scholarly journals Public Open Spaces Evaluation Using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) in Saudi Universities: The Case of King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 915
Author(s):  
Abdullah Addas ◽  
Ahmad Maghrabi ◽  
Ran Goldblatt
Keyword(s):  
Performance Analysis ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Campus Planning ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Planning Stage ◽  
King Abdulaziz University ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Public Open Spaces

Public open spaces (POSs) provide multiple services (such as facilities for physical activities and social interactions) to local people, and these services are important for the well-being of society and for improving the quality of life. Extensive research on POSs has been carried out in developed countries (such as the US and Australia, as well as European countries including Spain, France, and Germany). However, POSs in the Saudi Arabian context remain unexplored. This study aims to examine the importance and performance of public open spaces on King Abdulaziz University (KAU) campus, Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia, using importance-performance analysis (IPA). One-way ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests were performed to identify differences in the importance and performance of POSs. It was observed that there are significant differences between the importance and performance of public open spaces on the KAU campus, as perceived by stakeholders. Therefore, this study may be helpful in understanding the importance and performance of public open spaces, allowing spaces to be prioritized to improve management and restore open spaces to achieve environmental sustainability at a local scale. In addition, this study suggests that decision-makers involved in campus planning should consider the contribution of public open spaces to education, recreation, and the environment, at the campus planning stage.

scholarly journals Social Evaluation of Public Open Space Services and Their Impact on Well-Being: A Micro-Scale Assessment from a Coastal University

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4372
Author(s):  
Abdullah Addas ◽  
Ahmad Maghrabi
Keyword(s):  
Open Space ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Evaluation ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Public Open Space ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Public Open Spaces

Public open spaces services have been shown to be profoundly affected by rapid urbanization and environmental changes, and in turn, they have influenced socio-cultural relationships and human well-being. However, the impact of these changes on public open space services (POSS) remains unexplored, particularly in the Saudi Arabian context. This study examines the socio-cultural influence of POSS on the King Abdulaziz University campus, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the impact of these services on well-being. A field survey and questionnaire were used to collect data. Non-parametric tests (Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests) were used to find significant differences in the importance of POSS as perceived by stakeholders based on socio-demographic attributes. Factor analysis was performed for 14 POSS to identify those that are most important. The study showed that (i) university stakeholders are closely linked to services provided by public open spaces (POS) and dependent on POSS, (ii) there were significant differences in the perceived importance of POSS according to gender, age, and social groups, and (iii) 70 to 90% of stakeholders reported POSS as having a positive impact on well-being. Thus, the findings will help design and plan POSS to meet the needs of society and promote well-being.

scholarly journals Education for Sustainable Development as Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: A Literature Review

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Lou E. Neri
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Keywords Education

The World Health Organization (2003) stated that there is growing evidence that changes in the global climate will have profound effects on the well-being of citizens in countries throughout the world. The “business as usual” frame of mind in dealing with this phenomenon is no longer feasible. Rather, there is a great need for a “sense of urgency” to empower and actively involve every individual to adapt and to mitigate the worsening of climate change. A great number of studies show that the leadership of the educational system in developed countries for more than 2 decades has been successful in promoting environmental sustainability. Some of these studies are reviewed and documented in this paper so that vulnerable countries may learn and benchmark from their experiences. Keywords - Education, sustainable development, climate change

scholarly journals Degrowth: a proposal to foster a deeply radical socio-ecological transformation

Oikonomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Demaria
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Planetary Health ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Industrialised Countries ◽  
Sustainable Recovery

For a sustainable post-Covid-19 recovery strategy, humanity faces two major challenges: 1. Just prosperity: The creation of a resilient and fair economy that delivers prosperity for all; 2. Public and planetary health: protect human health, together with the reduction of environmental impacts below thresholds of planetary boundaries including greenhouse gas emissions. The Covid-19 crisis could represent an opportunity for responses that integrate different goals, or a drawback if some are prioritized without considering their impacts on the others. New kinds of informed solutions are needed to ensure long-term sustainability in social, economic, and environmental terms. This article addresses the research question: How could developed countries manage a sustainable recovery that provides a good life for all within public and planetary health? First, it argues that economic growth is not compatible with environmental sustainability. Green Keynesianism is based on the hypothesis that economic growth can be decoupled from environmental impacts, but this has not happened and it is unlikely to happen. Second, it introduces degrowth as an alternative to green growth. Degrowth challenges the hegemony of economic growth and calls for a democratically led redistributive downscaling of production and consumption in industrialised countries as a means to achieve environmental sustainability, social justice, and well-being. Third, it traces the recent evolution of the term degrowth from an activist slogan to an academic concept. Last, it calls for an alliance of alternatives that could foster a deeply radical socio-ecological transformation.

scholarly journals Public health and well-being in public open spaces through climate responsive urban planning and design

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Urban Planning And Design ◽  
Active Lifestyles ◽  
Controlled Environments ◽  
Public Open Spaces

The urban fabric enables people to move between climate-controlled environments (such as home and indoors work) and non-controlled ones (such as parks and beaches). The planning and design of urban spaces, on the other hand, largely define the way we live and affect our health as it can, for instance, promote or hinder active lifestyles and social cohesion (Owen, 2009; Speck, 2012). But even when the cities have compact built form and provide key features and infrastructure conducive to healthy lifestyles, local climate can indirectly dictate and restrict the use of public open spaces if the weather is prohibitive (Tavares & Swaffield, 2017). Climate responsive urban planning and design is, therefore, key to secure a healthy urban lifestyle (Barton, Thompson, Burgess, & Grant, 2015; Kent et al., 2017; Mouratidis, 2017) especially in light of frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

scholarly journals Fostering Interactions at Public Open Spaces. The Role of Physical Interface in Facilitating User Interactions in the UAE

