Academic literature on the topic 'Better cities program'

There are a number of issues that are relevant and high priority for many large cities around the world. Among them are the following: renovation of the housing stock and ensuring the development of residential areas, creating favorable living conditions for citizens and increasing housing supply to better serve unmet demand (housing per capita). The program of housing stock renovation in large cities should be developed based on individual scenarios. To ensure the effective implementation of such a program for each region (city), in each case there need to be developed a model that takes into account such major factors as features of the regional economy, the structure of the existing housing system, and other specifics of the current situation in a local market. In this article, the authors define the main indicators that reflect the economic readiness of the city for a renovation program.

When it comes to the federal urban renewal program, Texas has often been dismissed as a conservative state since large cities like Dallas and Houston refused to participate. But a closer look at Texas shows that smaller cities such as Lubbock, Waco, and Grand Prairie did indeed embrace the program. Unlike northern cities which employed urban renewal to retard decline, these Texas cities embraced it to promote growth and to improve race relations. Because of segregation, blacks had few standard neighborhoods to reside in and civic leaders saw new opportunities to better black living conditions offered by urban renewal.

Recent recognition of the growth and significance outdoor recreation industry indicates a need for outdoor-focused academic programs in higher education, yet broader trends affecting higher education may especially impact these programs. Our census methodology identified 128 undergraduate outdoor academic programs; more than previously identified in the literature. The most common higher education institutions to have an outdoor academic program are public, doctoral granting, and located in cities and in the southeast. However, those most likely to have an outdoor academic program are public and doctoral-granting, but are located in rural areas and the Rocky Mountain region. This research provides the foundation for future work which seeks to better understand the unique characteristics of these programs as well as to identify trends in program introduction and elimination.

Air pollution caused by traffic and other sources remains a challenge in big cities and urbanized areas in Germany and abroad. Nitrogen dioxide emissions, particulate matter, noise emissions, and ozone are still problematic issues with negative impacts on both the environment and human health. In 2018, the German Federal Government launched the “Lead City Program,” a €130-million fund to support five selected so-called Lead Cities in developing and implementing air quality policies. This article comparatively analyzes the policy-making process and policy content for better air quality in the three (out of five) Lead Cities—Essen, Herrenberg, and Reutlingen. Conceptually, we rely on two theoretical frameworks—the policy package approach (PPA) and the multiple streams framework (MSF). The objective, thus, is an ex-post analysis of policy development by means of two policy science-based concepts. Based on document-based desk research and qualitative interviews with policymakers and stakeholders in each of the three cities, we identified a number of key variables that created a window of opportunity and paved the way for the selection of the policy packages. The resulting five key variables are direct interaction between the different governance levels, long-standing non-compliance with the European Union (EU) NO2 limit values in many German cities, the resulting European and national infringement proceedings, the diesel scandal, and the Lead City Program as overall multiple stream-coupling facilitators. The results are then discussed regarding the explanatory power of MSF and PPA and the mutual potential linkages these concepts offer for future research.

Background Previous research has demonstrated that children growing up in poor communities have limited access to high-performing schools, while more affluent neighborhoods tend to have higher-ranking schools and more opportunities for after-school programs and activities. Therefore, many researchers and policy makers expected not only that the families moving to low-poverty neighborhoods with the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) program would gain access to zone schools with more resources but also that mothers would be more likely to meet middle-class parents who could provide information about academic programs and teachers, leading them to choose some of these new higher-quality-zone schools. However, research evaluating the effects of the MTO program on child outcomes 4-7 years after program moves found that while the schools attended by the MTO children were less poor and had higher average test scores than their original neighborhood schools, the differences were small: Before moving with the program, MTO children attended schools ranked at the 15th percentile statewide on average; 4-7 years after the move, they were attending schools that ranked at the 24th percentile on average. Purpose The fact that the residential changes brought about by the MTO experiment did not translate into much larger gains in school academic quality provides the impetus for our study. In other words, we explore why the experiment did not lead to the school changes that researchers and policy makers expected. With survey, census, and school-level data, we examine where families moved with the MTO program and how these moves related to changes in school characteristics, and how parents considered schooling options. Setting Although the MTO experiment took place in five cities (New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore), we use data from the Baltimore site only. Population The sample in our study includes the low-income mothers and children who participated in the Baltimore site of the MTO housing voucher experiment. Ninety-seven percent of the families were headed by single black women. The median number of children was two, and average household income was extremely low, at $6,750. Over 60% received Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) as their primary source of income (at program entry in 1994), over 77% of household heads were unemployed, and 40% of the women had no high school degree or GED. Program The Moving to Opportunity program gave public housing residents in extremely poor neighborhoods in Baltimore, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston a chance to apply for the program and move between 1994 and 1998. Families were randomly assigned into one of three groups: an experimental group that received housing counseling and a special voucher that could only be used in census tracts with 1990 poverty rates of less than 10%; a second treatment group, the Section 8 group, that received a regular voucher with no geographic restrictions on where they could move; and a control group that received no voucher through MTO, although they could continue to reside in their public housing units or apply for other housing subsidies (usually a regular Section 8 voucher). The program did not provide assistance with transportation costs, job searches, or local school information after the family relocated. Research Design We use survey data, census data, school-level data, and interviews from the Baltimore site of a randomized field trial of a housing voucher program. We present a mixed-methods case study of one site of the experiment to understand why the children of families who participated in the Baltimore MTO program did not experience larger gains in schooling opportunity. Conclusions Our article demonstrates that in order to discover whether social programs will be effective, we need to understand how the conditions of life for poor families facilitate or constrain their ability to engage new structural opportunities. The described case examples demonstrate why we need to integrate policies and interventions that target schooling in conjunction with housing, mental health services, and employment assistance. Future programs should train mobility counselors to inform parents about the new schooling choices in the area, help them weigh the pros and cons of changing their children's schools, and explain some of the important elements of academic programs and how they could help their children's educational achievement. Counselors could also assuage parents’ fears about transferring their children to new schools by making sure that receiving schools have information about the children and that little instruction time is lost in the transition between schools.

This article reports a 1-year long yoga education program (YEP) experiment aimed at reducing drug dependency and promoting better asthma control for chronic asthmatic children. Participants were 450 chronic asthmatic children across 4 cities. Two measures were used: Pediatric Asthma Diary (PAD) and Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT). Results indicated that intervention group children had better asthma control in terms of lower average PAD scores and higher C-ACT scores and reduced drug intake vis-à-vis the control group. Within the intervention cohort, asthma symptoms persistence was lower and control was higher for children from Asian cities, boys, Hindus, middle-class children, those whose mothers were their primary caregivers, who lived in standard family setups, who also attended the optional YEP rounds, and regularly self-practiced. The strongest predictor of lower posttest PAD scores and higher C-ACT scores was self-practice. The YEP can be used as an effective complementary treatment for chronic asthmatic children.

