The gender perspective in sustainable urban planning

As for any other discipline, urban planning can only be considered sustainable if it combines care for the environment with the satisfaction of social needs and economic balance. Given that women make up almost 50% of the world's population, urban planning that neglects women’s needs is not sustainable. Numerous studies show that mobility patterns vary according to gender and are linked to people’s daily activities, which also depend, among others, on the economic and educational level. The other way round, limited mobility opportunities lead to some women’s restricted access to particular activities. This work aims to briefly explain existing inequalities and their potential solutions under different boundary conditions.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::5 - Igualtat de GènereObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::5 - Igualtat de Gènere::5.4 - Reconèixer i valorar les cures no remunerades i el treball domèstic no remunerat, mitjançant la prestació de serveis públics, la provisió d’infraestructures i la formulació de polítiques de protecció social, així com mitjançant la promoció de la responsabilitat compartida a la llar i la família, segons escaigui a cada paísObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats SosteniblesObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles::11.2 - Per a 2030, proporcionar accés a sistemes de transport segurs, assequibles, accessi­bles i sostenibles per a totes les persones, i millorar la seguretat viària, en particular mitjan­çant l’ampliació del transport públic, amb especial atenció a les necessitats de les persones en situació vulnerable, dones, nenes, nens, persones amb discapacitat i persones gransObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::5 - Igualtat de Gènere::5.1 - Posar fi a totes les formes de discriminació contra totes les dones i nenes a tot el mónPostprint (published version

Autonomous vehicles: theoretical and practical challenges

Parte do número especial XIII Conference on Transport Engineering (CIT 2018)[Abstract:] Autonomous driving is expected to revolutionize road traffic attenuating current externalities, especially accidents and congestion. Carmakers, researchers and administrations have been working on autonomous driving for years and significant progress has been made. However, the doubts and challenges to overcome are still huge, as the implementation of an autonomous driving environment encompasses not only complex automotive technology, but also human behavior, ethics, traffic management strategies, policies, liability, etc. As a result, carmakers do not expect to commercially launch fully driverless vehicles in the short-term. From the technical perspective, the unequivocal detection of obstacles at high speeds and long distances is one of the greatest difficulties to face. Regarding traffic management strategies, all approaches share the vision that vehicles should behave cooperatively. General V2V cooperation and platooning are options being discussed, both with multiple variants. Various strategies, built from different standpoints, are being designed and validated using simulation. Besides, legal issues have already been arisen in the context of highly-automated driving. They range from the need for special driving licenses to much more intricate topics like liability in the event of an accident or privacy issues. All these legal and ethical concerns could hinder the spread of autonomous vehicles once technologically feasible. This paper provides an overview of the current state of the art in the key aspects of autonomous driving. Based on the information received in situ from top research centers in the field and on a literature review, authors highlight the most important advances and findings reached so far, discuss different approaches regarding autonomous traffic and propose a framework for future research.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; TRA2016-79019-

A simple algorithm for the estimation of road traffic space mean speeds from data available to most management centres

[Abstract:] The control of the evolution of road traffic streams is highly related to productivity, safety, sustainability and, even, comfort. Although, nowadays, the findings from research efforts and the development of new technologies enable accurate traffic forecasts in almost any conditions, these calculations are usually limited by the data and the equipment available. Most traffic management centres depend on the data provided, at best, by double-loop detectors. These loops supply time means over different aggregation periods, which are indiscriminately used as the bases for subsequent estimations. Since space mean speeds are those needed in most applications (note the fundamental relationship between flow and density in traffic flow theory), most current practice begins with an error. This paper introduces a simple algorithm that the allows estimation of space mean speeds from the data provided by the loops without the need for any additional financial outlay, as long as the traffic in each time interval of aggregation is stationary and its speed distribution is log-normal. Specifically, it is focused on the calculation of the variance of the speeds with regard to the time mean, thus making possible to use the relationship between time mean speeds and space mean speeds defined by Rakha (2005). The results obtained with real data show that the algorithm behaves well if the calculation conditions help fulfil the initial hypotheses. The primary difficulties arise with transient traffic and, in this case, other specific methodologies should be used. Data fusion seems promising in this regard. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that the improvement provided by the algorithm turns out to be highly beneficial both when used alone in the case of stationarity or as a part of a fusion

Mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide : características y elementos distintivos

[Abstract] This paper is aimed at describing the most distinctive features of the pavement design method known as Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide and to compare it with other renowned methodologies, while emphasizing its advantages and disadvantages. The MEPDG can accurately predict damage evolution, thus helping to choose the most appropriate design for new pavements or to schedule the conservation of the already existing ones. After analyzing different pavement design and management methods, the MEPDG stands out as the most comprehensive one as it takes into account and properly combines the greatest number of factors that affect the pavement. Therefore, some countries outside the USA have already imported and calibrated this method, what, at the same time, allows the scientific community to carry out comparative studies and improve its small deficiencies.[Resumen] El objetivo de este artículo es describir los rasgos más característicos del método de diseño de firmes conocido como Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide, así como compararlo con otras metodologías de renombre, destacando sus ventajas y desventajas. El MEPDG puede predecir con precisión la evolución de los deterioros, ayudando por tanto a elegir el diseño más adecuado para el caso de firmes de nueva construcción, o a programar la conservación de los ya existentes. Tras analizar diferentes métodos de diseño y gestión de firmes, el MEPDG destaca como el más completo al ser el que tiene en cuenta un mayor número de factores que afectan al firme. Por ello algunos países fuera de EEUU ya han importado y calibrado este método, lo que al mismo tiempo permite a la comunidad científica llevar a cabo estudios comparativos y mejorar sus pequeñas deficiencias

Is Cycling Safe? Does It Look like It? Insights from Helsinki and Barcelona

[EN] Cycling constitutes a clean, healthy, and low-cost mode of transport. Therefore, the promotion of cycling is currently one of the main goals of administrations around the word. Former studies have shown that safety perception plays a fundamental role in the acceptance of bikes as a habitual mode of transport. In this context, this research aims to determine which variables and actions can give rise to this feeling of safety and, therefore, collaborate in the modal shift towards a more sustainable mobility. For this purpose, different strategies have been developed in two different contexts, Helsinki and Barcelona, using two different methodologies, namely expert interviews and analysis of survey data. Particularly, the methodology of analysis used includes descriptive statistics and path analysis. Results point out that safety perception highly depends on trip purpose, as significant differences are observed for daily users compared to those who cycle for sport reasons. Demographic characteristics (age, gender, etc.) and use patterns are also associated with different perceptions of safety and different behaviors. However, for any cyclist, the quality of the available infrastructure significantly influences his/her safety perception. Thus, the provision of good quality and well-structured cycling infrastructure is the most important initiative to promote cycling.Martínez-Díaz, M.; Arroyo-López, MR. (2023). Is Cycling Safe? Does It Look like It? Insights from Helsinki and Barcelona. Sustainability. 15(2):1-25. https://doi.org/10.3390/su1502090512515

Autonomous driving: a bird's eye view

[Abstract:] The introduction of autonomous vehicles (AV) will represent a milestone in the evolution of transportation and personal mobility. AVs are expected to significantly reduce accidents and congestion, while being economically and environmentally beneficial. However, many challenges must be overcome before reaching this ideal scenario. This study, which results from on-site visits to top research centres and a comprehensive literature review, provides an overall state-of-the-practice on the subject and identifies critical issues to succeed. For example, although most of the required technology is already available, ensuring the robustness of AVs under all boundary conditions is still a challenge. Additionally, the implementation of AVs must contribute to the environmental sustainability by promoting the usage of alternative energies and sustainable mobility patterns. Electric vehicles and sharing systems are suitable options, although both require some refinement to incentivise a broader range of customers. Other aspects could be more difficult to resolve and might even postpone the generalisation of automated driving. For instance, there is a need for cooperation and management strategies geared towards traffic efficiency. Also, for transportation and land-use planning to avoid negative territorial and economic impacts. Above all, safe and ethical behaviour rules must be agreed upon before AVs hit the road.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; TRA2016-79019-R/COO

