Des Roches, Simone; Brans, Kristien, I; Lambert, Max R.; Rivkin, L. Ruth; Savage, Amy Marie; Schell, Christopher J.; Correa, Cristian; De Meester, Luc; Diamond, Sarah E.; Grimm, Nancy B.; Harris, Nyeema C.; Govaert, Lynn; Hendry, Andrew P.; Johnson, Marc T. J.; Munshi-south, Jason; Palkovacs, Eric P.; Szulkin, Marta; Urban, Mark C.; Verrelli, Brian C.; Alberti, Marina. (2021). Socio-evolutionary Dynamics in Cities. Evolutionary Applications, 14(1), 248 – 267.
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Abstract
Cities are uniquely complex systems regulated by interactions and feedbacks between nature and human society. Characteristics of human society-including culture, economics, technology and politics-underlie social patterns and activity, creating a heterogeneous environment that can influence and be influenced by both ecological and evolutionary processes. Increasing research on urban ecology and evolutionary biology has coincided with growing interest in eco-evolutionary dynamics, which encompasses the interactions and reciprocal feedbacks between evolution and ecology. Research on both urban evolutionary biology and eco-evolutionary dynamics frequently focuses on contemporary evolution of species that have potentially substantial ecological-and even social-significance. Still, little work fully integrates urban evolutionary biology and eco-evolutionary dynamics, and rarely do researchers in either of these fields fully consider the role of human social patterns and processes. Because cities are fundamentally regulated by human activities, are inherently interconnected and are frequently undergoing social and economic transformation, they represent an opportunity for ecologists and evolutionary biologists to study urban socio-eco-evolutionary dynamics. Through this new framework, we encourage researchers of urban ecology and evolution to fully integrate human social drivers and feedbacks to increase understanding and conservation of ecosystems, their functions and their contributions to people within and outside cities.
Keywords
Urban Ecology (biology); Urban Research; Urban Ecology (sociology); Social Processes; Biologists; Adaptation; Anthropogenic; Coupled Human-natural Systems; Eco-evo; Socio-ecological Systems; Urbanization; Rapid Evolution; Ecosystem Services; Long-term; Ecological Consequences; Partitioning Metrics; Evosystem Services; Genetic Diversity; Rattus-norvegicus; Local Adaptation; Urban Landscapes; Coupled Human-natural Systems; Eco-evo; Socio-ecological Systems
Grengs, Joe; Levine, Jonathan; Shen, Qing; Shen, Qingyun. (2010). Intermetropolitan Comparison of Transportation Accessibility: Sorting Out Mobility and Proximity in San Francisco And Washington, DC. Journal Of Planning Education And Research, 29(4), 427 – 443.
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Abstract
Both mobility and proximity influence transportation accessibility, but they exist in tension with each other. To understand the region-level trade-off between mobility and proximity requires intermetropolitan comparisons of accessibility. With a focus on the two metropolitan cases of San Francisco and Washington, D.C., we first describe a method for comparing regional accessibility and then explain a method that separates out the effects of mobility and proximity on regional accessibility. We find that the San Francisco region enjoys an accessibility advantage over Washington largely because of faster highway speeds but that central Washington offers an advantage in proximity.
Keywords
Spatial Interaction; Employment; Location; Access; Sprawl; Land Use; Methods; Nonwork Travel; Transportation; Urban Form; Regional Accessibility
Hurvitz, Philip M.; Moudon, Anne Vernez. (2012). Home Versus Nonhome Neighborhood: Quantifying Differences in Exposure to the Built Environment. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 42(4), 411 – 417.