Abstract Rationing car use based on license plate number has become a popular policy in several cities around the world to address traffic congestion and air pollution. This paper studies the effects of the moderate and drastic driving restrictions imposed as part of the Pico y Placa program on car use and air pollution in Bogotá. Using data on ambient carbon monoxide, gasoline consumption, and vehicle sales and registrations, no evidence of an improvement in air quality or a reduction in car use is found in either phase of the program. On the contrary, there is some indication that, relative to the moderate phase, gasoline consumption, vehicle ownership, and carbon monoxide in the morning peak tended to increase slightly when drastic restrictions were implemented.

Smart cities are associated almost exclusively with modern technology and infrastructure. However, smart cities have the possibility to enhance the involvement and contribution of citizens to urban development. This work explores the role of governance as one of the factors influencing the participation of citizens in smart cities projects. Governance characteristics play a major role in explaining different typologies of citizen participation. Through a focus on Amsterdam Smart City program as a specific case study, this research examines the characteristics of governance that are present in the overall program and within a selected sample of projects, and how they relate to different typologies of citizen participation. The analysis and comprehension of governance characteristics plays a crucial role both for a better understanding and management of citizen participation, especially in complex settings where multiple actors are interacting.

The intention of India’s Smart City Mission program is to achieve better living conditions in a sustainable environment with smart solutions. This program identifies the key challenges of urbanization and the environment. The mitigation of these challenges depends on the monitoring and assessment of multiple factors, including demography, education, health, and the environment; however, the inclusion of environmental factors are limited. The monitoring and assessment of environmental factors will continuously generate big data and hence would require scientific and technological innovation for a sustainable management plan. This study identifies six environmental factors, which should be integrated in the development of smart cities. These environmental factors include indicators of landscape and geography, climate, atmospheric pollution, water resources, energy resources, and urban green space as a major component of the environment. This paper also discusses the importance of these environmental components and the maintenance of big data in the management of smart cities.

The aims of the research were to assess the influence of urban design on the Better Cities Program (BCP) and to explore and document the achievements of the Program in terms of urban design. This in turn led to the exploration of some 34 case studies of the BCP initiatives known as Area Strategies throughout Australia. The research outcomes provided an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the Program�s objectives and processes in relation to urban design and prompted suggested options or modifications, which could enhance outcomes in future initiatives. The thesis is an overview of the Program�s genesis and procedures, including comment on economic, political and social concerns, and draws from this broad analysis the specific issues and outcomes related to urban design practice. It was perceived that whilst not centrally an urban design program the BCP fell short of known urban design principles that could reasonably be expected to be present, given that the achievement of better cities is dependent in large part on better urban design. To maintain a comprehensive overview and sense of continuity the research included urban design evaluations of two projects from the earlier Department of Urban and Regional Development (DURD) period. This was done in order to review the state of urban design at that time and to discover whether fresh insights and approaches may have occurred over the intervening 25 years. To structure the research, a number of interlinking methods were implemented. These included literature reviews, interviews, questionnaires and case studies of the Program�s projects - called Area Strategies - and their ranking through a matrix. Methods extended to a comparative analysis of the Program�s objectives with those of DURD. The Area Strategies were interrogated from three positions, namely: by evaluation of these initiatives based on an Empirical approach; by critical literature where available, but mostly from a more abundant source of descriptive literature and by expert opinion through many interviews, discussions and the Questionnaire responses. The methods were essential in order to collate, analyse and categorise the gathered information for the purpose of evaluation, summarising and framing of conclusions. Central to the thesis was the reliance on the �enduring strands�, being those essential and timehonoured fundamental elements of the urban fabric. These enduring strands became the evaluation tools of the case studies, and comprised the following: buildings and their groupings, the public domain, issues of safety and security, activities, conservation and heritage, the role of landscape, architectural responses to the environment, ecological responses, circulation, public art, social responses and management processes. The discipline of urban design as distinct from city planning and architecture, developed signifi- cantly during the second half of the twentieth century and it received Commonwealth recognition during the life of the Program through the publication of the findings of Prime Minister Keating�s Urban Design Task Force. The thesis compares the recommendations of the Task Force and those of the research and finds sufficient parallels to affirm that both endeavours share a common basis. It is not the role of the thesis to recommend an urban design policy for potential future programs, but it does point to the way urban design might be better integrated in such programs. This research provides support for the argument that if urban design concerns had occupied a more central position in the range of objectives of the Better Cities Program, then the outcomes would have been more satisfactory in many of the projects. With greater recognition of the critical contribution of urban design skills, outcomes of future programs of this nature could potentially be significantly enhanced.

The aims of the research were to assess the influence of urban design on the Better Cities Program (BCP) and to explore and document the achievements of the Program in terms of urban design. This in turn led to the exploration of some 34 case studies of the BCP initiatives known as Area Strategies throughout Australia. The research outcomes provided an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the Program�s objectives and processes in relation to urban design and prompted suggested options or modifications, which could enhance outcomes in future initiatives. The thesis is an overview of the Program�s genesis and procedures, including comment on economic, political and social concerns, and draws from this broad analysis the specific issues and outcomes related to urban design practice. It was perceived that whilst not centrally an urban design program the BCP fell short of known urban design principles that could reasonably be expected to be present, given that the achievement of better cities is dependent in large part on better urban design. To maintain a comprehensive overview and sense of continuity the research included urban design evaluations of two projects from the earlier Department of Urban and Regional Development (DURD) period. This was done in order to review the state of urban design at that time and to discover whether fresh insights and approaches may have occurred over the intervening 25 years. To structure the research, a number of interlinking methods were implemented. These included literature reviews, interviews, questionnaires and case studies of the Program�s projects - called Area Strategies - and their ranking through a matrix. Methods extended to a comparative analysis of the Program�s objectives with those of DURD. The Area Strategies were interrogated from three positions, namely: by evaluation of these initiatives based on an Empirical approach; by critical literature where available, but mostly from a more abundant source of descriptive literature and by expert opinion through many interviews, discussions and the Questionnaire responses. The methods were essential in order to collate, analyse and categorise the gathered information for the purpose of evaluation, summarising and framing of conclusions. Central to the thesis was the reliance on the �enduring strands�, being those essential and timehonoured fundamental elements of the urban fabric. These enduring strands became the evaluation tools of the case studies, and comprised the following: buildings and their groupings, the public domain, issues of safety and security, activities, conservation and heritage, the role of landscape, architectural responses to the environment, ecological responses, circulation, public art, social responses and management processes. The discipline of urban design as distinct from city planning and architecture, developed signifi- cantly during the second half of the twentieth century and it received Commonwealth recognition during the life of the Program through the publication of the findings of Prime Minister Keating�s Urban Design Task Force. The thesis compares the recommendations of the Task Force and those of the research and finds sufficient parallels to affirm that both endeavours share a common basis. It is not the role of the thesis to recommend an urban design policy for potential future programs, but it does point to the way urban design might be better integrated in such programs. This research provides support for the argument that if urban design concerns had occupied a more central position in the range of objectives of the Better Cities Program, then the outcomes would have been more satisfactory in many of the projects. With greater recognition of the critical contribution of urban design skills, outcomes of future programs of this nature could potentially be significantly enhanced.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2002.
Title from title screen (viewed Apr. 28, 2008). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Dept. of Architecture, Planning and Allied Arts, Faculty of Architecture. Includes bibliography. Also available in print form.

