Search Results (32)

(1) Background: The provision of monofunctional or inadequately distributed services in urban park green spaces often constrains residents’ opportunities and diversity for outdoor activities, particularly limiting access and participation for specific age groups or activity preferences. However, functional nodes with temporal and spatial flexibility demonstrate high-quality characteristics of resilient and shared services through integrated development. Accurately identifying user demand provides a solid basis for optimizing the functional configuration of urban parks. (2) Methods: This study took the old city area of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, as a case study. By collecting and integrating various types of data, such as geographic spatial data, field investigation data, and behavioral observations, we developed a population demand quantification method and a modular analysis approach for park service functions. This framework enabled correlation analysis between diverse user needs and park services. The study further classified and combined park functions into modular units, quantifying their elastic and shared service capabilities—namely, the adaptive flexibility and shared utilization capacity of park services. Additionally, we established a demand-responsive evaluation system for identifying and diagnosing problem areas in park services based on multi-source data. (3) Results: The demand response index and diagnostic results indicate that the supply of fitness facilities—particularly equipment-based installations—is insufficient within the old urban district of Zhengzhou. Among the three user groups—children, young and middle-aged adults, and the elderly—the elderly population exhibited the lowest demand response index, revealing a significant gap in meeting their specific needs. (4) Conclusions: Based on the research findings, a three-tier optimization strategy is proposed: A. improve green space connectivity to expand the service coverage of parks; B. implement multifunctional overlay and coordinated integration in spatial design based on site characteristics and demand diagnostics; and C. increase the total supply of facilities to enhance spatial efficiency in parks. By integrating the demand assessment data and diagnostic results, this approach enabled a data-driven reorganization of service types and targeted allocation of resources within existing park infrastructure, offering a practical tool and reference for the planning of urban outdoor activity spaces. Full article

Background: The Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW) has been extensively researched due to its applicability across various real-world domains, including logistics, healthcare, and distribution systems. With the global elderly population projected to continue increasing, the demand for home healthcare (HHC) services is also on the rise. This work focuses on a specific application within an HHC system, aiming to minimize the total completion time for a fleet of vehicles delivering healthcare services to patients at home. Methods: We propose a mathematical model for the VRPTW, targeting a reduction in both customer and server waiting times on each route and seeking to decrease the total completion time. Our proposed algorithm employs a tabu search to narrow the search space, leveraging a greedy algorithm to establish the tabu list. Results: Our experimental results, based on Solomon’s benchmark datasets, demonstrate that the proposed algorithms achieve optimal solutions, particularly in minimizing total completion time compared to traditional methods, in a case study involving 400 customers where vehicles’ hours are restricted to align with caregivers’ average daily working hours. Conclusions: Our algorithm resulted in a 59% reduction in the number of vehicles required compared to the most recent algorithms, which combine k-mean clustering and local search. Full article

This study addresses the challenges related to the distribution of elderly care facilities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, which is experiencing a rapidly aging population. With over 176 million people aged 65 and above in China as of 2019 and the elderly population in the YRD continuing to grow, the study analyzes the spatial distribution, evolution, and supply–demand balance of elderly care facilities. Using GIS technologies, multi-source data analysis, and spatial autocorrelation techniques, the research identifies key regional patterns. Shanghai exhibits a clear hierarchical distribution of facilities, Jiangsu shows a “south strong, north weak” trend, while Zhejiang and Anhui demonstrate the opposite. The study also highlights a shift towards smaller, community-based care facilities, reflecting the growing demand for more localized services. It uncovers significant spatial mismatches and low coordination between supply and demand, particularly in rural and urban fringe areas, indicating the need for better regional coordination and more balanced resource distribution. To address these challenges, the study recommends (a) establishing cross-regional elderly care resource-sharing mechanisms; (b) promoting the development of small, community-based facilities; (c) integrating urban and rural services; and (d) leveraging technology for smart elderly care, including the use of big data and AI to optimize service delivery. These strategies aim to improve the equity and accessibility of elderly care services, ensuring that underserved areas receive better support. The findings provide a comprehensive framework for elderly care policies, offering valuable insights for other rapidly urbanizing regions and countries facing similar demographic challenges. Full article