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Abstract
Background: Built environment and health research have focused on characteristics of home neighborhoods, whereas overall environmental exposures occur over larger spatial ranges. Purpose: Differences in built environment characteristics were analyzed for home and nonhome locations using GPS data. Methods: GPS data collected in 2007-2008 were analyzed for 41 subjects in the Seattle area in 2010. Environmental characteristics for 3.8 million locations were measured using novel GIS data sets called SmartMaps, representing spatially continuous values of local built environment variables in the domains of neighborhood composition, utilitarian destinations, transportation infrastructure, and traffic conditions. Using bootstrap sampling, CIs were estimated for differences in built environment values for home (1666 m) GPS locations. Results: Home and nonhome built environment values were significantly different for more than 90% of variables across subjects (p < 0.001). Only 51% of subjects had higher counts of supermarkets near than away from home. Different measures of neighborhood parks yielded varying results. Conclusions: SmartMaps helped measure local built environment characteristics for a large set of GPS locations. Most subjects had significantly different home and nonhome built environment exposures. Considering the full range of individuals' environmental exposures may improve understanding of effects of the built environment on behavior and health outcomes. (Am J Prev Med 2012;42(4):411-417) (C) 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Keywords
Built Environment; Public Health Research; Individual Differences; Neighborhoods; Environmental Exposure; Health Of Homeless People; Global Positioning System; Data Analysis; Quantitative Research; Seattle (wash.); Washington (state); Geographic Information-systems; Global Positioning Systems; Physical-activity; Health Research; Urban Form; Land-use; Associations; Transportation; Availability; Walkability
El-Anwar, Omar; Aziz, Tamer Abdel. (2014). Integrated Urban-Construction Planning Framework for Slum Upgrading Projects. Journal Of Construction Engineering And Management, 140(4).
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Abstract
Slums are areas of population concentrations developed in the absence of physical planning and lack access to life essentials. Slums represent major national challenges in countries where they exist, especially developing countries. Various intervention strategies can be adopted to upgrade and/or replace slums, but are often faced with serious construction challenges, such as lack of access to sites and poor terrain conditions. Moreover, during the execution of slum upgrading projects, resident families can experience significant social and economic disruptions. The objective of this paper is present an integrated urban-construction planning framework for slum upgrading projects. This framework incorporates participatory upgrading and is designed to achieve three important objectives, including (1)maximizing the benefits of slum upgrading projects by identifying and accelerating the delivery of urgent projects; (2)providing more accurate and practical estimates of upgrading projects costs and timelines, which enables controlling and minimizing the total projects costs and durations; and (3)minimizing the social and economic disruptions for resident families during construction. An illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the potential of the proposed framework and its core multiobjective optimization process.
Keywords
Construction; Industrial Economics; Optimisation; Planning; Project Management; Social Sciences; Integrated Urban-construction Planning Framework; Slum Upgrading Projects; Physical Planning; Intervention Strategies; Construction Challenges; Economic Disruptions; Social Disruptions; Urgent Projects Delivery; Project Costs; Multiobjective Optimization Process; Logistics; Constructability; Optimization; Design; Build; Urban Areas; Slums Upgrading; Logistics Planning; Multi-objective Optimization; Integrated Design-build; Project Planning And Design
Drewnowski, Adam; Aggarwal, Anju; Tang, Wesley; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Scully, Jason; Stewart, Orion; Moudon, Anne Vernez. (2016). Obesity, Diet Quality, Physical Activity, and the Built Environment: The Need for Behavioral Pathways. BMC Public Health, 16.
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Abstract
Background: The built environment ( BE) is said to influence local obesity rates. Few studies have explored causal pathways between home-neighborhood BE variables and health outcomes such as obesity. Such pathways are likely to involve both physical activity and diet. Methods: The Seattle Obesity Study ( SOS II) was a longitudinal cohort of 440 adult residents of King Co, WA. Home addresses were geocoded. Home-neighborhood BE measures were framed as counts and densities of food sources and physical activity locations. Tax parcel property values were obtained from County tax assessor. Healthy Eating Index ( HEI 2010) scores were constructed using data from food frequency questionnaires. Physical activity ( PA) was obtained by self-report. Weights and heights were measured at baseline and following 12 months' exposure. Multivariable regressions examined the associations among BE measures at baseline, health behaviors ( HEI-2010 and physical activity) at baseline, and health outcome both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Results: None of the conventional neighborhood BE metrics were associated either with diet quality, or with meeting PA guidelines. Only higher property values did predict better diets and more physical activity. Better diets and more physical activity were associated with lower obesity prevalence at baseline and 12 mo, but did not predict weight change. Conclusion: Any links between the BE and health outcomes critically depend on establishing appropriate behavioral pathways. In this study, home-centric BE measures, were not related to physical activity or to diet. Further studies will need to consider a broader range of BE attributes that may be related to diets and health.
