MULTIDIMENSIONAL PERCEPTION OF RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT QUALITY AND NEIGHBOURHOOD ATTACHMENT IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT

This study tests a path model in which residential satisfaction, operationalized in terms of multidimensional perceived residential environment quality (PREQ), predicts neighbourhood attachment considered as the final criterion. Socio-demographic (age, sex, socio-economic level) and residential (length of residence both in the neighbourhood and in Rome, number of persons living together) variables are also included in the theoretical model as predictors of both PREQ and neighbourhood attachment. Using a multidimensional questionnaire for the measurement of PREQ and a unidimensional scale for the measurement of neighbourhood attachment, the study focuses on a sample of 497 inhabitants from 20 different neighbourhoods in the city of Rome. The multidimensional PREQ questionnaire comprises 20 different scales covering four main areas: architectural and town-planning features (six scales); social relations features (three scales); punctual and in-network services (six scales); context features (five scales). First, the path model is tested separately in each area using structural equation analysis. Then, the best predictors emerging from each area, together with all socio-demographic and residential variables, are included in a final model. This model shows both the relevance of predictors from all four areas in predicting attachment, and also a hierarchy between the areas in the power of the prediction (context area giving the most powerful predictors, services giving the weakest ones, architectural and town-planning, and social relations having intermediate importance). Length of residence in the neighbourhood and socio-economic level are the most relevant of the residential and socio-demographic variables. Results are discussed with reference to the multicomponential nature of the process of neighbourhood attachment.     

Double exposure and the climate gap: changing demographics and extreme heat in Ciudad Juárez,Mexico

Scholars have recognised a climate gap, wherein poor communities face disproportionate impacts of climate change. Others have noted that climate change and economic globalisation may mutually affect a region or social group, leading to double exposure. This paper investigates how current and changing patterns of neighbourhood demographics are associated with extreme heat in the border city of Juárez, Mexico. Many Juárez neighbourhoods are at-risk to triple exposures, in which residents suffer due to the conjoined effects of the global recession, drug war violence, and extreme heat. Due to impacts of the recession on maquiladora employment and the explosion of drug violence (2008–2012), over 75% of neighbourhoods experienced decreasing population density between 2000 and 2010 and the average neighbourhood saw a 40% increase in the proportion of older adults. Neighbourhoods with greater drops in population density and increases in the proportion of older residents over the decade are at significantly higher risk to extreme heat, as are neighbourhoods with lower population density and lower levels of education. In this context, triple exposures are associated with a climate gap that most endangers lower socio-economic status and increasingly older-aged populations remaining in neighbourhoods from which high proportions of residents have departed.     

Recycling in Jerusalem: right or privilege?

This study analyses disparities in the provision of environmental services in Jerusalem, specifically through the distribution of recycling bins. The allocation of recycling bins in Jerusalem is uneven. Some neighbourhoods have more than their share of infrastructure, while others do not have any recycling bins at all. The spatial distribution of recycling bins throughout the city is analysed across the ethno-religious and socioeconomic divides, enabling us to determine whether the opportunity to recycle is a right or a privilege. The findings demonstrate that the Arab areas are literally not serviced. Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish neighbourhoods are discriminated against unless socioeconomic levels and population size are controlled. Therefore, waste-management policies reproduce social inequalities resulting in environmental injustice. Due to the fact that recycling in Jerusalem is voluntary and not obligatory, and that in general the public wants to recycle, the opportunity to recycle is indeed a privilege.     

The multifunctionality of urban farming: perceived benefits for neighbourhood improvement

Urban farming – a type of urban agriculture focused on entrepreneurial food production – serves multiple functions in neighbourhoods; yet these are not well delineated. Expectations for urban farming often centre on traditional measures of economic development, potentially overlooking other benefits. Through a qualitative case study conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, we sought to understand community perceptions regarding the ways in which urban farms can benefit cities. Interviews with residents, neighbourhood leaders, and urban farmers in three residential neighbourhoods with urban farms revealed the pathways by which community members view farms as improving neighbourhoods. Benefits stemmed from four primary changes urban farms made to study neighbourhoods: creation of public projects welcoming involvement, physical improvement of degraded space, production of local food, and creation of new businesses. These changes led to multiple perceived benefits including increased social connectedness, a transformed physical landscape, improved neighbourhood reputation, increased access to fresh produce, and educational, youth development, and employment opportunities. Our findings demonstrate the importance of a multifunctional paradigm that accounts for social and educational functions in assessing the value of urban farming and bring empirical evidence to the concept of multifunctional agriculture. Urban farms with strong social aims may appear to contribute little to economic development if measured using traditional indicators of success such as job creation or fiscal impacts, but provide numerous other benefits for community development.     

