Urban Density Research Articles

Clean and Healthy Living Behavior to Prevent Acute Respiratory Infection among Farmer's Families

Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) cases in Indonesia and abroad are still a significant health problem. In Indonesia, ARI ranks first as a cause of death in infants and toddlers, with a mortality rate of around 20-30%. ARI can cause severe breathing difficulties, such as pneumonia, and ARI is also one of the leading causes of death in children under the age of five in developing countries. This study aims to analyze how to improve clean and healthy living behavior to prevent ARI in farmer families. The research method used was a literature review conducted through Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct in the 2019-2024 range. The keywords used in the search for articles were "ARI, Respiratory Disorders," "Unhealthy Living Behavior, Reduced Working Period, Well Ventilated House," and "Farmer, Family". Researchers found ten studies that met the inclusion criteria in the review. Prevention of respiratory tract infections (URI) in farming families involves practicing healthy behaviors, such as washing hands with soap, maintaining environmental hygiene, and avoiding exposure to cigarette smoke. The articles highlight the importance of understanding knowledge and adherence to clean and healthy living behaviors (PHBS) in reducing the risk of ARI. However, therapeutic communication is also essential, through providing clear information and emotional support to change unhealthy behaviors. The article still has obstacles, such as the underutilization of sanitation clinics, which calls for a more intensive and focused therapeutic communication approach to overcome these obstacles. Factors that increase the risk of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) include cooking with biogas inside the house, high housing density leading to a lack of sanitation around the house, poor ventilation, heavy workload for farmers, which increases exposure to dust, smoke and toxic gases, intense smoking, lack of access or awareness of the benefits of local sanitation clinics, and lack of awareness of the importance of maintaining environmental sanitation. Nurses are expected to conduct community counseling to improve understanding of clean and healthy behavior in ARI prevention practices among farmers.

Accessibility of the early care and education supply: Variation within the center-based provider sector

Center-based early care and education (ECE) is important for promoting positive early development and supporting families by providing child care so parents can work. However, the center-based supply varies substantially in terms of funding sources, indicators of quality, and services offered; and many families experience a lack of equitable access to providers that meet their needs. Using a nationally representative sample of the center-based supply from the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education, this study examined patterns in the services center-based providers offer that may facilitate or pose barriers to families’ access from a multidimensional lens. Two research questions were investigated using latent class analysis: First, are there patterns of provider accessibility within the center-based supply, and second, are there covariates (i.e., funding, community poverty/ urban density, geographic region) that explain patterns of ECE access? Center-based features selected as indicators were informed by a definition of access comprised of multiple dimensions: availability, affordability, supports children’s development, and meets parent’s needs. Class enumeration suggested that a three-class model provided the best fit, indicating three patterns of program accessibility: providers that were: flexible at cost (25.9%), free but inflexible (29.2%), and somewhat accessible (44.9%). Additional covariate analyses revealed providers were significantly more or less likely to be classified into the latent classes of access according to community and funding characteristics. Notably, programs receiving Head Start and public preschool funding and those in communities with high poverty and urban density were more likely to be assigned to the free but inflexible class. A key component driving ECE utilization is the accessibility of providers, and these findings inform recommendations for future research and policy to better serve the needs of families with young children.

Solar performance-driven urban development: the case of western Sydney, Australia

ABSTRACT Urban densification, a response to population growth, poses adverse impacts on built environments. Limited access to sunlight is one of these consequences. Solar radiation and daylight affect urban canyons in different ways, including thermal comfort and illuminance levels. A balance between summer and solar heat gain can alleviate solar thermal considerations. This becomes even more important in an urban context like Western Sydney with an air temperature of around 6 to 10 degrees hotter than Inner Sydney (during extreme heat events). Additionally, Western Sydney is predicted to absorb two-thirds of the population growth of the Sydney region. Nevertheless, the urban development trend in this region doesn’t seem to meet the requirements of an environmentally sustainable scheme covering solar geometry-based design principles. Therefore, this study aims to develop a general urban model based on the spatial analysis of the western Sydney suburbs and propose a novel integrated methodology to provide the optimal solar-based urban design solution. This process uses an evolutionary algorithm as a computational tool to optimize solar radiation and daylight levels in extreme weather conditions. Results offer the optimum value for a wide range of design parameters regarding solar geometry.

