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Copyright of Journal of Planning Education & Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is slowly transitioning from traditional single-family public housing to a 'vertical' typology to meet the increasing demand on public housing, solve the problem of the scarcity of land in urban areas, and contribute to achieving its local agenda for sustainable development goals. However, the direct involvement of Emirati residents in the design process of the recently developed limited number of vertical public housing projects has been missing. This research aims to involve a sample of Emirati residents, representing the targeted category for vertical public housing, in the pre-occupancy evaluation of the design of Al Ghurfa, the very recently developed vertical public housing project, focusing mainly on assessing the attainment of social sustainability in this design. The research method included four phases, including initiating a conceptual framework from relevant literature reviews, digitalizing the case study design, developing the conventional and e-Participation interview scenarios and scripts, and selecting a sample of Emirati young citizens who participated in the study. The results of the study successfully highlighted the participating residents' preferences and concerns regarding the design of the investigated pioneering vertical public housing project. The findings revealed the interviewed citizens' perceptions of the investigated social sustainability principles in the vertical housing design pertaining to mixed-use development within and outside the vertical residential building, social integration among neighbors of the building, vertical and horizontal accessibility inside and outside the building, security measures for the residents of the buildings and their privacy, design measures of the high-quality living environments, the user-responsive design of the housing units, and the importance of their involvement in the design. This helped propose a set of recommended design actions for attaining social sustainability in vertical housing design tailored to the specific needs of Emirati residents. The research has also revealed the successful merger between the conventional and advanced e-Participation tools in involving the residents in assessing the professional design of vertical public housing as a new emerging typology that is expected to prevail in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The paper addresses the emerging notion of “happiness” and “community happiness” as means and an objective in site planning and community design highlighting its complexities and illusive nature in terms of scope, aspects, and components to formulate a conceptual “framework” and a design tool for monitoring, enhancing, and developing community happiness, in limited scale urban settings. The research presents and follows the proposition that “happiness” is inherently addressed in site planning and design processes and the closely related notions and drives of “sustainable development” and “quality of life”. The design for the “community happiness” framework is formulated through a sequence of relational matrices, for “happiness”, “sustainable development”, and “quality of life”, each comprising selected international approaches and agendas, related indicators, and key aspects, physical, and non-physical, emphasizing similarities and overlapping. The proposed “framework” and underlying propositions were validated through a pilot questionnaire, targeting a sample of specialists, and practicing academics. The participants generally accepted the research key propositions, adopted the method and the proposed “framework”, and interacted with them, emphasizing the relative weights of the selected “happiness” key indicators and relations to site planning elements, and criteria. The relative importance of the design criteria, the related “happiness” indicators, and the likely products, as well as the cost of achieving “happiness” deserve to be further addressed, in future research.

The paper addresses the emerging notion of "happiness" and "community happiness" as means and an objective in site planning and community design highlighting its complexities and illusive nature in terms of scope, aspects, and components to formulate a conceptual "framework" and a design tool for monitoring, enhancing, and developing community happiness, in limited scale urban settings. The research presents and follows the proposition that "happiness" is inherently addressed in site planning and design processes and the closely related notions and drives of "sustainable development" and "quality of life". The design for the "community happiness" framework is formulated through a sequence of relational matrices, for "happiness", "sustainable development", and "quality of life", each comprising selected international approaches and agendas, related indicators, and key aspects, physical, and non-physical, emphasizing similarities and overlapping. The proposed "framework" and underlying propositions were validated through a pilot questionnaire, targeting a sample of specialists, and practicing academics. The participants generally accepted the research key propositions, adopted the method and the proposed "framework", and interacted with them, emphasizing the relative weights of the selected "happiness" key indicators and relations to site planning elements, and criteria. The relative importance of the design criteria, the related "happiness" indicators, and the likely products, as well as the cost of achieving "happiness" deserve to be further addressed, in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of South Architecture / Nanfang Jianzhu is the property of South Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents Waterways Past, Present and Future, a research project and exhibition in Okanagan Syilx territory, aimed at increasing awareness of the relationship between people and water towards catalyzing sustainable water practices. The exhibition's multi-channel audio-visual media was designed to immerse, provoke, destabilize, transform and move visitors to take responsibility for water. Drawing on many ways of knowing and doing in the creative process, the exhibition opens different entry points to the research, thus encouraging an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural audience to engage with it. Waterways' contribution to sustainability discourse lies in its empowerment of collaborative inquiry as a way of knowing, understanding and representing our world. The epistemological dimensions of the exhibit present multiplicities