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The paper proposes a five-step effective method for creating sustainable, thriving urban communities, from sky-is-the-limit creative mapping to polished final execution. The underlying belief is that although every urban area is different, the use of the proposed method enables, under certain circumstances, the creation of favourable conditions for sustainable and shared prosperity. Drawing from the author's two decades of high-profile experience as an urban regeneration expert, the paper offers comments and thoughts on each step, sharing some key lessons learned from real-life project examples. It shows how to identify a community's unique strengths and competitive advantages, as well as the needs, motivations, inequalities and weaknesses that can be fundamental ingredients for crafting a strong vision for its future. It also proposes how to ensure communities have real purpose and how a collaborative approach can deliver lasting tangible benefits in all contexts — physical, social and economic — and generate places where people are happy to build their lives. Finally, it touches on how to break silos, dissipate political resistance, and disrupt unproductive decision-making structures and traditionally inefficient procedures, for creating sustainable shared value. One of the crucial aspects highlighted is that the proposed method must be intended not as a process with a beginning and an end, but rather a continuous iterative long-term effort aimed at achieving and maintaining a virtuous condition. The implication is that, as the context continues to change over time, it is necessary to create the conditions for 'strategic urban agility'. This requires the adoption of a culture of flexibility in all regulatory, planning, design, construction and operational dimensions of an urban regeneration initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction No one can argue on the importance of health in one's life. However, the value of health in the context of other priorities for individuals is not always as clear. Further, patients' experience with the healthcare system is rarely contrasted with the service providers' expectations. The aim of this paper is to examine and compare patients' and providers' own definitions of health and their perceptions of the healthcare delivery experience from the lens of residents and providers in West Baltimore, Maryland. Methods This was a qualitative study with semi‐structured focus groups (15 sessions) and individual in‐depth interviews (21 interviews) with 94 participants. Two independent coders thematically analysed the transcripts. Results Patients identified five areas where health systems can help them stay healthy or become healthier: affordability and costs of care; accessibility; clinician/patient communication; addressing social determinants; and stigma and trust. Providers acknowledged that the healthcare experience is not always perfect. While the medical team focuses on conversations that enhance medical care, patients are expecting providers to touch on subjects beyond medical care. Conclusions Patients and providers need to consider that although they have a common value towards health, there is still a gap in what users expect and what providers can offer. To further align those expectations, there is a need for increasing involvement of patient in care administration and improving dialogue between the parties about these differences. Patient or Public Contribution A Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB)—comprised of a patient, two community leaders, a physician and two healthcare administrators—was instrumental in codeveloping the study material (e.g., interview guides), engaging patients in the research process, identifying participants and codeveloping dissemination material. Two SAB members—Gail Graham, a patient consultant/professor, and Marcia Cort, a physician—are coauthors.

Introduction. The paper is devoted to the theoretically and practically relevant issue of constructing the social identity of the administrative centers of the Russian republics, considered by the authors as one of the factors of positive regional self-identification of the population of the republics. The purpose of the article is, based on the materials of the study, to identify the specifics and factors in the formation of the capital’s identity of the republic within the Russian Federation on the example of Saransk (the Republic of Mordovia). Materials and Methods. The empirical basis of the article consists of the data of quantitative (mass survey of the population of Saransk, n = 443) and qualitative (2 focus groups) field studies carried out in November-December 2020, with the help of which specific features, main structural components and factors of formation of a positive metropolitan identity have been identified. Results. In the structure of the capital identity of the population of Saransk, the system-forming component is identification with the capital status of the city, indirectly based on identification with the status of Mordovia as a republic and its representations in the urban environment. The paper demonstrates that a positive identification with the republican capital is formed on the basis of not so much symbolic politics but factors that create urban identity in general, including economic success and the quality of the urban environment. Discussion and Conclusions. The authors conclude that the main limitations of the formation and maintenance of the capital identity of Saransk are associated with a shortage of urban identity in general, due to a low assessment of the state and prospects, a low level of self-organization at the place of residence and the rotation of the urban population in each generation, which forms the “transit city” identity for a part of the population. The basis of urban identity in Saransk, as in larger cities, is made up of networks of “weak ties”, but the quality of the urban environment, in the opinion of its residents, does not contribute to the formation and development of such contacts. On the basis of results of researches, the authors claim the necessity of studying of city activism for the cities which are not among largest, as an independent research problem.

