A comprehensive walkability evaluation system for promoting environmental benefits.

Pedestrian-oriented urban strategies such as the Paris 15-minute City are needed to respond to the global boiling. Quantitative evaluation of pedestrian-oriented urban objectives is important for various cities, and in this paper, a walkability evaluation system for the advanced model is developed considering the characteristics of a large city. The system calculates the walkability of Seoul. The evaluation system uses the Betweenness index as a weight in the urban network analysis. Considering stations with a high betweenness in urban traffic is essential for evaluating a pedestrian-oriented metropolis. Our findings in this study are that the UNA index in WES is critical for transit-oriented, walkable cities. The large city needs to find the location for mobility hubs or stations to observe the last mile. Installing a mobility hub or station at a high-value location in the city center is functionally important. In a pedestrian-oriented city, citizens can walk and bike the last mile in a busy city center. Walkable cities can encourage active transport and ultimately create more sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation systems. This study offers valuable insights into pedestrian infrastructure, urban systems, and policies that promote green transportation.

Attitudinal analysis of vaccination effects to lead endemic phases.

To achieve endemic phases, repeated vaccinations are necessary. However, individuals may grapple with whether to get vaccinated due to potential side effects. When an individual is already immune due to previous infections or vaccinations, the perceived risk from vaccination is often less than the risk of infection. Yet, repeated rounds of vaccination can lead to avoidance, impeding the establishment of endemic phases. We explore this phenomenon using an individual-based Monte Carlo simulation, validating our findings with game theory. The Nash equilibrium encapsulates individuals' non-cooperative behavior, while the system's optimal value represents the societal benefits of altruistic cooperation. We define the difference between these as the price of anarchy. Our simulations reveal that the price of anarchy must fall below a threshold of 12.47 for endemic phases to be achieved in a steady state. This suggests that for a basic reproduction number of 10, a consistent vaccination rate greater than 89% is required. These findings offer new insights into vaccination-related decision-making and can inform effective strategies to tackle infectious diseases.

Safe traveling in public transport amid COVID-19.

Several intensive policies, such as mandatorily wearing masks and practicing social distancing, have been implemented in South Korea to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We analyzed and measured the impact of the aforementioned policies by calculating the degree of infection exposure in public transport. Specifically, we simulated how passengers encounter and infect each other during their journeys in public transport by tracking movements of passengers. The probabilities of exposure to infections in public transport via the aforementioned preventive measures were compared by using the Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, and Recovered model, a respiratory infectious disease diffusion model. We determined that the mandatory wearing of masks exhibits effects similar to maintaining 2-m social distancing in preventing COVID-19. Mandatory wearing of masks and practicing social distancing with masks during peak hours reduced infection rates by 93.5 and 98.1%, respectively.