Heart Disease in Polluted Urban Cores

The relation between coronary artery calcification in asymptomatic subjects and both traditional risk factors and living in the city centre: a DanRisk substudy (Abstract, J. Lambrechtsen, O. Gerke, K. Egstrup, N. P. Sand, B. L. Nørgaard, H. Petersen, H. Mickley, A. C. P. Diederichsen, Journal of Internal Medicine, Dec. 20,2011) Also discussed here: Heart Study [...]

What Makes a Walkable City?- a look at Canada’s largest city

The Walkable City: Neighbourhood Design and Preferences, Travel Choices and Health (58 page pdf, Toronto Public Health, April 2012) Today we look at Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) which has many of the challenges faced by other large American and Canadian cities which have evolved to a car-oriented end state that discourage walking [...]

Geo-Engineering Cities Using White Roofs and Pavements

The long-term effect of increasing the albedo of urban areas (11 page pdf, Hashem Akbari, H Damon Matthews, Donny Seto, Environmental Research Letters, Apr. 12, 2012) Also discussed here: Resurfacing Urban Areas to Offset 150 Billion Tons of CO2 (ScienceDaily, Apr. 13, 2012) Today, we review a look at changing the albedo of urban areas [...]

Do More Roads Have Less Traffic?

Edward Glaeser’s Triumph of the City (Grush Hour, Apr. 11, 2012) Also discussed here: Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier [Paperback]  (352 pages, Edward Glaeser, Penguin, 2012) Today, we review a book by Edward Glaeser (with a nod of appreciation to Bern Grush’s blog) on [...]

Citizen-Led Air Quality Sensor Networks

The Air Quality Egg Project (An Open Hardware project in New York, NY by @EdBorden) Also discussed  here: Air Quality Egg  (Wiki) And here: You can help build an open air quality sensor network (Pachube, Dec. 7, 2011) And here: MIMAQ (15 slides, mobile pollution sensors) And here: Air Quality Monitoring: A Few Precedents (12 [...]

Safe Roads for Seniors

Keeping Baby Boomers Mobile: Preserving the Mobility and Safety of Older Americans (25 page pdf, TRIP and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Feb. 2012) Also discussed here: Forgive and Forget (Streetsblog, Mar. 5, 2012) And here: Few U.S. cities are ready for aging Baby Boomer population (USA Today-Your Life, Mar. 25, 2012) [...]

Harvard Six Cities Study Update on Mortality from Exposure to Fine Particles

Chronic Exposure to Fine Particles and Mortality: An Extended Follow-Up of the Harvard Six Cities Study from 1974 to 2009 (31 page pdf, Johanna Lepeule, Francine Laden, Douglas Dockery, Joel Schwartz, Environ Health Perspect,  Mar. 28, 2012) The research article of interest today is an update of the famous 1993 Six Cities Study (in the [...]

Intelligent Parking Rates and Pricing

The Future of Intelligent Parking (Nate Berg, The Atlantic Cities, Mar. 23, 2012) Also discussed here: San Francisco Pilot Parking Program Watched By Other Cities (Irwin Dawid, Planetizen, Mar.21, 2012) Today we review another article on the expanded use of smart parking meters and parking systems which began in San Francisco and now is being [...]

Turning Urban Highways into Parks for People

The Life and Death of Urban Highways ( 44 page pdf, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy and EMBARQ, Mar. 2012) Also discussed here: Urban Highways Offer Cities New Opportunities for Revitalization (Erica Schlaikjer, The City Fix, Mar. 21, 2012) The report reviewed today summarizes the social, economic and environmental benefits that have resulted from [...]

How Does San Francisco Price On-Street Parking?

A Meter So Expensive, It Creates Parking Spots (Michael Cooper and Jo Craven McGinty, New York Times, Mar. 15, 2012) San Francisco is a leader among cities which want to reduce the number of drivers circling the block for an open space and adding to the traffic congestion found in many downtown areas. It is [...]

What are the Economics of Road Pricing and Congestion?