embedded in the social life of water, inviting dialogues, shaping cultural narratives and developing new forms of creativity. Through the sensual process of immersion and activation of lateral thinking, the exhibition facilitates connections across cultures, connections that act as agents for social transformation. Waterways' experiential journey transcends our personal and dominant socio-cultural patterns, reaching beyond normative structures to new creative realms shared ethical space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving, strengthening, and fine tuning, as well as developing, revitalizing, conserving, and preserving, are all words commonly used in an urban and regional planner's vocabulary. More nebulous are the concepts of it, thyself, which are the other in planning thinking and professional interventions. Who, what, how, when, and where will it be carried out? If conscious and aware of one's actions, oneself ought to be able to answer these questions without deference to its outcomes. However, it is commonly recognized that we are unable, and at times unwilling, to understand others' reaction to a proposal, even when put forward according to established common norms and traditions and socio-economic, environmental, cultural, and legal orders. The purpose of this paper is to review various planning challenges derived from earlier lived and or researched experiences that have already occurred, others taking place here and now, as well as others in need of further conceptualization and study. The review methods build not only upon the now classical sustainability framework, but also upon the more recent and alternative Soft City approach centered on place, movement, and sociability. It is believed that the planning topics and methods analyzed in this review can help reach carbon neutrality goals, promote climate urbanism, accomplish higher utilization of renewable energy, and reduce automobility levels, all goals conducive to graceful bliss and authentic happiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential satisfaction has always been a crucial concern in urban planning and community management. This paper conducts a study of key factors affecting residential satisfaction in settlements with multiple build periods coexisting in old neighborhoods. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the influencing factors of residential satisfaction in order to obtain the post-occupancy evaluation of the residential environment by residents in different communities and propose sustainable design strategies based on the evaluation analysis. By constructing an evaluation system of residential satisfaction with 19 evaluation indicators and based on the questionnaire, the sample frequency analysis, reliability and validity test, IPA analysis, and evaluation factor analysis of the data, the IPA mean distribution results of residential satisfaction in the four communities are obtained. The study reveals that residents are most satisfied with the surrounding services in their communities but generally less satisfied with the internal residential environment. Among the factors, fitness facilities and space in the community have a significant impact on residents' satisfaction; community activities and neighbor relationships are also key influencing factors, which become more prominent as the construction period of the community approaches. Additionally, community residents' self-organizational governance will affect their satisfaction with community conventions and social capital. Therefore, this study proposes improvement suggestions, including planning community life circles to fully utilize available resources in the surrounding area, establishing community self-organization for community governance and improving the quality of community life, and implementing mobile service stations to flexibly adapt to community space and service needs. This study provides a valuable reference for urban community renewal and sustainable development. The research findings are expected to provide practical guidance for improving the residential environment within old neighborhoods and enhancing residents' satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active travel is important to public health and the environment. Previous studies substantiate built environment influences active travel, but they seldom assess its overall contribution. Most of the studies assume that built environment characteristics have linear associations with active travel. This study uses Gradient Boosting Decision Trees to explore nonlinear relationships between the built environment and active travel in the Twin Cities. Collectively, the built environment has more predictive power for active travel than demographics, and parks, proximity to downtown, and transit access have important influences. The threshold effects of built environment variables help inform planning practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to understand the urban characteristics of Tama New Town and develop a disaster-resistant community that aligns with those characteristics. This paper reports on the implementation of a "resident questionnaire on disaster prevention consciousness" among residents around Tama University, based on the Resilience Assessment Grid (RAG) concept used in Resilience Engineering. The RAG defines the four capabilities of a resilient organization as "Resilient Local residents = Anticipating + Watch over (Monitoring) + Preparation (Responding) + Learning." We quantified the resilience potential of the community and found that Preparation (Responding) scored lower than the other items. Our findings can inform the design and management of a disaster-resistant community that is better prepared to anticipate, monitor, respond to, and learn from disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In community-based marketing, the new marketing framework presented in this study is as follows: (i) in term of the creation of value, it views a product from the perspective of solving the life issues of the customer base by including augmented products; and (ii) in terms of communication and delivery of value, a company forms a community with customers who are interested in and empathize with the value that the company creates and who can be constantly connected through social media services, apps, and other digital means. There, interactions among customers are born and new value is created. It is managed by proactively collaborating with other companies toward creating innovative values. We believe that this framework accurately describes the ongoing marketing activities of companies.

