Spatial segregation is a pressing issue in Latin American cities due to high urbanization, population density, and inequalities. This study examines segregation patterns in 84 middle to large cities ...in Colombia and their relationship with the spatial configuration of cities using satellite data. The analysis focuses on evenness and isolation metrics of segregation for ethnicity, education level, and employment status. The findings reveal higher segregation in education level and race/ethnicity in terms of evenness dimension, and in education level and employment status in terms of isolation dimension. The study also identifies associations between segregation and built environment metrics. Negative associations are observed between education level and race/ethnicity segregation and fragmentation, as well as between employment status and patches of isolation. Positive associations exist between education level and fragmentation, race/ethnicity and patches of isolation, and a negative association between employment status and street density. These results have implications for public urban policies, particularly in small and medium cities, where there is limited understanding of segregation dynamics. The study highlights the need to consider factors beyond income, such as ethnicity, in addressing spatial segregation in urban planning and policy-making.
•We use spatial segregation indexes to characterize evenness and isolation in cities with over 100,000 inhabitants.•We use urban landscape and street design metrics to characterize built environment features in these cities.•Cities showed higher segregation in education and race/ethnicity (evenness), and in education and employment (isolation).•This study's results impact urban policies, especially in small and medium cities with limited segregation understanding.
Characteristics of the neighborhood built environment are associated with physical activity (PA). However, few studies with representative samples have examined environmental correlates of ...domain-specific PA in Latin America. We examined the associations of the perceived neighborhood built environment with domain-specific PA in a large sample of adults from eight Latin American countries.
This study examined data from 8185 adults (aged 18-65 years) from eight Latin American countries. The Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Survey - Abbreviated (NEWS-A) scale was used to assess perceptions of land use mix-diversity, land use mix-access, street connectivity, walking/cycling facilities, aesthetics, safety from traffic, and safety from crime. Perceived proximity from home to public open spaces (metropolitan parks, playgrounds, public squares) and to shopping centers was also measured. Transport-related and leisure-time PA were assessed using the long form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Both logistic and linear regression models were estimated on pooled data.
Perceptions of higher land use mix-access (OR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.22,1.61), the existence of many alternative routes in the neighbourhood (1.12; 1.04,1.20), slow speed of traffic (1.19; 1.03,1.35) and few drivers exceeding the speed limits (1.09; 1.03,1.15) were associated with greater odds of reporting at least 10 min/week of transport-related PA. Perceptions of higher levels of land use mix-diversity, better aesthetics and greater safety from crime, the presence of crosswalks and pedestrian signals, and greater proximity of shopping centers were associated with more min/week of transport-related PA. Perceptions of higher land use mix-diversity (1.12; 1.05,1.20), higher land use mix-access (1.27; 1.13,1.43), more walking/cycling facilities (1.18; 1.09,1.28), and better aesthetics (1.10; 1.02,1.18) were associated with greater odds of engaging in at least 10 min/week of leisure-time PA versus none. Perceptions of higher land use mix-diversity were associated with more min/week of leisure PA.
Different perceived neighborhood built environment characteristics were associated with domain-specific PA among adults from Latin America countries. Interventions designed to modify perceptions of the neighbourhood built environment might influence initiation or maintenance of domain-specific PA.
ClinicalTrials. Gov NCT02226627 . Retrospectively registered on August 27, 2014.
Abstract
Objectives
Neighborhood built environments (BEs) are increasingly recognized as being associated with late-life depression. However, their pathways are still understudied. This study ...investigates the mediating effects of physical and social activities (PA and SA) and functional ability (FA) in the relationships between BEs and late-life depression.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis with data from 2,081 community-dwellers aged 65 years and older in Hong Kong in 2014. Two road-network-based service area buffers (200- and 500-m buffers) adjusted by terrain and slope from participants’ residences were created to define the scope of neighborhoods. BEs comprised population density in District Council Constituency Areas, urban greenness, land-use diversity, and neighborhood facilities within 200- and 500-m buffers. Multilevel path analysis models were used.
Results
More urban greenness within both buffers and more commercial facilities within a 500-m buffer were directly associated with fewer depressive symptoms. SA mediated the relationship between the number of community facilities and depressive symptoms within a 200-m buffer. Neighborhood urban greenness and the number of commercial facilities had indirect associations on depressive symptoms within a 500-m buffer, which were mediated by FA.
Discussion
Our findings have implications for the ecological model of aging. The mediating effects of SA and FA underscore the importance of promoting active social lifestyles and maintaining FA for older adults’ mental health in high-density cities. Policy implications on how to build age-friendly communities are discussed.
