Showing papers on "Metropolitan area published in 2023"

Quantitative Analysis of Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics using Geoinformatics Techniques: A Case Study on Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) in West Bengal, India

Abstract: One of the most valuable approaches in spatial analysis for a better understanding of the hydrological response of a region or a watershed is certainly the analysis of the well-known land use land cover (LULC) dynamicity. The present case study delves deeper into the analysis of LULC dynamicity by using digital Landsat TM and Landsat OLI data to classify the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) into seven classes with over 90% classification accuracy for decadal level assessments of 30 years (for the years 1989, 1999, 2009, and 2019). The change index, the Dematel method for analyzing the cause-effect relationship among the LULC classes, the Jaccard Similarity Index for measuring the nature of similarity among the LULC classes, and the Adherence Index for measuring the consistency of the LULC classes after the transition was used in this study to analyze the LULC transformation. In more detail, the present study considers how urban land use is altering at the expense of other land uses. Besides the shifting pattern of mean centers of the LULC classes through time, also gives a very significant insight into the LULC dynamics over 30 years of span. The current study of LULC dynamicity and transformation patterns over the 30 years of the KMDA area is expected to assist land and urban planners, engineers, and administrators in sustainable decisions and policies to ensure inclusive urbanization that accommodates population growth while minimizing the impact on potential natural resources within the whole study area.

Impacts of the large-scale use of passenger electric vehicles on public health in 30 US. metropolitan areas

Abstract: In addition to sound policies at the national level, the successful implementation of zero-emission vehicle goals requires commitments and actions at the regional level. This study quantified what the potential impact would be by 2050 of large-scale use of passenger electric vehicles (EVs) on air pollution (concentrations of fine particulate matter), public health, and associated economic gains across various metropolitan areas in the United States. Results were estimated and reported for 30 metropolitan areas. The study employed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency CMAQ air quality model and the BenMAP health impact assessment tool. Results indicated that a large-scale uptake in EV passenger travel can improve air quality and reduce mortality. The top five metropolitan areas that would benefit the most from such transportation electrification are Los Angeles (1163 prevented premature deaths annually, corresponding to $12.61 billion health benefits), New York (576, $6.24 billion), Chicago (276, $3.00 billion), the San Joaquin Valley (260, $2.82 billion), and Dallas (186, $2.02 billion). These results provide important scientific input to national and regional policymakers in support of decision-making towards clean transportation. This study examined the status quo and latest updates on EV transition policies across different regions given that California and several northeast states have already expressed explicit clean transportation goals. Interrelated policy, technology, and behavioral measures toward bringing down barriers to EV adoption were also examined. The wide differences that exist in the electricity mix across various regions suggests that varying strategies are needed down the road to achieve clean electric mobility.

Consumption feedback and water saving: An experiment in the metropolitan area of Milan

Abstract: This paper questions whether informative feedback on consumption can nudge water saving behavioral change. For this purpose, we launched a five-month online information campaign which involved equipping around 1,000 households located in the province of Milan (Italy) with a smart meter. Treated households received monthly reports via email on their per capita daily average water consumption, which included a social comparison component (consumption class size). The difference-in-differences analysis showed that, compared to the control group, treated units reduced their daily per capita water consumption by more than 10 % (22 liters or 5.8 gallons). This additional water saving increased with the number of monthly reports, though it did not persist two months after the campaign expired. The impact of the campaign was heterogeneous across consumption classes, while a Regression Discontinuity Design analysis showed that different feedback on consumption class size differentially affected water saving at the margin. Finally, being able to observe the email opening rate, we complemented the ITT analysis by developing a Per Protocol (PP) analysis, where non-adherent units were excluded from the treated group. Both ITT and PP provide consistent conclusions, thus augmenting the level of confidence in the study results.

A Moderated–Mediated Model for Eco-Conscious Consumer Behavior

Abstract: Using the Attitude‒Behavior‒Context theory, this research aims to investigate the impact of green marketing (GM) and green customer value (GCV) on eco-conscious consumer behavior (ECB) toward the consumption of green products. This study involved a survey technique that comprised 700 consumers through a self-administered questionnaire disseminated through enumerators in two metropolitan cities of Pakistan (namely, Lahore and Karachi), of which 349 were usable for the data analysis process. The hypothesized relationships were validated using partial least squares structural equation modeling through SmartPLS 4.0. The empirical findings showed a positive impact of GM and GCV on brand awareness (BA), environmental concern (EC), and ECB. The findings also revealed the partial mediating effect of BA and EC on the relationship between GM, GCV, and ECB. In addition, this study observed the moderating impact of felt obligation (FO) on the relationship between BA and ECB. The findings show that ECB is essential for a sustainable environment. This study’s results may guide managers and marketers in developing suitable GM strategies.

