The relationship of place to substance use and perceptions of risk and safety in urban adolescents

Geographic and substance use data were collected from 301 urban adolescents to compare the perceived and observed risk and safety associated with their home and activity space locations (routine locations). The geographic characteristics of the neighborhood surrounding each location was summarized according to features theorized to be risky, such as criminal activity and alcohol sales, and features theorized to be safe, such as recreation centers and churches. Data on socioeconomic status, derived from U.S. Bureau of the Census data, were also used to characterize locations. Adolescents' homes were typically perceived as safe despite observed measures of risk such as density of crimes and proximity to alcohol outlets. This held for both substance users and non-users. Differences in geographic characteristics for safe and risky activity spaces were observed for both substance users and non-users, with non-users appearing to be more sensitive to the presence of risky characteristics in the environment than substance users. Results highlight the need and provide a methodology to collect fine-grained activity space data instead of relying only on home residence when attempting to represent place and health behaviors with urban youth.     

The role of cognitive maps in spatial decisions

The traveling salesman's problem, in which one decides which order between n locations minimizes total travel distance, was used as a laboratory analogue of spatial decisions in large-scale environments. In an experiment in which university students were observed while solving this problem, a group who received numerical information about distances between locations was found to minimize local distances rather than total distance, that is, to choose first the closest location from the starting location, then the closest location from that chosen, and so forth. However, if a picture of the locations was presented, total distance was minimized more frequently than local distances, presumably because subjects changed their decisions which minimized local distances when they discovered spatial patterns indicating that a shorter path existed. It was also found that a picture did not always have to be presented because subjects mentally constructed a functionally equivalent spatial representation from pieces of direction and distance or only direction information. This finding was even clearer when subjects were allowed to draw pictures of the locations.     

Outbound offending: The journey to crime and crime sprees

Studies on crime and mobility primarily focus on local crime patterns. The city has long played an important role, whether analysing the offence or the offender. This paper goes beyond city boundaries and discusses ‘outbound offenders’, whose crime trips start in a city, but end outside. It is argued that a substantial proportion of crime trips follow this pattern, indicating that areas other than cities also provide interesting opportunities for property crime. We link outbound offending to a number of features that may explain crime travelling, including the target’s features and offender/offence features. We find that outbound offending mostly occurs towards affluent target regions and near motorways, as such confirming findings from previous research. We also find crime sprees to be indicative for mobile offending. Thus, mobile property offenders tend to compensate for travelled distances, not only by targeting affluent areas and using fast transportation means, but also by committing several successive offences, hereby reducing their relative transportation cost for each offence.     

Is elevation encoded in cognitive maps?

Two experiments examined whether differences in elevation of the terrain are encoded in cognitive maps of outdoor environments. In Experiment 1, two groups of subjects who had travelled a varying number of times between a set of locations made direct estimates in metres of the differences in elevation between the locations. The results showed that subjects in both groups had knowledge of elevation but those for whom the terrain was less familiar tended to exaggerate the differences. In Experiment 2, decision times were measured of responses to the question whether one location is below or above another one. Neither for subjects who were more, nor for subjects who were less familiar with the terrain, did the decision times vary with the distances between the locations, thus failing to support the hypothesis that differences in elevation are retrieved by a process of ‘mental travel’.     

Environmental Management of Quarries as Waste Disposal Facilities

Problems associated with the disposal of municipal solid waste have become a source of public concern worldwide as awareness of potential adverse environmental impacts and health threats from solid waste has increased. Communities are concerned about the generation and management of solid waste to the extent of refusing to allow new disposal facilities near their homes, often after witnessing the legacy of existing facilities. Under these conditions, the development of national policies for the management of solid waste becomes highly political, all while requiring appropriate technical solutions that ensure environmental protection and proper management plans that support an acceptable solution for the disposal of municipal solid waste. In some locations, the conversion of old quarries into well-engineered and controlled landfills appears as a promising solution to a continuously increasing problem, at least for many decades to come. This paper describes the environmental impacts associated with solid waste disposal in a converted quarry site and the mitigation measures that can be adopted to alleviate potential adverse impacts. Environmental management and monitoring plans are also discussed in the context of ensuring adequate environmental protection during and after the conversion process.     

Residential satisfaction among aging people living in place

Residential satisfaction is a significant topic in environmental psychology yet there is little research on residential satisfaction among elders. This research aims to identify the cognitive structure of residential satisfaction of elderly persons living in their own dwellings and to identify demographic and psychological variables related to this residential satisfaction. One hundred and three participants, ranging in age from 72 to 86 years old and living at home in the central France, answered (a) a purpose-developed questionnaire to measure their residential satisfaction, (b) an environmental quality questionnaire aimed at evaluating both the physical and social environments, and (c) several psychological variables including: the ESV, a French adaptation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale which examines the general well-being of aging people; and three single well-being items assessing financial well-being, perceived health, and perception of oneself as active. The results indicated that in this sample, residential satisfaction corresponds to a four-dimension structure organized by physical location rather than psychological or behavioral aspects. The four components were the local area, access to services, relations with neighbors, and the home itself. Satisfaction with each component was related to different predictors, supporting the idea that elders hold complex and nuanced views of their homes and neighborhoods.     