Country governments and the WHO advocated that the ''whole-of-government'' and the ''whole-of-society'' approaches are necessary to fight against the pandemic. However, it is unclear what it means in practice and its implications in the of context of food security and in emergencies. This article examines the “whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach” (WOG-WOS), how the government and non-government stakeholders have quickly engaged in collaborative governance to address the community food supply challenges. This research analyzed government policies and reports, scanned grey literature and conduced in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in Wuhan working on the frontline of food supply during the first wave of COVID-19 lockdown. The findings contribute to the literature on collaborative governance in emergency management. The case of Wuhan makes the point that the government and the society are interdependent in emergencies. For the whole society to achieve its full potential, the governments need to focus on the goals, function as open-minded coordinators and adopt a flexible governing structure.

برنامج المدن المراعية السن هو برنامج عالمي يهدف إلي مراعاة احتياجات ومتطلبات کبار السن عند مرحلة التخط`يط والتصميم العمراني وذلک من خلال تطوير الاستراتيجيات المؤثرة على صحتهم بتلک المدن حيث يمثل الاهتمام بکبار السن والتحضر توجهين عالميين في القرن الواحد والعشرين. أما في مصر فالاهتمام بالمدن المراعية للسن واحتياجاتها لا تزال بعيدة عن التحقيق؛ وذلک يرجع أن تصميم الفراغات العمرانية لا يدعم احتياجات کبار السن. اعتمد المنهج البحثي علي المنهج الوصفي التحليلي والمنهج التحليلي المقارن، حيث يقوم البحث بدراسة معايير المدن المراعية للسن وتحليلها ثم تطبيقها وقياسها علي تجمعات عمرانية قائمة وتجمعات عمرانية جديدة بمناطق متنوعة في مدينة القاهرة ومقارنتها للوصول علي أهم العوامل المؤثرة علي تحقيق هذه المعايير. و يهدف البحث إلي تحديد ما اذا کانت التوسعات العمرانية المتمثلة في التجمعات العمرانية الجديدة أکثر قدرة علي تطبيق الأسس التصميمية للفراغ العمراني المراعي للسن أم التجمعات العمرانية القائمة من خلال دراسة تصميم الفراغات العمرانية ومدي قدرتها علي تفعيل معايير المدن المراعية للسن. Aging friendly cities program is an international program aims to consider older persons needs and requirements at urban design and urban planning as well, this should happen through developing the strategies which effect their health because taking care of older persons and urbanization are considered a global trend in 21st century. In Egypt, concerning ageing friendly cities needs are still far from being achieved because the urban spaces design doesn’t support older people needs. And this research methodology relied on analytical descriptive and comparative analytical approaches, by studying Ageing Friendly Cities standards then applying and measuring it on existing and new urban communities in different areas in Cairo city in addition to comparing its results to get the most effecting factors on these standards. So, the research aimed at determining whether the new urban spaces expansions are more capable to apply ageing friendly cities design principles or the existing urban spaces by studying the urban spaces design and Its ability to implement Ageing Friendly Cities standards

Based on two premises --the consolidation of the "common" as a political interlocutor with its own agenda and discourse, for which fiscal matters had important implications in terms of legitimacy, and the constitution of cities as key spaces for fiscal negotiations with the Castilian Crown during the Late Middle Ages- this article aims to analyse the "voice" of the common in the construction of consensus/dissent and the configuration of the fiscal structure of the state during the reign of Isabella I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Willingness to reuse reclaimed municipal wastewater was ascertained through a questionnaire completed by 424 respondents, opinions of 17 experts, and interviews with 15 farmers. Information was collected to assess their knowledge of water scarcity and to determine the influence of demographics, correlation to perceived risk, willingness, challenges, and barriers related to the