City centre sidewalks: Improving pedestrian experience through design

Sidewalks are integral features of city centres. They provide the channels through which activities and interactions evolve and in turn these interactions cause the sidewalks to evolve. They help to articulate the builtform and open spaces in tying together. However, historically sidewalks have received less attention relative to urban squares and civic spaces. Owing to the concept of walkable cities, sidewalks are gaining importance. This paper provides a critical overview on the apparent ‘amnesia’ in urban design and planning theories and visits a popular sidewalk in Belfast city centre to examine the paradox and perspectives.

Investigation of exposure based pedestrian accident areas : crosswalks, sidewalks, local streets and major arterials /

"September 1988."

How do level of experience, purpose for riding, and preference for facilities affect location of riding?

Characteristics of the road infrastructure affect both the popularity of bicycling and its safety, but comparisons of the safety performance of infrastructure may be confounded by differences in the profiles of cyclists who use them. Data from a survey of 2,532 adult bicycle riders in Queensland, Australia, demonstrated that many riders rode reluctantly in particular locations and that preference for riding location was influenced by degree of experience and riding purpose. Most riders rode most often and furthest per week on urban roads, but approximately one-third of all riders (and more new riders) rode there reluctantly. Almost two-thirds of riders rode on bicycle paths, most by choice, not reluctantly. New riders rode proportionally more on bicycle paths, but continuing riders rode further in absolute terms. Utilitarian riders were more likely to ride on bicycle paths than social and fitness riders and almost all of this riding was by choice. Fitness riders were more reluctant in their use of bicycle paths, but still most of their use was by choice. One-third of the respondents reported riding on the sidewalk (legal in Queensland), with approximately two-thirds doing so reluctantly. The frequency and distance ridden on the sidewalk was less than for urban roads and bicycle paths. Sidewalks and bicycle paths were important facilities for both inexperienced and experienced riders and for utilitarian riding, especially when urban roads were considered a poor choice for cycling.

Perceived environmental correlates and physical activity: What neighborhood aspects really matter for mothers and fathers of young children?

Limited research has been conducted with at-risk populations in examining perceived environmental correlates of physical activity (PA); thus, we examined this relationship among parents with young children, a group at risk for physical inactivity. Parents (252 mothers, 206 fathers) completed a questionnaire assessing measures of perceived neighborhood environment and a 1-week follow-up of PA behavior. Mothers were more likely than fathers to perceive their neighborhood as unsafe to go for walks at night and less likely to perceive transit stops within 10–15 minutes walking distance, sidewalks on most streets, and facilities to bicycle. Adjusting for demographics, shops within easy walking distance, sidewalks on most streets, and having no more than one motor vehicle were associated with being active for both sexes. Access to transit stops and free/low cost recreational facilities were also associated with mothers’ PA. These findings suggest that environmental factors may support parents being active at recommended levels.

Conspiracy for good

"Tim Kring, Creator of the hit television show 'Heroes' tells how the big idea began, and where you can jump in. "A few years ago, I started thinking about an entirely new way to tell a story, far different from traditional TV. I didn't just want to talk about 'saving the world' in fiction, I wanted to create a narrative that spilled out into the streets. One that you could live inside of for a while. How cool would it be, I thought, to create a story that exists all around you all of the time? On your laptop, your mobile phone, on your sidewalks, as a secret message hidden in your favorite song or while standing at the bus stop on your way to work. And, taking it further, what if your participation over a few weeks or months actually impacts the story's development and creates positive change in the real world because a philanthropic mission is integrated into the narrative itself? The Conspiracy For Good is the culmination of this dream. This is the pilot project for a first-of-itskind interactive story that empowers its audience to take real-life action and create positive change in the world. Call it Social Benefit Storytelling. To achieve this, I need you to participate. Reality and fiction have to blur. Every story needs a villain and you will meet the villain in the STORY SO FAR section on this site. And every story needs a hero. That's where YOU come in. As part of The Conspiracy For Good you will join a collective of thinkers, artists, musicians, and causes, creating a unified voice to fight the forces of social and environmental injustice. This is our site, where together we can follow the story and build a community that focuses on changing the world for the better, one person and one action at a time. Welcome to the Conspiracy." Tim Kring"

Developing an international survey of bicycle and helmet usage

The European Union‐funded collaborative network, COST Action TU1101: Towards safer bicycling through optimization of bicycle helmets and usage, aims to increase scientific knowledge about bicycle helmets in regards to traffic safety and to disseminate this knowledge to stakeholders, including cyclists, legislators, manufacturers, and the scientific community. The COST research team has developed a uniform international survey to better understand attitudinal and other factors that may influence bicycle and helmet usage, as well as crash risk. The online survey is being distributed by project partners in Europe, Israel, Australia, and potentially the US and Canada. The survey contains four types of questions: (1) biographical data, (2) frequency of cycling and amount of cycling for different purposes (e.g., commuting, health, recreation) and in different environments (e.g., bicycle trails, bike lanes, on sidewalks, in traffic), (3) frequency and circumstances for use and non‐use of helmets, attitudes and reasons for it, and; (4) crash involvement and level of reporting to the police. While the potential value of comparative data across countries with very different cycling cultures and safety levels is substantial, there are numerous challenges in developing, conducting, and analyzing the results of the survey. This presentation will focus on the scope of the international study, methodological issues and pitfalls of such a collaborative effort, and on initial results from one country (Israel). To illustrate, two findings from the preliminary Israeli survey indicate that: (1) none of the crashes were reported to the police including the ones involving hospital admission. Although underreporting of bicycle crashes by police is well documented in all countries the extent is unknown, and can be extreme. (2) Older riders tend to ride more for health/exercise reasons, while younger riders tend to ride more for commuting. Thus there is an interaction between riders’ age and the place and times of riding.

