A method for the optimal location of urban and industrial agglomerations.
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Air Pollution↗
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Results for “CITY PLANNING”
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The buddy system: mediator--target locus of control and behavioral outcome.
The relative locus of control of mediator--target pairs was investigated within a contingency management program. As predicted, less improvement in target behaviors occurred for pairs in which the target scored lower in externality than the mediator. In addition, the greater externality of the mediator relative to the assigned target, the less improvement in target behavior (r=-.67). In contrast, improvement in target behavior bore no relationship with the locus of control scores of either mediators or targets correlated separately, nor with the differences between mediator--target locus of control scores within pairs in which the target scored equal to or higher in externality than the mediator.
Adolescent↗
[Health promotion in the neighborhood--resources and needs of neighborhood groups and institutions].
The goal of the present study was to assess how inhabitants and organizations perceive health resources and problems in their neighbourhood, and where they see needs and possibilities to improve the situation. In two areas of the city of Berne 617 inhabitants were interviewed in the street, and 95 neighbourhood-organizations answered a postal questionnaire. Most resources and problems were related to the environmental situation, infrastructures, and social life in the neighbourhood. Noteworthy findings were the high degree of insecurity mainly of older women, the lack of integration of many foreign inhabitants, and the difficulties of living together among different generations and nationalities. The inquiry among neighbourhood-organizations confirmed their importance in several health related aspects of the neighbourhood: e.g. social support, lobbying for local interests, and recreational activities. Many of these organizations can be motivated for further participation in health promotion: by increasing their sensitivity to health implications of their work, by improving collaboration and networking, and by appropriate professional support.
Adult↗
[Urban environment and health].
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Air Pollution↗
Community organizing: an ecological route to empowerment and power.
An important contribution to empowerment theory and community psychology practice can be made by examining how the concept of social power is developed and manifested in the context of community organizing. Theory and practice may be further informed through an ecological analysis of organizing processes and interventions. Lessons from a national community organizing network highlight the relationship between empowerment and power through a set of organizing principles and a cycle of organizing activity. Perhaps most important is the understanding that a reciprocal relationship exists between development of power for community organizations and individual empowerment for organization members. Implications for empowerment theory in the community organizing domain are provided in a matrix adapted from Zimmerman's description of empowerment processes and outcomes at multiple levels of analysis.
City Planning↗
Comprehensive health service in a resettlement colony.
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Adolescent↗
An assessment of water quality, physical habitat, and biological integrity of an urban stream in Wichita, Kansas, prior to restoration improvements (phase I).
Urban development alters the natural hydrological conditions of many streams and rivers often resulting in the degradation of water quality, physical habitat, and biotic integrity of lotic systems. Restoration projects attempt to improve and maintain the ecological integrity of urban streams; however, few projects have quantified improvements to stream ecology following implementation of restoration measures. This paper summarizes pre-restoration data collected as part of an urban stream restoration project on Gypsum Creek in Wichita, Kansas. Water quality monitoring revealed eutrophic conditions in the stream and the presence of pesticides. Channelization has led to changes in physical habitat including bank erosion, sedimentation, loss of substrate and channel diversity, elimination of in-stream aquatic habitat, removal of riparian vegetation, and decreased base flows. Benthic macroinvertebrate communities appear degraded with more than 90% of individuals collected described as tolerant to anthropogenic stressors. Fish communities were assessed with an Index of Biotic Integrity and were rated as poor to fair, with trophic structure dominated by generalists, no sensitive species present, and one-third of the species collected considered non-native. Overall, the data collected strongly suggest that site-specific restoration measures need to be implemented in order to improve and maintain the ecological condition of Gypsum Creek. Recommendations for improvements have been made to city managers, with implementation beginning in spring 2003 (dependent upon funding availability).
Animals↗
Effects of habitat disturbance from residential development on breeding bird communities in riparian corridors.