Does Traffic Congestion Reduce Employment Growth? (33 page pdf, Kent Hymely, Journal of Urban Economics, Sept. 17, 2008) Also discussed here: Congestion’s Impact on Urban Economies (Surface Transportation Innovations #101, Reason Foundation, March 2012) Today, we review a paper that examines what economic benefits result from the application of road tolls or congestion charges on [...]

Respiratory Health Impacts from Exposure to Roadside Emissions

Association between proximity to major roads and sputum cell counts (6 page pdf, Julie Wallace, Liesel D’silva, John Brannan, Frederick E Hargreave, Pavlos Kanaroglou, and Parameswaran Nair, Can Respir J, January/February 2011) Today we review some research into respiratory health impacts from exposure to nearby roadside emissions in the highly industrialized City of Hamilton. Results [...]

Monitoring Pollution from Downtown Construction and from Traffic in a Large City

Air Quality Monitoring Study of Construction Activities between 69th and 87th Street on Second Avenue  (22 page pdf,  Parsons Brinkerhoff, MTA Capital Construction, Jan. 17, 2012) Today we review an interesting study from New York City, where health concerns about dust from road construction were addressed by an assessment of air quality by roadside monitors [...]

Vehicle Emissions at Modern Roundabouts and Signalized Intersections

Quantitatively Determining the Emissions Reduction Benefits of the Replacement of a Signalized Intersection by a Roundabout  (16 page pdf, Maxine Hesch, Academy of the Holy Names, New York State Dept of Transportation, March 2007) Also discussed here: Impact of Modern Roundabouts on Vehicular Emissions  (10 page pdf, Srinivas Mandavilli,  Eugene R. Russell, Margaret J. Rys, [...]

Where Would Seniors Choose to Live?

Best U.S. Cities for Seniors 2011 (15 page pdf, Bankers Life and Casualty CompanyCenter for a Secure Retirement, Sep. 2011) Also discussed here: Best U.S. Cities For Seniors Not What You’d Expect, Says New Study (Eric Miller, Vox Civitatis: the New Colonist Webog, Dec. 20,2011) The focus today is on a study which ranked 50 [...]

Health Threats to Canadian School Children Near Heavy Traffic

Proximity of public elementary schools to major roads in Canadian urban areas  (33 page pdf, Ofer Amram, Rebecca Abernethy, Michael Brauer, Hugh Davies and Ryan W Allen, International Journal of Health Geographics, Dec. 21, 2011) Also discussed here: School location a factor in student health, performance (Public Affairs, Simon Fraser University, Jan. 4, 2012) And [...]

Real-time Urban Air Quality on a Smart Phone

New Air Quality iPhone Application (King’s College London, Mar. 30, 2010) Also discussed here: London Air iPhone app (King’s College London, YouTube video) And here: Winter smog mid January 2012 (King’s College London, Jan. 2012) For the last two years, the city of  London has been using smart phone technology to distribute up to the [...]

The Health Costs of Asthma caused by Traffic-Related Air Pollution

Costs of childhood asthma due to traffic-related pollution in two california communities (S. J. Brandt, L. Perez, N. Kunzli, F. Lurmann, R. McConnell. Abstract, European Respiratory Journal, Jan. 20, 2012) Also discussed here: Asthma Rate and Costs from Traffic Pollution Higher: Much Higher Than Past Traditional Risk Assessments Have Indicated (Science Daily, Jan. 25, 2012) [...]

Climate Change, Air Pollution and Corrosion of Buildings

Climate change impact on building surfaces and facades (12 page pdf, Terje Grøntoft, International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 2011) As more and more countries fail to meet the international agreements to reduce carbon emissions in a timely manner – either in terms of absolute emissions (China, USA and others) or per capita [...]

Monitoring Air Pollution in Beijing, China

Beijing to put clean-air plan into action (He Dan, China Daily, Jan. 13, 2012) Also discussed  here: Beijing releases key air pollution data (USA Today, Jan. 21, 2012) And here: Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center (in Chinese) And here: Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center (in English) Today, the focus is on efforts by the municipal [...]

