Health Benefits of Physical Activity Related to an Urban Riverside Regeneration.

The promotion of physical activity through better urban design is one pathway by which health and well-being improvements can be achieved. This study aimed to quantify health and health-related economic impacts associated with physical activity in an urban riverside park regeneration project in Barcelona, Spain. We used data from Barcelona local authorities and meta-analysis assessing physical activity and health outcomes to develop and apply the "Blue Active Tool". We estimated park user health impacts in terms of all-cause mortality, morbidity (ischemic heart disease; ischemic stroke; type 2 diabetes; cancers of the colon and breast; and dementia), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and health-related economic impacts. We estimated that 5753 adult users visited the riverside park daily and performed different types of physical activity (walking for leisure or to/from work, cycling, and running). Related to the physical activity conducted on the riverside park, we estimated an annual reduction of 7.3 deaths (95% CI: 5.4; 10.2), and 6.2 cases of diseases (95% CI: 2.0; 11.6). This corresponds to 11.9 DALYs (95% CI: 3.4; 20.5) and an annual health-economic impact of 23.4 million euros (95% CI: 17.2 million; 32.8 million). The urban regeneration intervention of this riverside park provides health and health-related economic benefits to the population using the infrastructure.

Improving the soundscape quality of urban areas exposed to aircraft noise by adding moving water and vegetation.

Research shows that the sight of trees and the sound of moving water improve the soundscape quality of outdoor spaces exposed to road traffic noise. Effects are attributed to non-energetic masking, visual attentional distortion, and congruence between sight and hearing. However, there is no literature on such effects for aircraft noise. Aircraft noise varies from other traffic sources, i.e., in terms temporal variability, duration, and spectral composition, complicating the application of findings without further research. In a virtual reality experiment reported in this article, participants were asked to rate scenarios with different sound levels of flyovers, urban typologies, vegetation, and/ or water features. The results showed a significant improvement of the soundscape quality when (1) vegetation and (2) moving water were present, and especially when (3) vegetation and moving water were presented simultaneously, especially for residential areas in terms of the relative change. Moving water also reduced the saliency of aircraft flyovers significantly, changing the constellation of fore- and background sounds. Moving water raised the perceived audibility of the most dominant sound source too, which could be attributed to non-energetic masking effects. The findings of this study indicate that soundscape strategies can complement noise abatement in areas prone to aircraft noise.

Urban upgrading and its impact on health: a “quasi-experimental” mixed-methods study protocol for the BH-Viva Project / Intervenciones de renovación urbana y el impacto en la salud: protocolo de un estudio cuasi-experimental con métodos mixtos – Proyecto BH-Viva / Intervenções de requalificação urbana e o impacto na saúde: protocolo de estudo “quasi-experimental” com métodos mistos – Projeto BH-Viva

Abstract There is little scientific evidence that urban upgrading helps improve health or reduce inequities. This article presents the design for the BH-Viva Project, a “quasi-experimental”, multiphase, mixed-methods study with quantitative and qualitative components, proposing an analytical model for monitoring the effects that interventions in the urban environment can have on residents’ health in slums in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. A preliminary analysis revealed intra-urban differences in age-specific mortality when comparing areas with and without interventions; the mortality rate from 2002 to 2012 was stable in the “formal city”, increased in slums without interventions, and decreased in slums with interventions. BH-Viva represents an effort at advancing methodological issues, providing learning and theoretical backing for urban health research and research methods, allowing their application and extension to other urban contexts.

Resumen Hay poca evidencia científica de que las estrategias de regeneración urbana contribuyen a mejorar la salud y reducir las inequidades. En este trabajo se presenta el diseño del Proyecto BH-Viva, estudio “cuasi-experimental”, de múltiples fases, con métodos mixtos, incluidos los componentes cuantitativos y cualitativos, que propone un modelo de análisis para el seguimiento de los efectos de las intervenciones en el entorno urbano puede tener en la salud residentes de las aldeas y los barrios marginales en Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. En el análisis preliminar hubo diferencias intra-urbanas en la mortalidad proporcional por grupos de edad, al comparar las zonas con y sin la intervención; las tendencias de la mortalidad de 2002 hasta 2012 se mantuvieron estables en la ciudad formal, el aumento en el pueblo sin ninguna intervención y disminuyen de que con la intervención. El BH-Viva es un esfuerzo para avanzar en cuestiones metodológicas, proporcionando el aprendizaje y la base teórica de los métodos de investigación y de investigación en salud urbana, lo que permite la aplicación y la extensión en otros contextos urbanos.

Resumo Há poucas evidências científicas de que estratégias de requalificação urbana contribuam para a melhoria da saúde e redução das iniquidades. Este artigo apresenta o delineamento do Projeto BH-Viva – estudo “quasi-experimental”, multifásico, com métodos mistos, incluindo componentes quantitativos e qualitativos, propondo um modelo de análise para monitoramento dos efeitos que intervenções no ambiente urbano possam ter sobre a saúde de moradores de vilas e favelas em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Em análise preliminar observou-se diferenças intraurbanas na mortalidade proporcional por grupos etários, ao comparar áreas com e sem intervenção; a tendência de mortalidade de 2002 a 2012 mostrou estabilidade na cidade formal, aumento na vila sem intervenção e decréscimo naquela com intervenção. BH-Viva representa um esforço no avanço de questões metodológicas, fornecendo aprendizado e subsídios teóricos para a pesquisa e métodos de investigação em Saúde Urbana, possibilitando a aplicação e extensão em outros contextos urbanos.