Technology: a necessary but not sufficient condition for future personal mobility

Número especial: Sustainable Road Transportation Planning[Abstract:] Technological advances revolutionize industrial processes, science, communications, and our way of life. However, developed societies have reached a stage in which the fascination with technological innovations often results in their indiscriminate consumption. In this paper, road traffic is used as a line of argument to demonstrate that the random introduction of technology does not imply benefits to society. Particularly, it is analyzed why some of the potential benefits of technological progress are lost in fields such as traffic monitoring, data handling, and traffic management, or in sustainable mobility initiatives, such as the introduction of electric vehicles or the implementation vehicle sharing projects. The risks faced in the future advent of autonomous vehicles are also discussed, and ideas for improvement suggested. A critical reflection on other transportation modes that are expected to be realized in the near future is included as well. The performed analysis evidences that the potential improvement in personal mobility will not become a reality if it exclusively relies on the latest technological devices, in line with consumers’ fantasies or economic interests. This is a statement that could be generalized to many other fields. The implementation/consumption of a particular technology should not be an objective in itself, but a tool to bring benefits to society.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; TRA2016-79019-R/COO

Niveles de autoestima y hábitos de vida saludables en estudiantes de sexto y séptimo de una institución pública del municipio de Chía, Colombia

30 Páginas.El proyecto de investigación identifica los niveles de autoestima y hábitos de vida saludables en un grupo de estudiantes entre 10 a 13 años de una institución educativa del municipio de Chía. Para identificar los niveles de autoestima y hábitos de vida saludables se utilizó un estudio descriptivo transversal con una muestra de 100 estudiantes. Respecto a los niveles de autoestima se aplicó el instrumento de autoconcepto, de Piers y Harris adaptado para Bogotá, Colombia (1998). Para los hábitos de vida saludable se aplicó una encuesta de Hábitos de vida saludables HAVISA adaptada por Díaz, M., & Díaz, D., (2009). Nota: Para consultar la carta de autorización de publicación de este documento por favor copie y pegue el siguiente enlace en su navegador de internet: http://intellectum.unisabana.edu.co/handle/10818/1513

Conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas sobre maltrato infantil en odontólogos de Cartagena, Colombia

Objetivos: Describir conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas (CAP) sobre maltrato infantil (MI) en odontólogos de Cartagena, Colombia. Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal en 149 odontólogos, quienes respondieron un cuestionario estructurado anónimo de auto-reporte para evaluar variables sociodemográficas, reporte de sospecha de MI y CAP frente a este. Los datos fueron analizados a través de frecuencia y proporciones. Para establecer relaciones entre la sospecha de MI con algunas variables de interés (sociodemográficas, CAP) se utilizó la prueba ? 2 con un nivel de confianza del 95 %. Resultados: La ocurrencia actual de casos de sospecha de MI fue 5,3% y alguna vez durante su práctica profesional del 34,4%. Para el nivel de CAP sobre MI se obtuvieron puntajes promedio de 16,8/26 8,7/12 y 2,4/8 respectivamente. Al relacionar el nivel de conocimientos y variables sociodemográficas, las actitudes y prácticas, solo se encontró significancia estadística para el estrato socioeconómico (p=0,001) y entre las actitudes con el lugar de procedencia (p=0,04) y edad (p=0,002). Conclusiones: El nivel de conocimiento sobre MI fue deficiente mientras las actitudes fueron favorables; sin embargo, al momento de presentarse un caso de sospecha sus prácticas son inadecuadas al no realizar descripción de lesiones, anotaciones en la historia clínica y reporte de casos

Aprendizaje de la Microbiología a través de los medios de comunicación

Memoria ID-0031. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2015-2016