Road Pricing in the USA

Road Pricing Can Help Reduce Congestion, but Equity Concerns May Grow (60 page pdf, United States Government Accountability Office, Jan 12, 2012 Also discussed here: Traffic Congestion- Road Pricing Can Help Reduce Congestion, but Equity Concerns May Grow (GAO-12-119, Jan 12, 2012) And here: GAO Highlights (United States Government Accountability Office, Jan. 2012) Today, the [...]

Heat Waves and Mortality in Korean Cities

The Impact of Heat Waves on Mortality in 7 Major Cities in Korea (34 page pdf, Ji-Young Son, Jong-Tae Lee, G. Brooke Anderson, Michelle L. Bell, Environ Health Perspect, Jan. 20, 2012) Today we review an analysis of the health impact of heat waves in Korea, the characteristics of these events and the most vulnerable [...]

Hamilton’s Air Pollution Hot Spots

Mobile Air Quality Monitoring to Determine Local Impacts  (39 page pdf, Denis Corr, Rotek Environmental Inc. July 2011) Also discussed here: Unique study maps neighbourhood air pollution  (Hamilton Spectator, Jan. 20, 2012) And here: A Public Health Assessment of Mortality and Hospital Admissions Attributable to Air Pollution in Hamilton  (3 page pdf, School of Geography [...]

Making Public Transit Attractive

What’s the Best Way To Get Users To Embrace Mass Transit? Make it pleasant? Or make it efficient? (Tom Vanderbilt, Slate,  Jan. 19, 2012) Also discussed here: Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives  (Jarrett Walker, Amazon) Today, the focus is on a new book, “Human Transit”  [...]

Is Traffic Congestion the Main Cause of Car Accidents?

Go Figure: Are country roads more dangerous than city roads? (Michael Blastland, BBC News magazine, Jan. 19, 2012) Also discussed here: Roads vs. Streets: Wherein the greater danger? (World Streets, Jan. 19, 2012) A near fatal accident close to my home recently triggered the review of today’s post  which examines the links between  traffic accidents  [...]

Onstreet Parking- a Public or Private Good?

A rethinking of what parking is in the first place (Reinventing Parking,  Jan. 16, 2012) Also discussed here: The case for the $6 parking meter (Ideas, Leon Neyfakh, Boston Globe, Jan. 15, 2012) And here: Minimum parking requirements are like restroom requirements (Reinventing Parking, Aug. 23, 2010) Today, we look at onstreet parking that could [...]

Pollution “Glue” and Congestion Pricing in London

Mayor Boris spreads ‘pollution glue’ across London (Jessica Shankleman, Business Green, Dec.23, 2011) Also discussed here: (Rav Casley Gera, Clean Technica, Dec. 28,2011) And here: Low Emission Zone (LEZ) Today, we review a new approach being trialed in London to reducing pollution hotspots by applying a chemical to the road which attracts particulate matter and [...]

What is the Basis for Transit Policy in the USA?

Policy and Planning as Public Choice Mass Transit in the United States  (300 page pdf, David Lewis and Fred Laurence Williams, United States Department of Transportation, 1999) Today’s focus is a comprehensive policy report from the Department of Transportation of the USA which builds the case for subsidizing transit by looking at its benefit/cost ratio [...]

Intensification, Traffic Congestion and Air Pollution

Public Health and Downtown Traffic (Marcus Bowman , Spacing Toronto, Jul. 21, 2011) Also discussed here: Ottawa’s clogged roads near capacity (Open File Ottawa, Nov. 18, 2010) And here: Queue Interactions in Synchro 6 (12 page Word doc,  Synchro 6) Today, we focus on some articles that describe how congested cities, such as Toronto and [...]

The Environmental Impact of Parking Spaces and Structures

Parking Infrastructure and the Environment  (Mikhail Chester, Arpad Horvath, and Samer Madanat, ACCESS, Fall 2011) Also discussed here: Paved, but Still Alive (Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, Jan. 6, 2012) The article reviewed today looks at the overall economic and environmental life-cycle costs, both direct and indirect, for the provision of parking facilities and associated [...]