acceptance of reclaimed water. Most respondents were receptive to the idea of using it for purposes other than drinking, and ‘water conservative’ individuals were inclined towards using it even for drinking. Farmers were concerned about its quality and implications for the health of using it for irrigation. Effective communication between authorities and end-users can promote the idea of reusing greywater and reclaimed water for domestic use, and, eventually, for drinking. These findings will be useful in developing an integrated, practical, and strategic framework for treating wastewater for reuse in other cities not only in India but also in other developing countries. HIGHLIGHTS Water-conserving people are more inclined to use reclaimed water for drinking.; The quality of water supply is a major concern by all stakeholders in the study region.; Effective information dissemination positively influences the perception of reclaimed water.; A significant percentage of urban residents are aware of water sustainability risks.;

The article examines the life of urban communities of Kyiv in 1880–1881 in the perception of an imperial official, senator Alexander Polovtsov (1832–1909). The author`s concept based on the opinion that an important part of historical urban studies is the analysis of the activities of urban communities. They represent the state of urban life at a particular historical stage. The article uses excerpts from the “Diary” of Alexander Polovtsov, the Head of the Senatorial Revision Commission, dedicated to his stay in Kyiv in the autumn of 1880 and early 1881. This source is valuable mainly because the author, who did not live in Kyiv (wider — in Ukraine), looked at inhabitants of the city from “outside”. Such a detached view allows us to see Kyiv citizens, firstly the officials of the administrative and administrative apparatus, clergy, landlords, intellectuals — from conservatives to liberals — through the eyes of an “outsider”, a representative of imperial power. At the same time, the article presents diaries and memoirs of representatives of the Kyiv national-democratic intelligentsia, where the events described by Alexander Polovtsov are shown from a different perspective. This perspective of the study deepens the ideas about the peculiarities of the social and cultural life of Kyiv at a crucial moment in history — on the eve of the death of Alexander II and the accession of Alexander III and the change in the political course of the Empire. The informative character of Polovtsov`s diary is determined by its genre specificity. The text is full of facts, descriptions of events, meetings with people. From the position of the imperial high official represented a diverse range of beliefs, opinions, and attitudes of Kyivans in the field of politics, economics, land tenure, education, urban development, etc. The diary is full of succinct descriptions of the individuals contacted by the author. Polovtsov`s assessments help to understand not only how the tsarist government dealt with pressing economic, social and political problems in Ukraine. It helps understand the actions in resolving urgent economic and sociopolitical problems of Ukrainian provinces, the tsarist official`s own attitude to the people in whose milieu he found himself.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly required within K-12 educational settings, yet the impact of youth’s access to and use of digital resources outside of the classroom on academic achievement is only beginning to be explored in the literature. This study used data from the Fragile Families & Child Wellbeing Study to assess the relationship between grades in high school science and digital equity across the learner’s ecological environment. Digital inequities experienced by school-aged youth are referred to as the homework gap. The COVID-19 pandemic placed new urgency on resolving the homework gap as millions of students shifted to full-time online or learning at home during the pandemic. Study findings show that ICT access and use across ecological domains is a significant predictor of urban youths’ academic achievement in science.

