2021 Archives - Page 4 of 7

Pushing Back on Displacement: Community-Based Redevelopment through Historically Black Churches

Born, Branden; Berney, Rachel; Baker, Olivia; Jones, Mark R.; King, Donald; Marcus, Dylan. (2021). Pushing Back on Displacement: Community-Based Redevelopment through Historically Black Churches. Societies, 11(1).

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Abstract

Gentrification and subsequent displacement are common problems in cities, and result in the removal of poor communities and communities of color from urban areas as they move to cheaper locations in the metropolitan region. Here we describe a community-based approach to redevelopment by historic Black churches that seeks to counter such displacement and cultural removal. We explain the history of a historically Black neighborhood in Seattle and the founding and rationale for a church-led project called the Nehemiah Initiative. Our perspective is that of participants in the work of the Nehemiah Initiative and as faculty and students from a local university partner supporting it. We conclude with policy strategies that can be used to support such redevelopment in Seattle, with understanding that some may be broadly applicable to other cities.

Keywords

Black Churches; Community Based; Displacement; Equitable Development; Faith Based; Gentrification; Housing Affordability; Redevelopment; University-community Partnership

Three Pathways to Highly Energy Efficient Buildings: Assessing Combinations of Teaming and Technology

Homayouni, Hoda; Dossick, Carrie Sturts; Neff, Gina. (2021). Three Pathways to Highly Energy Efficient Buildings: Assessing Combinations of Teaming and Technology. Journal Of Management In Engineering, 37(2).

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Abstract

Highly energy efficient (HEE) buildings require a whole-system approach to building design. Scholars have suggested many tools, techniques, and processes to address the cross-disciplinary complexities of such an approach, but how these elements might be best combined to lead to better project outcomes is yet unknown. To address this, we surveyed architects associated with 33 AIA-COTE award-winning projects on the social, organizational, and technological elements of whole-system design (WSD) practices. We then used fuzzy sets-qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze the interdependencies among those elements. We found three distinct pathways for the design and construction of HEE buildings: information-driven, process-driven, or organization-driven. We also found that HEE buildings share some conditions for success, including having shared goals, owners engagement in the design process, and frequent and participatory interorganizational meetings. Our findings can help practitioners strategize and make decisions on incorporating WSD elements associated with their project types. Moreover, these results provide a launchpad for scholars to investigate complementarities among elements facilitating the design and construction process of HEE projects.

Keywords

Buildings (structures); Construction; Design Engineering; Energy Conservation; Fuzzy Set Theory; Innovation Management; Organisational Aspects; Project Management; Team Working; Whole-system Approach; Building Design; Cross-disciplinary Complexities; Social Elements; Organizational Elements; Technological Elements; Whole-system Design Practices; Fuzzy Set; Distinct Pathways; Hee Buildings; Project Types; Construction Process; Hee Projects; Highly Energy Efficient Buildings; Whole-system Design; Energy Efficient Buildings; Building Information Modeling; Integrated Project Teams; Fuzzy Sets-qualitative Comparative Analysis

Multi-Hazard Perceptions at Long Valley Caldera, California, USA

Peers, Justin B.; Lindell, Michael K.; Gregg, Christopher E.; Reeves, Ashleigh K.; Joyner, Andrew T.; Johnston, David M. (2021). Multi-Hazard Perceptions at Long Valley Caldera, California, USA. International Journal Of Disaster Risk Reduction, 52.

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Abstract

Caldera systems such as Long Valley Caldera, California; Taupo, New Zealand; and Campi Flegrei, Italy, experience centuries to millennia without eruption, but have the potential for large eruptions. This raises questions about how local residents' behavioral responses to these low-probability high-consequence events differ from their responses to events, such as wildfires and earthquakes, that have higher probabilities. To examine this issue, a multi-hazard mail survey of 229 households explored perceptions of-and responses to-volcano, earthquake and wildfire hazards in the Long Valley Volcanic Region. Response efficacy was the only significant predictor of emergency preparedness, which suggests that hazard managers can increase household emergency preparedness by emphasizing this attribute of protective actions. In addition to response efficacy, expected personal consequences, hazard intrusiveness, and affective responses were all significantly related to information seeking. This indicates that hazard managers can also increase households' information seeking about local hazards and appropriate protective actions by communicating the certainty and severity of hazard impacts (thus increasing expected personal consequences) and that they communicate this information repeatedly (thus increasing hazard intrusiveness) to produce significant emotional involvement (thus increasing affective response).

