Ergonomic standards for pedestrian areas for disabled people: literature review and consultations

As part of the project for the Transport and Road Research Laboratory concerned with the development of design guidance for pedestrian areas and footways to satisfy the needs of disabled and elderly people, a thorough examination of the literature was required. In addition the literature search was to be complemented by a wide-ranging series of discussions with local authorities, organisations representing the interests of elderly and disabled people, and other interested agencies. This Working Paper sets out the findings of this exercise. The objective of the literature review and the consultations was to identify the key impediments for elderly and disabled people when using pedestrian areas and footways. The current guidelines and standards relating to footways, pedestrianised areas and access to buildings were to be identified and their adequacy commented upon, as were the conflicts such recommendations raise between various groups of disabled people and with able-bodied people. The consultations were intended to provide greater insights into what the literature highlighted, and to suggest possible solutions. The literature review produced over 400 key references and a list of 35 impediments. A more detailed examination of the literature and the consultations reduced this list to six key impediments namely: parking; public transport waiting areas; movement distances; surface conditions; ramps, and information provision. The type and scale of problem created by the above impediments for various groups of disabled and elderly people are discussed, together with their measurement and assessment. The type and adequacy of existing design standards and guidance relating to these impediments are also outlined

Guidelines for assessing pedestrian evacuation software applications

This paper serves to clearly identify and explain criteria to consider when evaluating the suitability of a pedestrian evacuation software application to assess the evacuation process of a building. Guidelines in the form of nine topic areas identify different modelling approaches adopted, as well as features / functionality provided by applications designed specifically for simulating the egress of pedestrians from inside a building. The paper concludes with a synopsis of these guidelines, identifying key questions (by topic area) to found an evaluation

Gettysburg College Sustainability Proposal

In the fall of 2011, the Environmental Studies capstone class led by Professor Rutherford Platt was asked to write Gettysburg College’s first Sustainability Plan. The goal of the plan was to develop specific sustainable practices for the campus that were related to the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental, and how integrating diligent sustainable practices into each of these respected pillars will result in a more conscious campus, community, and future. In 2010, Gettysburg College turned to the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) to quantify the institution’s sustainability efforts, providing a self-check mechanism to encourage sustainability applications to all aspects of the College. The American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment was signed in 2007 by former Gettysburg College President Katherine Haley Will, declaring that Gettysburg College would become carbon neutral by 2032. Gettysburg College has made large strides in the search for sustainability, and aims to continue its dedication to furthering sustainable practice. The following plan outlines the six priority areas identified by the Capstone class: progress of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, Dining Services, campus green space, community outreach, integration of sustainability into the Gettysburg College Curriculum, and the Sustainability Advisory Committee. The first priority area identified was monitoring and upholding the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Though creating new sustainability initiatives on campus is the driving force towards an increasingly sustainable college and community, it is imperative that these goals be carried out in full to maximize beneficial returns. In order to reach carbon neutrality, Gettysburg College hopes to increase energy efficiency in buildings, incorporate renewable energy sources on campus, and mitigate remaining emissions through the purchase of carbon offsets. To further the College’s progress, it is proposed that Gettysburg College continue its energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy, as well as create a policy to offset all greenhouse gas emissions generated by air travel for students study abroad. As stated by the ACUPCC, a Sustainability Committee should take responsibility for the updates and progress reports required to meet the goal of carbon neutrality. The second priority area identified was sustainability in Dining Services. Gettysburg College is home to 2,600 students, all of whom require three full meals a day. Dining Services accounts for a large fraction of Gettysburg College’s sustainability efforts, already implementing sustainability through composting, buying local produce, and using biodegradable products. The proposed on-campus sales cuts of non-reusable to-go items, a change in campus mentality on food waste, and improved composting practices will translate to an increasingly sustainable campus, as well as a well-fed campus body. The third priority was maintaining green space on campus. Ranked as the 23rd most beautiful campus in the United States by The Best Colleges, Gettysburg College utilizes campus green space to create an atmosphere that is conducive to activity as well as tranquility. The plan proposes that Gettysburg College and its grounds facilities continue their exceptional efforts, focusing on increasing the use of the student garden, creating a new rain garden or social area on campus, and converting unnecessary parking lots into green space. As these additions are completed, they must be introduced to the student body and faculty alike to assure these areas are known and utilized. The fourth priority was utilizing community outreach to spread awareness of sustainability initiatives on and off campus. To connect the sustainability-geared changes proposed in this plan, community outreach at Gettysburg College is assessed to estimate how well these initiatives are communicated and promoted to both potential and enrolled students, faculty, and other concerned parties. To evaluate the efficiency of communication at Gettysburg College, a quantitative assessment is presented to measure the ease of finding the sustainability webpage, the quality of sustainability-related topics available on the webpage, and quality of webpage design. The webpage is in need of improved text to image ratios, locations of sustainability topics, and data displays. Despite not having a link to the sustainability webpage on the Gettysburg College homepage, sustainability events should be covered and presented on the rotational news feed found on the homepage to maximize outreach to interested parties or simply to add to the definition of Gettysburg College. The fifth priority was integrating sustainability into the Curriculum to build a culture on campus that values academic rigor, supports students as they cultivate intellectual and civic passions, and promotes the development of healthy social relationships and behaviors. The proposed Sustainability Committee on Sustainability in the Curriculum (SCC) will hold sustainability workshops for faculty with the aim to instill sustainability into all academic disciplines, providing all Gettysburg graduates with a means to approach their professional careers in a fashion that is conscious of sustainability. The sixth and last priority was the Sustainability Advisory Committee. Established in 2007, the Sustainability Advisory Committee is currently under review, but it is recommended that the committee restructure itself in accordance with the new Sustainability Committee Bylaws. These bylaws aim to define the purposes, membership, governance, and involvement with the college. With a clearly defined set of goals and methodology, the Sustainability Advisory Committee will be able to improve the solidarity of the sustainability movement on campus as a whole. By following the propositions laid out in the Gettysburg College Sustainability Plan, the student body, faculty, and community alike will become a part of a multi-faceted progression toward a more sustainable future