During the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, the public used Weibo to acquire information, express emotions, and seek help at a historic and unprecedented scale. This situational information is valuable for authorities to initiate emergency policies and protect people's health. Although event detection and situation awareness during COVID-19 using social media data have been investigated in recent studies, the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of social topics during COVID-19 at the community level are still limited. To address this limitation, this study developed a methodology to explore the dynamics of social topics under the influence of COVID-19 at a community level in Wuhan using geotagged Weibo posts. The disease-related topics exhibited the spatial variations in different urban communities and reflected the dynamics of public attention. Moreover, we used the reported COVID-19 case data in Wuhan and geotagged Weibo posts in Beijing to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. These findings help to track social topic evolution at the community level and gain a better understanding of the spatial variations of public attention during urban emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban-dwelling African American older adults are disproportionately victimized by systems, which relegate them to disparities in health, education, and economic security as well as inequitable access to resources that support overall wellness (Brown, 2010; Jackson et al., 2004; Kahn & Pearlin, 2006; Zhang et al., 2016). The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2021 revealed poorer outcomes and a "double jeopardy" for African American older adults who suffered poor health outcomes (Chatters et al., 2020). As a result, avenues to promote healthy aging through health and wellness literacy, self-empowerment, and social-community connections are critical (Chatters et al., 2020; Pourrazavi et al., 2020; Waites, 2013). A qualitative study was conducted with African American older adults in Detroit to understand how to promote health literacy and overall wellness for those who are aging in place. An empowerment-oriented wellness framework (Dunn, 1961; Dunn, 1977; Hettler, 1976) was employed. Findings indicated that these African American older adults aging in the urban communities strived to maintain their independence while recognizing that they may need some assistance as they age in place. While some elders defined themselves by their disability and expressed feelings of being pushed aside by family and society, many rejected stereotypes associated with aging and reinforced a sense of pride and empowerment. They called for programs to: 1) assist older adults with health literacy and a comprehensive understanding of overall wellness; and, 2) provide activities and tools to support proactive overall wellness; and 3) employ strategies that actively encourage social engagement as well as outreach to their less engaged peers. Participants also suggested that a strategy to enlighten younger generations about the "senior world," and aging is also crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Actor–Network Theory is used to reflect relevant issues of local interaction and involvement in this paper's analysis of Tehran. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods is used in the project to investigate non-human and human factors. The Perceived Residential Environment Quality Index was used to study 422 residents of Bagh-Shater, and community semi-structured interviews and interviews with key informants were performed using an interpretive approach. According to the analysis, a diagnosis of the current state of local interactions and involvement is given by transposing the situation in Bagh-Shater into elements that can demonstrate successive urban changes. These components form a single collection when combined with macro and main networks. Our concentration is on the urban situation, which is a place where changes occur at a time when modern aspects of Tehran's urban life align with local characteristics and country structures, or vice versa. As a result, the dominant model in Tehran's development could be machine-centered rather than human-centered, and people, both elites and lower classes may hold a favorable opinion of it and use it to further their own interests. Convergence may be motivated by a variety of factors, as well as community-based conservation projects. The city government has begun the process of implementing the oriented-community strategy. Nevertheless, many such plans due to some facts like the fact that urban technocrats and bureaucrats do not have the adequate motivation, ability, and knowledge to be able to use culture as a great resource for improving urban conditions also they have wasted resources and expanded bureaucracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2522-3380) is the property of Arab Journal of Sciences & Research Publishing (AJSRP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Urban Muslim communities in Indonesia are growing in different cities. Not only as a forum where social interaction is established among Muslims, but also this urban Muslim community is transformed into a social institution, which is unique, and influencing the social order. There are various forms of urban communities, and one of them appears in the form of a majelis taklim (taklim-assembly): a community, which was established independently, and non-formally by the Muslim community. In its development, the majelis taklim was transformed into a non-formal educational institution that can increase the religious knowledge of the pilgrims, or participants who joined the majelis taklim. In this regard, the problem that arises is whether the existence of the majelis taklim and its Islamic learning process, automatically increase the religiosity of participants or pilgrims. In this case, this study aims to assert religiosity in Indonesian urban communities, through the influence of majelis taklim Islamic learning motivation and satisfaction on religious cognition and attitude. The Stata 16.0 multivariate regression analysis was also used to select 348 participants from 24 provinces. In this process, both the motivation and satisfaction of Islamic learning dynamically contributed to two religiosity dimensions of the urban communities (Majelis Taklim), namely cognitive and attitude. The results showed that religiosity was a complex concept not increased by just one dimension of a set of variables. However, it needs to be systematically improved through multiple variables. Keywords: Gender, Learning motivation, Learning satisfaction, Muslim urban communities; Majelis Taklim, Religiosity, Urban communities

Abstract Cities are microcosms representing a diversity of human experience. The complexity of urban systems arises from this diversity, where the services that cities offer to their inhabitants have to be tailored for their unique requirements. This paper studies the complexity of urban environments in terms of the assimilation of its communities. We examine the urban assimilation complexity with respect to the foreignness between communities and formalize the level of complexity using information-theoretic measures. Our findings contribute to a sociological perspective of the relationship between urban complex systems and the diversity of communities that make up urban systems.

