Editorial

2 pages, 177 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial on Special Issue “Geo-Information Applications in Active Mobility and Health in Cities”

by Ori Gudes and Simone Zarpelon Leao

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2023, 12(11), 466; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi12110466 - 17 Nov 2023

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There is growing evidence that active mobility can have a range of positive outcomes for the wider community [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Information Applications in Active Mobility and Health in Cities)

Research

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25 pages, 6029 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation Method of Equalization of Basic Medical Services from the Spatial Perspective: The Case of Xinjiang, China

by Liang Zhan, Nana Li, Chune Li, Xuejia Sang and Jun Ma

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2022, 11(12), 612; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi11120612 - 07 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1659

Abstract

Protecting residents’ health and improving equality are important goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has placed a heavy burden on the medical systems of many countries and been disastrous for the low-income population of the world, [...] Read more.

Protecting residents’ health and improving equality are important goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has placed a heavy burden on the medical systems of many countries and been disastrous for the low-income population of the world, which has further increased economic, health, and lifelong inequality in society. One way to improve the population’s health is to equalize basic medical services. A scientific evaluation of the status quo or the equalization of basic medical services (EBMS) is the basic prerequisite and an important basis for realizing the equitable allocation of medical resources. Traditional evaluation methods ignore the spatial characteristics of medical services, mostly using the indicator of equal weight evaluation, which restricts the objectivity of the evaluation results. Given this, this research proposes a set of EBMS evaluation methods from a spatial perspective and takes the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China (Xinjiang) as an example for studying the status quo of EBMS. This study puts forward a set of EBMS evaluation methods from a geospatial perspective and makes full use of spatial analysis and information theory techniques to construct a two-level evaluation indicator that takes into account the spatial characteristics of EBMS. The entropy weight method and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method have been used to reveal the current status quo of EBMS in Xinjiang to objectively reflect the differences in EBMS. When using the entropy and TOPSIS methods, the evaluation is always based on the data so that the results can more objectively reveal the medical resources available to the residents. Therefore, the government can realize a reasonable allocation of medical resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Information Applications in Active Mobility and Health in Cities)

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35 pages, 34270 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing Participatory Analytics Techniques to Inform the Prioritisation of Cycling Infrastructure

by Oliver Lock and Christopher Pettit

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2022, 11(2), 78; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi11020078 - 20 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2696

Abstract

The planning of bicycle infrastructure across our cities remains a complex task involving many key stakeholders, including the community, who traditionally have had limited involvement in the planning process. This research develops an interactive bicycle prioritisation index tool which includes participatory spatial and [...] Read more.

The planning of bicycle infrastructure across our cities remains a complex task involving many key stakeholders, including the community, who traditionally have had limited involvement in the planning process. This research develops an interactive bicycle prioritisation index tool which includes participatory spatial and textual citizen feedback. The research involves three components. Firstly, results of a survey of current cyclists in Sydney (n = 280), their current level of participation, priorities in investment in cycling and preferred locations for cycling infrastructure. This survey was undertaken between May and June 2020. Secondly, it documents the development of an interactive, digital bicycle planning tool which is informed through citizen feedback. Thirdly, it evaluates the approach in conversation with potential end-users, including government, planning practitioners, and advocacy group members. A clear preference for active participation mechanisms (86%) was articulated by current cyclists, as opposed to a reliance on the existing data available and passive data. The resulting tool was understood by interview participants and documented both existing utility and future work needed for practical implementation of similar systems. The research proposes the combination of multiple passive and active data traces with end-user evaluation to legitimise the citizen co-design of bicycle investment prioritisation initiatives. A case study approach was taken, focusing on the city of Sydney, Australia. The bicycle planning support system can be used by cities when engaging in cycle prioritisation initiatives, particularly with a focus on integrating citizen feedback and navigating the new and complex data landscapes introduced through recent, passively collected big data sets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Information Applications in Active Mobility and Health in Cities)

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18 pages, 786 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Achieving ‘Active’ 30 Minute Cities: How Feasible Is It to Reach Work within 30 Minutes Using Active Transport Modes?

by Alan Both, Lucy Gunn, Carl Higgs, Melanie Davern, Afshin Jafari, Claire Boulange and Billie Giles-Corti

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2022, 11(1), 58; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi11010058 - 13 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5466

Abstract

Confronted with rapid urbanization, population growth, traffic congestion, and climate change, there is growing interest in creating cities that support active transport modes including walking, cycling, or public transport. The ‘30 minute city’, where employment is accessible within 30 min by active transport, [...] Read more.

