Urban Program Research Articles

Pelatihan Teknologi Ekstraksi Rimpang Jahe (Zingiber officinale) pada Masyarakat Kampung Jahe Kelurahan Karasak-Astanaanyar

The people of Ginger Village at Karasak Urban Village support the urban greening program by planting ginger plants in the yards and roadsides. Ginger is a traditional medicinal plant commodity that has the potential to be cultivated and developed into health products because of its various pharmacological effects. The PkM team has conducted Community Service Activities for active PKK cadres in Jahe village. This activity aims to educate residents of Ginger Village through PKK cadres about the importance of knowing reasonable ginger extraction procedures so that the benefits of ginger can be optimal as a nutritious ingredient with pharmacological effects. The service method is training in processing ginger using the infusion method. The results showed an increase in participants' knowledge of up to 67%, which indicates that PKK cadres could understand how to extract ginger correctly to maintain its quality and properties.

Urban treescapes as everyday workplaces and knowledge battlegrounds: Lessons from Bangkok, Thailand

Urban greening expertise and programs are pursued and circulated globally to enhance urban livability and sustainability, but the outcomes are often mixed and are accompanied by side effects. Drawing on the concept of “worlding,” this paper examines the processes and outcomes of a training program that introduced tree climbing techniques from overseas to reduce the aggressive pruning practices by the municipal workforce in Bangkok, Thailand. Steered by Thai civil society organizations (CSOs) and international arborists, the training program was supported by the city government and local forestry experts. However, the outcomes were limited. A variety of temporal, logistical, and place-specific factors (including traffic, weather, size and accessibility of trees), constrained the applicability of the introduced techniques for pruning street trees in Bangkok. These crucial urban contextual factors were neglected in the training program design due to knowledge conflicts between the “civic experts” and “lay practitioners,” which undermined the potential of the training program. Illustrating urban treescapes as everyday workplaces and knowledge battlegrounds, this paper argues that aspirations for world-leading expertise might hamper the expression of tacit knowledge that stems from and coordinates with a specific urban context. The conclusion highlights the importance of inclusivity to achieve successful transnational circulation of greening expertise and broader urban transformative attempts involving global knowledge exchange.

Feasibility of constructed soils for tree planting – A pilot study in New York City

Constructed soils are soils that are created with a mixture of various materials. An innovative soil exchange program - the Clean Soil Bank (CSB) in New York City allows recycling of clean glacial outwash sediments excavated from depth at construction sites. One previous study showed that soils constructed from CSB sediment and compost can effectively support crop growth in community gardens, but no research has been conducted on its potential usage as a medium for tree growth. Moreover, biochar has been used to improve soil quality, but its efficacy for street trees incorporated into constructed soils has largely not been quantified in the field. The objective of this project was to evaluate the feasibility of using soils constructed from the CSB and compost for tree planting and to investigate the impact of biochar on tree performance. Thirty-six trees of two species (Maackia amurensis and Zelkova serrata) were planted in 2019, on the sidewalks of a residential-business neighborhood in Bronx, New York. Each tree pit contains one of three soil types: type A - existing and purchased topsoil mixed with 33% compost and biochar, type B - CSB sediment mixed with 33% compost, and type C - CSB sediment mixed with 33% compost and biochar. Soil samples were collected in 2019 (before planting) and in 2021. Tree health assessments were conducted in September 2020 and July 2021 using a protocol developed by the USDA Forest Service. Other tree health parameters collected include diameter at breast height (DBH), crown diameter, tree height, photosynthetic capacity, and foliar chemistry. Significant differences in bulk density, water holding capacity, and K, Fe, and Zn concentrations were found among the three soil types. However, comparison of tree performance and foliar chemistry showed no systematic differences among the three soil types. The results indicate that CSB sediment mixed with compost can be an effective replacement for purchased topsoil for tree growth. No evidence was found that biochar provides additional benefits to street tree performance. Considering the abundant availability of glacial outwash sediment at low cost to the city, as well as access to locally produced compost, constructed soils can be a reliable source of material for urban forestry programs.