Improving, strengthening, and fine tuning, as well as developing, revitalizing, conserving, and preserving, are all words commonly used in an urban and regional planner’s vocabulary. More nebulous are the concepts of it, thyself, which are the other in planning thinking and professional interventions. Who, what, how, when, and where will it be carried out? If conscious and aware of one’s actions, oneself ought to be able to answer these questions without deference to its outcomes. However, it is commonly recognized that we are unable, and at times unwilling, to understand others’ reaction to a proposal, even when put forward according to established common norms and traditions and socio-economic, environmental, cultural, and legal orders. The purpose of this paper is to review various planning challenges derived from earlier lived and or researched experiences that have already occurred, others taking place here and now, as well as others in need of further conceptualization and study. The review methods build not only upon the now classical sustainability framework, but also upon the more recent and alternative Soft City approach centered on place, movement, and sociability. It is believed that the planning topics and methods analyzed in this review can help reach carbon neutrality goals, promote climate urbanism, accomplish higher utilization of renewable energy, and reduce automobility levels, all goals conducive to graceful bliss and authentic happiness.

Copyright of Revista Proyecto, Progreso, Arquitectura is the property of Proyecto, Progreso, Arquitectura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The issue of public disclosure of the design is regulated in Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) no. 6/2002 of 12 December 2001 on Community designs. Pursuant to this provision, a design shall be deemed to have been made available to the public if it has been published following registration or otherwise, or exhibited, used in trade or otherwise disclosed, except cases where these events could not reasonably have become known in the normal course of business to the circles specialized in the sector concerned, operating within the Community. The design is made available to the public in a situation where these events could be known in the course of normal professional activity in an environment specialized in a given sector, operating within the Community. The list of methods of public disclosure contained in Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) no. 6/2002 is not a closed catalog. Disclosure of the earlier design on the Internet causes difficulties in assessing whether it meets the conditions required for public access, i.e. whether the design could reasonably have become known in the normal course of business to the circles specialized in the sector concerned. Moreover, the disclosure of the design on the Internet generates problems of evidence related to proving the precise date of its disclosure to the public. The article analyzes the jurisprudence of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and European jurisprudence in recent years. In particular, attention was paid to the issues of evidence necessary to recognize that the Community design was made available on the Internet. The article concerns a topic that is current both among representatives of the doctrine and in jurisprudence (Polish and European). It has theoretical and practical significance, because the issue of evidence submitted by the parties on the fact that an industrial design is made available to the public is very often a problem at the stage of court proceedings.

No abstract available

The architecture curriculum is usually divided into studio courses and lecture or seminar courses where design and research, respectively, are separately pursued. Although the curriculum is designed to unite the approaches of design, the humanities, and the sciences that together comprise the architectural endeavor, in practice these epistemological forms of inquiry are divided into separate courses and rarely allowed to crossover into one another. Two structures common to architecture programs avoid these divisions: the community design center and the research studio. The first unifies design with community engagement and exposure to the real-world issues of marginalized communities, while the second incorporates humanities-based research into the studio. In this paper, we will present the work of a three course-sequence recently taught at Miami University as a “Humanities Lab” that pursued methodological promiscuity by mixing community-based research and design. In so doing, we jettisoned the expertise traditionally claimed by architecture to create a more inclusive practice–inclusive of community members and their expertise and centering the experiences and histories of marginalized people instead of buildings. We do so by engaging in what Eyal Weizman has called “critical proximity,” in which the distanciated position of the researcher is jettisoned in favor of working alongside and for marginalized communities. Over the course of three semesters, we explored the impact of critical proximity in three different endeavors–a seminar, research studio, and exhibition design–and discovered inclusive pedagogical strategies: thickness, research-in-community, and decentered production. Together, these strategies allowed us to refigure the role of the architect as a researcher aligned with community interests.

