Analysis on the Effect of the Mobility of Combustion Vehicles in the Environment of Cities and the Improvement in Air Pollution in Europe: A Vision for the Awareness of Citizens and Policy Makers

Today, the design and remodeling of urban environments is being sought in order to achieve green, healthy, and sustainable cities. The effect of air pollution in cities due to vehicle combustion gases is an important part of the problem. Due to the indirect effect caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, political powers in Europe have imposed confinement measures for citizens by imposing movement restrictions in large cities. This indirect measure has given us a laboratory to show how the reduction in vehicle circulation affects in a short time the levels of air pollution in cities. Therefore, this article analyzes the effect in different European cities such as Milan, Prague, Madrid, Paris, and London. These cities have been chosen due to their large amount of daily road traffic that generates high levels of pollution; therefore, it can clearly show the fall in these pollutants in the air in the analyzed period. The results shown through this study indicate that the reduction in combustion vehicles greatly affects the levels of pollution in different cities. In these periods of confinement, there was an improvement in air quality where pollutant values dropped to 80% compared to the previous year. This should serve to raise awareness among citizens and political powers to adopt measures that induce sustainable transport systems.

Download Full-text

Air Pollution

Sushruta Journal of Health Policy & Opinion ◽

10.38192/13.2.4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Ramyadevi Ravindrane

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Morbidity And Mortality ◽

Large Cities ◽

Pollution Levels

This article describes the battle with air pollution in two large cities, London and Delhi. Air pollution is a major cause of morbidity and mortality across the globe, particularly affecting those in large, urban environments. Action has been take to reduce pollution levels and some improvement have been seen, but not to a significant enough degree. We as healthcare professionals have a responsibility to advocate for greater change to be made.

Download Full-text

Noise and Air Pollution Related to Health in Urban Environments

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/proceedings2201311 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (20) ◽

pp. 1311 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

David Montes-González ◽

Rosendo Vílchez-Gómez ◽

Juan Miguel Barrigón-Morillas ◽

Pedro Atanasio-Moraga ◽

Guillermo Rey-Gozalo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Urban Environments ◽

World Health ◽

Sound Levels ◽

European Environmental Agency ◽

Environmental Health Risk ◽

Health Organization ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

Environmental noise is a pollutant considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a threat to public health due to its harmful effects on human health. In this regard, the European Environmental Agency (EEA) indicates that road traffic is the sound source that generates the greatest number of people exposed in Europe to sound levels above what is recommended by the European Noise Directive. In a similar way, the EEA also reports that air pollution is the most important environmental health risk in Europe, where road traffic is one of the main sources of emission of polluting gases. The relationship between both pollutants, leads to think about the development of common strategies. This paper presents a review on recent researches about the relationship of these two types of pollution in urban environments with different types of diseases.

Download Full-text

Assessment of the level of metropolitan cities transport system development

Statistics and Economics ◽

10.21686/2500-3925-2019-1-22-31 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 22-31

Author(s):

Oleg I. Karasev ◽

Anna O. Krivtsova

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Transport System ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Municipal Government ◽

System Development ◽

Ecological Impact ◽

Urban Transport ◽

Transport Systems ◽

Large Cities ◽

Transport Services

Purpose of the study.The study focuses on issues of the level assessment of transport system development of large cities. Despite the wide variety of studies on this issue, there is currently no universal approach to assessing the level of development of the transport system at megalopolises. The present study aims to create a tool for a comprehensive assessment of various aspects of urban transport development that are important for all categories of transport users, and to provide a comparative analysis of the world’s leading megacities in terms of transport development based on the proposed methodology.Materials and methods.In the study, the authors apply an approach related to the construction of integral indexes and ratings of cities based on the values of these indexes. In the calculations of the index, the authors use statistical data from authoritative open sources and information systems of national and municipal government.Results.Based on the results of the world practice analysis, the authors propose the Urban Transport Development Index developed in order to compare the level of transport system development in various cities. The Index provides an opportunity to identify the weaknesses and strengths of cities, to find reserves for the further improvement and development of recommendations in the field of transport policy on this basis. The Index consists of four sub-indexes: the availability of transport services for the urban population, the quality of transport services, road traffic security and the ecological impact of transport, and freight logistics performance. The Index reflects the main aspects of urban transport development and shows the views of different categories of population on the level of transport services. The paper examines the level of transport system development for 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2017 of a group of comparable cities, which includes Hong Kong, London, Mexico, Moscow, New York, St. Petersburg, Singapore, Istanbul, Tokyo and Shanghai. The results showed that Tokyo and London have occupied the leading positions during the period under review. For the seven years Moscow, St. Petersburg and Shanghai have showed the best dynamics of the Index.Conclusion.The proposed method allows both to evaluate the effectiveness of individual regulatory measures known in the practice of other cities, and to simulate their impact on the transport system of the city. The paper concludes with recommendations for further development of cities’ transport systems.

