PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “CITY PLANNING”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 559 records · Page 31Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Effects on road safety of new urban arterial roads.

This paper presents an evaluation of the effects on road safety of new urban arterial roads in Oslo, Norway, and a synthesis of evidence from similar studies that have evaluated the safety effects of new urban arterial roads in other cities. A before-and-after study was made of four urban arterial road projects in Oslo. The study controlled for general accident trends in Oslo and for regression-to-the-mean. A statistically non-significant reduction of 9% in the number of injury accidents was found for all four projects combined. The effects on safety of new urban arterial roads were found to vary, depending on whether a new arterial road was built, or an existing arterial road upgraded by means of lane additions and reconstruction of junctions to interchanges. New arterial roads tend to induce more traffic, which tends to offset the benefits of a lower accident rate on the new roads. The results for other cities are very consistent with those for Oslo. For a total of seven cases in which new arterial roads were built, a statistically non-significant reduction of 1% in the number of injury accidents was found. Two cases that involved lane additions and converting at-grade junctions to interchanges resulted in a mean accident reduction of 51%, which was highly significant. On the average, the nine arterial road projects from which evidence was summarised resulted in a net induced traffic of 16%, and a net reduction in accident rate (accidents per million vehicle kilometres) of 18%. These effects almost cancel each other, leading to a very small net change in the expected number of accidents.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2004

Willingness-to-pay for reducing fatal accident risk in urban areas: an Internet-based Web page stated preference survey.

Contemporary transport project evaluation requires the ability to value reductions in the number of estimated fatal and non-fatal accidents after project implementation. In this quest, we designed a stated preference (SP) experiment to estimate willingness-to-pay (WTP) for reducing fatal accident risk in urban areas. The survey was implemented in a Web page allowing rapid turnover and a complete customisation of the interview. The sample was presented with a series of route choice situations based on travel time, cost and number of car fatal accidents per year. With this data we estimated Multinomial Logit (MNL) and Mixed Logit (ML) models based on a consistent microeconomic framework; the former with linear and non-linear utility specifications and allowing for various stratifications of the data. The more flexible ML models also allow to treat the repeated observations problem common to SP data and, as expected, gave a better fit to the data in all cases. Based on these models, we estimated subjective values of time, that were consistent with previous values obtained in the country, and also sensible values for the WTP for reductions in fatal accident risk. Thus, the Internet appears as a potentially very interesting medium to carry out complex stated choice surveys.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1997

Effects of signalisation on four-arm urban junction safety.

This paper investigates the effect of signalisation on safety of urban priority controlled four-arm junctions. Forty-eight such junctions were carefully selected to have different values for the geometric and traffic characteristics that may influence the safety effects of signalisation. Long periods before and after signalisation were considered so that the effect of the regression to the mean phenomenon becomes negligible. Signalisation was found either to increase the junction safety or to leave it unchanged. Discriminant analysis showed that among numerous variables considered those significantly influencing the effects of signalisation on safety are the flow weighted average width per arm, the flow weighted average grade per stream, and a function of the product of the conflicting stream flows of the junction. The discriminant function developed predicts quite satisfactorily the behaviour of junction safety after signalisation.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2000

Optimized combinations of abatement strategies for urban mobile sources.

The maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) scale was chosen as a practical index for quantifying ozone-forming impacts. The integer linear and nonlinear programming techniques were employed as the optimization method to maximize MIR and volatile organic compound (VOC) reductions, and minimize ozone's marginal cost with varied control costs. Mobile vehicles were divided into nine categories according to the demands of decision makers and the distinctive features of local circumstance in metro-Taipei. The emission factor (EF) and vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) of each kind of vehicle were estimated by MOBILE5B model via native parameters and questionnaires. Compressed natural gas (CNG) and inspection and maintenance (I/M) were the alternative control programs for buses and touring buses; liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), I/M, methanol, electrical vehicle (EV) were for taxis and low duty gasoline vehicles. EV, methanol, and I/M were the possible control methods for two-stroke and four-stroke engine motorcycles; I/M programs for low-duty diesel trucks, heavy-duty diesel trucks, and low-duty gasoline trucks. The results include the emission ratios of specific vehicle to all vehicles, the best combination of abated measures based on different objectives, and the marginal cost for ozone and VOC with varied control costs.

City Planning↗
PubMed2002

The relative influence of individual, social and physical environment determinants of physical activity.

Environmental determinants of health are receiving growing attention in the literature, although there is little empirical research in this area. The Study on Environmental and Individual Determinants of Physical Activity (known as the SEID project) was a social ecological project that examined the relative influence of individual, social environmental and physical environmental determinants of recreational physical activity. It involved a community survey of 1803 healthy workers and home-makers aged 18-59 years living in a 408 km2 area of metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. Physical environmental determinants were mainly conceptualised as spatial access to popular recreational facilities. Overall, 59% of respondents exercised as recommended. Recreational facilities located near home were used by more respondents than facilities located elsewhere. The most frequently used facilities were informal: the streets (45.6%); public open space (28.8%) and the beach (22.7%). The physical environment's directs the influence on exercising as recommended was found to be secondary to individual and social environmental determinants. Nevertheless, accessible facilities determined whether or not they were used and in this way, support and enhance the achievement of recommended levels of physical activity behaviour by providing opportunities. The results suggest that access to a supportive physical environment is necessary, but may be insufficient to increase recommended levels of physical activity in the community. Complementary strategies are required that aim to influence individual and social environmental factors. Given the popularity of walking in the community, it is recommended that greater emphasis be placed on creating streetscapes that enhance walking for recreation and transport.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

The safe journeys of an enterprising school: negotiating landscapes of opportunity and risk.

