Well-being In Urban Environments Research Articles

Housing: the key infrastructure to achieving health and wellbeing in urban environments

Abstract Informed by research undertaken by our teams with community partners over the past 25 years primarily in Aotearoa New Zealand, we examine housing as an infrastructure required to support health and wellbeing. The home environment is where people spend most of their time, so we propose that housing is the key infrastructure to enhance and maintain health and wellbeing outcomes in urban environments. Other foundational infrastructures—including energy, food, waste, transport, information communications technology, water and sanitation, green, community, education and health care—equally support and rely on housing infrastructure to shape the places in which an increasing diversity of people and their communities live. We describe how housing infrastructure in neoliberal, market-based housing systems has contributed to inequities in access to high-quality housing and connected health-supporting infrastructures. We share two illustrative vignettes of housing retrofits and urban development from Aotearoa and Sweden to show that when approached in a comprehensive, proactive and inclusive way that prioritizes people and the environment, these infrastructures may yet have untapped potential for improving health and wellbeing.

People’s Perception of Nature-Based Solutions for Flood Mitigation: The Case of Veneto Region (Italy)

Floods have become more frequent due to a growing number of extreme rainfall events linked to climate change and increased urbanization. Additionally, 66% of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050, making flood prevention and risk reduction increasingly important. Sustainability, resilience and ecosystem services are essential to increase human well-being in urban environments. Nature-based Solutions (NBS) can provide all the benefits of urban green spaces combined with flood mitigation. This work aims to provide useful information to promote the adoption of NBS to build communities resilient to climate change by exploring how people’s perception of and willingness to implement some NBS. To this end, an online survey was conducted to investigate the knowledge and the perception of NBS and grey infrastructures among people in Veneto, a north-Eastern region of Italy. Data analysis revealed a significant correlation between previous knowledge of water management systems and the perceived effectiveness of some NBS. Behaviors linked to the level of connection with the territory have also been found to influence the perceived effectiveness of NBS. This study provides insights into the dynamics behind the implementation of NBS to reduce the risk of urban flooding and can help policymakers adapt urban plans to promote the adoption of NBS.

Contributions of green spaces and isolated trees to landscape connectivity in an urban landscape

Vegetation plays a fundamental role in conserving the biological diversity of urban areas. From isolated trees to multi-hectare patches, green spaces are critical to species conservation in urban landscapes. The abundance of green spaces can regulate the availability of habitat and resources for species’ survival. In many urban areas, the lack of vegetation inventories and ecological information at fine spatial resolutions limits conservation efforts. To evaluate the potential of very high-resolution imagery (WorldView-2, 30-cm resolution) to fill this gap, we sought to a) map contrasting urban vegetation cover types (grass, shrubs and woody vegetation) at the meter scale and with high accuracy, b) quantify the structural and functional connectivity of urban vegetation, and c) estimate the status of productive vegetation. We focused our analysis on land use and cover in the city of Xalapa in Veracruz, Mexico, and employed multiscale satellite imagery to estimate vegetation cover, connectivity, and health. We identified 38,579 patches of woody vegetation, of which 93 % corresponded to isolated trees contributing to 27 % of vegetation connectivity. Without woody vegetation, the connectivity index decrease up to 97 %; removing grass or shrubs would reduce connectivity by 38 % or 32 %, respectively. We identified 10 patches disproportionately important to connectivity, of which seven had some type of legal protection. Across vegetation types, 38 % of the vegetated area was unhealthy. Wooded element connectivity assessment at a fine spatial resolution is crucial to conserve and restore these key resources for biodiversity and human well-being in urban environments.

Methodology for Establishing Well-Being Urban Indicators at the District Level to be Used on the CityScope Platform

The MIT Media Lab City Science Group reshapes and reevaluates well-being as an emerging key indicator due the social challenges that cities are facing, such as inequality, police violence, and breaches to safety and security. Well-being in urban environments has been studied extensively, yet most research focuses on one aspect of well-being rather than multiple dimensions of well-being. Existing well-being indices that are used to compare well-being between different countries or to set a standards for well-being consider a variety of aspects that affect well-being, yet they are not specific to urban environments. When considering that no holistic and comprehensive research has been specifically conducted on well-being in urban environments, we research the relationship between the built features of an urban environment and well-being. In this paper, we propose a Well-Being Index composed of five urban indicators—Community Connectedness, Safety & Security, Physical Health, Mental Health, and Diversity—which are each described by a set of urban attributes that enhance well-being. Each attribute is quantified using a calculation formula. In addition to quantifying well-being, the Well-Being Index emphasizes specific urban features that urban planners should consider for future decision-making. We apply the Well-Being Index to predict well-being in Boston, Massachusetts, and Kansas City, Missouri, and we speculate that Boston has higher levels of well-being in terms of the city’s urban features. Based on our results, we provide suggestions for future choices in urban planning and design to improve the areas of well-being that we were able to identify with the Well-Being Index. We emphasize that the Well-Being Index can be applied to any city in the world, and can inform future decision-making for building urban environments through the CityScope platform; a novel methodology of interaction and collaboration by using a data-driven platform that simulates the impacts of interventions on urban ecosystems prior to detail-design and execution.

