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AbstractThis paper interrogates the seemingly absurd conspiracies associated with the “15-minute City,” an idea taking hold of urban communities across the globe to bring more amenities, including parks, recreation facilities, and libraries, within a 15-minute walk of where people live. Introduced as a mundane planning initiative to improve livability, eliminate or shorten car trips, and improve health outcomes, the 15-minute City has encountered surprising, yet resolute attack by conspiracy theorists who view it as a concealed leftist tactic to imprison local inhabitants within restrictive neighbourhood boundaries. In exploring the origins of the 15-minute City idea and the emergence of conspiracy theories that surround it, this paper unpacks the complex interplay of social, political, and psychological factors that drive current conspiratorial thinking about ostensibly benign policies and practices. In so doing, it considers the responsibility of leisure scholars in an age of misinformation, alternative facts, and post truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background There is a worldwide shortage of health workers against WHO recommended staffing levels to achieve Universal Health Coverage. To improve the performance of the existing health workforce a set of integrated human resources (HR) strategies are needed to address the root causes of these shortages. The PERFORM2Scale project uses an action research approach to support district level management teams to develop appropriate workplans to address service delivery and workforce-related problems using a set of integrated human resources strategies. This paper provides evidence of the feasibility of supporting managers at district level to design appropriate integrated workplans to address these problems. Methods The study used content analysis of documents including problem trees and 43 workplans developed by 28 district health management teams (DHMT) across three countries between 2018 and 2021 to identify how appropriate basic planning principles and the use of integrated human resource and health systems strategies were used in the design of the workplans developed. Four categories of HR strategies were used for the analysis (availability, direction, competencies, rewards and sanctions) and the relationship between HR and wider health systems strategies was also examined. Results About half (49%) of the DHMTs selected service-delivery problems while others selected workforce performance (46%) or general management (5%) problems, yet all workplans addressed health workforce-related causes through integrated workplans. Most DHMTs used a combination of strategies for improving direction and competencies. The use of strategies to improve availability and the use of rewards and sanctions was more common amongst DHMTs in Ghana; this may be related to availability of decision-space in these areas. Other planning considerations such as link between problem and strategy, inclusion of gender and use of indicators were evident in the design of the workplans. Conclusions The study has demonstrated that, with appropriate support using an action research approach, DHMTs are able to design workplans which include integrated HR strategies. This process will help districts to address workforce and other service delivery problems as well as improving ‘health workforce literacy' of DHMT members which will benefit the country more broadly if and when any of the team members is promoted.

Background: There is a worldwide shortage of health workers against WHO recommended staffing levels to achieve Universal Health Coverage. To improve the performance of the existing health workforce a set of integrated human resources (HR) strategies are needed to address the root causes of these shortages. The PERFORM2Scale project uses an action research approach to support district level management teams to develop appropriate workplans to address service delivery and workforce-related problems using a set of integrated human resources strategies. This paper provides evidence of the feasibility of supporting managers at district level to design appropriate integrated workplans to address these problems. Methods: The study used content analysis of documents including problem trees and 43 workplans developed by 28 district health management teams (DHMT) across three countries between 2018 and 2021 to identify how appropriate basic planning principles and the use of integrated human resource and health systems strategies were used in the design of the workplans developed. Four categories of HR strategies were used for the analysis (availability, direction, competencies, rewards and sanctions) and the relationship between HR and wider health systems strategies was also examined. Results: About half (49%) of the DHMTs selected service-delivery problems while others selected workforce performance (46%) or general management (5%) problems, yet all workplans addressed health workforce-related causes through integrated workplans. Most DHMTs used a combination of strategies for improving direction and competencies. The use of strategies to improve availability and the use of rewards and sanctions was more common amongst DHMTs in Ghana; this may be related to availability of decision-space in these areas. Other planning considerations such as link between problem and strategy, inclusion of gender and use of indicators were evident in the design of the workplans. Conclusions: The study has demonstrated that, with appropriate support using an action research approach, DHMTs are able to design workplans which include integrated HR strategies. This process will help districts to address workforce and other service delivery problems as well as improving 'health workforce literacy' of DHMT members which will benefit the country more broadly if and when any of the team members is promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Districts across India are progressing toward the national Jal Jeevan Mission goal of piped water supply and 100% Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) for all by 2024. While state and national data monitor progress toward tap water connection coverage, the functionality and sustainability of those piped water supplies are less clear. This study presents a Sustainability Planning Framework to assess rural drinking water conditions and needs at the village, block, and district scales. It employs a mobile app to survey five key aspects of sustainability: source water sustainability, water service sustainability, operations and maintenance financial sustainability, village institutional capacity, and asset management. Ordinal scores for these sustainability variables are analyzed and interpreted though GIS mapping to identify locations and types of village support needed. Scores are aggregated to create an overall village drinking water sustainability index. Important hydroclimatic, geomorphological, and socio-economic correlates of the drinking water sustainability index are also examined. This framework and methods can help districts in Maharashtra and other states analyze drinking water services, plan future investments, and make policy adjustments to ensure sustainability.