Text mining public feedback on urban densification plan change in Hamilton, New Zealand

Text mining public feedback on urban densification plan change in Hamilton, New Zealand

Intra-annual variability of urban effects on streamwater quality: An examination of watersheds in the Atlanta, Georgia USA region

There has been considerable research on urban impacts on streamwater quality, but studies have mostly ignored intra-annual variations in water-quality variables and thus seasonally-varying impacts. Therefore, this study uses daily water-quality data over eight years for 38 streams in the Atlanta, Georgia USA region and watershed-level, urbanization variables to assess month-specific impacts of urbanization on water quality. The water-quality variables were mean specific conductance, mean temperature, mean dissolved oxygen, median pH, and median turbidity. The watershed-level variables were population density, housing density, proportion of watershed that is high-intensity developed land, imperviousness, proportion of watershed that is urban land use, an urban-intensity index, and change in developed land. Both differences in water quality between urban, suburban, and exurban streams and correlations between water quality and the watershed-level variables were examined. During all months, urban streams had significantly higher specific conductance than suburban and exurban streams, and the urban intensity of a watershed was significantly positively correlated with specific conductance. Differences and correlations were intensified during winter and spring. For temperature and dissolved oxygen, only during non-winter months did urban streams have significantly higher temperatures and significantly lower dissolved oxygen as well as significant positive correlations between urban intensity and temperature and significant negative correlations between urban intensity and dissolved oxygen. Urban streams had the highest pH during all months, but none of the differences were significant. Significant correlations between pH and urban intensity were restricted generally to winter and spring months. Turbidity was highest for exurban watersheds and thus was not significantly positively correlated with urban intensity. Seasonal and stream-group differences in the weathering of concrete, use of road salts, solar heating of streams, urban surface temperatures, baseflow, and land-disturbance activities explain the water-quality findings. Most of the findings should be applicable to urban areas in humid subtropical climates within the Piedmont physiographic region.

Perceived indoor environment and exacerbations of COPD and asthma – a cohort study between 2000–2018

Background. Ambient air pollution has been associated with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma; however, little is known about indoor environmental factors. Our aim was to study the association between perceived indoor environment and the long-term risk of exacerbations of COPD or asthma. Methods. We followed 2,317 individuals aged ≥16 years with COPD or asthma from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey from 2000 to 2018. Individuals developing COPD or asthma during the study period were included at the time of incident diagnosis. Individuals were grouped according to their patterns of perceived indoor environment and followed up for exacerbations defined based on information from the Danish National Health Registers. The association between perceived indoor environment and exacerbations was examined using a generalized mixed model with the Poisson distribution of the number of exacerbations and logarithmic transformation of follow-up time as offset. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education, household income, smoking, calendar year, construction year, urbanization, home ownership, and resident density. Results. A total of 5,352 exacerbations were recorded in 2,317 individuals during a median of 13.9 years (interquartile range, 7.9–18.2 years). The adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of exacerbations were 1.40 (95% CI 0.85–2.29 and 0.82 (95% CI 0.49–1.38) among individuals with medium and high levels om annoyances, respectively. For annoyances related to temperature and traffic the IRR was 0.88 (95% CI 0.61–1.27) and 1.39 (95% CI 0.88–2.19), respectively. Conclusion. We found no association between indoor environment assessed as annoyances at a single time-point and exacerbations of COPD and asthma.

Factors Causing Peritoneal Tuberculosis in Children with A Family Nursing Approach: Case Report

The morbidity rate of children due to tuberculosis (TB) including peritoneal TB is still high. It is very important to know the factors that cause Peritoneal Tuberculosis in children, so that it can prevent and reduce morbidity rates by using a family nursing approach that not only involves children, but also involves families so as to support the health of children and families holistically. This study aims to determine what factors cause cases of Peritoneal Tuberculosis in children using a family nursing approach. The method used is case report. This study examined 9 factors causing Peritoneal Tuberculosis, namely nutritional status, age, gender, residential density, air circulation at home, home lighting, BCG immunization history, economic background, and parental knowledge related to Peritoneal Tuberculosis. The study was conducted for 6 home visits with a family nursing care approach, namely the Friedman framework assessment, intervention, implementation, and evaluation and online follow-up 3 times. Each visit lasted 30 to 45 minutes. Factors causing Peritoneal TB in children include nutritional status, age of the child, housing density, house lighting and air circulation at home, gender, BCG immunization history, economic background, and parental knowledge. The main factors that caused An.Z to develop Peritoneal Tuberculosis were nutritional status and environmental conditions in the house, such as occupancy density, lighting, and air circulation in the house.

