Visitor Centres as a Contribution to Improving Urban-Rural Relations

Author(s):  
Aleksandar Videnovic ◽  
Milos Arandjelovic

The architecture of public buildings in rural areas, through the advancement of skills, knowledge, technologies, and materials, has become increasingly representative in recent decades, especially considering tourism as a global theme. The work is related to the planning of visitor centers in rural areas and the main task is defined by the effort to improve the quality of life in such areas, that is, highlight the major advantages in space, such as the natural environment. The aim of the research is defined by establishing certain elements in the planning of the visitor centers within the idea of promoting local values and cultural heritage. The first part of the chapter has been defined as an analysis of the theoretical views. The second part of the study has been defined as an analysis of the visitor centers. Through a case study, in the third part of the chapter, the work presents a comparative overview of the process to achieve two individual similar investments in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Geoadria ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Sonja Podgorelec ◽  
Sanja Klempić Bogadi ◽  
Monika Šabijan

The way an individual spends leisure time in his/her environment is one of the factors that influence his/her quality of life Due to the features of space (natural and anthropogenic environment), size and structure of settlement, population, the prevailing economic branch and other attributes – the Municipality of Gornja Rijeka was selected for a case study in researching population’s quality of life in rural areas. The research was conducted by using the method of surveying during November and December of 2012 on a non-proportional judgment sample of170 examinees aged 18-60. The aim of the paper is to analyze part of results of the research through which the ways of spending leisure time were studied. In estimating the overall quality of life of the population in the selected area the focus was on the possibilities to engage in leisure activities in the settlements where they reside. The ways and the quality of spending leisure time were measured by closed type questions referring to ways and frequency of doing certain activities, and were later analyzed in relation to the selected sociodemographic variables (the examinee’s age, sex, marital status, household size), the health status and the personal income of an individual, whether they live from agriculture, patterns of support and sociability, perception of personal quality of life and the quality of life in the settlements where the examinees live. The results of factor analysis applied to 14 variables (leisure time activities) confirmed five factors by which it is possible to describe the way of spending leisure time for an inhabitant of a selected rural area – urban dimension, traditional dimension, sociability, hobbies and media. One of the conclusions of the research was that, in parallel to the decrease of differences in the rural and urban populations’ ways of life (especially when it comes to population aged 18-60), the differences in spending leisure time also decrease. It is primarily explained by an increasing employment of the rural population in non-agricultural activities, better transport connections between villages and cities and modern communication possibilities of rural households (internet). Also, the research has confirmed that the possibilities (infrastructure and organization) of leisure activities in the settlement where an individual lives significantly influence the overall quality of life estimate.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 74-84
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Pietrzyk

The international Cittaslow movement brings together towns that promote the slow life philosophy. The concept has been developed in response to the increasing pace of life and the adverse effects of globalization. According to the members of Cittaslow, the organization contributes to the sustainable development of their regions and to improvement of the quality of life. In view of the benefits of Cittaslow membership confirmed by research studies, the question arises whether the concept of Cittaslow could also be introduced in rural areas. This paper seeks to answer the above question. The study involved an analysis of the Cittaslow membership criteria (Cittaslow goals) and a survey conducted among the inhabitants of the Warmian village of Żabi Róg. The results of the study were used to test the research hypothesis and to assess the quality of life in the analyzed area.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia Bramanti ◽  
Ernesto D’Aloja ◽  
Federico Cabras ◽  
Pasquale Paribello ◽  
Maria Francesca Moro ◽  
...  

Introduction:Two main demographic phenomena have substantially changed the condition of elderly: the growth of the urban population and the increase in longevity.Objective:The aim of the present review is to investigate how the elderly living in the cities perceive the sense of insecurity compared to those who reside in rural areas, and their Quality of Life (QoL).Method:Studies published from January 2011 to August 2017 were identified on Google and PubMed combining the following terms: “elderly urban/rural QoL” or “old age urban/rural QoL”.Results:We found 18 different papers published. However, there was only one study on how the elderly perceive the violence in the city. Studies on quality of life were not univocal. Studies on depressive disorders in old age were most homogeneous showing a condition worsening in the cities. A study on the perception of violence in US showed in residents of cities and neighborhoods with the entertainment arena and casinos an increase of criminality perception. In contrast, the crime decreased in both above-mentioned neighborhoods.Conclusion:The condition of elderly in the cities is changed considerably in the recent years. It is estimated that this trend will increase in the coming years. We do not know how older people are experiencing these changes and how they perceive the persistence of violence in the cities. Future researches must satisfy this need by addressing the issue with appropriate methodological tools. This is a public health priority.