(1) Research Highlights: Existing studies primarily focus on the supply-side evaluation of urban forest accessibility, emphasizing physical proximity while often overlooking real-time usage patterns and demographic-specific exposure. This study shifts the focus to social exposure, analyzing how diverse population groups interact with urban forests across different times of the day, integrating dynamic accessibility metrics. (2) Background and Objectives: Unlike previous research that predominantly assessed urban forest accessibility through conventional models based on static spatial proximity, this study incorporates spatiotemporal population distribution data to capture actual utilization patterns. By introducing a dynamic, exposure-based framework, this research aims to facilitate equitable and temporally sensitive access to green spaces across diverse demographic groups. (3) Materials and Methods: This study focuses on Seoul, South Korea, and applies the Gaussian-based Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (G2SFCA) methodology to assess urban forest accessibility. Living population data (2021–2024) from mobile telecommunications sources were used as demand indicators, while OpenStreetMap (OSM) green space data were utilized as supply indicators. Realistic travel distances were calculated using OSM pedestrian networks and Dijkstra’s algorithm, incorporating slope effects and distance decay functions. A K-means clustering algorithm was applied to classify four distinct exposure types based on demographic and temporal variations. (4) Results: The findings reveal significant disparities in urban forest exposure based on age group and time of day. Four major urban forest exposure patterns were identified: Type A—school-age children, with peak usage around midday; Type B—working-age adults, frequenting mid-sized urban forests during commuting and leisure hours; Type C—elderly individuals, utilizing large-scale urban forests and neighborhood parks mainly in the morning; Type D—young adults, engaging with small urban parks and rest areas at various times. (5) Conclusions: Urban forest management must move beyond the quantitative expansion of green spaces and instead implement customized policies that optimize accessibility and equitable distribution based on distinct temporal and demographic patterns of social exposure. By integrating real-time urban mobility data into urban forest planning, policies can better align green space supply with actual usage, fostering a more equitable, data-driven, and sustainable urban green infrastructure. Full article

This study enhances our understanding of urban park accessibility and social equity through a novel methodological framework in Chengdu, China. By improving the three-step floating catchment area (3SFCA) method with space syntax metrics and multi-modal transportation analysis, we identify spatial disparities in green space access. Our methodology, validated with Baidu heat map data, demonstrates improved accuracy in estimating population demand patterns. Key findings include: (1) The enhanced 3SFCA method outperforms traditional approaches in predicting park accessibility, providing reliable evidence for urban planning; (2) significant accessibility disparities exist across transportation modes, particularly affecting non-motorized transport users; (3) newly developed areas show greater park access inequities than established neighborhoods; (4) important mismatches exist between park accessibility and vulnerable population distributions. This research provides targeted recommendations for reducing spatial inequities and improving green space access for all residents, particularly benefiting children and elderly populations in rapidly urbanizing contexts. Full article

With the rapid aging of the population and increasing demand for elderly care services, ensuring equitable access to emergency medical service (EMS) for nursing homes has become a critical public health challenge. As the first Chinese city to experience an aging society, Shanghai faces compounding pressures from rapid urbanization and recurrent urban flooding, both of which exacerbate disparities in healthcare accessibility. This study investigates the spatial equity of EMS access among nursing homes in Shanghai, with a particular focus on the impacts of urban flooding. Using ordinary least squares and geographically weighted regression models, the study reveals that EMS accessibility is relatively equitable under normal conditions but deteriorates significantly during flood events, particularly in suburban and low-lying areas. The findings show that flood-induced disruptions to road networks disproportionately impact nursing homes in peripheral districts, widening accessibility gaps. Additionally, the study identifies that factors such as road density, emergency center distribution, and flood inundation depth play critical roles in shaping spatial equity. The results underscore the need for strategic interventions to enhance healthcare resilience, including optimized facility allocation and flood-resistant infrastructure. Policymakers should adopt integrated planning approaches to ensure equitable EMS access for vulnerable elderly populations during emergencies. Full article