Built environment attributes have been demonstrated to be associated with various health outcomes. However, most empirical studies have typically focused on objective built environmental measures. ...Still, perceptions of the built environment also play an important role in health and may complement studies with objective measures. Some built environment attributes, such as liveliness or beauty, are difficult to measure objectively. Traditional methods to assess perceptions of the built environment, such as questionnaires and focus groups, are time-consuming and prone to recall bias. The recent development in machine deep learning techniques and big data of street view images, makes it possible to assess perceptions of the built environment with street view images for a large-scale study area. By using online free Tencent Street View (TSV) images, this study assessed six perceptual attributes of the built environment: wealth, safety, liveliness, depression, bore and beauty. These attributes were associated with both the physical and the mental health outcomes of 1231 older adults in 48 neighborhoods in the Haidian District, Beijing, China. Results show that perceived safety was significantly associated with both the physical and mental health outcomes. Perceived depression and beauty were significant related to older adults' mental health, while perceived wealth, bore and liveliness were significantly related to their physical health. The findings carry important policy implications and hence contribute to the development of healthy cities. It is urgent to improve residents' positive perceptions and decrease their negative perceptions of the built environment, especially in neighborhoods that are highly populated by older adults.
•Street view data and the deep learning technique can be used to examine residents' perceptions of the built environment.•Perceived safety is significantly associated with both physical and mental health in older adults.•Perceived depression and beauty are significantly related to older people's mental health.•Perceived wealth, bore and liveliness are significantly related to the physical health of older adults.
The basic attributes of the urban built environment are an important factor affecting mental health. However, research has rarely distinguished objective and perceived built environment ...characteristics to explore the associations with older adults' mental health. Based on data of 879 respondents aged 60 or older in Dalian, China, we explored the mediating roles of perceived built environmental attributes in the relationship between objective built environmental characteristics and mental wellbeing by structural equation modelling. Furthermore, to control for residential self-selection, the model was further tested by excluding the participants who self-selected their residences. The results showed that accessibility to daily living service facilities was positively associated with older adults' mental wellbeing through an indirect role of perceived built environmental attributes. The positive direct effect of aggregation of daily living service facilities on mental wellbeing was offset by the negative indirect effects of perceived built environmental attributes. In addition, the street interface density was negatively related to mental wellbeing through indirect effects. The diverse leisure, exercise and landscape facilities, underground parking and presence of elevators within neighborhoods were all positively associated with older adults’ mental wellbeing through direct and/or indirect effects. The results were verified after excluding residential self-selection samples. These findings are helpful for evidence-based planning strategies and can provide guidelines on designing neighborhood landscapes and facilities which can further contribute to aging in place policies.
•The positive direct effect of services aggregation was offset by the negative indirect effect of perceived attributes.•Underground parking and the presence of elevators were associated with better mental wellbeing.•The diverse leisure, exercise and landscape facilities were positively associated with mental wellbeing.•The models were verified by excluding residential self-selection.
Background
The well established links between poor housing and poor health indicate that housing improvement may be an important mechanism through which public investment can lead to health ...improvement. Intervention studies which have assessed the health impacts of housing improvements are an important data resource to test assumptions about the potential for health improvement. Evaluations may not detect long term health impacts due to limited follow‐up periods. Impacts on socio‐economic determinants of health may be a valuable proxy indication of the potential for longer term health impacts.
Objectives
To assess the health and social impacts on residents following improvements to the physical fabric of housing.
Search methods
Twenty seven academic and grey literature bibliographic databases were searched for housing intervention studies from 1887 to July 2012 (ASSIA; Avery Index; CAB s; The Campbell Library; CINAHL; The Cochrane Library; COPAC; DH‐DATA: Health Admin; EMBASE; Geobase; Global Health; IBSS; ICONDA; MEDLINE; MEDLINE In‐Process & Other Non‐Indexed Citations; NTIS; PAIS; PLANEX; PsycINFO; RIBA; SCIE; Sociological s; Social Science Citations Index; Science Citations Index expanded; SIGLE; SPECTR). Twelve Scandinavian grey literature and policy databases (Libris; SveMed+; Libris uppsök; DIVA; Artikelsök; NORART; DEFF; AKF; DSI; SBI; Statens Institut for Folkesundhed; Social.dk) and 23 relevant websites were searched. In addition, a request to topic experts was issued for details of relevant studies. Searches were not restricted by language or publication status.