AbstractThis book has introduced two new (linked) models for greyfield precinct regeneration—place-activated and transit-activated GPR—with a new set of processes to enable them. The need for new design, planning, and engagement tools that must be integrated into all urban development is also seen as key to unlocking greyfield regeneration. Designs for such precincts have proliferated, but planning systems are still hindering their implementation, especially those systems related to land-assembly issues in the established, occupied middle greyfield suburbs. Planning must change, and a potential way ahead involves the planning processes demonstrated in this book. A first step involves district greenlining, which enables identification of strategic planning challenges and priorities for action at a district scale along a transit corridor (transit-activated GPR) or in precinct-scale areas in typical middle suburbs with high redevelopment potential (place-activated GPR). Their key attributes are gleaned from the previous chapters and summarised in this chapter. A final plea is made here for partnerships to be created from the engagement of all stakeholders: government, community and civil society, innovators, and developers. Greyfield Precinct Redevelopment Authorities established within state governments as part of a federal Better Cities 2.0 program could guide this transition.

AbstractThis research investigates the case of the Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) Urban Europe and its role as an intermediary organization, developing research, and innovation programs for urban transition. In the literature, the role of an intermediary organization has recently been discussed as an effective promoter and developer of connecting visions, strategies, activities, and stakeholders. A conceptual approach to intermediary organizations for urban transition is operationalized, and its functions are discussed in this paper. As an example, the Joint Programming Initiative Urban Europe reveals how a transnational R&I initiative, represented by 20 national R&I programs in Europe, can provide scientific evidence for sustainable urbanization with a cross-sectoral, integrated, inter- and transdisciplinary approach implemented through activities beyond joint calls. The findings show that JPI Urban Europe acts as broker and facilitator of joint visions and starts to build communities for innovation, which is one of the important functions of intermediaries. The development of its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda clearly followed a co-creation process, putting the dilemmas of city practitioners in the center. JPI Urban Europe managed to attract high levels of commitment from a diversity of stakeholders to its strategic priorities and mobilized respective budgets for its implementation. The analysis of JPI Urban Europe participation in funded projects shows that challenge-driven calls (putting the problem owners in the center) seems to successfully develop a common language for all stakeholders and has a higher likelihood to generate more transformative outcomes. The number of funded urban living labs in projects shows that room for experimentation in niches and their extension is provided. The number of city representatives as funded project partners could be increased to further stimulate active involvement. The JPI Urban Europe also acts as a translator and enabler for learning in the urban—as well as in the policy sphere—the third function. This can be confirmed by the number and type of organizations reached with its specific formats. JPI Urban Europe coordinates joint activities of mainly national R&I programs but has only indirect influence on change in these organizations and limited influence on changes within research organizations, businesses, or cities that are even less connected. Overall, it can be concluded that the strategic ambition of JPI Urban Europe towards transformative change is obvious, but some instruments and formats to translate the ambition into action need further refinement, and it needs further in-depth research to better understand the outcomes and impacts of its diverse activities.

Abstract The policies of the Greek state vis-à-vis Greek citizens residing abroad are better developed in some areas (pension, cultural/education policy), but very embryonic in others (social protection, family-related benefits). The institutions representing and aggregating the interests of the Greek diaspora, such as the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and the World Council of Hellenes abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reflect earlier periods of Greek migration during the post-war period, but meet less adequately the needs of recent migrants, especially following the post-2010 Greek economic crisis. At the same time, political parties continue to play an active role in the relationship between diaspora and the homeland. The policies of the Greek state, especially when exercised informally or with regard to cultural and educational programs, are also characterized by an emphasis on blood, language and religious ties, and are offshoots of a long-standing history of migration to Western Europe, North America and Australia. Possible developments, such as the long-overdue implementation of the right to vote from abroad, an official registrar for Greek citizens residing abroad, new programs of social protection in Greece and new economic incentives for return might change the diaspora policies of the Greek state in the next decades.

AbstractFood system transformation and dietary changes appear ubiquitous in urban areas of Africa. These changes can be as dramatic and rapid as urbanization processes unfolding on the continent. Large cities, secondary cities and small towns all tend to experience these food system changes at varying degree and in unique ways. There is evidence in the Ghanaian context to suggest that urban food system transformations are more prevalent in smaller than larger cities. This chapter is based on a qualitative investigation into urban residents’ lived experiences regarding dietary changes underpinned by complex processes of urban food system transformation in Tamale. It is inspired by a participant’s remark that “we eat everyday but I’m perpetually hungry,” a sentimental expression that captures people’s frustration about ongoing dietary changes borne out of unsatisfactory food availability that affects their subjective wellbeing. The study reveals that the subjective experience of food security among the elderly men is impacted negatively by the unfolding food system transformation in the city. In addition to agricultural and economic development policies, the increased role of women in food decision making and their increased participation in activities outside of the home fuels the micro-level dietary changes. A recommendation is made to broaden the scope of Ghana’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Programme (LEAP) for purposive targeting and better coverage of the elderly urban poor.

Abstract Although the Lithuanian Government has an active programme (Global Lithuania) to engage with citizens residing abroad, there is a lack of social protection policies for non-resident nationals who are facing economic difficulties. This is due to the public opinion that Lithuanians abroad are in a better financial position to contribute rather than benefit from the already limited state budget. Nevertheless, some assistance exists in the area of health care: Lithuanian consulates help Lithuanians abroad with evacuations or if they get into an accident and wish to return to Lithuania. Consulates also assist emigrants with the receipt of pensions and family-related documents.