In this study, optimization of the microgreen space distribution through multistage regulation is investigated, with the goal of alleviating the imbalance between the supply and demand of green resources in the central urban area of Shenyang. An optimized evaluation model of green space supply and demand is employed to calculate the green space accessibility index at a 100-m grid scale and identify different levels of green space resource supply and demand. Priority is given to supplementing resources for the elderly population by balancing the green space supply in vulnerable areas. Particle swarm—ant colony optimization (PS-ACO) is used to select microgreen space sites within each priority level. On the basis of the “important-urgent” quadrant analysis, S1-priority residential areas account for 8.12% of the grid, S2-priority areas account for 67.01%, and S3-priority areas account for 24.87%. The PS-ACO algorithm outputs potential microgreen space sites within each priority level to accurately regulate the green space distribution in residential areas with different supply pressures and limited land availability. A spatial correlation analysis of the new sites reveals good spatial dispersion within service units, effectively alleviating demand pressures, and good aggregation at a regional scale to address imbalances in the supply of green space in a targeted manner. Thus, the optimized results of the PS-ACO algorithm are effective, providing reliable site-selection references for subsequent urban microgreen space distributions. Full article

As the aging population in China increases, home-based elderly care is set to become the main mode of elderly care in the future. The construction of community elderly care service facilities is receiving more and more attention from society. Currently, residential area design standards in China lack clear guidance on the spatial planning of facilities, which will lead to unreasonable facility layout planning and insufficient convenience in the utilization of facilities by the elderly. Fully considering the distribution characteristics of community elderly care service facilities and the needs of the community life circle when planning residential areas can effectively solve this problem. This study takes Xi’an City as the research object, based on the theory of life circle, through questionnaire surveys and cluster analysis, analyzes the current situation of the construction of elderly care service facilities and the characteristics of the use by the elderly. Combined with the community life circle model, the study scope is divided into community life circle levels, and put forward the planning strategies of coverage rate, number, richness, and spatial layout of the facilities, respectively. These strategies are designed to enhance the quality of life for seniors, ensuring that they have access to essential support and resources within their communities. It demonstrated that middle-aged elderly prefer community canteens and activity centers, while those with limited mobility and multiple chronic diseases have a higher demand for health service centers and community canteens. The utilization weight analysis shows that vegetable markets and supermarkets are most frequently used, whereas health service centers are the least utilized. The research proposes strategic planning enhancements, including full coverage of basic facilities, targeted increases in high-demand facilities, and tailored facilities for elderly characteristics. It recommends cross-community layouts to ensure service radius coverage, development reservations for future needs, and quality improvements to address the low satisfaction rates of existing facilities. The study concludes that a targeted approach to facility planning, considering the elderly’s diverse needs, can enhance the community elderly care service system’s sustainability and effectiveness. Full article

Metropolitan areas are important regions with a high concentration of population and public service facilities. The coupling coordination between public service facilities and population plays an important role in the sustainable development of economy and society. However, previous studies have focused on a few core cities, effectively identifying areas with weak coordination of public services and currently lacking corresponding information support and paradigms at the regional scale. Taking the Wuhan Metropolitan Area as an example, this paper strengthens the concern about the spatiality and locality of public service facilities in the region;, applies the improved CRITIC method and coupling coordination model to study the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of public service facilities at the county and grid levels by using multisource data, and evaluates the intercity differences and dynamic changes of coupling coordination relationships between public service facilities and population. The findings are as follows: (1) Wuhan was the core of public service facilities in the metropolitan area, and a continuous high-level coordinated distribution was gradually developed on the east-west axis from 2016 to 2022; (2) there were differences in the coupling coordination degree of different types of facilities, among which the imbalance between the supply and demand of elderly care facilities was obvious; and (3) the coupling coordination degree of facilities in the Wu-E-Huang-Huang core development area was relatively high. Finally, we summarize the development stages of the coupling coordination between the facilities and population in the Wuhan Metropolitan Area and obtain the typical development characteristics. The research results could provide scientific support for planning decisions. Full article

With the deepening trend of aging, the issue of elderly care for the aging population has become a matter of concern for all sectors of society. Elderly-care services have become increasingly vital. Elderly-care institutions, a major component of the elderly-care system, are an important part of public facility resource provision; the spatial distribution of elderly-care institutions (ECIs) directly affects the equitable access of the elderly to public resources. To cope with the current pressure of population aging and limited resources for the elderly, this study aims to explore the relationship between population aging and the supply of ECIs in Jinan, China. Using the ArcGIS platform, this study analyzes the spatial allocation of ECIs, provides improved supply capacity modelling of ECIs based on the Gaussian Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Approach (Ga2SFCA), and evaluates the equity of ECIs in terms of accessibility, supply–demand equity, and spatial equity. The results show that there are large differences in spatial accessibility between different levels of ECIs, there is a mismatch of supply and demand, the number and size of existing ECIs do not meet the needs of the elderly, and the distribution of resources in small ECIs is highly inequitable. These results can provide a guiding direction for optimizing ECIs and urban road network planning and can also provide new insights for urban planners to assess the equity of public service facilities. Full article

