Patterns of Urban Green Space Use Applying Social Media Data: A Systematic Literature Review

Scientific interest in the potential of urban green spaces, particularly urban parks, to improve health and well-being is increasing. Traditional research methods such as observations and surveys have recently been complemented by the use of social media data to understand park visitation patterns. We aimed to provide a systematic overview of how social media data have been applied to identify patterns of urban park use, as well as the advantages and limitations of using social media data in the context of urban park studies. We used the PRISMA method to conduct a systematic literature analysis. Our main findings show that the 22 eligible papers reviewed mainly used social media data to analyse urban park visitors’ needs and demands, and to identify essential park attributes, popular activities, and the spatial, social, and ecological coherence between visitors and parks. The review allowed us to identify the advantages and limitations of using social media data in such research. These advantages include a large database, real-time data, and cost and time savings in data generation of social media data. The identified limitations of using social media data include potentially biased information, a lack of socio-demographic data, and privacy settings on social media platforms. Given the identified advantages and limitations of using social media data in researching urban park visitation patterns, we conclude that the use of social media data as supplementary data constitutes a significant advantage. However, we should critically evaluate the possible risk of bias when using social media data.Peer Reviewe

A macroscopic analysis of transport networks: the influence of network design on urban transportation performance

This research aims at investigating the direct and indirect influence of network structures on urban transportation performance with a macroscopic perspective. Transport systems are complex \u2013 the functional properties of a transportation network can affect mobility patterns which in turn changes the network performance. Understanding the topology of transportation networks is important in order to upgrade transport network design and to improve transportation performance. This paper attempts to determine important network indicators such connectivity, centrality and clustering measures for different network types (road, rail and bike) from 86 urban areas and 32 countries, based on compa- rable, directly observable open-source data such as OpenStreetMap (OSM) and the TomTom congestion database. Relations between indicators are identified through correlation measures. In addition, regression models are calibrated which quantify the relations between infrastructure accessibility (IA) and network indicators and average traffic delay times. The indicator average road connectivity over average road circuity (RCRC), which is proposed in this study, has not been cited before in literature. The main results suggest that the determination of distance-based connectivity of networks is an important proxy to understand road transportation performance. Consequently, two main results were obtained: (1) an increase in average short-distance connectivity of road networks (average closeness centrality and RCRC) eases road congestion, presumably because the network distributes road traffic more homogenously while decreasing low-permeability choke points, (2) an increase of the average short-distance connectivity of networks of alternative modes such as rail or bike (average weighted rail clustering coefficient and average cycle closeness centrality) does alleviate road congestion. In particular, for cities with over 0.4 km per km2 cycleway density, an increase in cycleway closeness centrality decreases road congestion and it does so almost as efficiently as an increase in road infrastructure accessibility. Presumably, well-connected, alternative networks with short and direct routes convince car users to shift to the alternative mode, which decreases road traffic volumes

Smart-Mobility Services for Climate Mitigation in Urban Areas: Case Studies of Baltic Countries and Germany

The transport sector is one of the largest contributors of CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases. In order to achieve the Paris goal of decreasing the global average temperature by 2 °C, urgent and transformative actions in urban mobility are required. As a sub-domain of the smart-city concept, smart-mobility-solutions integration at the municipal level is thought to have environmental, economic and social benefits, e.g., reducing air pollution in cities, providing new markets for alternative mobility and ensuring universal access to public transportation. Therefore, this article aims to analyze the relevance of smart mobility in creating a cleaner environment and provide strategic and practical examples of smart-mobility services in four European cities: Berlin (Germany), Kaunas (Lithuania), Riga (Latvia) and Tartu (Estonia). The paper presents a systematized literature review about the potential of smart-mobility services in reducing the negative environmental impact to urban environments in various cities. The authors highlight broad opportunities from the European Union and municipal documents for smart-mobility initiatives. The theoretical part is supplemented by socioeconomic and environmental descriptions, as well as experience, related to smart-mobility services in the four cities selected

Consumer attitudes and concerns with bioplastics use: An international study.

The world production of plastic exceeded 360 million tonnes in 2020 alone, a considerable amount of which is not properly disposed of. The significant pressures and damages posed by conventional plastic to human and environmental health suggest that alternatives are urgently needed. One of them is "bioplastic", which is defined as bio-based plastic that is (or not) biodegradable. This paper reports on a study on the perceptions of bioplastics among consumers in 42 countries to identify their levels of information and concerns. The results suggest that most respondents have positive expectations regarding the future of bioplastics to replace conventional plastics fully or partially, especially for food containers, kitchenware, and boxes and bags for packaging. They also reported that the low costs and increased availability of bioplastic products on the market are likely to be the main drivers for their wide-scale adoption. However, many participants are unsure whether they would buy bio-based and biodegradable products if they are expensive. Overall, whereas a rather positive attitude to bioplastics has been identified, greater efforts are needed to address the many information needs of consumers towards upscaling the adoption of bioplastics. Relevant policies are therefore needed to encourage investments in the large-scale manufacture and market uptake of bioplastics. The paper reports on an initial study of consumer behavior, in a sample of countries spread across all geographical regions