTEMLERİ KULLANILARAK KARŞILAŞTIRMALI ANALİZİ

With the influence of globalization and modernism, habits have begun to change in many areas. Especially in recent years, as a result of economic and social events, the urban lifestyle has also changed. As a result of the change, people have started to prefer multifunctional shopping centers where all kinds of products, in addition to their basic needs, are available together and where they can have more rest opportunities. Areas with this function, which are also considered urban attraction points, are increasing their share in the service sector day by day. There is a highly competitive environment among shopping malls that have a significant customer potential. Understanding the competitive position of these areas is vital for decision-makers. This study, conducted in Ankara and Istanbul samples, aims to analyze to what extent the physical features of shopping malls meet the preferences and expectations of users. These properties were evaluated using IPA and IPCA methods. In this context, the study presents a comparative analysis of Ankara, which was selected as the focal location, and Istanbul, which was selected as the rival location. As a result of the analysis, the criteria that Ankara and Istanbul have higher performance than each other and the features that should be prioritized in performance improvement studies to increase their competitiveness were determined. It has been concluded that shopping malls in Ankara are in a position to compete with Istanbul.

Online shopping attitude and purchase intention of Nepalese consumers: Moderated mediation of social media

People's perception of online shopping grows day by day and becomes an essential part of the urban lifestyle. This study attempts to measure Nepalese consumers' online shopping attitudes and purchasing intention to this phase witnessing the social media moderation. The analysis uses a quantitative research-based descriptive and causal research design. To gather responses from sample respondents, structured questionnaires were used, and surveys were carried out. Two hundred cross-section data was gathered. For checking the psychometric and econometric components of the suggested causal model, partial least square structural equation modeling was used. Trust is important factor for purchase intention in online platform. The same case, product variety and country of origin did not support for purchase intention in online mode. Attitude successfully mediates product variety, country of origin and trust to online purchase intention. Moderated mediation is not possible for social media with attitude to online purchase intention. This research has led to the development of online marketing strategies for online shoppers in the virtual community.

Change management through upskilling and reskilling.

BeWell is an Erasmus+ Funded project that kicked-off in July 2022 and will last for 4 years. BeWell is aiming to prepare the health workforce, and more broadly the health ecosystem, to cope with future challenges and the continuously changing societal expectations by developing a strategy on upskilling and reskilling the health workforce in the context of the green and digital transition. &#x0D; BeWell stands for Blueprint alliance for a future hEalth Workforce stratEgy on digital and green skiLLs and serves the objectives of the European Skills Agenda 2020 that aims to support companies and individuals to develop better skills.&#x0D; The way health and care is delivered is significantly changing due to a number of major trends. Just to mention a few: demographic change, the increasing number of non-communicable diseases, the consequences of our modern urban lifestyle, the use of digital technologies becoming prominent in all phases of care provision as well as becoming essential for horizontal and vertical integration of care, the ambition to reduce the environmental impact of the health sector activities, etc. To respond to these challenges and to manage these changes, health professionals need different sets of skills if they want to keep the quality of care provision consistently high. Appropriate education, lifelong learning, continuing professional development are the key in this equation.&#x0D; BeWell offers to design, develop and implement a digital and green strategy in partnership with a large number of stakeholders representing VET providers, research, professional organisation, social partners, policy-makers, industry and many others. Having mapped the current and future skill needs, emerging occupations, education and training programmes towards the green and digital transitions will be developed and piloted first of all to provide solutions to health professionals, and second of all to help patients to have access to better care. The strategy will ensure that sporadic training initiatives will be coordinated under a long-term common vision addressing not only current skill needs but will also prepare the workforce for the unknown. The strategy will be implemented at local, national and European level through a large-scale partnership under the Pact for Skills.&#x0D; All in all, this oral poster session aims to illustrate how health professionals working in primary, secondary, tertiary or informal care settings could benefit from the outputs of the project. Skills matching labour market demands in the context of digital and green transitions will enable health professionals to provide better integrated care services in all settings.

