Search Results (171)

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDSs) are essential for stormwater management in urban areas, with varying hydrological, social, ecological, and economic benefits. Nevertheless, choosing the SUDS most appropriate for public spaces poses a challenge when balancing details/specifications against community decisions, primarily social implications and perceptions. Building on the SUDS design pillar of the amenity, this study outlines a three-phase methodological framework for selecting SUDS based on social facilitation. The first phase introduces the application of the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Classificatory Expectation–Maximization (CEM) techniques by modeling complex social interdependencies to find critical components related to urban planning. A Likert scale survey was also conducted with 440 urban dwellers in Tunja (Colombia), which identified three dimensions: Residential Satisfaction (RS), Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change (RACC), and Community Participation (CP). In the second phase, the factors identified above were transformed into eight operational criteria, which were weighted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with the collaboration of 35 international experts in SUDS planning and implementation. In the third phase, these weighted criteria were used to evaluate and classify 13 types of SUDSs based on the experts’ assessments of their sub-criteria. The results deliver a clear message: cities must concentrate on solutions that will guarantee that water is managed to the best of their ability, not just safely, and that also enhance climate resilience, energy efficiency, and the ways in which public space is used. Among those options considered, infiltration ponds, green roofs, rain gardens, wetlands, and the like were the best-performing options, providing real and concrete uses in promoting a more resilient and sustainable urban water system. The methodology was also used in a real case in Tunja, Colombia. In its results, this approach proved not only pragmatic but also useful for all concerned, showing that the socio-cultural dimensions can be truly integrated into planning SUDSs and ensuring success. Full article

Background: Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is traditionally regarded as a metabolic by-product; however, growing evidence indicates that it plays an active regulatory role across multiple physiological systems. Acute hypercapnia elicits respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and neurocognitive responses, some of which may transiently influence exercise performance. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on CO₂ inhalation in healthy individuals and critically evaluates whether controlled hypercapnia may serve as a targeted stimulus in sport and exercise contexts. Methods: A narrative review of peer-reviewed English-language articles indexed in PubMed and Web of Science was conducted. A narrative approach was chosen due to the marked heterogeneity of study designs, hypercapnia-induction methods (e.g., CO₂ inhalation, voluntary hypoventilation, increased respiratory dead space), participant characteristics, and outcome measures, which precluded systematic synthesis. The review focused on studies involving healthy or physically active individuals and examined acute or short-term hypercapnic exposure. No strict publication date limits were applied. Studies conducted exclusively in clinical populations were excluded. Results: Short-term, controlled hypercapnia reliably increases ventilation, sympathetic activation, cerebral and muscular blood flow, and metabolic stress. Certain hypercapnia-based interventions—such as voluntary hypoventilation or added respiratory dead space—may enhance buffering capacity, reduce lactate accumulation and improve maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) during submaximal efforts and repeated-sprint performance during high-intensity, short-duration exercise. However, CO₂ inhalation frequently induces dyspnea, anxiety, and cognitive disruption, and higher concentrations pose clear safety risks. Current evidence does not support long-term improvements in VO₂max or long-duration endurance performance following hypercapnia-based interventions. Conclusions: Controlled, intermittent hypercapnia may provide a targeted metabolic and ventilatory stimulus that enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise, yet its application remains experimental and context-dependent. The risks associated with CO₂ inhalation in healthy individuals currently outweigh its potential benefits, and safe, effective training protocols have not been fully established. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms, long-term adaptations, and practical utility of hypercapnia-based training strategies. Full article

A well-designed nighttime lighting environment not only enhances pedestrian comfort and urban vitality but also serves as a crucial factor in creating safe and livable urban spaces. However, existing studies on pedestrian safety at night remain relatively limited both domestically and internationally, and most rely primarily on ground-based measurements, making large-scale spatial analyses difficult to achieve. This study integrates night-time remote sensing, ground measurements and perception evaluations to analyze the light environments of three public space types—roads, business districts and squares—in Dalian, China. A light environment safety perception model and corresponding map are constructed to support optimization of lighting design in urban nightscapes. The main contributions are as follows: (1) subjective and objective research conducted on the night light environment safety perception of urban public space in Dalian; (2) fitting models are developed for each space type to relate measured illuminance to perceived safety, yielding recommended ground illuminance ranges: roads (4.02–10.10 lx), business districts (5.05–38.3 lx), and squares (6.46–12.52 lx); (3) models linking nighttime radiation data to measured illuminance are established, enabling the generation of an illuminance inversion map for Dalian. Based on this, safety classification maps for roads, business districts, and squares are produced. These are integrated with the residential area safety map to form a comprehensive safety classification map of Dalian’s urban area. Full article

