Urban Settlements Research Articles

Access to the European cultural heritage of settlements and towns in the Danube macro-region through interoperable strategies digital transformation

Tangible cultural heritage is a strategic resource for the development of rural and urban settlements. Cooperation with stakeholders from EU countries and regions within the Danube macro-region, such as cultural heritage institutions and competent authorities, allows to agree on the preparation and adaptation of compatible digital innovation strategies in local initiative groups in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as on impact mapping through a set of pan-European socio-economic indicators. Objectives of the study: to analyse the available European best practices and methodology for adaptation in the integration of the regions of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the interregional innovation partnership on the smart specialisation "Cultural and Creative Regional Ecosystems" (CCRE-S3) [1]. The overall horizontal objective of the integration into the platform should be to add value to the common characteristics of the cultural and creative sector and to create a permanent discovery mechanism that will carry out activities to identify strategic investments and the use of innovation transfer tools. Previous works: previous concept, research and experience are described in the articles [2] and [3]. Approach: European benchmarking, comparative analysis, bibliographic research. Outcome: recommendations aimed at stimulating new ideas and opportunities related to cultural and creative experiences for local communities and residents by involving several groups of professions that use, apply and implement new technologies in the cultural and creative industries sector. The European Programmes provide resources to support their implementation. In this way, the Danube Strategy participating States [4],  by supporting partnerships between the cultural heritage sector and other sectors such as higher education and vocational education and training, creative industries and sustainable cultural tourism, will be able to stimulate innovation for new services and applications in their regions.

A comprehensive investigation on the effect of UHI in Baripada city using geo‐spatial technique and MLTHP model

AbstractAccording to the Times of India, Baripada city recorded the highest temperature in the world on April 14, 2023, at 43.5°C. It is located in the south‐west direction of the Similipal Biosphere Reserve. Observing the third highest temperature in the world, we are interested in finding out the reasons affecting climate change. This paper investigates the reasons for the temperature change in Baripada city and its surroundings by considering factors like Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Multi‐band Drought Index (NMDI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Normalized Difference Built‐up Index (NDBI), forest fires, rainfall patterns, wind patterns, and registration of motor vehicles. For this study, data has been collected from USGS (United States Geological Survey), NASA POWER, Forest Survey of India, ArcGIS Online, etc. The study of NDVI shows a significant relationship with the LST. Similarly, NMDI shows an abnormal change in the drought index from 0.092 in 1990 to 0.276 in 2022, and NDWI shows a continuous reduction of the water index of −0.382 in 1990 and −0.176 in 2010, followed by −0.212 in 2022. NDBI values show that the urban build‐up index is increased to an extent due to rapid urban settlements removing natural vegetation. The overall forest fire count found an abnormal rise in the Baripada region during 2011 and 2022 to 143 times. Focusing on all the above factors, an experimental study is finally carried out to confirm the rise in temperature using time‐series analysis and a multi‐layer locally tuned hidden layer perceptron (MLTHP) model to ensure the Times of India's report.

Hierarchical Fuzzy MCDA Multi-Risk Model for Detecting Critical Urban Areas in Climate Scenarios

One of the issues of greatest interest in urban planning today concerns the evaluation of the most vulnerable urban areas in the presence of different types of climate hazards. In this research, a hierarchical fuzzy MCDA model is implemented on a GIS-based platform aimed at detecting the urban areas most at risk in the presence of heatwave and pluvial flooding scenarios. The proposed model aims to detect the urban areas most vulnerable to both the two climatic phenomena and the two types of hazards as independent events; it partitions the physical component of an urban settlement into two subsystems: buildings and open spaces, and it determines the criticality of a subzone of the urban area of study by evaluating the vulnerabilities of the two subsystems to the two phenomena. The use of a hierarchical fuzzy MCDA model facilitates the modeling of the two subsystems and the assessment of their vulnerability to the two phenomena, and it provides a computationally fast tool for detecting critical urban areas. The model was tested on a study area made up of the districts of the central-eastern area of the city of Naples (Italy); it was divided into subzones made up of individual census areas. The most critical areas are represented by the subzones with criticality values higher than a specific threshold.