Circular, Cultural and Creative City Index: a Comparison of Indicators-based Methods with a Machine-Learning Approach

Abstract: Culture, creativity and circularity are driving forces for the transition of cities towards sustainable development models. This contribution proposes a data-driven quantitative methodology to compute cultural performance indices of cities (C4 Index) and thus compare results derived by subjective and objective assessment methods within the case study of the Metropolitan City of Naples. After data processing with Machine-Learning (ML) algorithms, two methods for weighting the indicators were compared: principal component analysis (PCA) and geographically weighted linear combination (WLC) with budget allocation. The results highlight similar trends among higher performance in seaside cities and lower levels in the inner areas, although some divergences between rankings. The proposed methodology was addressed to fill the research gap in comparing results obtained with different aggregation methods, allowing a choice consistent with the decision-making environment.

Contrasting effects of lake breeze and urbanization on heat stress in Chicago metropolitan area

Abstract: This study used the latest Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with multilayer urban canopy models to investigate contrasting effects from urbanization and lake breeze on summer heat stress over the Chicago metropolitan area (CMA). Comparisons between the model and in situ observations show that this coupled modeling system better captures urban locations' diurnal pattern of surface air temperature, skin temperature and relative humidity, with root mean square error reduced from 1.58 to 1.80 °C to 1.14–1.31 °C, 3.11–3.55 °C to 1.81–2.21 °C, and 10.73–11.35% to 7.84–8.60%, respectively, compared to WRF without coupling the urban canopy models. Two sensitivity experiments were conducted to isolate the influence of lake breeze and urbanization: one replaced the urban land use with cropland over the CMA, and the other filled all of Lake Michigan with cropland. Three different heat stress indices were computed to assess the uncertainties of heat stress response to changes in air temperature, relative humidity, and wind conditions. Results show that, when the lake has the largest cooling effect on air temperature, it also increases the relative humidity the most, and vice versa for urban warming and drying effects. Urbanization intensifies heat stress at night, and extends the heat caution period by up to 4 h over inland urban grids; the lake breeze relieves heat stress during afternoon (when the heat stress is the worst), and shortens the heat caution period by 1–3 h over inland urban grids and 3–4 h over coastal urban grids. The intensification of heat stress over the CMA due to urbanization is more than four times greater than the reduction from the lake breeze in the late afternoon and evening.

Urban water crises driven by elites’ unsustainable consumption

Abstract: Abstract Over the past two decades, more than 80 metropolitan cities across the world have faced severe water shortages due to droughts and unsustainable water use. Future projections are even more alarming, since urban water crises are expected to escalate and most heavily affect those who are socially, economically and politically disadvantaged. Here we show how social inequalities across different groups or individuals play a major role in the production and manifestation of such crises. Specifically, due to stark socioeconomic inequalities, urban elites are able to overconsume water while excluding less-privileged populations from basic access. Through an interdisciplinary approach, we model the uneven domestic water use across urban spaces and estimate water consumption trends for different social groups. The highly unequal metropolitan area of Cape Town serves as a case in point to illustrate how unsustainable water use by the elite can exacerbate urban water crises at least as much as climate change or population growth.

Plans and projects for the Central Plains of China: New forms of extended urbanisation in Zhengzhou metropolitan region

Abstract: Since the early 2000s, China has seen unprecedented urban growth which has spread to every corner of the country. This process has been anything but linear. Driven by the urban entrepreneurialism of the major municipalities until the mid-2000s, the reins have since passed to the central and regional administrations which plan development in a more comprehensive and coordinated fashion. This paper discusses how this turning point in urban policies has redirected planning activities: from the centripetal development of the major cities through new towns to centrifugal urbanisation fostering regional integration via wide-area projects and small-scale interventions. This is evident in the inland regions, which have become the testing grounds for new policies, governmental practices, and forms of spatial development. Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, is a case in point: once the epitome of urban entrepreneurialism policies in action, this metropolitan region is now the target of national plans and local initiatives to drive the Central Plains agglomeration. In addition to changes in its governance, this shift has also transformed planning activities, and so too the spatial features of this emerging urbanity. By investigating the changes in policies and plans, this contribution sheds light on the salient features of this metropolitan development, revealing the features of the emerging extended urbanisation in China, as well as continuities and ruptures with previous urban trends.

