Urban Regions Research Articles

The population exposure risk of urban heat island effect: From the perspective of urban spatial expansion in China

Urban spatial expansion is a critical aspect of urbanization, but it must occur in a manner that ensures the sustainable development of the urban climate. The primary objective of this study was to assess the population exposure risk of urban heat island (UHI) effect from the perspective of urban spatial expansion. Additionally, the population weighted urban heat island intensity (UHII) index (Ep) was proposed to compare the population exposure risk of UHI effects in different types of urban spatial expansion in China during the summer of 2005–2020. It was found that, in China, urban land increased by an area of 74,894 km2 (1.01-fold) from 2005 to 2020. Leapfrogging emerged as the predominant pattern of urban spatial expansion and was primarily driven by the conversion of cropland to urban land. It witnessed a significant increase in the area covered by UHIs of 107,119 km2 (1.20-fold), accompanied by a rise in the UHII of 0.12°C in China. Notably, the UHII for infilling urban expansion was significantly higher at 2.03°C, in contrast to 1.66°C for edge expansion and 1.47°C for leapfrogging. Correspondingly, the Ep was markedly larger under the infilling urban expansion (2.10°C) in contrast to edge expansion (1.75°C) and leapfrogging (1.67°C). However, edge expansion dominated the newly developed urban land, contributing to 18.60% of the Ep, which was still far less than the contribution of the pre-existing urban land to Ep (61.24%). Importantly, the dominant driver of the increased Ep was the increasing UHII. This study established a connection between inevitable urban spatial expansion and the population exposure risk of UHI effect, providing a strong theoretical basis and practical guidance for the active adaptation and mitigation of urban environmental hazards in urban regions.

Impact of 100% vehicle electrification on the distribution grid in dense urban regions

Vehicle electrification is a requisite for cities to combat global warming. A key challenge associated with the wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is the impact of charging on distribution networks. The problem is further exacerbated in dense urban regions, where space is intrinsically limited. If the grid infrastructure is too constrained, it will dictate locations where EV chargers can be deployed without the need for costly infrastructure upgrades. In dense urban regions, this may hinder or slow down adoption. This paper investigates the impact of EV charging on the distribution grid in dense urban regions, with a focus on a case study based in Harlem, a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City (NYC). The impact of EV charging on the distribution grid depends on several factors, including the number of charging stations, their locations, and the charging demand they result in, which also relate to consumers’ charging behavior. To evaluate this impact, load flow analysis was carried out for a futuristic scenario assuming all personal cars become EVs, with a focus on voltage drop and transformer/feeder overloading. It was found that with proper siting of chargers and scheduling for charging the distribution grid can handle a 100% EV scenario without infrastructure upgrade.

Smart Car Parking System and Generation of Piezoelectric Energy

Abstract: In the past few years, parking has become a costly commodity in virtually every major urban region on the earth, and scarcity is a contributing factor to traffic jam and air pollution in urban areas. The most popular method to obtain a parking place is to do it manually, in which the drivers looks for a parking area either through experience or by luck. This method takes time and effort, and it may result in the worst-possible situation of not finding a parking place if vehicle is in a place with a high vehicle density. An effort is made here to park the vehicle as well as to find a parking space for the vehicle with a framework of Smart Parking System(SPS) which is based on the law of conservation of energy in we basically convert the elements from mechanical energy into electrical energy. This document Allow user to Automatically find a free site for parking at low cost without wasting much fuel and time.

Spatio-temporal dynamic analysis of greenness base on NDVI equation for change detection from 2004 to 2024 at River Nile State, Atbara City, Sudan by using remote sensing and geographical information system

Urban regions' ability to maintain high environmental standards is largely dependent on their vegetation. A decrease in the amount of vegetated area on land has resulted from city expansion and population growth. An examination of land cover change in urban settings is necessary, particularly for urban regional planning that takes green, open space into account. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in urban vegetation cover in two Medan sub-districts from 2004 to 2014. Change analysis and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were performed in the study. The range of plant diversity in these locations was Observed. The results showed changes in vegetation cover areas in the mentioned years. In 2004, most of the areas were under a highly dense vegetation class while in 2014, they were under a low-density vegetation class with new sub-class. This indicates a decrease in vegetation cover due to changes to non-vegetation cover or land cover areas with less vegetation.