Keywords

Households Expected Responses; Risk Information-seeking; Volcanic Risk; Earthquake; Model; Adjustment; Mitigation; Communication; Preparedness; Predictors; Volcano Hazard Perception; Earthquake Hazard Perception; Wildfire Hazard Perception; Emergency Preparedness; Information Seeking

Does the Built Environment Have Independent Obesogenic Power? Urban Form and Trajectories of Weight Gain

Buszkiewicz, James H.; Bobb, Jennifer F.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Arterburn, David; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Cook, Andrea; Mooney, Stephen J.; Cruz, Maricela; Gupta, Shilpi; Lozano, Paula; Rosenberg, Dori E.; Theis, Mary Kay; Anau, Jane; Drewnowski, Adam. (2021). Does the Built Environment Have Independent Obesogenic Power? Urban Form and Trajectories of Weight Gain. International Journal Of Obesity, 45(9), 1914 – 1924.

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Abstract

Objective To determine whether selected features of the built environment can predict weight gain in a large longitudinal cohort of adults. Methods Weight trajectories over a 5-year period were obtained from electronic health records for 115,260 insured patients aged 18-64 years in the Kaiser Permanente Washington health care system. Home addresses were geocoded using ArcGIS. Built environment variables were population, residential unit, and road intersection densities captured using Euclidean-based SmartMaps at 800-m buffers. Counts of area supermarkets and fast food restaurants were obtained using network-based SmartMaps at 1600, and 5000-m buffers. Property values were a measure of socioeconomic status. Linear mixed effects models tested whether built environment variables at baseline were associated with long-term weight gain, adjusting for sex, age, race/ethnicity, Medicaid insurance, body weight, and residential property values. Results Built environment variables at baseline were associated with differences in baseline obesity prevalence and body mass index but had limited impact on weight trajectories. Mean weight gain for the full cohort was 0.06 kg at 1 year (95% CI: 0.03, 0.10); 0.64 kg at 3 years (95% CI: 0.59, 0.68), and 0.95 kg at 5 years (95% CI: 0.90, 1.00). In adjusted regression models, the top tertile of density metrics and frequency counts were associated with lower weight gain at 5-years follow-up compared to the bottom tertiles, though the mean differences in weight change for each follow-up year (1, 3, and 5) did not exceed 0.5 kg. Conclusions Built environment variables that were associated with higher obesity prevalence at baseline had limited independent obesogenic power with respect to weight gain over time. Residential unit density had the strongest negative association with weight gain. Future work on the influence of built environment variables on health should also examine social context, including residential segregation and residential mobility.

Keywords

Body-mass Index; Physical-activity; Food Environment; Structural Racism; Obesity; Neighborhoods; Associations; Health; Walkability; Exposure; Environment Models; Minority & Ethnic Groups; Urban Environments; Regression Analysis; Regression Models; Residential Density; Body Mass Index; Property Values; Body Weight Gain; Government Programs; Body Weight; Electronic Medical Records; Electronic Health Records; Fast Food; Buffers; Real Estate; Body Mass; Body Size; Socioeconomics; Health Care

Urban Landscape Heterogeneity Influences the Relationship Between Tree Canopy and Land Surface Temperature

Jung, Meen Chel; Dyson, Karen; Alberti, Marina. (2021). Urban Landscape Heterogeneity Influences the Relationship Between Tree Canopy and Land Surface Temperature. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 57.

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Abstract

Urban trees play a key role in alleviating elevated summertime land surface temperatures in cities. However, urban landscape influences the capacity of urban trees to mitigate higher temperatures. We propose that both developed land characteristics and tree cover should be considered to accurately estimate the mitigation effects of canopy cover. We subclassified original land cover based on the canopy cover ratio to capture the within-land cover heterogeneity. We selected two coastal cities with different summertime climatic conditions: Seattle, Washington, USA, and Baltimore, Maryland, USA. We used Landsat-based grid cells (30 m x 30 m) as our spatial analytical unit, with corresponding land surface temperature, canopy area, canopy compactness, population size, and National Land Cover Database (NLCD)-based land cover group. We first used grouped boxplots, Kruskal-Wallis H tests, and post-hoc multiple comparison tests to detect the distribution of land surface temperatures by the land cover group. We then introduced statistical models to test the group effects on the relationship between land surface temperatures and canopy cover variables. We found: (1) land surface temperature increases with level of development, (2) land surface temperature decreases with canopy cover level, (3) the magnitude of the mitigation effects from canopy area differs based on development level and current canopy cover, (4) the differing efficacies of canopy area in decreasing land surface temperature follows a nonlinear threshold relationship, and (5) compactness of canopy cover was not significant in reducing the land surface temperature. These findings suggest the importance of considering heterogeneous canopy cover within developed land cover classes in urban heat island research. Tree planting strategies need to consider the nonlinear relationships between tree canopy cover and land surface temperature alongside environmental equity concerns.

