Well-being In Cities Research Articles

The right fit: Acceptance of nature-based solutions across European cities

European cities consistently seek to improve urban environments for their residents, yet often struggle to find solutions to address urban issues while engaging citizens. The European Union funds research and innovation projects proposing nature-based solutions to address climate change, biodiversity, human health and wellbeing in cities under the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programs. The presented research from the project UPSURGE is based on a survey of 5,990 urban residents in 6 European countries. The study focuses on the planning phase of nature-based solutions in cities, in which trade-offs have to be made between different options, such as the design, effectiveness, financial contributions from residents or participatory options. Based on an innovative survey including a choice experiment, the aim is to assist public participation processes in various countries, help planning teams define priorities and design governance measures which ensure long-term dedication to development plans. The results reflect respective exposure to climate change across the continent; such as Greek respondents being more affected by high temperatures compared to those from the United Kingdom. However, the study also revealed different preferences in regard to a participatory planning process, willingness to pay and importance of biodiversity.

Analyzing Economy at Municipal level - A Case Study of Vaniyambadi Municipality

Abstract: The Vaniyambadi Municipality case study is highlighted in this paper's analysis of municipal economics. The economy has a big impact on urban planning and is essential to the development and well-being of cities. The paper highlights the value of effective revenue collection and management by looking at the Vaniyambadi Municipality's organizational structure and revenue administration. There is also discussion of the challenges the municipality faces, such as its reliance on government grants and subsidies, growing expenses, and declining investment income. The article provides ways to address these issues, including increasing income, decreasing reliance on handouts, and developing a long-term financial plan. Examining revenue and expense accounts reveals concerning trends that highlight the need for financial sustainability. The article explores the organizational structure, historical context and population statistics for the Vaniyambadi Municipality. It discusses the several economic sectors primary, secondary, and tertiary and how they impact the local economy. The document's conclusion lists challenges with expenditure and revenue generation and underlines how urgently these problems must be resolved if Vaniyambadi Municipality is to continue to be sustainable in the long run.

Scaling innovation: unveiling urban factors shaping creativity

It is crucial to explain the city scale effect from the perspective of innovation, which directly affects the formulation of city governance policies and, ultimately, city well-being. This paper employs urban panel data from China spanning the years 2008–2018 to empirically investigate the causal link between city size, measured by population, and the number of innovation outputs. The empirical results show that city size has a significant positive impact on the quantity of innovation output. Mechanism testing shows that knowledge spillover effects and high-skilled labor selection effects have credible explanatory power for city size effects. The research conclusions of this article have certain practical significance for urban governance and related policy formulation.

The effects of commuting subsidies in a competitive two-city system

This paper develops a spatial equilibrium model for a competitive two-city system consisting of a high-income and a low-income city. Using this model, we investigate the effects of intracity and intercity commuting subsidies on such urban performances as spatial structures, residents’ utility, and social welfare of cities and the system. The three unilateral subsidy scenarios and two subsidy competition scenarios are investigated individually. Results show that intercity commuting subsidy gives residents incentives to reside in the low-income city and intercity commuting to the high-income city, while intracity commuting subsidies lead to the inflow of population. Subsidy competitions increase residents’ utility and mitigate the impacts of unilateral subsidies on the social welfare of the system. A numerical example and case study based on city pairs of Jing-Jin-Ji Urban Agglomeration in China are conducted to examine the proposed model.

Local planning scenario for shading from trees as an urban nature-based solution

With more than 75% of the European Union’s population living in urban areas covering 21.5% of the EU territory, the importance of climate-resilient cities, towns and suburbs has increased dramatically. However, the rising impact of human-induced land-use changes on ecosystem services (ES) poses a major challenge to the urban environment. This study focuses on scenario development for nature-based solutions (NbS) in a European town with its intense development area. The concept is exemplified in a town in Croatia, Grad Velika Gorica (GVG), that like many others cities undergoes urbanisation processes with limited resources. It serves as a showpiece for the influence of NbS, in particular street trees along various paths.Using spatial analysis and modelling, the approach explores NbS for future urbanisation. The results, supported by quantitative analysis, show that 49% of cycle lanes and footpaths in GVG can be shaded by strategically planted street trees. The shading scenario analysis provides a nuanced perspective on the potential of NbS, offering insights into the key tasks for a climate-resilient city and opportunities towards equitable, green and healthy urban areas.In the context of urbanisation processes and climate adaptation, the study is in line with the overarching objectives of the European Commission which emphasises the need for sustainable NbS alternatives to address environmental challenges. The findings contribute to the framework of informed decision-making towards urban climate resilience. It also supports the pursuit of a sustainable local governance for climate-adjusted environmental quality in urban planning. As towns and cities grapple with the imperative of balancing urban development with environmental protection, this research highlights the central role of NbS, particularly street trees, in shaping climate-resilient and more sustainable urban environments for human well-being in cities.

