Health and wellbeing in cities : Cultural contributions from urban form in the Global South context

Publisher Copyright: © 2021Urban public spaces, both natural and built, contribute to the liveability of urban spaces. Evidence shows that natural urban spaces can improve both physical and psychological wellbeing through providing cultural ecosystem services (CES), but there is a lack of evidence from Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC). Recognising the pressures that public spaces are under in rapidly changing cities of the Global South, it is critical that research is done to strengthen the argument to maintain the availability and accessibility of these assets. This is particularly the case in secondary cities where pressures to redevelop are high due to rapidly growing populations, whilst governance and planning systems typically prioritise growth. This paper presents participatory geographic information system survey findings for two contrasting LMIC secondary cities (Nakuru, Kenya, and Udon Thani, Thailand). We explore the interlinkages between urban public spaces, CES, and residents’ wellbeing. Our findings show that both natural and built areas in these two very different ecosystems are important for promoting wellbeing. Key factors that enabled or prevented the use of public spaces were convenience: proximity, affordability, and usability. The results also highlight the effects of the inequitable distribution of inviting public realm spaces across the cities and consider the impacts on spatial justice. These findings strengthen the need to promote wellbeing considerations through urban planning in rapidly changing cities to ensure their future liveability.Peer reviewe

Transforming urban planning processes and outcomes through creative methods

Inclusively delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains challenging, particularly in urban areas, where some of the most pressing concerns exist. To achieve the transformative SDGs agenda, new methods are required to overcome current deficits in engagement around inclusion and equitable outcomes. Evaluating against theories of governance and inclusion, we test a mixture of digital and physical creative methods abilities to deliver co-designed solutions that influence mobility and road safety planning outcomes in East African cities. Greater inclusion led to improved interactions of citizens with decision-makers, and the identification of novel, practical solutions, delivering some elements of transformation. Risks include creative methods being used to co-opt communities to official agendas, and institutional planning norms needing to adapt to respond to a wider range of stakeholders. Overall, where risks are mitigated, we recommend that using Creative Methods could localise SDG delivery, ensuring more equitable and effective outcomes from infrastructure development investments

Particulate matter pollution in an informal settlement in Nairobi : using citizen science to make the invisible visible

We used a citizen science approach to explore personal exposure to air pollution of selected informal settlement dwellers in Nairobi, Kenya. This paper presents the methods used, with the aim of informing others who wish to conduct similar work in the future, and some results, including policy impact. We used three interlinked methods: 1) a personal mobile exposure monitoring campaign in which individual workers used Dylos monitors to measure variations in their exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) within the settlement over the course of a day, 2) a questionnaire conducted before and after the monitoring campaign to assess any changes in knowledge or attitude in the wider community, and 3) two workshops, which facilitated the citizen science approach and brought together members of the community, local policy makers and researchers. The three elements of the study provided the local community, policymakers and scientists with new insights into the challenges air pollution poses for human health in such settlements, and opportunities for exploring how to monitor, mitigate and avoid these pollutants using a citizen science approach. We found significant differences in PM2.5 exposure between individual workers that could be partially explained by spatial differences in concentration that we identified within the settlement. Residents of the informal settlement identified a number of sources that might explain these differences in concentration, although many residents perceived air quality to be good both indoors and outdoors. The workshops raised awareness of the issue of air pollution and brought together affected community members and local and national policy makers to discuss air pollution issues in Nairobi's informal settlements. As a result, a new knowledge exchange network, the Kenya Air Quality Network, of policy-makers, researchers and community members was formed with the aim to facilitate the improvement of air quality across Kenya

Assessing Inequalities in Wellbeing at a Neighbourhood Scale in Low-Middle-Income-Country Secondary Cities and Their Implications for Long-Term Livability

