Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Eric L. Piza, Kevin T. Wolff, David N. Hatten, Bryce E. Barthuly
Summary: Research has found spatial patterns and environmental features associated with increased overdose levels. However, few studies have analyzed the unique trajectories of overdoses. This study fills this research gap by analyzing drug overdoses in Passaic County, New Jersey from 2015 to 2019. The results show that Passaic County block groups can be classified into three groups based on their overdose levels: low and stable, low with moderate increase, and elevated and increasing. The built environment measures were found to be positively associated with overdose levels, although concentrated disadvantage had the largest effects in the regression analysis.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Duaa Aljabri
Summary: This study analyzes the variations of obesity and physical inactivity in South Carolina, US, and their association with healthcare capacity and the built environment. The findings suggest that there are high clusters of obesity and physical inactivity in rural areas, while urban areas have high clusters of access to exercise opportunities and healthcare facilities. The density of primary care physicians and access to exercise opportunities are negatively associated with obesity, while the low perception of own health and obesity rate are positively associated with physical inactivity.
JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY HEALTHCARE
(2022)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Francesca L. Pontin, Victoria L. Jenneson, Michelle A. Morris, Graham P. Clarke, Nik M. Lomax
Summary: This systematic review summarizes the current research on the impact of objectively measured built environment on physical activity levels in adults. It identifies knowledge gaps and proposes a reporting framework to improve the quality and comparability of future studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jordan A. Carlson, Robin P. Shook, Ann M. Davis, Amy Papa, Chelsea Steel, Carolina Bejarano, Janelle R. Noel-MacDonnell, Shelly Summar, Kelsey Dean, Sarah E. Hampl
Summary: Despite the limited research on the relationship between neighborhood built environment features and physical activity and obesity, this study successfully integrated local pediatric health system data with nationally available neighborhood built environment data to inform local decision making regarding childhood obesity and neighborhood environments. The results showed that greater street connectivity, walkability, and residential density were associated with lower BMIz and lower odds of being overweight/obese in children aged 9-17. Furthermore, the study highlighted the importance of integrating electronic health records with neighborhood environment data to identify areas most in need of interventions and promote healthier neighborhood environments.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Faisal Aldebei, Mihaly Dombi
Summary: Materials are continuously accumulating in human-built environments, with construction and demolition waste posing challenges and opportunities as valuable secondary resources. Urban mining involves the exploitation of material stock, which requires in-depth knowledge of existing building stock through labor-intensive or technological methods. Utilizing these materials for future mining can positively impact the environment and resource efficiency.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, Sharfan Upaul, Jean-Claude Thill, Mahinur Rahman
Summary: This study examines the influence of the built environment on active transportation in Khulna, Bangladesh. While the built environment is conducive to active travel, the prevalence of low-cost motorized vehicles and other factors diminish the use of active transportation. The research findings highlight the significant impact of compactness, sidewalk condition, and roadway infrastructure on walking and cycling behaviors.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Peng Zhou, Yuan Chang
Summary: This study successfully automated the classification of building structures in urban environments using machine learning, with the Gradient Boosted Decision Tree algorithm showing the best performance. The classification method contributes to further research on the relationship between urban form, building structures, and resource requirements.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Urban Studies
Xiaoquan Wang, Chunfu Shao, Chaoying Yin, Ling Guan
Summary: This study reveals the impact of built environment attributes on BMI using GBDT method, finding that city-level BE attributes have a greater effect on BMI and vary across different social groups.
Article
Development Studies
Bindong Sun, Xiajie Yao, Chun Yin
Summary: Overweight poses a serious threat to public health. This study finds that the association between the built environment and overweight differs between urban and rural contexts. Mixed land use and fewer supermarkets are positively related to overweight in both settings. Higher road density is negatively associated with overweight in urban areas, but not significantly related in rural areas.
HABITAT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Philip J. Troped, Philip S. Brenner, Jeffrey S. Wilson
Summary: Despite research showing associations between the built environment and physical activity, there is limited research on the combined effects of the social and built environment on these behaviors. In a study of adult residents, certain built environment factors were found to be associated with bike share use and physical activity. However, social environmental factors were not related to these behaviors. Further research is needed to explore the interaction between different populations and environments.
JOURNAL OF TRANSPORT & HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Eydie N. Kramer-Kostecka, Amanda L. Folk, Sarah Friend, Brian Coan, Len Kne, Jennifer Beaudette, Daheia J. Barr-Anderson, Jayne A. Fulkerson
Summary: This study used rural-specific geospatial mapping techniques and a within-rural grouping strategy to identify differing levels of access to the physical activity (PA) built environment among a rural sample. Differences in household access to PA infrastructure, parent perceptions of the PA environment, and child PA were examined across different access groups. The study provides innovative strategies and replicable methods for mapping and examining access to the PA built environment within a rural area.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Constantinos A. A. Balaras, Andreas I. I. Theodoropoulos, Elena G. G. Dascalaki
Summary: Data collection and large-scale urban audits are challenging and time-consuming processes. Geographic information systems can extract and combine relevant data to facilitate the decision-making process for building renovations and sustainability assessment. This study presents an open-access tool that automates the audit process for extracting information about the built environment, analyzing building characteristics, evaluating energy performance, assessing the potential for installing photovoltaics, and quantifying ground permeability. A case study demonstrates the data collection and processing, showing promising results. The method is easily replicable and relies on open data and non-commercial tools.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Alexander J. Miller, Mauricio E. Arias, Sergio Alvarez
Summary: Flooding is the most costly and frequent natural disaster, requiring accurate risk assessment for flood insurance. Current methods add uncertainty to damage estimates, but a new approach aims to reduce uncertainties by providing accurate flood damage estimations on both regional and individual structure levels. Using observed flooding data from Hurricane Irma in Florida, the research found significant damages to residential and agricultural areas, demonstrating the potential for quick and accurate assessment of flood damages to facilitate faster recovery for affected communities.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
W. Scott Lincoln, Rafal Ogorek, Brett Borchardt, Siobhan Heraty
Summary: After extensive research, the staff at the National Weather Service (NWS) Chicago Forecast Office discovered that the tornado on May 22, 1855 actually occurred in Des Plaines, rather than the previously believed location of Jefferson Park. This correction dispels the long-standing misunderstanding and confusion surrounding the tornado's location.
BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Cyrus Ho Hin Wong, Meng Cai, Chao Ren, Ying Huang, Cuiping Liao, Shi Yin
Summary: This paper reviews and compares major methods for simulating building energy use at the urban scale, highlighting differences in strengths, limitations, and applications. It suggests that future development in urban-scale building energy use should explore ways to incorporate spatial variation in weather and morphological conditions, especially in dense urban settings facing greater environmental challenges.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