Assessing Water Deficit Induced Water Stress of Households and their Welfare in Small Cities of Nepal

This study investigates water deficit-induced stress in 12 small cities within Nepal's Marshyangadi River Basin, crucial for sustainable water management amid global water scarcity concerns. Employing the Milankovitch Theory, it explores Earth-Sun relationships and their impact on long-term climate changes, shaping societal adaptation strategies. Utilizing the Water Deficit Model, the study unveils the multifaceted consequences of water scarcity of Gandaki Province's Marshyangdi River basin. The study employs a comprehensive design, sampling 317 households across diverse ecological zones and elevations. The study finds the existing month-long water deficit in these cities to the higher water demand of households, along with water stress in the cities of Himal and Terai more than in the Hill. Water deficit is higher in Himal than in Hill and Terai because of lower water availability in Himal (below average 0.9). The people of Himal and Terai have extremely high stress but the people of Hills are comfortable without stress, except in Bandipur for drinking and cleanliness. In the 20 litres per capita per day water, water stress is found mixed. Five small cities in Himal and Terai are extremely stressed, meanwhile, 7 small cities in the Hill are not stressed, except two cities, Bandipur and Marshangdi. Relatively, the water deficit in the Hill is less than Himal and Terai. Similarly, in 20 liters per capita per day water, it is good for households but most cities have extreme water stress. The Hill’s water stress is lower than that of the Himalayan and Terai. By WHO’s standard (50 liters-100 liters per day per capita), all cities are extremely water deficient and critically water stressed. The findings reveal a direct correlation between water deficit and stress, impacting survival, hygiene, and living standards. The study concludes that despite ample water resources, poor governance and inadequate policies contribute to extreme water deficit, challenging SDG targets and living standards. It urges urgent action, accountability, budgeting, and a comprehensive plan for water poverty reduction.

S.F. voters back measure mandating treatment for some aid recipients

Residents of San Francisco have joined city leaders in taking a decided turn toward a more punitive approach to combating the city's drug use crisis, convincingly approving a ballot measure that will link city welfare benefits to mandated drug screening and participation in treatment.

Analysis of the effects of capital expenditure and supply chain on economic growth and their implications on the community welfare of districts and cities in central Kalimantan province

This study aims to examine the relationships between capital expenditure, supply chain activities, economic growth, and community welfare in the districts and cities of Central Kalimantan Province. The study analyzes the original sample data from 2014 to 2022 using a path analysis approach. The findings reveal significant positive relationships between capital expenditure, economic growth, and community welfare. However, the hypothesized positive relationships between supply chain activities and economic growth, supply chain activities and community welfare, and economic growth and community welfare are not supported. Moreover, the mediating roles of economic growth in the relationships between capital expenditure and community welfare and supply chain activities and community welfare are not confirmed. Theoretical implications highlight the importance of strategic capital expenditure in driving economic growth and enhancing community welfare. Practically, the study guides policymakers and development planners to allocate resources effectively for sustainable and balanced economic expansion. The study has limitations, including focusing on direct relationships and the specificity of Central Kalimantan Province. Future research could include external factors, apply cross-regional analyses, and utilize qualitative approaches to gain deeper insights. Additionally, spatial analyses could enhance understanding of geographic impacts. The novelty of this research lies in its comprehensive exploration of the interplay between capital expenditure, supply chain activities, economic growth, and community welfare in the context of Central Kalimantan Province. By shedding light on the intricate dynamics between these variables, this study contributes to the existing literature on regional development and public policy while offering insights for informed decision-making and sustainable development practices.