The Paradox of Kowloon Walled City: Architectural Anomaly and Social Microcosm

Kowloon Walled City (KWC), formerly the world’s most densely populated place, is an example of urban density and self-organization in opposition to current urban developments, such as NEOM’s The Line, which illustrates the future of envisioned sustainable living. The main research question addressed in this study is: How can principles of self-organization and resilience from densely populated historical urban areas be applied to enhance the sustainability and livability of future planned urban developments? This study investigates the critical components of urban livability and governance amid severe densities by examining the underlying factors that lead to KWC’s unique sort of urban equilibrium and comparing them to the ideas that motivated the creation of The Line. This multidisciplinary research employs qualitative analysis to focus on architectural styles, community interactions, and governance systems. This approach allows for an in-depth examination of the parallels and dissimilarities between natural city evolution and future city planning. Key findings reveal that KWC’s functioning stems from its complex social fabric and adaptable informal governance, providing valuable lessons in resilience and community-driven urban development. The results suggest that the flexibility and community-driven efforts of KWC are essential for ensuring long-term viability, and these aspects may be integrated into contemporary projects such as The Line. The outcomes highlight the potential of combining KWC’s social cohesiveness with The Line’s technology developments to create urban environments that are both robust and sustainable. The results are supported by evidence obtained from historical analysis, which showcases the practical uses of integrating organic and planned urban development concepts.

The cooling capacity of urban vegetation and its driving force under extreme hot weather: A comparative study between dry-hot and humid-hot cities

Extreme heat events in cities necessitate closer examination of urban vegetation’ capacity to mitigate extreme hot weather. However, the cooling capacity of vegetation (CCV) and its driving forces of 2D and 3D landscape metrics under extreme hot weather conditions in dry-hot and humid-hot cities, particularly within different functional zones is still not well understood. The results indicate that the CCV is more pronounced in humid-hot cities than in dry-hot cities, particularly during periods of extreme hot weather. This CCV varied significantly across different functional zones, being the lowest in commercial zones and the highest in green space zones. Moreover, residential zones in humid-hot cities have higher CCV when the weather is more extreme. In dry-hot and humid-hot cities, urban vegetation landscape configuration metrics (such as patch and edge densities) contribute significantly to the CCV, and landscape composition (vegetation coverage) also contributes, with a significant increase during periods of extreme hot weather, particularly in humid-hot cities. Additionally, the 3D building morphology plays a crucial role in moderating the CCV; however, its impact diminishes during extreme heat. We also found that the CCV does not increase further after vegetation coverage is greater than 30–40 % in dry-hot cities, compared to approximately 60–80 % in humid-hot cities. The CCV increased nonlinearly with increasing urban vegetation largest patch index and decreasing urban vegetation patch density in dry-hot and humid-hot cities, with different thresholds of vegetation coverage and largest patch index under normal and extreme hot weather. A higher building height increased the CCV in humid-hot cities and reduced the CCV in dry-hot cities, particularly under extreme hot weather, and sparse high-rise buildings were better suited to humid-hot cities for increasing urban CCV. These findings provide valuable insights for urban planners to enhance the urban CCV, contributing to long-term urban resilience and public health protection during extreme heat events.