AbstractThe Once-Only Principle (OOP) enables public administrations to support citizen and business life-cycle oriented issues as opposed to mere integration of administrative systems designed to serve bureaucratic ends. The Once-Only Principle project (TOOP) was funded by the EU Program Horizon 2020, with the aim to explore and demonstrate the OOP through multiple sustainable pilots in different domains, using a federated architecture on a cross-border collaborative pan-European scale, enabling the connection of different registries and architectures in different countries for better exchange of information across public administrations. The different pilot domains (eProcurement, Maritime and General Business Mobility) identified potential use cases suitable to show the OOP, defined the goals and expected benefits of TOOP based on motivational scenarios and process analyses and provided requirements to the TOOP Reference and Solution Architectures. Especially for the General Business Mobility domain requirements were provided also from the Single Digital Gateway Regulation. These requirements guided the development of the TOOP specifications and the TOOP components, the Member States deployed the TOOP specifications and components and participated in different connectathons demonstrating the OOP.

AbstractThe Once-Only Principle requires the public administrations to ensure that citizens and businesses supply the same information only once to the Public Administration as a whole. Widespread use of the Once-Only Principle has the potential to simplify citizens’ life, make businesses more efficient, and reduce administrative burden in the European Union. The Once-Only Principle project (TOOP) is an initiative, financed by the EU Program Horizon 2020, to explore the possibility to enable the cross-border application of the Once-Only Principle by demonstrating it in practice, through the development of selected piloting applications for specific real-world use cases, enabling the connection of different registries and architectures in different countries for better exchange of information across public administrations. These piloting ICT systems are designed as a result of a pan-European collaboration and they adopt a federated model, to allow for a high degree of independence between the participating parties in the development of their own solutions. The main challenge in the implementation of an OOP solution is the diversity of organizations, procedures, data, and services on all four main levels of interoperability: legal, organizational, semantic, and technical. To address this challenge, TOOP is developing and testing the TOOP Reference Architecture (TOOPRA) to assist organizations in the cross-border implementation of the OOP. The paper outlines the TOOPRA users, principles, and requirements, presents an overview of the architecture development, describes the main views of TOOPRA, discusses architecture profiling, and analyses the TOOPRA sustainability issues.

Craig Ramey, a psychologist, organized the Abecedarian project in North Carolina to determine the benefits of intensive preschool. Subsequently deployed in eight cities, Abecedarian showed that preschool programs lasting several hours daily can mitigate the disadvantages attendant on poverty. Significantly, Abecedarian serves as a comparison for Head Start, providing justification for reforming that program. Embraced by Nobel laureate, James Heckman, Early Childhood Education became a benchmark for progressive policy reform.

Smart cities are associated almost exclusively with modern technology and infrastructure. However, smart cities have the possibility to enhance the involvement and contribution of citizens to urban development. This work explores the role of governance as one of the factors influencing the participation of citizens in smart cities projects. Governance characteristics play a major role in explaining different typologies of citizen participation. Through a focus on Amsterdam Smart City program as a specific case study, this research examines the characteristics of governance that are present in the overall program and within a selected sample of projects, and how they relate to different typologies of citizen participation. The analysis and comprehension of governance characteristics plays a crucial role both for a better understanding and management of citizen participation, especially in complex settings where multiple actors are interacting.

Our recent book, "The City Creative: The Rise of Urban Placemaking in Contemporary America" (University of Chicago Press, 2021), details how participatory design and community engagement can lead to democratically planned, inclusive urban communities. After visiting more than two hundred projects in more than forty cities, we have come to understand that planning, policy, and architectural design should be oriented by local communities and deep engagement with intervention sites. Of course, we are not the first to reach such a conclusion. In many ways, our work builds off contributions made by individuals, including Jane Jacobs, Kevin Lynch, and Christopher Alexander, and such movements as Team 10 and the advocacy architecture movement of the 1960s. Nevertheless, we need to broaden this significant conversation. Importantly, our classroom work has allowed us to better understand how histories often left out of such discussions can inform this new approach. To that end, we have developed community-student partnerships in underserved neighborhoods in cities like Milwaukee and Detroit. Through these connections and their related design-build projects, we have seen how the civil rights movement, immigration narratives, hip-hop culture, and alternative redevelopment histories, such as in urban agriculture, can inform the theory and practice of design. We want to bring these perspectives into dialogue with the mainstream approach to development and design. How does this look and work? Using a case study from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) University Scholars Honors Program curriculum, we highlight the redevelopment of Milwaukee’s Fondy Park, an effort to create community-centered spaces and programming in an underserved African American community. Lessons include those essential for pedagogy and education, as well as for how these issues are theorized and professionally practiced, with implications for institutions, programs, and individuals.

Se propone una reflexión general sobre la necesidad de recuperar nuestras emblemáticas ciudades históricas y su arquitectura, para que sean devueltas a sus ciudadanos y usuarios. Se detecta una “museización” de dichas ciudades, en las que su carácter histórico y patrimonial parece primar sobre el derecho de libre movilidad y disfrute de las personas, minimizando la vida cotidiana urbana y transformando el entorno en puras imágenes para admirar en la distancia, en una especie de símil de patrimonio congelado en forma de gran escultura. La reflexión se basa en el estudio y resultados generados por el Programa Intensivo “LOCUS - Let‟s Open Cities for Us”, programa que, durante el transcurso de tres años consecutivos, ha afrontado la problemática de movilidad y accesibilidad en cascos históricos de fuerte carga patrimonial y de compleja y pronunciada topografía. En la mayoría de ocasiones se trata de ciudades fortificadas, protegidas por una muralla medieval en lo alto de una colina, debido a su primer origen defensivo, indispensable en la época pero en plena contraposición contemporánea: debemos, por lo tanto, replantear nuestras ciudades históricas y garantizar su franco acceso. Nuestro deber de asegurar una completa igualdad de condiciones de uso y nuestro derecho a gozar de una buena calidad de vida, nos exige investigar las herramientas adecuadas que nos permitan acceder a nuestro patrimonio de forma equitativa para todas las personas, independientemente de sus diversas necesidades especiales. Se trata de innovar en una arquitectura inteligente capaz de dar respuesta a nuestras demandas actuales, sin renunciar a la percepción de belleza y harmonía de nuestra herencia patrimonial. El objetivo es el de mejorar la relación entre arquitectura y sociedad: mediante una arquitectura accesible se garantiza un mayor confort de todos los usuarios en general y, consecuentemente, un aumento de la calidad de vida, de rentabilidad y sostenibilidad. La arquitectura sólo será sostenible cuando permita su utilización, siendo la arquitectura accesible la máxima garantía para una sociedad inclusiva. LOCUS (www.etsav.upc.edu/locus) ha sido coordinado por la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) y ha contado con la participación de ocho escuelas de arquitectura de universidades europeas asociadas al programa. La ponencia presentará conclusiones derivadas del estudio realizado por LOCUS en las siguientes cuatro ciudades ibéricas: Tarragona (Febrero 2008), Girona (Julio 2008), Évora (Julio 2009) e Ibiza (Abril 2010). Se destacan la diversidad de enfoques y propuestas que se generan en un estudio como éste, pudiendo ser de gran ayuda real para futuras actuaciones municipales similares. The paper addresses a general reflection upon the need of recuperating our emblematic historic cities and their architecture, in order to return it back to their citizens and users. A certain sort of “museumization” is detected in the mentioned cities, where their great heritage and historical character seems to be a priority over the right of free mobility and enjoyment of the people, minimizing the urban daily life and transforming the environment in pure images only to be admired from the distance, in a kind of simile of frozen heritage in the form of a great sculpture. This consideration comes from the study and results generated by the Intensive Program “LOCUS – Let‟s Open Cities for Us”, which has faced, during three consecutive years, the problematic of mobility and accessibility in historic city centers with strong heritage value and complex and steep topography. In most occasions these sites are fortified cities, protected by a medieval wall on the top of a hill, due to their first defensive origin, indispensable at that time but in a total contemporary contraposition: we must, therefore, rethink our historic cities and ensure their frank access. Our duty of ensuring completely equal terms of use and our right to enjoy a good quality of life, leads to the research on those adequate tools that will allow accessing the heritage in an equitable manner for all people, regardless their diverse special needs. It is about innovating an intelligent architecture able to offer an answer to our present demands, without renouncing the perception of beauty and harmony of our inheritance. The objective is to improve the relationship between architecture and society: by means of an accessible architecture we can guarantee a better comfort for all users and, consequently, and improvement of the quality of life, the profitability and the sustainability. Architecture will be only sustainable when its utilization is permitted, being an accessible architecture the maximum guarantee of an inclusive society. LOCUS (www.etsav.upc.edu/locus) has been coordinated by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and has the partnership of eight architecture schools coming from diverse European universities. The paper will present conclusions resulting from the analysis of four Iberian cities studied by LOCUS: Tarragona (February 2008), Girona (July 2008), Évora (July 2009) and Ibiza (April 2010). It is worth mentioning the diversity of approaches and solutions generated by a study like this, being a great orientation for future similar urban interventions.

