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The development of health care facilities in a nation improves the quality of life of its citizens, and enhances their efficiency and productivity; eventually, reducing poverty. This paper proposed a methodology that uses GIS and multi-criteria decision-making technique for development of health care units (HCUs), to attain spatial efficiency in the distribution of facilities. The methodology assigns spatial weightage to the suitability index of the candidate locations in the objective function of maximizing coverage location-allocation problem embedded in ArcGIS. Habitations unserved by the existing HCUs are considered as candidate locations. The five criteria considered to determine the suitability index of a location are: Access distance to nearest existing HCU (C 1) , Accessibility index of habitations to existing HCUs based on service to population ratio (C 2) , Connectivity to all-weather roads (C 3) , Population of neighborhood (C 4) , and Health care requirement of a zone (C 5). The proposed methodology is applied in Jhunjhunu district, India as a case study, for the development of Community Health Centers (CHCs). Accessibility of habitation to facilities (jointly C 1 , C 2, and C 4) found to be the most influencing criteria in deciding the suitability of a candidate location to site the CHCs. The proposed methodology enables maximization of coverage, minimization of needless competition within CHCs, and satisfaction of the zonal requirement for health. Study findings would be helpful to national policymakers for developing HCUs by prioritizing fund allocation to shortage areas to improve the health index as well as the quality of life. • A generic practice ready methodology is proposed to develop healthcare units in rural area • GIS and Multi-criteria technique are used concurrently for location-allocation • Spatial weightage is assigned to the suitability index of the candidate location in MCLP • Proposed methodology ensures spatial efficiency in the distribution of facilities • Findings would help policy makers for fund allocation to improve quality of life [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate change is a global problem and across the world there are major difficulties being experienced in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The transport sector in particular is finding it difficult to reduce CO2 emissions. This paper reports on two studies carried out by the authors in London (UK) and Delhi (India). It considers the common objectives for transport CO2 reduction, but the very different contexts and baselines, potentials for change, and some possible synergies. Different packages of measures are selected and scenarios developed for each context which are consistent with contraction and convergence objectives. CO2 reduction potentials are modelled and quantified by package and scenario. London is considering deep reductions on current transport CO2 emission levels; Delhi is seeking to break the huge projected rise in transport CO2 emissions. The scale of policy intervention required to achieve these goals is huge and there is certainly little public discussion of the magnitude of the changes required. The paper argues for a ‘strategic conversation’ at the city level, using scenario analysis, to discuss the priorities for intervention in delivering low carbon transport futures. A greater focus is required in developing participatory approaches to decision making, alongside network investments, urban planning, low emission vehicles and wider initiatives. Aspirations towards equitable target emissions may assist in setting sufficiently demanding targets. Only then is a wider awareness and ownership of potential carbon efficient transport futures likely to take place. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Private vehicle ownership has been growing in double digits over the last decade. This paper examines the factors determining vehicle ownership for urban and rural households in India. Separate nation-wide disaggregate vehicle ownership models for urban and rural areas in India are developed using readily available consumer expenditure survey dataset. A consumption based proxy variable is assumed to represent economic standard of households. Comparison between vehicle ownership behavior of urban and rural households show that rural households are more inclined to own private vehicle than urban households with same economic standards. Amongst households with regular salaried members, rural households' preference to own two wheelers is greater than that of urban households. While the presence of elderly member or children is considered, urban households showed more preference to own four-wheeler than rural households. As a first nation-wise study to understand the differences in vehicle ownership behavior in urban and rural areas of India, this study provides a lot of useful insights which could be valuable to various stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global urban mobility projects faces multiple sustainability challenges related to the high carbon emission and gasoline consumption. Due to carbon-intensive mobility, many developed countries implemented various place-based decarbonisation (PBD) strategies to develop sustainable city environments, but the adoption of PBD strategies in developing nations is still lagging. Electric vehicles (EVs) based mobilities are considered a PBD strategy to reduce city transport externalities. In addition, developing nations' transport users have various adoption uncertainties in adopting EVs-based urban mobility. Therefore, the present study focuses on understanding transport users' preferences for adopting EVs-based mobility to promote decarbonization in multiple places in India. The proposed conceptual model is based on attribution theory to develop EVs' adoption intention