In India, the idea of decentralized planning gained momentum after the country became independent in 1947 but its rudimentary practice was not completely unknown before 1947. In post-independent India a number of government committees and commissions had recommended for introduction of decentralized planning at different points of time. The most remarkable event in this regard were twin Constitutional amendments which clarified the role of local bodies and institutionalized participation of the people which signaled what is often called a paradigmatic change. The amendments gave decentralized planning constitutional sanction and sanctity, and provided a model of planning for the whole country. In this paper, an attempt has been made to capture the different phases in the evolution of the decentralized planning processes in India as a backdrop and to assess and analyze the experiences of introduction of decentralized planning in one state of the Union of Indian states called West Bengal. It is one of the states where the exercise was done through active participation of people sought to be achieved through institutional structures created in the villages. This paper tries to make use of the available secondary data to arrive at some of the major conclusions and to justify the contentions made. Reference has also been made to some limited field work which was done through village survey. The authors have also highlighted some of the key emerging issues which call for further research. It also seeks to explores what could be the probable lessons the developing countries in general, and India, in particular.

Background to VISION 2020 at the district level There is an African saying. The question is: “How do you eat an elephant?”. The answer is: “One mouthful at a time, slowly, with a lot of help from your friends”. There is much that we can learn from this wisdom and apply to VISION 2020. The question is: “How do you overcome the seemingly insurmountable problem of global blindness?” The answer is: “Piece by piece, in digestible portions, step by step, and working together as a team”.

In the research, fractal theory was adopted in water supply network. K-means algorithm was adopted to make the nodes multistage cluster zoning, and prioritize nodes was determined according to the actual situation of each zone level division. In each zone, prim algorithm completed each sub-region of water supply pipe network based on the use of fractal growth of self-organization. The established water supply network could be operated and managed according to the form of partition. The fractal self-growth model was applied to the water distribution system planning of one north city in China, the results clearly show the economic effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To generate information on essential components and the cost recovery potential of VISION 2020 programmes in rural Africa. Methods We took a structured approach to planning, training, implementation and supervision of programmes in Singida and Mara regions, Tanzania involving both government and non-government partners. Extensive mentoring was provided to monitor activities and costs. Results Annual numbers of patients receiving eye care increased sevenfold, cataract surgeries by a factor of 2.6 and spectacles dispensed by a factor of 16. Running costs were shared; the government provided 40–60%, non-government organisations (NGOs) 25–45%, and patient fees 15%. Conclusion Comprehensive eye care can be delivered with cooperation among partners. However, continued coordination and cooperation from government and NGOs are critical to reach VISION 2020 goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate maternity care, the feasibility of collecting the relevant data from hospital records, and to assess the usefulness for district health planning in the Mtwara Region, Tanzania. Method A prospective study running over 2 years using the unmet obstetric need concept in all four hospitals in the region, covering all women undergoing major obstetric interventions. Data on indications, interventions, and pregnancy outcome were collected. Rates of major obstetric interventions performed for absolute maternal indications among all expected births in the study area were calculated to assess met and unmet need. Results Of 2404 interventions, 91% were caesarean sections, most commonly indicated by cephalo-pelvic disproportion (46%). The rate of major obstetric intervention for absolute maternal indications per 100 expected births was 1.8% overall with wide rural–urban disparities (1.4% vs. 3.3%). Based on the estimated need of at least 2% of births requiring of a major obstetric intervention, seven of 20 divisions reached or surpassed this threshold, seven had a level between 1% and 2% and six did not reach 1%. Data were collected as part of the regular activities of the health staff, but external resources were needed for data management and analysis. Conclusion We found a major unmet obstetric need in rural areas with a clear trend towards fewer interventions with longer distance from a hospital. Geographical mapping of the met obstetric need provided a detailed picture of deficiencies in the provision of maternity care and could be useful for priority setting and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botswana's decentralization process has always been justified in terms of democracy and development. Consequently, the government has always argued that it is fully committed to decentralization in order to promote popular participation as well as facilitating sustainable rural development. Yet the government does not seem to be supporting its own efforts towards decentralization beyond the mundane talk of capacity building. This article takes a closer look at the government's over-cautious approach to decentralization. The article analyses some o fits belier documented efforts towards promoting decentralization and how such efforts seem to lack the necessary internal politico administrative support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s, administrative reform in a number of developing countries has been directed at achieving decentralisation of planning through the use of information systems. These experiments have not led to any significant improvement in planning and monitoring of development programmes. In this paper, we argue that a closer look at different approaches to decentralisation is useful in order to draw wider lessons about long-term impact. We trace the process of decentralisation adopted in two states of India, namely Gujarat and Karnataka. While both states are noted for their decentralisation efforts, the degree to which new work practices have become institutionalised has been influenced by differences in the structure of their planning apparatus and different approaches to the implementation of information technology for local-level planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situation analysis The South West Province of Cameroon is one of two English speaking provinces, much of which is situated in the equatorial rainforest. Most of the estimated 1.2 million inhabitants live in rural areas. The main occupation is agriculture for subsistence and employment in agro-industrial estates.