It has been realized that various chemical reactions are accelerated under irradiation of MW. Such Microwave chemistry is known as time-saving, clear and eco-friendly. MW ovens are world-wide domestic tools for cooking which can serve meals quickly. Regardless of its convenience, few understand the essential mechanism of MW ovens. For better understanding of MW chemistry, authors think it is necessary for to introduce elementary knowledge by holding a 1-day program of experiments by using microwave (MW) ovens.“Science with microwave oven”, 1-day program which we developed and named “Hirameki Tokimeki Science” was supported by Japan Society for the promotion of Science, has been performed over four years.More than 100 students of elementary and junior-high school have joined the program.Here we report the program, response from students.Program of experiments: “1: Dyeing handkerchief with onion peer (*1), 2: Cooking of pizza quickly yeast-leavened, 3: Preparation of shining slime with fluorescein dye synthesized in nonsolvent reaction. 4. Plasma in MW oven (*2), etc.”Students realized how MW accelerated chemical reactions and that dyeing under MW was faster and more fixed compared with the conventional methods. Besides, they could enjoy lunch with pizza and dealing with the slime, both they made. They had a good time with a bit of scientific knowledge. Through 1-day program, we can make science more familiar with students, and it will cause young students to become more interested in science, lead them to future research workers.In addition to the “Hirameki Tokimeki (Inspiration and Spark) Program, we have doneVolunteer activities at Ishinomaki, one of the most damaged cities at the Higashi Nihon Big Earthquake, in 2011.“Science with microwave oven” program surely gives students mysterious interest anddream for Science. That is “Inspire and Spark!” (*1) (*2)

The concept of urban compactness is widely accepted as an approach in modern architectural and urban design fields, this belief may vary relative to the density and connectivity of various neighborhoods working within cities of developing countries. Beijing has several compact residential neighborhoods in many of its urban districts. This paper argues that urban compactness as predictor of connectivity may carry an altogether different meaning when compared to the U.S objectives for achieving sustainable compactness by increasing density that is tactically connected. The accelerated pace of migration following the economic progress from the countryside to cities in China helped grew the middle class while shifting demographics has added serious demands of housing and infrastructure within and outside of Beijing districts and its urban core. Various neighborhoods within and round Beijing districts are swelling with unwarranted compactness, causing serious environmental and ecological challenging making basic living conditions unchecked. In addition, crowding, traffic congestion, pollution and limited housing surrounding this compactness is a threat to the public health. Several residential blocks of various sizes in close proximity to each other appear to add physical compactness seemingly well threaded in urban fabric various urban districts. Morphological analysis of selected neighborhoods revealed that many urban neighborhoods similar to case study examples are marred with unregulated urban interventions with little cohesive system of connectivity within these neighborhoods. This study analyzed morphological patterns of street connectivity using Space Syntax method tounderstand if physical compactness also means more connected. The morphological variables notably, integration, connectivity and choice were used as key variables to describe the quality of connectedness of a diverse range of mixed-use commercial and residential typologies that were served by dense street networks. Analysis of spatial morphology of selected compact neighborhoods provided perceptive clues to redevelop a spatial program to bring about a meaningful design intervention to achieve better connections to the unregulated compact urban neighborhoods for achieving more pedestrian-friendly urban neighborhoods that could co-exist with the existing vehicular street networks. The findings indicated that much of mixed-use developments in close proximity to each other were part of a fragmented maze of dead-end streets serving these residential blocks. The incoherent street networks serving these neighborhoods created a lack of control between pedestrian and vehicular circulations causing congestions and unsustainable conditions for social and public realm to coexist.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate students’ opinions (Grades VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI) regarding discipline in PE and sports lessons and whether it is influenced by the personality, professional qualities, and behavior of their PE teachers. We expected the results to provide information regarding students’ discipline from their point of view. The study subjects were 209 students from 4 schools in the cities of Sofia (n=70) and Smolyan (n=139), Bulgaria. Of these, 58. 4% (n=122) were girls and 41. 6% (n=87) were boys, with 28.7% having a female teacher and the remaining students (n=149) conducted their PE lessons with a male teacher. Survey forms and questionnaires were prepared for the students to realize the objective and collect empirical information on the problem. The first subscale contained ten items the surveyed students used to rate their PE teacher (α= .738). The subjects’ responses are reflected in a 5-point scale, The Likert Scale type, and indicate the frequency with which the students observe certain behaviors from the teachers. For each listed antecedent, there are two groups of dichotomous closed-ended questions based on alternative choices, YES and NO. The results were processed with mathematical and statistical methods of quantitative processing and analysis: frequency and variance and comparative analysis (Mann-Whitney) - for independent variables, according to a validated statistical procedure - using the statistical program “SPSS 21 for Windows”. Ensuring good discipline in lessons depends on the professional skills of sports educators. Statistically, significant differences were observed in some of the indicators. Good discipline is helped by the teacher’s rigor and good attitude towards the students. The teacher’s friendly attitude, understanding, and support towards the students help to maintain better discipline in the lessons.