Selection criteria
Studies which assessed change in any health outcome following housing improvement were included. This included experimental studies and uncontrolled studies. Cross‐sectional studies were excluded as correlations are not able to shed light on changes in outcomes. Studies reporting only socio‐economic outcomes or indirect measures of health, such as health service use, were excluded. All housing improvements which involved a physical improvement to the fabric of the house were included. Excluded interventions were improvements to mobile homes; modifications for mobility or medical reasons; air quality; lead removal; radon exposure reduction; allergen reduction or removal; and furniture or equipment. Where an improvement included one of these in addition to an included intervention the study was included in the review. Studies were not excluded on the basis of date, location, or language.
Data collection and analysis
Studies were independently screened and critically appraised by two review authors. Study quality was assessed using the risk of bias tool and the Hamilton tool to accommodate non‐experimental and uncontrolled studies. Health and socio‐economic impact data were extracted by one review author and checked by a second review author. Studies were grouped according to broad intervention categories, date, and context before synthesis. Where possible, standardized effect estimates were calculated and statistically pooled. Where meta‐analysis was not appropriate the data were tabulated and synthesized narratively following a cross‐study examination of reported impacts and study characteristics. Qualitative data were summarized using a logic model to map reported impacts and links to health impacts; quantitative data were incorporated into the model.
Main results
Thirty‐nine studies which reported quantitative or qualitative data, or both, were included in the review. Thirty‐three quantitative studies were identified. This included five randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and 10 non‐experimental studies of warmth improvements, 12 non‐experimental studies of rehousing or retrofitting, three non‐experimental studies of provision of basic improvements in low or mIddle Income countries (LMIC), and three non‐experimental historical studies of rehousing from slums. Fourteen quantitative studies (42.4%) were assessed to be poor quality and were not included in the synthesis. Twelve studies reporting qualitative data were identified. These were studies of warmth improvements (n = 7) and rehousing (n = 5). Three qualitative studies were excluded from the synthesis due to lack of clarity of methods. Six of the included qualitative studies also reported quantitative data which was included in the review.
Very little quantitative synthesis was possible as the data were not amenable to meta‐analysis. This was largely due to extreme heterogeneity both methodologically as well as because of variations in the intervention, samples, context, and outcome; these variations remained even following grouping of interventions and outcomes. In addition, few studies reported data that were amenable to calculation of standardized effect sizes. The data were synthesised narratively.
Data from studies of warmth and energy efficiency interventions suggested that improvements in general health, respiratory health, and mental health are possible. Studies which targeted those with inadequate warmth and existing chronic respiratory disease were most likely to report health improvement. Impacts following housing‐led neighbourhood renewal were less clear; these interventions targeted areas rather than individual households in most need. Two poorer quality LMIC studies reported unclear or small health improvements. One better quality study of rehousing from slums (pre‐1960) reported some improvement in mental health. There were few reports of adverse health impacts following housing improvement. A small number of studies gathered data on social and socio‐economic impacts associated with housing improvement. Warmth improvements were associated with increased usable space, increased privacy, and improved social relationships; absences from work or school due to illness were also reduced.
Very few studies reported differential impacts relevant to equity issues, and what data were reported were not amenable to synthesis.
Authors' conclusions
Housing investment which improves thermal comfort in the home can lead to health improvements, especially where the improvements are targeted at those with inadequate warmth and those with chronic respiratory disease. The health impacts of programmes which deliver improvements across areas and do not target according to levels of individual need were less clear, but reported impacts at an area level may conceal health improvements for those with the greatest potential to benefit. Best available evidence indicates that housing which is an appropriate size for the householders and is affordable to heat is linked to improved health and may promote improved social relationships within and beyond the household. In addition, there is some suggestion that provision of adequate, affordable warmth may reduce absences from school or work.
While many of the interventions were targeted at low income groups, a near absence of reporting differential impacts prevented analysis of the potential for housing improvement to impact on social and economic inequalities.
The study of architecture, from the selection, procurement and processing of raw materials, to the construction and use of buildings as spaces of action and interaction, can provide major insights ...into the social organisation of ancient communities. Architecture, as a way of organising space and encoding meaning, plays an active role in structuring movement and socio-cultural identities and provides a range of potential avenues for exploring social motivations and rationales in particular contexts and environments, both at the individual and community levels. This book examines ‘architecture’ as key media for analysing socio-cultural narratives in prehistoric Cyprus and exploring the formation, reproduction and development of early Cypriot communities. In particular, the volume aims at moving beyond the classification of architectural forms and functions and exploring the social, ideological, economic and political transformations that characterised the Cypriot prehistory from the late Aceramic Neolithic until the advent of the Late Bronze Age (7000/6800-1750/1700 Cal BC) by using architectural evidence as the focal analytical data-set. The interest of this study is not only in how people constructed buildings but also in how buildings contributed to the construction and definition of new socio-cultural and economic identities during Cypriot prehistory. Through a detailed review of the existing architectural data-set available for prehistoric Cypriot settlements, the book aims to understand how the development of new concepts of architecture, and the increasing appearance of social, cultural and economic forms of complexity are mutually constituted.