Keywords

Extreme Heat Events; Climate-change; Cover Data; Island; Pattern; Cities; Vegetation; Mortality; Phoenix; Impact; Canopy Cover; Environmental Equity; Land Cover; Land Surface Temperature; Mitigation Effect; Area; Canopy; Cells; Climatic Factors; Databases; Heat Island; Landscapes; Multiple Comparison Test; Planting; Population Size; Research; Statistical Models; Summer; Surface Temperature; Testing; Trees; Urban Forestry; Maryland

Associations of Household Income with Health-Related Quality of Life Following a Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis Varies with Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status

Robinson, Jamaica R. M.; Phipps, Amanda, I; Barrington, Wendy E.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Sheppard, Lianne; Malen, Rachel C.; Newcomb, Polly A. (2021). Associations of Household Income with Health-Related Quality of Life Following a Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis Varies with Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 30(7), 1366 – 1374.

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Abstract

Background: Existing evidence indicates household income as a predictor of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following a colorectal cancer diagnosis. This association likely varies with neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), but evidence is limited. Methods: We included data from 1,355 colorectal cancer survivors participating in the population-based Puget Sound Colorectal Cancer Cohort (PSCCC). Survivors reported current annual household income; we measured HRQoL via the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Colorectal (FACT-C) tool. Using neighborhood data summarized within a 1-km radial buffer of Census block group centroids, we constructed a multidimensional nSES index measure. We employed survivors' geocoded residential addresses to append nSES score for Census block group of residence. With linear generalized estimating equations clustered on survivor location, we evaluated associations of household income with differences in FACT-C mean score, overall and stratified by nSES. We used separate models to explore relationships for wellbeing subscales. Results: We found lower household income to be associated with clinically meaningful differences in overall FACT-C scores [<$30K: -13.6; 95% confidence interval (CI): -16.8 to -10.4] and subscale wellbeing after a recent colorectal cancer diagnosis. Relationships were slightly greater in magnitude for survivors living in lower SES neighborhoods. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that recently diagnosed lower income colorectal cancer survivors are likely to report lower HRQoL, and modestly more so in lower SES neighborhoods. Impact: The findings from this work will aid future investigators' ability to further consider the contexts in which the income of survivors can be leveraged as a means of improving HRQoL

Keywords

Built Environment Factors; Functional Assessment; Fact-c; Population-density; Physical-activity; Survivors; Care; Disparities; Impact; Mortality

Differential Associations of the Built Environment on Weight Gain by Sex and Race/Ethnicity but Not Age

Buszkiewicz, James H.; Bobb, Jennifer F.; Kapos, Flavia; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Arterburn, David; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Cook, Andrea; Mooney, Stephen J.; Cruz, Maricela; Gupta, Shilpi; Lozano, Paula; Rosenberg, Dori E.; Theis, Mary Kay; Anau, Jane; Drewnowski, Adam. (2021). Differential Associations of the Built Environment on Weight Gain by Sex and Race/Ethnicity but Not Age. International Journal Of Obesity, 45(12), 2648 – 2656.

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Abstract

Objective To explore the built environment (BE) and weight change relationship by age, sex, and racial/ethnic subgroups in adults. Methods Weight trajectories were estimated using electronic health records for 115,260 insured Kaiser Permanente Washington members age 18-64 years. Member home addresses were geocoded using ArcGIS. Population, residential, and road intersection densities and counts of area supermarkets and fast food restaurants were measured with SmartMaps (800 and 5000-meter buffers) and categorized into tertiles. Linear mixed-effect models tested whether associations between BE features and weight gain at 1, 3, and 5 years differed by age, sex, and race/ethnicity, adjusting for demographics, baseline weight, and residential property values. Results Denser urban form and greater availability of supermarkets and fast food restaurants were associated with differential weight change across sex and race/ethnicity. At 5 years, the mean difference in weight change comparing the 3rd versus 1st tertile of residential density was significantly different between males (-0.49 kg, 95% CI: -0.68, -0.30) and females (-0.17 kg, 95% CI: -0.33, -0.01) (P-value for interaction = 0.011). Across race/ethnicity, the mean difference in weight change at 5 years for residential density was significantly different among non-Hispanic (NH) Whites (-0.47 kg, 95% CI: -0.61, -0.32), NH Blacks (-0.86 kg, 95% CI: -1.37, -0.36), Hispanics (0.10 kg, 95% CI: -0.46, 0.65), and NH Asians (0.44 kg, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.78) (P-value for interaction <0.001). These findings were consistent for other BE measures. Conclusion The relationship between the built environment and weight change differs across demographic groups. Careful consideration of demographic differences in associations of BE and weight trajectories is warranted for investigating etiological mechanisms and guiding intervention development.