Confronted with rapid urbanization, population growth, traffic congestion, and climate change, there is growing interest in creating cities that support active transport modes including walking, cycling, or public transport. The ‘30 minute city’, where employment is accessible within 30 min by active transport, is being pursued in some cities to reduce congestion and foster local living. This paper examines the spatial relationship between employment, the skills of residents, and transport opportunities, to answer three questions about Australia’s 21 largest cities: (1) What percentage of workers currently commute to their workplace within 30 min? (2) If workers were to shift to an active transport mode, what percent could reach their current workplace within 30 min? and (3) If it were possible to relocate workers closer to their employment or relocate employment closer to their home, what percentage could reach work within 30 min by each mode? Active transport usage in Australia is low, with public transport, walking, and cycling making up 16.8%, 2.8%, and 1.1% respectively of workers’ commutes. Cycling was found to have the most potential for achieving the 30 min city, with an estimated 29.5% of workers able to reach their current workplace were they to shift to cycling. This increased to 69.1% if workers were also willing and able to find a similar job closer to home, potentially reducing commuting by private motor vehicle from 79.3% to 30.9%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Information Applications in Active Mobility and Health in Cities)

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19 pages, 5725 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application-Based COVID-19 Micro-Mobility Solution for Safe and Smart Navigation in Pandemics

by Sumit Mishra, Nikhil Singh and Devanjan Bhattacharya

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10(8), 571; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi10080571 - 23 Aug 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4251

Abstract

Short distance travel and commute being inevitable, safe route planning in pandemics for micro-mobility, i.e., cycling and walking, is extremely important for the safety of oneself and others. Hence, we propose an application-based solution using COVID-19 occurrence data and a multi-criteria route planning [...] Read more.

Short distance travel and commute being inevitable, safe route planning in pandemics for micro-mobility, i.e., cycling and walking, is extremely important for the safety of oneself and others. Hence, we propose an application-based solution using COVID-19 occurrence data and a multi-criteria route planning technique for cyclists and pedestrians. This study aims at objectively determining the routes based on various criteria on COVID-19 safety of a given route while keeping the user away from potential COVID-19 transmission spots. The vulnerable spots include places such as a hospital or medical zones, contained residential areas, and roads with a high connectivity and influx of people. The proposed algorithm returns a multi-criteria route modeled on COVID-19-modified parameters of micro-mobility and betweenness centrality considering COVID-19 avoidance as well as the shortest available safe route for user ease and shortened time of outside environment exposure. We verified our routing algorithm in a part of Delhi, India, by visualizing containment zones and medical establishments. The results with COVID-19 data analysis and route planning suggest a safer route in the context of the coronavirus outbreak as compared to normal navigation and on average route extension is within 8%–12%. Moreover, for further advancement and post-COVID-19 era, we discuss the need for adding open data policy and the spatial system architecture for data usage, as a part of a pandemic strategy. The study contributes new micro-mobility parameters adapted for COVID-19 and policy guidelines based on aggregated contact tracing data analysis maintaining privacy, security, and anonymity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Information Applications in Active Mobility and Health in Cities)

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19 pages, 4545 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using Exploratory Spatial Analysis to Understand the Patterns of Adolescents’ Active Transport to School and Contributory Factors

by Long Chen, Antoni B. Moore and Sandra Mandic

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10(8), 495; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi10080495 - 22 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2250

Abstract

Active transport to school (ATS) is a convenient way for adolescents to reach their recommended daily physical activity levels. Most previous ATS research examined the factors that promote or hinder ATS, but this research has been of a global (i.e., non-spatial), statistical nature. [...] Read more.