One of the key goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities. A fundamental aspect of this goal is ensuring barrier-free mobility and access to public spaces, particularly for people with physical and visual impairments, seniors, and others with limited mobility. This paper discusses the statistical background of persons with disabilities in the Czech Republic and identifies the main obstacles they face in independent movement and spatial orientation. Based on current data, regulations, and practical observations, the paper outlines principles and design recommendations that support accessible and inclusive public environments. These include both physical modifications for mobility and tactile or visual systems that assist in independent navigation for visually impaired users. Full article

Background/Objectives: As safe, eco-friendly, and legally compliant solutions for the disposal of unwanted medications, drug take-back systems have attracted extensive research attention. However, there is a lack of systematic mapping of global trends, collaborative networks, research themes, and hotspots in this field. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis and review of global academic research on drug take-back programs. Methods: Peer-reviewed research articles on drug take-back programs, published between 2005 and 2025, were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Database. Microsoft Office Excel 2019, VOSviewer (v.1.6.17), and CiteSpace (v.6.1.R3 Advanced) were used to assess publication/citation trends, countries, institutions, authors, journals, disciplines, references, and keywords. Narrative analysis was employed to synthesize data from the included articles and identify core research themes. Results: A total of 149 eligible articles with 4520 citations were included, involving 619 authors, 52 countries/regions, 310 institutions, and 95 journals. Publication/citation counts increased significantly between 2005 and 2025. The United States led in both publication output and collaborative research; Mercer University was the most influential institution, but international and cross-institutional collaboration remained limited. Environmental Sciences ranked first among disciplinary categories in drug take-back research, followed by Pharmacology/Pharmacy. Core research themes underpinning this field included stakeholders’ knowledge–attitude–practice assessment (76 articles), returned medication treatment (37 articles), intervention evaluation (25 articles), policy analysis (7 articles), and the role of drug take-back programs in mitigating environmental and public health hazards caused by medicine wastes (4 articles). Conclusions: Scholarly attention to drug take-back programs has grown steadily. Future research should prioritize cross-sectoral and international cooperation, develop and adopt evidence-based interventions to optimize the safety, sustainability, and accessibility of drug take-back systems on a global scale. Full article

Mediterranean cities are increasingly exposed to climate hazards, water scarcity, and social vulnerabilities, demanding integrative approaches for sustainable regeneration. This study examines how participatory governance and co-design processes can shape nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate resilience in Barrios Altos, a socially and environmentally fragile district of Lorca, Spain. Within the framework of the NATUR-W project, the interventions reimagine a degraded hillside and adjacent public spaces into a multifunctional urban forest, complemented by green retrofits of social housing and the adaptive reuse of a historic prison. Methods combined baseline community assessments, stakeholder mapping, co-design workshops, and the establishment of a multi-stakeholder governance board, ensuring inclusive participation from residents, civil society, and municipal authorities. Results demonstrate that the co-created design addressed key community priorities—such as shade provision, safe accessibility, cultural venues, and child-friendly spaces—while integrating sustainable water management systems for irrigation and stormwater control. The participatory process enhanced local ownership, balanced technical feasibility with community aspirations, and fostered governance structures that increase transparency and accountability. Overall, the study illustrates how NbS, when embedded in collaborative governance frameworks, can deliver climate, social, and cultural co-benefits while advancing resilient, inclusive, and human-scale urban environments. Full article

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers a safe and portable signal source for brain–computer interface (BCI) applications, particularly in motor imagery (MI) decoding. However, its low sampling rate and hemodynamic delay pose challenges for temporal modeling and dynamic brain network analysis. To address these limitations in temporal dynamics, static graph modeling, and feature fusion interpretability, we propose TopoTempNet, an innovative topology-enhanced temporal network for biomedical signal decoding. TopoTempNet integrates multi-level graph features with temporal modeling through three key innovations: (1) multi-level topological feature construction using local and global functional connectivity metrics (e.g., connection strength, density, global efficiency); (2) a graph-modulated attention mechanism combining Transformer and Bi-LSTM to dynamically model key connections; and (3) a multimodal fusion strategy uniting raw signals, graph structures, and temporal representations into a high-dimensional discriminative space. Evaluated on three public fNIRS datasets (MA, WG, UFFT), TopoTempNet achieves superior accuracy (up to 90.04% ± 3.53%) and Kappa scores compared to state-of-the-art models. The ROC curves and t-SNE visualizations confirm its excellent feature discrimination and structural clarity. Furthermore, the statistical analysis of graph features reveals the model’s ability to capture task-specific functional connectivity patterns, enhancing the interpretability of decoding outcomes. TopoTempNet provides a novel pathway for building interpretable and high-performance BCI systems based on fNIRS. Full article