Substantial research exists on attachments people have to places and the phenomena and objects they value. However, insights on how values vary between different locations and across demographics and how place attachment differs between rural and urban areas are more limited. These understandings are needed to design meaningful adaptation strategies for people and communities at risk from climate change. This study examines attachment to place and things people value in eight communities in Western Australia, using a survey with 403 participants. Results showed that residents across the rural communities shared similar values, but that the values of urban communities were differentiated socioeconomically. Contrary to our hypothesis, place attachment was not stronger among the rural compared to the urban sites. The findings point to the importance of incorporating place-based, lived values and needs, particularly from less affluent residents, into inclusive adaptation planning. • Lived values and place attachment in rural and urban communities was investigated. • The values of urban communities differed significantly along socioeconomic lines. • Place attachment was not significantly stronger in rural than in urban communities. • Place based values are important for planning adaptation to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mitigation and climate change adaptation in urban communities are urgent. There is enormous potential to improve the GHG inventory at the community level. This research aims to develop a community-scale GHG emission inventory and improve its accuracy and consistency through a bottom-up approach. This study covers direct and indirect emissions categorized into three scopes and selects the Honjo Waseda community in Japan as a case study community. Energy consumption from different sectors (the residential and commercial, transport, and waste management sectors) is evaluated and calculated through Residential Energy Estimation based on the Daily Activities (REEDA) database, National Census, and first-hand field data. The outcome revealed that the residential and commercial sector emissions rank highest in the total GHG emissions of the community, with a value of 39 %. Translated into the scope concept, the emissions under scopes 2 and 3 account for 39 % and 61 %, respectively. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis of the implementation of green technologies to reduce GHG emissions is also conducted. Mechanical biological treatment (MBT) implementation could yield the largest emission reduction (18 %–22 %), followed by implementing electric vehicles, ultralightweight vehicles, photovoltaic systems, and ground heat utilization. [Display omitted] • GHG emission mitigation and climate change adaptation of urban communities are urgent. • Evaluate GHG emission at community level from scope 1–3 through a bottom-up approach. • Develop models for evaluating emissions from residential and commercial transport, and waste management sectors. • Propose scenarios and evaluate sensitivity analysis on green technologies implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: No one can argue on the importance of health in one's life. However, the value of health in the context of other priorities for individuals is not always as clear. Further, patients' experience with the healthcare system is rarely contrasted with the service providers' expectations. The aim of this paper is to examine and compare patients' and providers' own definitions of health and their perceptions of the healthcare delivery experience from the lens of residents and providers in West Baltimore, Maryland. Methods: This was a qualitative study with semi‐structured focus groups (15 sessions) and individual in‐depth interviews (21 interviews) with 94 participants. Two independent coders thematically analysed the transcripts. Results: Patients identified five areas where health systems can help them stay healthy or become healthier: affordability and costs of care; accessibility; clinician/patient communication; addressing social determinants; and stigma and trust. Providers acknowledged that the healthcare experience is not always perfect. While the medical team focuses on conversations that enhance medical care, patients are expecting providers to touch on subjects beyond medical care. Conclusions: Patients and providers need to consider that although they have a common value towards health, there is still a gap in what users expect and what providers can offer. To further align those expectations, there is a need for increasing involvement of patient in care administration and improving dialogue between the parties about these differences. Patient or Public Contribution: A Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB)—comprised of a patient, two community leaders, a physician and two healthcare administrators—was instrumental in codeveloping the study material (e.g., interview guides), engaging patients in the research process, identifying participants and codeveloping dissemination material. Two SAB members—Gail Graham, a patient consultant/professor, and Marcia Cort, a physician—are coauthors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Consistent outbreak in PPR Batu Muda area has become major curiosity among the researcher despite consorted efforts has been taken by local authority. Therefore, this study was aim to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of community, which later might contribute for better approach in tackling the dengue outbreak episode. Methods: The PPR Batu Muda was selected in this study due to its consistent outbreak, therefore the residents were assumed to be exposed with various dengue prevention and control efforts, hence make them reliable to answer this questionnaire. 