The neighbourhood project for urban rehabilitation in France: a progress report

Serious social and environmental problems are encountered on many of the large post‐war estates of blocks of social housing (grands ensembles) surrounding French cities, as well as in many inner‐city districts. In 1981 the new Socialist administration set up a National Commission to foster grass‐roots schemes in order to improve housing and to attempt to tackle both the expressions and the causes of social problems. The resulting neighbourhood programme represents an innovative dialogue between the central State, the regions, local authorities and residents’ groups. Examination of a sample of projects from the provinces (Romans, Dreux, Les Minguettes) and the Paris region confirms that progress has been made by improving housing, open spaces and community facilities. Formidable problems of poverty, unemployment and racism remain on many estates.     

“Perceived neighbourhood” and tolerance relations: the case of Arabs and Jews in Jaffa,Israel

This paper examines the complex social reality of mixed ethnic residential areas, as reflected in drawn perceived neighbourhoods of Jews and Arabs living in homogenous and mixed neighbourhoods in Jaffa, Tel Aviv. Through in-depth interviews conducted among 89 Jaffa's residents, it illustrates how different perceptions about the residential area and its residents (including attitudes, emotions, feeling of fear/safety, collective identity and tolerant relations) are reflected in the form, size and consensus area of residents' perceived neighbourhoods. The study finds a clear association between tolerant attitudes and the size and consensus area of the perceived neighbourhoods. Arabs perceive their neighbourhood as significantly larger than Jews do and are characterised by a larger consensus area. These findings are explained by the Arab's strong social cohesion, common national identity, rootedness in Jaffa, as well as by tolerant attitudes towards Jaffa's Jewish population. The study demonstrates the interrelation between the spatial, social and perceptual dimensions associated with the mixed residential area, and illustrates how these dimensions are reflected in drawn perceived neighbourhoods.     

Experts and the sense of things

ABSTRACT

In a world, in which measurements, indices and agreed-upon standards are ubiquitous, Bessy and Chateauraynaud’s work on experts and counterfeiters has gained new relevance. The French social scientists provide a rich theory on the sense of things, explaining how experts evaluate the authenticity of objects. Along with the mobilisation of a shared language and stabilised criteria, the sense of things generates from everyday interactions between experts and objects. While social scientists tend to prioritise the study of the commonly-accepted aspects of evaluation, the concept of the sense of things directs attention to the subtle micro interactions and sensory experiences on the ground. This process can initiate shifts in stabilised evaluations of the true and false. This article presents the central theoretical arguments of the book “Experts et Faussaires” (Experts and Counterfeiters) and sketches their relevance for the study of environmental phenomena.     

What people think about the environment and its relationship to their health: perceptions of health at different scales of environment in Hamilton,Ontario

This study examines lay perceptions of the environment and its perceived relation to health at three scales: the environment at large, the neighbourhood, and the home. Interviews were conducted with residents from two contrasting neighbourhoods in the industrial city of Hamilton, Canada. The results reveal variations in perceptions of the environment–health link between residents in the two study neighbourhoods as well as across the different scales. Air pollution and proximity to industry were frequently implicated in lay understandings of the general and neighbourhood environments. In contrast, the home environment was seen as relatively insulated and safe. Furthermore, personal control mechanisms (e.g. cleanliness) were believed to mitigate adverse health impacts in the home and yard while the general environment was seen to be outside of such control. The significance of the findings is discussed in terms of future research and policy relevance.     

Neighborhood Conditions and Helping Behavior in Late Life

The purpose of this study is to develop and test a latent variable model that explores the ways in which social structural factors influence the amount of social support that older adults provide to their social network members. Neighborhood conditions play a key role in this conceptual scheme. The findings provide support for the following conceptual linkages: (1) low parental education is associated with low respondent education; (2) older people with less education encounter more economic difficulty; (3) greater financial problems are associated with living in a rundown neighborhood; (4) older individuals who live in dilapidated neighborhoods are more hostile; and (5) older adults who are hostile are less likely to provide social support to their social network members. Research indicates that helping others is a key to successful aging. Ways must be found to help economically disadvantaged elders provide support to their social network members.     

Equity in neighbourhood walkability? A comparative analysis of three large U.S. cities

This study examines the spatial and statistical relationships between social vulnerability (SV) and neighbourhood walkability across three large U.S. cities with different urban typologies and development patterns: Charlotte, NC (a low-density, fast-growing “Sunbelt” city); Pittsburgh, PA (a moderate density, shrinking “Rust Belt” city); and Portland, OR (a progressive West Coast city known for its sprawl-containment policies). Binary logistic regression, independent-samples t-tests, and mapping techniques are employed to determine whether neighbourhoods with high SV (i.e. older populations, higher poverty rates, more service occupations, lower educational attainment, and a higher proportion of minorities) are as likely as those with low SV to exhibit a high degree of walkability. The publically available Walk Score® metric, based on proximity to amenities, street network connectivity, and density, was used as a proxy for neighbourhood walkability. The results indicate significant variability among cities, with Charlotte exhibiting the greatest potential for inequitable access to walkable urban environments and the most prominent concentration of “walk-vulnerable” block groups (BGs) with high SV and low walkability. Both Portland and Pittsburgh exhibited more equitable access when comparing BGs with high and low SV; however, they each presented unique spatial patterns, visualised using a series of maps.     