An AI Approach to Collecting and Analyzing Human Interactions With Urban Environments

Thanks to advances in Internet of Things and crowd-sensing, it is possible to collect vast amounts of urban data, to better understand how citizens interact with cities and, in turn, improve human well-being in urban environments. This is a scientifically challenging proposition, as it requires new methods to fuse objective (heterogeneous) data (e.g. people location trails and sensors data) with subjective (perceptual) data (e.g. the citizens' quality of experience collected through feedback forms). When it comes to vast urban areas, collecting statistically significant data is a daunting task; thus new data-collection methods are required too. In this work, we turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to address these challenges, introducing a method whereby the objective, sensor data is analyzed in real-time to scope down the test matrix of the subjective questionnaires. In turn, subjective responses are parsed through AI models to extract further objective information. The outcome is an interactive data analysis framework for urban environments, which we put to test in the context of a citizens' well-being project. In our pilot study, each new entry (objective or subjective) is parsed through the AI engine to determine which action maximizes the information gain. This translates into a particular question being fired at a specific moment and place, to a specific person. With our AI data collection method, we can reach statistical significance much faster, achieving (in our city-wide pilot study) a 41% acceleration factor and a 75% reduction in intrusiveness. Our study opens new avenues in urban science, with potential applications in urban planning, citizen's well-being projects, and sociology, to mention but a few cases.

The effects of urban expansion on green infrastructure along an extended latitudinal gradient (23°S–45°S) in Chile over the last thirty years

Green infrastructure (GI) contributes to environmental quality and human well-being in urban environments by providing a number of ecosystem services. There is evidence that urban expansion negatively impacts on GI, but most studies have focused on large cities at the expense of an understanding of these processes in smaller cities. Here we assess the urban expansion and spatio-temporal dynamics of GI in small and medium-sized Chilean cities over a period of three decades. Seven cities were selected along a latitudinal gradient extending from 23 °S to 45 °S, and covering a wide variety of climates including: arid, semi-arid, mediterranean and temperate. Remote sensing and landscape analysis techniques were employed to assess changes in urban areas and GI spatial patterns. The cities that were analyzed showed a continuous expansion over the last 30 years associated with high population growth rates. Landscape analysis also evidenced an increasing level of GI fragmentation in most cities. Population growth, economic growth, and public policies seem to have a greater influence on long-term changes in GI than climate or geographic location. Our study highlights the need for better urban policies that protect and develop GI because of its crucial role in human well-being and urban sustainability.

Correction to: The MINDMAP project: mental well-being in urban environments : Design and first results of asurvey on healthcare planning policies, strategies and programmes that address mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention for older people in Europe.

Correction to: Z Gerontol Geriat 2017 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-017-1290-7 The article "The MINDMAP project: mental well-being in urban environments. Design and first results of asurvey on healthcare planning policies, strategies and programmes that address mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention for older people in …The original article was corrected.

The MINDMAP project: mental well-being in urban environments : Design and first results of asurvey on healthcare planning policies, strategies and programmes that address mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention for older people in Europe.

BackgroundThe MINDMAP consortium (2016–2019) aims to identify opportunities provided by the urban environment for the promotion of mental well-being and functioning of older people in Europe by bringing together European cities with urban longitudinal ageing studies: GLOBE, HAPIEE, HUNT, LASA, LUCAS, RECORD, Rotterdam Study, Turin Study. A survey on mental healthcare planning policies and programmes dedicated to older persons covering the range from health promotion to need of nursing care was performed for profound data interpretation in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Hamburg, Helsinki, Kaunas, Krakow, London, Nord-Trøndelag, Paris, Prague, Rotterdam and Turin.ObjectivesTo collect detailed information on healthcare planning policies and programmes across these European cities to evaluate variations and to delineate recommendations for sciences, policies and planners using experience from evidence-based practice feedback from the MINDMAP cities.Materials and methodsThe MINDMAP partners identified experts in the 12 cities with the best background knowledge of the mental health sector. After pretesting, semi-structured telephone interviews (1–2 h) were performed always by the same person. A structured evaluation matrix based on the geriatric functioning continuum and the World Health Organization (WHO) Public Health Framework for Healthy Ageing was applied.ResultsA complete survey (12 out of 12) was performed reporting on 41 policies and 280 programmes on the city level. It appeared from extensive analyses that the focus on older citizens, specific target groups, and multidimensional programmes could be intensified.ConclusionThere is a broad variety to cope with the challenges of ageing in health, and to address both physical and mental capacities in older individuals and their dynamic interactions in urban environments.