Redesenho urbanístico de assentamentos informais com vistas à conservação da água e sustentabilidade ambiental.

Essa Tese apresenta um framework para implementação de redesenho urbanístico de assentamentos informais no contexto da corrente atual do planejamento urbano integrado aos dos recursos hídricos, focado na conservação da água e na sustentabilidade ambiental. Entre outros, sugere-se a implantação do desenho urbanístico de forma participativa e colaborativa. Apresenta-se, de forma ilustrativa proposta de redesenho para a comunidade da Vila Cascatinha localizada na Baixada de Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, região de expansão da cidade, que serviu como objeto de estudo. A área do assentamento é de indefinição fundiária e atualmente é ocupada por aproximadamente 900 famílias. O framework baseia-se na corrente do urbanismo de baixo impacto, sobretudo do Low Impact Urban Design and Devolopment (LIUDD). Os dispositivos são implantados na escala local, de forma descentralizada para a conservação e manejo das águas pluviais no meio urbano. A pesquisa está inserida no Projeto HIDROCIDADES, desenvolvido dentro dos princícpios da metodologia de pesquisa-ação proposta por Thiollent. Foi realizado trabalho de campo e entrevistas guiadas, tendo sido identificado um percentual expressivo de moradores descendentes de antigos pequenos produtores agrícolas. Na pesquisa, moradores elencaram os principais problemas do assentamento. Além disso, foram diagnosticadas potencialidades dos moradores, dentro do conceito de Tecnologia Social. A prospecção entre os moradores também procurou verificar, em um contexto de colaboração, o conhecimento e a aderência dos moradores às estruturas urbanísticas praticadas no contexto da corrente Desenho Urbano de Baixo Impacto. Ao final deste processo foi gerada proposta de reurbanização sustentável do assentamento estudado, bem como proposta de moradias coletivas sustentáveis. Guardando as devidas especificidades, espera-se que a proposta apresentada possa ser aplicada a outros assentamentos de paisagem similar.

A vision system for detecting paths and moving obstacles for the blind

In this paper we present a monocular vision system for a navigation aid. The system assists blind persons in following paths and sidewalks, and it alerts the user to moving obstacles which may be on collision course. Path borders and the vanishing point are de-tected by edges and an adapted Hough transform. Opti-cal flow is detected by using a hierarchical, multi-scale tree structure with annotated keypoints. The tree struc-ture also allows to segregate moving objects, indicating where on the path the objects are. Moreover, the centre of the object relative to the vanishing point indicates whether an object is approaching or not.

The smart vision local navigation aid for blind and visually impaired persons

The SmartVision prototype is a small, cheap and easily wearable navigation aid for blind and visually impaired persons. Its functionality addresses global navigation for guiding the user to some destiny, and local navigation for negotiating paths, sidewalks and corridors, with avoidance of static as well as moving obstacles. Local navigation applies to both in- and outdoor situations. In this article we focus on local navigation: the detection of path borders and obstacles in front of the user and just beyond the reach of the white cane, such that the user can be assisted in centering on the path and alerted to looming hazards. Using a stereo camera worn at chest height, a portable computer in a shoulder-strapped pouch or pocket and only one earphone or small speaker, the system is inconspicuous, it is no hindrence while walking with the cane, and it does not block normal surround sounds. The vision algorithms are optimised such that the system can work at a few frames per second.

Perfil epidemiológico de la prevalencia de hipoacusia en un grupo de empleados que trabaja en el ambiente urbano, 2015

El propósito de este estudio es determinar la relación entre la exposición ocupacional y los niveles de audición en trabajadores urbanos en espacio abierto (aseo urbano en general). Se realizó un estudio de corte transversal con 491 personas que incluyen hombres y mujeres, cuyo ambiente laboral es el espacio abierto de la ciudad. Los datos se obtuvieron durante los exámenes médicos periódicos realizados en el año 2014 a los empleados de una empresa cuya actividad económica es el aseo urbano, que incluye recolección de basuras, cuidado forestal y de prados de uso común, y limpieza del borde de los andenes. Se realizó estadística descriptiva para las características demográficas y razón de disparidad u Odds Ratio (OR) para buscar la relación de antecedentes y hábitos personales con el riesgo de desarrollar pérdida auditiva. De las 491 personas expuestas a niveles altos de ruido ocupacional, 62% presentó pérdida auditiva, de los cuales la mayoría se desempeña como guadañadores y cortadores de césped, y son personas que llevan trabajando entre 1-5 años en la empresa. Se encontró un aumento estadísticamente significativo entre la baja escolaridad y el riesgo de sufrir hipoacusia (p=0.0001) y un efecto protector del uso de motocicleta y audífonos. La enfermedad vascular periférica, la práctica de tejo y la diabetes mostraron una fuerte tendencia a aumentar el riesgo. La pérdida auditiva encontrada en este grupo no se puede relacionar directamente con la exposición ocupacional a ruido, a pesar de ser trabajos que se llevan a cabo en el espacio urbano. Sin embargo, la baja escolaridad favorece la lesión auditiva y puede verse acelerada por enfermedades de alta prevalencia como diabetes y practicas recreacionales locales.