Burden of tobacco-related cancers in urban, semi-urban and rural setting of Nepal: Findings from population-based cancer registries 2019.

Nepal is one of the high prevalent countries for tobacco use in Southeast Asia regions. Tobacco related cancer share the major burden since a decade, however, population-based estimates is still lacking. This study provides results from population-based cancer registries on tobacco-related cancer (TRCs) burden in Nepal. The data were collected by population-based cancer registry conducted in nine districts by Nepal Health Research Council. The districts were categorized in urban, semi-urban and rural regions on the basis of geographical locations and facilities available in the regions. Analysis was done to identify tobacco-associated cancer incidence, mortality and patterns along with cumulative risk of having cancer before the age of 75 years. Tobacco-related cancer was 35.3% in men and 17.3% in women. We found that every one in 36 men and one in 65 women developed tobacco-related cancer before age 75 in Nepal. Cancer of lung, mouth, esophagus and larynx were among the five most common tobacco-related cancers in both men and women. The incidence of tobacco-associated cancers was higher in urban region with age adjusted rate 33.6 and 17.0 per 100,000 population for men and women respectively compared to semi-urban and rural regions. Tobacco-associated cancer mortality was significantly higher compared to incidence. The prevalence of tobacco-related cancer found high in Nepal despite of enforcement of tobacco control policy and strategies including WHO framework convention on tobacco control. Concerned authorities should focus towards monitoring of implemented tobacco control policy and strategies.

Parental perception of neonatal care in urban slums of Jammu city

Background: India is undergoing rapid urbanization and many rural residents relocate to urban regions in search of employment, better living conditions and access to education and health care facilities. Neonatal morbidity and mortality are attributed to misperceptions in the community about newborn care. In many parts of urban slums in India, care seeking from multiple providers and use of traditional/home remedies hampered appropriate and timely medical care seeking. Aim was to study awareness, knowledge and practice of newborn care among postnatal mothers in Urban slums of Jammu city. Methods: This observational study was conducted in Urban slums of Jammu city. A total of 100 mothers of newborns residing in urban slums participated in the study after taking Informed Consent from them. A self-structured proforma was used to collect data. Results: Most of the deliveries were conducted in hospital (82%) and 18% were home deliveries. Regarding newborn care practices 88 % had wrapped the newborn with clean cloth immediately after birth. 58% of newborns were given first bath within 2-7 days. 39% of mothers-initiated breast feeding within 6-24 hours. Majority (68%) newborns were fed with colostrum. Regarding cord cutting procedures among home deliveries, it was observed that clean blade was used in 15 newborns while in 3 cases aseptic practice for cord cutting was not followed. Conclusions: Good newborn practices like promotion of warmth, cord care, hygiene and early breastfeeding should be the main focus of community-based health workers. The present study concluded that some unhealthy neonatal care practices were still found to be prevalent which can be mitigated by increasing awareness among parents through IEC activities.

Unraveling the Mechanism of the Holes in the Blanket of Fog Over the Indo‐Gangetic Plains: Are They Driven by Urban Heat Islands or Aerosol?

AbstractFog holes were reported over cities of the Indo‐Gangetic plains of India, which were attributed to the urban heat island (UHI) effect. The present study reports the observational evidence of fog holes over rural area using satellite and ground observations. Delayed onset and early dissipation of fog is observed over the holes. Numerical simulations demonstrate that aerosol‐radiation interaction (ARI) leads to fog holes over both urban and rural regions. The anthropogenic aerosols and associated ARI dominate the UHI effect over the urban fog holes, while the aerosol absorption due to ARI mainly controls the rural fog holes. Turning off aerosol absorption causes ∼ 2 hours delay in the fog dissipation over urban area, whereas it yields persistent fog over rural area under saturated environment. An enhancement of soluble Aitken black carbon over the fog holes indicates the importance of aging process during fog dissipation.