Children's spatial representation of their neighbourhood: A step towards a general spatial competence

The ability of six-year-old children to combine perspectives of spatial layouts in their own neighbourhood was assessed. The children were asked to imagine themselves as being at a particular reference site and to decide which of two landmarks was closer to the site. From a theoretical point of view, one should not expect six-year-olds to have acquired projective and Euclidian concepts. Nevertheless, the judgements were internally consistent and tended to be veridical. This sensitiveness to relative and absolute accuracy was interpreted as a step towards a general cognitive capacity, governing the representation of spatial relations. Distances to the home were underestimated relative distances to other landmarks. Also estimations from the home tended to be more accurate than estimations from other reference sites. These results suggest that the home acts as a central reference point in children's mental representation of the environment.     

The role of the spatial organization of the home in family therapy: A case study

The paper presents a case study of a couple in therapy who underwent a process of becoming aware of the meanings they invest in the spatial organization of their home. Similar dimensions of conflict were revealed in their relationship and in the spatial configurations of their respective ideal homes. As a result of this analysis, a spatial layout was produced which played an active role in their therapy.     

Container vs. dacha: The psychological effects of temporary housing characteristics on earthquake survivors

This research investigated whether the psychological wellbeing of earthquake survivors two years after the traumatic event would vary as a function of type of temporary housing. A comparison of people assigned to containers, converted into mobile homes, vs. wooden dachas vs. a control group, that had not lost their homes in the earthquake, revealed reliable effects of housing type. Compared to those in containers, earthquake victims assigned to dachas were more satisfied with and more attached to their temporary homes and reported greater psychological wellbeing (fewer psychological stress symptoms, less discomfort and a lesser feeling of being dominated by the situation). Also, home attachment and satisfaction with one's home mediated the psychological wellbeing, suggesting that the attitudes towards different types of temporary housing play a causal role in post-traumatic stress reactions. Practical implications for emergency interventions following natural disasters are discussed.     

FLOODPLAINS AND HOUSING VALUES: IMPLICATIONS FOR FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS1

ABSTRACT: The hedonic valuation method was used to quantify the impact of floodplain location on housing values in Fargo‐Moor‐head. Being located in the 100‐year floodplain lowered the home values by $8,990, and such homes were worth $10,241 less than similar homes located outside the floodplain before the major flood event of 1997. Required flood insurance premiums for these homes were determined to account for approximately 81 percent of this price depreciation. In contrast, homes in the 500‐year floodplain were worth $3,100 more than similar homes not in the floodplain. It was concluded that more disclosure is needed regarding the location of the 500‐year floodplain, and that the hedonic valuation method can be used to calculate the economic gains and losses associated with flood mitigation projects or floodplain remapping efforts that result in the reclassification of the legal floodplain status of individual homes.     

Recycling in the USA : Vision and reality

In 1978 the US Environmental Protection Agency contracted Mathtech Incorporated to identify the impediments to recycling and evaluate their economic effects. The facilities studied represented a cross-section of recycling technologies, ownership types, geographical locations, and recovered products. It was discovered that none of the facilities was economical in the sense of providing the least-cost mode of disposal for municipal solid waste, and all of them suffered net losses in recent operations. Indications were that financial performance would improve slightly. A major deterrent to economical operations was the availability of lower-cost disposal by landfill.     

Environmental perceptions of second home tourism impacts in Finland

Experiencing nature and enjoying natural amenities have long been identified as key motives for rural second home tourism. However, the more people travel and spend time in the natural environment, the more it is disturbed by their actions and activities. In this paper, we examine how people perceive the environmental impacts of rural second home tourism and how they justify their views. The study focuses on Finland where rural second homes are widespread. Analysis is based on a questionnaire survey conducted among Finns in 2012 (n?=?1189). Responses from different groups of respondents (second home owners, regular users of second homes and non-users) are quantitatively and qualitatively analysed. The results indicate that the Finnish respondents generally think that second home tourism poses some degree of harmful environmental impacts. However, it is the second home owners who are least worried about these environmental impacts. They generally justify their opinions using a “place-related” perspective, that is, by referring to their own experiences and actions at the cottage site. In contrast, the non-users see environmental impacts more often from a broader perspective by referring to the wider environmental interconnections with second home tourism. In our discussion, we introduce the notions of place-based (relative) and phenomenon-based (relational) environmental perceptions as a potential framework for future research on this topic. In mitigating the increasing environmental impacts of second home tourism, understanding the environmental perceptions and awareness of second home owners and users is crucial to be successful in mobilising sustainable options and environmental governance.     

