Mobile phone technology as an aid to contemporary transport questions in walkability, in the context of developing countries

The emerging global middle class, which is expected to double by 2050 desires more walkable, liveable neighbourhoods, and as distances between work and other amenities increases, cities are becoming less monocentric and becoming more polycentric. African cities could be described as walking cities, based on the number of people that walk to their destinations as opposed to other means of mobility but are often not walkable. Walking is by far the most popular form of transportation in Africa’s rapidly urbanising cities, although it is not often by choice rather a necessity. Facilitating this primary mode, while curbing the growth of less sustainable mobility uses requires special attention for the safety and convenience of walking in view of a Global South context. In this regard, to further promote walking as a sustainable mobility option, there is a need to assess the current state of its supporting infrastructure and begin giving it higher priority, focus and emphasis. Mobile phones have emerged as a useful alternative tool to collect this data and audit the state of walkability in cities. They eliminate the inaccuracies and inefficiencies of human memories because smartphone sensors such as GPS provides information with accuracies within 5m, providing superior accuracy and precision compared to other traditional methods. The data is also spatial in nature, allowing for a range of possible applications and use cases. Traditional inventory approaches in walkability often only revealed the perceived walkability and accessibility for only a subset of journeys. Crowdsourcing the perceived walkability and accessibility of points of interest in African cities could address this, albeit aspects such as ease-of-use and road safety should also be considered. A tool that crowdsources individual pedestrian experiences; availability and state of pedestrian infrastructure and amenities, using state-of-the-art smartphone technology, would over time also result in complete surveys of the walking environment provided such a tool is popular and safe. This research will illustrate how mobile phone applications currently in the market can be improved to offer more functionality that factors in multiple sensory modalities for enhanced visual appeal, ease of use, and aesthetics. The overarching aim of this research is, therefore, to develop the framework for and test a pilot-version mobile phone-based data collection tool that incorporates emerging technologies in collecting data on walkability. This research project will assess the effectiveness of the mobile application and test the technical capabilities of the system to experience how it operates within an existing infrastructure. It will continue to investigate the use of mobile phone technology in the collection of user perceptions of walkability, and the limitations of current transportation-based mobile applications, with the aim of developing an application that is an improvement to current offerings in the market. The prototype application will be tested and later piloted in different locations around the globe. Past studies are primarily focused on the development of transport-based mobile phone applications with basic features and limited functionality. Although limited progress has been made in integrating emerging advanced technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), Machine Learning (ML), Big Data analytics, amongst others into mobile phone applications; what is missing from these past examples is a comprehensive and structured application in the transportation sphere. In turn, the full research will offer a broader understanding of the iii information gathered from these smart devices, and how that large volume of varied data can be better and more quickly interpreted to discover trends, patterns, and aid in decision making and planning. This research project attempts to fill this gap and also bring new insights, thus promote the research field of transportation data collection audits, with particular emphasis on walkability audits. In this regard, this research seeks to provide insights into how such a tool could be applied in assessing and promoting walkability as a sustainable and equitable mobility option. In order to get policy-makers, analysts, and practitioners in urban transport planning and provision in cities to pay closer attention to making better, more walkable places, appealing to them from an efficiency and business perspective is vital. This crowdsourced data is of great interest to industry practitioners, local governments and research communities as Big Data, and to urban communities and civil society as an input in their advocacy activities. The general findings from the results of this research show clear evidence that transport-based mobile phone applications currently available in the market are increasingly getting outdated and are not keeping up with new and emerging technologies and innovations. It is also evident from the results that mobile smartphones have revolutionised the collection of transport-related information hence the need for new initiatives to help take advantage of this emerging opportunity. The implications of these findings are that more attention needs to be paid to this niche going forward. This research project recommends that more studies, particularly on what technologies and functionalities can realistically be incorporated into mobile phone applications in the near future be done as well as on improving the hardware specifications of mobile phone devices to facilitate and support these emerging technologies whilst keeping the cost of mobile devices as low as possible

Analysis of Lisbon visitors’ internet access behavior: behavior analysis through the identification of clusters

Project Work presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Driven Marketing, specialization in Marketing IntelligenceThis master's thesis focuses on clustering the internet access behavior of urban visitors in the Lisbon urban area. To promote smart city development, the study aims to provide insights into visitors' behaviors while accessing the internet in Lisbon, enabling improved decision-making processes for city management, and enhancing the overall online and offline experience for visitors. The over-tourism phenomenon has put a strain on infrastructure, public transportation, and cultural heritage sites. Therefore, innovative methods are needed for effective smart city management, particularly in urban mobility. The increasing availability of Wi-Fi networks during travel has generated valuable data that can be used to develop groundbreaking approaches to understanding visitors’ behaviors and mobility patterns in urban areas. This knowledge enables the analysis and clustering of urban visitors' behavior, contributing to improved decision-making processes in smart city management

The U.S. M-Business Market: Fad or the future

M-Business is information available on any device, anywhere and at anytime, offering businesses in any industry the potential to expand markets, improve their services and reduce costs. The U.S. m-business market is still in its infancy and is a few years away from becoming a growth market. This is due to a few reasons, which are the lack of standards for connectivity and service, no real applications to support the market and the lack of strong encryption to support m-business and e-commerce. M-business is not a fad but a potential new channel for business operations. This thesis will address the issues of why the U.S. m-business is slow to mature and what is required for the U.S. m-business to become a growth market

An Investigation into the effectiveness of climate-related policies on disaster preparedness and response in Zimbabwe. The Case of Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani District.