In the digital environment, grooming—classified as a communication-based risk—has shown a steadily increasing frequency in recent years. In Hungary, increasing attention has been directed to the protection of children’s rights in the digital space in alignment with ensuring their online safety, with both parents and the state playing crucial roles in ensuring a safe digital presence. Within this context, the state bears a particular responsibility to educate not only children but also parents. This study explores how public policies and institutional programs in Hungary address the prevention of grooming and the reactive management of this harm through parental awareness. It examines existing measures aimed at expanding knowledge related to prevention and response, based on a qualitative analysis of the normative foundations of the state’s educational obligations and the relevant academic literature. The study relies on questionnaire data collected from parents of children aged 7 to 18 to examine the effectiveness of state measures and parents’ perceptions of them. The findings of the empirical research may support the development of state-led parental education programs and identify current gaps. As such, it can play a guiding role in shaping the direction of a future, large-scale investigation. Full article

Public libraries serve as vital community hubs that foster engagement, empowerment, and education, particularly for vulnerable populations, including refugee children and families. This study examines how Oklahoma’s public libraries contribute to refugee resilience and identifies challenges they face in providing these essential services. Using a qualitative method approach, including 20 semi-structured interviews with library staff, questionnaire surveys, and observations conducted across three Oklahoma library systems (Metropolitan, Pioneer, and Tulsa City-County) the study explored programs, services, and strategies that support refugee adaptation and integration. Findings reveal that libraries excel in three key areas: cognitive services (language literacy, digital access, educational resources), socio-cultural services (community building, cultural exchange), and physiological services (safe spaces, welcoming environments). These services contribute to building human, social, and economic capital, with human capital consistently ranked as most crucial for refugee resilience. However, libraries face significant challenges, with language barriers, program gaps, and outreach limitations being the most prevalent obstacles. Additional barriers include facility constraints, transportation difficulties, resource limitations, and privacy concerns. The study proposes nine comprehensive guidelines for creating sustainable pathways to refugee resilience through enhanced library services, emphasizing proactive community engagement, staff training, multilingual resources, advocacy, strategic partnerships, tailored programming, transportation solutions, cultural competence, and welcoming environments. This study contributes to understanding how public libraries can function as inclusive institutions that support refugee children’s successful integration and development in their new communities. Full article

Period poverty is a broad and complex issue that intersects with various areas, including health, education, infrastructure, and human rights, among others, affecting countless women and girls around the world. Despite remarkable technological, social, and economic advances this century, menstruation remains a taboo subject, which leads to widespread misinformation and stigma. Prejudice and a lack of access to knowledge and essential sanitation resources, such as clean water, hygiene products, and safe private spaces, heighten the vulnerability of those affected. Integrated and multisectoral approaches that involve legislature, health, education, and sanitation are necessary to face this public health issue effectively. These efforts involve developing and implementing comprehensive plans that unite government, society, and the private sector. Some examples of these actions include making information about menstruation and menstrual health available in schools, cutting taxes on feminine hygiene products, improving basic sanitation, building decent public restrooms, and providing free sanitary pads in schools and workplaces. These initiatives have the potential to promote menstrual health and dignity, ensuring that people who menstruate can manage their periods in healthy, safe, and supportive environments. This review aims to shed light on menstrual poverty in Brazil as a global issue and a human rights violation, especially when it comes to the rights to health, education, and dignity. It stresses that efforts to end this social stigma and align with the 2030 Agenda, which seeks to eliminate poverty and inequality worldwide, and provides a plan of action to tackle this stigma. Full article

This paper investigates how security-by-design principles can be integrated into urban planning to achieve a balance between protective measures and the openness, accessibility, and aesthetic quality of public spaces. Addressing a current gap in urban design practice, we introduce a new evaluative framework—the SAFE-CITIES “Atlas 4 Safe Public Spaces”—that embeds European policy guidelines, CPTED concepts, and New European Bauhaus values into an integrated security-by-design assessing tool. Drawing on the Horizon Europe SAFE-CITIES project (Grant Agreement No. 101073945), the research combines theoretical insights from EU policy documents and design principles with a comparative analysis of two case studies (Barcelona and Copenhagen) to inform practical strategies for integrating safety considerations into the design process. This approach identifies key operational principles that illustrate how safety measures—if considered from the early-stage planning—can be integrated without compromising openness and livability of public, illustrating how early-stage planning can incorporate security measures while sustaining social interaction and community life. Overall, the findings show that safety can be built into public space design from the outset, reinforcing community engagement and resilience, and the proposed Atlas framework offers planners a concrete tool to align security objectives with on-the-ground urban design practice. Full article

