Telepresence robots as facilitators of physical exercise during COVID-19: a feasibility and acceptance study

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions on mobility and access to green space have disrupted exercise habits worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.4 billion adults were insufficiently physically active in 2016, with detrimental impacts on health. The proposed study investigated the use of telepresence-robot-based personal trainers to facilitate remote exercise during the pandemic-related lockdowns. Several adults aged 18–65 were recruited for a four-week intervention and thorough research investigation. The intervention involved one-hour outdoor exercise sessions held three times per week in a local park with a human instructor connected via a telepresence robot. Surveys assessed perceptions of social presence, usability, the intention to use the robot and the psychological benefits of access to green space. System logs tracked participation and technical errors. At baseline, 30% of the participants met the WHO physical activity (PA) recommendations, compared to 80% after the intervention. The study shows significant increases in many parameters. These are perceived in social presence (p < 0.021), usability (p < 0.04), intentions for long-term use (p < 0.05), and the mental health benefits of accessing green spaces (p < 0.013). Attendance was found to be 90%, with a 7% technical failure rate. This investigation demonstrates the promise of telepresence robots for safely providing remote access to green spaces. They can be used to facilitate exercise during public health crises, overcoming the barriers to maintaining PA

Landscape Architecture and The Saudi Arabia Quality of Life Program

Saudi Arabia has for decades felt the effects of the declining condition of its urban, social and natural environments. The government has set out a long-term vision to address these issues through 12 major programs, one of which is the Quality of Life Program 2020. The Program mainly focuses on making Saudi Arabia a top living destination by improving individuals’ lifestyles and enhancing their quality of life. This paper considers the importance of landscape architecture to the Program by way of a literature review to clarify the role of the landscape architecture profession and an analysis of the projects that underlie the Program to highlight the profession’s potential to contribute to these projects

Motivation and Attachment in the Use of Public Open Spaces in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

This research investigates how the residents of the city of Jeddah perceive, use and experience open spaces within an urban context, including unplanned and peri-urban natural areas. It highlights the patterns of use of open spaces and compares these with research findings from North America and European countries. The specific cultural and historical context of Arabic countries means that key factors in use of public space are the segregation of gender and importance of religious practice. However, Jeddah is also a multicultural city, with a high proportion of migrant residents, so also provides a research context for critiquing transnational practices and attachments. The research strategy was developed from two key methodological principles. The first develops investigation of place as an integration of form, fabric and cultural practice, allowing the research to link social patterns with the physical design of the public realm. The second foregrounds storytelling methods to elicit complexity of place attachment, enabling investigation of intangible influences, such as social norms, gender norms, religion and ethnicity. A qualitative case study approach was used to investigate users’ cultural practices and experiences of public spaces. The methods used in this research were a review of maps and documents, car surveys, observations and on-site interviews. It was important to develop an open space typology to meet the diversity of use in a case study selection specific to a Gulf region context. One key finding of this research indicates that Saudi and non-Saudi users visit designed open spaces and incidental spaces that meet their perceived needs, and positive experiences by women using public open spaces implies a broad desire to undertake more outdoor physical activity. The factor of gender is also shown to significantly influence how places are used in terms of temporal and spatial dimensions, as women and men made adaptions to their use of public open spaces to conform to cultural norms. Another key finding of this research suggests people seek out meaningful places that are primarily defined by social connections or by restorative experience. The final key finding of this research shows that public open spaces often fail to meet the identified needs of a diverse range of users, the findings indicate concerns about poor maintenance of public open spaces, and there are insufficient opportunities for users to share their needs with decision makers. Therefore, this research enhances knowledge of patterns of usage and place attachment for public open spaces in an Arab country that follows Islamic law, but also found similarities of patterns of place attachment when comparing Western studies, which suggests that this theory has cross-cultural relevance

Exploring the relationship of cognitive function with and without COVID-19 recovered schizophrenic patients

BackgroundThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is linked to the deterioration of cognitive function among individuals suffering from schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to compare the cognitive performance of schizophrenic patients before and after COVID-19.MethodsA longitudinal cohort study involving a sample of 219 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia was enrolled between June 2022 and May 2023. The participants were split into two groups infected with COVID-19 (n = 165) and not infected with COVID-19 (n = 54). The data were gathered via a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).ResultsThe repeated-measures ANOVA showed that Among patients diagnosed with COVID-19, there was a deterioration in global cognitive function (before COVID-19 = −2.45 vs. after COVID-19 = −3.02, p = 0.007), working memory (before COVID-19 = −2.76 vs. after COVID-19 = −3.34, p < 0.00 1), motor speed (before COVID-19 = −1.64 vs. after COVID-19 = −2.12, p < 0.001), attention and speed of information processing (before COVID-19 = −1.93 vs. after COVID-19 = −1.16, p = 0.008). multi-variable analysis showed that several factors as having a secondary grade of education (β = 0.434), experiencing insomnia (β = 0.411)and the interaction between COVID-19 diagnosis and cognition at baseline (β = 0.796) were significantly associated with cognitive deficits. At the same time, no significant associations were found between global cognition and clinical symptoms, autonomy, or depression (p > 0.05).ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted various cognitive functions, such as verbal memory, working memory, and global cognition. Insomnia has been identified as the predominant determinant of cognitive impairment, alongside the confirmation of a COVID-19 diagnosis. Additional research is imperative to elucidate the diversification of cognitive functionality observed in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia who have acquired COVID-19

Role of Urban Planning Standards in Improving Lifestyle in a Sustainable System

The current study aims to propose urban planning standards and urban sustainability transitions to improve the living quality in a sustainable residential area. The planning of urban standards plays a vital role in improving the quality of living in any city. We present the intensity of land exploitation per inhabitant and the social infrastructure to determine a reasonable relationship between the housing development and the green spaces, type of services and indicators by considering the minimum requirement in establishing new sustainable systems and infrastructures. The research provides an in-depth analysis of urbanization developments through various indicators and addresses the exploitation of land use and the future of neighborhoods. New indicators have been developed, which include: the demographic indicators of demand for basic educational infrastructure depending on the current forecast; indicators to determine the exact space required for new infrastructure; academic indicators for each age group (i.e., nursery, preschool, junior and senior); and the minimum required urban green spaces (i.e., public parks, recreational areas and housing developments). The paper compares the proposed required areas and the standard area requirement according to the number of residents per hectare. It also considers the weighted average number of stories to the shared area in a plot. The research also develops a relationship between the proposed development intensity and the percentage share in the plot area, which provides the built-up area and the green area with leisure facilities. Then, we present the share in the plot area, calculated according to current indicators

Machine Learning Techniques to Map the Impact of Urban Heat Island: Investigating the City of Jeddah

Over the last decades, most agricultural land has been converted into residential colonies to accommodate the rapid population expansion. Population growth and urbanization result in negative consequences on the environment. Such land has experienced various environmental issues due to rapid urbanization and population increases. Such expansion in urbanization has a big impact on worsening the residences soon and in the long term, as the population is projected to increase more and more. One such issue is the urban heat island (UHI), which is computed based on land surface temperature (LST). The UHI effect has fundamental anthropogenic impacts on local areas, particularly in rapidly growing cities. This is due to the unplanned shifts in land use and land cover (LUALC) at the local level, which results in climate condition variations. Therefore, proper planning based on concrete information is the best policy in the long run to remedy these issues. In this study, we attempt to map out UHI phenomena using machine learning (ML) algorithms, including bagging and random subspace. The proposed research also fulfills the sustainable development goals (SDGs) requirement. We exploit the correlation and regression methods to understand the relationship between biophysical composition and the UHI effect. Our findings indicate that in the megacity of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 2000 to 2021, the urban area enlarged by about 80%, while the UHI increased overall. Impervious surfaces significantly impact the UHI effect, while vegetation and water bodies have negative implications for the UHI effect. More than 80% of the total parts in Jeddah have been classified by extremely high UHI conditions, as determined by the bagging and random subspace models. In particular, the megacity’s south, north, and central-east parts were categorized by very high UHI conditions. This research is not only expected to assist in understanding the spatial patterns of the UHI in Jeddah, but to assist planners and policymakers in spatial planning. It will help to ensure sustainable urban management and improve life quality

A Proposed Planning Concept for Public Open Space Provision in Saudi Arabia: A Study of Three Saudi Cities

Public open spaces (POS) have an essential positive impact on cities and their residents. These spaces play a critical role in enhancing users’ physical, mental, and social wellbeing. In addition, POS improve city resilience and economic value, and act as part of the city’s visual amenities. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is taking many approaches to enhance quality of life in all its cities through initiatives such as increasing the POS area per capita. Several studies have examined the importance of the accessibility of POS in addressing users’ needs. In this study, we measured the per capita area and accessibility of POS in the three megacities Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah. We also collected data on user preferences for the use of POS through semi-structured interviews, observations, and an online questionnaire. This study suggests that the country needs to establish its own POS planning approach based on users’ desires and behaviors when using POS, as well as the country’s social characteristics, and to depend not only on standard international planning approaches. The paper recommends considering the possibility of increasing POS by creating typologies of these spaces based on each city’s landscape characteristics. This proposal will have a major impact on city planning and design in Saudi Arabia. In addition, it will make the Saudi cities livable and have a positive impact on the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of the population