#2550 Micro(nano)plastics in human urine: a surprising contrast between Chongqing's urban and rural regions

Abstract Background and Aims Microplastics (100 nm-5 mm) and nanoplastics (<100 nm) collectively referred to as micro(nano)plastics (MNPs), which are emerging pollutants all over the world. Environmental differences affect its distribution. The content of MNPs differs between urban and rural environments, according to previous studies. Method To understand the actual situation of human exposure to MNPs in various environments, this study collected 12 urine samples from volunteers in urban and rural regions of Chongqing and used pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and laser direct infrared spectroscopy (LDIR) to detect and analyze MNPs in urine. Results With an average abundance of 1.50 (2.31) mg/kg, MNPs were found in 9 samples by Py-GC/MS. Polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyamide 66 (PA66), three different types of MNPs were found, with PE content being the highest among them. By using LDIR, MNPs were found in 7 samples, with an average abundance of 15.17 (23.13) particles/kg. Five different types of MNPs were found, with acrylates (ACR) being the main type, followed by polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyurethane (PU), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Conclusion The findings demonstrated that urban region had much greater levels and more types of MNPs in human urine than rural. Additionally, regular contact with plastic toys and the use of personal care products are linked to the presence of MNPs. The influence of environmental factors on the actual exposure of the human body to MNPs was preliminary explored in this study, and two different methods were used for the first time to simultaneously detect and analyze MNPs in human urine. This allowed for the feasibility of comprehensively and effectively quantitatively analyzing the actual exposure of the human body to MNPs, and also provided the theoretical foundation for further research on the harm of MNPs to human health in different environments.

Critical care nurses' experiences of ethical challenges in end-of-life care.

In Swedish intensive care units, nine percent of patients do not survive despite receiving advanced life-sustaining treatments. As these patients transition to end-of-life care, ethical considerations may become paramount. To explore the ethical challenges that critical care nurses encounter when caring for patients at the end of life in an intensive care context. The study used a qualitative approach with an interpretive descriptive design. Twenty critical care nurses from eight intensive care units in an urban region in Sweden were interviewed, predominately women with a median age of fifty-one years. This study was approved by The Swedish Ethics Review Authority. Critical care nurses described encountering ethical challenges when life-sustaining treatments persisted to patients with minimal survival prospects and when administering pain-relieving medications that could inadvertently hasten patients' deaths. Challenges also arose when patients expressed a desire to withdraw life-sustaining treatments despite the possibility of recovery, or when family members wanted to shield patients from information about a poor prognosis; these wishes occasionally conflicted with healthcare guidelines. The critical care nurses also encountered ethical challenges when caring for potential organ donors, highlighting the balance between organ preservation and maintaining patient dignity. Critical care nurses encountered ethical challenges when caring for patients at the end of life. They described issues ranging from life-sustaining treatments and administration of pain-relief, to patient preferences and organ donation considerations. Addressing these ethical challenges is essential for delivering compassionate person-centered care, and supporting family members during end-of-life care in an intensive care context.

Examining determinants of stunting in Urban and Rural Indonesian: a multilevel analysis using the population-based Indonesian family life survey (IFLS).

In Indonesia, chronic malnutrition leading to stunted growth in children represents a significant issue within the public health domain. The prevalence of stunting varies between urban and rural areas, reflecting disparities in access to nutrition, healthcare, and other socioeconomic factors. Understanding these disparities is crucial for developing targeted interventions to address the issue. The study used data from the fifth wave of the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS), which is a national cross-sectional population-based survey conducted across approximately 13 provinces in Indonesia in 2014-2015. Multivariate and Multilevel logistic regression models were utilized in the analysis to determine the factors associated with the prevalence of stunting in Indonesian children. The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that among children aged 24-59 months in Indonesia, stunting was associated with the age of the child, birth weight, maternal nutritional status, and residence. Subsequently, the multilevel logistic regression analysis revealed that in rural areas, the age of the child and birth weight exhibited significant associations with stunting. Conversely, in urban areas, stunted children were influenced by 7 factors, including the child's age (months), age of weaning, birth weight (kg), mother and father's age, place of birth, and maternal nutritional status. Variations in childhood stunting between urban and rural regions in Indonesia were observed, indicating a differential prevalence. The study's findings suggests the importance of age-appropriate nutritional support, healthcare interventions, and growth monitoring. Focused interventions are vital, potentially encompassing initiatives such as improving access to maternal and child healthcare services, promoting adequate nutrition during pregnancy and infancy, and facilitate greater parental engagement in childcare responsibilities.