Public open spaces have recently attracted significant attention in the national development programs aimed at improving urban livability and quality of life in Saudi Arabia. While many studies have examined the design quality of public open spaces in the country, a contextualized evaluation index that takes into account users’ preferences and the nation’s social context is still lacking. This gap calls for additional field studies to better understand users’ needs and their interactions with the current urban design practices of public open spaces. This study provides deeper insights into the design quality of public open spaces in Saudi Arabia. The study first identified 16 attributes of design quality of public open spaces, and then assessed a case study, Alrabie Park in Al-Khobar city, based on field observation and a survey of users’ satisfaction levels in relation to these quality attributes The findings revealed that the average of users’ satisfaction was 3.76 out of 5.0, indicating a neutral to satisfied response. Key strengths were noted in accessibility and users’ comfort, while areas needing improvement included environmental quality and amenities and services. The study recommends the development of a national evaluation index for public open spaces to create inclusive, safe, and vibrant environments that reflect Saudi Arabia’s urban and socio-cultural context. It also emphasizes the importance of community engagement in this regard to ensure that the design of public spaces aligns well with the users’ needs and helps to create sustainable urban spaces in the city. Full article

Henri Lefebvre’s “right to the city” has rarely been examined through an intersectional feminist lens, leaving unnoticed the uneven burdens that urban design and policy place on women. This article bridges that gap by combining constitutional analysis, survey data (n = 736), in-depth interviews, and participatory observation to assess how Quito’s public spaces affect women’s safety and mobility. Quantitative results show that 81% of respondents endured sexual or offensive remarks, 69.8% endured obscene gestures, and 38% endured severe harassment in the month before the survey; 43% of these incidents occurred only days or weeks beforehand, underscoring their routine nature. Qualitative narratives reveal behavioral adaptations—altered routes, self-policing dress codes, and distrust of authorities—and identify poorly lit corridors and weak institutional presence as spatial amplifiers of violence. Analysis of Quito’s “Safe City” program exposes a gulf between its ambitious rhetoric and its narrow, transport-centered implementation. We conclude that constitutional guarantees of participation, appropriation, and urban life will remain aspirational until urban planning mainstreams gender-sensitive design, secures intersectoral resources, and embeds women’s substantive participation throughout policy cycles. A feminist reimagining of Quito’s public realm is therefore indispensable to transform the right to the city from legal principle into lived reality. Full article

Geographic disparities threaten equitable access for children to health-promoting safe green spaces, and quality early education in the communities in which they live and grow. To address gaps in the field, we integrated the fields of developmental psychology, public health, and environmental science to examine, at the population level, associations between the environmental burden, socioeconomic vulnerability, and kindergarten readiness in a diverse urban county. Three administrative datasets were integrated through an early childhood data sharing research partnership in Miami-Dade County. The Bruner Child Raising Vulnerability Index, the five domains of the Environmental Burden module from the Environmental Justice Index, and public school kindergarten readiness scores were aggregated at the census tract level. Analysis of variance and multiple regression analyses found associations between socioeconomic vulnerability and race/ethnicity. The socioeconomic vulnerability levels were highest in census tracts with a higher percentage of Black residents, compared to all other races/ethnicities. Areas of greater social vulnerability had lower kindergarten readiness and a higher environmental burden. A higher environmental burden predicted lower kindergarten readiness scores above and beyond race/ethnicity and socioeconomic vulnerability. The findings advance our understanding of global challenges to sustainable healthy child development, such as the persistence of a disproportionate environmental burden and inequitable access to resources such as green spaces and early education programs. The present study results can inform community health improvement plans to reduce risk exposures and promote greater access to positive environmental and educational resources for all children. Full article

Security in public spaces has long been the subject of debate and extensive experimentation. With the exponential growth in risks (both expected and unexpected) that public spaces are exposed to, further exacerbated by the pandemic crisis, urban security management increasingly conflicts with the right to social interaction in space. To avoid creating overly controlled spaces that are unsuitable for generating sociality and spontaneous interactions, and which often reproduce discriminatory social dynamics, while at the same time ensuring users’ awareness of being in a safe environment, it is necessary for all three dimensions of public space security—policy, design, and governance—to converge. This study focuses on governance, exploring how security management shapes public life and how it can align with planning that supports vibrant, spontaneous interaction. Using a multi-method qualitative approach, including a critical literature review, EU policy analysis, and empirical research from the Horizon Europe SAFE CITIES project, the study introduces two tools: the Security and Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) framework and the Atlas for Safe Public Spaces Design. These were tested in pilot sites, including the Gorizia-Nova Gorica cross-border square. Results support a governance model integrating “security by design,” which aligns with Foucault’s view of governance as adaptable to uncertainty and flow. This mixed-method approach allowed for a comprehensive examination of the governance dynamics shaping urban security, ensuring that the study’s conclusions are grounded in theoretical insights and practical implementation, though necessarily limited in generalizability. By framing security as a process of negotiated governance rather than a set of technical constraints, the study offers a conceptual contribution to urban security discourse and practical guidance for planning secure, inclusive public spaces. Full article