"Connecting the Dots” for Recruiting Secondary Science Teachers in Urban Schools: An Exploration of Career Choice for Undergraduate Science Majors

Despite critical shortages of secondary science teachers in urban schools, relatively little research has focused on the recruitment of undergraduate science majors to teach in urban contexts. This study utilized a retrospective narrative inquiry methodology to explore the career pathways of 14 undergraduate science majors into secondary science teaching. The primary data source was interviews that were conducted at the beginning of an urban teacher education program. Interviews were analyzed through the framework of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to identify the characteristics, beliefs, and experiences that featured prominently in their narrativizations of their career pathway into urban science education. Findings highlight a non-linear process of career choice characterized by three themes: rejecting traditional science careers, reevaluating their interests and skills for teaching, and prioritizing socially oriented career goals. Implications for enhancing the recruitment of undergraduate science majors into urban science teaching include transforming undergraduate science majors to value teaching careers and taking a more community-based approach to science teacher recruitment.

Health insurance and subjective well-being: evidence from integrating medical insurance across urban and rural areas in China.

Health insurance coverage and the risk protection it provides may improve enrollees' subjective well-being (SWB), as demonstrated, e.g. by Oregon Medicaid's randomized expansion significantly improving enrollees' mental health and happiness. Yet little evidence from low- and middle-income countries documents the link between insurance coverage and SWB. We analyse individual-level data on a large natural experiment in China: the integration of the rural and urban resident health insurance programmes. This reform, expanded nationally since 2016, is recognized as a vital step towards attaining the goal of providing affordable and equitable basic healthcare in China, because integration raises the level of healthcare coverage for rural residents to that enjoyed by their urban counterparts. This study is the first to investigate the impact of urban-rural health insurance integration on the SWB of the Chinese population. Analysing 2011-18 data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in a difference-in-difference framework with variation in the treatment timing, we find that the integration policy significantly improved the life satisfaction of rural residents, especially among low-income and elderly individuals. The positive impact of the integration on SWB appears to stem from the improvement of rural residents' mental health (decrease in depressive symptoms) and associated increases in some health behaviours, as well as a mild increase in outpatient care utilization and financial risk protection. There was no discernible impact of the integration on SWB among urban residents, suggesting that the reform reduced inequality in healthcare access and health outcomes for poorer rural residents without negative spillovers on their urban counterparts.

Short-term health effects of an urban regeneration programme in deprived neighbourhoods of Barcelona.

Urban regeneration programmes are interventions meant to enhance the wellbeing of residents in deprived areas, although empirical evidence reports mixed results. We evaluated the health impact of a participatory and neighbourhood-wide urban regeneration programme, Pla de Barris 2016-2020, in Barcelona. A pre-post with a comparison group study design. Using data from a cross-sectional survey performed in 2016 and 2021. The health outcomes analysed were mental health, alcohol and psychotropic drug use, perceived health status, physical activity and obesity. Depending on the investment, two intervention groups were defined: moderate- and high-intensity intervention groups. The analysis combined difference-in-difference estimation with an inverse weighting derived from a propensity score to reduce potential biases. The impact of the intervention in percentages and its confidence interval were estimated with a linear probability model with clustered adjusted errors. The intervention had a positive impact on health outcomes in women in the high-intensity intervention group: a reduction of 15.5% in the relative frequency of those experiencing poor mental health, and of 21.7% in the relative frequency of those with poor self-perceived health; and an increase of 13.7% in the relative frequency of those doing physical activity. No positive impact was observed for men, but an increase of 10.3% in the relative frequency of those using psychotropic drugs in the high-intensity intervention group. This study shows positive short-term effects of the urban regeneration programme Pla de Barris 2016-2020 on health outcomes in women in the high-intensity intervention group. These results can guide future interventions in other areas.