Integrating ecosystem service supply–demand and ecological risk assessment for urban planning: A case study in Beijing, China

The balance between ecosystem service supply–demand and landscape ecological risk are two crucial aspects influencing the sustainable development of regional ecosystems. Current evaluations ignore these aspects and lead to partial landscape planning in urban areas. As a result, a framework was built for regional planning in urban areas based on multidimensional evaluations of ecosystems for high-efficiency land use planning. First, to determine the ecosystem service balance in regional scale, the supply and demand of five ecosystem services were quantified—biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, water conservation, food production, and landscape recreation. Second, landscape ecological risks were identified using the “natural–social–landscape” research framework combined with spatial principal component analysis. Third, spatial clustering analysis of ecosystem service supply–demand ratios and landscape ecological risks was then performed through spatial autocorrelation, which aimed to identify areas for protection and restoration priority. Finally, GeoDetector was used to determine the main factors influencing ecosystem service balance and landscape ecological risks and develop targeted planning measures. The results revealed an imbalance in total ecosystem service supply–demand in Beijing's plain area, coupled with a high level of landscape ecological risk. The combined ecosystem service supply–demand ratios exhibited a significant negative correlation and aggregation with landscape ecological risk, and the significant area accounted for approximately 31.9% of the total area. Priority areas for protection and restoration accounted for 10.39% and 19.94%, respectively, of the total regional area. Land use, distance to settlements, and vegetation cover were the primary environmental variables influencing the distributions of the combined ecosystem service supply–demand ratios and landscape ecological risk. So, this study emphasizes the need to strengthen intensive land use and prevent the uncontrolled expansion of urban land and settlements. It is crucial to enhance urban green infrastructure construction, promote the development of biodiversity-friendly agriculture, and implement measures such as afforestation restoration to increase regional vegetation cover. Overall, by integrating a framework of ecosystem services and landscape ecological risk, a comprehensive scientific reference can be provided for the efficient land use and sustainable development planning in urban areas.

Sensitivity of insectivorous bat foraging guilds to urbanization and implications for sustainable development

Substantial urban expansion is expected in global biodiversity hotspots over the next decade, especially in Asia. One such hotspot is Sulawesi, Indonesia, which hosts a diverse array of wild mammals, including bats. While urbanization may threaten some bats, species are not uniformly sensitive to urbanization. Many bat species’ sensitivity to urbanization is associated with their foraging strategies (or foraging guild), but information from Asia, generally, is severely lacking. Here we address this knowledge gap regarding urban sensitivity among insectivorous, echolocating bats within the context of urban informal settlements around the city of Makassar, South Sulawesi. Globally and in Makassar, informal settlements often exist on the fringe of cities, forming an urban-undeveloped land interface. Consequently, they may present opportunities to support conservation for some bats, given a growing focus on nature-based sustainable development solutions to improve the lives of informal settlement residents. We examined how, among informal settlements across Makassar, relative activity of bat sonotypes (in lieu of taxonomic species) from different foraging guilds was related to environmental factors associated with urban expansion. We found bat activity was influenced by processes interacting across multiple spatial scales ranging from the landscape- (e.g., spatial location relative to dense development in the urban core) to local-level (e.g., particular environmental features within 500 m). Broadly, we found some foraging guilds had lower overall relative activity, as well lower activity within the urban core compared to the peri-urban zone, indicating differential sensitivity to urbanization among Makassar’s bats that matches findings elsewhere. However, intensity of both urban and peri-urban informal settlement habitat use by particular bats was driven by a combination of landscape- and local-scale features. At the local scale, tree cover and inland water area frequently influenced sonotype activity in settlements, including urban core habitat use by urban-sensitive bats. Our work demonstrates that, especially if coordinated across broader spatial scales, local nature-based upgrades in informal settlements incorporating diverse green and blue spaces have the potential to enhance suitability of urban zones for both bats and for people.