Diet Therapy and Physical Activity on Blood Sugar Levels in Diabetes Mellitus Patients in the Inpatient Room at Luwuk Banggai Regional Hospital

Diabetes mellitus is a degenerative disease that is closely related to diet therapy. Diet Therapy is a description of the types, amount and composition of food a person eats every day. An urban lifestyle with a diet pattern that is excessively high in fat, salt and sugar results in various diseases including diabetes mellitus.&#x0D; The aim of the research is to determine the effect of diet therapy and physical activity on blood sugar levels in diabetes mellitus patients. This research is a quantitative research using an observational approach with a cross sectional design, namely research by studying the correlation between risk factors and the effects they cause by approaching, observing or collecting data at one time. The results of the statistical analysis test show the chi-square test X2 = 4.022 or at a confidence level (α = 0.05) P-value 0.045. So it can be concluded that there is a significant relationship between physical activity variables and blood sugar levels in diabetes mellitus patients. The Odd Ratio (OR) value = 3.3 (95% CI 0.090 – 1.002) meaning that less physical activity has a risk of developing Type II DM that is 3.3 times greater than those with less diet therapy.

Exogenous mobile genetic elements and their associated integrons drive the enrichment of antibiotic-resistant genes in the river of a valley basin city (Lanzhou, China).

River is a unique source of drinking water in valley-type cities, affecting local urban development and human lifestyles. However, the key driving factors for dissemination of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) in valley-type urban environments remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of ARGs in the Yellow River and to clarify the driving factors of ARGs in a typical valley basin city (Lanzhou, China). The seven selected ARGs with higher abundances including tetracycline resistance genes (tetM, tetX), macrolide resistance genes (ermB, ermF, ereA), and sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1, sul2) were detected. The results showed that the total absolute abundance of all the selected ARGs varied from 9.97 × 1012 to 1.04 × 1015 copies/L in the water body, with higher abundances in the wet season, relative to the dry season. Among these, sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1, sul2) displayed the highest absolute abundance in the river and soil. The ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were significantly correlated with bacterial abundance, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+), and total nitrogen (TN) levels in the water environment (Mantel test, P < 0.01). Structural equation modeling revealed the direct input of point-source and nonpoint-source ARGs in this area contributed less to the overall level of the ARGs in the water. Among the multiple drivers, the MGEs derived from wastewater treatment plant and anthropogenic nonpoint area positively and directly affected the ARG profiles in water (P < 0.01), rather than the factors of bacterial abundance and physicochemical properties. According to this study, the exogenous MGEs from anthropogenic activities are the main driver for the enrichment of ARGs in the valley-type urban river environment.

Assessment of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes using the Indian diabetes risk score in an urban community in Chandigarh, India: A cross-sectional study.

The urban poor is a group that is known to be vulnerable to the adoption of a more urbanized lifestyle that places them at a higher risk for diabetes. Identification of at-risk individuals using simple screening tools like the Indian diabetes risk score developed by Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF-IDRS) and appropriate lifestyle interventions could greatly help in preventing or postponing the onset of diabetes and thus reducing the burden of the disease on the community and the nation as a whole. A cross-sectional study was conducted on individuals ≥30 years (n = 1533) of both genders in an urban colony of Chandigarh during a period of 1 year. A stratified two-stage systematic random sampling was adopted. The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus was assessed using IDRS. The total risk score of each participant was analyzed and compared. Biochemical investigations, including blood glucose and lipid profiles for detecting diabetes, were conducted. Data were presented in percentages and proportions. The statistical analysis of the data was performed by using the Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of diabetes was 3.1% in the present study. Overall, the mean IDRS was found to be 52.14 ± 16.01. Elderly persons aged 60 years and above had higher IDRS. IDRS showed significant variability with age (P < 0.001). Females had significantly higher IDRS as compared to males (P = 0.002). The association between socioeconomic class and risk status was highly significant statistically (P < 0.001). IDRS among individuals with diabetes was found to be significantly higher (64.29 ± 13.92) as compared to non-diabetics. Among all, 749 (48.7%) had high IDRS, whereas 54 (3.5%) had low IDRS. There were 734 (47.8%) with moderate IDRS. IDRS was found to be highly sensitive for detecting the risk of diabetes, suggesting its potential use as a screening tool in community setup for the purpose of detecting diabetes.