The microbial status of natural waters in a protected wilderness area

Waters derived from remote 'wilderness' locations have been assumed to be largely free of bacterial contamination and thus such, near-pristine, protected catchments, unused for agriculture, have been first in the multiple line of protection (pristine catchment-long storage-treatment-disinfection) employed by the water industry. This assumption is challenged by a bacterial survey of the waters derived from the New Cairngorm National Park, Scotland. Over 480 spot samples were taken for 59 sites between March 2001 and October 2002 during nine field campaigns each of three to five days duration. Over 75% of samples tested positive for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and 85% for total coliforms. Concentrations displayed both temporal and spatial patterns. Largest values occurred over the summer months and particularly at weekends at sites frequented by visitors, either for 'wild' camping or day visits, or where water was drawn from the river for drinking. Overall the spatial and temporal variations in bacterial concentrations suggest a relationship with visitor numbers and in particular wild camping. The implications of the results for drinking water quality and visitors health are discussed along with possible management options for the area in terms of improving the disposal of human waste.     

A bioeconomic model of afforestation in Southern Ontario: Integration of fiber,carbon and municipal biosolids values

This study explores the economic attractiveness of afforestation as a strategy for the joint production of fibre, carbon storage and biosolids (treated municipal sewage sludge) disposal for municipalities in Southern and Central Ontario, Canada. We use a spatial, stochastic model, the Canadian Forest Service Afforestation Feasibility Model (CFS-AFM), to simulate a range of spatial biosolids application scenarios in hybrid poplar afforestation projects. Results suggest that such joint afforestation strategies could be financially attractive. Significant cost savings can be expected through decreases in transportation distances and avoided waste disposal fees. Sensitivity analysis is used to examine the effects of variations in critical model parameters on net present values. Our findings indicate that waste disposal savings from application of biosolids on hybrid poplar plantations combined with incentives for landowners to sequester carbon can easily compete with agricultural land rental values in some regions of Ontario. Social acceptance of this kind of activity, however, may be an impediment to adoption.     

LAND USE CHANGE PATTERNS BY LOCATION WITH RESPECT TO A RESERVOIR1

Much research has been done to determine the benefit of a water resources development to society as a whole. Some research has explored the benefit of such a facility to a region. Very little research exists on the effects of a reservoir on the immediately surrounding area. The general hypothesis of this study is that the spatial patterns of land use change are influenced by economic characteristics of the reservoir and reservoir area. Several hypotheses concerning the effects of relative location on a peninsula are tested using analysis of variance. The data used for the analysis is based on Lake Cumberland, a reservoir in southern Kentucky. The analysis indicates that there exists significant patterns of land use change around the lake and on peninsulas.     

A HYDRODYNAMIC MODELING STUDY TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM WATER INTAKE LOCATION IN LAKE PALDANG,KOREA1

A three‐dimensional hydrodynamic model was applied to Lake Paldang, South Korea. The lake has three inflows, of which Kyoungan Stream has the smallest flow rate and poorest water quality. Since all drinking water intake stations are located near the confluence of Kyoungan Stream within the lake, this contaminated tributary may have a significant impact on the quality of drinking water sources. The optimum drinking water intake location was determined from the applied model. The model was calibrated and verified using the data measured under different hydrological conditions. The model results were in reasonable agreement with the field measurements in both calibration and verification. The circulation and spreading patterns of the incoming flows in the lake, as well as their composition ratios to the drinking water intakes were determined from the model, and three alternative intake locations were proposed. The simulation results suggested that the horizontal and vertical relocations of the intake aqueduct could significantly decrease the composition ratio of the contaminated water. From this study, it was concluded that the three‐dimensional hydrodynamic model could successfully simulate the temporal and spatial mixing patterns of incoming flows and become a useful tool in determining the optimum water intake location in Lake Paldang.     

Modeling the Suitability of Potential Wetland Mitigation Sites with a Geographic Information System

Wetland mitigation is frequently required to compensate for unavoidable impacts to wetlands. Site conditions and landscape context are critical factors influencing the functions that created wetlands perform. We developed a spatial model and used a geographic information system (GIS) to identify suitable locations for wetland mitigation sites. The model used six variables to characterize site conditions: hydrology, soils, historic condition, vegetation cover, adjacent vegetation, and land use. For each variable, a set of suitability scores was developed that indicated the wetland establishment potential for different variable states. Composite suitability scores for individual points on the landscape were determined from the weighted geometric mean of suitability scores for each variable at each point. These composite scores were grouped into five classes and mapped as a wetland mitigation suitability surface with a GIS. Sites with high suitability scores were further evaluated using information on the feasibility of site modification and project cost. This modeling approach could be adapted by planners for use in identifying the suitability of locations as wetland mitigation sites at any site or region.     

LOCATION OF MUNICIPAL WELL FIELDS IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE REGION1

ABSTRACT: A visual selection technique can be utilized to locate potential well field sites prior to on-site testing. The technique is based upon an understanding of the regional hydrology and an appreciation for development goals such as the identification of high-yield and low-impact locations. Although the uniqueness of Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Counties in Western Florida has been incorporated into the current application, the methodology, with modifications, is transferable to other geographic regions. Overlays of each criterion used in site selection are combined to form a regional composite showing favorable site locations and further serve a useful communications role as visual aids during public presentation. Implications of direct and indirect cost savings to the public are obtained when the methodology is applied to the location of municipal well fields.