ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of incorporating nature-based solutions in urban design, in order to create sustainable and resilient cities. Inspired by these events, the present study aims at exploring the mental health benefits of nature exposure during the outbreak. Secondarily, we investigate changes in use patterns towards urban green spaces (UGS) and urban blue spaces (UBS) and whether extreme conditions, such as these of a lockdown, can lead to an increase in people's appreciation of urban nature. Through an online survey, we observed that the pandemic resulted in a decrease in the frequency of visitation to UGS/UBS (p < 0.001). Significant differences were found for exercise (p < 0.001) and socialization (p < 0.05) as main drivers for visiting urban nature pre- and post-lockdown. Accordingly, visitation rates for forests (p < 0.05), playgrounds (p < 0.001), and the sea (p < 0.001) differed significantly when comparing the two periods. In people's perception, UGS/UBS are important for the urban fabric (89%). Our structural equation model indicated that nature exposure had a beneficial effect on participants' mental health (p < 0.001). Pathways that explain the relationship between nature exposure and post- lockdown value were nature relatedness, motivation, and perceived importance of UGS/UBS. No mediation could be extracted for nature exposure and mental health. Our findings show the positive association between nature exposure and mental health improvement, especially in times of crisis, as well as a shift in the "value domain” towards urban nature.
ABSTRACT
The lack of public spaces, recreational areas, and sports facilities in older city neighborhoods, as well as the importance of people's social and economic well-being, have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Revitalization is used to update the physical environment of old neighborhoods;it improves not only the physical environment of the neighborhood, but also contributes to ensuring the social and economic well-being of the residents. The article aims to identify which typical revitalization project solutions, only referring to physical environmental improvement projects, improve the social and economic well-being of the residents. To achieve this goal, a statistical analysis of the Žirmūnai triangle residents was performed with obtained survey data. The hypothesized connections between typical revitalization solutions and changes in the social and economic well-being of the population were verified using Pearson's Chi-Square test. The results showed that the public spaces, sports, and playgrounds provided by revitalization were directly related to the social and economic well-being of the residents. As a result of this typical revitalization solution, 17% of the residents experienced an improvement in their economic well-being, 17% of the residents got to know their neighbors, and 95% of the residents indicated that they enjoy living in the neighborhood.
ABSTRACT
Several studies have indicated that children who grow up in green environments enjoy beneficial impacts on their development. However, to date, very little attention has been paid to the types and characteristics of dedicated public open green space for children. In addition, studies on biophilic design that could help landscape architects to design open spaces for children are limited. In order to fill this gap, this perspective examines the scientific literature on the relationship between open spaces and children. The authors specifically discuss and analyze the following points: (1) pathways to and effects on children's health and well-being;(2) types and characteristics of open spaces for child-dedicated facilities (e.g., schools, hospitals, fitness camps, playgrounds, etc.), as well as for child-friendly urban open spaces. Finally, the authors provide inspiring examples and case studies of biophilic design for children's health and well-being. Conclusions from this perspective show that biophilic design could benefit both the physical and mental health of children, as well as improve children's overall resilience to pandemics and other diseases. This perspective provides, for the first time, new insights for designing biophilic and child-friendly cities, and explores areas of future research.
ABSTRACT
An inclusive and easily accessible public space, including for persons with disabilities, is one of the goals contained in the SDGs by 2030. The Batu City Government has tried to create a friendly public space by providing facilities and utilities that make it easier for people with disabilities to access it seen on Alun-Alun Batu. The ongoing covid 19 pandemic causes limited visits to Alun-Alun Batu and affects the condition of existing facilities. This research aims to develop the concept of facilities and accessibility based on the perception of disabled users. The analytical methods in this research are the perception assessment of disabled users with IPA analysis and the conformity assessment method according to the current pandemic conditions. The results show that out of 16 facilities, half of the facilities are in unsuitable condition and other facilities are not suitable for disabled users. The priority of upgrading facilities are objects in quadrants I IPA which consists of toilets, traffic parks, carousel, and gazebos/smoking areas. The second priority is facilities located in quadrant II such as parking lots, playgrounds, Ferris wheels, and offices. And the third priority is for facilities located in quadrant III IPA such as dancing fountains, stage performances, seats, rubbish bin, and tourism information.