Multidisciplinary team meeting Chairs' attitudes and perceived facilitators, barriers and ideal improvements to meeting functionality: A qualitative study.

Oncology care provision by multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) is widely acknowledged as best practice. Formal team meetings, led by chairpersons, coordinate decisions on diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and review. This study addresses a gap in meeting Chairs' perspectives on factors affecting functionality across the meeting cycle, from pre-meeting patient list triage to post-meeting dissemination of recommendations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in person with Chairs within two urban geographical regions in New South Wales, Australia as part of a larger project. Though the population of oncology MDT Chairs in Australia is small, the richness and depth of data from nine Chairs were considered to be valuable knowledge in support of extant literature on meeting functionality. An integrated deductive-inductive approach was applied to data analysis. Perceived facilitators, barriers, and ideals relating to pre-meeting, in-meeting, and post-meeting functionality were identified across five pre-determined analytic categories: the team; meeting infrastructure; meeting organization and logistics; patient-centered clinical decision-making, and; team governance. Key barriers included inadequate information technology, limited support staff, and lack of dedicated time for Chair duties. Corresponding facilitators included robust Information Technology infrastructure and support, provision of clinically knowledgeable MDT meeting coordinators, and formal employment recognition of Chairs' responsibilities and skill sets. Chairs across various tumor streams develop workarounds to overcome barriers and ensure quality meeting outcomes. With more robust support they could enhance value by sharing evidence, conducting audits, and engaging in research. The findings highlight the need for healthcare systems to support tumor stream clinical networks by allocating greater resources to prioritize multidisciplinary meetings and cancer care decision-making.

Unsociability and social adjustment in Chinese preschool migrant children: the moderating role of receptive vocabulary

Peer relationships play an indispensable role in the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children. However, children exhibiting social withdrawal, such as unsociability, may face challenges in social adjustment. In collectivistic cultures like China, unsociability may be perceived negatively, aligning poorly with collective norms. The objective of the present investigation was to examine the associations between unsociability, receptive vocabulary, and indicators of social adjustment in a cohort of young migrant children residing in urban regions of mainland China. The study mainly aimed to investigate the potential moderating influence of receptive language on these associations. The study involved 148 young children (82 boys, 66 girls, Mage = 62.32 months, SD = 6.76) enrolled in preschools or kindergartens in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. Multiple sources of assessment were utilized, encompassing evaluations from mothers (about child unsociability), teacher (assessing social adjustment), and standardized tests (measuring receptive vocabulary). The results indicated that the relations between unsociability and peer exclusion were more positive among children with lower levels of receptive vocabulary but not significant for children with higher levels of receptive vocabulary. Similarly, the relations between unsociability and peer exclusion were more negative among children with lower levels of receptive vocabulary but not significant for children with higher levels of receptive vocabulary. Thus, this study informs us about how receptive vocabulary is jointly associated with unsociable children’s development. As well, the findings highlight the importance of considering the meaning and implication of unsociability in Chinese culture.

Towards Integrated Care for the Elderly: Exploring the Acceptability of Telemonitoring for Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes Management.

Telemonitoring has been proposed as an effective method to support integrated care for older people with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. This paper examines acceptability of telemontioring, its role in supporting integrated care, and identifies scale-up barriers. A concurrent triangulation mixed-methods study, including in-depth interviews (n = 29) and quantitative acceptability tool (n = 55) was conducted among individuals who underwent a 12-month telemonitoring routine. The research was guided by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. Interviews were analysed using template content analysis (TCA). TCA identified seven domains of acceptability, with twenty-one subthemes influencing it positively or negatively. In the quantitative survey, acceptability was high across all seven domains with an overall score of 4.4 out of 5. Urban regions showed higher acceptability than rural regions (4.5 vs. 4.3), with rural participants perceiving initial training and participation effort as significantly more burdensome than their urban counterparts. Patients described several instances where telemonitoring supported self-management, education, treatment, and identification elements of the integrated care package. However, there were barriers that may limit its further scale-up. For further scale-up, it is important to screen patients for monitoring eligibility, adapt telemonitoring devices to elderly needs, combine telemonitoring with health education, involve family members, and establish follow-up programmes.

