Explore the vast range of titles available.

In studying greenspace and people’s health and wellbeing, the self-report health perception survey method is broadly used. There is a consensus that people’s health and wellbeing are positively associated with greenspace exposure. Meanwhile, different conclusions on details related to greenspace exposure have also been reported, e.g., the frequency and the stay time. Few studies have investigated and compared on-site greenspace exposure and off-site reflections with perspectives on greenspace (i.e., afterward greenspace exposure). Some self-report health perception surveys have been conducted on-site, especially for experimental studies. There are also surveys that have been conducted off-site, e.g., general association studies on greenspace and public health. On-site and off-site settings indicate different time dimensions of greenspace experiences (i.e., real time vs. afterward). To what extent do these survey settings impact the conclusions on greenspace exposure? This study compares visitors’ self-reported health and landscape perceptions of the Naval Cemetery Landscape, a contemplative greenspace for passive recreation activities in Brooklyn, New York. The results show that the on-site survey reached a broader audience, and the perception and valuing of the space captured by the on-site survey were more positive than those of the off-site survey. In addition, the on-site survey captured more details on the associations between greenspace access, perception, and values than the off-site survey did.

Although the importance of lakes for providing cultural ecosystem services (CES) is widely recognized, the integration of associated values and benefits in decision making is still underdeveloped. Therefore, this study aimed at collecting and analyzing people’s perceptions related to various CES of mountain lakes using an online questionnaire. We thereby distinguished societal values in terms of CES from individual experiences that contribute to subjective well-being and elicited perceived pressures reducing the quality of nature-based experiences. Based on 526 responses, our results indicate that bequest, symbolic, aesthetic, and spiritual values are perceived as most important, while representation and entertainment were less important. Accordingly, experiences such as connection to nature, relaxation, and freedom had the highest values. In terms of pressures, crowdedness was mentioned most often, followed by noisiness and garbage. These pressures mostly affected experiences such as connection to nature, freedom, relaxation, peace, and memories, with negative effects also on CES, mainly on aesthetic value, sense of place, existence value, and symbolic value. In general, the perceptions were highly consistent across different socio-cultural groups. Nevertheless, some differences emerged between groups with different cultural backgrounds with respect to CES and pressures, while differences in experiences were mostly related to gender. Our findings advance the understanding of CES related to mountain lakes and provide useful insights for research as well as decision and policy making, emphasizing the high intrinsic value expressed by the respondents as well as the variety of CES and experiences associated with mountain lakes. Moreover, the identified pressures provide a valuable basis for consideration in tourism management, the protection of natural resources, and sustainable development because they advance our understanding of how infrastructure development and socioeconomic changes may aggravate impacts on societal values and individual experiences.

Effective management of invasive plants conserves biodiversity values, reduces economic costs, and minimizes negative impacts on human health. Fostering people’s awareness of invasive plants is one of the most cost-effective approaches in preventing the spread and introduction of invasive plants. Therefore, this study aims to understand (1) people’s knowledge and risk perceptions, (2) associations between risk perceptions and demographics, and (3) people’s willingness to support current management strategies in the Metro Vancouver region, British Columbia, Canada. An online survey was carried out and received 356 responses across the region. We found that people’s knowledge and risk perceptions of invasive plants were ecologically oriented. Older respondents perceived higher risks of invasive plants. Among respondents of the same age, annual income higher than $50,000 was associated with higher levels of risk perception. Respondents who had professional and/or recreational group memberships perceived higher economic risks. Respondents highly supported activities that they could take part in directly, such as community invasive pulls and native species planting. Overall, our findings aid managers in allocating appropriate funding or tailoring outreach efforts to different aspects of invasive plants as well as groups/communities where people’s knowledge and risk perceptions of invasive plants are low.HighlightsPeople’s knowledge and risk perceptions of invasive plants were ecologically oriented.Age and income were positively associated with perceived risks of invasive plants.Respondents who had professional/recreational group memberships perceived higher risks of invasive plants.Respondents supported local governments to spend funds on active management activities.

Sponge city stormwater management (SCSM) strategy in China aims for sustainable stormwater handling. While many studies have examined the technical aspects of sponge city green infrastructure (SCGI), few have explored public perspectives. This study sought to understand public perceptions, the perceived value of SCGI’s ecosystem service benefits, and the potential for diverse financial compensation methods in sponge city construction. A survey conducted in five Northeastern Chinese cities, involving 1,534 participants, was analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The findings reveal no significant correlation between socio-demographic factors and understanding of stormwater management, indicating the concept’s broad accessibility. Public valuation of ecosystem services showed clear priorities, and factors like homeownership and flood experiences significantly impacted the valuation of specific services. Moreover, the study identified a generally positive public attitude towards investing in SCSM, particularly through stormwater fees, underscoring the viability of diverse funding mechanisms. These insights are pivotal for policymakers and urban planners in formulating sustainable and resilient urban water management strategies.