Urban Health ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 362-368
Author(s):  
David Siscovick ◽  
Mandu Sen ◽  
Chris Jones

As one of the world’s largest and most diverse metropolitan areas, New York City has also been a leader in thinking about how to promote health by improving physical structures, social conditions, and the natural environment. It is also the home of an independent, nonprofit, civic institution, the Regional Plan Association (RPA), that has worked to improve the prosperity, sustainability, and quality of life in the NYC metropolitan region for the past 90 years. In this case study, the authors tells the story of how the RPA reconnected health and equity with planning in the Fourth Regional Plan for Metropolitan New York. The chapter also discusses the strengths and limitations, the lessons learned, and the challenges related to implementation of the Plan.


Author(s):  
Monika Wasilewicz-Pszczółkowska ◽  
Agnieszka Szczepanska

Current social requirements concerning the living environment tend to be more and more related to the natural values of the urban space. People are aware of the fact that contact with nature is extremely important for of mental and physical health. Therefore, the quality of the natural environment around the place of living influences the quality of life. The studies confirm that the presence of natural elements in the urban space may expressly affect the improvement of this quality. An example of a city with high quality of life is represented by Olsztyn, the capital of the Warmian- Masurian Province, located within the borders of the functional area of the Green Lungs of Poland, which is characterized by the particularly valuable quality of its natural environment. This is confirmed by the results of the social Diagnosis dated 2015, which put Olsztyn in 4th place among the largest Polish cities in the ranking concerning the quality of life. It is also influenced by the quality of the natural environment, which in the case of Olsztyn is manifested in a large number of green areas and standing bodies of water located within the administrative borders of the city. The aim of this paper is to compare the quality of the living environment of individual boroughs of Olsztyn conditioned by the natural elements (greenery, bodies of water, air, noise) in relation to the received public opinion polling results.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Hassan Ali Faraji Sabokbar ◽  
Mohammad Najarzadeh ◽  
Zabihullah Torabi ◽  
Ahmad Malakan

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 685-690
Author(s):  
C. S. Vanaja ◽  
Miriam Soni Abigail

Purpose Misophonia is a sound tolerance disorder condition in certain sounds that trigger intense emotional or physiological responses. While some persons may experience misophonia, a few patients suffer from misophonia. However, there is a dearth of literature on audiological assessment and management of persons with misophonia. The purpose of this report is to discuss the assessment of misophonia and highlight the management option that helped a patient with misophonia. Method A case study of a 26-year-old woman with the complaint of decreased tolerance to specific sounds affecting quality of life is reported. Audiological assessment differentiated misophonia from hyperacusis. Management included retraining counseling as well as desensitization and habituation therapy based on the principles described by P. J. Jastreboff and Jastreboff (2014). A misophonia questionnaire was administered at regular intervals to monitor the effectiveness of therapy. Results A detailed case history and audiological evaluations including pure-tone audiogram and Johnson Hyperacusis Index revealed the presence of misophonia. The patient benefitted from intervention, and the scores of the misophonia questionnaire indicated a decrease in the severity of the problem. Conclusions It is important to differentially diagnose misophonia and hyperacusis in persons with sound tolerance disorders. Retraining counseling as well as desensitization and habituation therapy can help patients who suffer from misophonia.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-62
Author(s):  
Anna Maria Siciliano

This paper presents a successful behavioral case study in treatment of chronic refractory cough in a 60-year-old adult female. The efficacy for speech-language pathology treating chronic cough is discussed along with description of treatment regime. Discussion focuses on therapy approaches used and the patient's report of changes in quality of life and frequency, duration, and severity reduction of her cough after treatment.


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