and validate it with the users of different tier-1 cities of India. The PBD strategies of the considered cities differ entirely from developed cities of the world and have different EVs promotion strategies. A structured survey instrument is used to record 335 potential users' responses to validate the conceptual model. The proposed model's psychometric properties are analysed with the LISREL package of Structural Equation Modeling. The moderated-mediation model and proposed research model hypotheses are tested using PROCESS macro. The obtained results confirm two important relations; first, the EVs technical attributes mediated the relationship between users' financial attributes and psychological attributes for PBD mobility adoption; Second , financial attributes are positively related to psychological attributes for adopting EVs for users' PBD mobility. The other key finding of the research is that the financial attributes interacted with the existing EV infrastructure (first moderator) and familiarity (second moderator) to influence the technical attributes of EV adoption. Thus, the obtained results unfold the complex relationships among financial attributes, psychological attributes, technical attributes, EV infrastructure, and familiarity for developing positive intentions towards adopting EVs for city decarbonization. The above factors profoundly impact the psychological makeup of users, resulting in individuals' purchasing intention of EVs for PBD. These results contribute to sustainable development in public transportation system and paves way to decarbonise city mobility. This paper helps transport planners and city administrators to develop adeqaute policy instruments for improving decarbonization strategies in Indian cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The new era of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) enables people to communicate and interact with each other in new and different manners, changing the way they conduct their daily lives. This change inevitably has significant implications for physical travel in the age of electronic communication (e-communication). This paper aims to provide greater insight into people’s travel behavior based on their e-Communication to Travel balance (C/T balance). This balance represents the ratio between an individual’s e-communication and physical travel. The analysis studies the relevance of social ties in Ahmedabad, India, as a source of explanation of social activity, thus travel, undertaken by individuals. It is hypothesized that the C/T balance emerges from an individual’s social network characteristics. The ability of an individual to engage in social activities not only depends on the individual’s socioeconomic and lifestyle attributes, but also on the ‘modality’ of such interactions (e.g. physical travel or e-communication). The different modalities create different social networks. Each network represents a particular flow of potential activity travel generated by interaction between the individuals. These networks have been clustered on the basis of their C/T balance to get distinct people’s profiles that can be used to target transport and ICT policies better. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Traditional focus of transportation planning has been to improve mobility of motorized vehicles measuring benefits as increased speed and saved travel time. Since 1950s, indicators are being developed to evaluate accessibility and safety of different types of road users like non-motorized transport (NMT) and public transport (PT) users. However, the application of the indicators is still limited to evaluate the impacts on one type of road user only. The paper proposes indicators to evaluate the impact of a transport project on all types of road users and on the society as a whole. Both conventional and proposed indicators are applied to evaluate the Delhi-BRT corridor stretch of 5.8km. The conventional approach showed reduced personal vehicular speed and delays at junctions. Whereas, the proposed indicators of accessibility measured number of relevant destinations that are within reach of different types of road users which were not within the reach before and the number and type of road users for whom the accessibility has increased. The safety indicators evaluated the change in interaction between different road users and safety of different types of road users. The indicators also evaluated the change in competitive position of different modes that may result in causing modal shift. The proposed indicators are suggested to be used along with the traditional indicators for complete evaluation of transport projects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper investigates the geographical scale of residential mobility and its impacts on household vehicle ownership and commute mode choice decisions in Hubli-Dharwad twin cities. We have identified three geographic scales of residential mobility – within wards, between wards, and between cities. The descriptive and statistical analyses reveal that households that moved between cities and those moved between wards added more cars post-relocation. Further, households that moved within wards exhibited a higher likelihood of adding the first motorized two-wheeler and increasing their two-wheeler fleet to two. Notably, families that moved within or between wards are observed to increase their two-wheeler fleet from holding two vehicles at their previous home location. Households that moved between cities switched to public transit from private mode use at the previous residential location. The residential mobility model suggests that household heads holding a postgraduate degree and above are more likely to relocate between the cities and less likely to relocate between wards. Households that moved between wards are more likely to switch to motorized two-wheelers for work