Mitigating particulate matter exposure at bus stations using green infrastructure

With the rapid urbanization, traffic volume and road density have significantly increased. Urban residents are encountering high exposure risks to roadside particulate matters emitted from traffic (e.g., PM2.5), especially at bus stations where vulnerable passenger groups like children are at higher risks. Using green infrastructure such as green hedge is an effective strategy to mitigate exposure risks to PM2.5. However, rare studies have explored the effectiveness of such strategy at bus stations. This study investigated the influence of different green hedge heights (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m) on PM2.5 deposition and passengers’ health risk at bus stations, under different incoming wind directions. Field surveys were conducted to analyze the passengers’ demographics and waiting time. Based on the simulation method, it can be found that green hedges at the heights between 1.0 m and 1.5 m proved more effective in blocking PM2.5 compared with that of 0.5 m. Without green hedges, passengers faced average daily exposure risks between 10–6 and 10–4. After using green hedges, risks were largely decreased by approximately 62 %, reaching the safety threshold below 10–6. Improvement strategies including control of passengers’ locations, optimaztion of entrance and exit of bus station, and integration of green hedges and belts were further proposed. This study can provide valuable insights into effective roadside greening initiatives for creating a healthy urban environment.

Categorisation of urban open spaces for heat adaptation: A cluster based approach

In the context of climate change, adapting a city's open spaces to heat waves and extreme heat is crucial for mitigating the Urban Heat Island effect and ensuring the wellbeing of its inhabitants. However, the heat adaptation potential of open spaces varies within a city. This study develops an objective and replicable method to categorise urban areas based on their open spaces' adaptive capacity and improvement potential to heat waves at the micro-scale. This is achieved using a clustering approach, eliminating manual operations, using openly available data, employing indicators suitable for every urban fabric type, and using the urban block as the analysis unit. The validation of the method in the case study of Bilbao (Spain) demonstrates its capacity to obtain meaningful insights regarding open space heat adaptation potential. An analysis of the resulting categories reveals significant open space improvement potential throughout the city and a varying adaptive capacity that depends on urban density. Categories with the lowest adaptive capacity have median open space ratios between 0.35 and 0.65 and median tree cover ratios between 0.07 and 0.15. Those with the highest adaptive capacity present median open space ratios between 0.8 and 1 and median tree cover ratios between 0.05 and 0.25. The method can aid local policymakers in identifying opportunity spots for hosting adaptation solutions and understanding the challenges the city may face in planning adaptation action. The method's replicability enables it to be applied in other cities, contributing to a broader exploration of climate change adaptation potential.

Understanding typhoon-induced vegetation loss and potential ecosystem disservices from land use zonings perspective in high-density Hong Kong

While cities are embracing nature through urban greening and nature conservation, vegetation in typhoon-prone cities is facing stress from intense typhoon disturbances. Limited studies have investigated vegetation loss and its potential ecosystem disservices in the aftermath of typhoons from a land use zoning perspective. Therefore, we (1) compared vegetation losses from three 2023 category 3–4 typhoons in Hong Kong across all land uses in protected and non-protected areas, (2) identified hot spots and cold spots, and (3) weighed the annual average daily traffic and urban volumetric density with vegetation loss rates to generate a Disservice Risk Index for analysis. Results suggest that vegetation loss rate in non-protected areas was higher (7.23%) than in protected areas (1.57%). Within protected areas, country parks had the lowest loss rate (0.11%) and the highest percentage of cold spots (79.4%). In contrast, transportation land use has the highest loss rate of 18.04% and the highest percentage of hot spots (17.9%) within non-protected areas. Ecosystem disservices are potentially more adverse in the city center, which requires immediate preventive measures. This study provides timely urban greening and conservation implications for typhoon-prone cities to allocate vegetation that maximizes ecosystem services while minimizing disservices under frequent typhoon disturbances.

Integrating vertical greenery for complex building patterns towards sustainable urban environment

Rapid urbanization has increased the urban density and functional diversity, exacerbating environmental challenges such as urban heat islands (UHI), increased building energy consumption and carbon emissions, etc., hindering the sustainable urban development. Addressing these challenges requires innovative solutions that could offer the strategic cooling of urban buildings. Vertical greenery, affixed to building façades, offers a promising approach to provide benefits of cooling, energy savings, carbon reduction and urban space saving. However, there is a lack of quantitative design for integrating vertical greenery into complex urban buildings. Therefore, this study conducts a systematic investigation for low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise buildings incorporating vertical greenery, while performing comprehensive assessments on indoor and outdoor thermal conditions, building energy usage, and carbon emissions. The findings suggest that low-rise buildings benefit from a vertical greenery layout, while mid-rise and high-rise buildings are better suited for a horizontal greenery layout. Compared to scenarios without greenery, buildings with vertical greenery experience a maximum reduction of 0.66 °C in outdoor air temperature and 0.72 °C in indoor air temperature, along with a 5.9 % decrease in energy consumption and carbon emissions. This study addresses urban challenges through a quantified vertical greenery design, offering valuable insights for sustainable urban development.