Download Full-text

Smart Mobility Adoption: A Review of the Literature

Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity ◽

10.3390/joitmc7020146 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 146

Author(s):

Can Bıyık ◽

Ahmad Abareshi ◽

Alexander Paz ◽

Rosa Arce Ruiz ◽

Rosaria Battarra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Open Data ◽

Big Data Analytics ◽

Urban Transport ◽

Transport Systems ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Large Cities ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

The World ◽

Smart Mobility

Traffic congestion and air pollution continue to be serious concerns, especially in large cities, and going forward, this is not sustainable. Urban transport around the world is facing challenges, such as air pollution and inefficient use of resources, that often inhibit economic development. Simply building more roads cannot address such challenges. There is a need to integrate the urban infrastructure through smart connectivity. Smart mobility, as a vital cornerstone of a smart city, will potentially reduce traffic jams, commuting times, and road crashes and create an opportunity for passengers to customize their journeys. In fact, planning smart mobility solutions is among the top challenges for large cities around the world. It involves a set of deliberate actions backed by sophisticated technologies. The different elements and dimensions that characterize smart mobility are investigated to depict the overall picture surrounding the smart mobility domain. Additionally, the trends, opportunities, and threats inherent to smart mobility are addressed. There are four segments of smart mobility that are highlighted in this paper: intelligent transport systems, open data, big data analytics, and citizen engagement. These segments are all inter-related and play a crucial role in the successful implementation of smart mobility.

Download Full-text

Analyzing the Impact of Different Transport Governance Strategies on Climate Change

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12010200 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 200 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Shengrun Zhang ◽

Frank Witlox

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Developing Nations ◽

Economic Transformation ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Transport Systems ◽

Sustainable Transport ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Governance Strategies ◽

Working Together ◽

The Impact

The transport industry is one of the few sectors in which emissions continue to grow, contributing 26% to the global CO2 emissions. Transport agencies everywhere in the world are focusing on mitigation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Policy-makers are under pressure to tackle the issue of climate change and approach sustainable transport by promoting more sustainable practices and altering behavior. This paper attempts to explore the impact of transport on climate change through the lens of governance by establishing a systematic review framework. The results showed that developing nations should be influential in managing their public transport agencies to achieve economic transformation. They require a functional, reliable, and effective transport system and these can only be derived by properly formulated and implemented policies with the aid of all relevant private, academic, and government bodies working together. This study concluded that developing nations need to manage their pricing methods, using them to facilitate transport systems that are unlikely to affect the climate. To this end, transport policy and governance need to be reviewed to take into account climate change and natural disaster concerns. Additionally, guidelines and strategies should be proposed for every actor involved, i.e., transport community, top-level leaders, and all governmental levels and private sectors.

Download Full-text

STATISTICAL METHODS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF AIR POLLUTION OF JHANSI CITY, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

FLORA AND FAUNA ◽

10.33451/florafauna.v24i1pp187-196 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

Author(s):

V. S. CHAUHAN ◽

BHANUMATI SINGH ◽

SHREE GANESH ◽

JAMSHED ZAIDI

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Uttar Pradesh ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Ambient Air Pollution ◽

Base Line ◽

Multivariate Statistical ◽

Large Cities ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

The Status

Studies on air pollution in large cities of India showed that ambient air pollution concentrations are at such levels where serious health effects are possible. This paper presents overview on the status of air quality index (AQI) of Jhansi city by using multivariate statistical techniques. This base line data can help governmental and non-governmental organizations for the management of air pollution.

Download Full-text

Transferring Urban Mobility Studies in Tehran, Istanbul, and Cairo to Other Large MENA Cities: Steps toward Sustainable Transport

Urban Development Issues ◽

10.2478/udi-2020-0003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 27-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Houshmand Masoumi ◽

Erik Fruth

Keyword(s):

Decision Makers ◽

Lead Author ◽

Urban Mobility ◽

Sustainable Transport ◽

Sustainable Mobility ◽

Large Share ◽

Mena Region ◽

Large Cities ◽

Mobility Studies ◽

Legal Constraints

AbstractThe number of urban mobility studies and projects in the three large metropoles of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Tehran, Istanbul, and Cairo, is growing while other large cities do not enjoy a large share. It would be efficient for those other large cities to adapt the experiences, projects, and studies of Tehran, Istanbul, and Cairo to their own contexts. This paper can help facilitate that adaptation. It investigates the transferability and generalisability of the findings of a recent publication by the lead author on mobility choices in Tehran, Istanbul, and Cairo to some other large cities of more than one million inhabitants in the MENA region. The discussion provided here can provide decision-makers in the MENA region with guidance on how to utilise the findings from a recent study on Tehran/Istanbul/Cairo in their own contexts. T-tests were conducted to test the comparability of the three base cities with a sample 57 others with populations of over one million people. The results show that it would be possible to adapt the urban mobility studies of the three base megacities to 3 to 27 cities based on different criteria. Key suggestions identified by this study include providing local accessibility, neighbourhood facilities, and cycling facilities as well as removing social and legal constraints to cycling, advertising cycling, informing people about the harm arising from the overuse of cars, and increasing street connectivity by adding intersections. According to the findings, these evidence-based recommendations can enhance sustainable mobility for the inhabitants of up to 27 large cities.

