Defining and assessing walkability: a concept for an integrated approach using surveys, biosensors and geospatial analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Dörrzapf ◽  
Anna Kovács-Győri ◽  
Bernd Resch ◽  
Peter Zeile

AbstractWalking as a transport mode is still often underrepresented in the overall transport system. Consequently, pedestrian mobility is usually not recorded statistically in the same manner as it is performed for motorised traffic which leads to an underestimation of its importance and positive effects on people and cities. However, the integration of walkability assessments is potentially a valuable complement in urban planning processes through considering important quantitative and qualitative aspects of walking in cities. Recent literature shows a variety of approaches involving discrepancies in the definition of walkability, the factors which contribute to it, and methods of assessing them. This paper provides a new understanding of the concept of walkability in the European context. Our approach relies on the extension of methodological competence in transportation, spatial planning and geography by linking new measurement methods for evaluating walkability. We propose an integrated approach to assessing walkability in a comprehensive methodology that combines existing qualitative and GIS-based methods with biosensor technologies and thus captures the perceptions and emotions of pedestrians. This results in an increased plausibility and relevance of the results of walkability analysis by considering the spatial environment and its effect on people.

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1781) ◽  
pp. 20132252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Rassweiler ◽  
Christopher Costello ◽  
Ray Hilborn ◽  
David A. Siegel

Marine spatial planning (MSP), whereby areas of the ocean are zoned for different uses, has great potential to reduce or eliminate conflicts between competing management goals, but only if strategically applied. The recent literature overwhelmingly agrees that including stakeholders in these planning processes is critical to success; but, given the countless alternative ways even simple spatial regulations can be configured, how likely is it that a stakeholder-driven process will generate plans that deliver on the promise of MSP? Here, we use a spatially explicit, dynamic bioeconomic model to show that stakeholder-generated plans are doomed to fail in the absence of strong scientific guidance. While strategically placed spatial regulations can improve outcomes remarkably, the vast majority of possible plans fail to achieve this potential. Surprisingly, existing scientific rules of thumb do little to improve outcomes. Here, we develop an alternative approach in which models are used to identify efficient plans, which are then modified by stakeholders. Even if stakeholders alter these initial proposals considerably, results hugely outperform plans guided by scientific rules of thumb. Our results underscore the importance of spatially explicit dynamic models for the management of marine resources and illustrate how such models can be harmoniously integrated into a stakeholder-driven MSP process.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannie Van Wyk

Our spatial environment is one of the most important determinants of our well-being and life chances. It relates to schools, opportunities, businesses, recreation and access to public services. Spatial injustice results where discrimination determines that spatial environment. Since Apartheid in South Africa epitomised the notion of spatial injustice, tools and instruments are required to transform spatial injustice into spatial justice. One of these is the employment of principles of spatial justice. While the National Development Plan (NDP) recognised that all spatial development should conform to certain normative principles and should explicitly indicate how the requirements of these should be met, the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act 16 of 2013 (SPLUMA) contains a more concrete principle of spatial justice. It echoes aspects of both the South African land reform programme and global principles of spatial justice. Essentially section 7(a) of SPLUMA entails three components: (1) redressing past spatial imbalances and exclusions; (2) including people and areas previously excluded and (3) upgrading informal areas and settlements. SPLUMA directs municipalities to apply the principle in its spatial development frameworks, land use schemes and, most importantly, in decision-making on development applications. The aim of this article is to determine whether the application of this principle in practice can move beyond the confines of spatial planning and land use management to address the housing issue in South Africa. Central to housing is section 26 of the Constitution, that has received the extensive attention of the Constitutional Court. The court has not hesitated to criticize the continuing existence of spatial injustice, thus contributing to the transformation of spatial injustice to spatial justice. Since planning, housing and land reform are all intertwined not only the role of SPLUMA, but also the NDP and the myriad other policies, programmes and legislation that are attempting to address the situation are examined and tested against the components of the principle of spatial justice in SPLUMA.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-155
Author(s):  
K. N. Yusupov ◽  
V. M. Timiryanova, ◽  
Iu. S. Toktamysheva ◽  
A. F. Zimin,

The article presents a methodology for assessing the impact of spatial environment on the socioeconomic development of municipalities. It relies on existing tools for assessing the state and potential of the geographical location of municipalities. An integrated approach allows to determine the potential of the interaction of the municipality with the neighbors of the first and second order. The methodology was tested on statistical data on the Blagovarsky municipal district.