From individual patient care to population care VISION 2020: The Right to Sight has provided a vision and a common goal for eye care programmes. It has provided the paradigm shift, or change in the way of thinking, from individual patient care to population care, a shift from each person doing a job or task, to a group working to eliminate avoidable blindness. Such a common goal needs a team approach.

Sustainable rural drinking water is a widespread aim in India, and globally, from the household to district, state, and national scales. Sustainability issues in the rural drinking water sector range from increasing water demand to declining groundwater levels, premature deterioration of village schemes and services, inadequate revenues for operations and maintenance, weak capacity of water operators, frequently changing state and national policies, and destabilizing effects of climate change. This paper focuses on the special role of district-scale drinking water planning, which operates at the intersection between bottom-up water demand and top-down water programs. After surveying the challenges associated with bottom-up and top-down planning approaches, we present recent efforts to strengthen district and block drinking water planning in the state of Maharashtra. A combination of district interviews, institutional history, village surveys, GIS visualization, and planning workshops were used to advance district planning goals and methods. Results assess bottom-up processes of water demand; top-down water programs and finance; and intermediate-level planning at the district and block scales. Discussion focuses on potential improvements in district planning methods in Maharashtra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Tumbaco valley, 40 km northwest of the capital city of Ecuador, Quito, there is a group of eight small towns with a population of 150,000 inhabitants, most of whom are mixed race (Mestizo) and 15% are indigenous people. The main source of income is agriculture, with an average monthly income of less than US$100.

In planning for eye care services in Pakistan in 1997, the following factors were taken into account: * Blindness prevalence rate of around 2% * More than 70% of the communities live in the rural districts while almost the same proportion of ophthalmic services are based in urban areas * Presence of a reasonable public health care delivery infrastructure in Pakistan * Potential in district eye units but significant gaps in equipment, physical space, appropriate clinical skills and management systems * The need for cost-effective and sustainable ways to reach the remotest communities. Strengthening cataract services was prioritised as a first step to addressing the problem. All ophthalmologists from the public sector district hospital were trained in extra capsular cataract extraction and intraocular lens (ECCE+IOL) implantation and provided with operating microscopes and instruments. It soon became apparent that, for real impact, a more comprehensive approach was required. A comprehensive district eye care programme was designed in partnership with the government in 2001. Twenty-two districts were chosen for the delivery of the programme, 19 districts have so far been included.

Introduction. VISION 2020: The Right to Sight has provided a new impetus to the concept of comprehensive eye care encompassing eye health promotion and prevention of blindness, treatment of eye disease and rehabilitation services for people with incurable eye conditions. The hitherto under-developed component of low vision, along with services for refractive errors, has been identified as a priority area for intervention. Low vision care provides assistance to those who have some remaining vision, through use of low vision devices, training in the effective use of residual vision, and advice on environment. It also links eye care with education and rehabilitation services to ensure a comprehensive eye care service.

• Local energy community modeled as a network of multi energy systems. • Primary Energy Saving as a metric for designing low carbon energy communities. • Investigation of low carbon scenarios with 10% and 20% of primary energy savings. • Thermal storage & district cooling allow to shave the cooling peak power installed. • Trigeneration and district cooling are key technologies to achieve low carbon goals. Design and planning of low carbon cities and districts must consider the synergies between all the energy networks available. Energy systems optimal design thus assumes a critical importance in determining both costs and environmental impact of operating such districts. This is particularly true following the concept of Local Energy Community, with a single entity representing both the demand and the manager of the energy generation assets. This paper proposes an innovative model for the optimal design of an energy community aiming at lowering its carbon footprint. The community is modeled as a network of spatially dislocated energy hubs, each with its own demand of electricity, heating and cooling energy. The model aims at defining the optimal mix of energy systems, thermal and electric energy storages and energy network infrastructures needed to satisfy the district's users energy demands. The model is validated using energy demand data from the Nanyang Technological University campus in Singapore by analyzing three scenarios. In the first one, the optimization goal is purely economic and it aims at minimizing the overall cost of operating the district. The second and third scenarios focus on reducing the carbon footprint of the district by imposing an additional constraint, which limits the overall primary energy consumption. In all the scenarios the algorithm chooses to partially or totally connect the five sites with a district cooling network and take advantage of cold thermal storage, proving their potential in hot climates. In the first scenario, the advantages of the district cooling solution are mainly related to the savings in the capital cost of electric chillers that partially offset the cost of the district cooling network; indeed, district cooling network allows the sites to share cooling power thus achieving a reduction in chillers total installed size of 33%. In the second scenario, in order to meet the target of 10% reduction of the overall primary energy, the optimal solution also requires the installation of a photovoltaic system. In the third scenario, imposing a 20% reduction of the overall primary energy, also a natural gas fed trigeneration plant comes into play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]