Multicriteria-decision support for master plan scheduling: urban regeneration of an industrial area in Northern Italy

Urban regeneration programs involve a series of intricate activities that utilize human, material, and financial resources, executed at varying times and in diverse manners. Within this complex scenario, a major challenge lies in effectively managing concurrent developments across multiple buildings and infrastructure projects, while also harmonizing the interests of all parties engaged in urban regeneration initiatives. This paper introduces a multi-step strategy designed to enhance and streamline urban management amid the multifaceted decision-making processes characteristic of urban regeneration efforts. Specifically, the multi-criteria decision-making model ELECTRE TRI-B is employed to sort the array of basic tasks within a complex transformation endeavor into priority groups based on various evaluative criteria. To ascertain the significance of these criteria and rank each task according to the interests of the stakeholders likely to be impacted, a panel of specialists, including construction experts, economists, and environmental assessors, is convened. Following this, project actions are organized in a Gantt chart reflecting the construction priority determined by the evaluation model. This approach facilitated the temporal organization of master plan activities, incorporating insights from a broad spectrum of experts including municipal technical staff, professionals, and the community at large. The findings indicate that this comprehensive and interactive approach to performance measurement enabled the handling of extensive datasets and the refinement of financial, economic, environmental, and social resources, all while adhering to logical constraints and urban policy demands.

Study on the Influence of Land Use Change on Carbon Emissions Using System Modeling under the Framework of Dual Carbon Goals

At the crucial period of addressing climate change, especially to the carbonization of land use change, it is vital that relevant actions are taken to enable two ambitious dual-carbon goals, namely, ensuring that carbon emissions peak before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060. This research investigates the impacts of land use changes on carbon emissions using a novel approach that integrates Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) with Geographic Information System (GIS). This approach is innovative due to its high quality three-dimensional representation to quantified exact carbon stock and forest emissions occurring due to specific land-use change. Therefore, through actual LiDAR, this research helps demarcate the pattern emitting different land-use measures, including deforestation, urban programs, agricultural differences, and forest and land changes, over historical change records and verified carbonization formulas. Similar qualitative levels between LiDAR and GIS analysis help determine the varying degrees of carbonization occurring due to enhanced deforestation, urban additions, and agricultural contributions while reporting the possible procedural carbons acquired during reforestation and other measurements. The results helped clarify that the most distinct level of land utilization shows the least level of carbon sent into the air. Therefore, the implication is that strategic land use measures and better working conditions can curb carbon indications. These signals support land-use policy and preparedness goals in a low carbon level. This study creates valuable records for the land utilization and cartograph, created through the power of LiDAR and GIS analysis.

Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life Among Women Participating in an Appointment-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

An alternative patient-centered appointment-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program has led to significant improvements in health outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease. However, less is known about the effects of this approach on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), particularly for women. We examined the effects of a patient-centered appointment-based CR program on HRQoL by sex and examined predictors of HRQoL improvements specifically for women. Data were used from an urban single-center CR program at Yale New Haven Health (2012-2017). We collected information on patient demographics, socioeconomic status, and clinical characteristics. The Outcome Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36) was used to measure HRQoL. We evaluated sex differences in SF-36 scores using t tests and used a multivariate linear regression model to examine predictors of improvements in HRQoL (total SF-36 score) for women. A total of 1530 patients with cardiovascular disease (23.7% women, 4.8% Black; mean age, 64 ± 10.8 years) were enrolled in the CR program. Women were more likely to be older, Black, and separated, divorced, or widowed. Although women had lower total SF-36 scores on CR entry, there was no statistically significant difference in CR adherence or total SF-36 score improvements between sexes. Women who were employed and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were more likely to have improvements in total SF-36 scores. Both men and women participating in an appointment-based CR program achieved significant improvements in HRQoL. This approach could be a viable alternative to conventional CR to optimize secondary outcomes for patients.