After the revolutions of the so-called Arab Spring which begin in Egypt at January 25, 2011, many disasters occurred in many Egyptian cities, and also significant changes in cities led to the emergence of severe shocks suffered by the community, including other subversive threats as Corona pandemic, long-term social pressures like unemployment and poor access Barriers to education, crime or homelessness, as well as deliberate sabotage of urban structures and infrastructure, directly or indirectly, have led to the deterioration of cities and the change of human behavior for the worse. The research aims to identify the concepts and methodology of resilience planning, and apply them to Egyptian cities to increase its ability to recover and adapt positively to un expected changing circumstances or challenges, including Revolutions, Corona pandemic, disasters and climate change, to maintain quality of life and healthy growth, and to achieve permanent systems that can preserving resources for present and future generations. It will also aim to create a tool as (Cities resilience assessment form) for assessment and evaluating the Egyptian Cities for its resilience. That will help to make a community resilience plan includes policies, programs and other actions that can be taken in many sectors to improve a society's ability to cope with risks or change circumstances. Resilience planning can thus reduce future disaster response and recovery costs and improve recovery time after natural or human hazards events. The research will include the definition of resilience planning concepts, implications and objectives that aim to update flexible land-use codes, zoning, development criteria, incentive programs, and other plans or policies to better prepare for potential shocks and pressures, and also help to develop standards that allow action against unexpected events

Improving efficiency and saving money are primary concerns of any citrus processing operation. Conducting a full scale energy audit will reveal the energy use characteristics of your entire operation and help you to discover opportunities to improve energy efficiency. Projects are evaluated on the basis of economic feasibility and operational practicality, and accepted or rejected by the appropriate plant personnel. Utility rebates are often available for the accepted projects based upon energy savings. Energy efficiency programs can be, and have been, used to improve operational efficiency and save money — money that could be better used to expand your operation or increase your profit margin. Paper published with permission.

Abstract Nuclear power has been at the center of public debate for decades, and social acceptance is critical to its development. A questionnaire survey was conducted to gain a better understanding of Chinese citizens’ perception of nuclear power and radiation from the perspectives of behavioral science. In this study the respondents’ cognitive biases regarding nuclear power and radiation were explained with a dual-system model. Effectiveness of outreach programs about nuclear power was recognized. In addition, this study suggests the prejudice against radiation remained strong in the face of statements of fact and monetary incentives. Finally, some suggestions regarding improvement in outreach programs and public relations policy are provided.

