Looking into an urban transformation of a low-income settlement in Maputo, Mozambique, through the behaviours and experiences of pedestrians, shows that physical interventions to the walking environment contribute to the ability of diverse individuals to exercise their Right to the City.
This study presents 20 key insights into the walking experiences of people living with dementia, highlighting shared priorities like safety and subgroup-specific needs. These findings offer actionable strategies for designing dementia-friendly neighborhoods that enhance mobility, inclusion, and well-being.
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.
This study introduces a place-based model of urban environmental health drawn from residents’ perspectives.
• Highlights eight interconnected local parameters of environmental health.
• Demonstrates that residents link environmental health to everyday nuisances like noise, air pollution, and lack of safety.
• Shows that viable and livable environments depend on inclusive governance and infrastructure decisions.
• Offers a replicable approach for other cities to assess urban health from the ground up.
Heat exposure and greenness influence health and learning outcomes. Satellite images show schools on the Coast have strong heat stress levels and low vegetation; schools in the Andes have the largest solar radiation. Reforming school infrastructure standards is urgently needed in Ecuador. To describe environmental conditions in nine Ecuadorian schools, we analyzed three variables: temperature, vegetation, and solar radiation derived from satellite images that we downloaded from Google Earth Engine. We compared schools across three ecoregions to see differences in range and average values.
Dystopian frameworks portend the future. With climatic upheavals increasing, dystopia is now. Because of escalating urban heat and heat-related illness and death, this essay speculates a future that switches daily activities into the coolness of night: Noctopia.
This study explores how urban playground design can either segregate or integrate children within the broader city fabric. By comparing Venice and Auckland, we illustrate how playgrounds in Venice encourage unstructured exploration, while those in Auckland limit engagement to isolated, structured zones. We propose strategies for urban design that foster inclusive and dynamic public spaces for children.
Health evidence could be used more effectively to influence healthier urban development. We learn from a researcher-practitioner collaboration, involving an embedded researcher in local government working on a regeneration project, which helped to develop a new health modelling tool for environmental change and influence decision-making.
Thailand has spent 16 years developing design guidelines for the elderly and people with disabilities. Still, accessible design for cognition remains inadequate for the impending super-aged society. This mismatch emphasises a critical failure in design planning that demands urgent improvement.
High-rise apartment buildings are increasingly popular in large cities, however, urban land availability for outdoor communal spaces is limited. Creating communal spaces for high population density is a challenging task. Past research indicates the importance of the immediate environment in stimulating social interaction and the spatial organization for social activities can play an important role. One may ask whether the design of communal spaces within high-rise buildings can stimulate social interaction among residents.