Do urban renewal programs make suburbs safer? A fine-grained GIS and space syntax study of an urban renewal project in the city of Toulouse

ABSTRACT This paper evaluates the impact of urban renewal programs (PRU) on creating a safe environment. People’s perceptions of PRU and its impact on security were collected through questionnaires and sketch maps. This study applies a space syntax approach to analyse the spatial and structural properties of successive urban space evolutions and compare them with people’s perceptions of security. The findings reveal a strong correlation between areas with high levels of social housing concentration, poverty rates and insecurity. Surprisingly, visually controlled areas are vulnerable and attractive locations for drug trafficking. Density indicators have a minor influence on the perception of insecurity.

The role of eco-attraction in the intention to conduct low-carbon actions: a study of visitor behavior in urban forests

The role of eco-attraction in the intention to conduct low-carbon actions: a study of visitor behavior in urban forests

Understanding citizens' willingness to contribute to urban greening programs

Urban green is an essential component of livable and sustainable cities, providing benefits for the environment, human health, and well-being. In densely built city areas, planting street trees and installing green roofs and facades can lead to more equally distributed green infrastructure, for which it gained importance in urban planning. However, to achieve the desired effects, cities need to implement small-scale measures on a large scale, which requires broader urban restructuring and significant financial and political resources. Economic valuation can support this process by providing city governments with knowledge about citizens’ support and preferences for greening policies. We use a choice experiment in the Austrian capital, Vienna, as part of a representative survey of 1327 respondents. Using a Mixed Logit Model with correlated random parameters, the results show a clear preference for a greener city, while respondents express a higher marginal willingness to pay (WTP) for measures on streets (5.58 Euro/year) than on buildings (3.60 Euro/year) for change the density of green measures from rare to frequently. Introducing interactions with socioeconomic variables, selected attitudes, and neighborhood characteristics based on geo-referenced addresses, we find a positive correlation between a higher WTP and the characteristics of younger and more affluent residents, as well as citizens who suffer significantly from urban heat, use parks more regularly, and live in neighborhoods with relatively little urban greenery. Overall, the analysis proves valuable for estimating public support and facilitating comparisons between different greening options, contributing to a more informed and nuanced discussion in urban planning and policy.

Evolution and determinants of precipitation chemistry in a plateau city, China: Insight from the pollutants source identification and environmental effect

Rainfall-related chemical ions deposition processes have important environment effects on earth-surface, which is also a vital sink of urban air pollutants. Therefore, identifying the rainwater chemical evolution and determinants, and source is essential. The daily-based rainwater samples during 2022– 2023 and the historical rainwater data in a typical plateau city (Kunming) were investigated. The Ca2+ and NH4+, SO42− and NO3− dominated the rainwater cations and anions, with the cationic and anionic percentages of 78% and 10%, 50% and 33%. The historical variations in ions percentages revealed the achievement of environmental protection. The precipitation amount and the seasonal changes of source emission were critical determinants for the variations of rainwater chemistry. Using the stoichiometry and receptor model, the contributions of potential origins to rainwater chemicals were assessed. 86% of NO3− and 40% SO42− were from combustion-related anthropogenic source, volatilization-related source contributed 85% of NH4+ (e.g., agricultural/municipal wastes emissions), whereas marine input was the main contributor of Cl− (59%) and Na+ (52%). Mg2+ (58%) and Ca2+ (41%) were primary from terrestrial input source. The risk of wet deposition-caused acidification was limited due to the high rainwater neutralization level, whereas the impact of nitrogen-related deposition on gross primary productivity (GPP) was non-negligible and further attention was need. Overall, the present study clarified the rainfall chemical features of plateau city region and further provided decision support for more effective urban air environmental management programs.