‘Living between here and there’: Trans-local coping with urban marginality among internally displaced persons in urban Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in urban areas experience spatial, social and symbolic marginality because of interactions between the processes of displacement and the socio-spatial contexts in which they are relocated. While an increasing body of research has highlighted the agentic possibilities of urban margins, little is known about IDPs’ coping practices beyond the urban contexts that produce their marginality. Drawing on a qualitative study in two urban settlements in Ethiopia, this paper disentangles how trans-local practices of mobilities, connections and attachment, and the circulation of resources support IDPs in coping with disadvantages in urban settings. The findings show first, that constellations of mobilities across different nodal places constitute strategies to diversify the sources of livelihood thereby coping with the effects of spatial disadvantages. Second that, that trans-local connection and attachment preserves a sense of belonging to trans-local ‘homes’ and acts as a symbolic resource against the processes of exclusion and othering. Third, that the trans-local social network facilitates the exchange of material and intangible resources, and expands IDPs’ employment opportunities and social relations. This study contributes to our understanding of forced migrants’ agency to transform places and produce fluid lived spaces to reduce the impact of marginalization in relocation contexts.

Landscape evolution of the NW Himalayan rivers during the late Quaternary and their non-contemporaneity to the Harappan Civilization

A large perennial river system, the Ghaggar-Hakra, fed by the palaeo-Sutlej and palaeo-Yamuna Rivers from the west and east respectively, has been argued to have sustained the Bronze Age Harappan urban settlements (∼4.6–3.9 ka BP) in NW Himalayan foreland in India and Pakistan. However, it has been demonstrated by previous workers that palaeo-Sutlej was already defunct in this region by ∼8 ka, much before the peak of urbanism. In contrast, the evolutionary history of palaeo-Yamuna, a major feeder to the Ghaggar-Hakra River system, remains weakly documented and enigmatic. This knowledge gap limits our understanding of the influence of regional-scale hydrological conditions on the growth and eventual demise of the Harappan Civilization. Here, we present the high-resolution chronostratigraphic records based on 47 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages from 6 cores (∼50 m deep) retrieved across the palaeochannels of the Yamuna. We document multi-storied sand bodies deposited by a mobile channel belt in a large alluvial fan system characterized by four possible stages of drainage reorganization and landscape evolution during the late Quaternary. It has also been inferred that a major eastward shift of the palaeo-Yamuna River occurred at ∼18 ka, predating both the westward shift of the Sutlej at ∼8 ka and the decline of the Harappan Civilization at ∼3.9 ka BP. Our chronostratigraphic data helps to understand the drainage reorganization of the Himalayan river systems during the late Quaternary in the NW Himalayan foreland and reaffirms the non-contemporaneity of the Harappan Civilization with a large river system.

Radioecological situation in certain areas of the Southern Federal District

Radioecological monitoring of natural and urban areas is intended not only to assess the consequences of the operation of nuclear fuel energy enterprises, but also to ensure radiation safety of humans and the environment. This type of research allows not only to identify areas with increased background radiation, but also to reduce social tension in the population associated with radiophobia. This paper presents the results of long-term studies of the ambient dose equivalent rate (ADR) of gamma radiation within urban and rural settlements of the Southern Federal District using the example of the Krasnodar Territory. ADR measurements were carried out at a height of 100 cm from the earth's surface using dosimeters-radiometers SRP-88n, DRBP-03 and DKS-96s with a detection unit BDKS-96s using pedestrian gamma survey methods. The study regions represent different types of landscapes: steppe plain territories, the foothills of the North Caucasus and the Black Sea coast. It is shown that the arithmetic average ADR values in urban conditions are 0.11 μSv/h, and in rural settlements – 0.14 μSv/h. Similar results may be due to differences in soil and climatic conditions in different settlements. In general, differences in gamma radiation ADR may be due to a greater extent to measurement uncertainty (standard deviation), and also, to a lesser extent, to relief features and the content of radionuclides in the soils of a given region. The radiation situation in the Krasnodar Territory at the time of the study complies with the requirements of SanPiN 2.6.1.2612-10. The gamma radiation equivalent dose rate values are within the limits of natural background fluctuations characteristic of the Russian Federation.

Emerging Trends in Worker-Cooperatives in a Changing World of Work: Implication for Community Development in Nigeria

Worker-cooperatives are emerging as organizational structures responding to the trends within the world of work, ranging from technological, economical to social trends. They have a specific democratic governance structure of management and members being the workers and they are also in charge of decisions making in the enterprise. As part of the trends in a changing world of work, worker-cooperatives use different spectrums of technologies for local and international work performance. They buy out or take over business organizations that are failing as a result of the financial and economic crisis and transform the business organizations into productive enterprises. They also generate employment for members and non-members, provide financial assistance to members and non-members at a reduced interest rate and help to train community members to be proficient in different fields of endeavour. Obviously, in the Nigerian society today, worker-cooperatives are agents of bringing development in urban settlements and rural communities.

