How do high-rise communal spaces shape residents’ social interactions?

June 19, 2025

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.

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The hidden burden of traffic crashes

June 16, 2025

The high risk of death and disability from being struck by a car is unevenly distributed geographically and socially. Our analytics reveal a troubling pattern in that people from Black and Latino neighbourhoods facean especially high risk of crashes, both near and far from home.
Vision Zero leaders in the hundreds of participating cities across the world in planning departments, nonprofits, and community groups need to look at our approach.

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A city in need: Analyzing the ongoing dilemma of open defecation in Delhi

April 22, 2025

Unveiling the hidden truth behind open defecation in Delhi, this study exposes the role of infrastructural incapacity and institutional failure. With 80% of surveyed households’ still practicing open defecation, the findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive policies to address the inadequacy of public and household facilities, water availability, and coordination among governmental bodies.

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Health impact assessments for healthier urban planning projects

April 22, 2025

Health impact assessments are a key tool to bridge the worlds of planning and health, but there’s a risk they become a ‘tick box’ exercise with little real-world benefit. Learning from recent practice in English local authorities can help maximise their effectiveness in producing healthier developments.

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A fresh framework for moving health knowledge into urban planning action

April 22, 2025

We took a significant step in identifying the existing gaps in knowledge translation for healthy cities and adopting a proactive approach to laying out opportunities for improvement. By developing a visual representation for a renewed conceptual framework, we provide a clear and insightful tool for planners, designers, and policymakers aiming to enhance knowledge translation processes. As a result, this study not only elevates knowledge translation as a field of study for urban professionals but also reinforces its importance in public health.

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Perceived urban quality and well-being during post-earthquake shelter projects (MAPs and CASE) in L’Aquila, Italy

April 4, 2025

Although the CASE and MAPs were supposed to be temporary shelters for displaced persons, after fourteen years, they have not received proper maintenance and are dilapidated. This scenario opens to the idea that living in these places could negatively affect different psychological aspects, including perceived urban quality and environmental well-being.

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Prioritizing residents’ experiential knowledge in public housing redevelopment programs to promote community health

April 3, 2025

Despite historic disinvestment and stigmatizing portrayals of public housing, residents often describe their place as a source of refuge. We explored the ways residents of a predominately Black public housing complex undergoing redevelopment construct meanings of place, emphasizing their place-making efforts to challenge their social marginalization and foster community health.

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