Attention to safety and health are of ever-increasing priority to industrial organizations. Good Safety is demanded by stockholders, employees, and the community while increasing injury costs provide additional motivation for safety and health excellence. Safety has always been a strong corporate value of DuPont and a vital part of its culture. As a result, DuPont has become a benchmark in safety and health performance. Since 1990, DuPont has re-engineered itself to meet global competition and address future vision. In the new re-engineered organizational structures, DuPont has also had to re-engineer its safety management systems. A special Discovery Team was chartered by DuPont senior management to determine the “best practices’ for safety and health being used in DuPont best-performing sites. A summary of the findings is presented, and five of the practices are discussed. Excellence in safety and health management is more important today than ever. Public awareness, federal and state regulations, and enlightened management have resulted in a widespread conviction that all employees have the right to work in an environment that will not adversely affect their safety and health. In DuPont, we believe that excellence in safety and health is necessary to achieve global competitiveness, maintain employee loyalty, and be an accepted member of the communities in which we make, handle, use, and transport products. Safety can also be the “catalyst” to achieving excellence in other important business parameters. The organizational and communication skills developed by management, individuals, and teams in safety can be directly applied to other company initiatives. As we look into the 21st Century, we must also recognize that new organizational structures (flatter with empowered teams) will require new safety management techniques and systems in order to maintain continuous improvement in safety performance. Injury costs, which have risen dramatically in the past twenty years, provide another incentive for safety and health excellence. Shown in the Figure 1, injury costs have increased even after correcting for inflation. Many companies have found these costs to be an “invisible drain” on earnings and profitability. In some organizations, significant initiatives have been launched to better manage the workers’ compensation systems. We have found that the ultimate solution is to prevent injuries and incidents before they occur. A globally-respected company, DuPont is regarded as a well-managed, extremely ethical firm that is the benchmark in industrial safety performance. Like many other companies, DuPont has re-engineered itself and downsized its operations since 1985. Through these changes, we have maintained dedication to our principles and developed new techniques to manage in these organizational environments. As a diversified company, our operations involve chemical process facilities, production line operations, field activities, and sales and distribution of materials. Our customer base is almost entirely industrial and yet we still maintain a high level of consumer awareness and positive perception. The DuPont concern for safety dates back to the early 1800s and the first days of the company. In 1802 E.I. DuPont, a Frenchman, began manufacturing quality grade explosives to fill America’s growing need to build roads, clear fields, increase mining output, and protect its recently won independence. Because explosives production is such a hazardous industry, DuPont recognized and accepted the need for an effective safety effort. The building walls of the first powder mill near Wilmington, Delaware, were built three stones thick on three sides. The back remained open to the Brandywine River to direct any explosive forces away from other buildings and employees. To set the safety example, DuPont also built his home and the homes of his managers next to the powder yard. An effective safety program was a necessity. It represented the first defense against instant corporate liquidation. Safety needs more than a well-designed plant, however. In 1811, work rules were posted in the mill to guide employee work habits. Though not nearly as sophisticated as the safety standards of today, they did introduce an important basic concept — that safety must be a line management responsibility. Later, DuPont introduced an employee health program and hired a company doctor. An early step taken in 1912 was the keeping of safety statistics, approximately 60 years before the federal requirement to do so. We had a visible measure of our safety performance and were determined that we were going to improve it. When the nation entered World War I, the DuPont Company supplied 40 percent of the explosives used by the Allied Forces, more than 1.5 billion pounds. To accomplish this task, over 30,000 new employees were hired and trained to build and operate many plants. Among these facilities was the largest smokeless powder plant the world had ever seen. The new plant was producing granulated powder in a record 116 days after ground breaking. The trends on the safety performance chart reflect the problems that a large new work force can pose until the employees fully accept the company’s safety philosophy. The first arrow reflects the World War I scale-up, and the second arrow represents rapid diversification into new businesses during the 1920s. These instances of significant deterioration in safety performance reinforced DuPont’s commitment to reduce the unsafe acts that were causing 96 percent of our injuries. Only 4 percent of injuries result from unsafe conditions or equipment — the remainder result from the unsafe acts of people. This is an important concept if we are to focus our attention on reducing injuries and incidents within the work environment. World War II brought on a similar set of demands. The story was similar to World War I but the numbers were even more astonishing: one billion dollars in capital expenditures, 54 new plants, 75,000 additional employees, and 4.5 billion pounds of explosives produced — 20 percent of the volume used by the Allied Forces. Yet, the performance during the war years showed no significant deviation from the pre-war years. In 1941, the DuPont Company was 10 times safer than all industry and 9 times safer than the Chemical Industry. Management and the line organization were finally working as they should to control the real causes of injuries. Today, DuPont is about 50 times safer than US industrial safety performance averages. Comparing performance to other industries, it is interesting to note that seemingly “hazard-free” industries seem to have extraordinarily high injury rates. This is because, as DuPont has found out, performance is a function of injury prevention and safety management systems, not hazard exposure. Our success in safety results from a sound safety management philosophy. Each of the 125 DuPont facilities is responsible for its own safety program, progress, and performance. However, management at each of these facilities approaches safety from the same fundamental and sound philosophy. This philosophy can be expressed in eleven straightforward principles. The first principle is that all injuries can be prevented. That statement may seem a bit optimistic. In fact, we believe that this is a realistic goal and not just a theoretical objective. Our safety performance proves that the objective is achievable. We have plants with over 2,000 employees that have operated for over 10 years without a lost time injury. As injuries and incidents are investigated, we can always identify actions that could have prevented that incident. If we manage safety in a proactive — rather than reactive — manner, we will eliminate injuries by reducing the acts and conditions that cause them. The second principle is that management, which includes all levels through first-line supervisors, is responsible and accountable for preventing injuries. Only when senior management exerts sustained and consistent leadership in establishing safety goals, demanding accountability for safety performance and providing the necessary resources, can a safety program be effective in an industrial environment. The third principle states that, while recognizing management responsibility, it takes the combined energy of the entire organization to reach sustained, continuous improvement in safety and health performance. Creating an environment in which employees feel ownership for the safety effort and make significant contributions is an essential task for management, and one that needs deliberate and ongoing attention. The fourth principle is a corollary to the first principle that all injuries are preventable. It holds that all operating exposures that may result in injuries or illnesses can be controlled. No matter what the exposure, an effective safeguard can be provided. It is preferable, of course, to eliminate sources of danger, but when this is not reasonable or practical, supervision must specify measures such as special training, safety devices, and protective clothing. Our fifth safety principle states that safety is a condition of employment. Conscientious assumption of safety responsibility is required from all employees from their first day on the job. Each employee must be convinced that he or she has a responsibility for working safely. The sixth safety principle: Employees must be trained to work safely. We have found that an awareness for safety does not come naturally and that people have to be trained to work safely. With effective training programs to teach, motivate, and sustain safety knowledge, all injuries and illnesses can be eliminated. Our seventh principle holds that management must audit performance on the workplace to assess safety program success. Comprehensive inspections of both facilities and programs not only confirm their effectiveness in achieving the desired performance, but also detect specific problems and help to identify weaknesses in the safety effort. The Company’s eighth principle states that all deficiencies must be corrected promptly. Without prompt action, risk of injuries will increase and, even more important, the credibility of management’s safety efforts will suffer. Our ninth principle is a statement that off-the-job safety is an important part of the overall safety effort. We do not expect nor want employees to “turn safety on” as they come to work and “turn it off” when they go home. The company safety culture truly becomes of the individual employee’s way of thinking. The tenth principle recognizes that it’s good business to prevent injuries. Injuries cost money. However, hidden or indirect costs usually exceed the direct cost. Our last principle is the most important. Safety must be integrated as core business and personal value. There are two reasons for this. First, we’ve learned from almost 200 years of experience that 96 percent of safety incidents are directly caused by the action of people, not by faulty equipment or inadequate safety standards. But conversely, it is our people who provide the solutions to our safety problems. They are the one essential ingredient in the recipe for a safe workplace. Intelligent, trained, and motivated employees are any company’s greatest resource. Our success in safety depends upon the men and women in our plants following procedures, participating actively in training, and identifying and alerting each other and management to potential hazards. By demonstrating a real concern for each employee, management helps establish a mutual respect, and the foundation is laid for a solid safety program. This, of course, is also the foundation for good employee relations. An important lesson learned in DuPont is that the majority of injuries are caused by unsafe acts and at-risk behaviors rather than unsafe equipment or conditions. In fact, in several DuPont studies it was estimated that 96 percent of injuries are caused by unsafe acts. This was particularly revealing when considering safety audits — if audits were only focused on conditions, at best we could only prevent four percent of our injuries. By establishing management systems for safety auditing that focus on people, including audit training, techniques, and plans, all incidents are preventable. Of course, employee contribution and involvement in auditing leads to sustainability through stakeholdership in the system. Management safety audits help to make manage the “behavioral balance.” Every job and task performed at a site can do be done at-risk or safely. The essence of a good safety system ensures that safe behavior is the accepted norm amongst employees, and that it is the expected and respected way of doing things. Shifting employees norms contributes mightily to changing culture. The management safety audit provides a way to quantify these norms. DuPont safety performance has continued to improve since we began keeping records in 1911 until about 1990. In the 1990–1994 time frame, performance deteriorated as shown in the chart that follows: This increase in injuries caused great concern to senior DuPont management as well as employees. It occurred while the corporation was undergoing changes in organization. In order to sustain our technological, competitive, and business leadership positions, DuPont began re-engineering itself beginning in about 1990. New streamlined organizational structures and collaborative work processes eliminated many positions and levels of management and supervision. The total employment of the company was reduced about 25 percent during these four years. In our traditional hierarchical organization structures, every level of supervision and management knew exactly what they were expected to do with safety, and all had important roles. As many of these levels were eliminated, new systems needed to be identified for these new organizations. In early 1995, Edgar S. Woolard, DuPont Chairman, chartered a Corporate Discovery Team to look for processes that will put DuPont on a consistent path toward a goal of zero injuries and occupational illnesses. The cross-functional team used a mode of “discovery through learning” from as many DuPont employees and sites around the world. The Discovery Team fostered the rapid sharing and leveraging of “best practices” and innovative approaches being pursued at DuPont’s plants, field sites, laboratories, and office locations. In short, the team examined the company’s current state, described the future state, identified barriers between the two, and recommended key ways to overcome these barriers. After reporting back to executive management in April, 1995, the Discovery Team was realigned to help organizations implement their recommendations. The Discovery Team reconfirmed key values in DuPont — in short, that all injuries, incidents, and occupational illnesses are preventable and that safety is a source of competitive advantage. As such, the steps taken to improve safety performance also improve overall competitiveness. Senior management made this belief clear: “We will strengthen our business by making safety excellence an integral part of all business activities.” One of the key findings of the Discovery Team was the identification of the best practices used within the company, which are listed below: ▪ Felt Leadership – Management Commitment ▪ Business Integration ▪ Responsibility and Accountability ▪ Individual/Team Involvement and Influence ▪ Contractor Safety ▪ Metrics and Measurements ▪ Communications ▪ Rewards and Recognition ▪ Caring Interdependent Culture; Team-Based Work Process and Systems ▪ Performance Standards and Operating Discipline ▪ Training/Capability ▪ Technology ▪ Safety and Health Resources ▪ Management and Team Audits ▪ Deviation Investigation ▪ Risk Management and Emergency Response ▪ Process Safety ▪ Off-the-Job Safety and Health Education Attention to each of these best practices is essential to achieve sustained improvements in safety and health. The Discovery Implementation in conjunction with DuPont Safety and Environmental Management Services has developed a Safety Self-Assessment around these systems. In this presentation, we will discuss a few of these practices and learn what they mean. Paper published with permission.

