Wang, Lan; Zhang, Surong; Yang, Zilin; Zhao, Ziyu; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Feng, Huasen; Liang, Junhao; Sun, Wenyao; Cao, Buyang. (2021). What County-level Factors Influence Covid-19 Incidence in the United States? Findings from the First Wave of the Pandemic. Cities, 118.
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Abstract
Effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic via appropriate management of the built environment is an urgent issue. This study develops a research framework to explore the relationship between COVID-19 incidence and influential factors related to protection of vulnerable populations, intervention in transmission pathways, and provision of healthcare resources. Relevant data for regression analysis and structural equation modeling is collected during the first wave of the pandemic in the United States, from counties with over 100 confirmed cases. In addition to confirming certain factors found in the existing literature, we uncover six new factors significantly associated with COVID-19 incidence. Furthermore, incidence during the lockdown is found to significantly affect incidence after the reopening, highlighting that timely quarantining and treating of patients is essential to avoid the snowballing transmission over time. These findings suggest ways to mitigate the negative effects of subsequent waves of the pandemic, such as special attention of infection prevention in neighborhoods with unsanitary and overcrowded housing, minimization of social activities organized by neighborhood associations, and contactless home delivery service of healthy food. Also worth noting is the need to provide support to people less capable of complying with the stay-at-home order because of their occupations or socio-economic disadvantage.
Keywords
Pandemics; Covid-19; Covid-19 Pandemic; Infection Prevention; Stay-at-home Orders; Structural Equation Modeling; United States; Communicable Disease Prevention; Influential Factors; Lockdown; Structural Equation Modeling (sem); Prevalence; Disease; Healthy Food; Social Activities; Counties; Neighborhoods; Housing; Built Environment; Prevention; Minimization; Socioeconomic Factors; Intervention; Health Care; Vulnerability; Occupations; Coronaviruses; Food Service; Disease Transmission; United States--us
Acolin, Arthur; Colburn, Gregg; Walter, Rebecca J. (2022). How Do Single-Family Homeowners Value Residential and Commercial Density? It Depends. Land Use Policy, 113.
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Abstract
This paper develops estimates of the relationship between local density and single-family home values using 2017 transactions for five U.S. metropolitan regions: Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Seattle. Proposals to build new commercial and residential development projects that would increase local density commonly face opposition from local homeowners. Academic literature links the response from homeowners to concerns that higher density is associated with lower property values but there is limited empirical evidence establishing this relationship at the local level. We find a positive and significant relationship between density and house value in the core area of the five metropolitan regions we analyze. Within 7.5 miles of the center of these metropolitan regions, a 10% increase in surrounding built area density is associated with a 1.1–1.9% increase in house prices per square foot. For outlying areas, the estimates are smaller and even negative in several cases. We instrument density based on topographic and soil characteristics and find similar results. These findings point to the need for a more nuanced discussion of the relationship between local density and housing values.
Keywords
Population Density; Soil Density; Single Family Housing; Home Ownership; Housing Development; Housing Discrimination; Home Prices; Los Angeles (calif.); Density; Single-family House Value; Urban Form; Residential Development; Real Estate; Property Values; Residential Density; Development Programs; Housing; Estimates; Metropolitan Areas; Development Projects; Empirical Analysis; Families & Family Life; Soil Characteristics
Chalana, Manish. (2010). Slumdogs vs. Millionaires: Balancing Urban Informality and Global Modernity in Mumbai, India. Journal Of Architectural Education, 63(2), 25 – 37.
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Abstract
Mumbai and other Indian cities are rapidly transforming to address the needs of global commerce and the expanding middle class. Mumbai's vernacular environments, home to most working-class residents, are consequently being redeveloped using supermodern global aesthetics. The urbanism emerging from the current wave of modernism is an unprecedented radical departure from existing patterns of place. Proponents claim the new developments serve low-income residents' interests, when actually they ignore fundamental socio-cultural and economic realities. This paper considers two case studies, Dharavi and Girangaon, highlighting a subset of Mumbai's vernacular environments to argue for their significance and to explore alternative redevelopment approaches.
Abramson, Daniel Benjamin. (2011). Places for the Gods: Urban Planning as Orthopraxy and Heteropraxy in China. Environment & Planning D: Society & Space, 29(1), 67 – 88.
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Abstract
Among the many revivals of older urban practices in China since the death of Mao and the Reforms of Deng Xiaoping is the resurgence of unofficial folk-religious space. As a national phenomenon, it is an uneven process, but where it has become prevalent, it presents challenges both to official standard urban-planning practice, as well as to the public presentation of planning practice. This paper describes how nonstandard practices can emerge in the current context of rapid urbanization, which itself is a force for standardized urban spatial practices in terms of Chinese domestic cultural and political institutions as well as global capital flows. Both local and translocal actors, navigating among various conflicting standards of practice and discourse, can find room to resist hegemony, maintain identity, and innovate. The political and bureaucratic ritualization of planning practice, however, conceals this fact.