Urban identity in the value paradigm modern Russian society

The article is devoted to urban identity as a socio-cultural, psychological and emotional construct determined by a number of factors. As a significant component of social identity, urban identity is determined by how strong an individual's social ties are, whether he is included in long-term stable social groups, which, in turn, forms an emotional assessment of such identity in relation to «his» and «strangers», as well as group values, social norms, stereotypes, behavioral patterns. The author of the article presents the characteristics of urban identity as a result of self-determination of personality, its socialization and adaptation in a particular urban space, in the process of assimilation and reproduction of cultural symbols, accepted norms, traditions, lifestyle of city residents. The relevance of the study of urban identity is determined by the peculiarities of the urban environment and urban lifestyle: the author of the article puts forward a tendency to increase the mobility of the population and a decrease in the role of physical space in the life of a modern person as factors that can create barriers to the formation of a conscious urban identity. The article proves that the self-consciousness and personal identity of city residents are largely determined by various aspects of the cultural space of the city. The impossibility of perceiving urban space in its integrity does not hinder personal identity and self-determination, and the possibility of implementing the social practices of its residents forms their emotional attachment to the city. The formation of urban identity is conditioned by stable, changeable and symbolic factors. The author of the article also identifies parameters that allow assessing the degree of urban identity, among which the uniqueness of the city, identity and positivity of its perception play a decisive role in modern Russian society, which, in turn, determines in many ways the practical potential of urban identity. The conclusion is made about the importance of urban identity among other values of Russians, because active emotional experience and active embodiment of the urban identity of individuals and social groups contributes to the comprehensive economic, social and political development of modern Russian society.

Terapi Diet Dan Aktifitas Fisik terhadap Kadar Gula Darah Pada Pasien Diabetes Melitus Di Ruang Rawat Inap RSUD Luwuk Banggai

Diabetes mellitus is a degenerative disease that is closely related to diet therapy. Diet Therapy is a description of the types, amount and composition of food a person eats every day. An urban lifestyle with a diet pattern that is excessively high in fat, salt and sugar results in various diseases including diabetes mellitus.&#x0D; The aim of the research is to determine the effect of diet therapy and physical activity on blood sugar levels in diabetes mellitus patients. This research is a quantitative research using an observational approach with a cross sectional design, namely research by studying the correlation between risk factors and the effects they cause by approaching, observing or collecting data at one time. The results of the statistical analysis test show the chi-square test X2 = 4.022 or at a confidence level (α = 0.05) P-value 0.045. So it can be concluded that there is a significant relationship between physical activity variables and blood sugar levels in diabetes mellitus patients. The Odd Ratio (OR) value = 3.3 (95% CI 0.090 – 1.002) meaning that less physical activity has a risk of developing Type II DM that is 3.3 times greater than those with less diet therapy.

Genetic and nongenetic drivers of platelet reactivity in healthy Tanzanian individuals

BackgroundPlatelets play a key role in hemostasis, inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases. Platelet reactivity is highly variable between individuals. The drivers of this variability in populations from Sub-Saharan Africa remain largely unknown. ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the nongenetic and genetic determinants of platelet reactivity in healthy adults living in a rapidly urbanizing area in Northern Tanzania. MethodsPlatelet activation and reactivity were measured by platelet P-selectin expression and the binding of fibrinogen in unstimulated blood and after ex vivo stimulation with adenosine diphosphate and PAR-1 and PAR-4 ligands. We then analyzed the associations of platelet parameters with host genetic and nongenetic factors, environmental factors, plasma inflammatory markers, and plasma metabolites. ResultsOnly a few associations were found between platelet reactivity parameters and plasma inflammatory markers and nongenetic host and environmental factors. In contrast, untargeted plasma metabolomics revealed a large number of associations with food-derived metabolites, including phytochemicals that were previously reported to inhibit platelet reactivity. Genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping identified 2 novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs903650 and rs4789332) that were associated with platelet reactivity at the genome-wide level (P < 5 × 10−8) as well as a number of variants in the PAR4 gene (F2RL3) that were associated with PAR4-induced reactivity. ConclusionOur study uncovered factors that determine variation in platelet reactivity in a population in East Africa that is rapidly transitioning to an urban lifestyle, including the importance of genetic ancestry and the gradual abandoning of the traditional East African diet.

