Association between perceived quality and access to urban green spaces and loneliness in India
Our study explores how perceptions of urban green space quality and accessibility relate to loneliness in urban India. Findings show that subjective experiences, design features, and feelings of social exclusion shape engagement with green spaces. Inclusive, safe, and emotionally responsive green space design is crucial for reducing loneliness.Important to note; our study advances urban health and planning research by demonstrating that loneliness is shaped more by perceived quality and emotional experience of green spaces than by their physical presence alone.
Addressing social participation needs of older adults at risk of marginalization in a revitalization
Considering the increase in loneliness and isolation, and importance of creating inclusive communities, this study explored older adults’ social participation needs, facilitators and barriers during a downtown revitalization. Findings highlighted the signification of inclusive environments, and importance of accessibility to activities and resources, affordable transportation and housing, and information about participation opportunities.
In studying the epidemiology of a virus (COVID-19), the urban context must not be ignored
The high concentration of people and activities in cities makes them vulnerable to various stressors such as natural and man-made disasters. In the recent pandemic, the cities are the places where the transmission started. We investigated the impact of social, economic, and environmental indicators on the rate of COVID-19 disease in the neighborhoods of Urmia City, Iran. Our results show that the number of employees, gross residential density, number of elderly people, building density, commercial density and road density have a significant relationship in predicting the epidemic.
Out-of-home built environment characteristics of urban heritage cores and their impact on age-friendliness
The deterioration of the built environment, as well as poor traffic and pedestrian conditions, creates obstacles to active mobility, active ageing and functional abilities among older adults residing in heritage city cores. This has negative impacts on their social inclusiveness, quality of life and well-being. The walled city, which encompasses Jaipur’s heritage neighbourhood, is one of the few planned cities in India, extending back to the 18th century, and is considered a tourist attraction. With an in-depth study, we use Jaipur’s walled city to examine how supporting a better quality of life for an ageing population can have co-benefits for the tourism economy.
Reducing air pollution in Latin America could help reduce dementia
Air pollution is linked to a high risk of dementia. However, it is concerning that only two Latin American countries are studying this association. We wanted to establish whether the association has been described in this area of the world, how often it has been done and what policies have been generated from it to intervene.
How does the different noise affect students’ cognition?
How do children perceive and interpret different noises and how their personal experiences correlate with objective measurements? What are the long-term repercussions of sustained noise exposure during the formative years on adult cognition, behaviour, and health outcomes?
Constraints, compromises and decision-making: What drives healthy and unhealthy diets in Urban Informal Settlements
We examined the factors that limit and enable the uptake of healthy diets among urban populations with multiple socio-economic vulnerabilities. By exploring the interconnected economic, social and environmental influences, we aimed to generate context-specific evidence that can inform effective and targeted action to support progress towards achieving global nutrition targets in the context of triple burden of malnutrition and increasing concern on high incidences of diet-related diseases in rapidly urbanizing areas.
Play-friendly cities: How children use and value their public spaces as a place to play
How do children experience and perceive the public space in their own neighborhood? And what are the environmental factors that encourage and hinder children from playing outside? In this article, Dutch children explain what they see as a play-friendly city.
Bridging the gap: A study of pedestrian mobility, conflicts, and climate in enhancing continuous movement on sidewalk
Uninterrupted pedestrian flow is key to walkable, inclusive cities. This study explores how sidewalk conditions, user conflicts, and weather disruptions affect movement. By identifying key qualitative factors, we propose a user-focused method for assessing and enhancing sidewalk Quality of Service (QoS).
Building healthier cities in Saudi Arabia through greener urban futures
This research extends existing scholarship by contextualizing Healthy City principles within Saudi Arabia’s specific climatic conditions, demographic transitions, and centralized governance structures. Rather than advocating direct replication of international models, the study emphasizes learning from international experiences to inform context-specific strategies aligned with Vision 2030 and national sustainability priorities. By interpreting international experiences within Saudi urban realities, this work provides a geographically specialized and policy-relevant contribution to the discourse on sustainable and healthy urban development.