Keywords
Urban Planning -- Social Aspects; Urban Policy; Urbanization; Hegemony; Cultural Policy; Social Conditions In China; Social Aspects; China; Late Imperial China; Standardization; Property; Shanghai; Culture; Space; State
Jiao, Junfeng; Moudon, Anne V.; Ulmer, Jared; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Drewnowski, Adam. (2012). How to Identify Food Deserts: Measuring Physical and Economic Access to Supermarkets in King County, Washington. American Journal Of Public Health, 102(10), E32 – E39.
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Abstract
Objectives. We explored new ways to identify food deserts. Methods. We estimated physical and economic access to supermarkets for 5 low-income groups in Seattle-King County, Washington. We used geographic information system data to measure physical access: service areas around each supermarket were delineated by ability to walk, bicycle, ride transit, or drive within 10 minutes. We assessed economic access by stratifying supermarkets into low, medium, and high cost. Combining income and access criteria generated multiple ways to estimate food deserts. Results. The 5 low-income group definitions yielded total vulnerable populations ranging from 4% to 33% of the county's population. Almost all of the vulnerable populations lived within a 10-minute drive or bus ride of a low-or medium-cost supermarket. Yet at most 34% of the vulnerable populations could walk to any supermarket, and as few as 3% could walk to a low-cost supermarket. Conclusions. The criteria used to define low-income status and access to supermarkets greatly affect estimates of populations living in food deserts. Measures of access to food must include travel duration and mode and supermarket food costs.
Keywords
Neighborhood Characteristics; Store Availability; Accessibility; Consumption; Disparities; Environment; Location; Fruit; Pay
Cheng, Tao; Migliaccio, Giovanni C.; Teizer, Jochen; Gatti, Umberto C. (2013). Data Fusion of Real-Time Location Sensing and Physiological Status Monitoring for Ergonomics Analysis of Construction Workers. Journal Of Computing In Civil Engineering, 27(3), 320 – 335.
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Abstract
Previous research and applications in construction resource optimization have focused on tracking the location of material and equipment. There is a lack of studies on remote monitoring for improving safety and health of the construction workforce. This paper presents a new approach for monitoring ergonomically safe and unsafe behavior of construction workers. The study relies on a methodology that utilizes fusion of data from continuous remote monitoring of construction workers' location and physiological status. To monitor construction workers activities, the authors deployed nonintrusive real-time worker location sensing (RTLS) and physiological status monitoring (PSM) technology. This paper presents the background and need for a data fusion approach, the framework, the test bed environment, and results to some case studies that were used to automatically identify unhealthy work behavior. Results of this study suggest a new approach for automating remote monitoring of construction workers safety performance by fusing data on their location and physical strain. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CP.1943-5487.0000222. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Keywords
Civil Engineering Computing; Construction Industry; Ergonomics; Occupational Health; Occupational Safety; Personnel; Sensor Fusion; Psm Technology; Rtls Technology; Construction Workforce Health; Construction Workforce Safety; Equipment Location; Material Location; Construction Resource Optimization; Construction Worker; Ergonomics Analysis; Physiological Status Monitoring; Realtime Location Sensing; Data Fusion; Exposure; Tracking; Demands; Sensors; System; Construction Worker Behavior; Remote Location Sensing; Work Sampling; Workforce Safety And Health
Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Brown, G. Z.; Burpee, Heather; Djunaedy, Ery; Gladics, Gunnar; Kline, Jeff; Loveland, Joel; Meek, Christopher; Thimmanna, Harshana. (2013). Evaluating Direct Energy Savings and Market Transformation Effects: A Decade of Technical Design Assistance in the Northwestern USA. Energy Policy, 52, 342 – 353.
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Abstract
This paper documents the direct energy savings and energy efficiency market transformation impacts of a multi-state design assistance program in the northwestern US. The paper addresses four specific aims. (1) It provides a conservative and justified estimate of the direct energy savings associated with design assistance activities of a market transformation program from 2001 to 2010. (2) It provides a rigorous methodology to evaluate direct energy savings associated with design assistance market transformation programs. (3) It provides a low-cost replicable method to predict energy savings in new buildings by evaluating the integrated design process. (4) It provides quantitative indicators useful for estimating indirect energy savings from market transformation. Applying the recommended analysis method and assuming a 12-year measure life, the direct energy savings of the population (626 buildings; 51,262,000 ft(2)) is estimated as 453 aMW (average megawatts) (electric), and 265,738.089 therms (non-electric). If the entire program budget were divided into the electric savings only, the Lab Network cost per kWh saved ranged from $0.0016 to $0.003 using the recommended method and $0.0092/kWh using the most conservative method. These figures do not isolate contextual influences or represent total resource cost. Statistically significant correlations (r(2)=0.1-0.3) between integrated design scores and energy savings are reported. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Programs; Sweden; Energy Efficiency; Market Transformation; Evaluation
Gatti, Umberto C.; Schneider, Suzanne; Migliaccio, Giovanni C. (2014). Physiological Condition Monitoring of Construction Workers. Automation In Construction, 44, 227 – 233.
