Making streets safer for women: A women-centric walkability index for Kollam’s urban future, India

This study introduces the Women-Centric Walkability Index, addressing factors influencing women’s walking experiences in urban areas. Analyzing fifty-five wards in Kollam Corporation, Kerala, we identified key indicators like well-maintained sidewalks, street lighting, safety measures, and access to public amenities that enhance women’s walkability. Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process and GIS analysis, our research highlights the need for safer, more accessible, and comfortable walking environments for women, benefiting all pedestrians.

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Shared mobility as a mean to tackle transport poverty in deprived neighbourhoods

Shared mobility hubs that offer (electric) bikes and cars can be a sustainable solution that enables people to expand their mobility options while protecting cities’ environment by reducing private car use and encouraging cycling. We interviewed residents of a deprived neighbourhood in Utrecht, the Netherlands, to understand their mobility needs and views on a recently implemented shared mobility hub in their neighbourhood, identifying potential obstacles in the process.

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Making cities walkable for caregivers: bridging urban complexity and mobility justice

We examine how caregiving-related needs remain overlooked in walkability and Transit-Oriented Development strategies. Despite high levels of urban complexity, many transit-accessible areas lack essential caregiving-support places, particularly in vulnerable neighbourhoods. This spatial mismatch limits care-engaged individuals’ ability to chain trips, and access services, reinforcing mobility and social inequities. Our research highlights the need to integrate caregiving accessibility into planning frameworks to ensure that walkable cities are also inclusive and care-supportive.

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Unlocking food access in rural Jordan: Evaluating land use regulations in Annuaymeh village

Through field observations, surveys with the residents, and interviews with decision-maker, we identified key variables that define food access in rural areas in Jordan, mapped access to food services according to the identified variable. and assessed food access in relation to land use regulations. Our work investigated frameworks governing the allocation of food service establishment locations, spatial requirements, integration into city masterplans, equitable distribution of food service types, and pertinent legislative frameworks.

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Contributing factors and indicators of climate resilient and healthy cities

Through a literature review, we summarize key contributing factors of healthy, climate resilient urban environments and how these have been measured. Our study adopts a holistic approach to explore how health and climate change co-benefits could be monitored and achieved in cities. We identify indicators that have been used to measure how policies and built environments support healthy, climate resilient cities. This provides valuable insights for planning, prioritization and monitoring of cities internationally.

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A case study in developing a Health Impact Assessment from the eyes of a Community

Our collaboration co-created a new methodology reimagining the design, delivery, and management of the Health Impact Assessment using a community lens of the WHOs four interlinking principles: democracy, sustainable development, equity, and ethical use of evidence. We produced an assessment showing the differences between technocratic and experience-led approaches, and shared our methodology with 10 groups from around the UK in a pilot programme who conducted their own exercises locally.

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Cooler kids need greener spaces

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.

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