2021 ◽  
pp. 167-184
Author(s):  
Arushi Malhotra ◽  
Ranjana Dobriyal
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Tall Buildings ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Open Spaces

Over the past few decades, the importance of public open spaces has been substantially increased due to rapid urbanization and developments. Likewise, cities and communities in the Arab world are also going through urban transformation; driven by the global context in which cities are being reshaped along with the modernization of urban planning themes. Over the last 15 years, Dubai has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing cities. It has been associated with the desire to build tall buildings as a statement of modernity, globalization, and economic prosperity, which lead to a rapid growth in population. This expansion has caused many environmental and urban planning challenges. Hasty urbanization, demographic, and economic growth alongside land privatization process has progressively changed the nature and theme of public open spaces within the UAE which in turn creates a gap between social life and community urban planning. The regeneration of public open spaces in cities of the UAE is a major issue as multiple factors must be taken into consideration during the design stages. This paper aims at understanding the role of physical interface of the public open spaces in context of UAE and its transformation over the years. These spaces act as a catalyst which accelerate this transformation of urban scenario and there by citizens life. Open places play an important role for bringing people closer and act as a socio-cultural entity for the sake of improving social life and interactivity. Social well-being arises from a sense of security, belonging, familiarity, support, cohesion, and integration of social groups, based on respect for different cultures, traditions, and backgrounds. Hence this research analyzes the influence of such tangible and intangible elements in the public open spaces, through which the social interaction happens and offers unprecedented experience to the users, visitors and urban community alike.

scholarly journals Performance Analysis of Urban Cleaning Devices Using Human–Machine Interaction Method

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5846
Author(s):  
María Alonso-García ◽  
Ana García-Sánchez ◽  
Paula Jaén-Moreno ◽  
Manuel Fernández-Rubio
Keyword(s):  
Performance Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Interaction Method ◽  
Human Machine Interaction ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Limited Company ◽  
Cleaning Device ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Machine Interaction

Presently, several jobs require the collaboration of humans and machines to perform different services and tasks. The ease and intuitiveness of the worker when using each machine will not only improve the worker’s experience but also improve the company’s productivity and the satisfaction that all users have. Specifically, electromechanical devices used to provide cleaning services require complex interactions. These interactions determine the usability and performance of devices. Therefore, devices must have appropriate ergonomic arrangements for human–machine interactions. Otherwise, the desired performance cannot be achieved. This study analyzes the performance of an urban cleaning device (pressure washer on a power take-off van) using human–machine interaction method. The method measures visceral and behavioral levels (set by Norman) and service times. Using these measurements, the usability of the pressure washer is determined according to different factors that facilitate the operator’s well-being in the working environment. A pressure washer from Feniks Cleaning and Safety, Limited Company, has been studied. Sixteen errors related to ergonomics, usability and safety were identified in this machine, which operates in more than 40 locations in Spain. Therefore, this study provides valuable information on the usability and performance of pressure washers, as well as possibilities for improvement.

A Methodological Approach for Creating Urban Commons of Wellness in Public Open Spaces in the City of Chania

2022 ◽  
pp. 47-68
Author(s):  
Sofia Mavroudi ◽  
Panagiotis Parthenios
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
The Public ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Urban Commons ◽  
The City ◽  
Public Open Spaces

To investigate the wellbeing factor within the urban context, the authors developed a methodological process for understanding and recreating the term “wellness” focusing on the public open spaces of the city. Using as case study the city of Chania, this research firstly proposes the assessment of four well-being indicators in specific areas of the city linking their effect on people's disposition and then uses the generated data for the redesign of public open spaces in terms of strengthening urban prosperity, with a comprehensive six-step methodology that combines participatory processes and methods based on GIS technologies. This chapter is structured into three main sections as follows: the first section elaborates on the research questions and justification of methods used, the second proceeds with the analysis of the proposed methodology while the third section highlights its overall assessment. Finally, some concluding remarks are expressed for further research.

scholarly journals Making the Case for “Whole System” Approaches: Integrating Public Health and Housing

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 2345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Sharpe ◽  
Tim Taylor ◽  
Lora Fleming ◽  
Karyn Morrissey ◽  
George Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Sustainable Housing ◽  
Public Health Activity ◽  
Health Challenge ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Health And Well Being

Housing conditions have been an enduring focus for public health activity throughout the modern public health era. However, the nature of the housing and health challenge has changed in response to an evolution in the understanding of the diverse factors influencing public health. Today, the traditional public health emphasis on the type and quality of housing merges with other wider determinants of health. These include the neighbourhood, community, and “place” where a house is located, but also the policies which make access to a healthy house possible and affordable for everyone. Encouragingly, these approaches to policy and action on housing have the potential to contribute to the “triple win” of health and well-being, equity, and environmental sustainability. However, more effective housing policies (and in public health in general) that adopt more systemic approaches to addressing the complex interactions between health, housing, and wider environment are needed. This paper illustrates some of the key components of the housing and health challenge in developed countries, and presents a conceptual model to co-ordinate activities that can deliver the “triple win.” This is achieved by offering a perspective on how to navigate more effectively, inclusively and across sectors when identifying sustainable housing interventions.

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