ABSTRACT
This paper presents an evaluation study of how eighth families adopted, played and experienced a movement-based game system of analog and digital technologies in their homes during a pandemic lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic locked down many countries and grounded people in their homes with social and physical implications. A game system consisting of simple, tangible technologies with modular components was designed to meet these needs. The game system was developed for the players to set up in their homes easily and, therefore, should not depend on screens or extensive physical installations. The game system comprises simple, tangible technologies such as light and music cubes, a simple mobile robot, card game challenges, and a suite of mini-games combining the elements in a variety of playful experiences. Using the technology probes methodology, the game system was packed into a suitcase and evaluated by eight families that played the game in their homes, video-recorded their sessions, wrote a final report and were (informally) interviewed afterwards. The data set presents how the families turned their ordinary everyday spaces into interactive, pervasive playgrounds encouraging social and bodily exploration and play. Furthermore, the study shows how bodily movement and social play can be promoted through different technologies that stimulate various bodily senses and incorporate them through the different game and play structures into their everyday living environments. The findings resulted in four design implications to aid designers and researchers in future work on movement-based game systems and interactive, pervasive playground design. These design implications accommodate social and bodily activities in ordinary places otherwise not pre-allocated for play or game activities.
ABSTRACT
Slight more than a year ago, our lives have completely changed with a newly discovered virus. This new strain of Coronavirus family has rapidly infected many people in china. The virus, now commonly called COVID-19, has also transferred to almost every part of our world with international flights, causing a global pandemic. This new situation has changed many children's daily lives. During the first months of COVID-19 pandemics, almost 99.5% of all children in the world lived with movement restrictions and 60% lived under full or partial lockdowns. In Turkey, children locked down for over 2 months with no outside permission. This study aimed to understand effect of lockdown process on children's daily lives, physical activity patterns, and visits urban green spaces and playgrounds. The emerging findings illustrate that children's daily habits have changed during the lockdown. Many children showed symptoms of boredom, loneliness, lack of communication, anxiety and even depression. Children invested more time in watching TV. Slightly more than half of the children spent only around an hour for physical activity every day, and a third of children have spent no time on any physical activity. Percentage of children visiting urban green spaces and playgrounds declined rapidly. On average, children payed 27 minutes shorter visits to urban green spaces than they visited before COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Adventure playgrounds have provided an important play environment for children in the United Kingdom (UK) since the 1940s. Twenty-five children ages from 4 to 13 were asked how they would play if social distancing was introduced on their adventure playground. Using Piagetian classification as a framework, responses from children in the pre-operational stage were compliant, whilst in the operational stage, children were compliant but explained how they would adapt their play. For the formal operational stage, the responses were confrontational. The importance of obtaining children’s views challenges the original ‘blanket’ policy guidance within the UK on social distancing for all children in outdoor environments including an adventure playground and considering how children play when with their peers is more social play.