Correction: FEB 15 2022 DOI10.3389/fsoc.2022.856609To ensure future sustainability, cities need to consider concepts of livability and resident wellbeing alongside environmental, economic and infrastructure development equity. The current rapid urbanization experienced in many regions is leading to sustainability challenges, but also offers the opportunity to deliver infrastructure supporting the social aspects of cities and the services that underpin them alongside economic growth. Unfortunately, evidence of what is needed to deliver urban wellbeing is largely absent from the global south. This paper contributes to filling this knowledge gap through a novel interdisciplinary mixed methods study undertaken in two rapidly changing cities (one Thai and one Kenyan) using qualitative surveys, subjective wellbeing and stress measurements, and spatial analysis of urban infrastructure distribution. We find the absence of basic infrastructure (including waste removal, water availability and quality) unsurprisingly causes significant stress for city residents. However, once these services are in place, smaller variations (inequalities) in social (crime, tenure) and environmental (noise, air quality) conditions begin to play a greater role in determining differences in subjective wellbeing across a city. Our results indicate that spending time in urban greenspaces can mitigate the stressful impacts of city living even for residents of informal neighborhoods. Our data also highlights the importance of places that enable social interactions supporting wellbeing-whether green or built. These results demonstrate the need for diversity and equity in the provision of public realm spaces to ensure social and spatial justice. These findings strengthen the need to promote long term livability in LMIC urban planning alongside economic growth, environmental sustainability, and resilience.Peer reviewe

Inclusive climate resilient transport challenges in Africa

Delivering sustainable and inclusive low-carbon transport is a critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Yet transport infrastructure is vulnerable to the effects of climate change in low-income countries in Africa. This paper explores the status of inclusive mobility and climate-resilient transportation in Africa, focusing on the perceptions and importance amongst key stakeholders, their incorporation into existing practices, and the priority given to making transport more inclusive and climate resilient. A nested scale approach was used that included an online continental survey of 136 respondents from 17 African countries; 2 country-level Focus Group Discussions in Uganda and Zambia; and city-level semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in Lusaka and Kampala using the Delphi method. In addition, an online spatial questionnaire (Maptionnaire) was used to locate where infrastructure improvements were needed, and two city workshops held in Lusaka and Kampala. Providing more active travel infrastructure was a priority for both government and non-governmental groups. This is not connected to climate resilience but to immediate priorities of road safety and health. Our surveys highlighted that climate resilience and inclusive mobility policies are in place, but poor implementation and lack of transparency were undermining outcomes. Upgrading existing infrastructure was more cost-effective and workable than developing new robust alternatives. Lack of knowledge exchange was limiting agencies efforts to tackle this growing challenge. The paper underscores the need to raise awareness of relevant options to improve the climate resilience of transport infrastructure and expand accessible mobility solutions to tackle issues of inclusion and equity in African cities

Assessing inequalities in wellbeing at a neighbourhood scale in low- middle-income-country secondary cities and their implications for long-term livability

To ensure future sustainability, cities need to consider concepts of livability and resident wellbeing alongside environmental, economic and infrastructure development equity. The current rapid urbanization experienced in many regions is leading to sustainability challenges, but also offers the opportunity to deliver infrastructure supporting the social aspects of cities and the services that underpin them alongside economic growth. Unfortunately, evidence of what is needed to deliver urban wellbeing is largely absent from the global south. This paper contributes to filling this knowledge gap through a novel multidisciplinary study undertaken in two rapidly changing cities (one Thai and one Kenyan) using qualitative surveys, subjective wellbeing and stress measurements, and spatial analysis of urban infrastructure distribution. We find the absence of basic infrastructure (including waste removal, water availability and quality) unsurprisingly causes significant stress for city residents. However, once these services are in place, smaller variations (inequalities) in social and environmental conditions begin to play a greater role in determining differences in subjective wellbeing across a city. Our results indicate that spending time in urban greenspaces can mitigate the stressful impacts of city living even for residents of informal neighborhoods. Our data also highlights the importance of places that enable social interactions supporting wellbeing – whether green or built. These results demonstrate the need for diversity and equity in the provision of public realm spaces to ensure social and spatial justice. These findings strengthen the need to promote long term livability in LMIC urban planning alongside economic growth, environmental sustainability, and resilience