Better Ways to Handle Traffic and Parking

Traffic, Parking, and Our Green Future: Segment 1 (Parking) (28 min video, Donald Shoup, Yale University, Feb. 17, 2010) Traffic, Parking, and Our Green Future: Segment 2 (Traffic) (33 min video, Tom Vanderbilt, Yale University, Feb. 17, 2010) Traffic, Parking, and Our Green Future: Segment 3 (Questions) (27 min video, Professor Doug Rae, Feb. 17, [...]

Really Narrow Streets and Sustainable Cities

Thinking Small: The Narrow Streets “Movement” (Old Urbanist, Mar. 29,2011) Also discussed here: In praise of Really Narrow Streets (StreetsBlog, Jan. 4, 2012) And here: Recipe for Florence (New World Economics, Jun. 17, 2007) And here: (Narrow Streets Los Angeles, Dec. 3, 2011) Today we look at  some articles about cities with really narrow streets, [...]

The Better Air Quality at Beijing Olympics- government controls or lucky weather conditions?

    Emission controls versus meteorological conditions in determining aerosol concentrations in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games (15 page pdf, Y. Gao, X. Liu, C. Zhao, and M. Zhang, Atmos. Chem. Phys.,  Dec. 28, 2011)   Also discussed here: Weather Deserves Medal for Clean Air During 2008 Olympics (Science Daily, Dec. 28, 2011)   And here: Impact of [...]

Free Parking and Planning Sustainable Cities

Between the Lines (Dave Gardetta, Los Angeles Magazine, Dec. 1, 2011) The focus today, as it has been in past reviews, is the craziness involved in cities which give away free parking or set parking rates at the same low rate regardless of the demand- with a prominent example from Los Angeles compared with the [...]

Turning Parking Lots and Urban Highways into Parks

In Madrid’s Heart, Park Blooms Where a Freeway Once Blighted (Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, Dec. 26, 2011) Also discussed here : Parks in, Cars not out? Is that going to be our future? (World Streets, Dec. 27, 2011) And here: Madrid Rio (8 slides) Today,  the focus is on an article which reviews the [...]

Privitized, Dynamically Priced Parking- a good deal for cash strapped cities?

Chicago Cashing In on Privatized Parking; Could LA be Next?  (Steven Dornfeld, City Watch, Dec. 19, 2011) Also discussed here: CPM-Chicago Parking Meters A key example of the value of applying the pricing concept to parking rates is described in the article reviewed today about Chicago where the investment in the new technology needed for [...]

Jane Jacobs and the Sustainable City

Defining principles: Remembering Mrs. Jacobs, The Power of Jane Jacobs’ “Web Way of Thinking” (Michael Mehaffy, World Streets, Dec.23. 2011) Also discussed here: Jane Jacobs Although born as an American and having made significant contributions to the New York City landscape, Jane Jacobs is often fondly viewed by Canadians as one of their own and one [...]

Health Impacts from Road Dust and Coarse Particulates

Estimated Short-Term Effects of Coarse Particles on Daily Mortality in Stockholm, Sweden (27 page pdf, Kadri Meister, Christer Johansson, Bertil Forsberg, Environ Health Perspect, Dec. 19. 2011) The focus today is on the short term health impacts from coarser particles that come from traffic and roads other than through emissions- an aspect not as well [...]

Lessons Learned from Stockholm’s Congestion Charges

The Stockholm congestion charges – lessons after 5 years  (18 page pdf, Börjesson, M; Eliasson, J; Beser Hugosson, M; Brundell-Freij, K., Centre for Transport Studies, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Dec. 2011) An excellent analysis of the social, economic and political aspects of the Stockholm congestion charges is the focus of today’s review. The report [...]