Firearm and Criminal Milieu Homicide in Sweden

This study analyzes the trend in firearm and criminal milieu–related homicides in Sweden in the past three decades. A particular focus is on the 2010–2019 period, during which a dramatic increase was noted, although an increase in firearm homicides with illegal guns had already started in the late 1990s. In extant literature, the rapid increase in the 2010s is posited to be associated with fast access to illegal weapons, especially among youth in the most urban regions, Stockholm and Skaane County in particular. As a result, many victims and perpetrators are young men. This issue is proposed to be exacerbated by the new possibilities for organized crime setups in the wake of the digital revolution, a heightened level of social problems in the aftermath of high immigration from developing countries in combination with the dismantling of welfare institutions, and a self-increasing chain reaction of violence triggered by random episodes in the criminal milieu. These hypotheses are largely supported by this study’s findings.

Roles of Technology for Risk Communication and Community Engagement in Bangladesh during COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic required clear communication of risk and community engagement. A gap is noted in scholarly studies portraying strong community engagement for risk handling, particularly in resource-constrained regions in the HCI community. This study covers community engagement and its use of technology during COVID-19 through a qualitative study of Bangladesh. The study looks at marginalized communities who have struggled through the pandemic yet handled the difficult time through their effective problem solving, working together as a community when there was not enough support from authorities. It is a qualitative study during the pandemic consisting of nine communities, including 58 participants ( N = 58, Female = 33, Male = 23, Transgender = 2) across four divisions of Bangladesh covering urban, semi-urban, and rural regions. The study uncovers the challenges and close community structures. It also shows the enhanced and increased positive role of technology during the pandemic while also pointing out that a few communities were digitally disconnected and could benefit from digital connectivity in the future through increased awareness and support.

Diurnal rail noise measurement, analysis, and evaluation of associated health impacts on residents living in the proximity of rail track area.

In India, railway is the major transportation mode for carrying goods and people. The tracks for the movement of the rail were initially constructed in the city for the pre-eminence and expediency of the vantage of the people. Rapid modernization and increasing population in the city crammed the area around the railway tracks. Moving rail on the tracks passing through the city is not compatible, which is creating problems for the nearby residents. In the urban and suburban regions, the railway noise has become a major problem. This study was conducted to examine the perception of the physiological and psychological effects of railway noise in the nearby areas of railway stations in Delhi, India. For this purpose, 10 sites near the railway station were selected for the study. To assess the impact of railway noise pollution on the health of humans, a questionnaire survey was conducted. The data of 344 individuals were collected through the questionnaire survey and analyzed to get the perception towards railway noise. Noise level was monitored by a Sound Level Meter (SLM) and the equivalent noise level (Leq) in dB(A) was used to compute the noise pollution in three shifts, i.e., morning, noon, and evening time. Results showed that 57.65% of female and 86.11% of male respondents in the survey reported the disturbance due to railway noise. The level of noise pollution was found higher in the evening time as compared to the noon and morningperiod, which exceeds the limit set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at all the monitored locations. Findings of the study show that the primary cause of the health problems is railroad noise, which is negatively impacting the health of the residents, who are living in the proximity of the rail track region. The perception survey reported that headache, sleep disturbance, irritation, and stress are common health issues among the locals residing around the railway track proximity in Delhi.

For the greater good: modern China’s struggle on housing shortage

The examination of housing shortages in China presents a fascinating subject that is rarely directly addressed. This topic not only captures our interest due to the irony in a communist country but also in light of the profound transformation of Chinese society, evolving from an agrarian civilization to a modern industrialized state. The objective of this essay is to establish a comprehensive framework that encompasses economic, social, and architectural narratives as an integrated whole. This essay delves into the historical trajectory of housing shortages in modern China, tracing the evolution of this issue within Chinese society since the founding of the communist regime in 1949. Given China’s unique industrial and residential policy framework, housing provision is intrinsically linked to state-owned factories and residential certification, commonly referred to as hukou. As the political and economic foundations have shifted over time, so too has the root cause of housing shortages. In addition to general historical and theoretical research, we have undertaken an in-depth examination of Lanxi City, one of the industrial clusters established in China. The case study of Lanxi City involves a series of visits and interviews conducted within local factories and communities. Our analysis identifies two distinct phases in this evolution: the “fundamentalist communist era” and the transitional period toward a market economy. Each of these eras can be further subdivided into four distinct phases, providing a more nuanced perspective. Our findings reveal that various housing distribution mechanisms have contributed to the issue of housing shortages. During the first era, housing shortages were primarily a result of hukou restrictions, industrial disparities, sluggish construction processes, and corporate profit considerations. In the latter phase, spanning the 1980s and 1990s, housing shortages were exacerbated by escalating costs and a slow rate of housing unit replenishment. As the new millennium unfolded, real estate bubbles compounded the housing crisis, with older neighborhoods ill-suited for modern living. Our interviews and visits complemented our literature research, offering valuable insights into the systemic exploitation of specific groups in pursuit of broader goals, hence the title. This paper underscores the housing shortage in China as a consequence of economic disparities between urban and rural regions, as well as between the prosperous East coast and the underdeveloped West hinterland.

Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Practices in Rural and Urban Regions of Indonesia

Background. The global strategy on infant and child feeding recommends the best pattern of feeding for infants and young child feeding (IYCF) from birth to 24 months. Practices of proper feeding of children up to 2 years of age contribute to a child’s survival, growth, and development because they can prevent micronutrient deficiencies, morbidity, and obesity in later life. This study aims to determine the risk factors for the failure of IYCF practice in urban and rural Indonesia. Materials and Methods. The study used Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS) 2017 data with a cross-sectional research design. The sampling technique used systematic probability proportional to size sampling. The number of samples was 4,869 children consisting of 2,424 children in urban and 2,445 children in rural. Bivariate analysis using chi-square test. Multivariate analysis using multivariate logistic regression. Results. The study found that most of the children in urban (79.3%) and rural (97.2%) did not practice IYCF under the recommendations. There is a difference in the proportion of IYCF practices between urban and rural areas (p <0.001). The risk factors for the failure of IYCF practice in urban areas are socioeconomic, maternal age, and age at first marriage. The poorest socioeconomic is at risk of 2.4 times, maternal age > 35 years are at risk of 1.5 times, age at first marriage is less than 21 years at risk of 2.1 times carrying out IYCF practices not according to recommendations compared to the comparison group. The risk factors for the failure of IYCF practice in rural are socioeconomic, maternal education, quantity, and quality of antenatal care (ANC). The poorest socioeconomic is at risk of 2.1 times, mothers with primary education are at 1.5 times, the quantity of ANC is not good at risk at 1.9 times, the quality of ANC is not good risk at 1.5 times practicing IYCF is not according to the recommendations compared to the comparison group. Conclusion. The practice of IYCF in Indonesia starting from giving early breastfeeding initiation, exclusive breastfeeding, and complementary feeding according to recommendations is still low. The priority of IYCF intervention through education and assistance to pregnant women needs to be a sustainable program.

Public transport provision and social sustainability in Sweden

ABSTRACT The provision of public transport is important for a sustainable society and is vital for many groups. Children, older people, and people from carless households are examples of such groups: they rely on public transport and risk social exclusion without it. The aim of this study is to identify areas in Sweden where an improved public transport system might enhance social sustainability. To this end, an index of public transport needs at a sub-municipality level was calculated along with an index of public transport provision using data from public transport authorities in Sweden. The results indicate that areas with a mismatch between the provision of and estimated demand for public transport are relatively heterogenous. High gaps exist both in rural and peripheral regions of Sweden as well as the suburbs of urban regions.

Multi-scalar and diasporic integration: Kurdish populations in Europe between state, diaspora and geopolitics

Abstract This article challenges both methodological nationalist and decolonial approaches to ‘integration’ by drawing attention to how transnational factors—including trans-state diaspora networks and geopolitical relations between European states and Kurdish ‘homelands’—have direct impacts on the integration trajectories of newly arrived Kurdish displaced populations in Europe. Based on over 200 interviews with Kurdish immigrants, including refugees and asylum seekers across seventeen sites in rural and urban regions in six European countries, our research suggests the need to move beyond local and national-level understandings of integration to one which is also transnational, diasporic, and multi-scalar, taking account of the enduring effects of homeland politics on integration determinants. Such a model of integration does not throw out the concept, but recognizes both the protective and empowering role that local and national policies can play in enabling refugee and diaspora populations to function autonomously in a broader transnational and global context.