ABSTRACT
The article is aimed at analyzing the current state of the restaurant economy of Ukraine and determining prospects for its development in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quantitative composition of the national restaurant services market. A significant reduction in the number of establishments in 2020, as well as a significant decrease in sales compared to 2019, are identified. The regions with the biggest number of establishments engaged in restaurant business are defined. The specific structure of establishments of the domestic restaurant sphere is considered. The quantitative composition of restaurant establishments by forms of entrepreneurial activity is analyzed. It is identified that the restaurant market of Ukraine became one of the most affected sectors of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the research, the main prospects for the development of the restaurant economy market of Ukraine in modern crisis conditions are determined. Among them the following are allocated: development of mobile applications with a wide range of functions and order tracking;increasing online sales by introducing advertising tools such as promoting own website on the Google search network and using contextual advertising;banner advertising and remarketing;support of pages in social networks and cooperation with bloggers, journalists, critics, opinion leaders. Promising directions of development are also identified: opening or improving the establishment's summer playground, organizing a smooth transfer of orders through the issue window, own order delivery service. It is noted that the reduction of rent rates on premises under the influence of a pandemic and an increase in the number of franchising establishments have a positive impact on the resumption of the restaurant services market.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to evaluate the importance of physical activitiy in protecting the health of children and adolescents whose physical activity opportunities were restricted during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. Physical activity contributes to the physical and mental health of children and young people, especially a stronger immune system. On March 11, 2020, The World Health Organization described the COVID-19 virus outbreak as a global pandemic. Due to the restrictions made as a result of the decisions taken by many countries due to the COVID-19 virus epidemic, significant changes have occurred in the Daily lives of children, young people and families. Many countries have restricted the use of physical distance, social interactions, sports, playgrounds and parking spaces. As a result of these restrictions, the decrease in physical activity habits in children has been a cause for concern. Given the strong relationship between health status and physical activity, it appears that during the COVID-19 pandemic, children's health deteriorated further due to a sedentary lifestyle. Because an inactive lifestyle;it is directly related to obesity, weakening of the immune system and risk of chronic diseases. Parents, educators, healthcare professionals and the media have a great role to play in increasing children's physical activity levels. During this period, children should try tos tay healthy with simple exercises that combine games and fun activities while staying at home. Suggestions fort his include participating in physical activities appropriate to pandemic constraints, participating in new leisure activities, using online health and/or physical activity practices. As a result;parents and authorities have great responsibilities in creating adequate physical activity opportunities to protect the health of children and young people during the epidemic.
ABSTRACT
SUMMARY The synchronicity and consistency of the proposal and publication of this issue of PpA dedicated to the common space, with the 17th Venice Biennale, convened on the theme "How will we live together?", offers the opportunity to compare, notwithstanding distances, two ways of approaching emerging statements of the spaces where encounters take place. Beyond the inevitable cliché regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, there are other coincidences, such as the different scales from which to tackle the subject, the importance of play spaces, as well as -at least in the calls- an optimism as to the role of architecture. [...]the comparison shows that there is still some way to go before the results of this research can be applied in the imminent future to the space common to all. If in the proposals of the pavilions of the Mostra the weight of formal innovation or the rhetoric of the event strain the transfer to daily and permanent reality, in the research published in this number there still remains a process of metamorphosis of the results to incorporate them into the practice of the architectural project.
ABSTRACT
Upon writing these remarks, the Park's zoo, gardens, nature playground, and public buildings are closed to help curb spread of the new coronavirus;but the fields, paths and roads remain open to variably-spaced strollers who may still spy nonchalant Percherons corralled at the McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre, the Park's newest attraction. Spector, writing his first popular history (he is a retired Parks Canada research manager), covers the fiscal restraints imposed by two World Wars;the fiery 1929 destruction of the first pavilion (featured in its heyday on the book's cover);times of scant City funding or favour;and a stealthy claim on the public heart by newer pleasure des tinations like Birds Hill Provincial Park and The Forks. In the margins of dozens of other pages, slender slices of a land acquisition reference plan, featured essentially intact at the start of the book (pp. 4-5), are reproduced for no apparent purpose but to decorate. [...]in order to raise funds, its long-standing landscape has been severely comprised with a golf course, mini-golf, and amusement park.
ABSTRACT
The possibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission by fomites or environmental surfaces has been suggested. It is unclear if SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in outdoor public areas. The objective of the current study was to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in environmental samples collected at public playgrounds and water fountains, in a country with high disease prevalence. Environmental samples were collected from six cities in central Israel. Samples were collected from drinking fountains and high-touch recreational equipment at playgrounds. Sterile pre-moistened swabs were used to collect the samples, put in viral transfer media and transferred to the laboratory. Viral detection was achieved by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, targeting four genes. Forty-three samples were collected from playground equipment and 25 samples from water fountains. Two of the 43 (4.6%) samples from playground equipment and one (4%) sample from a drinking fountain tested positive. It is unclear whether the recovery of viral RNA on outdoor surfaces also indicates the possibility of acquiring the virus. Adherence to environmental and personal hygiene in urban settings seems prudent.