Perception and preference of trees: A psychological contribution to tree species selection in urban areas

Trees can enhance human mental and physical well-being in urban environments. However, the tree benefits in urban planning are insufficiently recognised, and there is little knowledge on the tree characteristics that are relevant to humans and how they are evaluated. This paper presents perceptual tree parameters and their relation to human preferences. In study 1, participants sorted 24 tree images by perceived similarity. Hierarchical cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling (MDS) revealed the distinction between conifers and deciduous trees, crown shape, the two-dimensional crown size to trunk height ratio and the crown density as important to humans. In study 2, participants rated the trees based on their preferences. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that a high two-dimensional crown size to trunk height ratio and a high crown density predicted deciduous tree preferences. These findings are discussed in light of the savannah hypothesis and the Gestalt grouping principle of closure. In the task of tree selection and placement for urban areas, the identified perceptual tree parameters may allow for achieving a coherent overall picture with a simultaneous increase of tree species richness. Thus, urban landscape planning can apply the presented findings for increasing ecosystem health and residential satisfaction.

The Reinvention of Liveability in Public Places: Interaction Mapping Analysis of Central Nottingham’s Improved Walkability

The reinvention of liveability in public places and its integration with social, environmental, cultural, and economic factors of living can be analyzed in detail in urban studies. This is studied in particular here through evaluation of different factors of quality of life and well-being in urban environments, one of which is the convention for encouraging social experience based on the socioeconomic and socioenvironmental values of the public place. This study will also discuss the relation between quality social environments and the socioeconomic values of public places, and how by enhancing the liveability of a place we can increase public expenditure and sociality of a place. Through interaction mapping analysis, and based on both human geography and urban studies, the study evaluates the implications of spatial change (i.e., temporary uses of a place) and walkability on maximizing the potential of a place and its immediate context. This comparison study then elaborates on socioeconomic benefits of walkability for liveability of public places.

Mapa acústico como ferramenta de avaliação de ruído de tráfego veicular em Aracaju – Brasil

O ruído de tráfego é uma das principais questões que afetam o bem - estar e a saúde humana em ambientes urbanos. Este artigo mostra uma aplicação de mapa acústico como ferramenta para avaliação do ruído de tráfego veicular urbano através de simulações acústicas (software Predictor, versão 9.0 - Brüel & Kjær). O objeto de estudo foi um trecho da Av. Augusto Franco, importante avenida na zona urbana da cidade de Aracaju, Brasil. A modelagem acústica e simulações foram baseadas em medições de dados acústicos, de tráfego e geométricos coletados em novembro/dezembro de 2013 e junho de 2014. Os resultados foram discutidos com base em mapas acústicos do cenário atual, seguidos pela criação e simulação de cenários hipotéticos de composição e fluxo de veículos. Foram feitas análises comparativas entre descritores acústicos dos mapas e legislação municipal, normas - internacional e nacional, além da literatura técnica de ruído urbano. Os resultados revelam a existência do impacto do ruído de tráfego no trecho analisado, o que pode causar desconforto ou até mesmo efeitos adversos à saúde da população exposta. Este estudo aponta a importância do desenvolvimento de mapas acústicos para análise do ruído ambiental por meio de diversos cenários com alteração de características de tráfego de uma dada região, visando melhores condições de conforto acústico nas cidades e podendo subsidiar a tomada de decisão de políticas públicas de urbanização.

Benefici e benessere percepiti dai visitatori di spazi verdi durante periodi di prolungato stress termico

Abstract: In urban environments, green spaces have proven to act as ameliorating factors of some climatic features related to heat stress, reducing their effects and providing comfortable outdoor settings for people. In addition, green spaces have demonstrated greater capacity, compared with built-up areas, for promoting human health and well-being. In this paper, we present results of a study conducted in Italy with the general goal to contribute to the theoretical and empirical rationale for linking green spaces with well-being in urban environments. Specifically, the study focused on the physical and psychological benefits and the general well-being associated with the use of green spaces on people when heat stress episodes are more likely to occur. A questionnaire was set up and administered to users of selected green spaces in Italy (metropolitan area of Milan and Bari - n=400). Results indicate that longer and frequent visits of green spaces generate significant improvements of the perceived benefits and well-being among users. These results are consistent with the idea that the use of green spaces could alleviate the perception of thermal discomfort during periods of heat stress.

Benefits and well-being perceived by people visiting green spaces in periods of heat stress

In urban environments, green spaces have proven to act as ameliorating factors of some climatic features related to heat stress, reducing their effects and providing comfortable outdoor settings for people. In addition, green spaces have demonstrated greater capacity, compared with built-up areas, for promoting human health and well-being. In this paper, we present results of a study conducted in Italy and the UK with the general goal to contribute to the theoretical and empirical rationale for linking green spaces with well-being in urban environments. Specifically, the study focused on the physical and psychological benefits and the general well-being associated with the use of green spaces on people when heat stress episodes are more likely to occur. A questionnaire was set up and administered to users of selected green spaces in Italy and the UK ( n=800). Results indicate that longer and frequent visits of green spaces generate significant improvements of the perceived benefits and well-being among users. These results are consistent with the idea that the use of green spaces could alleviate the perception of thermal discomfort during periods of heat stress.