Neighbourhood - Open Space Relationships in Metropolitan Planning: a look across four scales of concern

New Urbanism and other metropolitan planning strategies may discount the importance of neighbourhood - open space relationships when dealing with some types of open spaces, particularly in city centre and urban fringe areas. In this paper I review a series of studies I have carried out over the past decade looking at people's perceptions and uses of urban open space. This research examined neighbourhood - open space relationships in the metropolitan area of Chicago, Illinois, USA at four scales of concern: quasi-public space within an immediate neighbourhood; a public park that spans different neighbourhoods; regional greenways; and a metropolitan bioreserve. In all of this work, my findings show how adjacent neighbourhoods are critical to the success of these open spaces, regardless of their scale. Lessons are drawn from each scale for how neighbourhood - open space relationships might be improved.     

宝鸡市生态城市建设评价

结合生态城市的相关理论和不同学者的研究,遵循生态城市评价指标选择的原则和研究区域的实际情况,从经济、社会和自然三方面建立了宝鸡市生态城市建设的评价指标体系。通过采用熵权法确定各评价指标的权值,对宝鸡市近几年的生态城市建设进行了简要评价。结果表明,2004—2008年宝鸡市的生态城市建设十分成功,但在集中力量建设生态环境的同时,忽略了对城市的经济建设,使宝鸡市的经济结构开始出现不合理现象。建议宝鸡市在大力建设生态城市的同时,要集中力量在经济建设方面,以达到自然、经济与社会和谐发展的目的。     

Neighbourhood - Open Space Relationships in Metropolitan Planning: A look across four scales of concern

New Urbanism and other metropolitan planning strategies may discount the importance of neighbourhood - open space relationships when dealing with some types of open spaces, particularly in city centre and urban fringe areas. In this paper I review a series of studies I have carried out over the past decade looking at people's perceptions and uses of urban open space. This research examined neighbourhood - open space relationships in the metropolitan area of Chicago, Illinois, USA at four scales of concern: quasi-public space within an immediate neighbourhood; a public park that spans different neighbourhoods; regional greenways; and a metropolitan bioreserve. In all of this work, my findings show how adjacent neighbourhoods are critical to the success of these open spaces, regardless of their scale. Lessons are drawn from each scale for how neighbourhood - open space relationships might be improved.     

A qualitative examination of factors shaping high and low exposures to hazardous air pollutants among Hispanic households in Miami

Hispanic residents suffer disproportionately from exposure to toxic pollution hazards, but little is known about why some Hispanic residents live in high-risk neighbourhoods while others are protected from similar risks. This study uses comparative interview-based methods to further understanding of Hispanic people’s residential decision-making and their associated exposures to hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in the Miami Metropolitan Statistical Area (Florida), which is home to one of the most diverse Hispanic populations in the U.S. We use 22 in-depth interviews conducted with Hispanic householders living at high and low risk to HAPs, selected from a larger representative phone survey of 650 local residents. For Hispanic households at high risk, economic constraints, family ties, desiring a central location, a sense of community, and comfort in a shared culture contributed to their residences in high risk locations. In contrast, protective factors for Hispanic households living at low risk included the desire to live in an ethnically diverse setting, the ease of finding service work, and preferring environmental amenities and exclusivity. Findings demonstrate that there are considerable differences in factors shaping residential decision-making of low- and high-risk Hispanic residents, but that all were influenced by economic, socio-cultural, and environmental considerations to varying degrees.     

Social sustainability and neighbourhood design: an investigation of residents' satisfaction in Delhi

Social and environmental goals are often mutually reinforcing. Urban forms may encourage social sustainability as well as social inclusion or may have the potential to create areas of crime and social exclusion. The issues of relationship between sustainable development and urban form have given birth to new paradigms of design approach such as new urbanism, the compact city and the eco-city. This paper examines the impact of urban form on social sustainability at the neighbourhood level. It seeks to better understand the relationship between urban form and social sustainability by comparing three neighbourhoods with dissimilar urban forms in Delhi, India. Household surveys and observation surveys in these three neighbourhoods were conducted, and it was found that the urban form of a neighbourhood plays a very important role in creating a socially sustainable residential neighbourhood. The study established that social interactions within the communities are higher when dwelling units are placed around the public realm or common open space. The study demonstrated that provision of high quality and well-located open space at the precinct level, mixed land use and good accessibility to the public realm and social infrastructure play an important role in increasing the social sustainability of the neighbourhood.     