Introduction: We aimed to investigate whether the provision of water, sanitation, and hand hygiene (WASH) interventions were associated with changes in hand hygiene compliance and perceptions of healthcare workers towards infection control. Methodology: The study was conducted from June 2017 through February 2018 among healthcare workers in two Northern districts of Ghana. Using a pretest-posttest design, we performed hand hygiene observations and perception surveys at baseline (before the start of WASH interventions) and post-intervention (midline and endline). We assessed adherence to hand hygiene practice using the WHO direct observation tool. The perception study was conducted using the WHO perception survey for healthcare workers. Study outcomes were compared between baseline, midline and endline assessments. Results: The hand hygiene compliance significantly improved from 28.8% at baseline through 51.7% at midline (n = 726/1404; 95% CI: 49.1-54.2%) to 67.9% at endline (n = 1000/1471; 95% CI: 65.6-70.3%). The highest increase in compliance was to the WHO hand hygiene moment 5 after touching patients surrounding (relative increase, 205%; relative rate, 3.05; 95% CI: 2.23-4.04; p < 0.0001). Post-intervention, the top three policies deemed most effective at improving hand hygiene practice were: provision of water source (rated mean score, n = 6.1 ± 1.4), participation in educational activities (rated mean score 6.0 ± 1.5); and hand hygiene promotional campaign (6.0 ± 1.3). Conclusion: Hand hygiene compliance significantly improved post-intervention. Sustaining good hand hygiene practices in low resource settings should include education, the provision of essential supplies, and regular hand hygiene audits and feedback.

Efforts are on the way on the Swedish West Coast to develop the capacity for cultivation of marine resources, notably of kelps. Given that this is a region of great natural and national heritage, public opposition to marine developments has been identified as a possible risk factor. This survey thus sought to shed light on awareness levels, perceptions of different types of aquaculture and on reactions to a scenario depicting future aquaculture developments on the West Coast. When asked about their general opinions of aquaculture, respondents tended to be favourable though a majority chose neutral responses. On the whole, respondents were favourable to the depicted scenario. Finally, it was found that the high-awareness group tended to be more supportive than the low or medium-awareness groups, hinting at the benefits of increasing awareness to reduce public aversion and to support a sustainable development of aquaculture on the Swedish West Coast.

Significant work on level of service (LOS) has been conducted around the globe over the last two decades. However, till date, no guidelines exist for LOS of signalized intersections in India. The present study attempts to introduce LOS criteria for signalized intersection under mixed traffic condition. Thirteen intersections from four different cities of India were chosen for this study. Delay at intersections (which is the backbone for deriving LOS) is estimated using the area estimation method (according to HCM 2010). Clustering technique (to be specific, K-mean clustering) has been used to classify six clusters of delay corresponding to six different LOS and arrive at a LOS criteria. Silhouette method has been employed to validate the proposed delay clusters. The silhouette indices obtained justify the proposed delay ranges corresponding to the clusters and indicate the possible implementation of the proposed LOS for rating the performance of signalized intersections of India.

Despite the numerous advantages of using natural materials, such as fast-growing, living, and earthen materials, their widespread application in the construction industry remains limited. This research presents a perception survey, which investigates stakeholders’ perceptions regarding the market, regulatory barriers, and educational barriers, exploring experiences, motivations, and attitudes toward the adoption of natural materials in construction projects. The results capture variations in current practices and identify patterns for future directions, analyzed in a comparative manner to assess two geographical regions: Europe and North America. The results show that contractor availability, a lack of professional knowledge (mostly in Europe), and cost-to-value perceptions (mostly in the USA) are key barriers to adopting natural materials. The lack of awareness among construction professionals regarding technical aspects highlights the need for targeted training, while the lack of regulatory distinction between living and earth-based materials underscores the need for harmonized policies. By elucidating stakeholders’ perspectives and identifying key challenges, this research aims to inform policymaking, industry practices, and research initiatives aimed at promoting the use of a wider lexicon of construction materials. Ultimately, this study hopes to facilitate the development of strategies to overcome scalability challenges and accelerate the transition toward their implementation in mainstream projects.

Architecture plays a crucial role in expressing identities. Cultural heritage as a sustainable process identifies the representation of architectural identity and its continuity. This study aims to create a model of the sustainable continuity of cultural heritage as an approach to studying architectural identity in Erbil. This study contributes to revealing a comprehensive model that includes the relationship between inherited and created sustainable elements related to cultural heritage that affects the continuity of architectural identity. The study combined visual analysis using graphical representation, the analysis of previous studies, field surveys, and questionnaire surveys as methods of data collection. The rationale behind selecting Erbil is related to its unique sustainable developments related to its cultural heritage through the ages, as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. This paper built two hypotheses. The first assumes that there is a significant correlation between elements that represent cultural heritage as a sustainable process and the continuity of architectural identity, and the second assumes that certain elements of cultural heritage have a greater effect on the continuity of architectural identity. The proposed model revealed a strong correlation between independent variables that represent cultural heritage frameworks such as the typo-morphology of house layouts and facades, sociocultural factors, and sustainable development factors and the dependent factor of the continuity of architectural identity in houses situated in Erbil. The regression analysis demonstrated that the most effective factor contributing to the continuity of the architectural identity of houses in Erbil is the physical characteristics related to the typo morphology of the house’s plan layout.