This research employs a spatial optimization approach customized for addressing equitable emergency medical facility location problems through the p-dispersed-median problem (p-DIME). The p-DIME integrates two conflicting classes of spatial optimization problems, dispersion and median problems, aiming to identify the optimal locations for emergency medical facilities to achieve an equitable spatial distribution of emergency medical services (EMS) while effectively serving demand. To demonstrate the utility of the p-DIME model, we selected Gyeongsangbuk-do in South Korea, recognized as one of the most challenging areas for providing EMS to the elderly population (aged 65 and over). This challenge arises from the significant spatial disparity in the distribution of emergency medical facilities. The results of the model assessment gauge the spatial disparity of EMS, provide significantly enhanced solutions for a more equitable EMS distribution in terms of service coverage, and offer policy implications for future EMS location planning. In addition, to address the computational challenges posed by p-DIME’s inherent complexity, involving mixed-integer programming, this study introduces a solution technique through constraint formulations aimed at tightening the lower bounds of the problem’s solution space. The computational results confirm the effectiveness of this approach in ensuring reliable computational performance, with significant reductions in solution times, while still producing optimal solutions. Full article

Introduction: Medication Therapy Management (MTM) is identified as a group of services provided to the patient in order to optimize the medication use in order to mitigate adverse drug reactions (ADRs), drug–drug interaction (DDI), and polypharmacy. Elderly populations above 60 years old are at high risk for Medication-related Problems (MRPs) due to several factors. Therefore, MTM programs showed good contributions globally regarding enhancing medication use in the elderly population. Thus, evident information regarding its implementation in Saudi Arabia is lacking in the literature. Objective: Our objective is to assess community pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude, and barriers to providing MTM services to the older adult population in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study has been conducted among community pharmacists across the Kingdom. It was survey-based research that was designed and conducted through (QuestionPro). The survey was distributed for the community pharmacists from Feb–May 2023 via (QuestionPro). Descriptive analysis was performed using SAS OnDemand to analyze the categorical variables and test it with the outcome of interest. Results: Out of the 528 participants who have viewed our questionnaire, 319 participants have completed the survey in 5 min average time. Most of our participants were male, holding a bachelor’s degree, and had an average working load of more than 40 h a week, respectively (84.95%, 92.48%, and 76.18%). In addition, the participants were from different regions of the Kingdom, which enhanced the generalizability of our findings. Moreover, 65.52% have reported a higher level of knowledge, while 34.48% have reported a moderate to low level of knowledge regarding MTM service. Most of those with a higher level of knowledge maintain a positive attitude regarding MTM service, its implementation, and dealing with older adult patients in the community pharmacy. In addition, lacking the time, training, and presence of a private consultation room were the top barriers to provide MTM services in the community pharmacy in Saudi Arabia. Conclusion: Educational sessions regarding MTM services among the older adult population are highly recommended for community pharmacists before its implementation. Full article

To address the topic of building age-friendly cities that better meet the needs of the elderly in a sustainable-city-oriented manner, this paper focuses on the interaction between the needs of the elderly and urban facilities in the urban built environment in order to propose a comprehensive evaluation method regarding the friendliness of urban facilities with respect to the elderly in large urban areas. The development of the proposed method was guided by the distribution characteristics of the elderly population and combines a spatial measurement evaluation, which is based on the spatial distribution characteristics of urban facilities for the elderly, and a post-use measurement evaluation, which is based on the characteristics of use by the elderly. Taipei City and New Taipei City are then taken as examples for evaluation. From the final evaluation results of the Boston four-quadrant analysis, the areas with higher spatial and post-use metric evaluation values were defined as areas of high concern, while those with lower spatial and higher post-use metric evaluation values were defined as advantage-maintained areas. These two types of areas accounted for about 58% of the total area, and are distributed in the Taipei urban area and northeast New Taipei City. The areas with higher spatial and lower post-use metric evaluation values were defined as priority improvement areas, while those with lower spatial and post-use metric evaluation values were defined as key complement areas. These two types of area accounted for about 42%, and are mainly distributed in the northwest part of Taipei City, as well as the western and southern mountainous areas of New Taipei City. Accordingly, region-specific planning policy recommendations were provided. Full article