From Urban Challenges to “ClimaEquitable” Opportunities: Enhancing Resilience with Urban Welfare

From the perspective of the scientific-disciplinary debate within urban planning, this research addresses the theme of the “new urban question” resulting from environmental concerns related to the climate crisis and socioeconomic issues that have now become structural. It then delves into the connection between urban environment quality and quality of life, ultimately questioning the role that territorial governance tools play in positively influencing the perception of well-being in cities. The overall objective of this contribution is to define an interpretative framework for experimental approaches in territorial governance. This overarching objective is articulated in the definition of two specific outcomes, pursued through an inductive methodology. The first one involves establishing an initial set of urban welfare indicators; the second entails defining strategies for planning, designing, and regenerating the public components of the city that could influence the indicators. Both outcomes are designed to be exportable to different territorial contexts.

Spatiotemporal Variability of Urban Air Pollution in Bucharest City

Urban air pollution is one of the major challenges that cities around the world face. Particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other pollutants are many times over the recommended airborne exposure, generating a strong impact on human health and city well-being. Considering Bucharest as a case study, this study aimed to investigate the patterns of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide concentrations. Multiyear data from the Romanian National Air Quality Monitoring Network were used to investigate spatial and temporal variability. All air pollutants presented a typical bimodal trend during the day, with specific double peaks corresponding to the morning rush hours and nighttime. Spatial variability in NO2 concentrations was observed, with almost double the concentration values in the city center during midday compared with those for the background and industrial areas. A weekly pattern of PM was noticed, with lower concentrations during the weekends in comparison with those during weekdays, more pronounced in the case of PM10 compared with the case of PM2.5. The fine particle fraction presented monthly and seasonal variability, with higher levels during the cold months compared with the warm months, mainly corresponding to the increased household heating. The estimated proportion of mortality attributable to annual exposure to an air PM2.5 above 5 μg/m3 in Bucharest ranged between 7.55% and 8.26%, with the maximum from 2021. By contrast, the estimated proportion of mortality attributable to PM10 and NO2 above 10 μg/m3 was significantly lower, with values around 4%. The results are useful in supporting environmental planning measures to decrease urban air pollution.

Sustainability Indicators of Surface Public Transportation

Historically, roads and transportation have been critical and essential factors in the development and prosperity of cities and societies. The well-being of cities and their expansion were measured by the road networks that linked them to the rest of the world, especially the land roads, which were the biggest challenges for communities. With time, the transportation sector has become an integral part of human life. However, this contribution to the development of cities has come to collide with the challenges arising from the means of transportation, which include large-scale environmental, economic, and social impacts on the communities benefiting from them. Therefore, it has become necessary to make transportation, especially public transportation, sustainable to address environmental challenges such as climate change. To achieve this, more than two thousand research papers published between 2002 and 2022 and retrieved from scientific databases using specific and connected keywords were preliminarily investigated based on the year and number of citations. It was necessary to identify the important sustainability indicators for each sector and study them closely in a detailed manner. We concluded that the sustainability of public transportation is directly affected by environmental, economic, technical, and social factors which can be expressed as follows: 1—emissions, pollution, and the consumption of energy resources as environmental indicators related to sustainability; 2—travel time, cost, travel distance, and operation cost as economic indicators; 3—social demographics, accessibility, and travel behaviours and time as social indicators; and 4—traffic flow, speed, and availability of infrastructures as technical indicators that affect transport sustainability.

Community Wellbeing in Cities through the Sustainable Affordable Housing

Community Wellbeing in Cities through the Sustainable Affordable Housing

The Well-Being of Cities: Estimating Migration Attractiveness From Internal Migration Across Korean Cities

ABSTRACT We adopt the methodology proposed by Lee, Lee and Lin [2021. “The Well-Being of Nations: Estimating Welfare from International Migration.” International Economic Review 62:1111-1130] to estimate the migration attractiveness of Korean cities using internal migration data. Our approach has two advantages over traditional methods. First, it is cost-effective as it uses pre-existing administrative data, unlike surveys. Second, It also gives a more comprehensive view of city's viability by accounting for migration costs and patterns. Our findings confirm the ongoing regional imbalance and indicate that some rural areas' migration attractiveness are lower than what their population growth suggests.