Citizens envisioning life in 2040: A qualitative corporate foresight study in London

AbstractUrban living is changing. Citizens explore new lifestyles in practice and envision alternative urban futures. Companies, as significant stakeholders in cities, are building urban infrastructure and serving citizens' needs. To succeed in the future, companies must be able to navigate the complexity and diversity of evolving cities. However, former corporate foresight research on cities is sparse. This participatory corporate foresight study examines city life in 2040 by engaging a group of London citizens with a lead user profile. A qualitative multimethod approach, consisting of online diaries, a futures imagining workshop, and in‐depth interviews, explores citizens' images of the future and lifestyle changes. The lifestyle adjustments experienced during the COVID‐19 pandemic period have acted as a catalyst for novel personal and communal futures. The broad range of visions included both continuity and discontinuity, with a moderately optimistic undertone, and featured communal, infrastructural, ecological, and technological aspects of life. These visions emphasized sustainability in multiple areas of life and demonstrated the dynamic relationship of the past, present, and future. The methodological contribution of this paper lies in its multimethod approach, which enabled an agile collection of textual and audio‐visual datasets in both online and face‐to‐face contexts. This agility is particularly relevant in a corporate foresight context, where companies must balance efficiency, depth, and applicability while operating under resource constraints. The article also extends the lead user approach's use from individual products and services to the city environment and urban lifestyle in general.

Analysis on the current situation and influencing factors of residents' satisfaction with the built environment of China's Hygienic City Initiative

Objective: To understand the current situation and the main influencing factors of residents' satisfaction with the built environment of China's Hygienic City Initiative. Methods: From the list of China's hygienic cities (excluding county-level cities), 61 cities were randomly selected in equal proportion and the eligible respondents were randomly selected by using the "Questionnaire Star" network platform to carry out the online questionnaire survey. A self-made satisfaction evaluation scale was used to investigate the satisfaction of the included respondents with the urban built environment and search for relevant data on the city level. The two-level multi-factor mixed effect model was constructed to analyze the influencing factors of residents' satisfaction with the built environment of China's Hygienic City Initiative. Results: The age range of 2 465 respondents was mainly between 18 and 40 years old (79.9%), with males being the main group (45.8%). The total score of residents' satisfaction with the built environment of China's hygienic cities was (69.14±13.24) points. Based on four standardized dimensions of sense of gain, the result showed that the satisfaction of urban governance had the highest score (65.08 points), followed by urban environmental sanitation (63.68 points), urban lifestyle (59.97 points) and urban basic function (59.02 points). The analysis results of the two-level multi-factor mixed effect model showed that compared with residents with an annual average concentration of inhalable fine particles in the environment>48 micrograms/cubic meter, residents with an average concentration between 38 and 48 micrograms/cubic meter [β (95%CI): 1.65 (0.08, 3.21)] and≤37 micrograms/cubic meter or less [β (95%CI): 1.98 (0.53, 3.43)] had higher satisfaction. Compared with residents whose proportion of the secondary industry to GDP was≤40.9%, residents in cities with a larger proportion had a lower satisfaction level [residents with a proportion of 40.9%-48.03%, β (95%CI):-2.21 (-3.93, -0.49); residents with a proportion greater than 48.03%, β (95%CI):-2.58 (-4.58, -0.59)]. Compared with residents with a junior high school or lower education level, residents with a higher education level had a lower satisfaction level [β (95%CI):-2.37 (-4.57, -0.17)]. Residents of universities and above [β (95%CI):-3.82 (-6.05, -1.60)], regularly participate in physical exercise [β (95%CI): 5.78 (4.71, 6.84)] and self-rated good health status [β (95%CI): 6.39 (5.33, 7.45)] had a higher satisfaction level. Conclusion: The satisfaction of residents with the built environment of China's hygienic cities is still acceptable. Satisfaction is related to individual characteristics such as residents' cultural level, type of residence, frequent participation in physical exercise, and self-rated good health status, as well as urban-level factors such as green coverage rate in built-up areas, annual average concentration of inhalable fine particles, and the proportion of GDP in the secondary industry.