Keywords
Body-mass Index; Local Food Environment; Residential Property-values; Supermarket Accessibility; Park Proximity; Neighborhood Walkability; Vegetable Consumption; Atherosclerosis Risk; Restaurant Food; Associations; Built Environment; Physical Activity; Obesity; Diet Quality
Coslett, Daniel E. (2017). (Re)branding a (Post)colonial Streetscape: Tunis’s Avenue Habib Bourguiba and the Road Ahead. International Journal Of Islamic Architecture, 6(1), 59 – 96.
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Abstract
Arguably Tunis's premier public space, the iconic Avenue Bourguiba is today the product of over 150 years of manipulation, regulation and interpretation. Its development can be seen as an early example of thematic place branding, thereby complicating the notion that the widespread phenomenon is an exclusively postmodern and western one. In identifying three potential place-brand labels, this article considers the establishment of the 'Parisian Colonial' Avenue by French colonial authorities, its 'Tunisian Modern' modification at independence, and its more recent historicist 'Parisian Global' refurbishment within the contexts of colonialism, authoritarian governance and globalization. On the eve of the January 2011 revolution, the space reinforced the Ben Ali regime's maintenance of control and capitalized on the long-since entrenched image of a dual - eastern and western, traditional and modern - postcolonial city. In the revolution's wake the Avenue has become a reinvigorated public forum with a more complex character. Indeed, while the Avenue's existing form and function remain emblematic of Tunis's hybrid postcolonial identity, the thoroughfare now exemplifies the ongoing 'Arab Spring'. Its cultural brandscape and heritage content, though enhanced with new aspects of democratic empowerment, are likely to endure as the transitioning country continues to participate in the process of globalization.
Keywords
Africa; (post)colonialism; Architectural/urban History; Place Branding; Heritage; Arab Spring; Tunis
Duncan, Glen E.; Avery, Ally; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Tsang, Siny; Turkheimer, Eric. (2019). Cohort Profile: Twins Study of Environment, Lifestyle Behaviours and Health. International Journal Of Epidemiology, 48(4), 1041.
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Keywords
Twin Studies; Neighborhoods; Native Americans; Normalized Difference Vegetation Index; Life Style; Twins; Body-mass Index; Physical-activity; Neighborhood Walkability; Waist Circumference; Built Environment; Causal Inference; Deprivation; Validation; Registry; Obesity
Duncan, Glen E.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Avery, Ally R.; Tsang, Siny. (2021). Measurement of Neighborhood-Based Physical Activity Bouts. Health & Place, 70.
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Abstract
This study examined how buffer type (shape), size, and the allocation of activity bouts inside buffers that delineate the neighborhood spatially produce different estimates of neighborhood-based physical activity. A sample of 375 adults wore a global positioning system (GPS) data logger and accelerometer over 2 weeks under free-living conditions. Analytically, the amount of neighborhood physical activity measured objectively varies substantially, not only due to buffer shape and size, but by how GPS-based activity bouts are identified with respect to containment within neighborhood buffers. To move the neighborhood-effects literature forward, it is critical to delineate the spatial extent of the neighborhood, given how different ways of measuring GPS-based activity containment will result in different levels of physical activity across different buffer types and sizes.
Keywords
Built Environment; Walking; Home; Accelerometry; Geographic Information Systems; Gps; Neighborhood; Physical Activity
Pan, Haixiao; Shen, Qing; Xue, Song. (2010). Intermodal Transfer Between Bicycles and Rail Transit in Shanghai, China. Transportation Research Record, 2144, 181 – 188.
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Abstract
Large cities in China are building rail transit systems as part of a key strategy to address their pressing urban transportation problems. Because the high construction cost of subways and light rail limits the network density of rail transit, urban transport planners must seek effective intermodal connections between rail and other modes. This research examines the challenges and opportunities for improving the bicycle rail connection by using Shanghai as a case study. On the basis of two questionnaire surveys of rail transit riders, the research analyzes the existing mode shares of rail station access and egress trips, the underlying mechanisms for choosing among alternative modes, and the comparative advantages of the bicycle for trips that have certain distance and location characteristics. Empirical results suggest that the potential for travel improvement for rail transit riders lies primarily in the collection and distribution phases. Results point to several promising approaches to improving the bicycle rail connection and utilizing the bicycle more fully as an efficient supplement mode for the rapidly expanding urban rail transportation in China. In addition, the work can be a useful reference for cities in other countries in which rail transit development is accompanied by the continued importance of bicycles in residents' travel.
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