S13-4 Supporting health-enhancing research for cities - peer to peer collaboration, impact and dissemination in the Healthy Cities Helix Community

Abstract Support for research and dissemination of project results are often different activities even though they can have a similar target audience. To help support its impact and dissemination activities, while also supporting new collaboration focused on improving the health and wellbeing in cities, the VARCITIES project has launched the Healthy Cities Helix - an international Open Innovation community of specialists in the fields of environment, smart cities, health and related disciplines. The new Helix is calibrated to support VARCITIES through its various development stages, including post-project. It will accelerate the project’s dissemination, communication and commercialisation strategies, by building a strong, self-sustaining community of like-minded stakeholders that will have access to updates on the project and collaborate with experts in their fields of interest. The community acts as a virtual accelerator for knowledge transfer and the project’s impact objectives - by linking profiles and outputs from the project to external actors from outside the project consortium who will be part of the Helix. This will not only help enable and facilitate disseminating the results to key STKs, with specific focus on healthy cities, health, and physical activity, but will also drive new forms of international and cross-sectoral partnerships and open innovation activity in these areas. Currently the community hosts members from 183 organisations across 38 countries, but it can also support researchers to connect in a timely manner to relevant partners by tapping into the 10,000 users profiled on the Crowdhelix platform. This means that users can easily collaborate with people from various fields such as social sciences, citizen science, various areas of health, etc. The Helix has been set-up as a self-sustaining community hosted on the Crowdhelix Platform beyond the lifetime of the project thereby promoting existing and creating new long-lasting impacts.

First steps of pollinator-promoting interventions in Eastern European urban areas – positive outcomes, challenges, and recommendations

Urbanisation has a strong role in pollinator decline, while properly managed green spaces could promote pollinators – especially bees and butterflies – by providing foraging and nesting habitats in cities. In public spaces, several opportunities exist to help pollinators including rare mowing, flower strip sowing, and bee hotel establishment. However, pollinator-promoting interventions are almost lacking and still understudied in Eastern Europe. We aimed to investigate the impact of rare mowing and annual flower-sowing interventions on pollinators, floral resources, and vegetation attributes in three case studies within Hungary. We compared treatment (extensively mown or sown) and control (intensively mown) site pairs during five sampling occasions within a season. We found positive, but due to the severe drought and management inaccuracies relatively minor effect of both interventions. The extensively mown sites presented higher and greener vegetation with more flowers and pollinators. The sown flower patches provided floral resources and supported the pollinators in the second half of the season, while they were scarcely visited in spring and early summer due to the annual soil scarification and re-sowing. Although the two types of interventions could complement each other during the season, there is room for further improvements. To reach resilient urban ecosystems against climate and environmental changes, we recommend using primarily native and mostly perennial seeds, combining intervention types, planning for the long-term, and avoiding management inaccuracies (e.g. unplanned mowing). Promoting and monitoring plant-pollinators systems may increase the diversity and human well-being in cities, while citizens’ involvement can facilitate these interventions.

Multitemporal modeling and simulation of the complex dynamics in urban wetlands: the case of Bogota, Colombia

Urban wetlands are essential to the longstanding health and well-being of cities. Acknowledged as rich in biodiversity and highly productive ecosystems, they provide ecosystem services represented in aspects such as air purification, urban climate regulation, physical and mental health, recreation, and contemplation, among a wide variety of other goods and services on which the quality of life of the inhabitants of large cities such as Bogota depends largely. We used cellular automata to model and simulate urban wetland changes in Bogota, Colombia. The study applied the coupled Markov-Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model to simulate and analyze land use/land cover (LULC) change over 20 years. First, we used an orthomosaic (1998) and two WorldView-2 satellite images (2004 and 2010), to detect land cover changes. Then, using the artificial neural network FLUS module, we calculated the relationships between land classes and associated drivers and estimated the probability of occurrence of each land class. Finally, we applied Intensity Analysis to examine the observed and projected LULC change (1998–2034). Results indicate that gains in areas of crops and pastures are at the expense of wetlands. In addition, simulation outputs show that wetlands will likely represent less than 2% of the total study area in 2034, representing a 14% decrease in 24 years. The importance of this project lies in its potential contribution to the decision-making process within the city and as an instrument of natural resource management. Additionally, the results of this study could contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, “Clean water and sanitation," and climate change mitigation.

