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Evidence for Healthy Urban Design

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2021) | Viewed by 16180

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Kim Natasha Dirks

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Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Interests: liveable cities; urban air pollution exposure; environmental noise exposure; urban green space; road transport infrastructure
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is generally accepted that there is significant ‘health’ value associated with good urban design and infrastructure, and, conversely, potential for significant adverse consequences associated with poor urban design, whether direct or indirect. Yet there remains a paucity in terms of empirical evidence of the health benefits of ‘good’ urban design and infrastructure, at either the micro (either street or building) scale, or at the macro (city-wide) scale. Additionally, elements of design that have been found to be effective in one city or country may not be effective in another. For example, there are benefits associated with urban trees generally, but also adverse consequences depending on what species and where they are planted. This Special Issue invites papers focused on the provision of either qualitative or quantitative evidence that considers elements of urban design that impact either positively or negatively on any aspect of human health, either at the individual or at the community level, to supplement the body of knowledge in this area. This will help ensure that human health remains an important consideration in the design of cities.

Topics may include, but not be limited to, the following:

The use of water features to improve the soundscape of urban public spaces
The use of vegetation to reduce exposure to air pollution for pedestrians
Barriers to cycling – the role of urban infrastructure
Perceptions of personal safety in urban parks

Dr. Kim Dirks
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

urban design
infrastructure
health
people
trees
air pollution
noise
planning
cities

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 3914 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects and Environmental Features of Mountainous Urban Greenways (MUGs) on Physical Activity

by Ming Ma, Liang Ding, Huaiyun Kou, Shaohua Tan and Hao Long

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8696; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168696 - 17 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2070

Abstract

The role played by urban greenways in supporting physical activity (PA) for public health benefits has been receiving increasing attention. Most studies on this topic have been conducted in plains, whereas studies in mountainous regions have been limited as a result of the complexity of these areas. To address this knowledge gap, this article aims to analyze the effects of the environmental features for a mountainous urban greenway (MUG) on PA, leading to better support for greenway practice in mountainous areas. A volunteered geographic information (VGI) method was applied through the mobile app KEEP to collect 1314 valid records of PA including its density (total PA distance per unit area within the buffer zone) and attributes (distance, duration and speed) in the Yuzhong Peninsula, Chongqing, China. Similar to those of the studies conducted in the plains, our results showed that PA density was affected by the MUG and its surrounding environment. The key environmental features included residential density, open-space POI, the slope, the transportation-MUG (T-MUG) ratio and the recreational-MUG (R-MUG) ratio. For the PA attributes, the MUG showed stronger effects than the surrounding environment. The key environmental features included the slope and type of MUG, of which the former was negatively associated with distance and speed. The T-MUG ratio was positively related to duration and speed, while the R-MUG ratio was positively related to duration and distance. No association was found between livelihood (L-MUG) and PA. Hence, to support both the PA density and attributes, the environmental qualities for recreation and the types of R-MUGs should be given more consideration in practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evidence for Healthy Urban Design)

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15 pages, 3465 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selected Approaches to the Assessment of Environmental Noise from Railways in Urban Areas

by Miroslav Němec, Tomáš Gergeľ, Miloš Gejdoš, Anna Danihelová and Vojtěch Ondrejka

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(13), 7086; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18137086 - 02 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1957

Abstract

Rail transport is the second most important way of transporting people and freights by land in the European Union. Rail noise affects around 12 million people in the European Union during the day and around 9 million at night. There are two possible ways to assess environmental noise: noise measurement in situ and prediction using mathematical models. The aim of the work is based on the performed measurements and selected noise predictions to evaluate the accuracy of the prediction models and assess their sensitivity to various aspects. Two measuring points in the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region, within Slovakia, were selected for measurement, which is characterized by increased mobility of the population. For prediction, the two methodologies were selected (Schall 03 and Methodical instructions for the calculation of sound pressure level from transport). The results show that the Schall 03 method is sensitive to the measurement location (the value reaches half of the significance level) and to the location–period interaction. The second prediction method is sensitive to systematic error (absolute term) and, such as Schall 03, to the location–period interaction. This method systematically overestimates the results. Results showed greater accuracy of both prediction models compared to the measured noise values than the results of the authors in other countries and conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evidence for Healthy Urban Design)

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15 pages, 7360 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Thermal Environment on Attendance and Adaptive Behaviors in Outdoor Spaces: A Study in a Cold-Climate University Campus

by Jiao Xue, Wei Liu and Kuixing Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 6139; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18116139 - 07 Jun 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2707