In this paper, we discuss recent efforts to improve the safety of children travelling to and from New Zealand's largest primary school. The results of a travel survey completed by parents and pupils are reported, together with our recommendations for reducing congestion at the school gate and promoting healthy alternatives to car travel. Reflecting on this research, we find that market-oriented education reforms have provided schools with strong incentives for increasing their rolls--a course of action which may endanger pupils' well-being. At the same time, they have provided some schools with opportunities for resisting the present urban (dis)order and promoting community health.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects on local emergency departments of large-scale urban chemical fire with hazardous materials spill.

INTRODUCTION: On 18 July 2001, a train hauling hazardous materials, including hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, and acetic acid, derailed in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, resulting in a fire that burned under a downtown street for five days. Firefighters were stymied in their efforts to extinguish the fire, and the city was subjected to thick smoke for several days. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether an urban chemical fire with a hazardous materials spill resulted in a detectable public health impact, and to demographically describe the at-risk population for potential smoke and chemical exposure. METHODS: The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was consulted about possible side effects from chemical exposure. Total numbers of emergency department (ED) patients and admissions from 15:00 hours (h), 15 July 2001 to 15:00 h, 21 July 2001 were collected from five local hospitals. Patient encounters citing specified chief complaints from 15:00 h, 15 July to 15:00 h, 18 July (pre-accident) were compared with the period from 15:00 h, July 18 to 15:00 h, 21 July (post-accident). Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. The United States Census Bureau's Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) digital database of geographic features and ArcView Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to create maps of Baltimore and to identify populations at-risk using attribute census data. RESULTS: There were 62,808 people residing in the immediate, affected area. The mean of the values for age was 33.7 +/- 3.2 years (standard deviation; range = 16 yrs) with 49% (30,927) males and 51% (31,881) females. A total of 2,922 ED patient encounters were screened. Chief complaints included shortness of breath, pre-event = 109 vs. post-event = 148; chest complaints = 90 vs. 113; burns and/or skin irritation = 45 vs. 42; eye irritation 26 vs. 34; throat irritation = 33 vs. 27; and smoke exposure = 0 vs. 15. There was a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) for shortness of breath and smoke exposure-related complaints. No statistically significant increase in numbers of admitted patients with these complaints was found. CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of a large-scale urban chemical fire, local EDs can expect a significant increase in the number of patients presenting to EDs with shortness of breath and/or smoke inhalation. Most do not require in-patient hospitalization. Careful assessment of impact on local EDs should be considered in future city-accident planning. Some official warnings were widely misinterpreted or ignored. Public education on potential hazards and disaster preparedness targeted to populations at-risk should receive a high priority. Geographic information systems (GIS) may serve as useful tools for identifying demographics of populations at-risk for disaster planning and responses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Smoke-free parks: a 12-year-old made it happen.

This case study examines how a 12-year-old in the City of Grand Terrace, California was able to get the city council to adopt a resolution making city parks smoke-free/tobacco-free zones in his community. Over a three-month period of time, this 12-year-old (with tremendous support from his parents and sister) applied for and received a mini-grant from the Tri-County SOUTH Regional Tobacco-Free Project and implemented "The Terrace is GRAND with Smoke-Free Parks" activities. This young man recruited 11 youth and 9 adults, trained them in the basics of tobacco prevention called Tobacco 101, and collected 100 surveys and 809 petition signatures supporting smoke-free parks from residents in Grand Terrace. They also collected trash in their parks and separated it into two groups: tobacco-related trash and all other trash. This 12-year-old met with the mayor of Grand Terrace to ask for support for this issue and scheduled a time to present his group's findings to the city council. On June 22, 2000, the youths presented council members with the tobacco-trash collected, the petition signatures, taped end-to-end, that stretched across the council chambers, and asked the city council to make their parks smoke/tobacco-free. Council members acknowledged the excellent work implemented by these youths, adopted a resolution making all parks (except one senior park) tobacco-free, and agreed to place signage in the parks. On August 24, 2000, the city council presented him with his own "Tobacco-Free Zone" sign as an acknowledgment for his hard work in making parks safe places for youths in Grand Terrace.

California↗
PubMed2004

Towards a holistic approach for the urban environment and its impact on energy utilisation in buildings: the ATREUS project.

Enhanced urbanisation and its impact on the urban climate have a significant impact on the energy behaviour of buildings. Rising standards in indoor environmental quality lead to higher energy consumption values for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning purposes. ATREUS is a research and training network launched recently aiming to cover some of these aspects to enable a better understanding of the phenomena as well as providing high quality training for young European researchers. Having completed one year of work, some indicative results of the approach used within ATREUS have already produced both methodological approaches and combinatorial case studies; an example of the latter, based on the Thessaloniki experiment and the results produced by an extended field survey, will be discussed.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed2003

[Evaluation of institution-overlapping treatment planning conferences in psychiatric care in the city of Wolfsburg].

Beginning with 1.9.2001 institution-overlapping treatment planning conferences are being carried out for mentally disturbed and handicapped persons, for whom a service based on paragraphs 39, 40 German Social Legislation is applied. In this study we report on the results of the evaluation. The survey contains analysis of files, interviews with clients, questioning of persons in charge as well as interviews with the experts who took part in the institution-overlapping treatment planning conferences. The results show that the majority of the clients, the persons in charge and the experts think that the treatment planning conferences are an important and necessary instrument. The cost-benefit ratio is mainly reasonable. Positive changes have been achieved for 80% of the clients. Within a short time the symptoms of two thirds of the clients have decreased. Above all a reduction of unemployment and with alcoholics a high rate of abstinence could be recorded. To increase acceptance and efficiency of the treatment planning conferences, this system must be developed further.

Alcoholism↗