Urban Air Pollution Exposure Impact on COVID-19 Transmission in a Few Metropolitan Regions

Based on outdoor air pollution and meteorological daily time series observational and in-situ monitoring data, this study investigated the impacts of environmental factors under different urban climates on COVID-19 transmission in four hotspot European metropolises (Berlin, London, Madrid, and Paris) from March 2020 to March 2022. Through applied statistical methods and cross-correlation tests involving multiple datasets pertaining to the main air pollutants (inhalable particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3)) and climate parameters (air temperature at 2 m height, relative humidity, wind speed intensity and direction, planetary boundary layer height, and surface solar irradiance), a direct positive impact of aerosol loading (PM2.5, PM10, and aerosol optical depth (AOD)) on COVID-19 spreading and severity was revealed. Despite some urban differences existing between the selected cities, particularly for the spring–summer periods, we have observed negative correlations between daily new COVID-19 cases and deaths and daily average ground-level ozone concentration, air temperature at 2 m height, planetary boundary layer height, and surface solar irradiance. Air relative humidity and urban population density have a direct impact on COVID-19 diffusion in large metropolitan areas, and the findings of this study highlight the crucial role of air pollution, in synergy with climate variability, in viral pathogens dispersion in COVID-19 transmission in large urban areas. This information can be used by decision-makers to develop targeted interventions during epidemic periods to reduce the potential risks associated with air pollution exposure and to promote the sustainable development of urban economies.

Navigating urban climate design implementation challenges: insights from Brisbane’s built environment experts

ABSTRACT Urban densification, intended to enhance efficiency, often exacerbates urban climate issues like diminished thermal and wind comfort. Despite substantial evidence on the climatic impacts of urbanization, integrating this knowledge into development practices remains difficult. This study investigates urban climate design in Brisbane, Australia through semi-structured interviews with built environment professionals. A qualitative thematic analysis uncovers several challenges: ambiguous planning codes, a knowledge gap on microclimate effects, short-term political and economic priorities, and a lack of robust technical methods in early design stages. Recommendations include technological development, raising public awareness, and incorporating climate-sensitive practices in urban planning and design.

Predicting Crime Hotspots using Machine Learning Techniques

This research delves into the application of machine learning algorithms for forecasting crime hotspots by leveraging historical data of public property crime in a major coastal city in southeast China. The study conducts a comparative analysis, emphasizing the predictive efficacy of various machine learning models. Results indicate that the LSTM model surpasses other methods including KNN, random forest, support vector machine, naive Bayes, and convolutional neural networks when utilizing solely historical crime data. Moreover, integrating built environment data such as points of interest (POIs) and urban road network density as covariates into the LSTM model enhances predictive accuracy. These findings bear significance for shaping policing strategies and implementing measures for crime prevention and control.

Living in Mediterranean cities in the context of climate change: A review

AbstractThe Mediterranean region contains some of the areas with the highest urban density in the world, and these areas keep expanding, making this region a “hotspot” of climate change. Life in the Mediterranean unfolds predominantly outdoors throughout the year, exposing its inhabitants to an evolving climate that is progressively harsher and punctuated by increasingly frequent extreme weather events. More and more people are going to be exposed to severe heat waves, droughts, water shortage, dust storms, forest fires and poor air quality on the one hand, and torrential rains and floods on the other hand. The urban heat island further increases thermal stress of city dwellers and plays a key role in citizens' health and well‐being. In this exhaustive review, based on state‐of‐the‐art studies we delve into the realm of climate change and extreme weather phenomena as they intersect with urban populations in Mediterranean cities, both in the present and in the foreseeable future. Our focus lies on identifying knowledge gaps, inconsistencies in observed climatic hazards and shortcomings in assessing the associated risks and their societal and environmental ramifications. Moreover, we undertake a comprehensive survey of future predictions exploring the variables thermal stress, air pollution, air quality and characteristics of the hydro‐climatic systems, that is, droughts, fires and floods. Yet, critical knowledge gaps persist in understanding the science, the coping mechanisms, the strategies for preparedness and adaptation and the intricate interplay between these facets and societal dynamics. The developing countries in the Mediterranean region stand exceptionally vulnerable. It is imperative for more affluent nations to share their expertise and extend assistance to less developed counterparts, aiding them in navigating climate‐related challenges, devising adaptive strategies and facilitating their implementation.