Experiential learning in a problem-based course on urban forest planning and management

Environmental management in urban spaces involves creative problem-solving with regard for public communication, economics, and socio-political dynamics. As post-secondary institutions provide increasing opportunities for developing these skills, there is little discussion about pedagogical approaches in urban forestry and sustainability programs. A seminar-format university course was designed and implemented to teach management planning in urban forestry. The course employed experiential learning to enhance students' capacity for identifying problems and proposing novel solutions to classroom-confined and live case studies in urban forest management. Student focus group participants valued the incorporation of operational aspects into post-secondary education, as well as reflective opportunities provided through peer-to-peer learning, peer-based evaluations, and opportunities for autonomous active experimentation. Students experienced a positive shift in perceptions of operational staff, underscoring the importance of arborists’ work and their experiential knowledge. The experiential framework thusly provides a valuable opportunity to introduce real-world management and operations to students within a safe space for exploration.

Physical and socioeconomic driving forces of land use and land cover changes: the case of Hawassa City, Ethiopia

Background and objectives: Hawassa served as the country’s southern region’s capital from 1990 to 2019 and is currently experiencing rapid urbanization. Urban planners use the physical and socioeconomic driving elements of Land Use Land Cover Change (LULCC) to identify the variables influencing the trend of urbanization and then make appropriate plans.Methods: The study primarily employed advanced technologies like Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing to collect and analyze accurate and reliable information. The data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and key interviews. Finally, the data were analyzed in different ways, using figures and tables, for example. Descriptive and econometric models were also used to analyze the data and probit regression models were used to investigate the impact of urban expansion on the livelihood of displaced farmers in the surrounding area.Findings: Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the effect of urban expansion on the combined dependent variables, namely, on land use, socioeconomic activities, culture, and environmental change, is statistically significant F(8, 616) =12.704, p = 0.000, Wilk’s Lambda (λ) = .737, partial eta squared(partial η2) = 0.142, observed power = 1.000. Comparatively, the area covered by farmland, built-up areas, and bushland increased from 19.46% to 26.51%, 11.97% to 18.71%, and 3.07% to 4.51%, respectively. The mean score for the level of social relationship and values after land expropriation was 1.7 moderate, with a standard deviation of 0.852 in comparison with the mean score for the level of social relationship and values before land expropriation, which was 3.21 high, with a standard deviation of 0.79. This shows that the land expropriation program negatively affected farmers’ social relationships and values; their social relations levels were high before displacement and between low and moderate after displacement.Conclusion: Policy and strategy gaps in the urban expansion program and this policy issue have hindered the growth of the city and resulted in a serious issue regarding good governance in the area.

A Narrative Review of Urbanization and Mental Health: An Indian Perspective.

Urbanization is a phenomenon that shows the expansion of urban areas in conjunction with industrial and economic progress. Rapid world urbanization is caused by the swift rise in urban residents as a proportion of the population. Efforts to examine the quality of urban life and urbanization as distinct risk factors for mental illness within specific age groups have been made. However, the issue remains contentious and largely unresolved. Urban mental health issues, such as substance abuse, fear of crime, poverty, and ethnicity, are associated with factors like depression, aggression, fear, sadness, and personality disorders. The entire gamut of the population, particularly adult males and females, is affected by these impacts of urbanization. The size of the population increases the prevalence of the preview study. India is expected to concentrate highly on the whole urban population, but this might inadvertently cause harm to urban residents. This review discusses the impact of urbanization on mental health and well-being. We search via PubMed (Medline), Google Scholar, and databases like WHO. The language of the study is English, and other language articles are excluded. The mental health challenges associated with urbanization impact the entire population, with a notable emphasis on adult males and females. They are raising awareness about various urban programs designed for urban populations. It will function as a coordinator of change in a rapidly modified Indian society to spread awareness about mental illnesses throughout all segments of society.

