Western cities are rapidly densifying, and new building typologies are being invented to mitigate high-rise and balance residential, commercial and recreational functions. This vertical urbanization requires rethinking the traditional design of public space to promote citizens’ well-being. While the scarce studies on high-rise environments indicate several risks, including social fragmentation (Henderson-Wilson 2008; Love et al., 2014), mental stress and undermining attention restoration (Mazumder et al., 2020; Lindal & Hartig 2013), evidence on the potential salutary and mitigating effects of architectural design qualities is limited (Suurenbroek & Spanjar 2023).The Building for Well-being research project combines biometric and social data-collection techniques to address this gap. It builds on studies investigating how built environments allow user engagement (Mallgrave 2013; Simpson 2018) and afford important activities (Gibson 1966). This case study focuses on the experiences of predominant users of the NDSM Wharf in Amsterdam as it is transformed from a post-industrial site into a high-density, mixed-use neighborhood. Using eye-tracking, field and laboratory-based surveys, it explores how residents, passers-by and visitors visually experience, appreciate and perceive the restorative value of the wharf’s recently developed urban spaces.Thirty-six university students were randomly recruited as test subjects for the laboratory test and assigned to one of the three user groups. The resident and passer-by groups were primed for familiarity. Each group was assigned a distinct walking mode and participants were told to imagine they were strolling (residents), rushing (passers-by) or exploring (visitors). The exposure time to visual stimuli of participants was five seconds per image. Afterwards, they reported on the perceived restorative quality of ten urban spaces, focusing on: (1) sense of being away, (2) level of complexity-compatibility and (3) fascination, based on an adapted Restorative Components Scale (RCS, Yin et al. 2022; Laumann et al. 2001). Self-reported appreciation per scene was measured on a 10-point Likert scale and subjects indicated elements in the ten urban spaces they liked or disliked (see Figure 1). A semi-structured on-site survey was also carried out to investigate user experiences further and for triangulation. Thirty-one users, consisting of residents, passers-by and visitors to the NDSM Wharf, rated their appreciation of the site and its perceived restorative and design qualities (following Ewing & Clemente, 2013) on a 10-point Likert scale.The meta-data analysis of RCS statistics, appreciation values, eye-tracking metrics and heatmaps reveals distinct visual patterns among user groups. This points to the influence of environmental tasks and roles (see Figure 2). Strolling and exploring resulted in a comprehensive visual exploration of scenes with a higher mean total fixation count and shorter mean total fixation duration than goal-oriented walking. It suggests that walking mode determines the level of openness to the environment and that architectural attributes can also steer visual exploration. Scenes with the highest appreciation scores correlated with the RCS outcomes. They displayed coherence and opportunities for social engagement, contrasting with scenes with inconsistent industrial and contemporary features. These findings provide spatial designers with insights into the subliminal experiences of predominant user groups to promote well-being in urban transformation.
DOCUMENT
Western cities are rapidly densifying, and new building typologies are beinginvented to mitigate high-rise and balance residential, commercial andrecreational functions. This vertical urbanization requires rethinking thetraditional design of public space to promote citizens’ well-being. While the scarce studies on high-rise environments indicate several risks, including social fragmentation and privatization of public functions (Henderson-Wilson 2008; Love et al., 2014), mental stress and undermining attention restoration (Mazumder et al., 2020; Lindal & Hartig 2013), evidence on the potential salutary and mitigating effects of architectural design qualities is limited (Suurenbroek & Spanjar 2023).The Building for Well-being research project combines biometric and socialdata-collection techniques to address this gap. It builds on studies investigatinghow built environments allow user engagement (Mallgrave 2013; Simpson2018) and afford important activities (Gibson 1966). This case study focuseson the experiences of predominant users of the NDSM Wharf in Amsterdamas it is transformed from a post-industrial site into a high-density, mixeduseneighborhood. Using eye-tracking, field and laboratory-based surveys, itexplores how residents, passers-by and visitors visually experience, appreciateand perceive the restorative value of the wharf’s recently developed urbanspaces.Thirty-six university students were randomly recruited as test subjects for thelaboratory test and assigned to one of the three user groups. The residentand passer-by groups were primed for familiarity. Each group was assigneda distinct walking mode and participants were told to imagine they werestrolling (residents), rushing (passers-by) or exploring (visitors). The exposuretime to visual stimuli of participants was five seconds per image. Afterwards,they reported on the perceived restorative quality of ten urban spaces,focusing on: (1) sense of being away, (2) level of complexity-compatibilityand (3) fascination, based on an adapted Restorative Components Scale (RCS,Yin et al. 2022; Laumann et al. 2001). Self-reported appreciation per scenewas measured on a 10-point Likert scale and subjects indicated elements inthe ten urban spaces they liked or disliked (see Figure 1). A semi-structuredon-site survey was also carried out to investigate user experiences furtherand for triangulation. Thirty-one users, consisting of residents, passers-byand visitors to the NDSM Wharf, rated their appreciation of the site and itsperceived restorative and design qualities (following Ewing & Clemente, 2013)on a 10-point Likert scale.The meta-data analysis of RCS statistics, appreciation values, eye-trackingmetrics and heatmaps reveals distinct visual patterns among user groups. Thispoints to the influence of environmental tasks and roles (see Figure 2). Strollingand exploring resulted in a comprehensive visual exploration of scenes with ahigher mean total fixation count and shorter mean total fixation duration thangoal-oriented walking. It suggests that walking mode determines the level ofopenness to the environment and that architectural attributes can also steervisual exploration. Scenes with the highest appreciation scores correlatedwith the RCS outcomes. They displayed coherence and opportunities forsocial engagement, contrasting with scenes with inconsistent industrial andcontemporary features. These findings provide spatial designers with insightsinto the subliminal experiences of predominant user groups to promote wellbeing in urban transformation.
DOCUMENT
Active transport to school is associated with higher levels of physical activity in children. Promotion of active transport has therefore gained attention as a potential target to increase children’s physical activity levels. Recent studies have recognized that the distance between home and school is an important predictor for active travel among children. These studies did not yet use the promising global positioning system (GPS) methods to objectively assess active transport. This study aims to explore active transport to school in relation to the distance between home and school among a sample of Dutch elementary school children, using GPS. Seventy-nine children, aged 6-11 years, were recruited in six schools that were located in five cities in the Netherlands. All children were asked to wear a GPS receiver for one week. All measurements were conducted between December 2008 and April 2009. Based on GPS recordings, the distance of the trips between home and school were calculated. In addition, the mode of transport (i.e., walking, cycling, motorized transport) was determined using the average and maximum speed of the GPS tracks. Then, proportion of walking and cycling trips to school was determined in relation to the distance between home and school. Out of all school trips that were recorded (n = 812), 79.2% were classified as active transport. On average, active commuting trips were of a distance of 422 meters with an average speed of 5.2 km/hour. The proportion of walking trips declined significantly at increased school trip distance, whereas the proportion of cycling trips (β = 1.23, p < 0.01) and motorized transport (β = 3.61, p < 0.01) increased. Almost all GPS tracks less than 300 meters were actively commuted, while of the tracks above 900 meters, more than half was passively commuted. In the current research setting, active transport between home and school was the most frequently used mode of travel. Increasing distance seems to be associated with higher levels of passive transport. These results are relevant for those involved in decisions on where to site schools and residences, as it may affect healthy behavior among children. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-227 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanned/
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