Investigation on trommeled legacy waste from full-scale mining of old dumpsites: Suitable for valorization or scientific disposal?

The burgeoning interest in resource recovery from old dumpsites has significantly propelled the adoption of Landfill Mining (LFM) in recent years. This study is centred around evaluating the quality of materials recovered from the full-scale LFM activities at two major dumpsites in India, focusing on the valorization potential of the segregated legacy waste. A detailed analysis was conducted on the segregated waste fractions based on particle size (−30 mm, 30 to 6 mm, and −6 mm, as sourced from the sites), employing both batch and column leaching methods across a range of liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratios (0.1–10.0 L/kg).The findings reveal a pronounced concentration of contaminants within the −6 mm fraction compared to the 30 to 6 mm and −30 mm fractions. Column leaching tests revealed a reduction in contaminant concentration, correlating with incremental changes in L/S ratio. Notably, this trend remained consistent across varying particle sizes and specific type of contaminants assessed. Notably, color intensity of leachate reduced significantly from 720 to 1640 Platinum Cobalt Units (PCU) at an L/S ratio of 0.1 L/kg to a minimal 94–225 PCU at an L/S of 10 L/kg. Dissolved salts emerged as a primary concern, marking them as significant contaminants in both leaching methods. The analysis confirmed that the segregated fractions comply with the USEPA Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC), permitting their disposal in non-hazardous waste landfills. However, the elevated presence of dissolved salts, exceeding reuse limits by 5–35 times, limits their open or unrestricted reuse. Despite this, isolated reuse aligns with regulations from the Netherlands and Germany, suggesting viable pathways for compliant utilization. Geotechnical assessments indicate the potential for repurposing the −30 mm fraction as alternative earthfill and construction material. While heavy metal leaching does not pose significant concerns, the prevalent unscientific disposal practices near urban settlements highlight potential human health risks.This investigation enriches the understanding of the physicochemical properties, leaching behaviour, and reuse potential of segregated legacy waste, offering crucial insights for civic authorities in determining appropriate reuse and disposal strategies for such materials.

A New Technique for Urban and Rural Settlement Boundary Extraction Based on Spectral–Topographic–Radar Polarization Features and Its Application in Xining, China

Highly accurate data on urban and rural settlement (URS) are essential for urban planning and decision-making in response to climate and environmental changes. This study developed an optimal random forest classification model for URSs based on spectral–topographic–radar polarization features using Landsat 8, NASA DEM, and Sentinel-1 SAR as the remote-sensing data sources. An optimal urban and rural settlement boundary (URSB) extraction technique based on morphological and pixel-level statistical methods was established to link discontinuous URSs and improve the accuracy of URSB extraction. An optimal random forest classification model for URSs was developed, as well as a technique to optimize URSB, using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The URSB of Xining, China, in 2020 was then extracted at a spatial resolution of 30 m, achieving an overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient of 96.21% and 0.92, respectively. Compared to using a single spectral feature, these corresponding metrics improved by 16.21% and 0.35, respectively. This research also demonstrated that the newly constructed Blue Roof Index (BRI), with enhanced blue roof features, is highly indicative of URSs and that the URSB was best extracted when the window size of the structural elements was 13 × 13. These results can be used to provide technical support for obtaining highly accurate information on URSs.

Analyzing Role of FSI in City Sprawl- Case Study: Pune City

Pune is the second-largest city in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and is an important city in terms of its economic and industrial growth. Over the years Pune Municipal Corporation area has grown in concentric rings. Future growth of PMC will be mainly governed by existing transport corridors, existing and future industrial developments in and around PMC and the expansion of central business district (CBD). The aim of the research is to analyze role of FSI in city sprawl supported with a case study of Pune City. The objectives of the research are- to assess existing and proposed policies/projects undertaken in Pune City for last two decades, to understand population growth trend and its distribution within and around the city, to analyze factors contributing to intensification and spatial distribution of population density, to examine the effects of increased population density on the existing infrastructure facilities in the urban settlements and lastly to propose strategies or proposals for the selected study area. The methodology adopted for the study initiates with assessing the data collected from secondary sources. The increase in population and built-up area attributed to various factors are studied using satellite images and GIS techniques. Population and built-up density can be linked up together to understand how the former growth affects the latter. The distribution and pattern of population density helps to provide useful information in provision of necessary service infrastructure. Finally, different approaches of accommodating the future population are studied and proposed in the study. Keywords Urban sprawl; Density; Spatial Distribution; Accessibility; Urban Growth