This study assessed the relationship among land use, riparian vegetation,and avian populations at two spatial scales. Our objective was to compare the vegetated habitat in riparian corridors with breeding bird guilds in eight Rhode Island subwatersheds along a range of increasing residential land use. Riparian habitats were characterized with fine-scale techniques (used field transects to measure riparian vegetation structure and plant species richness) at the reach spatial scale,and with coarse-scale landscape techniques (a Geographic Information System to document land-cover attributes) at the subwatershed scale. Bird surveys were conducted in the riparian zone,and the observed bird species were separated into guilds based on tolerance to human disturbance,habitat preference,foraging type, and diet preference. Bird guilds were correlated with riparian vegetation metrics,percent impervious surface,and percent residential land use,revealing patterns of breeding bird distribution. The number of intolerant species predominated below 12%residential development and 3% impervious surface,whereas tolerant species predominated above these levels.Habitat guilds of edge,forest, and wetland bird species correlated with riparian vegetation. This study showed that the application of avian guilds at both stream reach and subwatershed scales offers a comprehensive assessment of effects from disturbed habitat,but that the subwatershed scale is a more efficient method of evaluation for environmental management.
Animals↗
Urban environmental management in Botswana: toward a theoretical explanation of public policy failure.
For the last three and half decades, Botswana has been widely acclaimed to be one of sub-Saharan Africa's longest and most stable liberal democracies, coupled with and sustained by a growing economy. One of the major contradictions, however, within this development scenario, has been the neglect of environmental problems in the country in general, and urban environmental issues in particular. Part of the problem fueling the misconception of environmental issues in Botswana is the state's domination of the country's environmental agenda. This is linked to the power disjunction in decision-making and policy processes between state and nonstate actors over the most appropriate course of action to tackle the problems. Without adopting appropriate analytical frameworks, it is possible that the problem of urban environmental mismanagement in Botswana will persist. This article examines some of the major urban environmental issues in Botswana from neighborhood, citywide, and urban-rural interface perspectives. Further, the elite theory of public policy is used to explain constraints on policy change in the urban environmental management arena in Botswana.
Botswana↗
The influence of urban design on outdoor thermal comfort in the hot, humid city of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The outdoor environment is deteriorating in many tropical cities due to rapid urbanization. This leads to a number of problems related to health and well-being of humans and also negatively affects social and commercial outdoor activities. The creation of thermally comfortable microclimates in urban environments is therefore very important. This paper discusses the influence of street-canyon geometry on outdoor thermal comfort in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Five sites with different urban geometry, ground cover, and distance from the sea were studied during the warmest season. The environmental parameters affecting thermal comfort, viz. air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation, were measured, and the thermal comfort was estimated by calculating the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The thermal comfort is far above the assumed comfort zone due to the combination of intense solar radiation, high temperatures, and low wind speeds, especially on clear days. The worst conditions were found in wide streets with low-rise buildings and no shade trees. The most comfortable conditions were found in narrow streets with tall buildings, especially if shade trees were present, as well as in areas near the coast where the sea breeze had a positive effect. In order to improve the outdoor comfort in Colombo, it is suggested to allow a more compact urban form with deeper street canyons and to provide additional shade through the use of trees, covered walkways, pedestrian arcades, etc. The opening up of the city's coastal strip would allow the sea breeze to penetrate further into the city.
Cities↗
Where do we belong? Urban adolescents' struggle for place and voice.
Through a telling of key events in the history of the "Teen Action Center" (TAC), a drop-in youth center located in downtown "Unionville," this story demonstrates how 'youth' is an important diversity category. The community conflict highlighted in this story centers around the 1997 arrest of TAC's Executive Director and two youth leaders (all Puerto Rican) because a small group of Latino and African-American youth was smoking cigarettes on the sidewalk in front of the Center. This conflict brings into focus divergent views on where Unionville's youth of color belong in the city, both physically and figuratively. The lessons learned in this story have wide application as Unionville, and other cities undergoing demographic transformation and economic decline, are likely to continue to experience these types of clashes, where the dominant paradigm of economic development overrides the realities, rights, and interests of marginalized groups.
Adolescent↗
Land-cover changes in an urban lake watershed in a mega-city, Central China.