travel than the households that moved within cities, as implied by the mode choice model. Between-cities movements encourage vehicle relinquishment, as suggested by the statistical model. The study also shows that an increase in land use mix diversity of residential wards decreases households' tendency to procure additional vehicles and encourages personal vehicles' relinquishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban public health is one of the most critical yet neglected aspects of urban planning in developing countries such as India. Inequity in access to government healthcare facilities affects the overall urban population and can substantially negatively impact the vulnerable population, who mostly rely on government healthcare services. In this paper, the accessibility measure for healthcare services by public transport is developed using travel time and the number of transit stops (accounting for transit connectivity) for Greater Mumbai. We also identified socially vulnerable wards (administrative units) using a Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), developed based on 16 indicators using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Developed regression models showed that the proposed accessibility measure explains the coverage and usage of healthcare services better than the traditional accessibility measure, which is based on only aggregate level travel time impedances. South Mumbai has relatively better accessibility for public hospitals and dispensaries, whereas, lower level of accessibility is observed in the eastern part for public healthcare services. Assessment for the spatial inequity based on the Gini index, bivariate Moran's I , and mean access value reveals a higher degree of spatial inequity for accessing government hospitals for the slum population. The study developed a decision framework to suggest effective policy measures, which can be prioritised based on SVI to reduce the disparity in the spatial distribution of accessibility to government healthcare systems for vulnerable groups. Our findings can aid transportation and urban planners, health researchers, and policymakers to improve accessibility in under-served areas and give special attention to the needs of the vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although strategies to create transport corridor are prevalent in the global South, there is a lack of empirical research to evaluate these initiatives, in particular whether they have realised their general goal of reducing regional disparities. The current paper describes a multi-method approach involving spatial and non-spatial analysis to investigate spatial disparity along a proposed corridor and examine its integration within the existing settlement structure. The analytical framework is tested on India's Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. A rationale is developed to enable a critical view of corridor policies as strategies for development in the global South. One important finding regarding policies on transport corridors is the risk that future growth will remain concentrated in districts directly linked to a proposed corridor, leaving peripheral areas marginalised. An integrative analysis of current spatial and social disparities in India shows growth to be high in areas with good accessibility between urban and rural areas. Specifically, growth in rural areas is fostered by the availability of good road network, and polytechnic and vocational institutions, whereas in urban areas, growth is positively associated with the provision of secondary schools. In order to prevent or even reduce disparities, this research recommends that spatial strategies be developed with mechanisms to enable their implementation by lower tiers of governments, that spatial plans and infrastructure outlays be reformed to improve accessibility between proposed corridors and peripheral areas, and that accessibility indicators be included in the design and implementation of transport development policies. • An ex-ante evaluation of disparities along transport corridor in India is conducted. • A multi-method approach involving spatial and non-spatial analysis is used. • Socioeconomic disparities are established. • Lack of integration between corridor and existing settlements is ascertained. • Evidence-based policy reforms are recommended for reducing disparities in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport contributes to socioeconomic development. In the case of rapidly developing and rapidly motorizing societies like India, increased mobility brings an increased burden associated with road crashes and their social and economic consequences. The Sustainable Development Goals explicitly address road safety as necessary to achieving targets related to good health but also as part of the targets leading towards more sustainable cities and communities. We apply Seemingly Unrelated Regression to investigate development-related factors that potentially contribute to differences among urban and rural road crash outcomes using open data sets for 35 states and territories in India. Results indicate that there are relationships among development and crash parameters common to both urban and rural areas. The results indicate different development indicators driving differences in crash outcomes in rural versus urban areas. Study findings are supportive of international efforts to better understand complex relationships among the goals and targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals and other high-level development-focused declarations such as the New Urban Agenda. It is hoped this paper adds a new perspective on road safety within sustainable development discussions and encourages interdisciplinary research to further explore these relationships across various regions, countries, and contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]