Examining the efficacy of the legal framework governing the management of greywater in South Africa's informal settlements

Abstract The management of greywater and sanitation in South Africa's urban informal settlements is a pressing concern. This review critically examines the legal framework that governs greywater management in South Africa's informal settlements, aiming to shed light on the existing regulations, gaps, and opportunities for sustainable greywater reuse. By scrutinizing the legal framework, the review identifies gaps and challenges in the regulatory environment, including inconsistencies, lack of clarity, and limited enforcement mechanisms. It explores the potential for international best practices to inform possible amendments to the existing legal framework. This was a quantitative research design utilizing a cross sectional survey model. Questionnaires were administered electronically to a sample of 17 municipal leaders from the City of Tshwane, City of Johannesburg and Buffalo City municipalities whose responsibilities were on water management. Descriptive statistics were employed in analysis of the data. Outcomes were reviewed against the alignment or the lack thereof with the SANS 1732:201x standards. This paper underscores the critical need for a coherent and robust legal framework to support responsible greywater management in South Africa's informal settlements. The paper's insights contribute to the ongoing discourse on water governance, shedding light on the pathways toward a more equitable water future.

Smoke exposure, hemoglobin levels and the prevalence of anemia: a cross-sectional study in urban informal settlement in Southern Ghana

BackgroundIn sub-Saharan African cities, more than half of the population lives in informal settlements. These settlements are close to smoky dumpsites, industrial plants, and polluted roads. Furthermore, polluting fuels remain their primary sources of energy for cooking and heating. Despite evidence linking smoke and its components to anaemia, none of these studies were conducted on populations living in urban informal settlements. This study investigated the risks of anemia/mean Haemoglobin (HB) levels in an informal settlement in Accra, Ghana. Exposure to smoke was examined across various sources, encompassing residences, neighborhoods, and workplaces.MethodsThe study was a facility-based cross-sectional design among residents at Chorkor, an informal settlement in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. A questionnaire was administered at a community hospital during an interview to gather data on sources of smoke exposure in the household, in the neighbourhood, and in the workplace. A phlebotomist collected blood samples from the participants after the interview to assess their anaemia status.ResultsThe population (n = 320) had a high prevalence of anemia, with 49.1% of people fitting the WHO’s definition of anemia, while the average HB level was 12.6 ± 2.1 g/dL. Anemia was associated with the number of different types of waste burnt simultaneously [(1 or 2: prevalence ratio (PR): 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.14, 0.99–1.28: 3+: 1.16, 1.01–1.63, p-for-trend = 0.0082)], fuel stacking [(mixed stacking: 1.27, 1.07–1.20: dirty stacking:1.65, 1.19–2.25, p-for-trend = 0.0062)], and involvement in fish smoking (1.22, 0.99–1.06). However, the lower limit of the CIs for number of different forms of garbage burned simultaneously and engagement in fish smoking included unity. Reduced mean HB levels were associated with the number of different types of waste burnt simultaneously [(1 or 2: regression coefficient (β): 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.01, -0.97- -0.99: 3+: -0.14, -0.77- -0.05)], current smoker [(yes, almost daily: -1.40, -2.01- -0.79: yes, at least once a month: -1.14, -1.79- -0.48)], Second-Hand-Smoking (SHS) (yes, almost daily: -0.77, -1.30- -0.21), fuel stacking [(mixed stacking-0.93, -1.33–0.21: dirty stacking-1.04, -1.60- -0.48)], any smoke exposure indicator in the neighbourhood (-0.84, -1.43- -0.25), living close to a major road (-0.62, -1.09- -0.49), and fish smoking (-0.41,-0.93- -0.12).ConclusionAlthough the cross-sectional design precludes causality, smoke exposure was associated with mean HB levels and anaemia among populations living in informal settlements.