An urban parameterization for a global climate model. Part I: Formulation and evaluation for two cities

Urbanization, the expansion of built-up areas, is an important yet less-studied aspect of land use/land cover change in climate science. To date, most global climate models used to evaluate effects of land use/land cover change on climate do not include an urban parameterization. Here, the authors describe the formulation and evaluation of a parameterization of urban areas that is incorporated into the Community Land Model, the land surface component of the Community Climate System Model. The model is designed to be simple enough to be compatible with structural and computational constraints of a land surface model coupled to a global climate model yet complex enough to explore physically based processes known to be important in determining urban climatology. The city representation is based upon the “urban canyon” concept, which consists of roofs, sunlit and shaded walls, and canyon floor. The canyon floor is divided into pervious (e.g., residential lawns, parks) and impervious (e.g., roads, parking lots, sidewalks) fractions. Trapping of longwave radiation by canyon surfaces and solar radiation absorption and reflection is determined by accounting for multiple reflections. Separate energy balances and surface temperatures are determined for each canyon facet. A one-dimensional heat conduction equation is solved numerically for a 10-layer column to determine conduction fluxes into and out of canyon surfaces. Model performance is evaluated against measured fluxes and temperatures from two urban sites. Results indicate the model does a reasonable job of simulating the energy balance of cities.

Uma cidade para pessoas: funcionalidade, racionalidade e emotividade nas relações mobiliário urbano, espaço público e cidadãos

This research investigates how functionality, rationality, and emotionality applied to urban furniture design contribute to the organization, legibility, and qualification of public spaces, according to different layouts, physical and visual qualities of the urban furniture as well as the quality of urban infrastructure that may influence the uses and appropriation of urban spaces by pedestrians, turning those spaces into socially centripetal or centrifugal places. The work consists of two parts. First refers to a bibliographical review concerning two main issues of the investigation: product design and legibility of public space, defining the conceptual and theoretical bases, linked to methodological strategies aimed at systemic planning and integrated management of urban furniture design and legibility of public spaces (sidewalks), that are necessary to define the existing relationships among the user s interface (pedestrians); product (urban artifacts); built environment (sidewalks). The second part refers to the achievement of empirical approach throughout visual analysis of public spaces and the functional and qualitative evaluation of the existing urban furniture in the central neighborhood of Cidade Alta, Natal, RN, according to the theoretical researched concepts and methodological procedures. The results expose the weaknesses and levels of intensity arising from the relations among public space, urban furniture, and users, revealing the need for theoretical and practical approaches which would help the decision-making in planning, designing and integrating innovative, sustainable, and ethical solutions in order to design attractive public spaces that could provide sociability and citizenship throughout integrated public management, city systemic thinking and urban identity. The suggested guidelines at the end of this research will provide the necessary strategies to design suitable urban furniture systems according to aesthetic and practical urban infrastructure and city context, aiming to ease visual and physical conflicts that may negatively interfere with the appropriation of public spaces by the citizens

Calçadas invisíveis: aspectos do passeio público, em Natal-RN, como projeção de uma cidadania ausente

This study has as a goal to establish a relationship between public sidewalk characteristics of Lagoa Nova District (neighborhood), in Natal and the kind of citizens whose constructions and maintenance layouts reflects. It‟s understood here as public sidewalk, specifically, the place reserved for passers-by traffic, located between public lots and vehicles pavements. It‟s a concern to make a brief survey about the occupation of this particular region and a detailed description over physical characteristic of its sidewalks that shows several obstacles for passers-by accessibility, trying to find possible factors that explain the problematic format , once, at the first sight, most of accessibility of passers-by is compromised. It‟ also, searched, local population thoughts regarding occupation notions about this environment, just like as cultural, political and economical aspects that might influence upon snatching these hybrid places located between private and public border line. It‟s confirmed that the nowadays sidewalks‟ shapes is not only citizenship reflection or a lack of it but shows it as an active agent related with the construction of this set of fundamental rights and duties vital for harmonical co-living local citizens

Occurrence of Ancylostoma in dogs, cats and public places from Andradina city, São Paulo state, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Internal Architecture and Population Size of Acromyrmex subterraneus molestans (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Nests: Comparison Between a Rural and an Urban Area

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)