Urban Planning with Rational Green Infrastructure Placement Using a Critical Area Detection Method

In an era of intense urban development and climate extremes, green infrastructure (GI) has become crucial for creating sustainable, livable, and resilient cities. However, the efficacy of GI is frequently undermined by haphazard implementation and resource misallocation that disregards appropriate spatial scales. This study develops a geographic information system (GIS)-based critical area detection model (CADM) to identify priority areas for the strategic placement of GI, incorporating four main indices—spatial form, green cover, gray cover, and land use change—and utilizing the digital elevation model (DEM), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), urban density index (UDI), and up-to-date land use data. By employing the developed method, the study successfully locates priority zones for GI implementation in Saitama City, Japan, effectively pinpointing areas that require immediate attention. This approach not only guarantees efficient resource allocation and maximizes the multifunctional benefits of GI but also highlights the importance of a flexible, all-encompassing GI network to address urbanization and environmental challenges. The findings offer policymakers a powerful tool with which to optimize GI placement, enhancing urban resilience and supporting sustainable development.

Urbanization-induced warming amplifies population exposure to compound heatwaves but narrows exposure inequality between global North and South cities

Urban populations face heightened extreme heat risks attributed to urban heat islands and high population densities. Although previous studies have examined global urban population exposure to heatwaves, the influence of urbanization-induced warming is still not quantified. Here, leveraging satellite-derived near-surface air temperature data, we assess the impacts of urbanization-induced warming on heat exposure in 1028 cities worldwide. Additionally, we investigate its role in shaping disparities in heat exposure between global North and South cities. Our findings reveal that urbanization-amplified compound heatwaves exacerbate heat exposure risk in more than 90% of cities, and that this amplification is stronger in high urbanization areas. Moreover, our analysis highlights the potential for overestimating disparities between global North and South cities if urbanization-induced warming is overlooked. The inequality of higher heat exposure in the global South cities than in the global North cities will be narrowed in real scenarios due to more intense urbanization-induced warming in the global North cities. We emphasize the pivotal role of urbanization-induced heatwave intensification in heat exposure assessments and call for its inclusion in future population vulnerability evaluations to extreme heat.

Anthropogenic, environmental and temporal associations with vertebrate road mortality in a wildland-urban interface of a biodiverse desert ecoregion.

Road mortality adversely affects wildlife populations. As urbanization and infrastructure densities expand, transportation and wildlife management aim to mitigate wildlife-vehicle conflicts while conserving biodiversity. Roadways in aridland ecosystems can invariably and adversely impact wildlife differently from temperate and other biomes, yet these rapidly urbanizing regions are understudied as are urban-rural gradients. We conducted road-cruise surveys (n = 204; 2018-2023) to assess anthropogenic, environmental, and temporal factors associated with vertebrate roadkill across the wildland-urban interface of Arizona's biodiverse Sonoran Desert ecoregion-already subjected to increased human development and climate change. Of n = 2019 vertebrates observed, 28.5% were roadkill. Increasing urbanization levels were associated with reduced vertebrate abundance on roads and increased road-killed endothermic vertebrates. Traffic volume was strongly associated with reduced vertebrate abundance and increased roadkill; additive effects on roadkill began at approximately 20 vehicles. Daily low temperature and/or relative humidity were also associated with roadkill across vertebrate groups. We provide empirical evidence to understand wildlife-roadkill associations across expanding wildland-urban interfaces to inform effective roadkill mitigation and wildlife conservation management strategies in biodiverse aridland regions. We recommend that managers mitigate or avoid development in rural areas that possess high biodiversity, valuable waterways or migration corridors, and populations of vulnerable species.