Abstract
Hospital built environment can affect patient clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction with care and treatment, staff performance and wellbeing, and carers/visitors’ engagement with services. ...Little is known about which urban planning, architecture and interior design characteristics can make environments therapeutic or detrimental for users.
We hope that the audience attending this presentation will i) get a good understanding of the impact of the hospital-built environment on patients, staff and visitors/carers and ii) understand which design elements can improve patient satisfaction with care.
As hospitals are among the most expensive facilities to build, their design should be guided by research evidence. In this presentation, we will review existing research evidence in this field and present our study of 18 psychiatric hospitals in Italy and the United Kingdom. Our findings indicate that out of several hospital built environment characteristics, two have the power to increase patient satisfaction with care.
These are (availability of
) mixed-sex wards and rooms to meet family off wards.
We will show vignettes to further explore the role of mixed-sex wards and family rooms and discuss how to implement them when renovating, adapting or building mental health care facilities.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
Many countries have implemented public bike systems to promote sustainable public transportation. Despite the rapid development of such systems, few studies have investigated how built environment ...factors affect the use of public bikes at station level using trip data, taking account of the spatial correlation between nearby stations. Built environment factors are strongly associated with travel demand and play an important role in the success of public bike systems. Using trip data from Zhongshan's public bike system, this paper employed a multiple linear regression model to examine the influence of built environment variables on trip demand as well as on the ratio of demand to supply (D/S) at bike stations. It also considered the spatial correlations of PBS usage between nearby stations, using the spatial weighted matrix. These built environment variables mainly refer to station attributes and accessibility, cycling infrastructure, public transport facilities, and land use characteristics. Generally, we found that both trip demand and the ratio of demand to supply at bike stations were positively influenced by population density, length of bike lanes and branch roads, and diverse land-use types near the station, and were negatively influenced by the distance to city center and the number of other nearby stations. However, public transport facilities do not show a significant impact on both demand and D/S at stations, which might be attributed to local modal split. We also found that the PBS usage at stations is positively associated with usage at nearby stations. Model results also suggest that adding a new station (with empty capacity) within a 300m catchment of a station to share the capacity of the bike station can improve the demand-supply ratio at the station. Referring to both trip demand models and D/S models, regression fits were quite strong with larger R2 for weekdays than for weekends and holidays, and for morning and evening peak hours than for off-peak hours. These quantitative analyses and findings can be beneficial to urban planners and operators to improve the demand and turnover of public bikes at bike stations, and to expand or build public bike systems in the future.
Physical activity supportive environments have the potential to promote health-related fitness in adults. However, the extent to which neighbourhood built characteristics promote health-related ...fitness via physical activity has received little research attention. Therefore, our objective was to estimate the indirect and direct effects between neighbourhood built characteristics and health-related fitness mediated by physical activity.
Using cross-sectional data collected between 2014 and 2019, we merged neighbourhood built characteristics, physical activity, and health-related fitness variables, derived from two Canadian national databases. Using these data, we estimated sex-stratified covariate-adjusted path models (males: n = 983 to 2796 and females: n = 962 to 2835) to assess if accelerometer-measured light, moderate, and vigorous intensity physical activity mediated associations between objectively measured neighbourhood built characteristics (intersection density, dwelling density, points of interest, and transit density) and health-related fitness (grip strength, jump height, V̇O2max, and flexibility). Across 16 sex-specific models, we estimated 48 indirect and 16 direct effects.
Concerning significant associations, for males we found that 16.6% of indirect and 18.8% of direct were negative and 4.2% of indirect and 0% of direct were positive. For females, we found that 12.5% of indirect and 0% of direct were negative and 0% of indirect and 25% of direct effects were positive.
Individual Canadian Active Living Environment built characteristics are positively associated with moderate-intensity physical activity and negatively associated with light-intensity physical activity. Further, associations between activity friendly neighbourhood characteristics and health related-fitness may be distinct from physical activity.
•Built characteristics (BCs) and health-related fitness (HRF) were related (BC-HRF).•Direct effects were found between BCs and grip strength in males.•Direct effects were found between BCs, V̇O2max, and flexibility in females.•BC-HRF associations varied by type of BC, activity intensity, and component of HRF.
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