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Abstract
Monitoring of workers' physiological conditions can potentially enhance construction workforce productivity, safety, and well-being. Recently, Physiological Status Monitors (PSMs) were validated as an accurate technology to assess physiological conditions during typical sport science and medicine testing procedures (e.g., treadmill and cycle ergometer protocols). However, sport science and medicine testing procedures cannot simulate routine construction worker movements in a comprehensive manner. Thus, this paper investigated the validity of two PSMs by comparing their measurements with gold standard laboratory instruments' measurements at rest and during dynamic activities resembling construction workforce's routine activities. Two physiological parameters such as heart rate and breathing rate were considered. Ten apparently healthy subjects participated in the study. One of the PSMs proved to be a viable technology in assessing construction workers' heart rate (correlation coefficient >= 0.74; percentage of differences within +/- 11 bpm >= 84.8%). (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved,
Keywords
Construction Workers; Labor Supply; Labor Productivity; Well-being; Health Status Indicators; Heart Rate Monitoring; Physiology; Construction Management; Construction Worker; Ergonomics; Occupational Health And Safety; Physiological Status Monitoring Technology; Productivity; Work Physiological Demand; Work Physiology; Construction Industry; Monitoring; Occupational Safety; Medicine Testing; Sport Science; Psm; Physiological Status Monitors; Safety; Construction Workforce Productivity; Workers Monitoring; Physiological Condition Monitoring; Heart-rate Monitors; R-r Intervals; Statistical-methods; Respiratory Rate; Physical Load; Polar S810; Strain; Validity; Reliability; Validation
Stewart, Orion; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Claybrooke, Charlotte. (2014). Multistate Evaluation of Safe Routes to School Programs. American Journal Of Health Promotion, 28, S89 – S96.
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Abstract
Purpose. State Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs provide competitive grants to local projects that support safe walking, bicycling, and other modes of active school travel (AST). This study assessed changes in rates of AST after implementation of SRTS projects at multiple sites across four states. Design. One-group pretest and posttest. Setting. Florida, Mississippi, Washington, and Wisconsin. Subjects. Convenience sample of 48 completed SRTS projects and 53 schools affected by a completed SRTS project. Intervention. State-funded SRTS project. Measures. AST was measured as the percentage of students walking, bicycling, or using any AST mode. SRTS project characteristics were measured at the project, school, and school neighborhood levels. Analysis. Paired-samples t-tests were used to assess changes in AST. Bivariate analysis was used to identify SRTS project characteristics associated with increases in AST. Data were analyzed separately at the project (n = 48) and school (n = 53) levels. Results. Statistically significant increases in AST were observed across projects in all four states. All AST modes increased from 12.9% to 17.6%; walking from 9.8% to 14.2%; and bicycling from 2.5% to 3.0%. Increases in rates of bicycling were negatively correlated with baseline rates of bicycling. Conclusion. State-funded SRTS projects are achieving one of the primary program goals of increasing rates of AST. They may be particularly effective at introducing bicycling to communities where it is rare. The evaluation framework introduced in this study can be used to continue tracking the effect of state SRTS programs as more projects are completed.
Keywords
Transportation Of School Children; Physical Activity Measurement; Health Promotion; Cycling; Walking; School Children -- United States; Bicycling; Children; Commuting; Health Focus: Fitness/physical Activity; Manuscript Format: Research; Outcome Measure: Behavioral; Prevention Research; Research Purpose: Program Evaluation; Schools; Setting: School; Strategy: Skill Building/behavior Change, Built Environment; Study Design: Quasi-experimental; Target Population Age: Youth; Target Population Circumstances: Geographic Location; Physical-activity; Mental-health; Travel; Association; Validity; Mode; Bus
Jiao, J.; Moudon, A. V.; Kim, S. Y.; Hurvitz, P. M.; Drewnowski, A. (2015). Health Implications of Adults’ Eating at and Living Near Fast Food or Quick Service Restaurants. Nutrition & Diabetes, 5.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: This paper examined whether the reported health impacts of frequent eating at a fast food or quick service restaurant on health were related to having such a restaurant near home. METHODS: Logistic regressions estimated associations between frequent fast food or quick service restaurant use and health status, being overweight or obese, having a cardiovascular disease or diabetes, as binary health outcomes. In all, 2001 participants in the 2008-2009 Seattle Obesity Study survey were included in the analyses. RESULTS: Results showed eating >= 2 times a week at a fast food or quick service restaurant was associated with perceived poor health status, overweight and obese. However, living close to such restaurants was not related to negative health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent eating at a fast food or quick service restaurant was associated with perceived poor health status and higher body mass index, but living close to such facilities was not.
Keywords
Body-mass Index; Socioeconomic-status; Built Environment; Obesity; Association; Consumption; Weight; Proximity; Outlets; Establishments