A review of recent substance flow analyses of phosphorus to identify priority management areas at different geographical scales

The dwindling global reserves of extractable phosphorus (P) and its growing demand to produce the required food for a burgeoning global population (the global P crisis) necessitate the sustainable use of this crucial resource. To advert the crisis requires informed policy decisions which can only be obtained by a better understanding of the nature and magnitude of P flow through different systems at different geographical scales. Through a systematic and in-depth review of twenty one recent substance flow analyses of P, we have assessed the key P inflows, outflows, stocks, internal flows, and recycling flows at the city, regional, and country scales. The assessment has revealed, the main inflow and outflow of P at the city scale occurs through food and wastewater respectively, while the main stock of P occurs in landfill. At the regional scale, mineral ore is the main P inflow and chemical P fertilizer is the main outflow particularly in the regions that have P fertilizer production sector. In contrast, either chemical P fertilizer or animal feed is the key inflow and either food and agricultural products or soil losses (erosion, runoff, and/or leaching) is the major outflow especially in the regions without P fertilizer production sector. At the country scale, the key P inflow occurs either through mineral ore or chemical P fertilizer and the key outflow takes place either as food and agricultural products, waste (both solid and liquid), or soil losses (erosion, runoff, and/or leaching). The main stock of P both at the regional and country scales occurs in the soil of the agricultural production sector. As identified in this assessment, the key unproductive outflows and stocks at different geographical scales indicate that there is a potential scope to improve P management through the increased P recovery and recycling, and by the utilization of available soil P stocks. In many of the studies at all the geographical scales, P recycling flow has been found to be less than 20% of the total inflow, and even in some studies at the country scale, P recycling has been found to be entirely absent, which is a clear indication of poor P management. This study has also identified, there is a clear knowledge gap in relation to understanding the P flow over multiple years at the regional scale. The information about the key flows and stocks at different geographical scales as we identified can be utilized to make better P policy and management decisions for a city, region, or country. The information can also be used to guide future research that aims to analyze P flow at the city, regional, and country scales.     

Little by little,inch by inch: Project expansion assessments in the Papua New Guinea mining industry

Social impact assessment (SIA) has traditionally been practiced as an ex-ante predictive tool in the context of regulatory approval by government agencies. This model of SIA developed by Burdge and others is based on ‘greenfields’ development, of a new project going in to areas where there are no, or relatively few, similar types of development. The International Principles of SIA signalled a conceptual shift in the practice of SIA where greater emphasis is placed on the assessment and management of social issues across the life-cycle of developments. In addition forms of cumulative impact assessment have been developed for contexts where more than one project is likely to impact on populations or communities. With these changes to the traditional models of impact assessment there is a need to clarify how and when dedicated phases of ‘assessment’ might be undertaken over the life-cycle of a development. In the context of the mining industry, SIAs are increasingly required by governments for incremental increases in the size or impact of these operations. This paper reviews the development and application of Project Expansion Assessments (PEAs) for two large-scale mining operations in Papua New Guinea. It argues that a different set of assumptions need to underlie the model of IA for such assessments, with more emphasis on trajectories rather than baselines, a critical evaluation and attribution of effects, and the incorporation of adaptive management tools into the process.     

Space for equity: socioeconomic variations in the provision of public parks in Hermosillo,Mexico

This article examines the intersection between globalisation and allocation of open public space by testing the spatial equity hypothesis in Hermosillo, Mexico, a regional city impacted directly by global processes. Availability and accessibility of public parks were examined using a geographic information system and neighbourhoods were stratified into quintiles based on socioeconomic status. Overall, the analysis shows that the amount of public park space in Hermosillo is substandard and its distribution reveals a pattern of spatial inequity affecting primarily residents of poor neighbourhoods. We argue that as the economy of the city grows increasingly integrated into global circuits, the global-to-local connection materialises in an unequal competition between globalised spaces and local public space. This, in turn, leads to further relegation of neighbourhoods that are already on the margins of urban equity regarding access to public parks. This study extends prior research conducted in developed countries to a city in a developing nation and fills a vacuum of information that potentially can contribute to a more equitable development in Hermosillo.     

基于BP神经网络的城市旅游环境质量评价

城市旅游环境质量与城市旅游可持续发展之间存在着极为密切的关系,实现可持续发展的关键就是要解决好城市旅游环境质量问题。而旅游资源环境、旅游自然生态环境、旅游社会服务环境、旅游信息环境是城市旅游环境质量评价的主要因素,利用BP神经网络的方法对城市旅游环境质量进行评价是十分科学有效的。