Planning the Ideal Town

Planning the Perfect Place – From Scratch(Tim Halbur, Planetizen, Nov. 28, 2011) How would you design a town if you started from scratch? This is the question and challenge that faced Claude Lewenz after he decided that his native USA was not ready and decided to go to New Zealand to live. Today we review [...]

Freeways: divide and pollute cities today – greenspace tomorrow?

Are freeways doomed? -Several cities are tearing down highways, creating bold new public spaces — and building a future without cars (Dream City, Nov. 30, 2011) A number of cities in the USA have seen the light and replaced expensive, ineffective, polluting freeways that divide communities with parks and tourist vistas that unite them. The [...]

Tolls, Congestion and HOT Lanes in Canadian Cities

Congestive Traffic Failure: The Case for High-Occupancy and Express Toll Lanes in Canadian Cities (9  page pdf, Benjamin Dachis, C.D. Howe Institute, Aug. 31, 2011) The difficulty on introducing tolls as urban cities become more and more clogged with traffic is addressed in the report reviewed today which suggests high-occupancy toll ( HOT) lanes for [...]

Pricing Parking Policies and Principles in Delhi, India

Parking Policy for Delhi(126 slides PowerPoint file, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Dec, 2011) Today’s review article comes from Delhi, the 100 year old Capital of India (as of today), where the need for an improved policy toward congestion and parking is proposed to relieve congestion and the amount of space used for parking of the [...]

The Health Impact of Emissions from Light Traffic

Heavy vehicle traffic is related to wheeze among schoolchildren: a population-based study in an area with low traffic flows ( 8 page pdf, Martin Andersson, Lars Modig, Linnea Hedman, Bertil Forsbergand Eva Rönmark, Environmental Health, Oct. 13,  2011, The review today looks at research in northern Sweden and the health impact for children within 200 [...]

Do the Suburbs Have a Future?

The Death of the Fringe Suburb (Christopher B. Leinberger, New York Times, Nov. 25, 2011) Today we look at the future of traditional North American cities with sprawling suburbs and large malls that can only be reached by car. Population trends toward an older society, the rise of carbon fuel costs and the desire for [...]

Does Canada’s Largest City Want Congestion Charges?

Torontonians Open to Congestion Charge to Fund Transportation System  (8 page pdf, Angus Reid Public Opinion, Nov. 6, 2011) The answer to the question posed today seems to be yes, judging from a poll taken recently in Toronto which interestingly also found a dislike for tolls or taxes aimed at drivers. The time to travel [...]

Sprawl and Health Impacts in Ontario, Canada

Report on Public Health and Urban Sprawl in Ontario – A review of the pertinent literature (53 page pdf, Riina Bray,Catherine Vakil MD, David Elliott,  Environmental Health Committee, Ontario College of Family Physicians, Jan. 2005) Today we review a report from the environmental health community on the negative impacts that sprawl has on the province [...]

The Health Benefits of Cycling’s Impact on Air Quality

Air Quality and Exercise-Related Health Benefits from Reduced Car Travel in the Midwestern United States (39 page pdf, Maggie L. Grabow, Scott N. Spak, Tracey Holloway,Brian Stone Jr., Adam C. Mednick, Jonathan A. Patz, Environmental Health Perspectives, Nov. 2, 2011) We all know that cycling is good for one’s fitness, as well as providing an [...]

Assessment of Local Air Pollution Impacts on Health

Methodological considerations in developing local-scale health impact assessments: balancing national, regional, and local data (12 page pdf,  Bryan J. Hubbell & Neal Fann & Jonathan I. Levy, Air Qual Atmos Health, Mar. 31, 2009) Today’s review article compares the factors that need to be considered when carrying out a local or urban scale health impact [...]

How Freeways Came About from Cities Designed for Cars

Planning for Cars in Cities – Planners, Engineers, and Freeways in the 20th Century (18 page pdf, Jeffrey R. Brown, Eric A. Morris, and Brian D. Taylor, Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 75, No. 2, Spring 2009) Today’s review article describes the development of major roads in cities, how and why they evolved [...]