2017 ◽  
pp. 711-726
Author(s):  
Todor Mitrovic

Determined by its biblical origins, the birth of specifically Christian visual culture had to be given through overcoming the inevitable resistance of early church towards images. In order to find its stable place on late antique cultural scene, early byzantine art, thus, had to rely on support of religious and cultural patterns remote of magisterial artistic trends. Among those, contemporary theory recognizes as especially important: 1) cult of relics and 2) sealing practices. Crossing the possibility of theoretical definition of unique semiotic model standing behind those two cultural- religious practices with the fact that after iconoclasm byzantine art will be systematically distanced from both of them, this research attempts to explore the relation between iconophile theory and byzantine artistic production from a yet unexplored interpretative position. Hypothesis that category of indexical sign, as it is proposed by contemporary semiotics (based on Peircean legacy), can be used for extraction of this unique semiotic model is used here as a specific methodological tool for re-approach to both - 1) the pre-iconoclastic need for accentuating the indexical aspects of iconic images and 2) the mystery of post-iconoclastic radical distancing towards such a semiotic need. On the basis of such an integrated approach it is possible not only to search for more precise explanation of co-relations between artistic practices and contemporaneous (iconophile) theory, but to explain curious historical delay in application of this theoretic knowledge in artistic and liturgical realms, together with a late outburst of iconoclastic behaviour provoked by this very delay. Namely, one of the most prominent incarnations of pre-iconoclastic need for ?indexicalisation? of iconic medium, the mysterious Mandylion from Edessa, had very curious role in historical development of post-iconoclastic plastic arts in Byzantium. This specific object was miraculously and undividedly uniting both key indexical aspects of pre-iconoclastic cognitive settings in one icon - causally connected with the archetypehimself. However, exactly this kind of synthetic, relic-seal-image status turned out to be the specific semiotic stumbling stone in the process of application of iconophile theory in liturgical arts. This is why in XI century byzantine church decided to refrain Mandylion from public life for good and lock it in court chapel, under the protection of the emperor himself. As one of the most curious theological decisions of medieval Christianity, this extraordinary semiotic conversion was, actually, the final step in application of the most advanced achievements of the late iconophile theory, which was, at the same time, the first step in development of artistic system relaxed from the pressure of need for legalistic, causal validation of pictorial language.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8430
Author(s):  
Lambros Mitropoulos ◽  
Annie Kortsari ◽  
Alexandros Koliatos ◽  
Georgia Ayfantopoulou

The hyperloop is an innovative land transport mode for passengers and freight that travels at ultra-high speeds. Lately, different stakeholders have been engaged in the research and development of hyperloop components. The novelty of the hyperloop necessitates certain directions to be followed toward the development and testing of its technological components as well the formation of regulations and planning processes. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive literature review of hyperloop publications to record the current state of progress of hyperloop components, including the pod, the infrastructure, and the communication system, and identify involved EU stakeholders. Blending this information results in future directions. An online search of English-based publications was performed to finally consider 107 studies on the hyperloop and identify 81 stakeholders in the EU. The analysis shows that the hyperloop-related activities are almost equally distributed between Europe (39%) and Asia (38%), and the majority of EU stakeholders are located in Spain (26%) and Germany (20%), work on the traction of the pod (37%) and the tube (28%), and study impacts including safety (35%), energy (33%), and cost (30%). Existing tube systems and testing facilities for the hyperloop lack full-scale tracks, which creates a hurdle for the testing and development of the hyperloop system. The presented analysis and findings provide a holistic assessment of the hyperloop system and its stakeholders and suggest future directions to develop a successful transport system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8159
Author(s):  
Joanna Przedrzymirska ◽  
Jacek Zaucha ◽  
Helena Calado ◽  
Ivana Lukic ◽  
Martina Bocci ◽  
...  