Prevalence of Meeting Aerobic, Muscle-Strengthening, and Combined Physical Activity Guidelines During Leisure Time Among Adults, by Rural-Urban Classification and Region — United States, 2020

Abstract: The healthful effects of physical activity on a multitude of physical and mental health outcomes are well documented (1). Despite promising increases in the percentage of U.S. adults meeting aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity guidelines (guidelines)* (1) during leisure time in nearly all demographic and regional subgroups 1998-2018 (2,3), differences by rurality and U.S. Census Bureau region (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West), persist (4). Before 2020, analyses of rural-urban differences were dichotomized into nonmetropolitan (rural) versus metropolitan (urban) areas; however, in 2020 a four-category rural-urban variable† to classify rural-urban status was included in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) public-use dataset. NHIS 2020 data were used to conduct multivariate logistic regression analyses by rural-urban status and U.S. Census Bureau region of the prevalence of meeting the aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and combined aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines during leisure time among adults aged ≥18 years, controlling for demographic characteristics. Prevalence of meeting the aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and combined aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines was consistently the lowest in Nonmetropolitan counties (38.2%, 21.1%, and 16.1%, respectively) and highest in the West region (52.1%, 35.3%, and 28.5%, respectively). Regardless of rural-urban classification and region, no more than 28% of adults met combined aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines. Adults in the most rural category were significantly less likely to meet aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and combined guidelines than were adults in each of the three other categories (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] range = 0.68-0.89). In addition, adults in medium and small metropolitan counties were less likely to meet guidelines than were adults in the two most urban categories (aOR range = 0.85-0.89). Adults in the Northeast, Midwest, and South U.S. Census Bureau regions were less likely to meet guidelines than were adults in the West region (aOR range = 0.75-0.82). These analyses identify geographic disparities in leisure-time physical activity where focused population-level intervention efforts could help reduce or eliminate the consequent disparities in chronic conditions (e.g., cardiovascular diseases) and the resulting mortality (5,6).

Variations in Ecosystem Service Value and Its Driving Factors in the Nanjing Metropolitan Area of China

Abstract: More than 60% of the world’s ecosystem services have deteriorated over the past few decades. Studying the spatio-temporal fluctuations in ecosystem service value and its influencing factors is important for identifying regional ecosystem service value issues, upholding regional ecological harmony, and encouraging regionally healthy and coordinated sustainable development. Ecosystem service value has so far been studied primarily in relation to the effect of socioeconomic and physical–geographical variables. However, the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem service values also drive the spatio-temporal variations in ecosystem service value. Few studies have been conducted to date to investigate the trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem service values and their impact on ecosystem service value. Therefore, this paper used sensitivity analysis, correlation analysis, trade-offs and synergies analysis, and a Geodetector to examine changes in ecosystem service value and their influencing factors within the Nanjing metropolitan region. The ecosystem service value decreased somewhat overall between 2000 and 2020, with a decline rate of 2.19 million CNY/year. In comparison to the north of the Nanjing metropolitan region, the ecosystem service value was relatively higher in the south. The water bodies had the highest total ecosystem service value, followed by forest land, cultivated land, and grassland, with construction land and unused land having the lowest ecosystem service values overall. The main socioeconomic factor influencing the spatial variations in ecosystem service value was population density, while the main physical–geographical factors were the digital elevation model, the normalized difference vegetation index, and precipitation. As a result, the Nanjing metropolitan area should tighten its grip on excessive population growth. In contrast to the expository strength of a single factor on the ecosystem service value, the influence of all individual elements on the ecosystem service value under interaction was significantly increased, and the interaction among the normalized difference vegetation index and gross economic product had the most obvious effect on the ecosystem service value. The spatial variation in the ecosystem service value was also influenced by trade-offs and synergies between the value of supply services, regulation services, support services, and cultural services. Therefore, trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services also need to be considered in land-use decisions.