Impact of urban productive safety net programme on poverty reduction and food security: Evidence from major cities of Eastern Ethiopia (Dire Dawa, Harar and Jigjiga)

AbstractDifferent social protection programs are designed in low‐income countries to eradicate poverty and improve the food security of poor people. Currently, the Urban Productive Safety Net Program (UPSNP) is designed to support those who are living in poverty and face food insecurity with predictable and reliable support through food, cash, or vouchers. However, limited empirical evidence has been presented about the significant impact of the program on the well‐being of households who participated in the program and the factors that affect the households' decision to participate in the program. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the impact of participation in UPSNP on well‐being using household survey data gathered from three main cities of Ethiopia: Dire Dawa, Harar, and Jigjiga in 2022. This study employed both propensity score matching (PSM) and endogenous switching regression (ESR) models to assess the impact of the UPSNP. The result shows that the probability of a household's participation decision is determined by the age of the household head, number of children, savings, house ownership, employment status of the household head, and shock. Furthermore, we found a consistently positive impact across models, indicating that participation in UPSNP reduces poverty and increases food security of households.

Eyesight to insight: evidence from urban eye health programme

India, with a population exceeding 1.486 billion, faces substantial challenges in urban eye health, particularly in densely populated states like Uttar Pradesh. This study delves into real-world impact of urban eye health programme, implemented in Kanpur and Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, aiming to identify success factors and examine the tangible effects of interventions through comprehensive endline study. Utilizing a hub-and-spoke model, the programme established base hospitals as hubs and vision centres as spokes, creating a network for affordable and accessible eye care. The project significantly improved accessibility, with over 85% in Kanpur and 97% in Prayagraj reporting easy access to vision centres. A shift in community behaviour was observed, with a preference for vision centres for eye examinations increasing from 5.6-64.6% in Kanpur and 10.6-57.1% in Prayagraj. The programme empowered women to prioritize their eye health, reaching 53% of women for eye screening. Community perception shifted positively, with over 82% in Prayagraj recognizing the programme's pivotal role. In Kanpur, 87.5% of women actively take charge of their eye health decisions, while 99.1% do so in Prayagraj. This empowerment underscores programme commitment to providing equal access to eye care and demonstrates a strong focus on inclusivity and gender equality.

Family Resilience in Urban Extreme Poverty

The impact of poverty causes pressure that weakens family resilience. Although measurements of family resilience are available, there are not many up-to-date measures for urban poor families in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to describe the profile of family resilience and the conditions of vulnerability of extreme urban poor families. The research subjects were the heads of families (N=416) spread across five sub-districts in the city of Bandung, with the highest number of poverties, where most of the subjects worked as daily laborers. The measurement uses a scale of family resilience through four dimensions: the quality of physical, economic, psychological, social, and family structure as demographic resilience. Data were analyzed with descriptive and correlational statistics using JASP 0.15. The results show that poor families have a level of fulfillment of family resilience qualities of 16.5 percent (12.62 percent on the dimensions of physical endurance, 12.46 percent on the economic dimension, 17.33 percent on the psychological dimension and 19.95 percent on the social dimension). Several dimensions have a significant positive relationship, with the highest level on the relationship between dimensions of physical and economic resilience (r=.768). Six conditions of vulnerability were found, namely related to job instability and income that is less than needed, environmental cleanliness and insufficient food consumption, misunderstanding of family goals, and lack of gratitude for conditions. The research findings show two sub-dimensions in each dimension of social resilience and psychological resilience. Suggestions and implications are directed at recommendations for urban extreme poverty alleviation programs and optimizing family quality programs, especially aspects of independence.

The Difficulties and Explorations of Old Community Retrofitting Based on the Sponge City Concept - The case of 240 community in the old urban area of Xi'an

The rapid development of China's urban modernization has become an important driving force for the flourishing of various economic, social and cultural sectors. At the same time, the process of urbanization has led to the serious phenomenon of "urban diseases", particularly urban water problems. To effectively mitigate the negative impacts of urban floods and droughts, China has proposed a nature-based solution - the sponge city concept. Furthermore, urban renewal initiatives and the Old Urban Renewal Programme (OURP) are vital components in sustainable development to ensure quality urban development and enhance residents' health and well-being.