Urbanization can exert a profound influence on land covers and landscape characteristics. In this study, we characterize the impact of urbanization on land cover and lacustrine landscape and their consequences in a large urban lake watershed, Donghu Lake watershed (the largest urban lake in China), Central China, by using Landsat TM satellite images of three periods of 1987, 1993 and 1999 and ground-based information. We grouped the land covers into six categories: water body, vegetable land, forested land, shrub-grass land, open area and urban land, and calculated patch-related landscape indices to analyze the effects of urbanization on landscape features. We overlaid the land cover maps of the three periods to track the land cover change processes. The results indicated that urban land continuously expanded from 9.1% of the total watershed area in 1987, to 19.4% in 1993, and to 29.6% in 1999. The vegetable land increased from 7.0% in 1987, 11.9% in 1993, to 13.9% in 1999 to sustain the demands of vegetable for increased urban population. Concurrently, continuous reduction of other land cover types occurred between 1987 and 1999: water body decreased from 30.4% to 23.8%, and forested land from 33.6% to 24.3%. We found that the expansion of urban land has at least in part caused a decrease in relatively wild habitats, such as urban forest and lake water area. These alterations had resulted in significant negative environmental consequences, including decline of lakes, deterioration of water and air quality, and loss of biodiversity.
Agriculture↗
Utilization of condensation nuclei for the zonage of urban atmospheric pollution.
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Air Pollution↗
Self-efficacy, hedonistic expectancies, and condom-use intentions among inner-city black adolescent women: a social cognitive approach to AIDS risk behavior.
The effects on condom-use intentions of an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention intervention based on social cognitive theory were investigated among 19 sexually active black adolescent women recruited from an inner-city family planning clinic. The women received the social cognitive intervention designed to increase perceived self-efficacy and favorable outcome expectancies about the hedonistic consequences of using condoms or one of two control interventions: An information-alone intervention designed to increase AIDS knowledge or a general health-promotion intervention designed to provide information about important health problems other than AIDS. All interventions lasted 105 min and involved films and small-group exercises. Participants' evaluations did not differ among conditions. As hypothesized, analysis of covariance indicated that participants in the social cognitive condition reported greater intentions to use condoms than did those in the two control conditions. In addition, participants in the social cognitive condition scored higher in perceived self-efficacy and favorable hedonistic expectancies--the two hypothesized mediators of the intervention effect. Although participants who received the information-alone intervention subsequently had greater AIDS knowledge than did those in the health promotion condition, they did not express greater intentions to use condoms. These results highlight the value of a social cognitive approach to AIDS risk behavior: outcome expectancies regarding the effects of precautionary practices on sexual enjoyment and perceived self-efficacy to implement such practices play an important role in decisions about condom use.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
Sources of error in road safety scheme evaluation: a quantified comparison of current methods.
This paper considers the various factors that can have a confounding effect in the evaluation of road safety schemes and examines the extent to which current methods can effectively deal with these. A modification to current methods is proposed which allows the reduction in accidents attributable to risk and flow changes to be separately evaluated. Data are presented to demonstrate the relative magnitudes of the various sources of error. It is shown that a principal source of error is normally regression-to-mean (RTM) and a correction for this effect should always be applied. Changes in traffic flow can also result in substantial accident changes and it is important to establish whether flow changes have occurred and if they are attributable to the effect of the scheme.
Accidents, Traffic↗
The development of an automatic method of safety monitoring at Pelican crossings.
This paper reports on the development of a method for automatic monitoring of safety at Pelican crossings. Historically, safety monitoring has typically been carried out using accident data, though given the rarity of such events it is difficult to quickly detect change in accident risk at a particular site. An alternative indicator sometimes used is traffic conflicts, though this data can be time consuming and expensive to collect. The method developed in this paper uses vehicle speeds and decelerations collected using standard in situ loops and tubes, to determine conflicts using vehicle decelerations and to assess the possibility of automatic safety monitoring at Pelican crossings. Information on signal settings, driver crossing behaviour, pedestrian crossing behaviour and delays, and pedestrian-vehicle conflicts was collected synchronously through a combination of direct observation, video analysis, and analysis of output from tube and loop detectors. Models were developed to predict safety, i.e. pedestrian-vehicle conflicts using vehicle speeds and decelerations.
Accidents, Traffic↗