Quantitative Evaluation of Spatial Accessibility of Various Urban Medical Services Based on Big Data of Outpatient Appointments.

Equity of urban medical services affects human health and well-being in cities and is important in building 'just' cities. We carried out a quantitative analysis of the spatial accessibility of medical services considering the diverse demands of people of different ages, using outpatient appointment big data and refining the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method. We used the traditional 2SFCA method to evaluate the overall spatial accessibility of medical services of 504 communities in Xiamen city, considering the total population and the supply of medical resources. Approximately half the communities had good access to medical services. The communities with high accessibility were mainly on Xiamen Island, and those with low accessibility were further from the central city. The refined 2SFCA method showed a more diverse and complex spatial distribution of accessibility to medical services. Overall, 209 communities had high accessibility to internal medicine services, 133 to surgery services, 50 to gynecology and obstetrics services, and 18 to pediatric services. The traditional method may over-evaluate or under-evaluate the accessibility of different types of medical services for most communities compared with the refined evaluation method. Our study can provide more precise information on urban medical service spatial accessibility to support just city development and design.

Human–Wildlife Interactions and Coexistence in an Urban Desert Environment

Negative interactions between people and wildlife pose a significant challenge to their coexistence. Past research on human–wildlife interactions has largely focused on conflicts involving carnivores in rural areas. Additional research is needed in urban areas to examine the full array of negative and positive interactions between people and wildlife. In this study, we have conducted interviews in the desert metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona (USA), to explore residents’ everyday interactions with wildlife where they live. Our multifaceted approach examines interactions involving physical contact and observational experiences, as well as associated attitudinal and behavioral responses and actions toward wildlife. Overall, the qualitative analysis of residents’ narratives identified two distinct groups: people who are indifferent toward wildlife where they live, and those who appreciate and steward wildlife. Instead of revealing conflicts and negative interactions toward wildlife, our findings underscore the positive interactions that can foster human wellbeing in urban areas. The holistic approach presented herein can advance knowledge and the management of coexistence, which involves not only managing conflicts but also tolerance, acceptance, and stewardship. Understanding diverse human–wildlife interactions and managing coexistence can advance both wildlife conservation and human wellbeing in cities.

The science of urban trees to promote well-being

Urban trees and forests are one of the main tools available in cities to face current and future environmental challenges and ultimately promote well-being. More than half of the world’s population lives in cities nowadays. This rural exodus to cities resulted from a pursuit of better life quality. However, the urban population increase led to new levels of complexity. Such complexity calls for multifunctional solutions such as Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Trees are at the core of NbS, for all the ecosystem services they provide. Nevertheless, managing them is challenging and requires both the empirical knowledge of practitioners and a deep scientific understanding of the tree’s structure and function. This special issue on “Urban Trees” advances our knowledge of their ecosystem services, tolerance and resilience to the urban environment, their possible disservices, and steps forward on new proposals for managing urban trees. It is clear from the current literature and the studies in this special issue that decision-making on urban trees must be supported by scientific evidence to promote well-being in cities.

Ecological connectivity as a planning tool for the conservation of wildlife in cities

The application of ecological theory in urban planning is becoming more important as land managers focus on increasing biodiversity to improve human welfare in cities. Authorities must decide not only what types of biodiversity-focused infrastructure should be prioritized, but also where new resources should be positioned and existing resources protected or enhanced. Measuring the contribution of green infrastructure to landscape connectivity can maximise the successful return and conservation of urban nature. By using ecological connectivity theory as a planning tool, the effect of different interventions (both positive and negative) on the ease with which wildlife can move across the landscape can be compared. Here we outline an approach to a) quantify ecological connectivity for different urban wildlife species and b) use this to test different urban planning scenarios using QGIS. We demonstrate extensions which improve the application of this method as a planning tool:•Conversion of the effective mesh size value (meff) to a “probability of connectedness” (Pc, for easier interpretation by local government and comparisons between planning scenarios).•An approach for measuring species-specific connectivity, including how to decide what spatial information should be included and which types of species might be most responsive to connectivity planning.•Guidance for using the method to compare different urban planning scenarios.