This paper examines the concept of maritime multi-use as a territorial/SPATIAL governance instrument for the enhancement of sustainable development in five EU sea basins. Multi-use (MU) is expected to enhance the productivity of blue economy sectors, as well as deliver additional socio-economic benefits related to the environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development. The paper provides a definition of maritime multi-use and identifies the multi-uses with the highest potential in EU sea basins. In each sea basin, multi-use plays a different role as concerns sustainable development. For the Eastern Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, the MU focus should remain on the environmental pillar of sustainable development. In the North Sea, North Atlantic and Western Baltic Sea, addressing social sustainability seems a key precondition for success of MU in enhancement of sustainable spatial development at sea. Moreover, it has been suggested to introduce MU key global strategies such as SDGs or Macroregional strategies and action plans and to supplement maritime spatial planning with sectoral incentives and educational efforts as key vehicles supporting MU. The paper concludes by identifying aspects which, in order to inform maritime spatial planning and maritime governance regarding a more conscious application of the aforementioned concept, require further investigation. Key tasks are related to: more profound evaluation of performance of policies supporting MUs, researching the impact of MU on societal goals and on the MU costs and benefits, including external ones, and finally identifying the impact of MU on the development of various sectors and regions on land.


Author(s):  
Robin Björkas ◽  
Mariah Larsson

AbstractSex dolls are a complex phenomenon with several diverse possible emotional, sexual and therapeutic uses. They can be part of a broad variety of sexual practices, and also function as a sexual aid. However, the media discourse on sex dolls first and foremost concerns how we perceive the relationship between intimacy and technology. A critical discourse analysis of the Swedish media discourse on sex dolls reveals six themes which dominate the discourse: (a) the definition of what a human being is; (b) a discourse on the (technological and existential) future; (c) a social effort; (d) a loveless phenomenon; (e) men’s violence against women; and (f) pedophilia. Accordingly, this discourse is very conservative and normative in its view of sexuality, technology, and humanity. Overall, the dominant themes do not provide any space for positive effects of technology on human sexuality, and if they do, it is usually as a substitute for something else.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 268-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Barger ◽  
James W. Peltier ◽  
Don E. Schultz

Purpose In “Social media’s slippery slope: challenges, opportunities and future research directions”, Schultz and Peltier (2013) asked “whether or how social media can be used to leverage consumer engagement into highly profitable relationships for both parties”. The purpose of this article is to continue this discussion by reviewing recent literature on consumer engagement and proposing a framework for future research. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews the marketing literature on social media, paying particular attention to consumer engagement, which was identified as a primary area of concern in Schultz and Peltier (2013). Findings A significant amount of research has been conducted on consumer engagement since 2010. Lack of consensus on the definition of the construct has led to fragmentation in the discipline, however. As a result, research related to consumer engagement is often not identified as such, making it difficult for academics and practitioners to stay abreast of developments in this area. Originality/value This critical review provides marketing academics and practitioners insights into the antecedents and consequences of consumer engagement and offers a conceptual framework for future research.


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 302-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan O'Sullivan ◽  
William Brady ◽  
Karen Ray ◽  
Evelyn Sikora ◽  
Eimear Murphy

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 01-05
Author(s):  
Saeed Shoja Shafti

A journal club is a scholastic conference in which a group of persons discuss issued articles, providing an opportunity for a shared effort to keep up with the current writings. The emphasis of journal clubs has supposedly shifted over the years. What was once a setting in which the world's recent literature was analyzed became a setting for talking over clinical issues raised by the writings and, most recently, a setup for learning critical reading abilities to physicians or other associated authorities. Nevertheless, so far there is no generally accepted definition of journal club, even though this academic method has been around for more than a century and has evolved basically during this period. In the present paper, conceptual and applied features of journal club, especially in developing countries, is surveyed, to discuss an apparent underrating of journal club in some medical departments, which could be due to misunderstanding of new philosophies, or to talk about the necessity of modification of an academic misconduct, which could be attributable to didactic unawareness.


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