Menu
Urban environments in many cities, both those found in Mexico and many other countries, can be called obesogenic – they are prone to promote obesity. Relevant factors are that they foster sedentary behaviour, poor dietary choices, and elevated stress levels; thus contributing to higher obesity rates. Urban planning, design, and practices offer opportunities for upstream public health interventions to mitigate these negative health impacts. These findings are especially relevant given the role of neighbourhood environments in encouraging children’s physical activity and reducing obesity.
Beaches can be important settings for physical activity. The quality of these spaces (safety, amenities, aesthetics) can influence how well they support physical activity and health. The quality of beaches may differ across neighbourhoods, with higher socioeconomic status neighbourhoods having disproportionately better access to beaches.
Transportation planners and transit authorities must gain a better understanding of the passenger and ridership experience for those specific demographics who frequently use their services. This understanding can inform future improvements and help transit authorities work towards Universal Design.
This study introduces the Women-Centric Walkability Index, addressing factors influencing women’s walking experiences in urban areas. Analyzing fifty-five wards in Kollam Corporation, Kerala, we identified key indicators like well-maintained sidewalks, street lighting, safety measures, and access to public amenities that enhance women’s walkability. Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process and GIS analysis, our research highlights the need for safer, more accessible, and comfortable walking environments for women, benefiting all pedestrians.
Shared mobility hubs that offer (electric) bikes and cars can be a sustainable solution that enables people to expand their mobility options while protecting cities’ environment by reducing private car use and encouraging cycling. We interviewed residents of a deprived neighbourhood in Utrecht, the Netherlands, to understand their mobility needs and views on a recently implemented shared mobility hub in their neighbourhood, identifying potential obstacles in the process.
We examine how caregiving-related needs remain overlooked in walkability and Transit-Oriented Development strategies. Despite high levels of urban complexity, many transit-accessible areas lack essential caregiving-support places, particularly in vulnerable neighbourhoods. This spatial mismatch limits care-engaged individuals’ ability to chain trips, and access services, reinforcing mobility and social inequities. Our research highlights the need to integrate caregiving accessibility into planning frameworks to ensure that walkable cities are also inclusive and care-supportive.
Our study sheds light on the evolving dynamics of the Greater Cairo Region, adding depth to the understanding of whether gated communities act as true remedies or reflections of concrete houses. By incorporating a model based on critical factors for mental health, we offer insights into the nuanced dimensions of well-being in the context of urban development. This research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between city structure and residents’ overall well-being.
Through field observations, surveys with the residents, and interviews with decision-maker, we identified key variables that define food access in rural areas in Jordan, mapped access to food services according to the identified variable. and assessed food access in relation to land use regulations. Our work investigated frameworks governing the allocation of food service establishment locations, spatial requirements, integration into city masterplans, equitable distribution of food service types, and pertinent legislative frameworks.
Through a literature review, we summarize key contributing factors of healthy, climate resilient urban environments and how these have been measured. Our study adopts a holistic approach to explore how health and climate change co-benefits could be monitored and achieved in cities. We identify indicators that have been used to measure how policies and built environments support healthy, climate resilient cities. This provides valuable insights for planning, prioritization and monitoring of cities internationally.