Download Full-text

Positive Aspects of COVID 19 Pandemic: A Blessing in Disguis

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijrps.v11ispl1.2371 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽

pp. 187-191

Author(s):

Anjankar Ashish P ◽

Anjankar Vaibhav P ◽

Anjankar Anil J ◽

Kanyal Lata

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Heart Attack ◽

Traffic Accidents ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Community Action ◽

Crime Rates ◽

Road Traffic Accidents ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Positive Side ◽

The World

COVID 19 is undeniably one of the deadliest diseases that humanity has ever seen. It continues to affect the lives and livelihood of people appallingly across the world. Maximum discussions focus towards the apprehension of catching the infection, dwelling in homes, overpopulated nursing homes and shut down of all kinds. But, here let’s discuss the positive side of COVID 19 pandemic.As COVID 19 has spread its influence all over the world, affected countries have either announced lockdown or have implemented severe restrictions in their respective countries. Because of this, everyone dwells in their homes. Thus, exercising social distancing and functioning from home. All of the above is directed at restricting the transmission of coronavirus and expectantly ostracising the fatality from COVID 19. These transformations have also brought about some unanticipated emanations; some good things have come out of the pandemic as well. Positive effects of COVID 19 are seen on reduced road traffic, and road traffic accidents lowered levels of air pollution which has to lead to lowered heart attack rates and rejuvenating environment. Crime rates have fallen, and expenses are reduced in most places. Community action, communication amongst families, behaviour, sanitation, hygiene, online and distance education has positively impacted by COVID 19 pandemic. COVID 19 despite a bane for humans, can be thought of a boon for living beings. The habitats and elements have been purified with the stringent use of petrochemical products. To breathe fresh air and to consume purified water is a boon by itself. Now, it is time for humans to lead a caring life to every bounty bestowed on them by Nature. This thoughtful and considerate life will give hope for a healthy, stress-free life.

Download Full-text

Effect of transport measures and curfew against COVID-19 spread on air pollution (TSP) in Ecuador’s three most populous cities

10.37281/preprints/4 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Sustainable Consumption ◽

State Level ◽

Emergency Situation ◽

Traffic Emission ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Total Suspended Particulates ◽

Level Ii ◽

Pm2.5 And Pm10 ◽

Future Consequences

Although current circumstances pose challenges to foretelling the future consequences of coronavirus spread, we consider environmental load-related researches became more and more important nowadays perhaps as never before. Many experts believe that the increasingly dire public health emergency situation, policy makers and word leaders should make it possible that the COVID-19 outbreak contributes to a transition of sustainable consumption. With the purpose of contributing to rethink the importance of sustainability efforts, here we present total suspended particulates (TSP) results which represent traffic emission caused air pollution in the three most populous cities of Ecuador obtained before, during, and after the: (i) the traffic measures entered into force on state level; (ii) curfew entered into force on state level; (iii) and quarantine entered into force (in Guayaquil, and whole Guayas province). We documented significant decrease in TSP emissions (PM2.5 and PM10) compared to normal traffic operation obtained from some four lanes roads in Quito, Guayaquil, and Cuenca. The most remarkable fall in suspended particulate values (96.47% decrease in PM2.5) compared to emission observed before traffic measures occurred in Cuenca.

Download Full-text

Smart Cities in Turkey: Approaches, Advances and Applications with Greater Consideration for Future Urban Transport Development

Energies ◽

10.3390/en12122308 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 2308 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Can Bıyık

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Planning Process ◽

Smart Cities ◽

Radical Change ◽

Urban Transport ◽

Transport Systems ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Comprehensive Survey ◽

Future Vision

The smart city transport concept is viewed as a future vision aiming to undertake investigations on the urban planning process and to construct policy-pathways for achieving future targets. Therefore, this paper sets out three visions for the year 2035 which bring about a radical change in the level of green transport systems (often called walking, cycling, and public transport) in Turkish urban areas. A participatory visioning technique was structured according to a three-stage technique: (i) Extensive online comprehensive survey, in which potential transport measures were researched for their relevance in promoting smart transport systems in future Turkish urban areas; (ii) semi-structured interviews, where transport strategy suggestions were developed in the context of the possible imaginary urban areas and their associated contextual description of the imaginary urban areas for each vision; (iii) participatory workshops, where an innovative method was developed to explore various creative future choices and alternatives. Overall, this paper indicates that the content of the future smart transport visions was reasonable, but such visions need a considerable degree of consensus and radical approaches for tackling them. The findings offer invaluable insights to researchers inquiring about the smart transport field, and policy-makers considering applying those into practice in their local urban areas.

Download Full-text