Measuring Spatializing Inequalities of Transport Accessibility and Urban Development Patterns: Focus on Megacity Urbanization, Thailand

Abstract: The metropolis of Bangkok is characterized as a primate city because of its role as the capital of Thailand. Its suburbanization spreads to five surrounding provinces. Compared to other provinces in Thailand, it has highly concentrated urban development, without disparity between urban and rural areas. Furthermore, the travel volume in Bangkok and its surrounding areas is the highest in the country, with the majority related to private vehicle usage. This is why Bangkok is ranked as the world’s most congested city. To solve this problem and sustain the urbanization of the capital, it is necessary to understand the urban development patterns in Bangkok and their associated factors in measuring the accessibility of transportation. This research applied factor analysis and cluster analysis to characterize the different district contexts of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, by selecting the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) as the capital city area and Pathum Thani Province as a suburbanized area. Consequently, their transport accessibility could be represented by the level of accessibility in terms of the inequalities in the existing transportation system. Furthermore, by clustering the districts according to their economic and social factors, the causes of these inequalities could be identified by spatializing and geographically highlighting them. These findings should be integrated into the urban planning and development policies to overcome urban development challenges and create a city with more accessible and affordable public transport opportunities.

Unemployment and Innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) during the First Year of COVID-19 Pandemic in Metropolitan Lima, Peru

Abstract: Due to the increase in unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Metropolitan Lima (Peru), unemployment in 2020 rose to 16.5% (1.3 million unemployed) compared to the previous year. Through innovation, SMEs sought new strategies to continue growing in the highly competitive market, generating labour demand. Therefore, the research question proposed was: How has business innovation favoured the reduction of unemployment in SMEs during the pandemic caused by COVID-19 in Metropolitan Lima? In order to solve this problem, this research developed a qualitative approach using grounded theory. Data was collected by interviewing 17 key subjects, in addition to the observation of 12 businesses between the months of August and October 2021. The results show that the observed businesses that were able to successfully cope with the pandemic had to modify their structure or processes with new sales methods (home delivery), as well as novel promotion and advertising techniques. Received: 25 October 2022 / Accepted: 29 January 2023 / Published: 5 March 2023

Are Food Hubs Sustainable? An Analysis of Social and Environmental Objectives of U.S. Food Hubs

Abstract: The United States food system is highly centralized with only three of the fifty states producing more than 75 percent of U.S. fruits and vegetables. The high reliance on long-distance transportation and cold chains undermines the sustainability of the food system and adds to its vulnerability. This was most recently demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic which caused significant disruptions to food supply chains. A promising alternative is a more decentralized and localized food system which reduces the reliance on long-distance transportation and long supply chains. Since such a food system will likely consist of smaller producers, questions have been raised about its economic viability. This precipitated the idea of Food Hubs as market aggregators. The model was first introduced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a way to aggregate the agricultural product of small farms. It has since evolved to imply a more flexible food system that can complement various parts of the food supply chain. This study develops a framework to assess the social and environmental sustainability contributions of Food Hubs and especially of urban Food Hubs, since 80 percent of U.S. food consumers live in urban and metro areas. Using our framework, we conducted a content analysis of publicly available information for 50 Food Hubs in metropolitan areas across the United States. We find that Food Hubs contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing food transportation through sourcing from local farms. They also perform relatively well in contributing to lowering food waste and loss. Their contributions to improving water management and adopting more sustainable food production methods, however, appear to be less strong. Similarly, Food Hubs appear to enhance some of our selected aspects of social sustainability such as improving access to fresh and healthy food to local consumers, and organizations such as schools and hospitals. Only a few of the Food Hubs in our sample, however, address our other aspects of social sustainability such as improving food security. We conclude our study by offering an aggregate ranking of the sustainability contributions of our selected Food Hubs based on our assessment framework.

The influence of synoptic scale wind patterns on column integrated nitrogen dioxide, ground level ozone, and the development of sea breeze circulations in the New York City metropolitan area

Abstract: The continually changing atmospheric conditions over densely populated coastal urban regions make it challenging to produce models that accurately capture the complex interactions of anthropogenic and environmental emissions, chemical reactions, and unique meteorological processes, such as sea- and land-breeze circulations. The purpose of this study is to determine and identify the influence of synoptic scale wind patterns on the development of local scale sea breeze circulations and air quality over the New York City (NYC) metropolitan area. This study utilizes column integrated nitrogen dioxide observations made during the Long Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study (LISTOS) field campaign, ground level ozone observations, the HRRR numerical weather prediction model, and trajectory model simulations using the NOAA HYSPLIT model. A cluster analysis within the HYSPLIT modeling system was performed to determine that there were six unique synoptic scale transport pathways for NYC. Stagnant conditions or weak transport out of the northwest resulted in the worst air quality for NYC. Weak synoptic scale forcings associated with these conditions allowed for local scale sea breeze circulations to develop resulting in air pollution to recirculate and mix with freshly emitted pollutants.