Malnutrition in children under five years in a squatter settlement of Karachi: a case-control study

BackgroundMultidimensional factors such as socioeconomic or environmental factors influence malnutrition. Several studies have strongly linked malnutrition to poverty. Some international studies point to the worse nutritional status of urban slum children than rural children. Limited data is available regarding the nutritional status of slum children in Karachi. This study aimed to determine characteristics of malnourished children in an urban squatter settlement in Karachi, Pakistan.MethodsA case- control study was carried out at the primary healthcare center of a squatter settlement in Karachi, Pakistan. All children under five years of age visiting the primary healthcare center were recruited consecutively. Cases were defined as children with z scores < -2 SD of WHO reference measurements of WFA, HFA, WFH and OFC. The controls were similar in terms of age group but had z scores between − 2SD and + 2SD. A self- structured risk factor questionnaire that included information about sociodemographic, economic and environmental factors as well as child- related characteristics was researcher administered via face-to-face interviews with the mothers of children. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were calculated with 95% confidence interval.ResultsA total of 280 participants including 140 cases and 140 controls participated in the study. A larger proportion of the sample originated from individuals with low household income. After adjusting for the confounders, childhood malnutrition was significantly associated with a low education level of father (aOR 4.86, 95% CI 2.23–10.60), a monthly income less than 25,000 PKR (89 USD) per month (aOR 7.13, 95% CI 1.67–30.54), pour pit latrine type of toilet (aOR 4.41, 95% CI 2.67–7.3), less than six months of exclusive breast feeding (aOR 3.578, CI 1.58–8.08), inappropriate weaning age (aOR 3.71, 95% CI 1.53-9).ConclusionMalnutrition in children under five years of age in the community is associated with low family income, low paternal education, poor toilet facilities, lack of exclusive breastfeeding and inappropriate weaning age. The implementation of poverty reduction programs, sanitation provision at affordable rates, community-based breast feeding and weaning education intervention are urgently required to efficiently improve children’s nutritional status.

EQ-DIRECTION Procedure towards an Improved Urban Seismic Resilience: Application to the Pilot Case Study of Sanremo Municipality

This paper discusses the critical importance of effective mitigation policies to enhance earthquake resilience in urban systems, especially in light of recent seismic events in Italy. The Italian Civil Protection Department (ICPD) has delineated specific Limit Conditions (LCs) for urban settlements, serving as benchmarks for targeted mitigation policies, and akin to Limit States for buildings in Codes. While the ICPD has already developed operational procedures for some LCs, concentrating on evaluating the structural operational efficiency of strategic functions during emergency management, only a conceptual outline exists for other LCs involving preparedness and recovery/reconstruction phases. To address this gap, this paper introduces the EQ-DIRECTION (EarthQuake Disaster-REsilient City acTIOn plan) procedure. This method aims to analyze and assess the “Limit Condition for Safeguarding the Existence of the Settlement” (referred to as SLC). The procedure entails identifying the “minimum urban system” required for effective recovery and evaluating the performance of this system in terms of structural damage and economic losses against the SLC requirement. The practical application of this methodology to a real-world case study in Sanremo municipality on the western coast of Liguria (Italy) demonstrates the feasibility and potential effectiveness of the procedure for earthquake resilience in urban planning and management.

“It’s not that I don’t like it here, it’s just that I eventually want to live somewhere else”: young refugees’ contested arrival experiences, local racialized discourses and emergent future selves in Amsterdam

ABSTRACT Although the urban fabric is often associated with relevant infrastructures that foster young refugees’ experiences of settlement and future imagining, a critical notion of place remains largely absent from the literature. This paper investigates refugee youths’ urban arrival and settlement processes by examining the role of public space, place and identity in their imagination of possible future selves. We use place identity as a dynamic, translocal and contested concept to explore how future selves are emplaced in multiple and contradictory ways. The paper reports on an eight-month ethnographic study in an underprivileged neighborhood in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that is characterized by functionalism, social housing and a high concentration of refugee arrivals. We find that personal referents of public neighborhood places are important for nurturing young refugees’ specific hardships and traumas that threaten future self-imagination. We further demonstrate how momentary belongings due to diverse yet intertwined neighborhood identities foster the emergence of multiple possible future selves. Lastly, we show how local racialized discourses of place endanger and “trap” possible future self-concepts. We conclude that urban refugee youths’ future self-imaginations develop alongside multiple contested places and temporalities, and contribute to a relational understanding of urban processes and experiences of forced mobility and displacement.