The degree of coordination between the supply and demand for urban green spaces serves as a vital metric for evaluating urban ecological development and the well-being of residents. An essential principle in assessing this coordination is the precise quantification of both the demand and supply of green spaces, as well as the differential representation of their spatiotemporal structures. This study utilizes the entropy weight method (EWM) and principal component analysis (PCA) to comprehensively measure supply indicators for green space quantity and quality in the central urban area of Shenyang, China. To establish reliable and quantifiable demand indicators, mobile signaling spatial-temporal data are corrected by incorporating static population cross-sectional data. The Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method (Ga2SFCA) is employed to calculate the accessibility of green spaces in each community with ArcGIS 10.2 software, while the Gini coefficient is utilized to assess the equity of green space distribution within the study area. This study employs location entropy to determine the levels of supply and demand for green spaces in each subdistrict. Furthermore, the priority of community-scale green space regulation is accurately determined by balancing vulnerable areas of green space supply and replenishing green space resources for the ageing population. The findings suggest a Gini coefficient of 0.58 for the supply and demand of green spaces in Shenyang’s central metropolitan region, indicating a relatively low level of equalization in overall green space allocation. Based on location entropy, the classification of supply and demand at the street level yields the following outcomes: balanced areas comprise 21.98%, imbalanced areas account for 26.37%, and highly imbalanced regions represent 51.65%. After eliminating the balanced regions, the distribution of the elderly population is factored in, highlighting the spatial distribution and proportions of communities with distinct regulatory priorities: Level 1 (S1) constitutes 7.4%, Level 2 (S2) accounts for 60.9%, and Level 3 (S3) represents 31.7%. Notably, the communities in the S1 category exhibit spatial distribution characteristics of aggregation within the inner ring and the northern parts of the third ring. This precise identification of areas requiring urgent regulation and the spatial distribution of typical communities can provide reliable suggestions for prioritizing green space planning in an age-friendly city. Full article

Care facilities are the mainstay of social services for the elderly. As the trend of empty nesting among elderly families intensifies due to the aging population, it is becoming difficult for families to take on the responsibility of caring for the elderly on their own, and the elderly need more formal care to be provided by society. The contradiction between the lag in the construction of care facilities and the growth in the social demand for elderly care has been highlighted, and the spatial equality of care facilities is an important means of achieving an optimal allocation of resources for elderly care. In this paper, we use the two-step floating catchment method to measure the spatial accessibility of care facilities from a fine-grained perspective, using big data, including mobile phone signaling data and points of interest. Then, we use the Gini coefficient to analyze the equality of the spatial allocations of different types of urban care facilities. The results of the study show that, first, the spatial equality of care facilities is good in terms of the Gini coefficient, but the overall spatial accessibility of care facilities is at a relatively low level compared to that in developed cities. This means that the layout of Changchun’s care facilities is good, but there is insufficient service capacity. Second, the spatial accessibility of residential care facilities is characterized by a gradual decline, with high levels in the core and low levels in the periphery. Fewer facilities are located in the peripheral areas of the city, and spatial accessibility is at a lower level, a characteristic different from that seen in cities with a higher level of economic development, such as Beijing. Third, the spatial accessibility of community care facilities showed a polycentric, contiguous distribution. The effect of the study scale on the spatial accessibility of community care facilities was more pronounced, with large scales obscuring the high values of the spatial accessibility of community care facilities in peripheral areas. Fourth, Changchun has better overall equality of care facilities, with differences in the different types and areas of care provided. The spatial balance of care facilities in the core area is better than that observed in other regions. In conclusion, this paper underscores the value of big data, such as mobile phone signaling data, in supporting refined urban research. Furthermore, our comprehensive analysis of social care facility equality can inform policy making and spatial planning. Full article