Using a co-created transdisciplinary approach to explore the complexity of air pollution in informal settlements

We present novel co-created transdisciplinary research that uses arts and humanities methods to explore air pollution in an informal settlement (Mukuru) in Nairobi, Kenya. Air pollution is a well-documented major human health issue, but despite many air pollution reduction interventions designed to improve health, these are frequently ineffective. Often this is because they fail to account for local knowledge, cultural practices and priorities of the intended recipients. Designing solutions therefore requires in-depth exploration of relevant issues with stakeholders. Researchers worked collaboratively with local residents to develop a range of methods to explore understandings of air pollution including interviews, storytelling, participatory mapping and theatre. Together, we uncovered contrasting definitions of air pollution, differing perceptions of who was responsible for enacting solutions, and overall a view that air pollution cannot be seen in isolation from the other issues faced by settlement residents. The methods used also allowed us to communicate about the topic with a wide audience. While we acknowledge that this research approach is more time consuming than traditional approaches, we urge other researchers wishing to address multifactorial problems, such as air pollution to use a mixture of qualitative, participatory and creative methods to engage with a wide range of stakeholders to elicit new and unexpected understandings that may not otherwise emerge.Additional co-authors: Charlotte Waelde, Anna Walnycki, Megan Wainwright, Jana Wendler, and Mike Wilso

Equity on the road in Uganda : How do interface bureaucrats integrate marginalized groups in the transport sector?

Research on road transport has paid growing attention to social equity objectives. However, little work has examined the role of the government officials that are charged to implement -notably how they make sense of and respond to mismatches between expectations and reality in their regulatory mandates. Drawing on a theoretical framing focused on interface bureaucracy and primary data from semi-structured interviews, this paper examines the agency of government officials in Kampala, Uganda. The analysis highlights how they take initiative to address social equity concerns, seeking to navigate implementation barriers through i) lobbying people in power, ii) seeking leverage in conditionalities of external funding, iii) alliance-building with civil society, and iv) proactive use of city level by-laws. This adds one of few empirical studies available on this subject within the transport studies literature and in the context of East Africa. It also offers a contribution towards conceptualizing what the agency of government officials might mean for the operationalization of key policy objectives in the transport sector

Harnessing the sun for agriculture:Pathways to the successful expansion of Agrivoltaic systems in East Africa

Agrivoltaic systems (AVS) (elevated solar arrays enabling energy and rainwater harvesting alongside crop production), have been gaining increasing traction globally. Most research has focused on the technical efficacy of AVS, with less attention paid to social dimensions and few studies in East Africa (EA). This research had two aims; firstly, to identify the critical enabling factors, institutions and support required to successfully widen AVS adoption across EA. Secondly, could widening adoption help address increasing climate-energy-food production-population growth challenges predicted for the coming decades. We present findings from two case study farms where AVS was installed (Kenya and Tanzania). We undertook user journey mapping with 14 participants associated with the case study farms, to monitor their experiences, building narratives that identify critical enabling factors and support required to successfully widen East African AVS adoption. The case studies are supplemented by additional farmer interviews (n=44) and two end of project workshops with diverse regional stakeholders. Our findings indicate AV technology could be beneficial to a range of agricultural systems and contribute to addressing climate-energy-food nexus issues in EA, but innovations are needed to enable this uptake. Specifically, widening AVS adoption equitably requires: government interventions to deal with land tenure uncertainties particularly for small-holders and cooperative farms; provision of appropriate finance mechanisms for different types of beneficiaries; reforming the current regulatory framework for energy investments and payments for surplus distribution of AV electricity; and, developing assistance from additional supporting agencies (e.g. regulatory, agricultural and technical) at key touch-points in the adoption process