373 residents were participated in this survey. The information collected was subjected to analysis by Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26.0. Results: The result shows 100% of respondents have a high level of knowledge on dengue fever. Meanwhile sociodemographic factors do not influence the respondents' knowledge level on dengue fever (p-value > 0.05). Sociodemographic factors do not influence the respondents' practice level towards prevention of dengue fever (p-value > 0.05). The attitude of the respondents was also observed with high level of knowledge (p-value <0.05). While the community in this study was observed to be good in their knowledge on dengue fever, poor prevention practices are common among them (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion: The public awareness on signs and symptoms of dengue fever, as well as the variables that contribute to the spread and control of the disease's vectors, were substantially observed to be less effective in promoting good practices in preventing dengue fever outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the most desired solution to combat COVID-19. We examined the willingness to accept the vaccine and reasons for vaccine hesitancy, and identified some factors associated with the vaccine hesitancy among the socio-economically disadvantaged urban population from Delhi, India. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of a randomly selected sample of 1539 households from 31 urban clusters. Data on socio-demographics, health beliefs, and willingness to accept the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine were collected through a face-to-face interviewer-administered, pre-tested questionnaire from an adult member. Vaccine acceptance/hesitancy was analysed by various socio-demographic and health belief variables. Multinomial regressions were carried out to identify the factors associated with the vaccine hesitancy. Results: Overall, 64.9% (95% CI: 62.5 to 67.3) of the respondents would accept the vaccine, 17.4% (95% CI: 15.6 to 19.4) were undecided, and 17.7% (95% CI: 15.8 to 19.7) would not accept the vaccine. The reasons for not accepting the vaccine were: belief that they had immunity (12.9%), the corona was a hoax (11.8%), the vaccine was not necessary (7.4%), and did not want to disturb the natural bodily systems by the vaccine (5.6%). The undecided group mainly would like to wait and see (37.7%), decide when the vaccine become available (11.6%), will take if everyone in their community takes (10.4%). Multinomial logistic regression identified older age, low perceived susceptibility of contracting COVID-19, low perceived severity of COVID-19, low self-efficacy to protect against COVID-19, and unawareness and non-use of Arogyasetu App as significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy. Conclusions: Two-thirds of Delhi’s low-income groups would accept the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccine hesitancy was associated with older age, low perceived susceptibility, low perceived severity, and low self-efficacy to protect themselves from COVID-19. Hence, efforts are needed to address these issues and vaccine concerns to increase the vaccine uptake.

Human societies are considered as a part of ecosystems. The interaction between human societies and ecosystems has consequences for them. Desert ecosystem is one of the common ecosystems in arid regions of Iran. In desert, phenomena such as drought affect the lives of human societies. The present study analyzes the effect of hydrological drought on resilience of human communities in Yazd province. Hydrological drought was studied based on river flow index and resilience of human communities using economic, social and environmental criteria by using principal component analysis method. The factor was calculated based on the values of the rotated matrix and the eigenvector values. Multiple linear regression analysis of drought effects on factors was investigated. Analysis of the relationship between drought and resilience indicates a significant relationship between them. The most affected sectors by drought were economic, social and environmental, respectively. The most important economic losses were the variables of employment share in services and industry sectors, rural income and cost, irrigated agriculture, area under cultivation, urban cost, participatory economy rate. The overall results of combining the drought index with socio-economic and environmental indicators indicate an increase in vulnerability and a decrease in the resilience of human societies due to drought. Lifestyle and direct dependence on ecosystem resources should be reconsidered. In other words, generating processing, conversion and complementary industries, extends the chain of drought dependence and exploitation to reduce drought fluctuations. Diversifying the use of ecosystem services and replacing them in times of drought events can increase the resiliency of human societies.