In community-based marketing, the new marketing framework presented in this study is as follows: (i) in term of the creation of value, it views a product from the perspective of solving the life issues of the customer base by including augmented products; and (ii) in terms of communication and delivery of value, a company forms a community with customers who are interested in and empathize with the value that the company creates and who can be constantly connected through social media services, apps, and other digital means. There, interactions among customers are born and new value is created. It is managed by proactively collaborating with other companies toward creating innovative values. We believe that this framework accurately describes the ongoing marketing activities of companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In collaboration with facilities, communities, district local government, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) implementing partners, the iDARE methodology was implemented at the community level to address root causes of low HIV antiretroviral therapy adherence among men and children actively enrolled in care, resulting in low viral load suppression (VLS) in two districts in the eastern region of Uganda. The methodology encourages the use of cocreated sustainable solutions addressing gender, youth, and social inclusion issues to reduce barriers to care and reach the 95-95-95 Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS target for HIV epidemic control. We aim to measure the impact of iDARE on VLS for men and children active in care and investigate the practical scale up of the solutions designed using the iDARE methodology. Objective: The primary objective of this study will be to measure the implementation impact of the iDARE methodology at the facility and community levels on VLS for people living with HIV. The secondary objective is to investigate the practical scale up of the iDARE methodology using evidence-based gender, youth, and social inclusion social behavior change packages to rapidly meet the Ugandan Ministry of Health targets for VLS. Methods: A retrospective cohort study design will be used to analyze program data that aims to increase the rates of VLS in men and children who are classified as active in care using community engagement and quality improvement techniques. We will examine 3 pilot health centers’data from a USAID-funded program aimed at social behavior change to increase health-seeking behavior in Uganda. Based on the iDARE process and results, change packages were developed to highlight lessons learned and best practices in order to share with subsequent implementation sites. Results: The USAID-funded Social and Behavior Change Activity began implementation of iDARE in September 2020, with baseline data collected in August 2020. Conclusions: Data on viral load suppression was collected from facilities on a monthly basis to record progress toward the 95-95-95 goal. The expected primary outcome is an increase in actively enrolled men and children reaching VLS in order to meet the Ugandan Ministry of Health target of 95% VLS among those active in care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundBuilt environment and policy interventions are effective strategies for controlling the growing worldwide deaths from physical inactivity-related non-communicable diseases. To improve built environment research and develop African specific evidence, it is important to first tailor built environment measures to African contexts and assess their psychometric properties across African countries. This study reports on the adaptation and test-retest reliability of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale in seven sub-Saharan African countries (NEWS-Africa).MethodsThe original NEWS comprising 8 subscales measuring reported physical and social attributes of neighborhood environments was systematically adapted for Africa through extensive input from physical activity and public health researchers, built environment professionals, and residents in seven African countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda. Cognitive testing of NEWS-Africa was conducted among diverse residents (N = 109, 50 youth [12 - 17 years] and 59 adults [22 - 67 years], 69 % from low socioeconomic status [SES] neighborhoods). NEWS-Africa was translated into local languages and evaluated for 2-week test-retest reliability in adult participants (N = 301; female = 50.2 %; age = 32.3 ± 12.9 years) purposively recruited from neighborhoods varying in walkability (high and low walkable) and SES (high and low income) and from villages in six of seven participating countries.ResultsThe original 67 NEWS items was expanded to 89 scores (76 individual NEWS items and 13 computed scales). Several modifications were made to individual items, and some new items were added to capture important attributes in the African environment. A new scale on personal safety was created, and the aesthetics scale was enlarged to reflect African specific characteristics. Over 95 % of all NEWS-Africa scores (items plus computed scales) demonstrated evidence of "excellent" (ICCs > .75 %) or "good" (ICCs = 0.60 to 0.74) reliability. Seven (53.8 %) of the 13 computed NEWS scales demonstrated "excellent" agreement and the other six had "good" agreement. No items or scales demonstrated "poor" reliability (ICCs