This study investigates the efficacy of climate-related policies on disaster preparedness and response in Zimbabwe, concentrating specifically on the Chimanimani District during Cyclone Idai. This study is philosophically based on constructivist ontology, interpretive epistemology, and a qualitative methodology. The research focused on participants who have substantial or direct knowledge of the area under study. Using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, the study gathered a sample of 35 participants. Semi-structured interviews served as the main instrument for data collection. The research employed thematic analysis to interpret the data, which involved identifying patterns and themes. To validate the findings, the study used methodological triangulation, literature review, and theoretical frameworks, which broadened the understanding of the subject and offered a more thorough analysis of the research question/s. The theoretical framework was based on five approaches, including the Capability Approach and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The results revealed that Zimbabwe's policy framework, particularly the Civil Protect Act, concerning disaster preparedness and response, is centralized, vague, and covers a wide scope. Consequently, it fails to prioritize preparedness and response strategies adequately. The study also discovered that the policy framework relating to disaster preparedness in Zimbabwe does not adequately address the issue, focusing instead on disaster response, albeit insufficiently, and lacks clear provisions to support a robust response strategy. Nonetheless, the study found that the current policy framework, while not entirely sufficient to be deemed effective, does offer a rudimentary guide to disaster preparedness and response, and lays a foundation for the development of a more inclusive and robust policy framework in Zimbabwe. For short-term improvement, the study suggests amending the Civil Protection Act to include provisions that ensure policy framework effectiveness in disaster management and disaster risk reduction. In the longer term, the study recommends a careful review of the Climate Change Bill before its passage to avoid carrying forward the vulnerabilities found in the Civil Protection Act

Information Systems Management and Sustainable Urban Development: A Case Study

Sustainable Urban Development of Ethiopia lacks strategies to implement information systems management (ISM). Lacking appropriate ISM implementation has influenced the government’s plan on the four indicators of urban sustainability - Water, Air, Climate Change, and Population Growth. Grounded in the conceptual frameworks of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Diffusion Of Innovation (DOI), the purpose of this qualitative single case study aims to explore ISM for sustainable urban development in Ethiopia. The participants were 12 Development Associates (DAs) who have been participating in implementing of ISM. Data was collected through a one-to-one interview, National documents, the Environmental Protection Office of Ethiopia, and United Nation publications and reports. Then, using Yin’s five-steps of data analysis process, the data was analyzed. To explore the themes of implementing ISM for sustainable urban development, thematic analysis was used. Accordingly, three themes emerged: the need for adoptable model, applicable knowledge of integrating innovation and technology and resource re-allocation. The recommendation and its diverse implication have been forwarded to the leaders of Sustainable Urban Development to be used as a means of Positive Social Change. The positive social change implications of the research include its potential to promote sustainability, create employment opportunities, and enhance infrastructures in the host country. As intellectual product, the outcome of the research can be used by policy makers to shape the National Urban Sustainability Strategy of Ethiopia

Understanding Faculty Perspectives on Using a Learning Management System at a Caribbean University in Guyana

In this basic qualitative study, faculty hesitation toward using Moodle learning management system (LMS) for instructional delivery was investigated. The research question focused on how faculty perspectives on their hesitation toward using the institution’s LMS in the Faculty of Social Sciences at a Caribbean university in Guyana reflect the tenets of Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory (DIT). Rogers’ DIT formed the conceptual framework for this study. Eleven lecturers in the faculty of Social Sciences who actively use the institution’s learning management system (LMS) for instructional delivery were purposefully selected for semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using Saldana’s coding manual for coding and thematic analysis. Six themes emerged to answer the research question: (a) Moodle features used, (b) benefits of using Moodle, (c) Moodle use comfort levels, (d) social influencers, (e) professional development, and (f) enabling conditions. These results provide knowledge informing stakeholders of what can lead to improved faculty use of educational technology. Faculty use of LMSs is integral to improving access to higher education globally. These research findings may contribute to understanding why faculty hesitated to use Moodle LMS for instructional delivery. Reduced faculty hesitation in using LMSs at higher education institutions can lead to the realization of Sustainable Development Goal Four, the delivering of quality education effectively. Student access to personalized, continuous learning using LMSs will foster positive social change

Reliable Data Collection: A Tool for Data Integrity in Nigeria

Unreliable and poor-quality data is a significant threat to governmental institutions because of its devastating impact on nations\u27 social and economic well-being. Managers in government organizations require reliable data to inform economic planning and decision-making. Grounded in the theory of total quality management, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies information technology (IT) managers in sub-Saharan African countries use to ensure the reliability of data. The participants were 12 IT managers in three government establishments in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, responsible for ensuring the data reliability for economic planning and decision-making. The data collection included semistructured interviews of IT managers and analysis of documents (n = 6). Thematic analysis resulted in five primary themes: data quality assessment, education and training, use of technology, management and employee involvement, and advocacy and sensitization. A key recommendation is that IT managers conduct regular quality data assessments of collected data to ensure integrity. Managers should also review and update organizational data collection processes to align with global best practices. The implications for positive social change include the potential to ensure appropriate budgeting and resource allocation to states and local governments areas, which may improve the living condition of citizens

Big Data in the Public Interest: Applications, Limitations, and Relevance in the Western Cape Provincial Department of Agriculture

School of Public Leadershi