Keywords

Body-mass Index; Socioeconomic-status; Food Environment; Obesity; Health; Outcomes; Scale; Risk; Minority & Ethnic Groups; Urban Environments; Etiology; Demographics; Sex; Residential Density; Supermarkets; Age; Race; Ethnicity; Property Values; Body Weight Gain; Electronic Medical Records; Fast Food; Electronic Health Records; Real Estate; Subgroups; Demography; Trajectory Analysis; Weight

Physical Activity Measurement in Children Who Use Mobility Assistive Devices: Accelerometry and Global Positioning System

Kerfeld, Cheryl I.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Bjornson, Kristie F. (2021). Physical Activity Measurement in Children Who Use Mobility Assistive Devices: Accelerometry and Global Positioning System. Pediatric Physical Therapy, 33(2), 92 – 99.

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Abstract

Purpose: To explore the usefulness of combining accelerometry, global positioning systems, and geographic information systems, to describe the time spent in different locations and physical activity (PA) duration/count levels by location for 4 children with cerebral palsy (CP) who use assistive devices (AD). Methods: A descriptive multiple-case study. Results: Combining the 3 instruments was useful in describing and differentiating duration by location, and amount and location of PA across differing functional levels and AD. For example, the child classified with a Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level II exhibited large amounts of PA in community settings. In contrast, the child classified with a GMFCS level V had small amounts of PA and spent most measured time at home. Conclusions: Combined accelerometry, global positioning system, and geographic information system have potential to capture time spent and amount/intensity of PA relative to locations within daily environments for children with CP who use AD.

Keywords

Cerebral-palsy; Objective Measures; Fitness; Youth; Disabilities; Adolescents; Exercise; Adults; Accelerometer; Cerebral Palsy; Environment; Global Positioning System; Mobility Assistive Devices; Physical Activity

Triggering a Climate Change Dominated Anthropocene: Is it Common Among Exocivilizations

Savitch, Ethan; Frank, Adam; Carroll-Nellenback, Jonathan; Haqq-Misra, Jacob; Kleidon, Axel; Alberti, Marina. (2021). Triggering a Climate Change Dominated Anthropocene: Is it Common Among Exocivilizations? Astronomical Journal, 162(5).

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Abstract

We seek to model the coupled evolution of a civilization and its host planet through the era when energy harvesting by the civilization drives the planet into new and adverse climate states. In this way, we ask if triggering Anthropocenes of the kind humanity is experiencing might be a generic feature of planet-civilization evolution. This question has direct consequences for both the study of astrobiology and the sustainability of human civilization. Furthermore, if Anthropocenes prove fatal for some civilizations then they can be considered as one form of a Great Filter and are therefore relevant to discussions of the Fermi Paradox. In this study, we focus on the effects of energy harvesting via combustion and vary the planet's initial chemistry and orbital radius. We find that in this context, the most influential parameter dictating a civilization's fate is their host planet's climate sensitivity, which quantifies how global temperatures change as CO2 is added to the atmosphere. Furthermore, this is in itself a function of the planet's atmospheric CO2 level, so planets with low levels of CO2 will have high climate sensitivities and high probabilities of triggering climate change. Using simulations of the coupled nonlinear model combined with semi-analytic treatments, we find that most planets in our initial parameter space experience diminished growth due to climate effects, an event we call a climate-dominated Anthropocene.

Keywords

Habitable Planets; Complex Life; Evolution; Earth

Whither the “Hindoo Invasion”? South Asians in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, 1907-1930

Chalana, Manish. (2021). Whither the “Hindoo Invasion”? South Asians in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, 1907-1930. International Journal Of Regional & Local History, 16(1), 14 – 38.

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Abstract

The first decade of the twentieth century saw several thousand men migrate from India to the North American West Coast. While most settled in British Columbia or California, a smaller number moved to the US Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon. A series of violent riots in 1907-8 drove many from the region. The basic contours of this population in the region after this time remain unclear. I uncover evidence that Indians persisted for a longer time period, and in more varied locations and occupations than some previous research suggests, but that ultimately violent exclusion led them to disappear almost entirely from the region. I investigate the conditions in which these men lived and toiled, and the ways in which they were viewed by the larger society, particularly in terms of evolving concepts of race and assimilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of International Journal of Regional & Local History is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Keywords

Immigration; Indians; Oregon; Pacific Northwest; Punjabis; Sikh; South Asians; Washington