Yellowstone County/City of Billings Growth Policy Health Impact Assessment

Analyzes the potential impact of community growth and the built environment on residents' health, emergency preparedness, nutrition, pedestrian safety and traffic, and physical activity as a way to make health part of the decision-making process

Human experience in the natural and built environment : implications for research policy and practice

22nd IAPS conference. Edited book of abstracts. 427 pp. University of Strathclyde, Sheffield and West of Scotland Publication. ISBN: 978-0-94-764988-3

The Built Environment and Well-Being: Designing for Well-Being in Post-Industrial Communities During the Age of Urbanization

Well-being is a major cultural concern today and is increasingly a priority for architects and designers. However, the meaning of well-being is hard to define and often misunderstood. Well-being is frequently seen rather narrowly, even though it is essentially a holistic concept that includes physical, mental, social, and economic well-being. To achieve a state of well-being these different aspects must remain in balance. In the age of urbanization, with the world’s urban population expected to nearly double by 2050, the notion of well-being becomes especially important for architects and urban designers when considering the implications for the urban environment to accommodate this influx of people. This thesis focuses both on understanding the impact that the urban built environment has on holistic well-being across a variety of factors as well as understanding how architecture and design can support well-being in changing urban environments. By clearly defining well-being, assessing current standards for well-being, analyzing a variety of case studies, and ultimately proposing a new, mixed-use development in Providence, RI as an exemplar of urban design and architecture that supports well-being, this thesis outlines a model for how to design for well-being in a way that both supports existing communities while anticipating the growth of these communities as a result of continued urbanization

Purposeful Architecture in Context of Integrated Area

Interaksi telah menjadi salah satu hal terpenting dalam kehidupan kita sehari-hari, antara individu dan individu lainnya, kualitas interaksi adalah sesuatu yang tidak dapat kita anggap mudah karena semuanya berkaitan dengan kualitas yang tak terhitung banyaknya. Intinya arsitektur selalu hadir karena kebutuhan manusia. Kebutuhan setiap manusia pasti terkait dengan interaksi, sebagian besar masalah yang dimiliki kota dengan kepadatan tinggi adalah bahwa interaksi antara masing-masing penghuni kota dibatasi oleh rutinitas sehari-hari mereka. Usulan ini akan mencoba untuk mengalami masalah interaksi antara penghuni kota terhadap penghuni kota lainnya dan penghuni kota terhadap lingkungan binaan mereka. Dalam buku Jan Gehl "studi tentang kehidupan publik" ia menyatakan bahwa interaksi memiliki peran yang sangat penting dalam menciptakan kota yang semarak. Dan dalam konteks ruang publik, Jan Gehl telah menunjukkan hasil studinya dalam bentuk teks tertulis tentang bagaimana penghuni kota cenderung berinteraksi satu sama lain dan bagaimana mereka cenderung berinteraksi dengan lingkungan binaannya. Merancang ruang publik yang dinamis berarti merancang kehidupan sosial, dan merancang kehidupan sosial juga berarti merancang interaksi. ============================================================================================ Interaction has become one of the most important thing in our daily life, between individuals and the other individuals, the quality of an interaction is one that we can’t easily quantify since it has everything to do with uncountable quality. Essentially architecture always present because of the necessity of human being. The necessity of every human being is inevitably linked towards the interaction, most problem that a high density city has is that the interaction between each city occupant is limited by their daily routines. This proposal will try to undergo the problem of interaction between the city occupants towards the other city occupants and the city occupants towards their built environment. In Jan Gehl book “the study of public life” he stated that interaction has a very important role in creating a vibrant city. And in context of public spaces, Jan Gehl has shown the result of his study in the form of written text about how city occupants tends to interact with one another and how they tend to interact with their built environment. Designing a vibrant public space means designing social life, and designing social life also means designing interaction

Re-sewing the urban periphery. A green strategy for fontivegge district in Perugia

The present study debates on the issue of urban regeneration in contemporary cities, adopting a strategic vision which includes the use of vegetation and green infrastructure to create a network of public spaces. Especially, urban periphery lacks of public spaces, meaning a public use of urban space for outdoor activities and social networks. The extraordinary program for the Italian peripheries, addressed to all the metropolitan cities and provincial capitals in 2016, inspired to Renzo Piano idea of “resewing” urban fabrics, has been a good opportunity for testing new approaches to urban regeneration. The case study investigated in this study is the financed project for the city of Perugia, which provides different interventions aimed at improving (and developing new) public spaces through vegetation enhancement and a large area destined to vegetable social gardens as a strategy for urban infill. By recovering public spaces with social purpose and providing a comprehensive strategy for aesthetic improvement of the city, the case study provides a representative example, how greening the city may promote together biodiversity conservation and urban regeneration