Towards leaving no one behind in North Macedonia: a mixed methods assessment of barriers to effective coverage with health services

BackgroundThe Government of North Macedonia’s Primary Health Care reform is committed to leaving no one behind on the path to Universal health Coverage (UHC). During mid-2022 to March 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborated with the Government and other national stakeholders for an assessment of barriers to effective coverage with health services experienced by adult citizens, with a specific focus on rural areas and subpopulations in situations of vulnerability.MethodsThis study constituted the piloting of a draft forthcoming WHO handbook on assessing barriers for health services, grounded in the Tanahashi framework for effective coverage with health services. In North Macedonia, the convergent parallel mixed methods study involved four sources. These were: a nationally representative Computer Assisted Telephone Interview Survey (1,139 respondents); 24 key informant interviews with representatives from government, professional associations, non-governmental and civil society organizations, and development partners; 12 focus groups in four regions with adults from vulnerable/high risk groups in rural areas and small urban settlements and an additional focus group with persons with disabilities; and a literature review. Instrument design was underpinned by the Tanahashi framework, which also orientated data triangulation and deductive analysis. The research team synergistically incorporated emerging themes in an inductive way. A key component of the assessment was participatory design of the study protocol with inputs from national stakeholders as well as participatory deliberation of the results and the ways forward.ResultsDespite considerable progress towards UHC in North Macedonia, the assessment elucidated remaining challenges. These included: insufficient numbers of health workers, in general and particularly in the more disadvantaged regions of the country; inadequate number of outpatient medicines covered by health insurance; distance and transportation obstacles, including indirect travel costs, particularly in rural areas; adverse gender norms and relations for both women and men inhibiting timely treatment seeking; perceived discrimination by providers on multiple grounds; bottlenecks including waiting times to get appointments for specialist referrals; and lack of patient adherence, due several factors including costs of medicines and health products.ConclusionsThe outputs from this study of barriers to effective coverage with health services for adult citizens of North Macedonia are feeding into the ongoing Primary Health Care reform, and provide evidence for equity-related actions in the forthcoming National Development Strategy.

Urban ecological human settlements design based on green and low-carbon concept

In recent years, the continuous growth of global carbon emissions has brought about climate change and global ecological environment problems, as well as severe challenges to the development of human settlements. Based on the concept of low carbon, this paper analyzes and summarizes the current situation of green space in typical residential areas, and quantifies its annual carbon sequestration. Then this paper discusses the design optimization strategy to improve its carbon sink efficiency based on the current situation. Finally, the effectiveness and enforce ability of the optimization strategy are verified by estimating the annual carbon sequestration increase value of the green space after the optimization strategy is applied to an example. The method has a certain reference value for the design and research of urban ecological human settlements with the concept of green and low carbon.

Urban pluvial flood modelling in the absence of sewer drainage network data: A physics-based approach

1D/2D dual drainage models have become one of the most useful tools in the study of urban pluvial floods. However, such models require information about the sewer network that is not always readily available. In this study we present a physics-based approach for assessing urban pluvial floods, with the aim of overcoming the common situation of having limited information on the sewer system. The method proposed involves the use of available open-access information within a virtual sewer network generation tool. This realistic approach allows for the implementation of 1D/2D dual drainage models, such as the recently developed Iber-SWMM model. Results obtained from four storm events using a virtual sewer network in Iber-SWMM were compared with those derived using data from the actual sewer network in a coastal town located in NW Spain. These results revealed that the proposed approach can reasonably represent the sewer network's drainage capacity during pluvial floods, especially compared to other simplified approaches, like the rainfall reduction method. The proposed approach also accounts for the sewer network transport capacity and the impact of overflows when a sewer’s capacity is exceeded. Hence the study confirms the significant effect of these processes on the magnitude of pluvial flooding in urban areas. The methodology is shown to be robust, and can be applied to any urban settlement in which no proper record of the sewer network is available.