Abstract

Creating a favorable thermal environment in an outdoor space is essential for attracting more occupants to outdoor areas and vitalizing a city. It is possible to study occupants’ needs in an outdoor thermal environment by observing their attendance and behaviors, since people may exhibit certain adaptive measures, such as seeking shade, using parasols, etc., “vote with their feet”, or even leave the space, if they feel uncomfortable. In order to investigate the influence of thermal environment on attendance and adaptive behaviors in outdoor spaces, in this study we carried out field campaigns in a university campus in a cold-climate city. The thermal environment was monitored, while surveys of thermal perceptions and observations of attendance and adaptive behaviors were conducted. Through the data analyses, it was found that the thermal environment had a great impact on the attendance of optional activities, but necessary activities were not influenced. The greatest influence on attendance came from air temperature. The influences of wind and humidity on attendance were found to be coupled with that of air temperature. Adaptive behaviors, such as seeking shade, using parasols, changing clothes, and changing the lengths of stay, were also greatly influenced by air temperature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evidence for Healthy Urban Design)

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15 pages, 811 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Environment and Health: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Influence of Environmental Quality and Physical Activity on Blood Pressure

by Regina Grazuleviciene, Sandra Andrusaityte, Audrius Dėdelė, Tomas Grazulevicius, Leonas Valius, Aurimas Rapalavicius, Violeta Kapustinskiene and Inga Bendokiene

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 6126; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18116126 - 06 Jun 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3396

Abstract

Few studies have examined the relation between urban built environment and the prevalence of hypertension. This cross-sectional study aimed at assessing the relationship between the environmental quality, physical activity, and stress on hypertension among citizens of Kaunas city, Lithuania. We conducted a survey of 1086 citizens residing in 11 districts to determine their perceptions of environmental quality, health behavior, and health indices. The independent variables included residential traffic flows, access to public transportation and green spaces. Dependent variables included physician-diagnosed hypertension, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and stress level. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the associations as odds ratios (OR). The environmental factors beneficially associated with meeting the physical activity recommendations were opportunities for walking to reach the city’s green spaces and available relaxation areas. Residents of high noise level districts aged 45–64 years had a significantly higher OR of stress and a higher prevalence of hypertension when age, sex, education status, family status, and smoking were accounted for. However, meeting the physical activity recommendations had a beneficial effect on the risk of hypertension. This study provided evidence that improvement of the district-level built environment supporting citizens’ physical activity might reduce the risk of hypertension. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evidence for Healthy Urban Design)

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17 pages, 4442 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socioeconomic Status and Route Characteristics in Relation to Children’s Exposure to Air Pollution from Road Traffic While Walking to School in Auckland, New Zealand

by Mehrdad Rafiepourgatabi, Alistair Woodward, Jennifer A. Salmond and Kim N. Dirks

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4996; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094996 - 08 May 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2404

Abstract

Pedestrian exposure to traffic-related air pollution depends on many factors; including the nature of the traffic on nearby roads and the route characteristics. In this study, we investigated the effects of differences in vehicle fleet and transport infrastructure on children’s exposure to traffic-related air pollution during their morning walk to school in Auckland, New Zealand. Five pairs of routes to schools—each including a low and a high socioeconomic status (SES) school—were selected and traversed over 7–8 days for each pair while measuring particle number concentration (PNC) and GPS coordinates. At the same time, a sample of 200 license plates of cars from each school’s neighborhood was captured using videos, and the age of each car was extracted using an online database. Both the mean age of the cars and the percentage of old cars (>14 years) were found to be higher in the low SES areas. However, neither measure of vehicle age was associated with a significant difference in exposure to PNC for pedestrians. Route features including narrow footpaths and a higher density of traffic lights may be associated with higher levels of PNC exposure. These findings provide insight into the role of urban design in promoting healthy commutes to school. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evidence for Healthy Urban Design)

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16 pages, 4811 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Affects Older Adults’ Viewing Behaviors in Neighborhood Open Space: A Study in Hong Kong

by Mu-Fei He, Shu-Lin Shi, Ming-Yi He, Yan-Peng Leng and Shao-Yi Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(5), 2430; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052430 - 02 Mar 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2448

Abstract

Research on older adults’ behaviors, living environments, and their quality of life (QoL) has grown rapidly. Viewing behaviors, although broadly acknowledged as critical for older adults’ QoL, have not been systematically examined in situ. What affects the viewing behaviors of older adults in neighborhood open space (NOS) is still unclear. This study conducted unobtrusive continuous observations in NOS of two residential estates in Hong Kong. With spatio-temporal analyses with ArcGIS Pro and statistical analyses with SPSS, principal influential factors to viewing behaviors of older adults in NOS were identified, including distances for viewing, landscape attractiveness, body supporting elements, as well as moving and interactive behaviors. How these factors would affect older adults’ well-being and QoL is discussed from the perspectives of supportive landscape design, sense of control, prospect and refuge, and social support, etc. Corresponding design implications are proposed to enrich existing NOS design knowledge for older adults’ quality of life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evidence for Healthy Urban Design)

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