On 21 April 2021, the General Court of the European Union in T-326/20 Bibita1 misconstrued Article 25(1)(d) of the Community Designs Regulation which applies where a conflict exists between a later Community design2 and a prior international design registration extended to the EU.3 The latter's application was filed earlier (28 September 2016) but published only on 31 March 2017, after the date of filing of the later Community design application (13 March 2017). The case sets an unfortunate precedent for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic biology conceptualizes biological complexity as a network of biological parts, devices, and systems with predetermined functionalities and has had a revolutionary impact on fundamental and applied research. With the unprecedented ability to synthesize and transfer any DNA and RNA across organisms, the scope of synthetic biology is expanding and being recreated in previously unimaginable ways. The field has matured to a level where highly complex networks, such as artificial communities of synthetic organisms, can be constructed. In parallel, computational biology became an integral part of biological studies, with computational models aiding the unravelling of the escalating complexity and emerging properties of biological phenomena. However, there is still a vast untapped potential for the complete integration of modelling into the synthetic design process, presenting exciting opportunities for scientific advancements. Here, we first highlight the most recent advances in computer-aided design of microbial communities. Next, we propose that such a design can benefit from an organism-free modular modelling approach that places its emphasis on modules of organismal function towards the design of multispecies communities. We argue for a shift in perspective from single organism-centred approaches to emphasizing the functional contributions of organisms within the community. By assembling synthetic biological systems using modular computational models with mathematical descriptions of parts and circuits, we can tailor organisms to fulfil specific functional roles within the community. This approach aligns with synthetic biology strategies and presents exciting possibilities for the design of artificial communities. Graphical Abstract ., Competing Interests: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Convivium Park è un progetto di ricerca-azione del Nature-city Lab dell’Università degli Studi della Basilicata. Sviluppato per la IV Edizione del progetto NaturArte, alla scoperta dei Parchi di Basilicata, Convivium Park intende innescare processi di rigenerazione del paesaggio materiale e immateriale nelle aree protette lucane attraverso l’attivazione di percorsi di co-progettazione con le comunità locali. La sperimentazione è stata realizzata grazie al coinvolgimento di tre comunità di altrettanti parchi della Basilicata.

Background: Neighborhood walkability is being promoted as an important factor in public health efforts to decrease rates of physical inactivity. Single entry communities (SEC), communities with only 1 entrance/exit, may result in an over estimation of walkability. This design makes direct walking routes outside the community nearly impossible and results in increased trip distance. The purpose of this study was to determine if accounting for SECs resulted in a significant difference in street connectivity. Methods: Twenty geographically different Las Vegas neighborhoods were chosen and the number of true intersections measured in ArcGIS. Neighborhoods were then assessed for the presence of SECs using google maps, ArcGIS land imagery, and field observation. Intersections inside SECs were removed. A paired t test was used to assess the mean difference of intersection density before and after adjustment. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in the number of true intersections after the adjustment (before mean = 57.8; after mean = 45.7). The eta squared statistic indicates a large effect size (0.3). Conclusions: Single entry communities result in an over estimation of street connectivity. If SECs are not accounted for, trip distances will be underestimated and public health efforts to promote walking through walkable neighborhoods may prove less effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are few studies that aimed to find a relationship between transportation-related physical activity and neighborhood socioeconomic condition using a composite deprivation index. The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship of neighborhood walkability and socioeconomic deprivation with percentage of adults walking to work. Methods: A walkability index and a socioeconomic deprivation index were created at block group-level. The outcome variable, percentage of adults who walk to work was dichotomized as < 5% of the block group walking to work low and ≥ 5% of the block group walking to work as high and applied logistic regression to examine the association of walkability and socioeconomic deprivation with walking to work. Results: Individuals in the most walkable neighborhoods are almost 5 times more likely to walk to work than individuals in the least walkable neighborhoods (OR = 4.90, 95% CI = 2.80-8.59). After adjusting for neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation, individuals in the most walkable neighborhoods are almost 3 times more likely to walk to work than individuals in the least walkable neighborhoods (OR = 2.98, 95% CI = 1.62-5.49). Conclusions: Walkability (as measured by the walkability index) is a very strong indicator of walking to work even after controlling for neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Public Art is the property of Shanghai Fine Arts Publisher Ltd. co. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Focusing on green infrastructure (GI), which utilizes nature's diverse resources, we developed urban flood control measures on three small-scale private tracts in Tokyo and Fukuoka in Japan, experiencing high rainfall. In addition, we implemented these measures and verified the possibility of introduction. Using a target rainfall of 100 mm/h and previous rainfall data, we set our goal of reducing runoff from each site below the capacity of a public sewage pipe. Implementation was conducted by assessing the soil infiltration rate and developing and installing rain gardens and storage layers using crushed stones. These measures satisfied the initially set goals, drastically reducing runoff at all three sites. The target installation cost was set at 100,000 yen per cubic meter of runoff reduction. The target costs were met in the two Fukuoka sites but not at the Tokyo site. The key reasons were the high costs of removing non-permeable surfaces or improving the soil of compacted surfaces, which called for a process to balance the runoff reduction and cost to determine the most effective plan for implementing GI in urban areas. The development and implementation processes were conducted in collaboration with the house owners and concerned parties; the workshops produced constructive ideas being unconstrained by conventional thinking. Visitors highly appreciated ideas related to using water because the techniques were derived from the Japanese culture of lifestyle. Thus, introducing attractive and effective GI may be possible through collaboration. Additionally, sharing experiences led to the formation of new community ties, supporting post-implementation site maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community design can have a positive or negative influence on the physical activity level of residents. The complementary expertise of professionals from both planning and public health is needed to build active communities. The current study aimed to develop a coordinated framework for planners and public health professionals to enhance the design of active communities. Methods: Planners and public health professionals working in Ontario, Canada were recruited to participate in a concept mapping process to identify ways they should work together to enhance the design of active communities. Results: This process generated 72 actions that represent collaborative efforts planners and public health professionals should engage in when designing active communities. These actions were then organized by importance and feasibility. This resulted in a coordinated action framework that includes 19 proximal and 6 distal coordinated actions for planners and public health professionals. Conclusion: Implementation of the recommended actions has the potential to make a difference in community design as a way to enhance physical activity in community members. This Coordinated Action Framework provides a way to address physical inactivity from an environmental and policy standpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-selection--whether individuals inclined to walk more seek to live in walkable environments--must be accounted for when studying built environment infuences on walking. The way neighborhoods are marketed to future residents has the potential to sway residential location choice, and may consequently affect measures of self-selection related to location preferences. We assessed how walking opportunities are promoted to potential buyers, by examining walkability attributes in marketing materials for housing developments. Methods: A content analysis of marketing materials for 32 new housing developments in Perth, Australia was undertaken, to assess how walking was promoted in the text and pictures. Housing developments designed to be pedestrian-friendly (LDs) were compared with conventional developments (CDs). Results: Compared with CDs, LD marketing materials had signifcantly more references to 'public transport,' 'small home sites,' 'walkable parks/open space,' 'ease of cycling,' 'safe environment,' and 'boardwalks.' Other walkability attributes approached signifcance. Conclusion: Findings suggest the way neighborhoods are marketed may contribute to self-reported reasons for choosing particular neighborhoods, especially when attributes are not present at the time of purchase. The marketing of housing developments may be an important factor to consider when measuring self-selection, and its infuence on the built environment and walking relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on landscape architect Karl Linn's role in founding the Community Design movement. Acknowledged by his contemporaries as one of the first and most influential community designers, Linn used students to pilot techniques for hands-on, local, and empathetic engagement. Beginning in the early 1960s, the article follows Linn's first experiment building neighborhood "Commons" in North Philadelphia. In Linn's conception, Commons were parks and playgrounds that reused materials and incorporated volunteer labor. Initially, Linn felt that the Commons' primary purpose was to produce positive self-identification within community