Pollution prevention is an approach for generating less waste using fewer toxic chemicals while conserving water and energy. Even though pollution prevention practices have been encouraged for over thirty years, many smaller businesses have not considered or adopted such techniques. This study examines the effect of a community-based approach designed to emphasize the benefits to the health and economic well-being of urban communities when source reduction practices are implemented by businesses in the community. Partnering with existing community groups in Newark and Jersey City, NJ, technical assistance was provided to small and medium-sized businesses under grant funding from Region 2 of the US Environmental Protection Agency. In this research, 32 small and medium-sized businesses were evaluated for source reduction opportunities and implementation plans were drawn up. After these businesses implemented operational changes, emission and cost savings were determined and reported back to respective small business owners as well as to the communities during community meetings designed to encourage additional participation. Based on 32 case studies, several measurable benefits were achieved, including the yearly saving of 932 pounds of hazardous waste, 3917 pounds of non-hazardous waste, 13.62 metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE) of greenhouse gases and $5335 USD. The initial findings suggest that community-based programs such as this can be beneficial but must be sustained over a period of time. One issue that was repeatedly observed, and is likely widely believed, is the concern of small business operators that cooperation with any group funded by a government program may lead to the assessment of fines or penalties for environmental violations. This concern limits the willingness of many smaller businesses to participate. The findings of this study suggest that a sustained community-based program may overcome that concern through demonstration of the benefit to the business and the community, and through credibility building achieved by regular community reporting and the absence of official intervention.

The present study attempts to investigate personal masculine names throughout three successive generations (grandfathers, fathers, and sons) among an urban community in Jordan. It aims at investigating the sociolinguistic implications of the names and pointing out the factors influencing the process of name-giving among the people of such communities. Analysis of 300 school students' names of the elementary stage together with their fathers and grandfathers' names indicated that naming has different social reasons and cultural backgrounds. However, no significant differences in this regard was noticed across the urban generations. The names among these different categories have almost the same implications and backgrounds. They center on either the religious or the societal values dimensions. The most frequent names in each of these generations turned out to have the same motives. The only difference, albeit slight, was the existence of a few foreign names in the sons' category, and days' names in the fathers' category opposed to none in the other categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the results of international and Russian studies of the level of trust of citizens. For example, studies of territorial areas, and the conclusion about the negative impact of low trust of citizens to power on the development of new territories. The low level of trust of residents in the government is considered as one of the key negative prerequisites that distorts the principles of creating urban communities. As a result, a chain of interaction between citizens is formed, which leads to the spontaneous formation of protest behavior. Based on the analysis of factors of influence that distort the motives for uniting urban residents into territorial communities, the author concludes that the importance of building trust in the authorities among residents is underestimated, which is classified as a serious omission in the management of the political space of the annexed territories.

The study assessed environmental condition determinants of neighbourhood quality in urban communities of Yenagoa City, Nigeria. The study identified environmental conditions that determine neighbourhood quality in urban communities of the study area; assessed impacts of environmental condition determinants of neighbourhood quality in urban communities of the study area; and suggested appropriate and sustainable urban policy framework that will improve neighbourhood quality in urban communities of the study area. A total of 399 respondents were selected for interview and distributed proportionately across 6 studied communities using simple random and key informant approach. A structured questionnaire with closed and opened-ended questions were used to obtain data for the study. Data from the study revealed that building structure, habitable space, access road, public health and sanitation condition, waste management and environmental pollution are environmental condition determinants of neighbourhood quality in the study area. The study found that most residential buildings are rooming housing and block of flats with high occupancy rate and multiple households, lacking public water supply, access roads and drainages, poor refuse and sewage disposal methods, increasing environmental pollution from noise, domestic and commercial effluences discharge, smoke from generator and automobiles and lack of planning of the communities resulting to poor environmental condition degrading the neighbourhood quality of communities in the study area. The study suggested that government should empower BSPPDB and BSME legally and politically to enforce urban planning policies, regulations and standards and public health and environmental edicts; prepare neighbourhood development plans and schemes to enhance neighbourhood quality and; and strengthen development control activities through legislative process.