Role of Urban Greening Strategies for Environmental Sustainability—A Review and Assessment in the Context of Saudi Arabian Megacities

The review and assessment of urban greening patterns play a crucial role in sustainable urban planning and green spaces (GSs) management, helping to improve human well-being. In recent years, various methods and strategies were applied to examine the relationship between GSs and environmental sustainability, but so far, no studies on systematic review and empirical assessments were carried out in Saudi Arabian context. Thus, a comprehensive review and assessment of current GSs patterns and planning strategies are important for achieving urban environmental sustainability. This study aims to assess spatial pattern of GSs across the cities and a bibliographic review on the urban greening strategies in the Saudi context. These six urban strategies were further supported from empirical evidence on Saudi cities. Geographical information system (GIS) techniques and questionnaire surveys were performed for spatial mapping of GSs and the perceived role of GSs strategies of the respondent to environmental sustainability across cities. The findings showed that (i) highest PCGS was reported from Dammam (5.4 m2) followed by Riyadh (1.18 m2), and Jeddah (0.5 m2); (ii) most of the respondents use GSs for picnic (59%), mental well-being (53%), and physical activities (47%), respectively; (iii) GSs play a significant role for local climate regulation such as temperature control (78%) and UHI reduction (81%), and GSs provide thermal comfort (84%), respectively; and (iv) 40% respondents do not use GSs due to the lack of availability, accessibility, design, management, and safety of GSs. Thus, such findings of the study surely assist planners and policy makers to understand and implement the suggested GSs strategies to meet the satisfaction level of the respondents as well as to manage GSs at neighborhood and city level for urban environmental sustainability

Public Open Spaces Evaluation Using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) in Saudi Universities: The Case of King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah

Public open spaces (POSs) provide multiple services (such as facilities for physical activities and social interactions) to local people, and these services are important for the well-being of society and for improving the quality of life. Extensive research on POSs has been carried out in developed countries (such as the US and Australia, as well as European countries including Spain, France, and Germany). However, POSs in the Saudi Arabian context remain unexplored. This study aims to examine the importance and performance of public open spaces on King Abdulaziz University (KAU) campus, Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia, using importance-performance analysis (IPA). One-way ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests were performed to identify differences in the importance and performance of POSs. It was observed that there are significant differences between the importance and performance of public open spaces on the KAU campus, as perceived by stakeholders. Therefore, this study may be helpful in understanding the importance and performance of public open spaces, allowing spaces to be prioritized to improve management and restore open spaces to achieve environmental sustainability at a local scale. In addition, this study suggests that decision-makers involved in campus planning should consider the contribution of public open spaces to education, recreation, and the environment, at the campus planning stage

Exploring Pattern of Green Spaces (GSs) and Their Impact on Climatic Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies: Evidence from a Saudi Arabian City

Green spaces (GSs) are significant, nature-based solutions to climate change and have immense potential to reduce vulnerability to heat waves while enhancing the resilience of urban areas in the light of climate change. However, in the Saudi context, the availability of GSs across cities and their perceived role in climate change mitigations and adaptation strategies remain unexplored. This study aimed to examine the per capita availability of GSs in the Jeddah megacity in Saudi Arabia, and their role in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. This study assessed the per capita availability of GS in Jeddah city using GIS techniques, and a questionnaire survey (online and an onsite) was conducted to assess the GSs users’ perception of the role of GSs on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Non-parametric tests were also used to find differences in roles based on socio-demographic attributes. The findings of the study revealed that: (i) the per capita availability of GS in Jeddah is relatively low in comparison to international organization recommendations (such as World Health Organization and European Union). As per the survey result, it was reported that GSs play crucial role for climate change mitigation such as temperature regulation, reduction in heat stress, enhancement outdoor thermal comfort, and the maintenance of air quality. More than 85% of the total respondents agreed with the very high importance of GSs for climate change mitigation. More than 80% of respondents in the city highly agreed with climate change adaptation strategies such as the enhancement of accessibility to GSs, ecosystem-based protection of GSs, and the improvement of per capita availability of GSs. The findings of the study will be very helpful to planners and policymakers in implementing nature-based solutions to reduce vulnerability to climate change in Jeddah city, and particularly other cities in a desert environment