Active transport to school (ATS) is a convenient way for adolescents to reach their recommended daily physical activity levels. Most previous ATS research examined the factors that promote or hinder ATS, but this research has been of a global (i.e., non-spatial), statistical nature. Geographical Information Science (GIS) is widely applied in analysing human activities, focusing on local spatial phenomena, such as distribution, autocorrelation, and co-association. This study, therefore, applied exploratory spatial analysis methods to ATS and its factors. Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) was used to derive maps of transport mode and ATS factor distribution patterns. The results of KDE were compared to and verified by Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) outputs. The data used in this study was collected from 12 high schools, including 425 adolescents who lived within walkable distance and used ATS or MTS in Dunedin New Zealand. This study identified clusters and spatial autocorrelation, confirming that the adolescents living in the south of the city, who were female, attended girls-only schools, lived in more deprived neighbourhoods, and lived in neighbourhoods with higher intersection density and residential density used more ATS. On the other hand, adolescents who were male, attended boys-only schools, lived in less deprived neighbourhoods, had more vehicles at home, and lived in neighbourhoods with medium level intersection density and residential density used more ATS in the northwest of the city as well as some part of the city centre and southeast of the city. The co-association between spatial patterns of the ATS factors and the ATS usages that this study detected adds to the evidence for autocorrelation underpinning ATS users across the study area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Information Applications in Active Mobility and Health in Cities)

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16 pages, 5032 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using Geographically Weighted Regression to Study the Seasonal Influence of Potential Risk Factors on the Incidence of HFMD on the Chinese Mainland

by Jingtao Sun, Sensen Wu, Zhen Yan, Yadong Li, Cheng Yan, Feng Zhang, Renyi Liu and Zhenhong Du

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10(7), 448; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi10070448 - 30 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2286

Abstract

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is an epidemic infectious disease in China. Its incidence is affected by a variety of natural environmental and socioeconomic factors, and its transmission has strong seasonal and spatial heterogeneity. To quantify the spatial relationship between the incidence [...] Read more.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is an epidemic infectious disease in China. Its incidence is affected by a variety of natural environmental and socioeconomic factors, and its transmission has strong seasonal and spatial heterogeneity. To quantify the spatial relationship between the incidence of HFMD (I-HFMD) and eight potential risk factors (temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speed, air pressure, altitude, child population density, and per capita GDP) on the Chinese mainland, we established a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model to analyze their impacts in different seasons and provinces. The GWR model successfully describes the spatial changes of the influence of potential risks, and shows greatly improved estimation performance compared with the ordinary linear regression (OLR) method. Our findings help to understand the seasonally and spatially relevant effects of natural environmental and socioeconomic factors on the I-HFMD, and can provide information to be used to develop effective prevention strategies against HFMD at different locations and in different seasons. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Information Applications in Active Mobility and Health in Cities)

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16 pages, 7230 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping the Accessibility of Medical Facilities of Wuhan during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Zhenqi Zhou, Zhen Xu, Anqi Liu, Shuang Zhou, Lan Mu and Xuan Zhang

ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10(5), 318; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijgi10050318 - 08 May 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3789

Abstract

In December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic attacked Wuhan, China. The city government soon strictly locked down the city, implemented a hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system, and took a series of unprecedented pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical measures. The residents’ access to the [...] Read more.

In December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic attacked Wuhan, China. The city government soon strictly locked down the city, implemented a hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system, and took a series of unprecedented pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical measures. The residents’ access to the medical resources and the consequently potential demand–supply tension may determine effective diagnosis and treatment, for which travel distance and time are key indicators. Using the Application Programming Interface (API) of Baidu Map, we estimated the travel distance and time from communities to the medical facilities capable of treating COVID-19 patients, and we identified the service areas of those facilities as well. The results showed significant differences in service areas and potential loading across medical facilities. The accessibility of medical facilities in the peripheral areas was inferior to those in the central areas; there was spatial inequality of medical resources within and across districts; the amount of community healthcare centers was insufficient; some communities were underserved regarding walking distance; some medical facilities could be potentially overloaded. This study provides reference, in the context of Wuhan, for understanding the spatial aspect of medical resources and residents’ relevant mobility under the emergency regulation, and re-examining the coordination of emergency to improve future planning and utilization of medical facilities at various levels. The approach can facilitate policymakers to assess potential loading of medical facilities, identify low-accessibility areas, and deploy new medical facilities. It also implies that the accessibility analysis can be rapid and relevant even only with open-source data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Information Applications in Active Mobility and Health in Cities)

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