The paper intends to explore three archetypes of possible interaction between the agent and the social space in which one's own action is located. In this article, we will talk about modalities endowed with normative significance, that is focused around universal scopes and extra-contextual validities (values). Special attention will be paid to the dimension of the “intersection of social spaces” (the scheme assumes both the permanent dimension of “acting within spaces” and the dynamic dimension of “passing beyond them”), the modalities of exclusion, transition, and recognition are thus presented. Their action is complicated by alternative intersection paths in introdynamic and extradynamic dimensions. The study proposes to represent these modalities in order to further offer scenarios for the development and change of urban social spaces. Finally, the paper intends to propose a phenomenological interpretation of their possible interaction with reference to some ways of transforming urban spaces, which are typical of the European context.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are engaging in workforce development initiatives to include collaborating with urban communities. To date, there are limited analyses through a funds of knowledge conceptual framework approach, examining perspectives of urban community workforce providers and participants. Subsequently, such an analysis would provide valuable information to better develop meaningful workforce collaborations. In this study, the authors utilized a qualitative critical-narrative approach to report on provider and participant experiences prior to the formation of the Parramore Education Innovation District (PEID), a university-led project that works with K-12, state college, community, and city government. The PEID project was created as an educational ecosystem to optimize job readiness. To guide this study the central research question was: How should HEIs work to engage urban communities regarding workforce programming? The initial analysis found HEIs must establish sustainable, co-constructed programming from perspective participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical research conducted in four small Russian towns over the period 2011-2015 and 2018-2020, discovered different patterns of power and leadership despite the centralization policy pursued by the federal center. Not all the heads of towns were the most influential figures/leaders in the urban communities, although they have the most significant formal resources of power. Major differences between the heads of the towns were due to the personal factor, support from a team of followers, and relationships with regional authorities. Despite the completion of the "power vertical" down to the municipal level, the patterns of power and leadership of the heads of small towns are dynamic and vary significantly. The most important changes are often caused by change of the heads of towns. Although leaders are unable to completely reverse negative tendencies in the social and economic spheres of local communities, they can mitigate their consequences. Therefore, when difficulties arise, a demand for leadership is formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst cities can be sites of creativity, innovation, and change, they can also reproduce the conditions for the exclusion of vulnerable groups. Older people report experiencing specific barriers to accessing the city and are often excluded from the resources for ageing well. The smart city agenda has attempted to bring about technological change whilst also delivering improved quality of life for urban citizens. Smart technologies are a key element of the smart city and are viewed as having the potential to support the independence, autonomy, and well-being of older people. Yet, there has been little research exploring the role of the smart city in supporting the social inclusion of older people, nor any attempt to link this with key policy drivers on ageing e.g., age-friendly cities and communities. In response, the aim of this paper is to explore the experiences of older people living in a smart city in China and discuss how the smart city and age-friendly agenda can be brought together to support positive social outcomes for older people. The paper presents qualitative findings from a multi-methods approach, including semi-structured interviews, walking interviews and focus groups. A total of 64 older people participated in the research across three diverse neighbourhoods in the case study smart city of Chongqing, China. The findings identified opportunities in the development and deployment of smart city, including the potential for improved health and well-being and social connectedness. Yet in delivering on these benefits, a number of challenges were identified which may widen social inequalities, including inequities in access, issues of safety and security, and exclusion from the co-production of smart city policy and practise. The paper discusses the implications of the findings for future smart city policy and practise, specifically in delivering interventions that support older adults' social inclusion and the delivery of age-friendly cities and communities.

The article is devoted to the study of the impact of digitalisation of the provincial Russian cities on the prospects of consolidation of urban communities. It is noted that digitalisation qualitatively change the metabolism of the modern city, turning the urban environment into a space of interaction of complex socio-biotechnical systems. Virtual-digital practises, technologies, and services are built into all the processes of urban development, which leads to the transformation of most social phenomena: processes, institutions, communities, as it makes society more dynamic, changeable, “turbulent”. Based on the results of the expert survey, which was conducted in the sociological study Social Consolidation of Urban Communities - Opportunities and Limitations in a Digitalized Urban Environment, March-April 2022 (N = 50), the positive and negative effects of digitalisation / digitalisation of the urban environment for the prospects of social consolidation are analyzed. It is empirically confirmed that the wiggle effects of the digitalisation of the urban environment on the enhancement of consolidation are ambivalent. On the one hand, digitalisation creates new conditions for communication and mobilisation of city dwellers, but on the other hand, it leads to the emergence of nontraditional barriers.