Despite increased efforts to improve safety in recent years (e.g., the Focus Cities Program in California), California continues to have a high rate of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. Currently, the state currently lacks a cohesive messaging strategy to improve behaviors related to pedestrian and cyclist traffic safety practices. To fulfill this need, this research showcases the differential effect of message framing on attitudes and intended behaviors related to pedestrian and cyclists traffic safety practices. This project investigated factors & risky behaviors contributing to accidents involving vulnerable road users, preventive measures to decrease accidents involving vulnerable road users, and more. The qualitative analysis presented a significant lack of coherent, long-term, evidence-based communication strategies that aimed at enhancing the safety of vulnerable road users in California. Quantitatively, this research also experimentally investigated various messages, employing different time horizons and regulatory focus message framings. Findings indicate that the messages with a limited time horizon tend to be associated with better safety perceptions and attitudes than messages with an expansive time horizon. California transportation authorities, professionals, and advocacy groups will be able to use this information to effectively allocate the communication effort and spending to induce attitudinal and behavioral change that can impact the safety of active transportation modes.

Despite increased efforts to improve safety in recent years (e.g., the Focus Cities Program in California), California continues to have a high rate of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. Currently, the state currently lacks a cohesive messaging strategy to improve behaviors related to pedestrian and cyclist traffic safety practices. To fulfill this need, this research showcases the differential effect of message framing on attitudes and intended behaviors related to pedestrian and cyclists traffic safety practices. This project investigated factors & risky behaviors contributing to accidents involving vulnerable road users, preventive measures to decrease accidents involving vulnerable road users, and more. The qualitative analysis presented a significant lack of coherent, long-term, evidence-based communication strategies that aimed at enhancing the safety of vulnerable road users in California. Quantitatively, this research also experimentally investigated various messages, employing different time horizons and regulatory focus message framings. Findings indicate that the messages with a limited time horizon tend to be associated with better safety perceptions and attitudes than messages with an expansive time horizon. California transportation authorities, professionals, and advocacy groups will be able to use this information to effectively allocate the communication effort and spending to induce attitudinal and behavioral change that can impact the safety of active transportation modes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to massive rates of unemployment and greater uncertainty in the job market. There is a growing need for data-driven tools and analyses to better inform the public on trends within the job market. In particular, obtaining a “snapshot” of available employment opportunities mid-pandemic promises insights to inform policy and support retraining programs. In this work, we combine data scraped from the Canadian Job Bank and Numbeo globally crowd-sourced repository to explore the relationship between job postings during a global pandemic and Key Performance Indicators (e.g. quality of life index, cost of living) for major cities across Canada. This analysis aims to help Canadians make informed career decisions, collect a “snapshot” of the Canadian employment opportunities amid a pandemic, and inform job seekers in identifying the correct fit between the desired lifestyle of a city and their career. We collected a new high-quality dataset of job postings from jobbank.gc.ca obtained with the use of ethical web scraping and performed exploratory data analysis on this dataset to identify job opportunity trends. When optimizing for average salary of job openings with quality of life, affordability, cost of living, and traffic indices, it was found that Edmonton, AB consistently scores higher than the mean, and is therefore an attractive place to move. Furthermore, we identified optimal provinces to relocate to with respect to individual skill levels. It was determined that Ajax, Marathon, and Chapleau, ON are each attractive cities for IT professionals, construction workers, and healthcare workers respectively when maximizing average salary. Finally, we publicly release our scraped dataset as a mid-pandemic snapshot of Canadian employment opportunities and present a public web application that provides an interactive visual interface that summarizes our findings for the general public and the broader research community.

In this study, we utilize US Geological Survey citizen science earthquake felt intensity data to investigate whether , crustal earthquakes in the Chilean Subduction Zone show similar, "felt intensity" distributions to events of the same magnitude and depths within the Cascadia Subduction Zone (Quitoriano & Wald, 2020; USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, 2020). In a companion article (Rutherford & Cassidy, 2022) we examine intraslab deep earthquake intensity patterns for the Chile and Cascadia subduction zones. Building on from the intraslab companion article, the goal of this comparison is to determine whether felt intensity information from several recent large (M8-8.8) subduction earthquakes in Chile can be applied to Cascadia (where no subduction earthquakes have been felt since 1700). This would provide a better understanding of shaking intensity patterns for future subduction earthquakes in Cascadia - critical information for scientists, engineers, and emergency management organizations. For this research, we utilized 20 years of cataloged Did-You-Feel-It (DYFI) citizen science data from the US Geological Survey's (USGS) earthquake online catalog, the ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) Documentation (USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, 2021). In total, we considered and compared intensity patterns for fourteen magnitudes from 30 earthquakes in Cascadia (ranging from magnitudes 4.5 to 7.2, the highest magnitude event in Cascadia zone) to the intensity patterns from 114 earthquakes in Chile, with the same magnitudes as the Cascadia events (M4.5-M7.2). Our analysis involved plotting and fitting the Chile and Cascadia earthquake DYFI responses to compare the intensity patterns for the two subduction zones. Overall, we find good agreement between felt patterns in Chile and Cascadia. For example, all plots show the expected downward trend for intensity with distance. Even distribution with limited clustering is seen in all fourteen magnitudes, with slight intensity clustering of responses around the 30 to 600 km. This is slightly different from the intraslab pattern which demonstrated a distinct cluster at further distance from the hypocenter, e.g., cluster at 50 to 300 km. These results provide confidence that we can use Chilean intensity data for megathrust earthquakes in Cascadia.