Study of active design strategies to enhance physical activity in university educational buildings: a case study at King Abdulaziz University

Saudi Arabia is taking significant steps to improve urban lifestyles by implementing the Quality-of-Life Program, which focuses on increasing public participation in physical activities. Studies have shown a link between physical inactivity and poor health. A large percentage of the adult population does not meet the World Health Organization's physical activity recommendations due to many reasons, including the lack of active design strategies in the built environment. This research aims to measure the extent to which active design strategies are applied in university buildings at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia and suggest recommendations for university educational buildings in KSA. A comparative analysis of systems for evaluating the application of active design strategies was conducted, and The Movement Checklist in WELL Building Standard was used as a tool to evaluate educational buildings. Additionally, a questionnaire and interviews were used to identify the awareness of the study sample of the importance of physical activity and to discover appropriate active design strategies for them. The findings of this research will help to inform the development of active design strategies that can be applied to university educational buildings in KSA and will contribute to achieving the objectives of the National Transformation Program's Quality-of-Life Program.

Characterizing urban lifestyle signatures using motif properties in network of places

The lifestyles of urban dwellers could reveal important insights regarding the dynamics and complexity of cities. The availability of human movement data captured from cell phones enables characterization of distinct and recurrent human daily visitation patterns. Despite growing research on analysis of lifestyle patterns in cities, little is known about the characteristics of people’s lifestyle patterns at urban scale. This limitation is primarily due to challenges in restriction of human movement data to protect the privacy of users. To address this gap, this study constructed networks of places to model cities based on location-based human visitation data. We examined the motifs in the networks of places to map and characterize lifestyle patterns at urban scale. The results show that (1) people’s lifestyles in cities can be well depicted and quantified based on distribution and attributes of motifs in networks of places; (2) motifs show stability in quantity and distance as well as periodicity on weekends and weekdays indicating the stability of lifestyle patterns in cities; (3) networks of places and lifestyle patterns show similarities across different metropolitan areas implying the universality of lifestyle signatures across cities; (4) lifestyles represented by attributed motifs are spatially heterogeneous suggesting variations of lifestyle patterns within different population groups based on where they live in a city. The findings provide deeper insights into urban lifestyle signatures and significant implications for data-informed urban planning and management.

Yellow Perils: Pandemic imaginaries and the contest for global power

The precise origins of COVID-19 may never be established, but the weight of available evidence confirms that, together with the pandemics of 1890 and 1918 and the two most recent coronavirus viruses, SARS and MERS, it has followed a zoonotic path of transmission—from animals to humans. In which case the problem lies with the accelerating clearances of forests and woodlands for cattle ranching and palm oil and soya plantations to service a global food system increasingly organised around meat intensive fast and convenience foods. McDonald’s and KFC may have originated in America, but their brightly lit outlets are now a familiar sight in Chinese cities servicing a shared urban lifestyle that supports the unsustainable consumption that is driving the present climate and environmental emergencies. If this analysis is correct, responsibility for COVID-19 and the likelihood of future coronavirus pandemics lies primarily with the corporations promoting the intensified industrialisation of global agriculture. These companies form a complex agribusiness network connecting US and Chinese enterprises and driving deforestation and habitat destruction across the world. By escalating contacts between displaced species and humans these interventions significantly increase the likelihood of zoonotic transmission. Addressing this threat requires transformative changes to prevailing priorities for global production and consumption. Confronting the embedded cultures of distrust and antagonism generated by successive abrasive encounters between China and the West is an essential step towards recognising that the major perils now facing humanity are universal and in urgent need of a common and collaborative response.

Reimagining modern politics in the European mountains: confronting the traditional commons with the neo-rural conception of the common good

Since at least the 1970s, the countryside of Western Europe has been the site of a myriad of “new” communal initiatives. Rural areas that were abandoned during the last century have witnessed the arrival of new inhabitants. These newcomers often flock to the mountains escaping urban lifestyles characterized by individualism, mass-oriented livelihoods, and isolation. Many of these individuals move to areas like the Catalan Pyrenees, where common property and communal institutions have had a strong historical presence. In embracing rural life, these new inhabitants are looking for a more integrated social life in which the commons are, on the one hand, a form of collective private property, and, on the other, represent a more egalitarian way of life in which contributing to the collective effort is not only an efficient way of dealing with particularly harsh ecological conditions, but also an ideological statement that defines the community as something different: an alternative to urban capitalism. Two definitions of the commons are colliding in these mountains; two longstanding lines of political thought are converging and establishing a dialogue that is not always easy: (1) traditional ideologies of land ownership that defined common property over the centuries, not based on economic equality, but on private property and locally shared responsibility on the economic base of the community; and (2) utopian anti-capitalism that views the commons as an alternative mode of social organization and ownership based on egalitarianism.