members and design students. Encounters with Settlement Houses, black social workers, and volunteers challenged his original thinking. As a result, he shifted tactics to focus on work-training programs and the establishment of "process institutions." Through War on Poverty legislation, workshops, and consultancies, Linn helped translate Progressive Era social work into a new model of advocacy and professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we studied how community educators' designed for equity in an after school science program. Building from discussions of equity in out‐of‐school‐time (OST) science, this case study offers insight into the role of pedagogy in organizing for dignity and belonging in an after school program. This case study focused on the practices of nine Latinx community educators as they supported science practices in an after school program. Grounded in an understanding of place and the specific cultural, political, and historical densities of life in an agricultural town, the study found that educators created a space of affirmation and care that supported alternative paths to deep engagement in science. The findings add dimensionality to current discourses of equity in OST science and engineering education by examining how historical and political understanding of marginalization informed educators' pedagogical strategies. These strategies include offering: moment‐to‐moment affirmations of young people's ideas, material and cultural generosity in the Studio, connections to political belonging through science, and extensions from community activities into the after school science inquiries. Together educators created a space of belonging that used science and engineering as entry points for creation, political expression, and intellectual expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Examining relationships between features of the built environment and physical activity is achievable with geographic information systems technology (GIS). The purpose of this paper is to review the literature to identify GIS measures that can be considered for inclusion in national public health surveillance efforts. In the absence of a universally agreed upon framework that integrates physical, social, and cultural aspects of the environment, we used a multidimensional model of access to synthesize the literature. Methods: We identified 29 studies published between 2005 and 2009 with physical activity outcomes that included 1 or more built environment variables measured using GIS. We sorted built environment measures into 5 dimensions of access: accessibility, availability, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability. Results: Geospatial land-use data, street network data, environmental audits, and commercial databases can be used to measure the availability, accessibility, and accommodation dimensions of access. Affordability and acceptability measures rely on census and self-report data. Conclusions: GIS measures have been included in studies investigating the built environment and physical activity, although few have examined more than 1 construct of access. Systematic identification and collection of relevant GIS measures can facilitate collaboration and accelerate the advancement of research on the built environment and physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines environmental, transportation, social, and time barriers to physical activity. Methods: Survey questions from the nationally representative Greenstyles survey (N = 2181) were summed to create environmental, transportation, social, and time barrier variables. Logistic regression was used to determine if the barrier variables had a significant association with physical activity levels. Results: Those who have low barriers to physical activity are more likely to meet the recommended physical activity levels compared with those with medium and high barriers. In addition, transportation, social capital, and time barriers independently contributed to the low levels of physical activity. Conclusions: Removal of multiple barriers to physical activity may have an additive effect of increasing physical activity levels in Americans. Promoting physical activity requires strategies and research across multiple sectors to mitigate these barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how adolescents' perceptions of exercise resources in the environment relate to physical activity outcomes.Perceptions of the availability and use of environmental resources, vigorous physical activity (VIG), daily energy expenditure (KCAL), lifestyle activities (LA), and cardiovascular fitness (Vo2peak) were assessed cross-sectionally among 87 minimally active adolescent girls (ages 14-17). To validate adolescent reports, the perceived availability of environmental resources was also assessed from 47 parents.Adolescent-parent agreement over the availability of resources was modest for the home domain (r = .62, p < .001) and weak for the community domain (r = .14, p > .05). Adolescents' perceptions of resource availability in both the home and community domains were positively associated with VO2peak (p < .05) but unrelated to VIG, KCAL, and LA. Adolescents' use of home resources was positively correlated with both VIG and LA (p < .05).Minimally active adolescent girls were more attuned to and likely to use the resources for physical activity located in their home environment as opposed to the community environment.